u/LucieBug

Umberto D.

Had to watch in a film class during class, sobbed the whole time and most of the way home.

They look awesome! Thanks! :)

My old work tanks. :( They've just seen better days but all of my outfits are put together by them. Sometimes I try to convince myself I'm just sick of them and they really aren't too bad, but my whole wardrobe could use some uplifting. I'm working on it though.

PS- Where'd you find your ankle pants and do you love them? I've been looking recently but I find most hit too low on my leg, hug my calves too much (I cycle...), or the taper is super horrible. J. Crew and Loft have been okay for me, but I'm still not in love.

Hey! I'm in the same boat. Trying to build a semi-modest office appropriate wardrobe with reasonable costs. I've had a lot of luck lately with Talbots. They have some pretty good sales/coupons if you sign up for their emails, and they have outlet stores that are SUPER cheap (like $12 tops). Only downside is they also do a lot of tanks.

The Limited just started doing outlet stores, and their dress blouses are AWESOME. I got two shirts last weekend at the outlet in Nashville for about 30$ each and they have the half-short sleeve (Can't remember what it's called! gah!) style. The front is silk and the back is cotton so it's really breezy and cool. Also they have pencil skirts for around $40 in sweet colors. Good luck!

TL;DR- Talbots and The Limited outlets. Moreso The Limited

My boyfriend and I went hiking in Gatlingburg a couple weekends ago (5 hours from home) and decided to go to Clingman's Dome to see the views. We get to the top after a ridiculously vertical hike and see a couple Appalachian Trail hikers hanging out with their gear. My bf recognizes on of them as an old family/childhood friend and they talk for awhile. He just stopped to check out the site and was moving on. This site marked his 200 mile mark and he was trying to get "trail magic" from tourists. My boyfriend and I hiked back down the trail to the car, got our lunch, a huge bag of jolly ranchers we'd been nomming all trip, and some hiking odds and ends I had in my backpack (wet wipes, bug spray), hiked back up the ridiculous incline and gave them to him. He was so excited to see a jar of peanut butter and bagels, but you could tell he was THRILLED about the jolly ranchers. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.

Cut some up and put it in water for a few hours! Cucumber water is really refreshing.

You can also use them as pizza crusts- cut them width wise if the diameter is big enough, add some sauce, cheese, and mini pepperonis and bake until the cheese melts.

You always want to go a shade lighter for eyebrows with dark hair and a shade darker for lighter hair. I learned this somewhere and it's made eyebrow filling a lot easier for me and the people I makeover! I like Stila brow tints because you don't need to fiddle with a brush, but I can see how some people might think it makes too much of a line as it's not a powder but more liner-like. You get better at blending the end as you use it. Good luck!

J Crew lets you pick what inseam length works for you (3,4,5,7") which is really nice, and I'm obsessed with them. As someone else said, American Eagle also has some nice ones that I find age well too. Good luck!

Thanks for your kind words! I wish more directors of programs like these would reach out to the community for teachers. I could see how they'd be hard to find, but it's so worth it for the kids. Normally I have a room of about 15 and maybe 5 participate the entire time, but all of the kids have the option of not attending, so it makes me feel good they come even if just to sit, listen to the music and be calm. :)

I HATE eating the same thing everyday for a week. I like to go to big stores like Sams Club (no Costco around here :(.. ) and stock up on frozen chicken/fish and a few different fresh veggies once every couple weeks. I find buying frozen really saves me a ton of time (buy in bulk) and money (nothing fresh going bad). To stop me from getting something to eat on the way home from work, I psych myself up about something I have at home. It sounds lame but it works and saves me money and calories. Every so often I'll venture around the internet and find a cool recipe to try, but it will still usually use my stock items.

Also, I keep all my healthy snacks in a basket on my counter so if I am hungry and need to snack, I'll check that out first before exploring the cabinets (where I hide emergency chocolate from myself).

Anyone else find slow cooker chicken to get boring? If I cook veggies with it they get super soggy and bland too. I'm not a fan of the slow cooker (yet) but it seems like an awesome idea for those who like it!

Great post! I'm 5'5" 140lbs right now wanting to get down around 125/130. You're an inspiration! Thanks for posting.

J crew has the my favorite cardigans in the whole wide world. I might own 6. They work really well with sleeveless tanks and a belt. Around Christmas time they have a decent sale on them.

http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/sweaters/cardigans/PRDOVR~91212/91212.jsp

I find American Eagle to have really awesome fits in SOME of the stuff I try on. Jeans and shorts. You really have to be willing to try on a bunch of different styles. Sometimes if I'm lazy I won't try on a pair and just buy it because it's the same size as the ones I just tried on and it's a nightmare when I get home. In the summer they usually have a lot of shorts that are cuffed and they tend to work really well for bodacious babes. Also I find shorter shorts make my legs look less stocky than bermuda type shorts. My AE shorts that I love have also lasted me a long time, and I think actually look better with the "worn in" (AKA my dryer is too hot) look. ;) Good luck! Keep us posted if you find something awesome :)

Maybe you could try looking at fitness/exercising/eating as a hobby to simplify it a little more. It's important to you and takes up a lot of your life, and is not so important to her. Maybe she likes volunteering in her spare time and you don't- people are just different. If it's super important to you and another person doesn't share it, don't feel bad at all about not wanting to spend the rest of your life with them.

Also, give her some slack- studying all the time is hard work. I've had to choose many a times between cooking a good healthy meal and studying. It's a tough call.

This wasn't a vacation, but it was a special event...

I was 16 and had just gotten my brand spankin new (at least to me!) car that was all my own. After driving around an old creaky family car for 8 months, I earned this sweet new ride and was excited and ready to jump at any chance to drive it. My sister decided to take advantage of this during her 21st birthday (no, I didn't know any better...).

She told me I didn't have to get her a present if I brought her and her friends to the bar around 11, and brought them home around 2:30. I was very excited to 1)save money on a present 2)stay up late (with a super mature purpose) 3)let my sister's super cool friends see my awesome new ride. So I agreed.

They started pregaming around 9. The ride to the bars was funny, with my sister saying things she wouldn't normally and her friends being goofballs. I thought they were funny and everything was cool. Around 230 her friend calls me to pick them up. That should have been my first warning sign. I pull up to the bar and some strange looking creatures lurk towards my car. The previous fun, energetic sister and friends had turned into toddlers walking for the first time being supported by random dudes they met at the bars. They get in my car, one or two literally falling in, and one even lays down in the back in the trunk (small SUV, not closed off). Everyone was hanging with their heads in their hands against each other. I threatened "DONT YOU DARE THROW UP IN HERE" pretty frequently. I put down the windows, just in case. Then it started. The girl in the back seat starts the throw up waterfall. Both girls in the back seats are tossing cookies out their respective windows, and my sister riding shotgun begins.

Apparently the dynamics of the car were not designed for 21st birthday after party. My sister's tossed cookies go out her window, get pushed back in through the rear open window, all over her friend, then all over the back windshield and over her friend laying down in the trunk. I flipped out. I was so angry I wouldn't talk to her for a week after. I can't imagine how her friend in the trunk felt though.

She exited when we got to where they were staying by pretty much crawling out of my car, throwing $40 at me and apologizing. I spent the next hour in a grocery store parking lot cleaning the throw up off the back windshield of my first car.

It's been 8 years and I still hold it against her at the right times.

Sorry this story isn't about vacation, but I hope it makes your night a little better! Hope your little one feels better soon. :)

I've never been able to whistle. :( When I tell people they always try to teach me but I just don't get it.

Thanks! And that's great about your time!

Thanks! Great suggestion. And if people ask what I'm doing later I can say fartlek.

TAKE ALL THE CLASSES.

No but seriously, take a bunch that interest you and see what kind of fitness you like. If you like zumba, go to that and focus on doing a lot of cardio. If you like circuit training or more weight based classes, look into learning about weights. Classes and self research via the internet can teach you things you think personal trainers only know. They will work if you don't have time to put in the effort to learn for yourself, but I think are a waste of $$.

Weightloss is a destination where you can take a bunch of different paths to get there. For now you should be focusing on learning, getting comfortable, and getting confident at the gym. Also, SELF DISCIPLINE. It is the #1 thing to have if you want to be serious. Hold yourself accountable. Don't let your body tell your mind how to feel. If you're tired, suck it up and go to the gym. It's only an hour or whatever and you'll be glad you did it.

Good luck with your start! Great job at recognizing you need to do this! Remember it's a life style change- not a temporary thing. ;) Keep us updated :)

Thanks for the reply and not being depressing.

Unless everyone else knows something I don't, this is what it takes to be in the health care industry/ a vet. I realize the payments will suck, but it's not going to be forever. The education will be though.

I should be making $80-90k when I get out, don't fret! Thanks though :)