Experimental Exercise

Lately, I've been in a little running rut. Waking up every morning, lacing up the sneakers, and hitting the road for a run has always been a highlight to each and every day. But with so many blogs, advertisements, TV commercials, etc... encouraging different workouts for different mind sets, I couldn't help but feel a little adventurous.

This past week was somewhat of a speed dating course with different exercises. Monday, the warmer temps got the best of me, and I made my way up to Gambrill State Park for a 6 mile hike. Apart from the sunshine and light breeze, the hour and a half I got to spend in between trees was delightful 

(Plus, climbing those hills made my bootay feel blissfully sore in the morning!)

Tuesday, I tried some cycling, and Wednesday was a long, long 7 mile speed walk. Both were a welcome change from the running I was so keen to jumping into.

Today, I am heading to the local YMCA to try Zumba 

(Gotta get these dance moves out from in front of my mirror, you know). 

I'm sure it'll be one of these moments...

Who knows what tomorrow will bring? It's Spring time! Time to mix things up a bit!

Get Real, Barbie

I found this after wandering around my Facebook timeline this morning and it made me do a double take.

Ladies! If you've ever attacked your own positive body image and this Mattel toy played a role model in your life at one point, I urge you to read and put into perspective:

Eating Disorder Awareness Month---And Barbie has an eating disorder!

• If Barbie were an actual women, she would be 5’9” tall, have a 39” bust, an 18” waist, 33” hips and a size 3 shoe.
• Barbie calls this a “full figure” and likes her weight at 110 lbs.
• At 5’9” tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. She likely would not menstruate.
• If Barbie was a real woman, she’d have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.
• Slumber Party Barbie was introduced in 1965 and came with a bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs with a book entitled “How to Lose Weight” with directions inside stating simply “Don’t eat.”

Read that last bullet again... I think that's incredibly messed up. That message reached millions of little girls who could have gotten the impression that Barbie's secret of not eating is the key to being beautiful, since she is the symbol of beauty ((or is she)), kiddies.

Don't fall victim to society's depiction of a "beautiful body". Because they come in all different shapes and sizes. We weren't made from a mold or out of plastic. You were made by the hands of an artist, creating everyone different and beautiful for the world to learn from and appreciate. Enjoy that body, baby, cause it's the only one you're going to get!



Thank you, Maya Foss, for sharing.

If you could go anywhere right now...

With a lot of different things running through my mind such as future jobs, relocation, and finding new passions (aka, cooking until my limbs fall off) I can't help but squeeze in a few wishful thoughts of a vacation!

Where would i go if I could go anywhere in March?

I'll take a train to Dublin and explore Ireland.St. Patty's day, anyone?

I loved the Northwest so much, I'd really love a tour de coast with stops in Portland....

Seattle...

A quick trip to Vancouver...

 And stop right bout time for coffee in Sitka, Alaska

Of course, somewhere tropical would also tickle my fancy. Perhaps... Bali?

Where would you like to travel if you could go ANYWHERE?

A Rainy Thursday Playlist

The clouds may be shades of gray and leaking droplets along the pavement, but doesn't that make today sound like a lovely opportunity to explore new music and relish in Starbucks' new BLONDE Roast coffee? (Because everything is better blonde [; )

Sitting in a coffee shop, watching the weather splash shadows across the sidewalk, I've been wandering the online music-sphere and came up with this sweet little playlist. 

Kina Grannis- Valentine
The Fray- I Can Barely Say
Drake- Practice

Johnny Cash- Folson Prison Blues
Augustana- Someone's Baby Now
The Fray- Munich
Train- When I Look to the Sky (Radio Edit)

Augustana- Twenty Years
Chris Brown- With You
Zee Avi- Concrete Wall (Mansions on the Moon Remix)
Alanis Morissette- Underneath
Boyce Avenue- A Thousand Miles (Vanessa Carlton Cover)

John Mayer- Gravity
Matt Nathanson- Kept
Sia- Breathe Me
Jem- It's Amazing
Drake- Over My Dead Body

The Fray- Rainy Zurich

What are your favorite lounge-day tunes?

Gleeful on this Thursday

Did anyone out there catch the recent episode of Glee? The Michael Jackson tribute episode? Anyone?

Well, if you are a glee fan but have yet to view this spectacular episode of Michael hits, BEWARE! There are spoilers!

This episode blew me away. (Yes, I have been an avid Glee watcher for a couple years now and have an idea of what previous episodes look like) So I can easily say that this epic episode will stand out! Quinn getting into Yale, Kurt getting into NYADA, Rachel and Finn agreeing to tie the knot... all minor details that disappear behind the music that this episode so-happily drowns in.

Honestly, I have never been a HUGE fan of Michael Jackson (but I do pay him much respect for his influence on the pop-culture explosion!) This episode shines so much light on some of his greatest musical stylings! Did you see it? Even if you didn't, which of these covers stand out to you?