THIS IS ME: A Look into My Thoughts & Events...My Life

whoa first juicing disaster

2012-02-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

WHOA! First juicing disaster!!! YUCK!!!

So, I know that I don't really like beets, but I was willing to try it out in some juice. But, I was a little overzealous with this one.

I used one beet and the leaves. And a whole bunch of other stuff.

I even added a lemon in afterward to try to counterbalance the taste. And then I thought, "Ok maybe this needs to be cold." So, I place it in the fridge and tried it again today. BLEH!!! Holy freaking moly that is earthy! You can't even taste anything else.

I'm definitely going to have to work on my beet ratios. My friend told me this morning that she heard I should only use half. Well my friend looks like I'm gonna start even smaller than that!

Juice 01.31.12

2012-02-01T09:44:00.001-08:00

About 2.5 stalks of celery
1/2 cucumber
2 leaves of kale
2 oranges
Handful of raspberries
4 carrots
About 1 cup of spinach
About 1/2 inch of ginger (this was a little strong, so you might want to use less or omit it)
After I took this picture, I decided to add 5 strawberries
And a lemon that I had squeeze out earlier...might as well use it all

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

first kale recipe

2012-01-31T10:01:00.000-08:00

so like i said last night, i finally got my hands of some kale. woo hoo! i wasn't really sure what to match with it, so i looked online at some recipes. i didn't use any of those though. lol i just grabbed a little of anything available to me in my kitchen.

this is what i ended up with:

handful of spinach
2 kale leaves
2 apples
1/8 pineapple
1/2 cucumber
handful of raspberries
5 strawberries
5 small carrots

i'm just now finally tasting it and i must say i do like it. a friend of mine told me to be careful with the kale, he didn't like it. but i honestly don't see what's wrong with it. maybe it's b/c i've matched it with a whole lot of other things. maybe i'll be a little more venturous and use less fruit. but my parents have bought so much fruit i don't want it to go bad. regardless, i'm able to get in my daily dose of fruits and veggies and it's WONDERFUL!!

Happy Monday

2012-01-30T23:40:00.001-08:00

I didn't start the day off right today, but I definitely ended it the right way. I didn't get to juice last night so I didn't have any juice for my work day. That already put me in an off mood. And I didn't eat too well while at work either. Uh-oh!

But, I made sure that I got my workout in and I was determined to make sure I worked out hard. The second part was easy b/c what I was expected to do was hard in itself. But, I made sure that I pushed through every movement and finished strong. The feeling you get when YOU surprise yourself is simply AMAZING. I tweeted this today, and I've tweeted it before, but I just have to say it again. "I am truly a believer in muscle memory!"

After my workout I stopped at Pak n Sav. I thought I needed more spinach (I didn't know my parents had already got me some) and cucumbers, annnddd I wanted to try to pick up some kale AGAIN. And I FINALLY found some! I made sure to pick up 2 bunches.

I wasn't sure what I should pair with the kale, so I picked up a little bit of this and that in my fridge. I'll let you know if I liked it tomorrow. I've been warned that kale is not too tasty. I think I should be fine though.

While juicing I was dancing around and humming a made up tune to myself. I don't know if the endorphins were still running through my body or if I was just elated with the fact that I finally got my hands on some kale. Hahaha! The simple things are what make me smile.

And to top that all off, I got a call from one of my closest friends who now lives in Chicago. We had an intense conversation, but the companionship is always refreshing.

I am now decompressing by writing this and catching up on Top Chef b/c the Criminal Minds episode is one I've seen too many times. I hope you all enjoyed your day as much as I did, or made it a positive one like me. GOOD NIGHT!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Juice 01.25.12

2012-01-26T08:55:00.001-08:00

Handful of raspberries
1 pomegranate
1/2 cucumber
1 mango
2 apples
2 celery
5 carrots
slice of ginger
small lemon

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

01.23.12 juice

2012-01-24T20:13:00.001-08:00

Handful of raspberries, 2 celery stalks, 1/2 cucumber, 1 apple, 1 lemon, 2 oranges, 5 carrots, & 1 slice of ginger

I really like to use ginger. It adds a different flavor and it's good for cleaning your system out. And for some reason the lemon has been calling me. So, I used it. I really like this recipe, so I definitely will be doing this one again.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

01.19.12 juices

2012-01-20T18:04:00.001-08:00

My juice: 1 pomegranate, 1/2 cucumber, 1 mango, 1 kiwi, 1 apple, handful of spinach, 1/8 pineapple, and 2 stalks of celery

I totally forgot I had carrots. So I made sure I put them in my second batch of juice.

Family juice: 5 carrots, 1/8 pineapple, 2 oranges, 1 apple, and 1 pomegranate

Both of these were totally yummy. REALLY GOOD!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

juice 01.17.11

2012-01-18T15:54:00.001-08:00

here's a picture of what i juiced yesterday.

5 carrots, 2 apples, 1 mango, 2 celery stalks, 1 orange, 1 kiwi, 1" ginger, 1.5 handful of spinach

here's the end result.

the ginger root was a little thick, and i knew it was gonna be a little strong, but why would i leave just a sliver. for me the ginger wasn't too strong, but you could definitely taste it. for sure, my parents wouldn't have liked it. but, it's ok, this batch was for me. and ginger is good for cleansing the body.

if you don't like ginger all that much, you can definitely put less or skip it all together.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Breakfast today

2012-01-18T08:51:00.001-08:00

Here's my breakfast for the day. I normally don't like microwave oatmeal, I'm trying to save money and it's in the house so why not. So I brought a couple of packets to work. To my surprise, I actually got it to the consistency that I like. Woo hoo! And I put a couple of blueberries in there too.And of course my juice. Today's juice consists of: 5 carrots2 celery 1 mango Spinach1/2 cucumber 2 applesBlack/blue2 kiwi

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

01.14.12

2012-01-14T22:19:00.001-08:00

Highlights of the day:First of all, the NINERS BEAT THE SAINTS!!! But we'll get back to that.When I got up I decided to have some juice for breakfast, of course I used my juicer. Luckily for me, my mom loves the idea of the juicer and stocked up on lots of fruits.

We actually have a box of blueberries and blackberries in the fridge and a box of regular size oranges not pictured.Anyhow, here's what I decided to juice this morning.

After I took this picture I decided to add a cutie orange too. Here's the end result:

The next thing I had to look forward to was, of course, the Niner game. The playoff game today was against the Saints. And if you are from the city and did not watch the game, SHAME ON YOU!!! And your sure did miss out on a great game. Let me give you a brief review. We ended the first quarter up 17 - 0. HELL YEAH! But the Saints came back quickly in the second quarter bringing it to 14 - 17. The game was back and forth from there. The last couple minutes of the game were intense, we made a touch down and tried for the 2 point conversion, unsuccessful. All we had to do was hold them with only a few minutes left, and then they killed our joy and made another touch down. But we came back and made our own touchdown with less than 2 minutes left of the clock. The game ended 32 - 36. HOLLLERRRR!!!We were yelling and blowing horns, high fiving, jumping up and down. There were only a few of us, but I wouldn't want to watch without my FAITHFUL family.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Juicing with spinach

2012-01-12T10:18:00.001-08:00

I went to the grocery store after my workout last night. I wanted to pick up some kale and spinach, but there was no kale. Boooo! So I picked up some spinach, cucumbers, and just one sweet potato. Haha! I know kindda random, but I seen one juicing recipe that called for sweet potato and I wanted to try it out.Last night, I tried juicing with spinach. Spinach doesn't yield too much juice, but I wasn't sure how strong the taste would be so I just used about 2 handfuls. Here's what I did last night:2 handfuls of spinach1/2 cucumber4 carrots1 apple2 kiwis (I added the second kiwi after I tasted the juice. It needed a little more sweetness.)- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Juicing at work

2012-01-10T10:53:00.001-08:00

So I said in one of my prior blogs that was gonna juice and bring it into work and I totally have. I've only forgotten it one day so far. But, I am the queen of forgetting stuff, so I'm pretty sure that won't be my last. Here's what I brought to work today:

3 carrots, 3 oranges, 1 apple, a handful of blueberries, and handful of blackberries- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday = Food day

2012-01-08T12:49:00.001-08:00

There was a whole lot going on in the Lopez Dome kitchen this morning. My sister asked me to make the furikake chex mix again. And my dad had already made some crab. So while I was on the stove melting the ingredients together, my mom was on the burner next to me making her spaghetti sauce. And while I was baking and stirring the chex mix, my mom was again on the burner beside me, but this time making afritada. And of course I got to juicing. Here's what I used today:2 pomegranate2 handfuls of blueberries2 handfuls of blackberries2 apples

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

juice for 12.05.12

2012-01-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

i still have yet to go to the grocery store, so i had to make with what was due in the house. but, as i said i made juice last night for me to take to work today.

we have a massive amount of oranges in the house, so i used more oranges than i have before. and i'm quite pleased with how it tastes.

3 carrots
1 apple
3 large oranges

for my parents last night, i used:

3 carrots
3 oranges
and i mixed in some mango juice we had in the fridge

i still want to try using kale and i want to use cucumber too. and i just seen a recipe today that calls for sweet potato. i was very intrigued. i'll let you know how it tastes.

weird weight loss tips

2012-01-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

i came across an article this morning about weird weight loss tips and ideas were pretty interesting.

1) Eat with your non-dominant hand. A study showed that we eat 30% less if we eat with our non-dominant hand

2) Look in the mirror while you eat. A study showed that when you watch yourself eat, consumption of high calorie meals dropped by a third. -- I guess we don't wanna watch ourselves eating the heart attack.

3) Immerse yourself in blue: blue table cloth, blue plates, maybe even paint the room blue. A study showed that the people ate 30% less. They think it's b/c the color blue is associated with toxic or moldy food. Whereas the colors red and yellow do the opposite. -- I can think of plenty of fast food restaurants that use these colors. Good marketing!

4) Smell an apple or a banana or peppermint. A study showed that you will eat less. They think that smelling the food makes your brain think that you ate it.

5) Instead of a food journal, take a picture. Keeping the photos and looking at them before you eat, may make you think twice about overindulging. -- I don't know if this would work for me. It might make me more hungry. I mean the term "food porn" is now a part of our everyday lives.

6) Eat in silence. They say that a noisy environment makes us eat faster, so our brain doesn't know when we are actually full.

7) Wear tight clothes to dinner. That way when we feel our clothes getting tighter, we know it's time to stop. -- So wearing those sweats to Thanksgiving b/c we knew we were gonna eat a lot, worked against us.

8) After a meal brush your teeth with minty toothpaste. The flavor of mint makes us think the meal is DONE! And mint doesn't mix well with a lot of food, so eating after your brush isn't so appetizing. And the feeling of fresh clean teeth is so enjoyable, that eating again, or grabbing those extra calories may not seem worth losing the freshness. -- SEEEEE, I'm not weird. I've seen this on a couple of articles now.

Here's the link to the actual article if you wanna read more: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/weird-weight-loss-tricks-really-work

Juice for the night

2012-01-03T23:14:00.001-08:00

After my workout tonight, i wanted to get something in my system. Of course my first thought was to juice. Tonight I wanted to try something different to juice. I need to make a trip out to the grocery store b/c I want to try other fruits and some leafy greens like kale and such. But, I did remember seeing some recipes that used ginger to juice and I knew we had ginger so I decided to try it.

Here's the recipe I followed. It's actually a detox recipe:

I thought it actually tasted pretty good. You can definitely smell the ginger, but I didn't think it was over powering at all. My dad thought the ginger was too strong, so I added the pomegranate that I deseeded earlier.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

starting 2012 off right

2012-01-03T09:29:00.001-08:00

ever since i got my juicer for christmas (thank you, sister!), i've been able to take in more fruits and veggies. woo hoo! it has always been a constant goal of mine to be more healthy and i loveeee fruits and juice, so this juicer has been perfect. it's given me an easier way get my fruits and veggies in. and the parentals too. lord knows filipino food is NOT the healthiest.

today is my first day back to work and i woke up early enough to make some juice to take to work. i'm gonna have to do this the night before for now on though, b/c i don't like the thought of not cleaning the juicer right away and leaving it in the sink.

and after work i'm gonna try to get a run in at the lake. i need to start running again. and perhaps really train for my marathons this year. lol i'm still contemplating on my workout schedule. but as long as i do SOMETHING at least 3 - 5 times a week i'll be happy. i've been a bit to easy on myself, so i'm gonna have to intensify everything too. 30 is just around the corner, let's see how much i can improve in a month.

favorite christmas gifts 2011

2011-12-31T18:57:00.001-08:00

Experimenting with my juicer

2011-12-28T20:39:00.001-08:00

I made two different juices tonight. And the parentals are on board! My dad was interested to see how it worked and was excited to put some fruits in. And my mom was anxiously awaiting the second cup of the night.

Here's was I did for the first one. This yielded 2 cups.

2 carrots
1 apple
1 mango
1 blood orange

This is what I did for the second one. I wanted to try putting celery in. I only used 2 stalks of celery but the celery taste was a little too strong. I think using one more apple would have evened the taste out.

This one yielded like 2 1/2 cups.

3 carrots
2 celery
1 pomegranate (I had to deseed it first)
1 apple (should have put 2)
1 orange
1 blood orange (my dad wanted to add this in there)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

used my juicer for the first time

2011-12-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

yessss!!! my sister asked me what i wanted for, for christmas and i told her i wanted a juicer. and she got it for me! HOLLERRRRR!!! i used it for the first time today. i was so excited. right after work i headed to the grocery store to pick up some fruits and veggies to juice.

i picked up some carrots, 2 kinds of apples, grapefruits and mangoes. i ran into my mom there and she was picking up some pomegranates and oranges so i made sure not to get those.

i was shocked at how strong the juicer was. i should film the next time i juice so you guys can share in the fun. lol...cheap thills i know.

but my first cup from my new juicer consisted of 2 carrorts, 1 apple and 1 orange. it only yielded one cup but that's perfect for just me.

ooftd 12.11.11

2011-12-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

my stills are soooo MODED!

earrings: claire's $5?

radio necklace: forever 21 $3.80

radio right: swatch $?, i don't remember

infinity scarf: shecky's vendor, Sazzy $15

sweater: forever 21 $14

racerback tank: target $7

zipper skirt: h&m $? i bought it earlier this year

leggings: i bought in japan they were 3/$10 i got a couple of different patterns. i really wish i stocked up on these

boots: sole society, called amy $59.95

Cyber Monday deal

2011-11-28T14:00:00.001-08:00

Whenever I need to get hair tools, I always check out folica.com first. They have pretty good deals on products already and their specials make my wallet happy.

I needed to get 2 different irons. One of them is about $60 full price and folica had it on sale for $39.99. The other is about $43 full price and folica had it on sale for $36.95.

I could've paid about $100 for 2 irons. On a regular day folica would have saved me just under $25, but today is Cyber Monday! You save $25 on a $75 purchase plus free shipping.

So my grand total for two irons worth over $100 was only $51.94!!!

If you want to take advantage of this deal too the promo code is NOV25

Happy shopping! When I get home I'll see if there are other Cyber Monday deals worth spending money on!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

deal of the day #2

2011-11-21T21:31:00.001-08:00

i had some time after work and needed to pick up a couple of things, and of course some coupons to use. i'm running low on body butters and my favorite hand soap, so i decided to pop into the body shop to see if there were any deals going on.

what do you know, there sure were. buy 3 get 2 free, buy 2 get 1 free or buy 1 get the next 50% off. now ladies and gentlemen, to get the best deal on these promotions, you should always try to get all the items at the same price. b/c the least expensive items will be the ones you get free. so you'll get the most out of the promotions if everything is the same price.

i picked up 2 of my favorite hand soaps, 1 mango scented hand soap for the kitchen (tip: when you buy hand soaps for the kitchen or any scented item for the kitchen it should always be citrusy), and the moisturizing shampoo and conditioner from the rain forest line. i tried a sample of it, and it actually worked quite well (and it doesn't have sulfates, parabens, and no colorants) anyway, all of these items were only $10 each and with the buy 3 get 2 free, the total was only $30. but, of course i had a coupon. save $5 for any purchase over $25. so the total pre-tax was $25 and i basically got all the items for 50% off.

so don't forget when taking advantage of a buy something get something free, always try to keep them at the same price to get the most out of the deal.

deal of the day

2011-11-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

as my tweet read yesterday, "I'm quite pleased with myself. I'm getting good at looking for deals and using my coupons. HOLLLERRR!"

i knew i had to go to target to pick up a few little items, so before i went i looked through the new sunday advertisement to see if there were any good deals. and i noticed target is coming out with more and more deals where you can get target gift cards back. lucky for me there were two brands that i needed where i could get gift cards back.

the best deal i got was with aveeno. so, if you brought 3 aveeno products you could get a $5 gift card back. to maximize on this deal, i looked for the cheapest aveeno product, which was a bar of soap for $3.34.

$3.34 x 3 = $10.02 - $5 gift card = $5.01

but i also had some aveeno coupons. i had one for $1.50 off 2 aveeno products and one for $1 off 1 aveeno product, which brings the grand total to $2.52. i only paid 84 cents for each bar of soap.

woo hoo!! i know cheap thrills, but who doesn't like to save money. and you have coupons books that you throw away every sunday, pass them to me. i love saving money.

Shecky's San Francisco November 2011

2011-11-15T14:47:00.000-08:00

the benefits of olive oil

2011-11-01T11:07:00.001-07:00

i've been trying home remedies more and more now, including trying to use natural products for my skin and hair. so when i saw a video on a natural makeup remover i decided to try it. it consisted of oilve oil and witch hazel. i'd already been using witch hazel as a natural astringent, and who doesn't have olive oil in their cabinets. so i tried it, and i've been using it ever since.

i fill my little container with about 60% witch hazel and 40% evoo (that's what i had in my cabinet).

anyway, one day one of my friend's asked me if i was using false eyelashes and i said, "no, just mascara." i didn't think anything of it, until i saw my friend who was visiting, and her eyelashes were soooo prominent. she's japanese by the way and i don't EVER remember her with eyelashes like THAT, and i've known the girl for over 10 years. we talked and she told me her secret was olive oil. and then i remembered that day when i was asked if i was using falsies. ahhh! i guess it was working for me too.

well, i've continued to use my little concoction, and more recently, i've noticed how long my lashes are looking and how much better they look with my mascara. i have to add that i've been using the same mascara for about a year and a half now, so it's not the mascara making them look longer.

noticing my lashes for the last two days, made me a bit curious, so to google i went and i found this little article: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/olive-oil-for-hair-growth.html

it basically talks about how olive oil is great for hair growth and moisturizing alone. but, it also provides a couple of different hair masks that consist of olive oil. i think i just might have to start doing some type of olive oil hair treatment too.

San Francisco Women's Marathon 2011 Video

2011-10-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

NWM 2011 official time

2011-10-17T20:48:00.001-07:00

hahaha!!! no training = a REALLY slow time. but i got my necklace and that's all that matters.

big big big shout out to my cousin kimmie for helping get my necklace! THANK YOU!!!

SF Nike Women's Marathon 2011 (half) Race Report

2011-10-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

this morning i ran the nike women's marathon again, the half not the full. haha, i'm beginning to make a habit of running these without any training. my last run was the san jose half marathon two weeks ago. i was a bit nervous knowing how many hills this run has and not having done any training, but i challenged myself to push through.

and to my surprise, i actually felt like it did really well. well, i know i won't be making any records, but i did feel like i ran pretty strong with all the hills and no training. my runmeter app clocked me in at about 2:53, which definitely beats my run from hell last year when i had just got my wisdom teeth pulled, lmao! that run was PAINFUL!

this year, being my third time on the course, i felt like i knew the course fairly well. i knew when to expect the hills and what was going to be at the aid stations. i only made a complete stop once to refuel in between mile 6 and 7. and i definitely was looking forward to the oranges after mile 8. i slowed down a bit but didn't stop 3 times to indulge in the juicy goodness that is sooooo refreshing at that point. and i slowed down again around mile 11 (i think) to grab a sip of water. sometimes the gatorade or whatever it is the race is offering is just too sweet and needs to be watered down. after that i just tried as best as i could to keep my running up and finish strong. i know my pace slowed down at times more often than normal, but i only stopped once and i battled through every hill, and didn't walk once on the course.

i'm curious to know what my official time will be, even though it's not under my name. but what ever it is, i finished and got my necklace!

and here's my collection SF NWM 2009, 2010, 2011

San Jose Rock n Roll Half Marathon Video

2011-10-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

ok i hope it's fixed

did i really just kick this cold in 24 hours?!

2011-10-13T23:10:00.001-07:00

i've been seriously lacking sleep for the past 2 weeks. last week i worked just about 12 hours each day, monday through thursday. and this past monday and tuesday nights i spent with friends. needless to say, i didn't sleep much either of those nights either.

well lacking all that sleep must have been catching up with me b/c i was NOT feeling good AT ALL yesterday. i was soooo tempted to call my boss to ask her to go home, but i've been so busy at work, i decided to suck it up. and all day long i guzzled down water with emergen-c. and as soon as i got home, i took a dose of dayquil (nature fusion), and guzzled down more emergen-c. and when i got home from dinner, i took a dose of nyquil. this morning, i took another dose of dayquil (nature fusion) and 1 dose of oscillococcinum, a homeopathic medicine.

well it looks as though i kicked my cold. i didn't feel any symptoms all day, expect for feeling a bit tired, but that's expected with the amount of sleep i've been getting. i'm currently contemplating taking some nyquil tonight just in case my sickness isn't fully gone. maybe not. if i have any symptoms in the morning, i'll try the same routine.

Rock 'n Roll San Jose 2011

2011-10-03T22:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I ran the Rock 'n Roll San Jose Half Marathon. It was my first time on that course and I was a bit nervous. I hadn't had a chance to get many workouts in let alone runs. My last real run was the Giants half at the end of August and my next run after that was the Susan G Komen 5k last Sunday, not really a run that I could call training.

But I ran anyway. I knew I would be able to do it, but I also knew I wasn't going to make a new PR (personal record, aka PB personal best).

The run was pretty flat expect for 2 mild hills. I stopped a lot more often than I normally do, perhaps b/c it was pretty warm. I can say they definitely needed more Cytomax on the course and I will be telling them that when they send me the survey.

Regardless, I got another medal to add to the collection and I'm proud I was able to push through.

Here's my official time:

Here are some pictures from our day.

timing chips

starting line

the roomies are done!

some running divas

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

quick bachelorette party bags

2011-10-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

here are the quick bachelorette bags that i made for my friend, erin's bachelorette party. i totally wish i had more time, but here's what i came up with. we didn't have a bachelorette weekend, but we did have a bachelorette day, and i put in a couple of items that i thought would be useful for our whole day of events. we spent the day in the city, first taking pictures with fred pique (can't wait to see those pictures), and then having lunch in ghirardelli. for the evening we had dinner at asiasf and spent the night dancing at infusion.

here's what the bag's looked like:

here's the contents card i made for the front. the pearl embellishments are different on each card and this is what i was able to pull together in the short amount of time i had.

Some other items that you can include in a bachelorette bag:

-shout wipes

-if you are going somewhere in the sun, sunblock

-if you are going somewhere with a beach or a pool, you can make the bag itself a beach bag

-little $1 brushes

-eye masks

-instead of the dinner mints, you can use mini altoids

the ideas are endless...but i like to make the bags according to where we are going or what we are going to do.

sole society #2

2011-09-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

i got another pair of shoes off of sole society. oh man...hautelook and sole society are my biggest weaknesses at the moment. i swear i have boxes coming from either of these two places coming in all the time. but, some of the deals are just too good to pass up.

i've already worn my first pair of sole society shoes twice since my first post about sole society. and the verdict is...we got a winner. the first time i wore them out we went partying in the city and i walked like literally 7 blocks in those bad boys and still danced the night away. the second time i wore them was to a wedding and again i danced the night away. i'm hoping all the shoes from sole society, who are made by marco santi btw, are the same. i'll be sure to let you know once i wear these bad boys. i can't wait!

and dun dun dah dunnnn!!! here they are:

Susan G Komen 5k 2011 Official Time

2011-09-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

the official times for the susan g komen 5k have been posted. they didn't send me my bib in the mail, so i had to go to registration in the morning to get it. this meant they didn't have me logged into the system for some odd reason, so i got any ol' random number. so, when i tried to look up my time i didn't see my name listed. some people didn't have their names either and only their bib numbers as their names. i figured that would be the same for me.

so i looked at my race bib this morning, so i could finally see my official time. what the hell!!! they listed my name as "natalie lopez!" i guess the guy who wrote my name down as he gave me my bib wrote the wrong name. GGGRRRRRR!!! now this time isn't going on my record. BOOOO!!!! yes i am having a little pity party as i write this. i'm really upset.

anyway here is my official time:

Susan G Komen 5k 2011: Bib #1809 Chip time - 33:48 Pace - 10:54

last year i ran it in 34:28. considering i did no training for this, i'm happy with my time and even happier that i improved from last year.

'til next year...TITS ALL GOOD!

my sunday 09.25.11

2011-09-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

i woke up dark and early at about 620am to get ready for my run. i did the susan g komen 5k yesterday. i registered with my work b/c lucky for me, we got free registration. but, one of my friends had a team running and i wanted to support her, so i wore the shirt and ran as a part of her team, Tits All Good! cleaver, huh!

kristine, just had surgery and is a not even fully recovered and she still ran as best as she could. so proud of you!!! we actually had a pretty big team, and i'm so glad we all got to enjoy the day together. after the run we refueled with some food and and of course a couple of drinks. i love spending the day in the city. and it's even better with good company.

after that, i went home, enjoyed a hot bath and deep conditioned my hair.

i relaxed a little, and took a little nap. when i woke up, i browsed through the coupons in the sunday paper, and clipped the ones i knew i would use. watching a few episodes of extreme couponing got me inspired. i still can't get any where close to the savings they get, but i also, don't spend 8 hours a day planning my shopping out. and of course, i had to browse the ads.

i threw a load of laundry in and then went off to target with my ad in hand. of course i circled the deals i wanted, and even better if i had a coupon for those products too! what i realized is if you want to get the really good deals, you gotta be there on sunday morning when they open. the lunch meat deal i wanted was all gone, and the 2 for $30 bottles of zyrtec i wanted was all gone too. i was even more bummed b/c i had a coupon for $5 off and another for $4 off. that means i would've gotten 2 bottles of zyrtec for $21, super duper steal. oh well, instead i got a bottle on sale for $19, and i used by $5 off so i got it for $14, good deal but not as good as the one i originally wanted.

got back to the house, put all my target buys away, and moved my laundry to the dryer. i then ended my night with a glass of wine.

i'd say my sunday was eventful and productive...great way to end my weekend.

our shirts! the crowd liked them so much, we sold the extras out of the trunk.

Team Tits All Good

my unofficial time. i can't wait to see what my official time is.

sole society

2011-09-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

my first pair of shoes from sole society just came in! YEAY!!!

sole society is basically a monthly shoe membership. you fill out a survey and they send you 6 shoe options in what they call your "closet." if you like a shoe in there, you can purchase one. the price is always $49.95, free shipping. if you don't like any of the shoes, you can ask for more selections. they'll replace the shoes currently in your closet with 6 other styles. and if you don't feel like buying shoes that month you can choose the option, "let's skip this month." anddd the reason why i joined sole society and not any of the other "shoe clubs" is b/c there is no limitation as to how many times you can skip.

here's the link on how sole society works: http://www.solesociety.com/pages/how-it-works

and what's even more exciting about my first pair of sole society shoes is the deal i got. coincidentally, when i signed up for sole society, groupon had a deal. (thank you sheila for sharing that one with me!) one pair of shoes for only $25. woo hoo!!

love love love these! i can't wait to wear these puppies out. hopefully they are as comfortable as they are sexy.

August Birchbox Review and more

2011-09-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

It is now September and I've had some time to try the August Birchbox products so here is my review.

Here is the information on the products I've reviewed.

Redken Shine Flash 02 Glistening Mist: http://www.birchbox.com/shop/hair/redken-shine-flash-02-glistening-mist

Redken K-PAK Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil: http://joico.com/products/Haircare/k-pak-color-therapy/colortherapy-oil

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2211305&productId=xlsImpprod2530251&navAction=push&navCount=1&subdoc=17wavyprepandprotectwk152011&categoryId=cat1050001

Befine Exfoliating Cleanser: http://www.birchbox.com/shop/skincare/be-fine-exfoliating-cleanser

Befine Night Cream: http://www.birchbox.com/shop/skincare/be-fine-night-cream

blinc Mascara: http://www.birchbox.com/shop/makeup/blinc-mascara

LIFTLAB Lift & Fix High Potency Solution: http://www.birchbox.com/shop/skincare/liftlab-lift-and-fix

The Giant Race 2011 video

2011-09-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

As promised here are some snippets from my race day for The Giant Race - half marathon.

To read my race report click here.

SCORE!!!

2011-08-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

so I've been wanting a good flat iron for some time. i really want a ghd, but that can wait, a little too expensive for me right now. i don't even use flat irons that often. but, every now and then i steal my mom's to accomplish what i want. and that's been fine. but if she goes out of town somewhere and i want to use a flat iron i'm out of luck. or if i need to go out to do someone's hair, i don't want to take hers in case she intends on using it.

so i finally bit the bullet. i finally purchased by own flat iron. a little while, ago buywithme.com had a deal where you could buy a voucher for $50 at folica.com for only $25. well lucky me b/c that's where i go to buy my hair tools anyway.

so folica had this deal a couple of weeks ago where you could save $25 on a $75 purchase. the flat iron i had my eye on was $89.99. so i thought, "oh kay cool, that way i'll only have to pay like $15. ehhhh!!! WRONG! i could only use one discount code at a time. so i decided to wait.

recently, folica sent an email out about their deals under $100. so, again i started looking. i ended up picking a deal that was a package set. it included the flat iron i was looking at (but in pink, ehh!), a travel curling iron, some headbands, and some anti-frizz treatment for $89.99. oh and you get a heat proof pouch too. i'd say that's a pretty good deal as is. and on top of that i get to use my $50. SCORRREEEE!!!

here's what my savings amount to:

i can deal with having a pink flat iron for the amount of money i saved. (i don't really like pink things, except me nails and a few hello kitty items i own.) i can't wait for this to come in!

The Giant Race 2011 Race Report

2011-08-28T19:20:00.001-07:00

WHOA!!! I know my run felt great and I was determined to keep going every time I felt like slowing down, and the road was pretty flat except for 2 uphills. BUT I never thought that I would be shaving off 10 minutes off of my best time. I am soooo excited right now!!!

The Giant Race 2011 Race Report

2011-08-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I completed another half marathon. As with every race, I was a little nervous but more excited to see what time I could get.

I met up with my friend Chris and his friends in the beginning and we started the race out together. Of course they are really faster with me and separated at some point in the beginning. Which is fine with me b/c I don't really like running "with" people. I like setting my own pace and pushing through.

The weather for the race was perfect. It was overcast but warm with a slight breeze from time to time. And the course was great. I love running along the Embarcadero, so I AM a little biased. We started off behind AT&T park and ran along the Embarcadero, through Aquatic Park, by Fort Mason, along Crissy Field and we turned around to go back before the Golden Gate bridge and ran back.

My run was great! I only slowed down three times. The first time was to take some footage of BRIAN WILSON!!! He was in the middle of the course! I should've taken a picture with him, but I was too concerned with my time so I only filmed him for a quick second (literally). But, Janelley sure got a picture with him. The second and thrid time were to reup on some fluids at around mile 7 and mile 11.

The last mile was grueling, felt like the longest mile ever. But after 12 miles, that will happen. lol As I rounded the corner into the back of the park, onto the field, I could see the finish. I filmed some of this so you'll see it. But I was more excited to see that the clock read something under 2hr 40min. My fastest time so far was 2hr 44min from Vegas, so this was a great accomplishment for me. I can't wait to see what my actual time will be. I could've gotten an approximate read on my actual time b/c I was running my RunMeter app on my phone, but I forgot to end it until later. Oopsy!

I'll be sure to post my actual tag time as soon as I find it out. And a short video of snippets of my race day should be coming soon as well.

4 more nights

2011-08-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

only 4 more nights until my next half marathon, "The Giant Race." so tonight is going to be my last long run until the race. i intend on doing other workouts and some interval training on the treadmill in the meantime.

the sun was beaming, and according to my phone it was 88 degrees degrees in redwood city, where i work. and the sun stayed with me the whole time i drove home, so i was excited to get my run in. but in true daly city form, as i got closer to the lake, the fog took over. i was a little disappointed that the sun wasn't out, but i was moreso worried that i would be too cold. i was wearing shorts. but when i stepped out of my car, the weather was perfect.

as for my run tonight...IT FELT AMAZING! i don't know what it was tonight. maybe it was the 12 minute nap that i took in my car before getting my run in or just plain ol' determination. for some reason, i had a pep in my step from the very beginning. i was able to start with a faster pace and i was determined to keep it up throughout the whole course. my stride felt good, i kept my heart rate and cramps in tact with my breathing...tonight's run just felt right. and i was excited to see what my time would be.

here's my time for tonight. =D yeay!!!

i was just over 1 minute to my fastest time.

loungerie?

2011-08-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

so what on earth is loungerie? apparently it stands for lounge wear + lingerie...a lingerie line for girls 4 - 12 years old. when i first read this statement i didn't know what to take from it.

there are so many articles right now about this line. the articles are talking about how it's wrong for girls that age to even know what lingerie is. and that sexualizing these girls is wrong. and yes i agree with both statements. after reading some of the articles, i myself was a bit appalled. so of course, in true nature, i decided to look at the actual pictures. b/c to be honest with you, i didn't really see anything wrong with the picture that was depicted in the original article i read.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2026694/French-label-Jours-Apr-s-Lunes-launch-lingerie-girls-young-FOUR.html#ixzz1VHzOfvgJ

and then i found these...

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2011/08/16/2011-08-16_french_kids_underwear_line_markets_sexy_bras_for_4_yearolds_tot_models_wear_make.html

http://blog.myfdb.com/2011/08/inappropriate-to-put-young-models-in-lingerie/

and my initial reaction was "that's it! that's what they are making a commotion about." i guess i was just expecting a bit more from the emotions that were sparked from the articles i read. but that's why they are writers, and they definitely evoked emotion from me. but i took a little more time and looked at each picture. and i have to admit, some of it is uncomfortable for me.

please feel free to let me know your thoughts, comment below

Motivated.

2011-08-15T23:32:00.001-07:00

#OperationMelanie..hell yeah! Maybe I subconsciously knew I wouldn't be able to go to the gym for the next 2 days but I felt like I should just keep going and going.

I started off with a NTC (Nike Training Club) workout. (To check out my original post on this click here.) Today, I did the Intermediate, Get Lean, Body Surge. And then, I went on to do the Get Focused, Ab Burner. I've done the Ab Burner workout a couple of times now, so I decided to modify some of exercises to make them a little more challenging.

On the second, set of toe touches, I decided to do what they call kick downs. On the third set, I did reverse crunches. I always do regular side planks instead of the modified version it asks for. I did the crazy ivans and the russian twists on a bosu, instead of on the floor. And on the last set of crazy ivans, I did bicycle crunches instead.

After I stretched, I went on to do an interval run on the treadmill. Whoa! I really had to push through the end of that one. But I was soooo happy I did.

After I stretched that one out, I spent some time in the steam room and called it a night.

Totally on my way to "Making Myself."

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

what's in my gym bag

2011-08-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

here's my spin off of the "what's in my purse" videos. i decided to do a what's in my gym bag instead. after editing the video i could have called it the "just in case" video too. lol

here is my original blog that i wrote about my gym must haves:http://melopez28.blogspot.com/2010/12/gym-must-haves.html

here is my blog regarding gym appropriate attire. if you would like for me to do a video on gym appropriate attire let me know:http://melopez28.blogspot.com/2010/12/gym-appropriate-attire.html

also comment below on some of your must haves for the gym

WHAT! Only 2 weeks left...AHHH!

2011-08-13T15:03:00.001-07:00

In exactly 2 weeks I'll be running "The Giant Race," also known as the SF Giants half marathon. Oh Lordy...in true Melanie fashion I have definitely been slacking on training. But, this time has gotten ridiculous. I haven't gotten many runs in AT ALL! Oh uh!!!

So today, I decided I better just push myself and get in a long run. I ran around the whole lake on my first lap and took the bridge on my second. This has been the longest I've run this whole year. The closest I've even done to that this year was Bay 2 Breakers in May! I'm definitely gonna feel this tomorrow. I had to push myself the whole time and had to get used to getting into the zone again. But, overall I did it and I finished strong.

I kept telling myself that I would be happy finishing what I thought would be an 8 mile run with a pace of 15min/mile. I mean I haven't done a long run since May and I was having a hard time pushing myself. But to my surprise...

Whoa! I definitely surprised myself. And my legs feel good as of now. I guess I should push myself a little harder on the next run. But, I'll make that judgement call on how sore I feel on Monday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hautelook purchases

2011-08-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

Yeayyyy!!! I just got my first 2 purchases in from Hautelook. Don't know what Hautlook is? It's basically a website that provides all kinds of deals, from trips to all different kinds of brands. Totally dangerous for people that can't resist good deals, but totally great when you find something you actually need at a large discount. I also subscribe to ideeli, I think they are great to resources to find things at a good price, but as I warned, if you can't keep your wallet in tact, please don't tempt yourself.

When I seen that the Kimora Lee Simmons Hello Kitty line was coming I was ecstatic to say the least. I jumped on the site the first thing in the morning. I really wanted a watch, and unfortunately, the ones that I liked and were in my price range sold out so fast. Even a lot of the jewelry that I wanted went so fast, but I did end up with this. And I'm totally happy with my purchase. This bangle is normally $95 and I purchased it for $38.

And when I seen Crown Brush was going to be on the site, again I was excited. I was already planning on purchasing some brushes to replace the worn down ones in my collection, so this was the best timing ever. The BK27 Flat Bronzer Brush, I don't even have one close to this in my collection, so I wanted to try it out. This brush is originally priced at $27.38, it's currently on sale on the Crown Brush site for $10.95. I got it for $9.

The C430 Duo Fiber Crease Brush, is one that I'm using as a replacement. This is originally priced at $12.38, and is currently on sale on the site for $4.95. I got mine for $3.50.

The 78 Matte E/S and Blush Palette is originally priced at $49.88, and is currently on sale for $29.93. I paid $19.95

late workouts

2011-08-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

i usually get my workouts in after work. i just don't have time in the morning to get them in. and even if the gym at my work opened early enough for me to get a good workout in and shower, get ready and still get to work on time, i honestly don't think i would. lol

even on the weekends, when i INTEND on getting ready to get a workout in at about 10am, it takes me until about 1pm or even 3pm to get my juices going to get started. looks like it's actually better for me to get started late.

check out this article that i found:

http://www.fitsugar.com/When-Best-Time-Work-Out-18543793

why that looks familiar

2011-08-02T11:19:00.001-07:00

so i received an email today by sanrio, showing me their new collabs and collection pieces. check out what i seen...

well doesn't that look familiar... i actually bought one of those while i was in japan last year and i highly doubt i paid $40. can you see it in the picture below...

yes, i know, the littlest things amuse me.

My name is Melanie and I'm addicted to Toms...

2011-07-29T15:14:00.001-07:00

say hello to one of my newest pairs of Toms. if you know me, you know my FAVORITE pattern is houndstooth and like i always say "herringbone is a close second."

and what do you know...i have a herringbone pair at home waiting to be worn.

as of now, my running total is seven pairs. and i'm seriously contemplating on getting the tweed ones too.

i've just admitted to myself that i have an addiction to toms. what can i say, they are sooo comfortable. to me, they feel like nice form fitting socks. and to be honest with you, i haven't seen any kicks lately that have me excited. i think the last pair of kicks that i was really excited about were my stella mccartney adidas shoes that I got in japan.

until i can find some kicks that really get me feeling like "I HAVE TO HAVE THESE!," i'm happy buying my toms and providing shoes to kids in need.

my addiction started in this order:

olive canvas

natural burlap

earthwise slate

pomegranate cord

blue metallic linen

and then the houndstooth and herringbone ones shown in the beginning...

if they keep coming out with designs i love, i'm happy giving shoes to kids in need.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Make Yourself!

2011-07-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

While working and listening to pandora, I came across this ad.

I loved every word in it so I took a snapshot of it! It's motivating and absolutely true. If they made a poster of this, I would put it on my wall so I could wake up to it everyday. As a matter of fact, after my iphone finishes updating, this will be making this my wallpaper. Well, maybe just the words b/c I don't know if I want random athletes that I don't even know about on my phone.

Anyhow, it intrigued me so much that I clicked the link. (Click here to get to the site.) I watched the video and was excited. Excited to get my workout on. So I kept browsing through the site, I was getting disappointed b/c I thought all they were advertising was the clothes...and then I came across this:

There's an app called Nike Training Club (NTC). Looks pretty cool. I'm downloading it now, and as soon as I try a session, I'll let you guys know. If any of you already have this and used it please let me know what you think.

I'm excited. #OperationMelanie

My Very First Birchbox - July 2011

2011-07-27T08:46:00.001-07:00

So I finally received my very first Birchbox. I'd been seeing ads for this in magazines and always wondered about it. I thought the concept was pretty cool and I visited the site many times before I finally bit the bullet and just opted in.

Basically, every month Birchbox sends you about 4 -5 samples of beauty products for you to try. The website has information on the products and even videos on how to use it. And, if you like a product you received, you can buy it straight from the site. You also get points for every purchase you make on the site, and every 100 points gets you $10.

Apparently, this is the very first month that Birchbox collaborated with someone to have their favorites put in the box, so this month was a special edition. They collaborated with Cynthia Rowley.

Here is a list of items in my box. (sorry the picture quality sucks)

And, here's what I got:

I've already tried a couple of items in the box b/c I really excited, ANNDDD I wanted to write this blog. I was thinking of doing a youtube video too, but I decided not to. (If you want a video about it, let me know.)

Love the Zoya color, but, as you know I'm obsessed with shellac manicures b/c they last soooo long, so I don't know what I'm going to do with this. Perhaps, make a prize pack and hold a contest or keep the pack for one of my fundraisers. Maybe even one of my nail polish obsessed cousins will ask for it and I MIGHT be nice and give it up.

I have yet to use the Redken Shine Flash. I'm actually really excited to use this. Per the site, it makes your hair look shiny and gets rid of flyaways too. I plan on using this the next time I curl my hair, so I'll keep you posted.

I haven't eaten the Kind bar yet, but I did see a Kind bar in an article listing the 50 best snack foods. (Click here to read the article.)

The Ahava hand cream was the first thing I tried. It did feel a little thicker but absorbed and spread over the skin quite nicely. It left almost a powdery feel. There was a little hint of a smell, I don't know how to describe it, but it was nice smell.

I also tried the Philosophy face wash last night. It claims to be a one step facial. I have to say it did leave my face feeling soft and nice. But I feel like there needs to be a second step, like a moisturizer to go along with it.

That's all for now. I'll be sure to keep you posted with my results for the Redken product.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Run Today...

2011-07-23T15:02:00.001-07:00

My run today was grueling. My legs were tight even after stretching and never loosened up during the run. I stride didn't feel right and neither did my breathing. And of course my time sucked ass!

But I did get there. I did get my run in. Most importantly, I pushed through to the end. And really that's all that really matters.

You'll have your good days where you feel like you can go on forever. And you'll have your bad days where it feels like it's the hardest thing you've ever done, even when last week felt so easy. But, your most challenging days are your most rewarding.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Summer Tip for Your Hair

2011-07-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do this video for quite some time. I actually thought about doing this video before I filmed my "easy summer make up look" video. I've finally had time to film, edit, and load it.

I hope you enjoy:

Here is where you can find information on the Matrix Sunsorials line: http://www.matrix.com/products/biolage/sunsorials/

I originally bought the Matrix Sunsorials products from Ulta, but I couldn't find them on the site or in the stores. I did however, find them on amazon.com, but I don't remember them being as expensive as they are listed on there.

Here is where you can find information on the Redken Color Extend Sun line: http://www.redken.com/products/haircare/color-extend-sun

I bought the Redken Color Extend After Sun Shampoo at Ulta $13.50

Here is where you can find information on the Fredric Fakkai Marine line: http://www.fekkai.com/collection/marine-hair/

Here is where you can find information on the Bed Head Some Like it Hot line: http://www.tigihaircare.com/consumer/en-us/bedhead/bedhead-products.asp?product=SLIHShampoo&categoryID=1

I actually found the shampoo and conditioner in the 25.36oz for $14.99 each at Marshalls.

shellac update

2011-07-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

i did a shellac post and video last month and told you all how shellac is a nail polish that lasts about 2 weeks minimum without chipping. so to you non-believers or to those of you that are simply just curious as to what a shellac manicure looks like after 2 weeks...well i pushed mine out a lot longer. i got my nails done on friday, june 10th and didn't get my nails done again until tuesday, july 5th, a little over 3 weeks. here's what mine looked like before i got them done again.

PLEASE BE AWARE...THIS IS NOT A PLEASANT SIGHT TO SEE!!

but yeay for me, my nail lady got new colors for the summer and my nails don't have to look hideous anymore.

i got "ooba ooba blue" and "canival hangover"

colbie caillat at harlot - july 8, 2011

2011-07-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

last friday, colbie caillat did a free happy hour concert at a bar in the city called harlot. luckily for us, some of our friends were in line since about 330pm. so, we were some of the first to walk in and this is how i got such a good spot to watch her.

here are some snippets of the songs she did. there's just something about live music that makes it so much more for me. i hope you enjoy...

easy/summer make up tutorial

2011-06-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

i just finished editing a new video. this is my basic make-up look, i wear this look as my everyday make up look. i'm actually wearing this look in almost every video that i've made so far. i use it with all types of lip colors: reds, pinks, nudes, gloss and even just chapstick.

here are the 2 brush sets that i referenced in the videos:
this is a nordstrom brush set that was offered last christmas, it only cost $25. i used the contour brush in this set for the bronzer and the brush directly to the right of it for the highlight underneath my eyebrows.

this is my crown brush set that i refer to as my "kandee johnson crown brush set." last christmas, crown brushes provided kandee's fans with a deal for this set, all for only $29.99. (Click here for her post about the brushes.) i used the 3rd brush from the left for my blush and the fan brush in this set for the loose shimmer.

here are the products that i used:

Too Faced Naked Eye $35

Nars Multiple in Malibu $39

Nars Blush in Amour $27

these are the 2 eyeliners that i used, the pencil in black is $5, the liquid in navy black is $10

you definitely don't have to use the exact makeup that i used. these are just the ones that i'm currently using. i've actually done the dual blush trick (in my crease and for my blush) with all the blush pigments that i have. and remember you don't need to use the paint pot, especially if you have a long lasting primer. as for the eyeshadow over my pencil liner in the waterline, i use whichever shadow that i have that's closest to the liquid color that i used. so if i use a plum liquid liner, i'll use a plum shadow. and of course you don't have to use the mulitple if you don't have it.

hope you enjoy the video:

some body shop product reviews

2011-06-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

i just did a video review on some body shop products. i got these products as a result of a shecky's deal that i got. here is a list of the original prices. watch the video for the review.

Original Prices:
vitamin E Body Butter - $18
Travel size Hemp Han Lotion - $10
Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue - $18
Almond Oil Conditioning Hand Wash - $8

sakbuster

2011-06-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

i just filmed another video. it's another good deal on a purse by the sak. this time it's a crossbody bag that converts into a clutch for only $49, original price was $129. the deal ends soon, June 19th to be exact. So, if you want to take advantage of this deal visit: http://www.thesak.com/handbags_sakbuster/pl/c/549.html

here's the video:

OOD 06.14.11

2011-06-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

hey all i'm bringing you another outfit of the day b/c i'm sooooo happy to be wearing these jeans again. i bought these skinny jeans years ago at a warehouse sale. they are blue cult and from what i hear, they aren't even a company anymore. =( sad b/c they fit me soooo well, all styles, skinny, straight leg, bootcut...so i was extremely sad to hear they were no longer in existence. it's so hard to find jeans that fit well, so when i do i try to buy as much as i can.

but the fact that i can fit these comfortably again means that Operation Melanie has been working..HOOLLLERRRRATION!!! so in celebration, i decided to write a blog and do a video...

-the shirt is from forever 21, i think it was around $20

-the white tank is by mossimo bought at targert, i think for about $9

-the jeans are blue cult skinny jeans bought from a warehouse sale for about $60, but worth over $150 i think

-the shoes are from the nine west factory store so it was eight buy 1 get 1 free or buy 1 get 1 50% off, i can't remember, but i know i only paid $30 - $40

a closer look:

-the white rose earrings are from claire's, about $5-the single hoop is also from claire's, i think i got it for about $8, it did come as a set, i recently lost the matching pair, but i'll obviously i'm still getting my use out of it
you can see my ring "feel the beat" ring in my "minx" blog, it's from swatch
my favorite necklace is made by juicy, i think i bought this for about $50

here's the video, hope you enjoy!!

shellac manicures

2011-06-15T08:30:00.001-07:00

i first discovered shellac when my sister told me about it 9 months ago. (click here to read her first blog about it) she said that it was supposed to last 2 weeks minimum. i, the killer of manicures, was a bit skeptic about this. usually, when i get manicure, i swear to you something goes wrong within 3 days (max). and i end up having to cover it with some like color, hoping that no one would notice.

if i remember correctly, at the time we discovered this, my sister was playing softball at least 3 nights a week, bartending, and doing clinicals in nursing school. all that constant activity was definitely a good way to test this out.

i needed a manicure badly, so i decided to try it out. it just so happened that i was scheduled to work oracle's trade show the whole week. which meant i would be setting up the store, lifting boxes, unpacking, packing, helping customers at the register...if you ever worked in retail, think of the nights you had floor changes and had to rearrange the store, changing shelving and everything. then waking up bright and early to open the store, work the WHOLE day and close the store. well i did that everyday that week.

and what do you know...the shellac lasted the whole week and the week after that. since my first time i've been hooked. and i actually push my nail polish changes to about 3 weeks. well for about as long as i can handle seeing the color grown out. lol

i never wrote a blog about it b/c my sister already had. but i did get to take footage of the process today. coincidentally, my sister's mani/pedi appointment was a little after mine. so as i finished up my mani, she was coming over to get hers done. i decided that i would film the process b/c explaining is a bit lengthy and some people are just more visually inclined.

ps - shellac is also called soak off gel by opi.

and to those that are worried about the strength of their nails afterward, my nails are actually stronger now. my nails normally crack at the edges once they get to the length i actually like and now, my nails can grow even longer with no cracking.

help?

2011-06-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

i once took a class where the teacher told a little anecdote about not helping someone until they asked or had that "certain look" where you knew the person needed it. and the way he told it was pretty funny, but i didn't really think anything of it until today.

today, i flew back home from my weekend vacation. and while walking to the back of the plane, to my seat i noticed that all the storage spaces above my actual seat and onward were already full. so, i decided to stop where i was, instead of having to fight traffic backtracking to store my luggage (it was close enough to my seat anyway), and put my luggage up. at that time, a man walking in the opposite direction (the wrong way, i might add) was trying to get to the seat behind me. he was frustrated that he couldn't get through. where was i supposed to go, i couldn't step aside, it's an airplane, the aisle isn't big enough. and i couldn't step back b/c there was a line of other people with their luggages behind me. i'm pretty sure you guys can picture it happening. so i politely explained that i would get my luggage up, so he could get through. he, frustrated, asked, "did you need help with that?," but in such a rude tone as if implying that i couldn't do it myself. i ignored it and said, "no, that's ok. i got it." he then rudely asked, "are you sure?," again implying that i wouldn't be able to do so. i again, politely said, "nope i got it" as i easily put it up and stepped between some seats to let him through. a man sitting in the seat, underneath my luggage, laughed at the guy and stated, "well that looked easy enough." i smiled at him and laughed, "i may be small but i have muscles." we both laughed and the other men who witnessed the whole thing laughed as well.

dear rude man,

first of all, i don't understand why you were so frustrated when, you were the one walking the wrong way. and, maybe you offered your help b/c you thought that you putting up the luggage would've been faster, so you could get back to your seat faster...but did you have to be soooo rude about it? honestly, me putting up the luggage in 2 seconds with such ease made it feel soooo much better only b/c i made YOU look like the ass you are.

hahahaa!!! i know i'm so random. but i just had to share. so lesson to learn, don't help unless asked or if the person actually has that face of frustration where they actually would want the help. and most importantly, when you offer to help be genuine about it, don't be like the ass on the airplane b/c it may just backfire on you too.

Ms L Boogie, Lauryn Hill

2011-06-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

i was gonna write a blog about how AMAZING this concert was, and how i was brought to my special place watching, hearing and just experiencing her presence. but, i decided to simply post the snippets of her show that i took with my iphone and let you feel it for yourself.

don't sleep on target part 2

2011-06-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

so last december i wrote a blog named "don't sleep on target." i showed you some over the knee boots that i bought and promised that i would also post a picture of the black leather ones i bought. well i know i lagged. hahah!!! it's already summer and i'm just posting it now. well it's supposed to be summer, but the weather gods in san francisco must not like us b/c we're having winter weather again, which is why i had to pull these bad boys out again.

so finally here are the black ones. they survived snow in new york, but are a little worn. i may just have to buy another pair.

weekend wrap up

2011-06-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

friday night...was a pretty chill night. did a little (like very little) shopping looking for some weekend clothes. then caught happy hour with some friends at hooters...then it was off to chill at one of their houses.

saturday morning i got up bright and early to head over to newark. my little cousin was going to her very first prom. she asked me to do her hair and makeup..what? moi? you want me to do all that! wow!!! she was a little anxious and a little overly excited, she wanted me there at 9am! hahah! ok if that's what you want. but, it's ok b/c that gave us time to eat breakfast, do some makeup and hair, chill and chat for a little, snack some more, do more hair, snack some more, take pictures, play with our nephew...and i still had her done and ready to go long before her date was to arrive at the house.

here's how everything turned out. i must say i'm quite impressed with myself.

she asked for a low/side, messy but clean bun and she let me pick her makeup palette. when i first seen her dress, i knew which color i wanted to build around.

messing around with danny

i was feeling extremely lazy and would have been content with staying in and catching up on my dvr while cleaning my room, but it was my other cousin's bday and she was celebrating at my FAVORITE monthly party. so of course, i mustered up enough energy to get myself ready and headed out for the night. and i'm really glad i did. such a good night! but foundation never fails me and neither does the company i keep. i love my family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIE!

sunday morning, i was awakened by a phone call from arlynn inviting me to napa for a wine tasting session at duck horn vineyards. i'd never been, so i was happy to get myself up from my dead sleep to venture over there and experience this. after that we traveled over to buchon's bakery and grabbed a couple of goodies. from all the macaroon's that i tried, i have to say the pistachio was my favorite. silly me i didn't even try "the buchon" their specialty. but gale described it as decadent. and then we ate at barber's q. totally yummy. and then we walked over to a cupcakery called sift. they were on cupcake wars. arlynn and deb picked up a couple of goodies from there too, i was too stuffed and felt guilty about my lack of workouts during the past week, so i resisted. such a great way to wind the weekend down. arlynn, thanks so much for the invite.

deb, me and arlynn in front of duck horn vineyards

trying to trim down? 4 tips from an article i read this morning

2011-06-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

there are millions upon millions of articles that have tips on how to trim down, lose weight, get skinny, healthier...what ever you wanna call it these days. but, many times the tips are repeated and nothing new has been brought to the table. repetition is good and all...i guess some people need to hear it more than a few times to ingrain it in their heads, but then it also gets redundant.

this morning i found an article that actually brought some new tips to the table. i'll give you my little synopsis on each tip. and provide you with a link the the whole article at the end.

1. STEP AWAY FROM THE SCREEN
being that i've been adopted into the world of ergonomics for going on 5 years now, i can go on and on about telling you how important this is on more than 1 level. but, in the article, they explain, those who ate away from your computer tended to eat less and tended to snack less later in the day.

2. EAT WATER FILLED FOODS
food high in water content - soups, salads, cucumbers, watermelon - make you feel full in fewer calories. so, having a soup or salad (lightly dressed) before you meal would help you feel fuller, so you would eat less of your main course.

3. IMAGINE EATING BEFORE YOU EAT
weird, right? but they say imagining yourself eating the food before you eat it will help you eat less of it.

4. TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN
when your body is low on vitamins and minerals, your appetite fires up—prompting you to eat more to replenish the nutrients you’re missing.

click HERE for the full article

could it be? IT'S FINALLY HERE!!! "how to curl your hair video"

2011-05-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

heyyyyy!!! so it's done...this weekend i posted my "how to curl your hair" video. the video is a little lengthy, i really did cut out a lot of footage. i tried to keep it as short as possible, but i think i left enough to where you could learn as much as you could. i really do hope you learn at least 1 new trick.

the guy yelling in the background is my dad, he's watching one of the san jose sharks playoff games...we won that game.

big big big THANK YOU to my cousin kimmie for filming this video and being the first to try to edit and upload the video.

oh and yes, i do know the plural of "hair" is "hair." me saying "hairs" is a bit of an inside joke!!!

enjoy!!! rate and comment as you wish.

well hello there...Melanie, is that you?

2011-05-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

while looking in the mirror yesterday, i saw a glimpse of someone i once knew. if you follow my blogs or tweets, you know i've been on an "#OperationMelanie" hype. i'm determined to get back into shape and have come pretty far, but my goal is still a ways away.

having people tell you that you look like you've lost weight or fitting into clothes better has got to be the most rewarding feeling. it only means you are closer to your goal.

yesterday, was the first time that "III" actually looked at myself and was proud of how far i've come and where i'm going.

#OperationMelanie continues...

more tanlines with barely any sun

2011-05-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

woww i really worked myself out this week. on tuesday, i popped in the p90x plyometrics dvd and worked out at home. i was feeling sore on wednesday, but was determined to get some weight training in and worked on my bi, tris and some abs. today, i was definitely feeling the effects of both workouts with aches (good aches) in my quads, butt, bis, tris and abs...but i still wanted to get a workout in. my answer to a good workout, even with achy muscles, is a good swim. swimming is the only exercise that works out every muscle in your body. and although still putting work on your muscles, it allows for your muscles to relax a little. well it does for me at least.

my swim today was exhilarating. in my last swim workout, although good, it was a bit hard for me to even get a 100 done. i thought today would be that same, being that, even that swim workout was soooo long ago. i surprised myself. after a couple of 50s and maybe a 100 or two, i got into my groove and today was the the first time in so long that i felt like i could keep swimming forever. i wish i would've counted my laps or even looked at the time to see when i actually started, but i didn't. and the important thing is that i got out there and got a good workout in.

i slept with the salonpas patches i talked about in my b2b video last night and i will be sleeping with some on tonight. i'm know i'm going to be an achy mess tomorrow, but that's how you know you've done well. #OperationMelanie

Bay 2 Breakers 2011 100th Anniversary Video

2011-05-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

Yeayyy!!! Can you tell how much fun I'm having with my computer!! hahaha!! I finished my Bay 2 Breakers video as promised.

My Bay 2 Breakers race report can be found here.

my first youtube video is up!!!

2011-05-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

well it's officially my 4th, but this is my first one that i'm in and i'm actually doing something. the others are funny videos of my family and friends doing dance central. it's basically my shecky's haul minus a hat that i bought, but you'll be seeing that hat in an upcoming trip..haha!!

but this is my very first video!!! first shooting, first editing and first everything!!! on my new computer (i used my flip to shoot it)!! oh how i love it! lol

Keeks - Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoyed the night as much as I did. And, I know we'll both enjoy our spa treatments. Most of all, thank you for shooting this for me.

3 years and counting

2011-05-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

someone asked me last night how many marathons/triathlons have i done. and to be honest with you, i haven't really kept track. i guess i could've counted my medals, but not all events give medals out. so if it weren't for my blog i wouldn't even know.

here are all the things i've done starting in 2008:

Louie Bonpua Tri - olympic distance
Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon
IronMan Louisville
Louie Bonpua Tri - sprint distance
Lavaman Tri - olympic distance
Bridge 2 Bridge 12k
Nike Women's Marathon 2009 - half
Rock n Roll Vegas - half
San Francisco Marathon - half
Susan G Komen 12k
Nike Women's Marathon 2010 - half
Bay 2 Breakers 12k

i can't believe it's already been 3 years since i've started on this crazy journey. if you would've asked me in high school or even college if i'd ever do any kind of events like this, i'd think you were crazy for asking me such a absurd question. but "look at me now...look at me now!" i can't imagine not doing at least 2 or 3 a year. i'm just lucky enough to have friends that are equally excited to see what the free tshirt is going to look like, and more excited to rock the medal (or tiffany's necklace) and take pictures with it when really all we really want to do is eat, shower and sleep.

to all my TNT teammates, Running Divas, and the boys who've joined us along the way...THANK YOU!!!

from work to play

2011-05-17T05:12:00.000-07:00

last night i went to shecky's. and all girl event with lots of vendors to shop through. i'll actually do a post on it later. but you can check out their website in the meantime.

i came home from work and had little time before i had to head out the door again, so i had to do a quick switch-a-roo to make sure i was comfortable for the evening but still a little stylish for the event. i knew i was gonna get some walking in and doing it in 5 inch heels would not have made for a fun night!

work wear:
h&m blazer - under $50. you can't really tell from the picture, but it actually has skinny pinstripes and the lining is a blushy pink color

colorful leopard tank - i think this was only like $12 from a cheapy store called joppa. it's racerback and has ruffles on going down the back about halfway. really cute, but hard to get a picture of by myself. haha!

levis demi curve skinny jeans - i went to an event when i bought these, so i think i got 30% off. i don't know how much i paid

studded pumps - $36 these are featured in my "blazers...so sexy!" blog

play attire:
i switched out the blazer for a cognac colored leather jacket from arden b. i got this jacket for only $30 with a deal they were having.

and i switched out the heals for my favorite pair of toms, burlap, and folded up the jeans.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bay 2 Breakers 2011 100th Year Anniversary (rewrite)

2011-05-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

(my original blog was erased =( so I tried to rewrite this as best as I could)

I decided that I would run Bay 2 Breakers again this year for their 100th year anniversary. So when they sent me the email for early registration, I DID! And, for the first time EVER they gave out medals...SCORREEEE!!!

I participated in B2B for the first time 2 years ago. But, as a first timer, I wanted to experience it San Francisco style by doing, as I like to call it, the "drunken walk." It just so happened that B2B was during a heatwave. I didn't even finish the measly 7.46 miles. Hahaha!! Pretty funny considering, by that time I already had a couple of half marathons and triathlons under my belt.

This year, the weather forecast called for RAIN! It was predicted that we would have a pretty miserable run considering it was supposed to rain the whole day. And, as I fell asleep to the sound of rain, I thought they were right. But, the weather gods blessed us with the best weather anyone could have asked for. It wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold. I took my jacket off around mile 2 and around mile 5 - 6 it started to sprinkle. But, it only sprinkled for a few minutes and by that time I welcomed the mild sprinkle. Totally refreshing.

My goal for this 12k was to beat 1:30, yes even with the dreaded Hayes Street Hill. And, I am proud to say that I ran the WHOLE 12K, ALL 7.46 miles, INCLUDING ALL OF HAYES! I don't know my official chip time yet, and I didn't get to use my running app, but as I crossed the finish line, I noticed that the clock read 1:28:??, so I must have beat my goal! Yeayyy!!!

Another notch on my belt and another medal to add to the collection!

MY OFFICIAL TIME!

Please stay tuned for a video of some of the costumes that I got to see. But please be patient..

Look Ma New Time!

2011-05-11T08:53:00.001-07:00

Bay 2 Breakers sure did sneak up on me this year. I didn't realize it was sooo close. It's actually this coming Sunday. So, on Monday, I decided to run the lake. I didn't think anything of the run. As I started, I just thought to myself take it easy today, just take a good jogging pace around the lake.

The weather was nice and my pace was bit off to begin with, but as usual especially with endurance athletes (not that I am one), I was feel more warmed up around 2 miles in.

I surprised myself again with beating my time!! WOO HOO!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thank you!!

2011-05-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

I just want to take this time to thank all of you who actually take time out of your lives to read my silly little blog. Whether it be b/c you wanna know where I got my feather extensions or my latest shopping deal or you wanna know about my running and triathlon sessions or maybe you just wanna check up on me...THANK YOU!!

My feather extension blog and my purse blog brought my stats up so much and since then the hits haven't stopped. So, please feel free to subscribe to my blog and let me know what you wanna see. Outfits, makeup, rants and rambles whatever it may be. I'm honestly thinking of blogging a little more of what goes on in that random head of mine, I kindda let it all loose on my twitter page, but I know not all of you can see that. We'll see what happens.

I will be filming my first youtube video this week. For those of you that have been on me...Yes FINALLYYYY!!! I know. For those of you that don't really know me, it's going to be a video on how to curl hair. It's been requested from me for a long time now and FINALLY it's gonna get done. Hopefully, you'll be able to learn a trick or two from me.

So guys, please don't be shy. Comment and request as you please. We'll see where this all goes, but you all have gotten me excited to do more...so again, THANK YOU!

Congratulations Sydney!

2011-05-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

8 years ago a close friend of mine told me she was pregnant and shortly after she asked me to be a godmother. i nearly cried. although i knew i was one of few people she actually considered a friend and i had been there for almost every tear and "suta" incident, being asked to be a godparent is a great privilege and i was excited to say the least.

Sydney has grown to become an intelligent, spunky little woman. she was never really a baby. she always had personality and picked up on things quite fast. even when she was only 3 or 4, people would think she was older b/c her speech was like a 6 year old. when i returned home from college i got to take care of her while her mom was at work. i'm glad to say i took part in her rearing. she's now 8 and this past weekend received her First Communion. yeay!!!

her baptismal gown was past down to every female on her maternal side since her grandmother. and her first communion would hold the same tradition, she wore a traditional reconciliation gown that was past down to every female on her maternal side, which started with her mother's aunt. the veil was a simple tradition long veil, but it was a bit worn so, she wore the veil of her mother's other aunt.

Sydney, congratulations! I'm so happy I got to be a part of another milestone in your life. I'm excited for you future journeys. Nina loves you!

"and i'm back" -jay-z voice

2011-05-03T14:32:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was a blast!!! I haven't had a vacation like that in FOREVER!!! This past weekend, the ladies and I ventured over to Vegas. I'll give you a quick run down of everything we did and little snippets here and there. The pictures should say more than enough after that.

Thursday:
We watched the Jabbawockeez and Deb and I got to meet them after the show. Ahhh, words can not explain how elated I was. We got hugs from everyone and we got to chat it up for a bit. Everyone was sooo nice and funny. I'd totally kick it with them if I ever got another chance. But, we got cut a little short b/c Phil didn't get to ask me for my number. hahaha!!!

Then we headed off to Haze at Aria. We were given a free table fully equipped with 2 free bottles of grey goose! Yesss!! The weekend was off to a good start.

ahhh!!! a david garibaldi peice!

me and deb after the show waiting to me the jabbawockeez

loved talking to them. but wish we got to really kick it.

the ladies before we entered haze
me and arlynn with our free bottle service

Friday:
Friday morning we got up and headed out to Liquid, Aria's pool party. We knew we had free passes, but didn't know that it included our own day bed and a free bottle of Skyy. I even had my own day bed for more than half of the day. Haha!! The cushions kept flying up b/c of the wind, so I was holding it down. Eventually some of the girls joined me and we had 2 beds for the majority of the day.

That night we headed to XS. I saw Anthony Randolph passing by, but didn't see him again after that. Janice didn't believe me at first, but saw him later that night and said I was right. And then we seen a crazy dance off between these girls dancing by the stripper pole. I don't even know how to explain. All I can say is the other big girls were jealous of the cute girl that actually really knew how to dance and were ganging up on her. I felt bad. And honestly, I really couldn't believe what was happening.

liquid @ aria

deb, me and arlynn heading out to liquid

entering XS

Saturday:
We woke up and went to Wet, MGM's pool party. We met a few people from LA. The girls were sweethearts. We hung out with them all day. They asked me if I was from Oakland. hahaha!! Sheena said it's because of how I was dressed, the feathers in my hair, and my swag! lol Ok, sure!

That night we had a table at Marquee. OMG! If you are going to Vegas anytime soon, which I know of at least 30 people heading out for the Pacquiao fight, YOU NEED TO HIT UP MARQUEE. It has three floors. The pool deck outside, has their own dj. The main room is on the second floor, labeled floor 5 at the stairs. Downstairs, labeled floor 4, is call "the Boombox" plays more of your top 40's, they call it the hiphop room. And, upstairs, they call "the Library" is like a lounge with pool tables.

entering wet

@ marquee

Sunday:
It was off to Wet again for the F*** Me I'm Famous Tour with DJ David Guetta.

And then it was off to Lavo. It's a pretty small spot compared to other Vegas clubs, but DJ Vice definitely played good music, so I was happy. I happily got my dance on. And the guys there were pretty funny.

F*** Me I'm Famous w/David Guetta

@ Lavo

"Good times with good company is always a recipe for a great life." -Melanie Lopez 04.24.11

2011-04-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

"Good times with good company is always a recipe for a great life."

i'm all for inspiration and inspirational quotes. i guess i was feeling quite creative on sunday, when i thought this one up. this year has definitely been good to me. i am totally "29 and feeling so damn fine!" hahaha!! i turned 29 this year, and my goal was as i said, to "feel so damn fine."

life always gets us in waves. we all have our ups and downs. 27 was a tough year for me and at 28 i was determined to get back to where i was when i graduated college...feeling refreshed, determined, and just plain ol' happy! at that point in my life, i felt like i had everything going for me and nothing was going to get in my way or let me down. at 28, i was still recuperating from 27 but determined to get to that place. and now at 29, i've realized i'm just damn near there. no, i don't have the best job in the world, and yes i do get irritated from time to time, but i am feeling refreshed and i am happy. maybe it's all the endorphins from getting back on my workout schedule. who cares...as long as i'm where i want to be or at least on the road there.

a lot of this happiness is from the people i choose to keep in my life, and especially those that i can't ever get rid of...MY FAMILY!!!

choose to surround yourself with positive people and the positive thoughts and energy will come!

cute purse...even cuter price

2011-04-25T11:15:00.001-07:00

everyone is trying to be really good about not purchasing items they don't NEED and a good bargain always puts on a smile on my face. kandee johnson just posted a video/blog about a couple of more cost friendly beauty products. i however, am going to tell you about purses. if you know me, or see me on a regular basis, i do have my fair share of purses in my rotation. and i've just added another. the good thing about this one though, is not only are the purses quality purses already at a reasonable price, i got it at an even better deal!!!

ELLIOTT LUCCA is a purse brand that i've come to grow very fond of. it's part of the "the SAK" company line. so while not many people know about elliott lucca, i'm sure you've all heard of "the SAK." most elliott lucca purses can be found under $200 (see deal already right!) and they come in really cute simply designs. nothing too trendy. they are simple and classic looks that won't go out of style. these purses are going to be kept in your rotation for some time.

i was first introduced to elliott lucca by one of my sister's friends. i was raising money for the leukemia & lymphoma society with team in training while training for my triathlons and she offered to get a purse donated by her work for a raffle prize. of course i could never turn down a donation. this was the most asked about prize for each of my fundraisers. i even bought one of the same exact purses that i gave away b/c i loved it so much.

well this easter, elliott lucca was having a sale...an additional 50% off their sale items. there have been many purses that i've eyed on the site, but i've resisted since i'm cutting down on my expenses. well one of the recent purses i've been eying was on sale. originally it was $198, it was on sale for $126.65, so my price was $63.33. WHATTTT!!! i had to get it. i was struggling on whether to get it in white or what they call portobello, but i decided on portobello since i have a couple of white purses andddd i've been wanting a purse in the grayish taupish family.

i also ended up buying a couple of wristlet wallets. one in black and the other in portobello to match the purse. these were originally $69.00, on sale for $55.20, my price $27.60.

in total i spent $129.49 for a purse and 2 wristlets. WHAT A STEAL!!!

here's a picture of the purse and wristlet in portobello.

so be on the look out for elliott lucca, you can find it at online or at nordy's and other department stores.

feather extensions

2011-04-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

ok ok...i know you ladies have all been waiting for this blog. i lagged wayyyy too long.

so i bought a couple of feather extensions from 2 different places. i bought 2 from hisandher.com. and i bought 4 packets from famousfeathers.com.

here is an example from hisandher. hisandher are longer and they come already bonded together so you simply need to add it to your hair. the other one is already in my hair, i'll post pictures of it in my hair at the bottom.

i also purchased some from famousfeathers.com. i bought 4 packets. each packet is $9.99. each comes with 5 feathers but they are shorter and come in singles, so you have to bundle them on your own. i have yet to do this but here are the feather packets i bought.

i have an idea of how i want to bundle the feathers, so let me play around with it and i'll post about it later. i'm just hoping they are long enough for my hair. *crossing fingers

here are some pictures of me with the other hisandher feather extension in. i've already curled it and washed it many many times and it is still doing well. just be careful of where the glue on the feather is when you curl your hair, you don't want it melting to your hair.

here's kandee johnson's video on how to put them on:

ON. A. MISSION.

2011-04-22T09:36:00.001-07:00

04.20.11
wednesday, boot camp was canceled. BOOOOO!!! so, i decided to take the spin class. but, i found out the regular spin teacher wasn't coming in and it was a sub. if you didn't notice this about me, i'm very particular about my teachers. for instance, i took one spin class where the teacher looked like she was riding a clown bike, her pedal stroke was hideous (toes pointing down the whole time), and she was bouncing all over the place. i could NOT stand to look at her. or i have a really big pet peeve with people who teach cardio kickboxing and their punches and kicks look like...i have no words to describe it. anyway, my point is, how are you gonna teach me when your technique is horrible. orrrr if i can't get a good workout out of you, then i feel like i've just wasted a whole hour of my life.

so i did a little research and found out that my workout with sub would not be a good one. i decided to get on the treadmill ...dun dun dunnn... instead. yes, everyone knows how much i despise the treadmill, but i was prepared with my interval training workout, so it was just fine. i was happy i was able to get a workout in.

04.21.11
yesterday i was feeling pretty lazy as i got home from work. i was NOT feeling motivated at all to workout. i called my friend to see if she was available for dinner. fail. folded some clothes, while talking to her on the phone. and then it clicked, that voice from inside was yelling at me to get my running clothes on and go for a damn run! and so i did. i put on my last pair of workout pants (the rest are in the laundry i need to buy more...who wants to make a trip out to lululemon with me..), one of my sports bra tank tops, and my 2010 sf marathon shirt and i was ready to go. i grabbed my favorite running jacket, prepared my gatorade, stretched, and then it was off to the lake.

it was bit chilly while i was there and my stride did not feel as light as it did last week, so i had to do a bit more self-motivating as i ran around. i honestly thought i was gonna end up with a time in the low 50's and to my surprise...

I BEAT MY TIME FROM LAST WEEK!!!

Hell Yeah! Another PB!

2011-04-16T11:50:00.001-07:00

I signed up for another round of boot camp and it started on Wednesday. I was pretty sore on Thursday but I was determined to get a run in. I'm running Bay 2 Breakers next month and I just registered for 2 more half marathons, SF Giants and Nike, so I gotta step up on my running.

Mae joined me for the run and as sore as I was, my stride was feeling great and I felt like I picked it up a notch through a good portion on the lake.

As I finished I looked down at my Runmeter app, my time said 49min 28 sec! HOLLLERRRR! I finally broke the 50 minute mark. And I'm just breaking the 11min/mile too! Needlees to say I was ecstatic as I took my cool down stroll.

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CONGRATULATIONS GINGER!

2011-04-12T10:49:00.001-07:00

this past weekend i made another trip out to northridge with my cousins che, her husband, ron, and gizelle...along with all the other teruellys. we all made the trip down to celebrate ginger's wedding. the ceremony was outside and luckily it was a beautiful day. the sun was out with a little gusts of wind here and there, but it was beautiful. i didn't get to take any pictures from where i was sitting, and i only had my iphone, but gizelle got a couple a good ones.

the few i took were during the reception. ginger's now husband, eric is a part of a band, so of course he picked a band to play during the reception. and wouldn't you know it, it was a bay area band, wonderbread 5. i thought i had heard of them before, and gizelle actually just watched them for st patrick's day. they were a fun band and played lots of fun covers. we were definitely on the floor enjoying the music and dancing around.

ginger, congratulations again. and, thank you for letting me share this special day with you. you looked gorgeous as always and the wedding was beautiful.

me & gizelle at our table:

me & che:

some of the FEW pictures i took in the photobooth:

me, ginger & che:

Another Successful Date w/the Lake

2011-04-02T14:13:00.001-07:00

The sun decided to grace us with its presence this past week and I've been fairly consistent with "Operation Melanie," so after a fairly lazy morning, I decided to get up and go for a run.

The weather at the lake was fairly warm, warmer in some parts, and a strong headwind in others.

All in all I had a pretty good run. In all honesty, whenever I hit the lake after not being there in so long, I get nervous that I won't be able to attack it well. But, my stride felt good, I pushed through the tough parts, and even picked it up through the second half and sprinted through the last stretch. I finished at 51min 11 sec, averaging 11.37 min/mile. Pretty good for not being there in awhile and I have to say my average is much faster now. I can say I officially broke my average of 12min/mile. WOO HOO!

Runners, I have a question for you: On a fairly warm day, would you rather there be no breeze at all or a couple of strong headwinds through the last half of the course?

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And another one...

2011-03-31T13:57:00.001-07:00

i FINALLY got a hold of the houndstooth patten of the sally hansen's salon effects, so i couldn't wait and took the "laced up" pattern off and put this on a few days ago. (please don't mind the grown old gold, i'm getting my nails done soon)

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Why hello there water..how I've missed you.

2011-03-29T19:40:00.001-07:00

Today I finally got a chance to get in the water and swim again. And oh how I've missed it. I've ALWAYS been a fan of swimming. I can remember being on vacation and being in pool any time we were at the hotel. I would make my dad even take me every night until the pool would close. So it was no surprise that swimming is my favorite part of triathlons.

Today I got to zone out and meditate while swam. I love just listening to the water, the sounds of the bubbles made by my breathing, my strokes, and my flutter kicks. I do somewhat get into this zone as I run, but swimming totally gets me there. When I swim, it's just me, the water and the black line on the floor. It's where my mind is completely free of any thoughts and at ease.

And because I haven't swam in forever, my arms are going to be pleasantly SORE tomorrow. It definitely got me breathing hard and it was a bit of a task to build up to doing a measly 100 yards non-stop, but I did it! And maybe next week, I'll be doing 200 easily again.

And we all know how easily I tan, here's what I looked like after an hour of swimming in the shade. Hahahahaha

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inspired

2011-03-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

so i've become quite the youtuber. i haven't really posted any videos until this morning, but i do follow a lot of people. mostly people who i feel are musically talented, like erin paula or alyssa bernal or who can crack me up, like timothydelaghetto. and i am a religious follower of kandee johnson (who i got to meet recently...YEAY!!!), a beautiful make up artist and just a deep down genuine kind and wonderful person. and the person who i have to thank for all of this is charrie, or bebellaartistry. she started a youtube channel with makeup tutorials and of course i followed her to support her and her amazing talent. this then got me venturing off into other youtube lands.

so one day i wondered to myself if i could find any of jeannie mai's makeup tutorials on youtube. i've caught some of her makeup tutorials on my ondemand style channel, so i figured youtube would be the place to find more. instead of finding makeup videos, i found myself being inspired by her and prayer box.

you leave a prayer in there and take a prayer with you. it's at the top of a trail in LA called runyon canyon, so (i imagine from the videos) the hike alone is an inspiring and uplifting one. i know after i finish a tough bike trail or long run or swim how amazing i feel afterward and to add the prayer box to the top of this one just seems to add to the whole experience.

the box has been destroyed a couple of times and each time jeannie has brought it back bigger and better. just to know that people are still out there that still have good faith makes me feel good inside. i don't know how else to describe it. the fact that people from everywhere are "praying it forward" and still have hopes and dreams for our future as a whole community or even world makes me have hope for our future. corny, i know...but really. i get really scared or and amazed at how people act a lot of the time. (check out my "happy father's day" rant) so, this brighten up my day.

and i have a new life goal. i want to hike runyon canyon and find the prayer box and hopefully one day meet jeannie mai! she is a san jose native so her roots aren't very far from mine

here is a news cast from when it first got started:

below is the video of the newest box:

Sally Hansen Salon Effects

2011-03-24T10:46:00.001-07:00

so after i took off the WHACK hollywood brand...A TOTAL WASTE! i put on one of the sally hansen's that i bought. this one is called laced up.

like i said before, it's the same idea as minx, but it's a little different. sally hansen describes there's as nail polish strips and really they are just that. you even have to use nail polish remover to take them off. minx, is a little more like a foil sticker and you peel it off. and, b/c it's a sticker you tend to get some wrinkles that are hard to smooth out. although i do love minx, i think at cheaper price and the strip able to conform to your nail completely, the sally hansen's version is better.

i've had them on for 2 days now and i'm pretty happy with them so far. no chipping, no fraying and no peeling. i have another design called misbehaved that i'm sure i'll be using shortly and i'll definitely be buying more designs.

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Minx

2011-03-22T08:09:00.001-07:00

MINX!!! so basically minx is a nail decal or sticker with a design that you can put on your nails without having to sit at the nail salon waiting for it to be drawn out and dry. but, only few salons had it and it was a bit pricey.

about a year or 2 ago, minx and sephora collaborated and came out with a line so that you could do it yourself in your own home. they run at $15 each design. the box says it lasts about 3 days, but i found that they lasted closer to a week or longer. here are two minx/sephora designs i did when they first came out.

recently, other brands have come out with their own minx type decals. i'm kindda sick of the green shellac color that i have on my nails right now so i picked up a few last night by sally hansen and broadway girl. below, is a picture of broadway girl. (the gold is my shellac nail polish from my manicure)

after only one night of the broadway girl brand, the jury is in. even though this is only about $5.99, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY! i loved the print but this is ridiculous. i put them on last night and right before bed they were already starting to peel back a little. i decided to try it out at just for the day, at least, and while i was driving to work i noticed that they are fraying so much at the tips. i'll let you know how the sally hansen brand does b/c these babies are coming off TONIGHT!

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Operation Melanie Comence!

2011-03-14T22:56:00.001-07:00

Since my little trip out to New York and the passing of my grandpa, I took a little hiatus from the gym.

Today Operation Melanie commenced! Haha! I signed up for another session of boot camp to jump start my body and try to get back to where I was before.

We had a new instructor today named, Moon. And, she definitely gave me a run for my money. She worked us HARD, especially for an introductory class. There were only two of us, me and this guy Jose, that are gym regulars. You can tell the rest of the girls were not familiar with the gym or expected to work out that hard.

During the session, the girls were taking a half ass approach for all the exercises and rarely finished a whole exercise set.

I, determined to finish every set (and dripping with sweat), was often left at the other end of the gym finishing up my burpies or wall climbs or what ever exercise. I could see them not even attempting the exercises or even finishing to the other end before walking back.

Jose, jokingly said, "What are you trying to prove, let's just go back with the others?". We both chuckled b/c we were the only ones finishing everything. I responded, "I am NOT cheating myself!"

And honestly, why pay for boot camp if you're not even going to try. I understand that these exercises may be new and yes they are extremely difficult. But there is no progress without pain. And you are only cheating yourself by not fully trying. I'm not going to progress by not pushing myself beyond what I think I can do each and every time. And how do you know what you can do without pushing your own boundries?

And although I did feel the effects of not working out for a month, I'm so proud of myself for how I did. I took more breaks than normal but I pushed through every exercise and hustled my way til the end. Yeay me!

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Family

2011-03-05T01:30:00.001-08:00

I have always been so proud and thought I have been lucky to say that I have met and have a close bond with ALL of my grandparents. I now know that not only have I been lucky, but I have been blessed. There's not many people that I know that can say that. I grew up with all my grandparents.

I have a close bond with ALL my first cousins and we all live within half an hour away from each other with the exception of Michael, who is from Jersey. Each side is big as it is, but what makes me even more blessed is that we ALL grew up together. My grandparents are really good friends, and my mom and dad and all their siblings all grew up together. I can't really separate one side from the other. My cousin from my dad's side will call my cousin from my mom's side, simply their cousin and vice versa. And I often have to answer questions from friends asking "Wait, so which cousins are from which side and which and aunts and uncles are siblings?" If you listen to any of my uncles' stories from their heyday, they always include at least uncle from the other side. This is probably one of the main reasons I LOVE MY FAMILY!

Recently, I lost my Grandpa Gil, my mom's dad. Although since his stroke 7 years ago, he's been somewhat immobile, the initial news that he was "actively dying" was quite a shock. And honestly, even if it's expected, it doesn't mean it hurts any less.

My Grandpa Gil was a strong and stern man. Even after his stroke when he lost most of his speech, you knew when he didn't like something or was mad. He lost most of his speech, but he sure could say, "GOD DAMN!," "UKININAM!" HAHAHAAA! And, with his good side, he even threw his cane at someone! Ha! I remember him pretending to be mad at us when he would babysit us, and chase us around the house, from the kitchen to the living room and back again. We hid in the bathroom behind the door, and thought we were slick b/c he didn't find us. In retrospect, he probably pretended to not know where we were. He had this one made up word that he would call everyone, "hinnekloock." And when you asked him what it meant he would say, "You're hinnekloock." And he always used to have juicy fruit gum and peanutbutters, on the top of his cabinet that he always would give me. A month ago when he was in the hospital for some unknown infection, while lying in his bed he still played with me. I winked at him and he winked back, and this went on, on and off for the rest of the night. I miss you Grandpa Gil.

during the 18 roses ceremony at my cottillion

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"NEW YORRRKKK" (*singing in Alicia Keys voice)

2011-02-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

as everyone knows, i took a little trip out to New York for my birthday. and everyone is asking how my trip was. unfortunately, i don't quite know how to let everyone know how much I REALLY DO LOVE IT there. my quick response in a nutshell is normally, "wonderful, as always!"

i'm gonna start off by answering some FAQs. i traveled with my friend jill (but, her trip was for business reasons). we stayed with our friend, karla. and no, unfortunately, i didn't find a job while i was out there. lol it would have been nice to rub shoulders with the right people, so that i could find a job and move out there, but I was too busy living life up on my vacation and having fun. that might have to be accomplished on another trip out there. hee hee!

we arrived early thursday morning, literally dropped our stuff off at karla's and went right back out the door to start our adventure, stat! we traveled with her to work and visited the century 21 right next to her building. a pretty big one, but not as big as the one we visited with elaine, janice's friend. i gotta find out where that one was. i just remember we crossed a bridge to get there. anyway, i digress... and so our shopping spree started. we both indulged in our share of cute leggings, and i bought a pair of isotoner gloves to protect my hands from the ny winter weather. thursday was the coldest day while we were there, so what i call my "ny jacket" definitely came in handy. (i call it my ny jacket b/c i got it in ny a couple years ago at the triple 5 soul store, and it has back pack straps...sooo new york! lol check out my "brr...it's cold in here" blog to see what i'm talking about.) we then ventured off to soho for more shopping and studying for jill's t-shirt line. boy, did i shop!! i totally did damage that day. i think i bought something at every single necessary in ny. hahaha!! ohhh and i got to visit michael k. and too bad for the man i don't have...they were having a 60% off sale for all clothing. i don't know what it is but i love shopping for boys. i guess i like dressing them up, in what i like to see them wear. oh well! i got myself and my goddaughter some cute jackets. it was a little too crazy in there b/c of all the inchicks going CRAZY, i wasn't able to take my time and shop around. but, we did see ardiana from "the hills" while shopping.

that night we had reservations for buddakan, next door to the chelsea market. i am in no way a chef, but i can cook for myself and you too, if i like you. lol anyway, i loveeee the food network and love cooking shows. one of my favorites is top chef. and right now top chef: all stars has people from every season competing. my favorite is mr dale tale. yes he is filipino and i gotta support my fellow islander, but he is soooo freaking awesome. his recipes are awesome, both complex and simple at the same time and look hella good. anthony bourdain explained one of his dishes as "late night comfort stoner food," which translates to me as hella good. but, in general, whenever i'm really interested in someone (or something) i look them up and see what research i can do on them. in his case, i found out that he works at buddakan, so i was hoping to catch a glimpse of him while we were there. if he came out to my table to wish me a happy birthday, that would have been the best bday ever. but, the staff informed me that he had went home for the day, which was completely fine b/c the food was AMAZING. every dish that came out delivered a food-gasm i wasn't expecting. oh and i discovered a rather refreshing cocktail as we waited for our table. they called it a sake-tini. it had cucumber vodka and sake. it's like the drink was MADE for me, sake and vodka my two favorite alcohols combined. i could totally drink those on a hot day by the pool or on a beach. so we had a couple of drinks by the bar (some free btw..woo hoo for me and talking to bartenders), had an INCREDIBLE dinner, and discovered that the restaurant we sat in was where SATC filmed the engagement party for big and carrie...totally the icing on the cake. me and jill are big satc fans...i'm carrie, so it just seemed like everything fell into place. and, if you watch top chef, angelo has also worked there, which also reaffirmed my wishes to eat there. sorry i didn't take pictures of the food we were soo excited we just ate it as soon as each dish arrived. but, this has been added to my must visit places in ny.

the next day, jill and i got up late but traveled over to the lower east side. dale lives here so i was hoping i could see him walking around. lol stalker status. i wanted to eat at clinton street bakery, but the wait was too long. it's a small place as it is, and i'm sure ever since they've been featured on the food network it's gotten even more packed. i'm glad to say i knew about the place before that. but i was happy just grabbing a scone and being on our merry way. our next stop in the les was sugar sweet sunshine. my most favorite cupcakery ever. my sister and i are huge cupcake fans and i'd say this is at the top of both our lists. jill and i had one each at the shop and i grabbed 4 to go, so that we could have some and share at the house.

we shopped around at the little boutiques and wondered into the steve madden outlet? i guess that's considered an outlet store the only other one i've been to like that was in san diego. i totally forgot it was there but the sale shoes were 2 for $50. i found a pair and so did jill, so we each got our shoes for $25. what a steal considering i found them on another site on sale for $40, originally $80. we then traveled back into soho and did more shopping.

for dinner, we ate at sylvia's, a soul food joint. the food was ok. i wouldn't eat there again. and, that night karla took us to a new club. i don't even remember what it was called. the music was alright, the spot was a little small...but i had fun. i made friends with the bartender again and he gave us a couple of free rounds.

the next day we ventured over to brooklyn to check out the brooklyn flea. i'd say that was the best flea market i've ever been to. i found myself a cute necklace (shown in the brrrr...it's cold in here blog) and some cool bracelets made of vinyl records. and jill got some cute ass short heel red ankle boots. i'd say she got the best deal that day. i'd say this is also a good place to start selling 45threads. the price of a vendor booth was reasonable. and this is the exact type of exposure that could get the 45threads name started off right.

that night, karla took us out to her friend's spot called, taj. a different feel than the ny clubs that i've visited before. but our hosts showed us a good time and we definitely had fun.

the next day we tried to eat at serendipity, but as always it was PACKKKKEEDDDDD! we should've made reservations but again we got up hella late. we wandered around dylan's candy shop for some time and got a few souvenirs.

on our last night, like true new yorkers, we ordered in. we ordered jimmy's? i forget what it was called...a bbq spot. totally good. everyone's food was GOOOD!! we ate like the heffers we are and were happy. it was the night before valentine's day, so we were also entertained by karla's upstairs neighbors gettin it on! at least someone was! lmao!

jill...we always have good times together. thank you for traveling with me for my bday.

karla...thank you thank you thank you for the hospitality. another visit is in the making...get ready!

Here are some pictures of the weekend.

Yesss...finally, buddakan!

Does this scenery look familiar?

My birthday dessert:

Me and Jill totally full from our delicious meal!

Sugar Sweet Sunshine! Pistachio and Ooey Gooey

carrot, red velvet, vanilla w/chocolate almond frosting, and pistachio

Playing around in dylan's

Gigantic Crumb's cupcake

View from Karla's office

Brrrr...It's Cold in Here

2011-02-18T14:54:00.001-08:00

i just came back from my new york bday trip (yes i will blog about that trip later), and you would think that with snow on the floor it would be colder than home. buttt...i the weather back east was so much nicer than what i came home to. this was my outfit yesterday b/c it was so damn cold. and b/c i got to wear some of my favorite winter gear and my old/new necklace that is one of my favorite buys from my trip i decided to blog about it.

i bought the jacket a couple of years ago, in new york actually, at the triple 5 soul store in soho. the store was having a gigantic sale at the time. i believe that i got this jacket for like 60% off. i don't remember the exact cost, but i always pull this jacket out on a really cold day. andddd it has backpack straps. if you don't know what that is, i have a picture below and i'll explain it more.

the sweater, i bought from forever 21. if you look through my clothes or even my pictures, you might notice that i have a thing for off-the-shoulder items. i don't think this sweater was even meant to be off-the-shoulder, but like many shirts and sweaters i have, i make them that way.

the jeans are skinny jeans by jolt. i bought them from nordy's. they run about $35ish. and i had a bonus gift certificate for $20 so i only paid the difference.

the rain boots are houndstooth...MY FAVORITE pattern in the world. and they are from TARGET! i told you, "don't sleep on target!" i think they were like $20. i'm actually gonna buy myself another pair.

if you can see the ring on my finger, yes that is a hello kitty ring. my cousin, mae, bought it for me as a bday gift. everyone knows how obsessed i am with hello kitty. and attention ladies and gents: i did NOT just get back on this trend, i never fell off. don't believe me? ask anyone that knows me. i never stopped buying their pens, stationary, clips, jewelry...everything. you can even ask my roommates from college.

THE NECKLACE!!! i mentioned that this necklace was one of my favorite purchases in new york this past weekend. i bought it at the brooklyn flea. we ventured out there to check it out and we found some amazing pieces. this was one of them. it has an old school feel to it, but not too bulky like a boy's necklace and it's the perfect length. i can wear it long like this or even double it up for a layered look.

close up of the necklace:

BACKPACK STRAPS!!!

so here are the backpack straps. when i first asked the guy in the store what the straps were, he nonchalantly stated, "backpack straps." i looked at him with a puzzled grin and was like "say whaa..." basically, if you ever get hot and want to take the jacket off but don't want to hold the bulking thing, you use the backpack straps. all together now: "ooohhhhhhh!!!" pretty damn nifty huh!

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Boot Camp Day 5

2011-01-25T22:25:00.001-08:00

Boot camp was great as expected...thank lord! For some reason I was really tired today, and I'm glad I had boot camp to give me that extra push. Otherwise, the laziness in me might have talked me into skipping today. Instead, I reminded myself that it was my second to last day of boot camp and I freaking paid for this. Trust me I have no money to spare, so wasting it is a big "NO NO!"

I noticed today that we've done liners almost at every session. And all I could think to myself was, I'm not on a basketball team WTH! I guess it's a good workout, since I was cursing at myself. (lol...That was a reference to my blog "It's Only a Workout if...")

And I also noticed that my energy is coming back. Even though I was really tired today, after my workout, I felt like I could do more. I was pushing myself even harder and doing more reps than normal. I was even doing more pushups, which is a big accomplishment for me b/c my upper strength SUCKS! Woo hoo for progress!

It's not unnatural for me to stay behind after my workouts to get more stretching done...I actually do it every time. It's important to stretch before AND after, and I make sure to get a really good stretch in. Not to mention it feels sooo good. But, after boot camp I've found myself doing some "nostalgic" (well for me) stretches and exercises. It may be that we are on the basketball court that brings the feelings back or the thought that I was at my most fit as a cheerleader. But, I've been doing some stretches and exercises that we did at every single cheer practice. I have both surprised myself and made myself feel old. I tried a toe touch today and it was the ugliest thing ever!!! (hahaha DON'T JUDGE!). But I can say my kicks are still beautiful! Wanna see?!

I'm ending boot camp in two days and I'm a little scared. Again, I don't know the teachers that have taken over my favorite classes and I'm not too sure I'll get the workout I want. I guess I'm gonna have to work on giving myself that extra push and doing more on my own. I guess if you want it done right, do it yourself, right?! Wish me luck!

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getting reacquainted w/the lake

2011-01-22T18:25:00.001-08:00

I got my weekend run in today b/c I know I won't be able to get a run in tomorrow.

I've been running fairly fast on the San Andreas Trail, but there are a lot of down hills so I wasn't too sure if those times would apply to other trails. I decided to test it at good 'ol Lake Merced.

Holy moly I haven't been to the lake in so long. It was a pretty rough run. It seemed like it was harder to breathe than usual, but with all the cars around it makes sense.

Well as I expected I wasn't as fast as the other trail. I finished the 4.5 mile run in 50 min 46sec. Just over 11min/mile. Nonetheless, that's about the fastest I've gotten around the lake, and what counts most is that I actually went out and did it. So, all in all I AM HAPPY! #OperationMelanie

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It's only a workout if...

2011-01-18T19:59:00.001-08:00

I always complain about not having a good workout or I rant and rave about how good the workout felt. So here are my signs of a good workout.

It's only a workout if one or more of the following happens:

(in no particular order)
-sweat is dripping down my face or better yet a constant stream
-I have to wipe the salt off my face/body when I'm done
-I'm sore for the next couple of days
-I'm cursing out the instructor or myself in my head
-I hit at least a 8 - 10 rpe (rate of perceived exhaustion <- for an explanation check back on "interval running on the treadmill")
-I'm breathing hard and making weird noises to get the set finished
-I'm saying motivational phrases to myself to get through

Feel free to add your signs of a good workout in the comment section.

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Woo hoo! Looks like I'm getting faster!

2011-01-16T21:55:00.001-08:00

Today was a pretty lazy day, but I managed to motivate myself enough to get out of bed and head to the San Andreas Trail, 5.2 miles, again.

I ate pretty bad this weekend and I haven't been on a run in a couple of weeks, so I felt really heavy as I started out my run. I actually didn't think I was going to have a very good run. Nevertheless, I was there and needed to get this run in. Operation Melanie in full effect!

As always, I started slowly and picked up as a went along. To my surprise, I fell into my stride less than half way through. And on my way coming back I was actually running fairly fast and taking the hills pretty fast too.

Here's the time I ended with. Needless to say I was really happy to see I beat my time again. I was running at about a 9min-mile pace.

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boot camp day 2

2011-01-14T15:41:00.001-08:00

yesterday was day 2 of boot camp. it was thursday, so lisa was the instructor. i hadn't had a class with her before yesterday either. again it was interval training..but she had us do some exercises i had never done before.

one was putting your hands on the floor and walking up the wall with our feet 10 times. so you are basically doing a handstand and walking your feet up the wall up and down 10 times.

another was doing a push up and then jumping your feet out and in 4 times, and repeat. so you are basically doing like a jumping jack motion with your feet in a push up position.

and the next couple of exercises were with these circles she called gliders. you put them under each of your feet or hands depending on the exercise. a variation to mountain climbers, where you start in a push up position and bring one knee in towards your chest (placing the foot on the floor) and then the other, switching as fast as you can. so, instead you are doing this with the gliders under each foot. and then, we brought both feet in with the gliders under each foot. mountain climbers are hard is it is, so adding the gliders added a big challenge. we did other exercises with the gliders, but those were what i remembered.

boot camp has been great so far i'm excited to see how much i progress. i'm even thinking of signing up for another.