Oreo Pops!

The spookiest week of the year is here! And, of course, I'm ramping up the baking and craft projects. 

Here are my mummy/pumpkin Oreo pops!

Aren't they cute? And fairly easy, too. Here's how I made 'em:

Mummies:

1. Dip each lollipop stick in a bit of melted white chocolate and stick it into a double stuffed golden Oreo. Chill in the freezer for a few minutes. 

2. Use a spoon to cover each Oreo in melted white chocolate. Pop 'em back in the freezer for 5 minutes. 

3. Once they're dry, use more melted chocolate to make stripes across the front of each Oreo. I did most of them horizontal with a few slanted vertical lines. Look at mummy pictures for inspiration!

4. Finally, add a couple cute little eyeball candies and pop in the freezer for another few minutes. 

The process is the same for the chocolate pumpkin ones! But I used milk chocolate and normal double stuffed Oreos. For the decoration, I just cut little mallow creme pumpkins in half vertically and stuck them on while the chocolate was still wet. 

These are so delicious, festive, and much easier than cake pops! A perfect Halloween treat. 

- Ellen 

The Haunted Gingerbread Mansion!

Look, my friends, at our creation!

If I had a better camera, you'd be able to see just how lovely this haunted cottage really is. Two hours of labor, and it was SO worth it!

Josh and I used a reusable plastic gingerbread house (shhhhhhh) and just decorated the outside. We used: Halloween kit kats, mallowcreme pumpkins, candy corn, candy corn MnMs, and peep ghosts, with store-bought icing. And a couple of drawings for the windows :)

Such a fun way to celebrate the Halloween season! I just hope the kitties don't get sneaky and nibble it in the middle of the night! :)

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Continuing with the Halloween challenge...

16. What do you use to hold candy when you trick or treat? I always used to use a plain old pillowcase. It got the job done!

17. Your Halloween traditions: Watch Nightmare on October 1st, go to Headless Horseman, go to the orchard, watch Halloween and Hocus Pocus, drink cider, carve pumpkins....I'm sure there are others I'm missing!

A Spooky Fall Break!

Josh and I went home for fall break and had a truly wonderful time. We squeezed in as many fall activities as possible! Pumpkin carving, haunted house, apple orchard, Headless Horseman festival, caramel apples, cider, and a family viewing of "Casper!" It doesn't get any better than that. 

 

 I've been so busy and distracted lately that my Halloween cooking and crafting has taken a backseat (which is never okay!) This weekend I will definitely be making some Halloween treats, so I'll share the recipe ASAP! Apologies!

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9. Do you believe in witchcraft? I suppose some people practice it, but it's nothing I'm too worried about...
10. Best costume you’ve ever worn: Most likely, my Eggo waffle costume in 7th grade. Haha!
11. Favorite candy: Reese's! Of course.
12. How you act when watching a scary movie: I'm typically not too scared. I usually giggle at the scariest parts!
13. Best pumpkin carving you’ve done: My Tigger pumpkin was super cute. Probably my favorite.
14. Do you believe in ghosts/spirits? I do, I do!

15. Halloween decoration tips: Get creative and decorate with things you already have! I used to make a great display using Stephen King books, classic horror movie cases, and a bag of spiderwebs from the dollar store. Great decorating doesn't have to be pricy!

Wishing you the spookiest of Wednesdays,
Ellen

"A bat instead of this old rat!"

4. Best Halloween/Fall themed food - Halloween oreos. Ooh. Or maybe pumpkin ice cream.
5. Your first horror movie - Disturbia! Haha. Not exactly a classic. But I actually do love it.
6. What type of monster do you want to be? - This guy. He's perfect. And sassy. Perfectly sassy.

7. Favorite Halloween character - Michael Myers. He is so BA. He gets shot like 15 times and falls out a window and doesn't die. WUT.
8. One of your paranormal experiences - None to date. Hopefully none ever!! Eek!

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Joshie and I painted pumpkins this weekend! His is so cute. I was going for a bold stripey modern art kinda thing.

I'm so excited because we are going home for fall break tomorrow! A weekend full of apple orchards, fall festivals, and relaxation is just what I need!

Playing Catch Up!

It's only day 3 of the challenge and I'm already behind...

2. Halloween costume this year:

I'm still undecided! If I can find the right pieces, I might be a certain patriotic lady. But, otherwise, I will have to go to the Halloween store and get inspired!

3. Favorite Horror movie:

The classic. Carpenter's Halloween. I watch it every year. I also love Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street.

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Excited to head to the farmer's market tomorrow to buy one of my favorite fall foods: fresh apples!

- Ellen :)

31 Days of Halloween

It's October 1st! Time to celebrate!

When I woke up this beautiful October morning, a spooktacular surprise was awaiting me:

A ton of amazing Halloween goodies from my darling Josh. Seriously one of the best surprises ever.

And, this evening, we watched my favorite movie of all time, The Nightmare Before Christmas! 

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Today I am starting the 31 days of Halloween challenge! I will post the answer to a question each day! :)

1. Favorite Halloween movie:

Well, Nightmare is really the best, in my opinion. Between the music, lyrics, characters, and stunning animation, you really can't beat it. But, others on my must-watch list every October are: Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Halloween, and Young Frankenstein!

- Ellen

Eerie Edibles

I like to celebrate the start of October by filling my candy buckets with my favorite Halloweeny treats!

First of all, these Palmer pumpkin coins!

And some candy eyeballs....

   

(How could I not take this ridiculous photo opportunity?)

And the classic, candy corn :)

 

What are your favorite Halloween candies??

- Ellen

Halloween Season

Halloween season has begun!

If you didn't know, Halloween is (BY FAR) my favorite time of year. While most people don't view Halloween as a "season," I certainly do. Christmas people get to revel in the "Christmas season," so it's only fair that we Halloween lovers get our "Halloween season," too!

In my neck of the woods, it's still sunny and 80 degrees outside. No matter. The date on my calendar says September 28, and that indicates that only TWO DAYS remain until the best month of all...October, of course! So forget about the fact that I had to wear shorts today....it's fall. That's all that matters.

And, to ring in fall, I couldn't resist making my *famous* pecan praline cookies.

 

Yummmm. And they taste even better than they look! Not to toot my own horn ;)

So, since it's Halloween season, expect regular entries on my blog. Plus, when October 1st rolls around, I may or may not be participating in a "31 Days of Halloween" challenge taking place right here on this page!

A few, but not all, of the things to look forward to on LOLlen this month:

• Halloween gingerbread [haunted] house
• Monster masks with creepy eyeballs
• Pumpkin spice puppy chow
• Festive cupcakes
• And more!

So stop in throughout the Halloween *season* for tons of fun crafts, recipes, and party tips :)

- Ellen

End of an Era

Holy cow. Today is my last day of summer. Like, ever.

Well, not really. I mean, I am a teacher. I'm sure I'll get to enjoy many blissful and carefree summer days in my future.

But today is my last day of summer as a kid. And I realize I'm 21, but I still feel like a kid. I live in my parents' house. I come home from school "for the summer". And, from now on, that just won't be how it goes.

I've had a very busy few months, with a few fun memories tossed in. Of course my brother's wedding was extremely special, I enjoyed some fun parts of camp and I miss my favorite campers, I loved having IU friends come stay with us and go out to Broad Ripple and to the zoo. Other than that, I basically worked a ton, did hours of homework, and waited for Josh to come home. I wish I could've gone out with more of a bang for my last summer, but adult life beckoned, and graduation requirements were calling my name.

It just blows my mind to think that, come next May, I won't be settling in back here in my room for a few months of relaxation before packing up again and moving back to Bloomington. In fact, after tomorrow, there will never be another move back to Bloomington. It's unbelievable that in less than a year, I will be turning the tassel on my grad cap and stepping forward into new, uncharted territory. Post grad.

Who knows what the future holds... Will I get a job? Where will I live? Will I be happy? I have no idea. I hope so.

I am excited to open up a new chapter of my life, but also terrified. So much is going to change, and so many responsibilities will be shifted onto me.

But, before that new chapter begins, I have to make sure that this one's closing is full of fun, excitement, and memory-making.

Here's to Carmel, and here's to old IU.

-Ellen

Average, Healthy, Happy.

I'm not even going to call this a Mindful Monday because, let's be honest, it's just a rant.

This summer, compared to last, has felt so different. I am baffled by my complete lack of motivation and okay-ness with just being a normal human and not obsessing over weight loss. I guess that's a good thing?

I was scrolling through Tumblr, and I saw someone's post with just rows and rows of before-and-after photos. Some of them really struck me. Like these...

 

 Of course, when I saw them, I had the predicted reaction: Wow! She looks so much better in the second picture. But then I stopped for a second and looked at the photos again. And I thought What is wrong with how she looks in the first one? And the answer is nothing. 

I bet both of those girls were in a pretty healthy weight range before they lost all that weight. Why do we, as a society, have to make those girls feel like they need to lose 20 pounds to be beautiful? And if we didn't have these stupid ideals and photoshopped-media influences, I bet we would all think the girls on the left looked better, healthier, happier. 

I bet, after losing all the weight and posting these photos, those girls were showered in compliments. (As they should be, absolutely, because losing weight is hard and they worked so hard to achieve those results, I'm sure!) But, before that, maybe they never received any compliments at all. So they think now that they're thin, they're truly beautiful and truly happy. And every chance that comes up to get ice cream with friends, they panic inside, and think that they can't indulge or they will lose everything. If they aren't thin anymore...what are they good for?

So, for the time being, I'm okay with just being average me. Being thin obviously isn't everything, and I don't need to lose 20 pounds to be a special, important, beautiful person :)

-Ellen

The Fiasco

Today involved some kayaking, some walking, and some scrumptious peach upside down cake.

Josh and I decided to turn my one-seater kayak into a two-seater by squeezing in together. It started off fine. Smooth sailing. Then, catastrophe struck. Our rudder was broken or something (?) so, despite our best efforts, we couldn't row our way back to shore. We just kept going in circles. We were STRANDED!

Well, luckily, we weren't really stranded. There was a dock sort of in our circular path. So, we ran straight into it, which was our only option at the time. We braced ourselves for a flip. But, miraculously, we were able to grab on to the dock and jump out unscathed. We did have to carry the rather heavy kayak and oar quite a distance back to the car. But hey! At least we weren't wet and covered in murky lake gunk.

That's my story. Certainly spiced up my day :)

Have a great Saturday evening, and Memorial Day weekend!

-Ellen

Fab Friday

I got a great workout in by hiking [for several hours] around a beautiful art trail with Josh! The highlight of it, for me, was seeing "Funky Bones," a work of art made [semi]famous by the book The Fault in Our Stars. 

Another "feel good" moment of the day occurred at my local Starbucks. I experienced their chocolate smoothie [nonfat of course] and it was soooo yummy. It's not the healthiest per say, but it does have whey, a banana, and fiber powder [what's fiber powder?]

I'm getting stir crazy being home. I miss my crazy[ish] life back at school. I have enjoyed watching "Breaking Bad" and hanging out with my cat. But there are so many things in Btown that I miss. Which isn't my usual summer mentality. Maybe that place is growing on me. Can't believe I have to say goodbye to it so soon.

Anyhow, camp planning starts next week! Can't wait to get out of the house and go back to the job I love.

Enjoy your Friday!
-Ellen

Tasty Wednesday? - Quinoa bites!

Who says I can't cook healthy food just cause it's not Tuesday? :)

I'm stuck inside today because of crazy hail and thunderstorms. What better way to spend my day indoors than baking?!

I decided not to make anything sweet because that's kind of my weak spot. It's hard to stop eating sweet treats!

Instead, I made these delicious quinoa broccoli cheddar bites!

Cute, tiny, and so yummy! And--the best part--you don't have to stop after just one! These go for only 70 calories a pop! Treat yo' self and eat 2 or 3 ;)

Recipe: (Click here!)

I highly recommend this healthy, protein packed snack! 

- Ellen

Hi.

As you probably guessed, I'm so not into blogging or fitness or anything lately. I'm a bump on a log. I've tried everything to get myself to get back on track, but right now, it's just not happening. It's okay, though, I'm not sad or anything. Maybe I'll actually weigh myself in the morning tomorrow. That will likely be a big wake up call. So, as I don't have much to report, here's a quote to make you smile:

Neigh.

Hiya! So, the whole healthy lifestyle thing... Sort of forgot about that this weekend. Or, rather, chose not to think about it. It's so hard for me to get "back on the horse" and be conscious about my health again. Months of bad habits are harder to break than I expected.

The plan: Tomorrow I am going to join a gym (woohoo!) and try out one of their workout classes. I am going to go grocery shopping and buy veggies, fruits, and some other must-have items on my healthy shopping list!

If anyone has any motivation tips, please clue me in. Til then, I will stick to the fitness propaganda on my Tumblr.

- Ellen

Vote!

Please text A7 to 74666 to vote for my chalk art!! Thank you! And tell your friends! It's based just on text votes and I can win $150! Voting closes at 5pm!

Is it summer?

Ahh! Sorry I skipped yesterday. Totally spaced it.

Today for Thankful Thursday, I am so grateful for all of the people I consider family. I had a bonfire tonight with all of Josh's siblings and we just had a wonderful time. It's so much fun to hang out and talk with all of them. And even enjoy a Reeses s'more or two...

My workout this morning was the silliest thing anyone's ever seen. I started by running on the treadmill for like, 2 minutes. I couldn't handle it anymore. I hate running. Then I did like 8 minutes of a workout video. So boring. I looked down at my heart rate monitor and saw I'd only burned like 122 calories. Duh. It had only been like 10 minutes. So I said to myself, Look, Ellen, I know you feel super crappy today and you're hilariously unmotivated. Just burn 300 measly calories and you can be done. So I just turned on some loud music and started dancing around. I did some grapevines, there was some samba-ing going on, maybe some knee repeaters...[lawl] and I just did that until I burned like 350 calories. So weird. But it's all I could get myself to do today.

Is it SERIOUSLY summer? Because it's literally 39 degrees outside right now. I've wanted to run every day this week but it's been cold and rainy. I'm livid. And you might say, hey, just run on the treadmill! But it's not the same. I hate running, but the only bearable part of it for me is that you get to propel yourself forward and end up in a different place. Treadmills are horrifically boring. Hate them.

I can't wait for this weekend!! Lots of fun and exciting things to come :)

-Ellen

It's May 13th!

It's our anniversary today! 6 years of dating bliss :) A special day to remember how we met, how we have changed over the years, and how we have grown to love each other more and more each day. I am so thankful for my amazing relationship :)

Tasty Tuesday is supposed to be about me creating a healthy snack or recipe, but, today was a special day, so my tastiness came from my delectable dinner at The Melting Pot. So. Delicious.

My workout of the day was a 30-minute Cardio Kickboxing session from the irritatingly named "Sport Skool" thing on my On Demand. Good session! I love kickboxing, so I enjoyed it. Tomorrow, since it is going to be rainy yet again, I have to do another basement workout. When will the day come when I can run outside??

Sleepy, so I'm going to bed a little early. Tomorrow is Workout Wednesday, so I'll be sure to kick it up a notch or try something funky, like maybe Pilates!

-Ellen 

The earth without art is just "Eh."

I did one of my very favorite things today! Chalk! I didn't do any major artwork, but I did a few monograms, which I copied from the Lilly Pulitzer app. I want to work on texts and words more in the future! I usually stick to cartoons, but I have always loved letters. (I realize that I'm speaking as if I'm an actual chalk artist. Let it be known that the only people who see my chalk art are my next-door neighbors and Facebook friends. Haha.)

The times I'm drawing with chalk are some of the only times I like to be alone. I usually can't stand it. My mom makes fun of me to this day about how I'd cry when my friends left the morning after a sleepover because I hated the feeling of being alone without my loved ones! But, when I'm drawing, or--even better--singing, I don't really feel alone. The arts have always brought me such joy, and I hope that, even though they aren't the main focus of my career, I will be given the freedom to incorporate them daily in my teaching. Art saved me as a kid. Really. And I'm so happy when I get the chance to draw or sing or dance. A day with one of those things in it is usually a good day.

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 That was my mindful moment of the day :) I'm proud of myself because I got out of my laziness rut and started working hard again. The idea of doing a workout DVD just seemed so awful to me, so I decided to try one of the On Demand workouts on my basement TV. It was in a series called "Sport Skool" (which makes me cringe. That's not even clever) and it's kind of a kickboxing/dancey cardio session that's an hour long. I did 45 minutes. 

I probably should've just gone ahead and finished, but all the chasse-ing and the arabesque-ing just made me feel like an idiot. Like, HONESTLY. I'm not a great dancer, but I'm okay, like I've taken lessons and done musicals before. But it was just silly. I don't need to do a Broadway dance audition to get my cardio in, so stop making me, silly Sport Skool lady! I felt like she was Brooke Wyndham and I was that lady in the bend-and-snap scene with the blue jumpsuit. (I'M SO GLAD THIS GIF EXISTS)

But, I burned 420 calories in 45 minutes. So, good job, Brooke. And I did a wonderful job limiting my calories today. I indulged in a beautiful iced (nonfat) caramel macchiato, so that was my treat for the day. But, other than that, my choices were pretty nutritious!

Tomorrow is a special day I can't wait to blog about.

Love,
Ellen

Mother's Day!

This summer fitness thing took off a whole lot better last year. This year, it's kind of a "failure to launch" situation.

Last night, I made the silly mistake of psyching myself out and being scared like a little baby. As a result, I didn't sleep. Like, really. I dozed off from 3:30am-4:30am, but other than that, my eyes were open until the sun came up. When the sun rose, I suddenly felt very safe and decided to sleep from 7am-11:30am. Needless to say, I was pretty exhausted all day. NO SLEEP = UNHEALTHY :(

I planned all along on taking Sundays off as rest days, but, as it's only the second day of my fitness plan, I feel like I shouldn't have rested. But after a sleepless night, I was worried I would pass out or something if I worked too hard.

Sigh. I need to get on this! Tomorrow morning I am totally either running or doing a workout DVD. If I don't, someone please come rap my knuckles and force me onto a treadmill or something.

On a bright note, I spent some quality time with the lovely moms in my life. I hung out with both of my grandmas and my darling mother herself. I also may have indulged in some of the yummy brownie dessert said moms ordered at Eddie Merlot's. No regrets there, it was heavenly.

Goals for tomorrow include: Eat a lot of protein, burn a lot of calories, and have a lot of fun.

Have a nice night, and send up a prayer that I can actually fall asleep, please.

zZZzzZzzzZ
-Ellen

Day 1: You Gotta Start Somewhere.

What better way to spice it up than by doing an activity I haven't done in years?! Well, friends, I biked. You probably do that every day, or you did it last week, or something. But I never ever do. I somehow came to hate it over the years. I think it reminded me of being really self-conscious during the summer wearing shorts and riding a bike. Also, it just always seems sort of uncomfortable and monotonous.

But I tried it again today, just gave it a whirl, and ended up having a great time! Unfortunately, it burned shockingly fewer calories than I imagined. About 45 minutes of "light" biking burned less than 200 calories :( Sad day.

But, I'm proud of myself for getting active and trying something I thought I didn't like. 

I also limited my calorie intake to about 1300 today! It wasn't the most nutritious 1300, but it was 1300 nonetheless. 

I really need to put my nose to the grindstone and start burning serious calories and eating seriously healthy food. You gotta give it your all, or you might as well not give anything at all. Right? Right.

Have a great Momma's Day tomorrow and I'll check in again in the evening. Thanks for reading :) 

-Ellen 

Another Summer of Fitness!

It's summer! I'm home from school! I'm with my family and my cat again! ALL IS WELL.
Except, y'know, like, my waistline...

It's not like I've gained a million pounds or anything, but, my weight just hasn't been my main focus lately. Which is fine. I'm young and life is short and if my weight were always my main priority than I'd probably be a pretty unhappy person.

However, it has been on my brain lately. Reflecting back on last summer, reading through my blog (here), and thinking about my brother's rapidly approaching wedding have prompted me to start my "healthy lifestyle" lifestyle back up again. I felt so much healthier when I took time to be mindful, eat wholesome foods, and exercise. Plus, I felt so confident watching the pounds melt away!

This summer, I want to focus more on the exercise portion of the weight loss system. I was all about diet last year, strictly limiting myself to 1200 calories a day. I exercised, too, six days a week, but only about 30 minutes on a typical day. Here are my ideas for this year:

• Run around the block or around the lake 5 days a week
• Do an exercise class or spend 45 minutes on an exercise machine 6 days a week
• Eat 1400 calories a day

I think that I can make this work. It's going to be difficult in May, because I have to go out for Mother's Day dinner, my anniversary dinner, and I'll probably have some obligatory feast to attend for Memorial Day. Also, I don't start work until the end of the month, so my lazy butt is going to wanna sleep all day and be lazy. I need to start getting up early, drinking a ton of water, and energizing myself so I can make it through this workout program!

Like last year, I plan on blogging every day.  You can click on the links to see some examples from my blog last year!

• Mindful Mondays
• Tasty Tuesdays
• Workout Wednesdays
• Thankful Thursdays
• Feel Good Fridays
• Spice it Up Saturdays
• Fun in the Sundays

I can't wait to start! I know I will start feeling better and looking better in no time :) Wish me luck!
- Ellen

"Get Fit!"

No offense to anyone who has used this phrase or any variation of it before. You obviously had good intentions. I'm sure I may have even said it on occasion, in bouts of exercise-induced enthusiasm.

But, I decided today that I really don't like it.

Obviously, if you know me, or if you've read my blog in the past, you know that I'm a big proponent for leading a healthy lifestyle. Even if I am sort of inconsistent and I don't always make the world's healthiest choices, health has come to be an important value for me over the last year or so. So why would I oppose the sentiment "Get Fit!" ?

Well, to be honest, it just seems a little bossy. Of course I want to get fit, but telling someone else to just doesn't seem right. It's kind of like saying "Get Educated!" "Get Regular Check-ups!" or "Get Happy!" Just by telling someone to change their life in a pithy little way, you're not going to change their mind about the importance of the thing you're proposing.

When it comes to fitness, at least in my experience, every choice is a very personal one. If I wake up on a Sunday morning and choose to squeeze in a workout class that day, it's because, on that particular day, I feel that going to a workout class is a good choice for me. Maybe the following day, I look at myself in the mirror and think Okay I'm looking fiiiiiine today. And I'm feeling...lazy. Then I'm not going to go to the gym, obviously! If someone literally said "Get fit!" to me on that day, I would probably give them the Chloe face ^

...because whether or not I want to get fit is completely up to me. I've been overweight before. And I'm sure people have looked at me and thought I should probably go "Get fit." But "fit" for you is not the same as "fit" for me, and my "fit" isn't the same as my grandma's "fit" or my best friend's "fit". Little victories are victories. And just because you may look at someone and think they're not fit...looks can be deceiving.
< I can't do that.

Just remember, statements like "Get fit" can be awesome for self-motivation. But, before you pass on these sentiments to someone else, think about the impact your words might have.

For all you know, that person is already hella fit. Or they simply don't want to be.

Health is a personal choice. Make your choices, and use those to set an example for the rest of the world. Be the best you can be, and the world will look at you and think "Damn. I need to get fit." ;)

- Ellen

Ellen: Unplugged

After spending roughly 4 straight hours on the computer yesterday, I realized, I may have a problem. 

I am so reliant on my phone and computer that it's hard for me to go even a few minutes without checking one or the other. Sometimes I go on online binges, scrolling through Pinterest, Tumblr, and other forms of social media for hours at a time. And I have a feeling I'm not the only millennial with these problems. 

When I look back on my life, exactly 0% of my happiest memories involve me typing on a computer or staring blankly at my phone screen. They come from going out into the world, spending time with people I love, and stepping out of my comfort zone.

For these reasons, I've decided to [attempt to] cut back on my usage of technology. Not altogether, because, let's get real: All of my classes require time spent online, I like connecting with friends online, and I need to be able to check things like the weather and important email updates. I also just really like Snapchat. And my blog. And a lot of other stuff. In this day and age, it's not realistic to give up technology completely. And that's kind of sad, but definitely true.

I just want to make a conscious effort to spend my time well in general. And limiting technology is a big part of that. When I pick up my phone to mindlessly browse my apps, or go on my computer to scroll through a neverending display of mind-numbing status updates, I just wanna stop and think: Is this the best use of my time right now? 

Life is pretty short. I wanna get out there and make memories. So this is my first step. 

Here's a list of ideas I came up with for things to do OFFLINE! No phones, computers, TVs, or cameras necessary. 

 

Feel free to join me in my mission to become just a little more "unplugged" :)

- Ellen

PS: I realize the irony of posting this online. Haha. It's all about small changes. Baby steps ;)

4/1

Happy April First to my boyfriend.....:) Hope he enjoys his fat booth profile picture, troll cover photo, and girly, adorable status updates.

Spring in Teacherland

These are all horrible pictures. Haha. There's only so much you can do to get that perfect selfie, and if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. 

But it's like 60 degrees outside so I had to debut this adorable daisy dress from Francesca's! To make it school appropriate, had to wear a black cardi. WISH with all my might that I had an orange or red one! And a white statement necklace! Both on the spring shopping list for sure :) Paired it with simple nude flats because too much black wouldn't be very springy!

Sub Outfit!

My first day subbing is today! I'll be in an elementary music classroom this afternoon! As excited as I am, I'm also nervous beyond belief. 

I thought my outfit of the day should say: professional, serious, but likes to have a little fun. (hint: the fun part is the pink shoes :))

Top: American Eagle

Pants: Francesca's

Shoes: Body Central ($9.99!!)

Mustardy zebra

:) more teacher clothes! I love this color combo as well. Gray, mustard, and black. Sweater from modcloth, shoes from pay less, scarf from nordstrom, and amazing skinny dress pants from Francesca's!

Spring clothes!

Yeah so it's 39 degrees out today. Spring? Eh. I dunno. But yesterday it was in the 50s and rainy, so I'm gunna go with YES. (Because I'm so over winter...)

And so I'm wearing shoes that aren't winter boots! I love these cute little red boating shoes I got from ModCloth last spring. 

Also just threw on my favorite cardi from Francesca's over a red graphic tee. Nothing fancy, but I'm loving the color combination of navy and red. 

Need to go shopping for some new spring clothes! Especially since I'm going to Cancun in T-23 days!! I'm definitely in need of a cute floppy sun hat, fringe bikini, and some colorful strappy sandals. 

What's on your spring to-buy list?

Peace -
Ellen

46 Days.

46 days (?!?!?!) until I have to reveal my 'beach body'. Ugh, that makes me wanna vom.

In those 46 days (6.5 weeks), in order to reach my goal weight, I need to lose 2 pounds per week. I just don't see that happening considering I've barely lost ANYTHING since I re-started my fitness regimen on January 13.

I'm stressin'. And I feel like a major transformation needs to happen ASAP. But there's only so much I can do.

Working out every day, counting my calories (I could probably be better), and seeing no results is the most disheartening thing in the world. It's like, well, if I'm not gunna lose weight, why can't I just sit in bed and eat pizza? It's hard to get rid of those thoughts, but I manage.

A more realistic transformation, I think, is going to be one that occurs mentally. Emotionally. I need to start seeing myself as someone who is okay to go out in public in a bathing suit. Honestly, I'm not perfect in my fitness, but I'm trying really hard. I'm staying active, I'm eating well, I'm doing a lot of things that most Americans don't do. And I should be proud of that, regardless of what the scale says. I should focus on how deserving I am to feel good about myself. And how it doesn't matter what anyone thinks, at the end of the day, except for me.

Hopefully I can make this mental transformation within the next few weeks. Also, shedding a few pounds wouldn't be horrible, either...Wish me luck!

-Ellen

Eek. Fat.

Interesting thought of the day:

Humans carry about 10 billion to 30 billion fat cells. People who are obese can have up to 100 billion.
"If anyone of us overeats long and hard enough, we can increase the number of fat cells in our body," Fried said. "When we lose weight, we don't lose the number of fat cells."
The size of the cells shrinks, but the capacity to expand is always there.

 Read more here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/22/fat.weight.loss/

Motivation Wall

My motivation wall includes:

• Exercise schedule
• Eating calendar
• Countdown to spring break
• Motivational quotes
• Pounds lost/pounds to lose
• Ideas for healthy lunches, breakfasts, and snacks (the little square outlined in pink/green)
• Bikini (Haven't hung it up yet)

Hopefully it works! 61 DAYS, HOLLLLA!