How I Do It Tuesday: Disney World Fashion

I realize this could be a post for "Fashion Friday," but I will save that for how I've been doing with my challenge. My biggest grievance with people on vacation, is what they wear. ESPECIALLY at places like Disney World. Yes, you're walking and standing A LOT. This doesn't mean you have to look tacky. You also don't have to spend a lot of money. Old Navy has great shorts out this year that are just as nice as J. Crew, and a fraction of the cost. I did end up buying new shorts for the trip, but I pooled together lots of shirts I've had for years to have cute, comfy clothes for standing in line. :)

Saturday (the day we left) I wore boyfriend jeans from GAP, a blue pocket tee and my Tory Burch wedges. I also took my old standby with me, my infamous Ole Miss hoodie. I usually get cold on planes, so it helps. This is also why I wear jeans. I wear my wedges because they look a little dressier (if I had it my way flying would be like it was in the 50's and we'd all dress up on our flights) and because they take up more room in the suitcase than my flipflops so it's more room for outfits! :) Also, unless I absolutely have to I never check a bag. Yes, I pack a lot but I get it all in ine roll-on bag. I don't want to have to deal with the chance of losing my luggage and then not having my stuff with me.



Sunday: Magic Kingdom
Shorts: Old Navy (found here)
Top: Ann Taylor Loft (old
Sandals: Old Navy (I actually ended up wearin my Chaco sandals that day instead, thinking these sandals are so flat they'd hurt my feet. Big mistake! Yes, the Chacos are comfy as far as the soles but 14 hours later the straps rubbed blisters and I didn't wear them the rest of the trip. The $20 Old Navy sandals ended up being the most comfy ones I own!)
Watch: Michael Kors

  

Monday: Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom
Shorts: Old Navy (found here)
Top: J. Crew (old)
Flipflops: Old Navy (found here)

 Tuesday we didn't go to the park. We had 5 day tickets so we decided a break halfway through, would be best. It was a good decision, as it rained all day. I don't have a picture of my outfit laid out but here I am with my friend Jaimie, who was in town for business so we got to meet up. Always fun! 

Sweater: Banana Republic (old)
Shorts: Old Navy (found here)
Shoes: Tory Burch wedges
Necklace: Old Navy (not sold online)



Wednesday: Hollywood Studios
Teeshirt: Old Navy (found here)
Shorts: Old Navy (found here)
Necklace: Old Navy
Sandals: Old Navy
Sandals: Old Navy
Definite theme on this day!



Thursday: Epcot
Shorts: Old Navy (found here)
Top: Fossil
Sandals: Ended up wearing the ON sandals again!

  

Friday: Last day in Magic Kingdom
Shorts: Banana Republic Factory Store (old
Tank: The Limited (old)
Necklace: Old Navy
Sandals: You guessed it!

Saturday: Flight home
Tee: J. Crew (old)
Shorts: Ann Taylor Loft (old)
Neckalce: Banana Republic (found here, they don't have hot pink online anymore but they have three other fabulous colors!)
Shoes: wore the Tory Burch again to take up less room in the suitcase

I packed a few other things just so I had some options (a dressy romper incase we went somewhere nice at night and one more shorts/top combo). The other biggest help I had was a post my fellow blogger, Leslie, posted a few weeks ago. If you know me at all, you know I am not one to just wash my hair and go and wear it wet out in public. I like to wash, dry straighten or curl, maybe do a bun or ponytail, but never NOT do my hair. However, on vacation (especially one where it's humid and all that drying and straightening would be a waste of time) I don't want to deal with it. Thanks to Leslie's post I was totally saved on vacation. She talks about using Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray. I have a bottle I bought forever ago, but just stopped using it. What a lifesaver! I simply would wash my hair, towel dry it (I do have to blow dry my taking-forever-to-grow-out-bangs) and then I put on my makeup, get ready and sprits some Surf Spray in right before we'd leave. I scrunch with a towel a little bit (the oil in your hands can cause frizz) and I'd be ready. Super simple. I had those cute beach waves without a lot of effort. This also helped with getting gone early enough because at Disney you have to be up and at 'em!

Stay tuned for a post on everything we did in Disney!

How I Do It: Working Out and Eating Healthy

I've got to be honest, I've put off posting on this topic for a few reasons:
1: If I share my goals I'm held accountable.
2: Sharing my goals and struggles puts me out there. I'm often worried about sharing these things because I think people who may have bigger struggles with this than I do may think "what is she worried about?" or people who don't struggle will think "well, it's about time." But then I realized this: Everyone wrestles with something about their appearance and we can't worry about what other people think. We need to do what's best for ourselves, encourage each other and though we may not look exactly like we think we should and have areas to work on, we should embrace what we have and think positive.
3: I'm going to have to log everything and be honest with myself.
4: Did I mention I will be held accountable?

So, let's start at the beginning. When I got married, I wasn't at my ideal weight but I was okay. (Let me interrupt myself: when I say ideal weight, I don't really mean just the number of pounds I weigh but also how I look and feel about myself. But of course the 2 go hand in hand.) Isn't it funny how at the time we think we need to lose weight but when we look back we wish we were what we were then? So, since getting married almost 2 years ago I've gained about 10-12 pounds. My sweet husband tells me that that's no big deal. And it's not, except that 5 pounds a year won't be pretty come our 20th anniversary! I would like to lose these 10-12 pounds and maybe a little more. I'd also like to be in shape. Where to start?

I downloaded the "My Fitness Pal" app a year ago, but never did anything with it. One of my friends lost 50 pounds using it, so I thought I'd give it a whirl again. Although the thought of counting calories seems like a daunting task, this app makes it really easy. It has pretty much every food imaginable in it. It even lets you build recipes. I have done Weight Watchers before so I know about counting the points, but I find the calories easier. With calories, I don't have to convert things to points. I had success with Weight Watchers so I know that counting everything and tracking it is what works best for me. It also tracks your workouts. Now, it's only basing how many calories you burn based on what weight you put in the app, but it gives you a good idea. I have thought about investing in a watch that tracks all that. The other thing I like about the app is that you can put in the percentages for carbs, fat and protein you want to make up your daily diet. I think this is super helpful because I know I don't eat as much protein as I should.

As I said in a previous post, we are going to Walt Disney World the first week of April for our anniversary. I might not be exactly where I want to be by then, but that's the date I'm striving for. There are some shorts I want to fit into for the trip. I know that slow and steady wins the race. I'd love to get to my goal quickly, but I know that makes it easy to gain it right back. So a pound to a pound and a half a week is what I'm striving for.

I've decided (at least for now) I'm not going to post before and after pictures or state what I weigh. It doesn't matter and I don't want anyone to compare. I'm doing what's best for me and you have to do what's best for you. I will post what I've been eating, how I work out and recipes. Stay tuned!

How I Do it Tuesday: Skin Care Routine

I've always been somewhat aware of taking care of my skin. My grandmother (who's 78 but looks 65) has always told me to always wash my face before bed no matter how tired, drunk etc I may be. I've followed this advice for the most part, although there are times I've been lazy. I will also say I've been pretty blessed with good skin. I never really had bad acne when I was younger and my mom has really good skin with not many wrinkles and like I said my grandmother looks younger than she is so I'm hoping genetics will help me age gracefully. But I also know that to look good when I'm older I have to take care of myself when I'm younger.

My sweet friend Kate, is also my esthitician. I asked her once what was the over-the-counter equivalent to the expensive skincare products being sold in spas. Her answer: Oil of Olay. I know, hard to believe. Now not just any Oil of Olay, but the Oil of Olay Pro X. It is the most expensive in the line (around $50 for day cream, night cream and eye cream) but that's pennies compared to what you'd pay in a spa. So, I've been using it for about a year and I love it. I don't use the Pro X facewash (can't justify $18 for it I know, I know) I use the Oil of Olay Regenerist at night and Target's version of the Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit in the shower in the morning.

I also recently purchases the Clarisonic Mia Facial cleansing Brush. It. Is. Amazing. I mean life changing! My face feels so smooth after I use it, just like after a facial. You need to take your make-up off before washing your face with it. So, I have been using it in the shower in the morning since I washed my make-up off the night before. They recommend you use it daily but not more than once. There are also different brush components you can use. There's one for the body that's supposed to not only be good for exfoliating but getting rid of cellulite. Not sure if that works, but definitely worth trying! It's even good for men, as it can help with less irritation when shaving. There is a Mia 2 that's out and it has a timer that dings when you need to move to the next section of your face and has two different speeds. It also comes in a variety of colors. After reading lots of reviews, I decided I could count and that the 2 different speeds and colors weren't paying $150 for. I paid $115. Y'all, I'm telling you, it's completely worth it! It also cuts off after exactly one minute so you don't use it for too long.

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How I Do It Tuesday: Make-up

Since I posted about how I left my make-up at home when I went to Colorado, I thought I'd give you a look into my morning routine. I actually wear A LOT of make-up. The key is to look like you're not wearing any at all. You don't want to look like this:



Primer is key for getting your foundation on smoothly. I also put concealer on underneath my foundation to really cover up any blemishes that may have come up or any dark circles. MAC is definitely my brand of choice. Their foundation is full coverage, but it doesn't feel heavy on your face. You can layer it if you need more coverage, too. The prep and prime powder is my absolute favorite. It looks white, but goes on clear. So you don't have to worry about your shade, it also gives you that flawless photo finish. NARS blush in Orgasm (you can guess why they gave it that name) is always my go-to. It gives a nice, natural glow but not too overdone. To finish I always use a bronzer. I always wear tons of sunscreen on my face, so I never get a tan there. (I don't want to risk getting wrinkles!) Bronzer gives you that nice glow and then your face won't be shades lighter than your body. No one wants to look sick!

 

 

 

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When it comes to eye makeup I love to mix it up and use different colors. I have a ridiculous amount of eyeshadow. MAC has this great recycle program where for every 6 empty containers you give them you get a free lipstick at any MAC counter in a department store. HOWEVER, if you take them to an actual MAC store you get a free eyeshadow. So, I never pay for eyeshadow. I always wait until I'm going to be in Nashville and take all my empty containers to the store in the Greenhills Mall. Sadly, Memphis doesn't have the actual store just counters in Macy's. I don't wear lipstick enough to benefit from that many free lipsticks. Anyway, below are the 3 eyeshadows I wear on a daily basis to work. I put the first one on the base of my lid, the second in the crease and the third I put a tiny bit in the outer corner of my eye. As far as eyeliner, I put white eyeliner on the lower, inner waterline. This makes your eyes look brighter and more awake. It's also a great way to get rid of redness if you stayed out partying the night before. Then I take a charcoal or brown liner right below that on my lower lashline. I also put it on my upper lasheline and after that I hold my lid up and line right through my lashers to fill in. The purpose of eyeliner is to extend your lashes. Last, I use Loreal's double extend mascara. It comes with a primer that coats and protects your lashes. But the best part is it's a tube mascara. So, it doesn't smudge easily and to take it off you literally just wet your fingers and rub your eyes and it comes off in clumps instead of running down your face. It's just as good as expensive tube mascaras I've tried but much more economical.  

 

 

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So, that's a little look into my morning makeup routine. I know I could cut out some of this and get ready a lot faster, and yes there are some mornings where I have to get ready fast and a few steps get cut out. But honestly, I like my routine. Getting ready is my Jennifer time to myself before my day gets started. Of course after my face is taken care of, hair comes next  but we'll save that for another day. :)