This Site Has been Moved

Hey guys I didn't leave blogging, just this site.  You can visit me at my OWN page at 

www.adailypieceofme.com

See You There!

Afraid to...

          I consider myself a tough cookie, with my head screwed on tight and feet planted firmly on the ground. I'm not phased by others thoughts and I welcome blunt honesty with open arms.  I live in my own little world and I'm quite proud of who I am and how I've turned out.  For this I have my life experiences from different situations and people to thank.

But I can't deny, I'm afraid...
I'm afraid of letting my guard down because building it up was how I learned to deal with life's harsh realities.
I'm afraid of caring too much about a person because I know how heartbreaking being let down can be.
I'm afraid of doing too much in terms of relationships because I never want to be that annoying girl that doesn't get the hint. 

          I really want to give the rabid doberman pincher's protecting my heart and soul a break and just be the female I am.  Independent but needy at times. Understanding though unreasonable every now and then. And strong but allowed to be weak once in while.  I just want to just be the unadulterated uncensored, unedited me with someone who gets that and won't abandon me for it. 

Is that too much to ask?



What I'm Lovin' Fridays

1.  That Gold Looks Good On You Girl!

Pardon me as I hop on the topic of the week, the 2012 London Olympics.  Might I just say Gabby Douglas did the damn thing and all haters to her and Michael Phelps can go kick rocks with open toe shoes on.  16 with 2 Gold medals and 27 with 20?! I suggest all those who have something negative to say, shut the hell up until you can surpass their success.

 

2.  Surprise! They're Gone :(

Last Friday I threw together a surprise going away party for my two Friends Shanice and Morley.  One off to Texas the other to Cali.  It was a great night with tasty food and good company.  I'll surely miss them.

 

3.  Cuddle Theater

I found this gem on Pintrest and let me tell you if they had a theater like this I'd never leave.  They should have design the new "Lux Levels" like this, maybe then $22 would seem more reasonable to see the same movie. 

4.  Lance "Yummmmmmm"

So I sorta kinda have a MAJOR crush on Lance Gross.  Like this man is beyond gorgeous.  Don't judge me, there are only 2 men in the wold thus far that I would forget all my morals for and that is him and Rodney Harrison. 

5.  A Brief Message to Bose

To my one and only favorite speaker company,  I'm tired of having to leave my phone plugged into your sound system that can only fully be heard from one room.  So, if you could kindly make these bluetooth speakers so I can have surround sound throughout my place while still being able to use my phone where and when I want to, I will love you forever and kindly pay the obscene amount of money that you would charge for them.  Love your biggest fan, Q.

Being Realistic...Financially

          So as I mentioned in the beginning of the month here, that I was in desperate need of a financial makeover and the month of July was the start of it all.  Now that July is officially over, how did I do?  In a nutshell, I did OK considering it could have been a lot worse, but let me explain...

          Unfortunately I strayed from all 2/3 of my guidelines that I laid out for myself in some capacity, the first being my "no eating out" rule.  I managed to go out 4 times for dinner which was more than the 2 times I had allotted myself with one of the bills being WAAAY higher than I budgeted for, but well worth it.  I also gave in a little to buying outside snacks when I ran into a Cinnabon while on my way to a movie and was craving some Moose Tracks Emack and Bolio's Ice Cream while window shopping in the mall.  Good thing about it all was even though I blew my goal of $200 I never once this month went out for lunch and managed to make due with 2 grocery store runs both worth no more than $65 each.  Yay me!

          As for the "no new stuff" guideline, MAJOR fail.  An American Apparel circle scarf, maxi skirt, and new lip stain were no where near in my budget I couldn't resist.  $70 unnecessarily spent ::hangs head in shame::

          However, the "no travel" guideline was followed thoroughly as my feet never left the ground this month with my many usual excursions.  Though a few extra trips to Boston sent my gas budget a little over the norm.

          While I could have stuck true to the guidelines for July, it wouldn't have been very realistic because in reality there will be times when I want to buy a few things for myself and get invited out to eat more than I planned, its life.  All in all it wasn't the best I could do, but it put my monthly spending into a realistic point of view and that's a great start for my new financial plan.   

               

Back On My Health Grind

          So I've been slacking off on my health regimen lately and its time to get back on track.  I'm not going to make any gym promises, because I know I'll only break them but I'll try to get back in the swing of things there.  However one thing I can go hard on is my eating habits. 

          Lately I've been using My Fitness Pal in conjunction with WeightWatchers to keep track of and watch what I eat.  Now I'm not paying for the program, however you can simply look up how it works, calculate your daily points and go from there on your own. 

          The way I use My Fitness Pal and WeightWatchers together is I enter what I eat into My Fitness Pal, making sure to measure out the right serving size so the information is accurate, then I look at the nutritional values and input it into a free online Points Calculator to give me the WeightWatchers Points Plus value and voila that's it!

          Now the whole premise of WeightWatchers is that you can eat what you want but in moderation based on it's nutritional value.  An example would be a piece of chocolate cake worth 7 points compared to a salad worth 1 point.  No matter what you decided to eat it all had to fit within your daily point allowance, mine being 21 (to find your daily allowance click here). Obviously this encourages you to eat more salad than chocolate cake because it leaves you with more points you can use elsewhere.  

          My Fitness Pal on the other hand just focuses on calorie counting which isn't the best thing for me at lease because you have to keep track of every little thing and you become obsessed with trying to stay below your daily caloric intake which may not always be the healthiest choice.  Plus, you can never be sure what you're eating is correct down to the exact calorie so its kind of pointless anyway.

          So in my quest to find healthy recipes and good substitutes to reduce carbs and fats I threw together this little recipe I'm calling "Baked Zucchini Spaghetti".

Ingredients

1 Whole Zucchini

1 Can of Stewed Tomatoes

Parmesan Cheese

Italian Seasoning

Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 350.  Using a mandolin slicer, slice the zucchini into thin ribbons.  Mix sliced zucchini with the strewed tomatoes and season with the Italian seasoning and garlic powder to taste.  Place in pan and cover with Parmesan Cheese.  Bake for 20 min.

Entire Recipe:  230 Cal, 4g Fat, 38 Carbs, 11g Fiber, and 13 g Protein = 5 Points

          I was surprised at myself for coming up with this on my own :) ::pats self on back::.  But if you want more WW friendly delicious recipes go to laaloosh.com!

What I'm Lovin' Fridays

1.  Mmmm Chocolate

I finally went to Max Brenner's and man was I in chocolate heaven.  Pricey, yes but I'll pay anything for chocolate :)

2.  Circle Scarf
Thanks to Shannon, ever since I found out that the circle scarfs can virtually turn into a blanket I've wanted one.  I've put it on the back burner due to the heat waves we've been having but I recently saw a pin that made me want to purchase one...today.

3.  My Lip Stain is Poppin'...

So randomly I had this dream about a purplish lipgloss I had found in Sephora.  Sure enough the next day I went in and found it.  Loooove it!

4.  Wegmans
So I went to the new Wegmans that opened up in my area and I must say at first I was overwhelmed but after letting it marinate, I realized I could get used to this cheaper "Whole Foods" alternative.  Still not as cheap as my Market Basket but I'll defiantly be treating myself to it every now and then. 



5.  Makeover!
Alright I really do have ADD when it comes to styling my place.  I'm already getting the itch to redecorate and I've only lived there for 3 months.  In one of my pinning fits, I came across this gem that I actually might use in my tiny space deprived studio.

What Are You Lovin' Today?

Color Me PROUD!

          This past Sunday was my first 5K! My friend Shanice and I completed the Color Me Rad 5K in Boston in 32 minutes :). I know, not the best time but my goal wasn't to make a certain time, but to not stop or take a walking break the entire way, and I did it! ::pats self on back:: 

          It was held at the South Shore Plaza Parking lot and there where tons of sponsors from the mall. Speaking of which I have to pick up my free Northface arm warmers this weekend :). It was tons of fun and well worth the hour long shrubbing session in the shower to get all the color out my hair and skin.  But don't take my word for it, see for yourself!

Before

On your mark, get set, GO!

The Aftermath

Next up, a triathlon!

 

What My 20s Have Taught Me Thus Far...

          Yes I know I'm only 23, but my 20s have taught me A LOT about myself and life in these 3 short years. Here is just my top 5 thus far...

1. What looks good on paper might not look so good in real life.  This applies to careers, relationships, pretty much everything. I've learned to look past just the credentials and perks of something (or someone) and focus on how I really feel about what's actually there.  You could have the best job or person in the world, but if your heart is no where in it, its not going anywhere. 
2. Now is the time to focus on you.  Everyone says college is usually where you find "the one" and I was all on that train until things started to fall apart and I realized, how could I spend my time and energy trying to please someone else when I didn't know quite all that makes me happy?  Being by yourself is not many people's ideal situation, but now as a single young professional, being by myself has taught me more about me than being with someone could ever have done.
3. Let Go, Let Flow.  I have learned to love and live by this motto.  Throw caution to the wind, tune out what others have to say, and just go for what you want (all in moderation of course).  For too long I worried about others approving my decisions and choices but its not their life to live, its mines.  At the end of the day its me who has to live with myself so that is whose opinion matter the most to me.  And I gotta tell you since letting all that go, I haven't felt this stress free since, ever.
4. Being honest is the best gift you can give anyone, especially yourself. Where does lying and denial get anyone?  Nowhere.  Life is too short to waist time on lies and denial, just be honest with yourself and others around you.  If there is nothing to hide, there is no added stress to cover up and hide. All that energy now can be used elsewhere.  Its actually becoming increasingly difficult for me to tell a lie and I couldn't feel any better. 
5. Shit happens and life goes on.  How does that saying go? 'Things you can't recover; the stone once its been thrown and the words after they've been said.'  Well in life things happen, mistakes are made, but life goes on.   There's no use in crying over spilt milk, but wipe it up already and go on about your day.  I found that I wasted too much energy worrying about the past and not enough on making my future better.  Its time to flip the script.

          Like I said before I'm not even halfway through my twenties but I'm sure there's plenty of more lessons to be learned.  To the next 7 years and beyond.

What I'm Lovin' Fridays

1.  Lolita's Cocina & Tequila Bar

Good atmosphere, even better food and drinks. While the main menu is on the pricier side, they do give you plenty of freebies. To start off, a shaven ice topped off with a shot of tequila, a massive bowl of tortilla chips (which tasted quite similar to Chipotle's...yum) accompanied with 4 different types of salsa and with the check a massive helping of cotton candy with a sprinkle of pop rocks on top.  I bought the cornbread (best I ever had) and a white sangria. Needless to say I LOVE this spot.

2.  Pixar Does It Again

I took my sis and little cousin to see Brave this past weekend and I was impressed.  On the scarier side for the little ones but definately a must see.  Pixar you haven't let me down yet.

3.  Baby You're A Firework! 

Ok I couldn't resist quoting the song but nothing beats family traditions being carried out for the 4th.  Up to Maine, cookout complete with a birthday cake from Party Favors, our annual trip to our favorite gift shop to buy our Root Candles and ending our night with Fireworks on Ogunquit Beach.  Oh how I love the holidays  

4.  Late Night's and Baking

So what if its 85 degrees outside and 11pm on a Monday night?  That didn't stop me from baking up a storm.  From scratch my Crack Brownies were whipped up and with the left over cookie dough some Chocochip Surprise Cupcakes were made.  All ideas compliments of Pintrest. 

5.  Nail Color

I need to find this.  Ulta here I come!

Hope you all enjoyed your 4th!

 

Let's Be Honest...

          Ok so its time I'm honest with myself and everyone around me.  Believe it or not I don't like people knowing my struggles but I feel as though this is one many people can identify with and are too afraid or embarrassed to confront.  So here it goes...

          Ever since I started college, I've been living far above my means.  I took out more than I needed in school loans and spent money I didn't have on things I didn't need.  Did I do it to impress someone? Yes, myself.  I wanted things I had never had before, like a real Coach bag and the latest laptop or phone on the market.  I felt I could finally get those things, after spending all my life saving and putting away, because I could finally afford to.  You see my head was filled with the statistics my school was spitting out.  "Average starting salary for undergrads is $54,000".  "Less than 1% student default rate on loans".  In my eyes I could live it up in school because I could pay it all back once I was done.

          Were the stats right?  Yes, but just because you can pay it back doesn't mean you can afford to.  What I failed to realize was just how much being an adult would cost, let alone $54,000 isn't what you wind up taking home at the end of the day. 

          It's now, a year after I graduated college, that I'm finally coming down from my financial high to face reality.  You can't live Oprah's life with an average person's salary.  So this month I'm giving my budget an extreme make over and going on a financial detox diet.  What will this consist of you ask?

1. No Eating Out:  Alright let's face it, eliminating this completely would also extinguish most of my social life, but drastically cutting down on the amount of times I do and making sure I always bring lunch and make breakfast will save me about $120 a month from my regular $250 budget.
2. No New Stuff:  I'm embarrassed to tell you the amount of money I spend on shoes, gadgets and clothes a month, so I won't.  The aim this month is to buy NOTHING (minus the essentials like personal care and household necessities). 
3. Traveling:  Yeah as much as it pains me, I will not be going anywhere this month minus my annual trip up to Maine for the 4th which requires less than a full tank of gas. 

         That is where the majority of my money goes so its time to address those areas head on.  While this is a trial to see just how much I can save in a month, it is the first step in a much longer process of paying off all the debt I've accrued in the last 5 years and beginning to live within my own means. 

What I'm Lovin' Fridays

1.  "Whistle While I Wait"

What would have been my 9:30 pm Friday night arrival into ATL this past weekend turned into a 1 am Saturday arrival due to nationwide FAA system complications.  I would have lost my mind if it wasn't for the huge burrito I bought to accompany some Disney movies on my Duo as I sat on floor in Terminal E at Logan Airport.

2.  Mama's Got A New Pair Of Shoes

I really shouldn't be buying anymore shoes but this is what happens when your friend takes you to the mall to window shop. Smh.

3.  New Addiction

Starbucks.  Yes Double Ds (Dunkins) I have converted, after having this Shaken Green Tea Lemonade and tasting their Ice Vanilla Chai Latte I'm hooked. 

4.  Its Was Cute While It Lasted...

So I thought of a genius idea to get my hair straightened in the middle of a heat wave for my trip to an even hotter place this past week.  It was looking on point the first night and while the curls faded before I could even make it to ATL, it surprisingly kept its straightness amidst the heat.  Go Locs!

5.  Afternoon Cravings
Chocolate cravings are something I live with everyday, but yesterday it was BAD.  But boy did 7Eleven deliver and man did this hit the spot!

What are you lovin' today?

Confessions Part 1

I have a confession to make.  I'm not perfect. 

          I don't always get it right.  Sometimes I lose the things I want to hold on to the most.  Once in a while, I let my hopes get too high and my imagination run a little too far. 

          I can get a little insecure, needy, and emotional at times and there are days where it seems like I can never be satisfied, with where I live, what I do, or what I have. 

          Somedays all I want to do is curl up in a ball and for once have someone take care of me.  Cater to my needs and tell me that everything I'm feeling is real but it will pass.  But until it does, I won't have to worry about a thing because they got me.

          Every now and then I get a little depressed, thinking everything that could have been if I had just done something different.

But these are only somedays.

          Most days, I suck it up and try to make the most of what I have right now.  I remind myself everyday that everything happenes the way it does for a reason and even though I may not see its purpose now, I eventually will. 

          No matter how bad I'm feeling, I always try to remember that things could be 100 times worse and that I have so much more to be grateful for than not.

LESSON OF THE DAY 

          You're allowed to feel sorry for yourself once in a while, but don't let that feeling last too long because not only will you start to give in to it, you will also miss out on the things you've been wishing for in the process. 



What I'm Lovin' Fridays

1.  Cool Art
I've been wanting a large art piece for quite some time and came across Gezzitjade on Tumblr. She's very talented! Fashion pieces, natural hair pieces, abstract pieces, I think she does it all!

  

2.  KAYAK App
This little gem is a must have in my book for traveling.  Anything you need it right here.  Create Packing list, create price alerts so you can get the best deal, find out what food and shops are at your gate, etc. Best of it all, its FREE! (minus some special feattures that I wouldn't use anyway)

3. Gift Card Granny

So I came across this in my search for discounted Walmart giftcards (don't judge me).  Anyways, I found this site and while they don't carry Walmart cards, :(, they do carry almost everything else. 

4.  Cup-Cake

Bringing new meaning to the term cupcake.

5.  Quote of the Week