I'm Glad to Have Known You : Sunny L.

My friend Sunny, who dances her way through life, and sets goals like nobody I've ever known. Sunny refuses to stand still in life, and pushes her way forward to accomplish what she wants.  Sunny knows when to be a listening ear, a motivational speaker, or a partner who actively helps you toward a goal. Sunny is creative, lively, motivated, kind, and invested in you as much as she is in herself.

I am greatful for Sunny.

Going Green

I went to college in the days of Laguna Beach and The Hills, becoming slightly obsessed with Lauren Conrad (or LC as she was referred to on her hit reality TV shows).  And like all things that I obsessed over as a young adult, they have been carried with me into womanhood.  I like to attribute this solely to the fact that I view my College years as my prime years: in shape, tan, and a lot of friends.  Not anything that I have time to deal with today- it’s more like keep the flab off, slightly bronze from my swimming work-outs and walks to the park, and friends who mostly consist of the people that I see in my cube 40 hours a week.

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With my LC love, I read her fashion articles, follow her on Instagram, and browse her line at Kohl’s every time I walk in the store.  I only own a few items, as her line is a tidbit pricey for my taste, and a way pricey for the deals that you can typically find at Kohl’s.  However, I still look, dream, and adore every clothing item that adorns the Lauren Conrad label.



Last week, while jean shopping for my husband and son, I crept over to the Lauren Conrad section while the boys were in the fitting room.  Perusing through, I saw that her Pencil jean was on sale, but much to my dismay, not in jean at all.  Instead a blushy pink, a grey, and an eco-friendly green.  I own a few colored jeans now, but I rarely wear them as I have a complex with them.  Why?  Because I wore colored jeans in the 80’s and early 90’s and I don’t want to go near those fashion mistakes again.

Yet, with the affordable price tag and Lauren Conrad label, I took them each to the dressing room.  And to my surprise, I adorned the green!  I liked the fit, the size, and most of all the color.  So, I took them with me. 

Here’s something to learn about me: I don’t impulse shop for clothes.  No, I view purchasing an item of clothing like making a serious commitment.  I take that item around the store with me just to look at it, get a good feel for it, and see if it and I are going to make a good pair.  Weird, I know.  But doing this saves a ton of time in the return line.

So, I bought them.  In hand with my $10 towards any item and the 20% off coupon on my phone, I went green for only $18.  Happy girl.

(Check out The Coupons App if you have an iPhone- it’s my BFF for clothes shopping!)

I paired my green jeans with a lacey top adorned with a gold sash.  It was my Christmas shirt, which I feel looks too fancy with jeans and dress pants, but worked perfectly with my new green denim.

What are your thoughts?  Do you love the colored jean trend?  Do you wear yours with a solid or colored top?

Movie and a Happiness Makeover

So, you’re probably about to wonder why my first post to the Happy Place Called Home blog, in the Project Self category, has nothing to do with being healthy.  But, I have always been one to state that the key to being healthy is being happy.  And to be happy, we must allow ourselves the opportunity to be just that.

While I am complacent with the normalcy that I have in my life, which consists of a 40 hour work week, a husband, two children, a four day a week gym routine, a mortgage, and Saturday morning grocery shopping, I admit that it all can get a bit…well, taxing.  It gets stressful, tiring, and just plain boring.  And as I don’t want anything to change (routine makes me happy 95% of the time, which I refer to as an “AK” attribute – After Kids).  The other 5% of me yearns for excitement, fun, and difference in my life.  But reality kicks in and I am asleep drooling on the couch by 9pm.  Great fun.

This afternoon, I kicked my routine, and instead of going to the gym (yes, I skipped a workout), I went to the movies with a friend. I drank a sugary soda while gorging on popcorn (also referred to as crack.  Please tell me why movie popcorn is so dang delicious).  I laughed while watching a chick flick with a great chick and we cracked jokes in the empty theatre like we were 13 year olds watching NSYNC Live from Madison Square Garden.  (I make that analogy because that really happened- only we were 18.  Which is only the slightest bit of embarrassing). 

And would you like to know what happened?  I didn’t regret my thirty-five handfuls of popcorn, or the wasted $4.75 that I spent on the soda.  No, I drove home with my windows rolled down, blasting music out of my car stereo so loud that I could barely hear the honk of my own horn.  Something that I can never do on my commute home because I am too busy unwinding while thinking about what I did or did not do at work, stressing about my Online Bill pay, cautiously critiquing each bill wondering if it was paid in a timely fashion (I may or may not suffer from OCD).  I felt happy, free, and completely inspired.

Yes, my life is so boring that a 4pm matinee leaves me inspired. 

But you know what, that’s okay because I allowed a bit of time for myself, with an old friend, and without a care.  I was happy, I am happy, and it will and motivate me to get back into my daily grind tomorrow—which includes a workout and allots for no buttery popcorn. 

Moral of my matinee Tuesday- do something for you because being healthy also includes being happy.

For now, it is my bedtime.  That movie left me exhausted!