Life Update

So, I disappeared again. That's something I do quite often. 

I thought you might want to know how my life is going.

Well, I just closed my last high school musical. We did Legally Blonde. We were quite successful and I'm very proud of myself and of my cast. It was a very bittersweet moment for me.

Because of the musical, my fitness took a bit of a backseat. The holiday break  just started and I'm setting new goals and getting back on a plan (post to come).

I've been seeing a boy for a little over a month. His name is Erik. He is wonderful and I like him a lot (I'll make a post about that too). What's nicest about him is that he is also fitness oriented and he is my gym buddy. 

Senior year hasn't broken me yet, but it definitely has challenged me. I've had my fair share of tears and breakdowns, but I'm on top of everything. I'm really looking forward to grad. 

Overall I'd say I'm doing pretty well!

I'll be posting again soon!

xoxo,

Jules

Have a beautiful day!

Don't be afraid to change your path.

Hey, remember me?

I know what you're thinking, where have I been?

I needed some time to disappear and figure out where my head was. (I do that from time to time).

But I am back, feel like my head is on my shoulders, and I'm ready to start posting again.

You'll be seeing more of me soon.

Until then...

xoxo,

Jules

Welcoming August With Good Intentions

There's only one month of summer left (What?) and I want to make the most of it. That's why I've set myself some goals in every aspect of my life.

Financial:

I'm embarking on a month of frugal living. Although I don't have a lot of expenses, I do spend my money.

1. Jars

• I have one jar that money cannot be taken from
• Another jar I am using to save for my next manicure (explained later)
• My small change from tip money goes into a jar that will be used August 13th when I go on a date with some girlfriends (We planned it a few nights ago and that was the first day that worked for all three of us!)

2.  Clothing fast

• I am not buying any new clothes this month because I don't NEED them. The only exception will be some dance wear I need for school this year.

Fitness:

I have found myself in a bit of a slump regarding my fitness. I'm basically just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, so I'm gonna take action.

1. Cardio Calendar

• I printed out a calendar from word and assigned specific methods of cardio to each day. 
• Sunday = bike
• Monday = run
• Tuesday = rollerblade
• Wednesday = bike
• Thursday = run
• Friday = rollerblade
• Saturday = run

2. Ice Cream Fast

• This is going to be one of the hardest things I do this month. I work at an ice cream parlor and there is a lot of temptation to eat it while at work.
• I am not going to eat a single morsel of ice cream for the entire month of August. 

Mental:

I took July to sort things out and just think. August is going to be the real hard work mentally.

1. Motivation

• I've posted pictures on my walls to motivate me and I have some ready for my locker. Staying motivated is the key to success.

2. Reading

• I have a stack of books that seem to be haunting me by sitting on my dresser. I want to read them, but I just haven't been able to start. 
• I have set dated goals to have each one finished by and will read every night before I go to bed.

3. Forgiveness

• One of the things that has been challenging me mentally is not being at peace internally and with other people.
• I plan to spend this month to reflect on past grievances and take steps to move forward

Personal:

I've recently gotten out of a situation where I stopped caring about myself. Now, to make up for that lost time and affection I am going to do things for myself.

1. Treating Myself

• To make sure I feel pretty, I get a manicure every 2 weeks. The place I go is not expensive, and I have grown to be a great customer for them and they don't charge me for touch ups and quick fixes or small designs.

2. Lipstick

• When I wear lipstick, I feel like I have super powers.
• I am setting a goal to wear lipstick at least once a week.

Academic:

Senior year is going to be a big one for me. I have a lot of commitments and obligations.

1. Get Ahead

• There is a great deal of reading, research, and memorization that I can do now to get ahead for this school year.

2. Plan For Success

• My locker becomes like a second home for me. If I want to be successful this year, I have to have a space that will help me do so.
• My locker will be stocked with healthy snacks, emergency supplies, and all my school stuff.

3. Routine

• During the school year, my routine becomes second nature. During the summer I lack that kind drive.
• To get back in the swing of things, my alarm is set for 8:30 every weekday and 10:00 every weekend.
• I also have a hygiene routine for when I wake up and before I go to sleep

Alright August, here we go!

Drink This, Not That: London Fog

London fogs are my favorite coffee shop specialty drink. It's basically an earl grey tea latte with vanilla flavoring. If you like earl gray, you'll love it. But in coffee shops, they use sugar-filled syrup, 2% milk, and have standardized sizes. I made this recipe to challenge those limitations

Ingredients
-Earl Gray Teabag
-Skim Milk
-Half and Half
-Agave Nectar
-Vanilla Extract

If available, you should use a frother to make the foam

1. Steep the tea in a mug about 1/4 to 1/3 full (as pictured below).

2. Next,  heat up enough milk to fill the mug.

3. While that is in,  pour a splash of half and half into the frother and add some agave nectar.

I like to do this to make the milk a little creamier and the foam becomes sweetened.

4. Pour a splash of vanilla into the tea

5. Pour the warm milk into the frother and froth it until foamey. If no frother is available, just the milk will do!

 My beautiful foam!

6. Finally, pour the milk into the mug of tea and top with foam.

Here's the final product!

Also, this always comes to mind whenever the words london fog are spoken

xoxo,
Julia

Snacking Success at the Movies

Popcorn popping, people shuffling, tickets ripping, heros fighting, lovers loving... The movies can be a lot to take in. And it's easy to get sucked in to the pressures of ordering the "extra large combo".

Here's how to stand your ground and make the right choices.

Eat a meal before of right or after the movie. This way, you'll either be full or you'll know you need to save room.

Keep your diet in your mind, but on the back burner. You don't go to the movies everyday, so allow yourself to enjoy this.

Having said that, know what foods effect your body and ask yourself if you are okay with that. For example, I breakout and retain water when I eat fries, so I'll skip the fries. I always eat too much when I get frozen yogurt and feel bad after, so I'll skip that too.

Get what you want and know its okay. A healthy diet is about give and take. It should be 80% clean eating and 20% (knowingly so and being okay with it) cheating. I love movie theatre popcorn. And I know I'll eat a whole bag by myself. So then I get a diet coke, skip the sugar of a regular one, and stay away from salty foods the next day.

If all else fails, bring stuff from home in your bag! Grapes, almond, carrots or whatever else you like.

Enjoy your movie!

xoxo,
Julia

A Question To Ponder

A few things I would do...

• bake a lemon meringue pie
• buy a lottery ticket
• ask a cute boy to dance with me
• move wherever I wanted to
• audition for a Broadway show
• do a back flip, then a front flip
• drive a motorcycle

xoxo,

Jules