Monday, April 22, 2013

vanity


I made myself a makeshift vanity this weekend! I know I was all psyched about the velcro makeup board a while back. And don't get me wrong, it was awesome. But I got really tired of not having counter space to put my elbows on and keep my working in progress stuff on. And I had an old shitty makeup mirror with stripped screws that wouldn't stay in place and I could never use it anyway because I couldn't get a good angle on it BLAHBLAHBLAH. So I woke up Sunday morning and thought "I'm going to make myself a new workstation." This study of ours has been repurposed 3 times now. It was originally an 'office' with a working desk (pictured) on the wall to the right of this photo (not pictured) and my keyboard was in the place of this workstation now. Then Zach got a new recliner and we were left with an extra homeless recliner, so we moved the keyboard into the dining room, put the chair in the corner (partially pictured?) and kept the desk where it was but effectively turned it into a listening station by setting the turntable and speakers on it. Yeah that was used like twice.

So this is the current incarnation. The chair is no longer in the corner but rather against the wall to the right, and this is my battle station, complete with natural light.Which will be more readily available here in a few weeks (hooray spring)!

Since my aforementioned makeup mirror was busted, I decided it was time for a trip to Target to procure a new one. Actually I went to Bed Bath and Beyond first, then realized that they're exorbitantly expensive, and redirected to Target. I got the lighted makeup mirror, the pull out plastic drawers (on the left), the two small green boxes (on the right) and the deep teal box (on the right) for about $60. I already had the pink brush cup and the green bin (in the bottom right corner) to complete the setup. 

Picture time!

 Top drawer: Face stuff. Foundation, BB cream, primers, blushes, powders, etc.

 Middle drawer: Individual eyeshadows

 Bottom drawer: Eyeshadow palettes, mascara, and that one lonely lipgloss. I keep the rest of my lip stuff in a bag in my purse because let's be real, reapplication is necessary. It might as well live there.

 Re-purposed Smashbox  tin holds all the eyeliners and the sharpener. 

 Deep teal bin: Hair stuff. All the product, bobby pins, a few clips, and two of my brushes. And deodorant which was moved back into the bathroom after this picture was taken.

 Top green bin: Nail polishes! I tried to organize them by color and realized that I have one bright-ass teal polish that doesn't fit anywhere and then I got sad.

 Bottom green bin: Nail care stuff. Remover, toe separators, cuticle oil, files, buffer, and cotton pads.

 To the side of the drawers we've got the lotions, toner, and q-tip/cotton ball container.

And in the green bin on the floor are the hot hair tools.

I didn't take a separate picture of the makeup brushes because they seemed pretty obvious. They're brushes. In a cup.

The only thing I think I need now is to somehow procure and set up a larger mirror in there. The small one is fine for makeup but is difficult for hair. I wouldn't mind attaching it to the desk permanently but I'm not sure where to find something. I might need to go thrifting. The window is behind the table so I don't think I can lean a mirror up, and there's nowhere to put a mirror on the walls around the table because the room is tiny. If you have any thoughts, please share!

Friday, April 19, 2013

workplace lunch pro-tips

I think I've nailed down the secrets to making the most out of your work lunch time. It's been a painstaking process, but I believe I've narrowed it down to five important tips:

1.    Take your lunch no earlier than 4 hours before your shift ends.
If you can take your lunch whenever you want during your shift, this is the way to do it. I work your standard 8-5 with a one hour lunch. I do my best to take my lunch at or after 1:00. Why you ask? Because when you get done with lunch you have, at most, three more hours of work to do. It makes the afternoon FLY by and it's amazing. I didn't take my lunch yesterday until 2:30, and 5:00 came like the speed of light. It was awesome.

2.    Bring your lunch from home.
Bringing your lunch from home may sound boring and awful, but doing so can save you a ton of money. If you go out for lunch every day, you're spending on average, what, $5-$8 per meal? You can make yourself a huge salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, and grilled chicken for like $1.50/day. On top of the monetary savings, you're likely to be eating a lot healthier as well. If you're already in the habit of cooking every night, you can also go ahead and make extra for leftovers to take with you the next day (given that you're not making macaroni and cheese every night). If you don't want to take the time to prepare and pack your lunch every morning or night before, you can make five of something on Sunday and refrigerate or freeze portions to take with you the rest of the week. Maybe make a big batch of spaghetti and meat sauce and freeze it in some tupperware. It'll take a little longer to heat up in the microwave, but it'll taste better than a lean cuisine.

3.    Bring your own dishes to keep at work.
If you have desk drawers to yourself, this is an awesome idea. I, for one, don't like heating things up in tupperware if I can avoid it. And there's never enough room in anything to successfully eat a salad out of it. And what happens when you bring soup in a can and the office kitchen is out of paper bowls?! Because of this, I keep a plate, a bowl, a fork, a spoon, and a knife at work at all times. You're saving paper and plastic and you're guaranteed never to be lacking dishes. Just remember to wash them after you use them. Nothing like day-old ranch dressing stuck to your plate making your office smell awful.

4.    Avoid "that 2:30 feeling".
The post-lunch food coma usually results from overeating, especially when you're gorging on simple carbs and sugars, when your blood sugar crashes an hour after your meal. You can avoid this, again, by bringing your own lunch. Salads are healthy and filling - just make sure that you have a protein source in there to keep yourself going throughout the day. I like to grill up some chicken on the weekends and slice it up for weekday salads. You can also use garbanzo beans or hard boiled eggs for great protein sources as well. Again, if you're not big on salads, make sure the meals you're bringing use whole grain pastas and breads, lean meats, beans, and nuts, and as many fruits and vegetables as your heart desires. Avoid overly processed and refined foods that will bring on the crash. If you find yourself needing a snack before or after lunch, turn to those fresh fruits and vegetables or nuts. Pistachios and grapes make awesome desk food.

5. Portion control, or how to make sure your lunch actually fits in a lunch box.
I've grown to know and love my bento box (and their companion bento buddies) for effective portioning and storing of my lunch goodies. They help you keep portions small and realistic and also provide effective containment of fragile berries and salty nuts. The boxes can be purchased with matching bags, but I generally just throw mine in one of the four lunchboxes I already own along with a couple of diet cokes, because that's how I roll. Doing this has given me variety in my lunching. I can pack some leftovers in a medium sized lidded container, a ton of grapes in another, some pistachios in a small lidded container, and still have space in the box for a couple of clementines. And the itty bitty mini lidded containers are perfect for salad dressing!

Alright kids. Go out into the world and make yourselves some good lunches for next week!

Monday, April 15, 2013

words

I believe that one of my goals I set back in the beginning was to try and be more creative. Specifically, to try and compose more and to do some DIY projects that would assist in my organization and feng shui, if you will. I've been having a hard time with both of these, but the one that particularly concerns me is the lack of creativity. I just haven't felt anything flow through me in a while and I haven't been really sure of what to do about it.

Yesterday a friend of mine posted a link to 750 words on Facebook, exalting its awesomeness. I decided to try it out and it is pretty wonderful. The goal is to write 750 words every day about whatever. It doesn't matter. The point is to write whatever is on your mind. When you finish, you can see your stats on how long it took you, words per minute, any distractions/lulls you had, and it can even analyze your moods and thoughts based on the context of your writing sample. It's analysis isn't perfect (for example, today it said that I focused on religion as a topic when in fact I said absolutely nothing about it), but some of it is right on. It's interesting to examine at least. Perhaps doing these exercises will get me into the mindset to be more creative.

750 words is a fairly new site and they're attempting to remain ad-free. As of May 1, they will be charging $5 monthly to use the site to any users who sign up on or after that date. If you sign up before then, you will get a lifetime free account. I would recommend just doing it. Worst case scenario, you don't use it, but at least it will be free in the event that you do want to jump on board. All of your writing is private and you can choose whether or not to share the analysis data with others. You can't follow other users unless you become a 'patron' and pay that $5/mo, but you can always see others data if they give you the direct link to it.

Here's mine for today.

I think when I remained logged in/revisited the site to retrieve that link it counted me as 'still typing', hence that long blank area in the graph. I guess I should log out :)

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

quick fitness update

I just wanted to share with y'all the template for the fitness budget that I'm using. I developed this yesterday and just updated it with some basic instructions in case you want to use it yourself. You can download it here.

And my pole class yesterday was AMAZING. I'm actually better than I thought I was. And my upper body is pretty much dead, in the best way possible!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

head first

In the past, I've foiled my workout attempts by going too hard too soon. I'm overly eager, overly ambitious, and I burn myself out. Granted, all these previous attempts have been with running and we've discussed how that's just not my jam. Maybe one day. But today is not that day.

As I mentioned last week, I activated my pole dancing Groupon and took a Level 1 class last night, to brush up. When I left last time to deal with CPA stuff, I had just moved up to Level 2 and I wanted to make sure I could handle it/had the muscle strength to handle Level 1 still before moving back up to Level 2.

Yeah, I'm fine.

They've instituted a new framework for their classes which I both love and hate simultaneously. Before, you would sign up for your appropriate level class (which could be taught by any number of instructors), go in, and you learn different things every time. Some classes would be stupid easy and some classes would be pretty challenging. There wasn't much consistency to it. Since I left, they've implemented 'routines'. These six routines build upon each other to gradually prepare you for the subsequent level, and it appears as though each routine is taught for about 2 weeks at a time. So, Routine 1 is always the easiest, and Routine 6 is always the hardest. Luckily for me, this is a Routine 1 period so I'm able to jump back into Level 2 on the easiest notch. I reviewed the Level 1 - Routine 6 list and am confident in those, and of the Level 2 - Routine 1 list, I've done all but one of the 13 elements before. I'm in a good place there.

I really enjoyed my Zumba class last week. Definitely sweaty and exhausted afterwards, but in the best way possible. And my ass hurt for days. A++, will Zumba again. In fact, I plan to go both Wednesday and Thursday of this week (even though my legs are going to murder me). I'm bringing a friend on Thursday who happens to be a Zumba connoisseur... I think she'll like it!

I've also signed up for a Pilates class at Brass Ovaries for this weekend. I don't think I'll be able to use my 10 classes within 2 months without doing non-pole things there, and I've always been curious about Pilates. Might as well give it a go, I suppose.

On top of utilizing MyFitnessPal (check out my new little badge in the sidebar!) and Fitocracy (which isn't as helpful as I thought it would be?), I've built myself a Fitness Budget.  In it, I keep track of my calories consumed, calories burned from exercise, calories burned from normal daily activities (which is based on an average of 5 different calculators), and the net daily and weekly deficit/surplus. I also have a tab for my goals and progress, tracking weight and various body measurements. I took my first measurements on a Tuesday (inconvenient, whoops) so I'm just going to wait until Saturday to check-in again and continue doing so weekly thereafter. I don't own a scale, so I have to go to the apartment gym to weigh myself. Their scale is a medical style one, too, so it's probably more accurate than anything I would buy.

I've also started putting my exercise classes into my google calendar. I even imported the Zumba class schedule calendar into mine so I can see all of my options! Now that I'm putting  this all on paper it seems a little obsessive. But, like I said in my very first post, reasonable goals and accountability are quite important. And, you know, I'm an accountant. I like spreadsheets. I like seeing the numbers and comparing the trends. I think it will help me get into a groove. It also helps that for the first time in my life I find myself looking forward to working out. Seriously. That's a completely foreign concept for me.

Now to watch the clock until I get to go to my pole class!

Friday, April 5, 2013

your bra doesn't fit

NEW EDIT: Scroll to the Sister Sizes section for a new helpful picture!

ANOTHER EDIT!: I found another awesome sizing resource with lots of good pictures. Open this in a new tab and continue on!
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Not to be harsh, but if you're reading this, it's more likely than not that your bra doesn't fit. It's not your fault. It really isn't. Most of you are probably wearing a bra that is too small for you in the cup and too large for you in the band. Let me tell you, once you're in a correctly sized bra, your life will be changed.

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The way you were likely measured (whether it was yesterday or eons ago) was with a method that was developed over 60 years ago, back before lycra, when bras had exactly 0 stretch to them. This method takes your underbust measurement and adds 4" to come up with your bra band size. In fact, most clothing and bra websites, including Nordstrom who is the largest easily-accessible in-store seller of a wide variety of bra sizes in the U.S., post the completely wrong instructions on their website. And if your bra band isn't measured correctly, then your cup isn't either. A lot of companies offering a smaller range of sizes (*cough* Victoria's Secret *cough*) will have a 17 year old "fit" you and will offer you a size that they carry. They're not gonna be like "Oh you're a 28DD! We don't have that, sorry." They'll be like "You're TOTALLY a 32C, here!" I mean, why would they intentionally miss out on a sale?

The Basics

To begin your bra sizing adventure, get naked. Your measurements won't mean shit if you do them over any clothes. Are you going to wear your bra over your shirt? Your bra over another bra? No. Take your clothes off.

You need an accurate measurement of your underbust. This should be right underneath the root of your boobs (where they start on the bottom), taken straight back, parallel to the floor. Within the bra sizing community, we prefer to have you take two measurements at this place: the first will be your "snug" measurement, where you will pull the tape, well, snug, but by no means uncomfortable; the second will be your "break the tape" measurement. This time, pull the tape like you are literally trying to snap it around your body or cut yourself in half. The reason we want two measurements is to help better gauge what bra size you should be in. If you are very thin or athletic, you won't have much squishy-ness around your ribcage. If you are NOT thin or athletic, you will probably have more squishy-ness. It's common that thin/athletic types prefer a larger band for comfort. If you measure at a 28, you may want a 30 because there's not a lot of give there to cushion your ribs from the firm band. If you're squishy and measure at a 28, you're probably still going to want a 28 because the squishy-ness will give you added comfort. I know it's counter-intuitive, and this is not a set in stone situation - you won't fully know what works until you try it.

My "snug" measurement is 31" and my "break the tape" measurement is 29". I prefer 30 bands.

Onto the cup size!

Bra sizing is often a difficult concept to understand because cup sizes are not set in stone, definitive measurements. If you lay a 32C on top of a 36C you'll see that the cup in the 36C is a lot larger than the 32. This is because cup sizes are relative to band sizes. You determine your cup size by subtracting your bra band size from your overbust measurement. We take two different measures to figure out your overbust as well. The first measurement is standing: wrap the tape around the fullest part of your breasts, parallel to the floor, just barely snug enough for the tape to stay on. Then, bend over so that your chest is parallel to the floor and take the same measurement. My measurement standing is 38" and bending over is 39". For most people, averaging the two numbers gives them a best idea of where to start.

So, if you have a 32" underbust measurement (and therefore a 32 band) and a 36" average overbust measurement, you would probably need a 32D. You add a cup size for each inch your overbust is greater than your band size. So, 36-32 = 4. Let's look at this handy chart.

0" 1" 2" 3" 4" 5" 6" 7" 8" 9" 10" 11" 12" 13" 14" 15"










UK AA A B C D DD E F FF G GG H HH J JJ K










US AA A B C D DD/E DDD/F DDDD/G H I J K L M N O









(courtesy of Busty Resources)

As you can see, a 4" difference corresponds to a D in both US and UK sizes. (NOTE: It is far more common to find bras in a wider array of consistent sizes if you use UK measurements, therefore I will continue to make reference to UK sizes only in the rest of this post.) 

Ok, at this point if you've taken your measurements, you're probably freaking out. Something along the lines of "there is no way in HELL I'm an [x] cup! I've been a 36A my whole life! D+ cup boobs are only on porn stars! There's no way!" Believe it. Embrace it. The DD-is-freakishly-huge concept is a myth. Once upon a time I was wearing a 34C/D (depending on the bra). Today I'm in a 30FF/G (again, depending on the bra). And you guys have seen me. I don't have freakishly huge boobs. They look pretty darn normal. When you start wearing the correct band size (which is generally 4", or two sizes, smaller than the one you were wearing), you tend to go up at least two cup sizes. Combine that with the fact that most people aren't actually getting all of their breast tissue into the bra cups puts you usually gaining another cup or two on top of that. But that's another discussion we'll get to in a bit.

Sister Sizing

When you start trying on bras, you may find that your measurements don't exactly equal what works for you. This is where sister sizing comes in. Here's a handy chart:

 
Courtesy of A Bra That Fits

So, say you measure at a 30E, but you try that 30 band on and it feels WAY too tight for you and you want to move up to a 32 band. A 32E is going to be too big in the cup for you if the cup on the 30E fit, so you'll have to size down a cup to a 32DD. Likewise, if that 30 band felt too loose, you'll have to go up a cup in the 28, resulting in a 28F. This is how places try to size you into what they offer. If the smallest band size they offer is a 34 and you're really a 30, they're going to put you in a 34D. Bad news bears. However, it's pretty common to go back and forth, up or down one size depending on the manufacturer. For example, Curvy Kate bras tend to run loose in the band, whereas Ewa Michalak bras tend to be very snug in the band. It will be trial and error. Your cup size will also not be the same in every brand. Panache bras tend to run small in the cup (I generally need a G/GG for them) while Freya bras tend to run large (I usually take a FF). Again, trial and error.

Here's an example of how band size affects cup size:

 You can see here that the 28A cups are DEFINITELY smaller than the 32A cups.


Here are some bras that are all sister sizes, from The Butterfly Connection:

From top to bottom, these bras are 38E, 36F, 34FF, 32G, 30GG, and 28H. As you can see, the cup width and depth is the same in all of them (because, as sister sizes, the cup volume is the same) but the band length gets shorter as you go down. This illustrates how if you're wearing a 34FF and it fits in the cup but not the band, you would go down to a 32G, not a 32FF.


Let's See How Poorly Your Bra Fits

Take your shirt off. Grab the back of your bra and pull it away from your body. If it pulls away more than 2", your bra doesn't fit. If your boobs spill or bulge out of the cups, your bra doesn't fit. If that middle part of your bra (the gore) isn't laying flat against your sternum, your bra doesn't fit. If your bra band rides up in the back or you pull it down super low, your bra doesn't fit. If your straps either dig into your shoulders or slip constantly, your bra doesn't fit.

No matter how small or large you think your breasts are, they need support. This support comes (or SHOULD come) from the band, not the straps. When your band is too loose, your straps have to pick up the slack. Think of it this way: if your straps are supporting your breasts, it's like holding a beanbag by the top with just two fingers and lifting it off the floor; if your band is supporting your breasts, it's like holding the beanbag in your palm. Which way supports the beanbag better? I think you know.

That baby is not supporting that beanbag at all.

A lot of times your cups don't fit because you have way more breast tissue than you think you have. All of that backfat you get over your bra band? That armpit pooch by your brastrap? That's breast tissue. That should be in the cup. It squeezes out in the back and sides when the cup you are wearing is too small, and stays there after time. This is what we call breast tissue migration. It can be corrected over time by wearing the right size bra and doing the "swoop and scoop". 

Putting Your Bra On Correctly

When you put on a bra, you should put the cups against your chest and clip the band behind you. In a new bra, the loosest hook should be the tightest you can comfortably wear. Once you have it clipped (don't pull up the straps yet!), make sure that the underwire is lined up right at the root of your breast. Bend over and let your breasts fall into the cups. Then, hold the left cup in place with your left hand, take your right hand across your body and reach all the way back to your back (like you're trying to hug yourself or something) and pull all of that 'stuff' into the bra cup. Repeat on the right side. If this sounds confusing, check out this video for assistance.

Congratulations! You just did the swoop and scoop. Pull up straps and adjust them accordingly.

WOW! Your boobs just got bigger! And perkier! And better!

Once you've done all that, you can evaluate how your bra fits.

How to Tell if it Fits


First, make sure you have put the bra on as we stated above. Now move around for a bit like you would throughout the day to let the breasts settle into the cups. You're always going to be fuller immediately after you swoop and scoop, and settling into the bra is normal.


There a few main things that you're looking for here. I like to start with the evaluation of the band, assuming you're trying on a brand new bra. First, if you find you have to adjust your brastraps  in such a way that they're cutting into your shoulders for support your band is likely too loose. This indicates that the straps are doing all the work  the You should be able to fit 2-3 fingers under the band while it's fastened on the loosest hook. The band should not move when you raise your arms, shrug, jump up and down, bend over, or dance at a rave. If it moves, go down a size. If you're not used to wearing a proper band, this is going to feel super crazy tight. I promise you'll get used to it. When you take off your bra at the end of the day you should have red marks from the band. Just like when you wear socks and you get the indents from them, or when your jeans are super tight and then you end up seeing the seams and the button indents when you take them off. This is completely normal for the bra. If your bra is digging, stabbing, or bruising you, however, then it's TOO tight. 

If you try on two different band sizes and find yourself falling in between them, buy the smaller size and a bra extender.
 
For purchase at herroom.com and like a billion other places. Your local Target might even have them.

This will lengthen the life of the bra. Because bras today are made of materials with elastic in them, the elastic wears out over time, therefore stretching out the bra. If you buy a bra and you're already on the tightest hook, you have nowhere to go when it stretches, then you're left with a worthless bra, or one you have to alter. So if you're between sizes, you're better off going smaller with the extender until it stretches out and you can go back to the regular hooks. My first (sort-of) well fitting bras went from oh-my-god-I'm-dying tight on the loosest hook to comfortable on the tightest hook within 6 months. This may even happen faster if you have fewer bras in your wardrobe to rotate between. 

Now to evaluate the cup fit. Lets start with symptoms of a too-small cup:

Too small
  • The middle part (gore) of your bra does not lay flush  against your sternum
  • You experience quad-boobing, spillage, or "the shelf" 
  • The top of the bra cuts into the breast tissue 
  • Your breast tissue isn't all contained in the cup, causing bulging out the sizes or back
  • The underwire lays on your breast tissue/pulls away from your body 
  If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, go up a cup size.
 Too large
  • There is gaping at the top of the cup
  • There is wrinkling in the cup
  • You generally don't fill out the cup
 If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, go down a cup size.
This site has a few good picture examples showing lingerie models whose bras clearly don't fit. That might help you get an idea of what you're looking for.
 
 Wrong Shape 
Sometimes you may find yourself suffering from symptoms in both categories and/or feel like the bra is giving your boobs a weird shape. This happens, don't worry. Different bras are made for different shaped breasts - not everyone is the same. Here is where I suggest Bratabase for assistance on how to determine your breast shape. If you click on any of those shapes/links, you will find bra suggestions for those shapes. You may also fall into multiple categories, and may therefore want to try an array of those shapes to figure out what works for you. Trying things on is key.
Asymmetrical Breasts
Rule of thumb: fit your larger breast. You can usually tighten the strap on the smaller breast to pick up any slack in the cup, or if the difference in size is drastic, you can get a "chicken cutlet", if you will (you know, those gel bra inserts) to fill out that side.  


  These things.
 

General Bra Types
There are three main types of bras out there: moulded cup, seamed cup, and sports bras. Yes, they make sports bras with underwires that actually fit and support you and don't smoosh you in like normal sports bras.
And they're pretty! This is the Panache Sport. You can get it here, as well as many other places. Personal testimony, I love it.

Moulded cup bras are your typical t-shirt bras. They don't have seams up the cup, they're generally really smooth, and they have a slight padding.

This is the Freya Deco Plunge. It seems to be a very popular t-shirt bra and it comes in a ton of colors. The shape doesn't really work for me, but it seems to for a lot of people. It's definitely worth a try. And you can find it pretty much anywhere good bras are sold.

Seamed cup bras usually don't have any lining or padding (also known as soft cup bras), and they have anywhere from 2 to 4 seams across the cups. Generally, seamed cup bras offer more support, and since the cups, when soft, don't stand up on their own (in that, they're just floppy fabric) the shapes are often more natural. You will find seamed cup bras that are lined, but they usually don't have as much of a moulded look as t-shirt bras.

This is the Freya Lacey. I own this bra and love it to death. I'm actually wearing it right now. This is the only color it comes in, but it kind of acts as a nude. It can also be found just about anywhere good bras are sold.

Where to Buy Bras
It's hard to find places in the states where you can try on things in-store unless you're in a major city. If you're lucky enough to be in or near a major city, you may want to try Intimacy or Nordstrom. (Sidenote: if you happen to have a Nordstrom Rack, check it out. I got a bra there for $15 that retailed for $60 once!) You should also google around for local lingerie boutiques where you can try things on. Those boutiques can get mighty expensive, so I generally recommend going and writing down the models and sizes of the bras you want, buy one from them (since a lot of people work on commission and they're probably going to spend a lot of time with you, and not buying something [unless nothing fits, of course] is kind of a dick move), and then look for the rest online. Here's an incomplete list of retailers of bras in a wide range of sizes.
As you'll notice, a lot of these places are based in the UK. As I discussed above, Europe generally has it's shit together compared to the US and most of the brands which carry wide sizes are from the UK or France. So it kind of makes sense that they'd carry things. I know Bare Necessities is US and Figleaves has US returns so it's cheaper to send things back if you need to. You will quickly notice that bras can get expensive, quick, depending on the brand. Just because a brand is super expensive or relatively cheap doesn't necessarily reflect the quality of the bra. You can get pretty solid bras in the Figleaves house brands (which are usually knock-offs of popular name brand bras) for much cheaper than their name brand counterparts. Also, all of these sites have deals and sales all the time, so sign up for mailing lists to get offers! ALSO ALSO: Pay attention to the currency on these sites! Some are in USD and some will be in GBP. If you are purchasing from a UK company, you may have to pay duties on purchases over $200, so it's good to try and keep them under that limit. Also, your credit card company may charge you a fee for the overseas transaction. I try to use PayPal when available and direct draft from my checking account to avoid these fees.

You can also check Amazon and Ebay for some good finds. Buyer beware - only purchase bras on Ebay that are new with tags to ensure that you're getting something that's new. You can chance it if you want, but you're not going to REALLY know how the bra fits if it's been worn and stretched.

Taking Care of Your Bras

Hand wash your bras in a delicate lingerie detergent, like this one, but there are many others out there. When I hand wash, I use a 1-gallon bucket. I put a wee bit of the soap in there and fill it with lukewarm water, then submerge the bras in the bucket and leave them to soak for a couple of minutes. Then I take them out and scrub around the extra dirty parts, like under the armpits and along the bottom of the band. I then rinse them under cold water and GENTLY squeeze the water out of the cups (for moulded cups - soft cups don't really need it). Never wring them, just kind of press into the cup to get as much of the water out as you can, and hang them to dry. I also have a friend that uses a salad spinner to accelerate dry time without smooshing up and wringing out the bra.

If you have a really nice washing machine (like one that's front loading and has a super extra delicate silks cycle), you can throw your bras in a lingerie bag (make sure they can move, though - they have them all kinds of cramped on that pic) and wash them on that setting with the special soap. Make sure you clip all the bras before washing them to avoid the hooks putting pulls in the fabrics. Your bras should never ever under any circumstances be dried in a machine. Hang dry them or lay them flat to dry always.

Resources

I didn't come up with all this knowledge myself, but I wanted to compile it into this blog post primarily for my friends so that you all can know the joy of better bras. Here is a short list of the resources that I have used in my journey that will likely be helpful as well.

  • A Bra That Fits - a Reddit community (see the sidebar in particular for a TON of great resources). The ladies here are INCREDIBLY helpful and will assist you with any questions, including fit checks.
  • Busty Resources Wiki - This is good for a lot of basics and additional resources.
  • Bratabase - This site allows you to input your measurements, assess your shape, and input the bras you currently own, allowing you to review them and tell them how they fit. As you continue to complete your profile, they will be able to suggest bras that will fit you based on your current bras, and each bra listing will include links to other bras with similar cuts and fits.
  • Bra Swap - another Reddit community that offers bra trades and sales between other Redditors. A good resource for if you want to try bras cheaply, and you can sometimes snag deals on your favorites. It's also a good place to re-sell things that don't fit in the event that you can't return them.


I think that's it for now. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions for topics I should cover in more detail. PLEASE let me know in the comments. And share this with everyone!! I want to be helpful!! I can also help you directly if you want to be pointed in the right direction on some of these things. Finding the right bra will be frustrating at first, but through trial and error you will get there!

Loves!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

on the ball

Sorry I haven't updated in a whiiiiile. I keep getting drawn into social obligations and I'm not going to turn them down! 

So I got my CPA license card in the mail yesterday! That was pretty sweet.

And I planned a vaction to Cheyenne for my birthday.

And... wait for it... I HAVE COMMITTED FULLY NOW TO LOSING WEIGHT.

I took all of my measurements last night to make sure I had a good starting point. And I did so without fudging, without faking, and most of all, without hating myself for them. That's important for me.

I have also accepted that I am not the kind of person that will exercise in the morning. I'm just not. Sleep is too good. Might as well give up on it and go with evening workouts. Last night I "ran" a mile on the elliptical. I definitely got my heart rate up, but it was more controlled and harder to overexert myself. I also like being able to adjust my speed at will, especially since I'm not great at maintaining speed. It definitely got my heart rate up and made me break a sweat. It wasn't long or far, but it's a start. Not to mention that it's easy on the knees. I also did some basic strength stuff at home to tone up some of the problem areas. Which are all the areas.

I'm also going to a Zumba class tonight, which I'm very excited about. I'm definitely better at cardio when it's not running, and when someone is showing me what to do. If I like the studio atmosphere, I'll buy myself a pass. If I don't, I'll find some youtube clips to follow and do it at home. But these people have fantastic reviews on Yelp so I'm fairly confident in them.

I also also activated my 10-class Groupon for Brass Ovaries. I haven't been since December and I really miss it. They're doing a Groupon right now if you're interested as well! It's not much for cardio but GREAT for strength training, particularly upper body.

And, lastly, I've begun counting the calories again on My Fitness Pal. I'm actually surprised at how full I can be on so few calories. I mean, I've had less than 500 today and I'm completely satisfied. I even have two clementines on my desk waiting to be eaten, but I just don't want them yet. Now, as long as I can resist the Easter candy and alcohol, I'll be in good shape. 

I'm heading back up to Southwestern on Saturday for the annual Arts Festival, and I'm SUPER excited about it! It looks like it's holding up to tradition and I'm quite proud. I'll let you know how it goes!

And I'm still going to do that bra post sometime...

Monday, March 11, 2013

life again

Man, I've been busy ever since I passed that exam. I completely rejuvenated my social life and it has been incredible, if exhausting. 

Last weekend I went shopping for the first time in a LOOONG time. Bought myself a new suit at the Banana Republic outlet for $115!!  And it fit without alterations! Hooray!


I also got all of my CPA paperwork turned in, saw the Joffrey Ballet perform The Rite of Spring, and had a lovely lunch with Zach's brother this past week.  I finally set up my recording equipment as well! I'm trying to upload pictures but, as usual, blogger is being not-friendly.

A dear friend is in town for spring break and we decided to throw a dinner party last night for the core Amarillo group. Here's a picture of the most of it:


Not pictured: The salad and the cupcakes. RECIPE LINK TIME!

Appetizer: Martha Stewart's asparagus and gruyere tart on homemade puff pastry.
Salad: An adaptation of the Monument Cafe House Salad - spring greens, strawberries, candied pecans, and a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. We also added goat cheese.
Bread: My guest's homemade croissants 
Main: A simple bone-in pork loin rib chop drizzled with oil, seasoned with onion powder, Grill Mates Garlic and Herb seasoning, Grill Mates Montreal Chicken seasoning, and a little black pepper. Baked at 350 F for 40 mins.
Dessert: Lemon basil blueberry cupcakes (mine were NOWHERE NEAR that pretty though)

All in all I would say it was a HUGE SUCCESS. It was a TON of work but totally worth it. And I bought all of my fruits and vegetables at Costco so I have a toooon of leftovers that I need to figure out how to use...

I want to do a non-food related post at some point, specifically addressing bras and my new obsession and commitment to finding the perfect bra(s) and passing on advice for appropriate bra fitting. My ladyfriends need their girls supported properly too!!

And about that exercising.... yeeeeahh... let's not talk about that.

Until next time!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

I PASSED

I FINALLY PASSED ALL OF MY CPA EXAMS. HOLY SHIT.

So, that knocks #1 off my list of resolutions! YAY!

It took me three tries on that last one, but my final score was an 87! Not even close to the failing mark!
I've been cooking and eating lots of yummy foodstuffs and I'm super thrilled to finally share them!


So this concoction is a mushroom artichoke lasagna. I found this recipe in the BHG Taste of Home 2012 recipe book my grandmother got me two Christmases ago. I had some leftover lasagna noodles and Zach can't have ricotta, so this seemed like a good ricotta-less lasagna alternative. But it has A LOT of cheese. If there is such a thing as too much cheese, this was too much cheese. Zach and his brother liked it, but I didn't so much.


 Next, not so impressive, chicken caesar salad. A good enough meal, got the job done.


Now, I've talked about this one before, but I just had to show you. The infamous shrimp and asparagus risotto! It. Is. So. Good. We're making it about every other week now and doubling the recipe to have leftovers. Do it. It's worth the stirring, I promise.


I also took the plunge and made french onion soup, from scratch! I can't find the exact recipe right now, but I remember it called for about 3lbs of onions thinly sliced, a bunch of beef broth, and some wine. I'm not usually a fan of french onion soup, but this one was pretty good. Could have gotten the onions cooked down more - next time.


So this isn't really COOKING, but I really loved the way my fruit and garlic station looked after we went grocery shopping a couple of weeks ago. So much yummy!


Alas, that beautiful pineapple immediately met its doom when I chopped it up to make PINEAPPLE SALSA!

 

Which then went on FISH TACOS! The sauce I made was so spicy. But so delicious.

Lastly, I want to share my homemade chana masala (I tweaked that recipe). We ventured over to the Indian market down the street and got some good spices (and frozen naan) and had ourselves a chickpea feast! It was delicious, to say the least. I'm proud that this (my second) Indian food attempt turned out!
 

Now, for my bento boxes! I've been using these most days to bring my lunch and they're AWESOME for portion sizing and all that. I love them. They were my anniversary gift (we'll get to THAT celebration) from Zach!

First up, chicken caesar salad, with dressing, pistachios, and chocolate coins for dessert


Next, leftover turkey burger (bun not pictured) and fresh broccoli for steaming for lunch, and mini quinoa cups for breakfast.


As I just mentioned, Zach and I celebrated our 4th anniversary about two weeks ago. We went to a local restaurant, Justine's, and had a DELICIOUS meal. I ordered the best pork chop I've ever hand in my life. Also served with potatoes au gratin.

 

Then I provided cupcakes from Polkadots for dessert!



I also went to dinner with my parents at Olive and June where I had some phenomenal duck. Always up for duck.


And I attended my first crawfish boil at a birthday party. Now, let me tell you, I don't like crawfish. As you will see, there are some shrimp in there that were purchased especially for me and two other attendees that don't eat crawfish. However, I got a little drunk and Zach persuaded me to try it. By itself, crawfish tastes like sea testicles. It was not good. But when you drown it in Sriracha, it tastes better. Everything does. And then I felt sick. Not wine sick. Fish sick. It wasn't good.



Exercising... hasn't been great. I.e., non-existent. But I'm getting there. I promise. I'm gonna do it...


 

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