Birchbox July

So yesterday I got my first monthly subscription of Birchbox.  Birchbox is essentially a monthly subscription that sends you samples of high end makeup.  The Birchbox website advertises their boxes with the following information: 

"Join Birchbox and get monthly deliveries of trial-sized samples from both well-known brands and emerging gems. It’s the smart way to try and buy new products. Birchbox is the best way to discover new grooming, beauty and lifestyle products. Sample top products from high-end brands, get expert advice, buy new favorites and earn points with every purchase.”

This is my first month of trying Birchbox.  I’ve read a lot of really great reviews about birchbox and the products that bloggers have received with their boxes.  So I grabbed myself a little invitation off a friend (to get them 50 points to spend in the Birchbox store) and I signed myself up!  I signed up right before the end of June so I just got my order in before the July boxes were sent out.  I got a message saying my box was shipped a day or two later and I was so excited.  Birchbox gives you the ability to sneak peek what is in your box while your waiting for it to come.  So of course I HAD to go look.  I was getting some really great things including nail polish which was I was excited for.  I waited a few days—didn’t check the tracking and my box still wasn’t here.  When I checked the tracking I found out that the box had still not shopped.  I immediately contacted birchbox who promptly got back to me and said they weren’t exactly sure why the box hadn’t shipped on time but they have given me 100 points to spend in the store ($10 – or basically gave me my box for free in july) and that the box was going to ship ASAP.  I was kind of sad when I compulsively checked my box info to see that the original items had changed and I was no longer getting some of the goodies that I originally thought I was. 

At any rate, the box came last night and Ill give you a sneak peak at some of the stuff that came in my box.  I’ll be doing some individual reviews of this stuff later but here’s a look at what I got!

The lovely Birchbox

A little post card about the box

Eyeko Skinny purple eyeliner

Joyer luminizing moisture tint

Oscer De la Renta perfume

Earbuds

Boscia green tea blotting linens

If you want to learn more about birchbox or want to order your own theres a link to the right of this blog that you can use to get yourself (and me) some extra points to spend in their store!

Weight Loss Wednesday!

Weight loss Wednesday:

Start Date: 7/25/2012

Today’s Date: 8/8/2012

Weight lost: 5 lbs

Week Successes: Staying on track and focused!

Week Struggles: Sleep!! I need wayyy more sleep!  Damn you Olympics!

Lessons Learned: Strict eating + water = Weight loss!

Goals for Next Week: Stay strict and add some workouts into the game plan.

So this week was good to me.  Actually it was great.  I lost 5 lbs which was way more than I was expecting.  I love that about low carb.  The first few days I tend to lose a lot of water weight which really shows on the scale.  That makes me happy and encrouages me to continue.  Also in good news I broke past the number that I have been stuck at for quite some time. 

Yesterday wasn’t so good for low carb.  We had a new hire at work yesterday so we all took her out.  Naturally my (non dieting) coworkers decided it would be a good idea to go to a sub shop.  Not so great for me. Anyway, I broke down and ate a Sub. 

Oh well.

I’m getting back on track today and I think yesterday helped.  Stay tuned till next week!

Instagram help!!

Hey everyone,

So today I went onto Facebook and saw UPMC Health plan had one of MY photos featured on their cover photo-- talk about exciting!! 

The one right in the middle!!

The photo was entered to help win my mom an Ipad, and basically if one of my  pictures gets chosen for the final 10, if it has the most likes it wins! So i have a quick request for you:  

If you have instagram (or always thought about getting instagram) do the following steps to help me win!!

1.        Open instagram (or download it if you dont have it)

Open instagram!

2.        Tap the star to “explore”

3.        Tap the search box

4.        Tap the “hashtag” box

5.        Type in “MyHealthySummer” and press enter

6.        Go to the following photos and click the “<3 Like” button.  You may have to tap the "Load More" button to find them all!

LIKE THESE PICTURES:

The contest ends August 15th and winners are chosen August 16th! Go Like my stuff people!!

My Week In Instagrams

I Mustache you a question...

ET Nub Home..

Aw Nubby Face

My neighboring cubes like to chuck things at me... Friday's item happened to be gum.

This picture just about sums up North Park

Well this is awkward... thanks August

New kicks!

Finally brought my soda stream to work.. Best idea ever.

Lego man is having a beach party..

People messing up my stuff!

Pants were WAY too much work for friday..

Friday nighttt

Good morning bloggers!

I'm spending my morning at the wonderful pool managing and holding a training for the workers here.  The pool is so calm and relaxing when no one is here... Go figure.

Awww so pretty

Last night I spend my night: Sleeping, eating dinner with my mom at Max and Ermas, and visiting my sisters house.  My wonderful sister is an ER PA, which arguably makes her one of the smartest people I know.  But on Wednesday her brain must have been left with the coffee on the kitchen table-- when she decided to stick her hang into a running lawn mower.  She admits it was the stupidest thing she could have done and it basically was just a dumb moment.  Anyway, she broke the tip of her finger and had a pretty decent gash.  So now she has a nub.... 

Okay, not really a nub because her whole finger is there but we call it a nub because you cant see her little finger.

ET Nub Home.

Shes in a lot of pain and is taking medicine (and eating as much graham central station ice cream as she wants) which makes for hilarious times.  As you can see in the picture above, we decorated the little nub with a smiley face.

Should say, "YEAH NUBBY!"

PS: someone from work just brought these in for the rest of the guards.  These people are trying to make me fat.  I Will not have one.

Erie Vacation!

This weekend I took some time off both jobs and got to go on a mini vacation to Erie.  It started out a little rough because some of the planning wasn’t thought through very well—like who was going to take care of the dogs while we were gone.  It was a little stressful at first but we got a move on and got to Erie in no time.

When we got there on Friday, we went for a 6 mile bike right through the Presque Isle bike trail—and then stopped for dinner at the usual Friday hang out—Max and Ermas.  Anyone, any day could say “Lets go to Max and Ermas!” and I don’t even need a second thought.. I’ll go for sure!

Saturday, the day started out really rainy so we got a late start to fishing.  The day started to clear up by about noon and I was able to get my tan on—I should say, my burn on.  We caught a few little fish here and there, with one big catch—what we were told was a sheeps head fish.  I took a few silly pictures…

And got slapped in the face by a fish…

We went for an 8 mile bike ride and then went back to the hotel to clean up.  Luck I did because I ended up being asked to go to a house warming party that a friend of mine was invited to.  We went to dinner at red lobster where they decided it would be a great idea to give me a Taser..

 We ended up spending a nice night in Erie reconnecting with friends I haven’t seen in a while and playing some pong (I was on FIRE!)

Jon: "Horrible Fancy Picture"

Aww, Reunited (crappy picture)

Sunday and Monday we did the same as the first two days… Woke up.  Went fishing.  Went Biking.  Get my burn on.  Went to dinner..

Nothing too drastically different from day to day, with the exception of Monday, which was when I decided it would be an awesome idea to bobble a diet coke lime in my hands and then essentially  chuck it to the ground where it hit gravel and decided to literally shower me head to toe with diet coke lime.  Awesome.  

Weight Loss wednesday

Weight loss Wednesday:

Start Date: 7/25/2012

Today’s Date: 8/1/2012

Weight lost: .7 lbs

Week Successes: Taking a vacation.  It shouldn’t really be a success but coming from someone who works A LOT—having some time to myself is a success in my books!

Week Struggles: Eating out.  While we were on vacation we did eat out… a lot.  Every night for 4 nights.  Yikes.  I need to eat more clean when I do eat out and I need to eat out less!! More planning is needed in my life!

Lessons Learned: Stay strict with my eating.  I’m sticking with the same “lesson learned” as last week only because I don’t really know If I learned the lesson the first time.  When I lost a good portion of weight before, I measured every single piece of food that went into my mouth.  I need that dedication again.

Goals for Next Week: Continue increasing water consumption.  Being on vacation and on the “beach” for the past few days has really dehydrated me.  Somehow I lost my water bottle that I had planned on filling up each day.   Anyway, I took my soda stream to work with me this week so hopefully I can increase the amount of water I’m drinking each day.

Soda stream: 

I got my soda stream after seeing it on Sparkpeoples website.  The idea behind is it to make carbonated drinks from water.  So not only will you get to have the feeling of drinking pop, you’re also increasing your water consumption. 

Basically the soda stream has the base (soda maker) – in black, Bottles (seen to the left) and flavors (Seen to the right).  In the base, there is a mini tank of CO2 which allows carbonation to be put into the water.  All I have to do is fill the reusable bottle up to the water line and attach it to the base.  Add three pumps of CO2 to the bottle (or until it makes a loud … weird? Noise— I have no better way of explaining this noise).  I take the bottle off the stand and add my flavoring.  I put the cap back on and flip the bottle upside down, and it all mixes up.  The mixture tastes nearly exactly like diet pop but its way less expensive and way better for you. 

Here is the link to the soda stream website.  It can also be purchased at walmart, kohls, and Macy's (at least-- i'm sure its available other places!)