An Ode to Reality Dating Shows

So, no secret here, but I freaking LOVE reality television. I honestly don't know why, but it seems like every show I watch a few episodes of I get hooked on. This, of course, includes the last season of The Bachelor. Jason ended up being kind of a tool (come on, you know you think so, too!), but who didn't absolutely love Jillian? I wanted her to be the one Jason chose, but I was super excited when she was announced as the new Bachelorette! Of course I was glued to this season, and wasn't this moment just awesome last night?

Photo from NY Daily News

Oh Ed, even with your short shorts, you still were obviously the perfect one for Jillian. But Ed's fashion choices aside, one of the best things about this season was Jillian's fashion choices! I loved her sense of style, and every outfit she wore had me going "God, that's gorgeous, I'd love to wear that!" Obviously, we're completely different body types (I think Jillian is 5'1", and I'm a hurking 6'2"), but I still love her clothing and how she tastefully showed off her (rocking) body throughout the season.

This is one of my favorite photos of her, showing how something as simple as a white button down and cuffed jeans can look so cute and fun. If I were dressing myself in a similar outfit, here's what I'd do:

Jillian Harris by organizethis featuring American Ea

gle Outfitters

Click on the photo for product information. I'm restraining myself right now, I swear! Since I live on the West Coast, I'm still waiting to see Jillian and Ed bask in their love on the After the Final Rose reunion special, but seriously. Could those two be any cuter?

In the mean time, I'm watching Fox's new reality dating show (that's basically a rip-off of The Bachelor) about "larger" people finding love. I think the thing that is really bothering me right now is that the majority of these "average" women are super tall! There are so many 5'9"-6'2" women in the group - and we all know that isn't average! And honestly, the name - while cheeky and easy to remember - seems borderline insulting to me.

Did you all watch "More to Love"? What did you think about the producers' definition of "average", and the way the the show handles weight/body issues?

Grocery Blogging

Ugh, I haven't blogged about grocery shopping since last month - mostly because I haven't done a good job of grocery shopping! It's been a busy few weeks, with some time away from home, so tonight Matt and I cleaned out the fridge and then took off to the grocery store to restock on delicious, (mostly) healthy foods!

Tonight we spent $68 for groceries that'll last about 2 weeks. Wanna see what we got?

Most of the goods!

Tonight's goods included the following:

• Tofu
• Bananas
• 1 package of baby spinach
• Organic strawberry yogurt
• Sour cream
• Milk
• Boxed shells and white cheddar
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 onion
• 3 heat-and-eat soups (for Matt's lunches)
• Barbecue sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes with chilis
• 1 can red kidney beans
• Wheat Thins
• Baby Carrots
• 3 Lean Cuisines (for my lunches)
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 mangoes
• 1 head of cauliflower

Not pictured above are some items that Matt was excited about as well. First up, some "locally" brewed beer...

Alaska is pretty close to Washington, right? :D

...and a frozen pizza for those days when he has to eat without me.

California Pizza Kitchen Sicilian Pizza.

Yum yum yum! These groceries will definitely make my menu plan for this week a delicious one, and feed into next week's planning. Now I'm off to watch the premiere of Hell's Kitchen - I love Gordon Ramsey! They edit him to make him sound so mean, but apparently he's super nice in real life. Good night!

Decluttering Your Closet through Smart Clothing Purchases

Does anyone constantly struggle with the state of their closet like I do? It feels like a never-ending battle to both keep things organized and actually find stuff that I want to wear. In the past 12 months I've removed many more things from my closet - including virtually all clothing items purchased in the 1990s - than I've added. And honestly? I think the sheer number of things I used to have was keeping me from making good clothing choices. I think that closets are another one of those things where "more" doesn't necessarily equal "easier". Even though Cher had an awesome closet, she still had a hell of a time deciding what to wear every day!

Who didn't want Cher Horowitz's closet in the 1990s?

What I've learned about my closet and my clothing in the last year is this: the way to keep your closet under control is to closely monitor what goes into your closet - if you don't buy it, you don't have to worry about it! I've cut down on the things I buy by ensuring that the majority of new items adhere to one major rule: multi-seasonality!

Perfect example: I need a cardigan for summer; I also need a cardigan for winter. Why not choose a cardigan in a color close to neutral, and a style that can be worn alone (summer) or layered (winter)? The short-sleeved cardigan from Anthropologie above can be paired with shorts and a tank-top for a light summer look, or layered under a turtleneck for a warmer winter look. One piece, multiple ways. Now instead of needing 2 pieces, I've found a cute way to get by with just one.

I love love love patterned and embellished skirts, which are a little trickier to get so that they are wearable in both summer and winter. However, I've found that patterns using browns and lighter grays (as opposed to black and darker grays) as their neutral are more versatile for varying seasons. The example above is a brown and yellow skirt: for summer, play up the yellow and throw in a complementary color of accessories (I chose blue). For winter, play up the neutral tone, and work in the pattern's colors in the accessories. Again, I've found this works well with patterns that have lighter neutral tones, as opposed to the heavy black and dark gray that tends to scream "WINTER!" no matter what.

So when you're shopping, buy pieces that can be used in both summer and winter - you'll save space in your closet and keep more money in your pocket! Happy shopping!

New Fitness Journal

Ugh, I'm really dragging my feet this morning! I had a really nice dinner out last night (at C.I. Shenanigans on the river in downtown Spokane) with my mom and a family friend after spending two hours dress shopping. It was a long, tiring night, but it was also fun and I got a lot done!

So my mom is leaving to go hom this morning, and it's back to life as normal for me. Hooray! One of the things that I've been slacking on in the last few weeks as I've jet-setted back and forth from my various travels is food and exercise planning/tracking. I've gotten back into the Menu Plan Monday swing after a few weeks off, but I've yet to get back into my personal meal tracking. I wrote a few months ago about a notebook I'd been using to track things, but on a recent trip to Houston I found this gem in the airport bookstore:

It was on the clearance rack at the Houston Airport Borders, so it was less than $4!

There are two reasons that I bought this journal. First, I love how organized (yet detailed) it is. There's space for every meal and snack, with boxes for writing how many grams of fiber and calories there are. The exercise portions are divided into weights and cardio/other exercise, and it works well to get you motivated to fill up the space.

A sample exercise page from the weekly portion.

The second reason I love this journal is that it allows you to track yourself and make goals along various time frames. While most of the journal is taken up with pages for the weekly tracking, there are also pages and spaces for monthly tracking and making monthly goals. But it wants you take pictures of yourself... no thanks, exercise journal!

A monthly page from the journal.

So basically, I'm in love with this little book. It puts my own tracking notebook to shame! Unfortunately, it was so discounted at Borders because it was not going to be carried there anymore... I don't know what I'm going to do when I fill it up! I'll have to photocopy the pages or something and make my own.

Now I've got to catch up on The Bachelorette since I missed last night's episode! I'm curious to see what Jillian's going to be wearing... she's got a great sense of style!

Grocery Blogging

Yesterday night I had one of the most financially productive grocery shopping trips ever. Seriously! I was surprised! I went in with a hefty list of fresh produce and other foodstuffs to pick up, and managed to walk out having only spent $26! All you Inland Northwesterners, head to Rosauers this week for some excellent deals!

The goods!

Here's what I picked up:

• 2 very large oranges
• Cantalope
• Pepper-Jack cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes with chiles
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 2 zucchini
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 large onions
• Package of whole wheat fusili pasta
• Loaf of french bread
• Tostitos chips (Matt's special request)
• Package of salad greens
• Cayenne pepper

This will make everything on this week's menu plan, with a bit leftover for additional meals and snacks. And you better believe I'll be freezing some of that cantalope for post-workout snacks! Yum!

It's been a while...

So I really suck at this whole "letting readers know when [I'm] not going to be here" thing.... but in case you missed it, I took a random 2 week (if you count that book review as a week's worth of posting) hiatus from blogging without filling you guys in! But I have a good reason, I swear! Two major things have happened since I last wrote, and they are the following:

1. I finished my last masters class ever! I don't have my masters degree yet - still need to write that pesky thesis/research paper and do my comprehensive exam - but I never have to go to another class for this degree again! Hooray!
2. My baby brother graduated from high-school! Okay, we're less than 6 years apart... but he still feels like my baby brother even though he's 18 and officially graduated! So weird! Of course, this prompted an extended trip home to celebrate the occasion appropriately, which also partially explains my absence!

But don't worry... even though I haven't been writing, I've been busy! I've been experimenting with my food processor, which has been very enlightening and exposed how clueless I am about some things in the kitchen. My exploits have included an almond butter experiment with Rachel that turned out quite nicely, and my first ever pesto experiment!

I made a spinach-walnut pesto with some parmesan, salt, and olive oil that was absolutely delicious! In the mix was about 2 1/2 cups spinach, 1/3 cup parmesan, 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Added to 1 cup lightly toasted walnuts (chopped and toasted in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes) in the food processor, it made the excellent topping for some whole wheat pasta! Yum yum.

I've also been busy doing other sorts of kitchen experiments and cooking... the most profitable of which has been my homemade granola bars - made using this recipe. Take a look - they're totally delicious, and I highly recommend them!

I've also been busy keeping my flowers alive - and I must say, I'm so happy that they finally bloomed! 3 months of tender love and care has paid off in some beautiful (and big!) pink and white flowers that really brighten up the balcony. Don't let the pictures fool you - they happen to be taken in the middle of a thunder storm at 10 pm!

And perhaps the biggest news... I finally have my own computer again! I'd been (not so) secretly using my work laptop for school and personal business, but all that has come to an end. Please meet my new Mac - I've never owned a Mac before, but so far I'm loving it! It's only been a few days though, so it's possible I could fall out of love with it... ha! Just kidding. I love love love it, and it's so sleek and pretty.

So anyway, I will be posting a lot more now that my new laptop is up and running and I've got no homework or classes! Thanks for hanging in there in my absence!

Project 16 - Finally Done!

Our balcony has been finished and usable for a little while now, but because of epic blogging failure - basically, my camera and camera cord never being in the same place at once - I've been unable to show you! Eventually, I'd like to have lanterns going across the entire thing, but that'll take 3 more strands (or $30). So for now, this is how we enjoy the outdoors and the comforts of home at the same time!

The right side, complete with plants and paper lanterns!

The left side, a.k.a. Barbecue Central.

Outdoor furniture, and a bamboo placemat for a little extra color.

My favorite little detail - nails for hanging barbecue tools next to the barbecue!

Project 16 Update

I wrote a little while ago about how I want to make my balcony more "user friendly", and then totally left you guys hanging! Oops! I have made some progress, by acquiring some pieces that I think will help liven the place up and provide a better atmosphere for chilling on the balcony. BUT the weather has been super lame, and I haven't wanted to spend much time out there recently. Here's a sneak preview at the revamp of the balcony that is currently in progress.

Step 1: Acquire outdoor furniture.

These bad-boys were on sale at Target for a really reasonable price, and will hopefully be pretty durable. Well, anything's more durable than the old office chair that's been sitting out here for a year!

Step 2: Acquire decorative lighting.

The only lighting on the balcony at the moment is a set of really harsh outdoor lights that blind people more than anything. Channeling the paper lantern ambiance from the picture in my original post, I picked up these guys for $10 at Target. Now I just need an outdoor extension cord and some pretty paper lantern light will be mine!

Step 3: Set the mood.

This cute candle holder was at Cost Plus (or World Market or whatever you want to call it) for $10. There are already several hooks installed on the ceiling of the balcony, and one happens to be right above the table. Consider this my outdoor chandelier!

Step 4: Allow for growth.

No balcony is complete without foliage, and my plants are getting so huge! No flowers yet, but four baskets full of leafy green vegetation brighten up any outdoor living space.

The total for this project so far has stayed under $50, and the space is going to be much prettier and more usable! Check back later this week when everything's put together.

Getting Rid of a DVD Collection

DVDs got me through college - on my good days I popped in Legally Blonde and thought of all the things I could accomplish against the odds; on my bad days I'd pop in Legally Blonde and yell "EFF YOU!" at the TV when Elle got dumped, and then turned Warner down at the end. Let's face it: Elle Woods is responsible for my college degree. And for driving every one of my roommates/housemates crazy in the past 6 years. HA!

Well, now that I've been out of college for almost 2 years, and I've discovered the joy of watching movies on my iPod (or on the TV when Matt sets it up), I decided it was time to get rid of the DVD collection. And let's be honest, not many people want a collection of teen- and 80s-movies into their late (post college) 20s.

Well folks, I have to tell you - the power of eBay and Half.com are wondrous things when it comes to getting rid of DVDs. I started posting them on Half.com in February, and have less than 10 left! I've made $107.01 (minus shipping costs) on 27 DVDs - which is way better than the $1 average they go for at garage sales. I'll be putting that extra money towards some California clothes (YES!) and that extra space towards some more effective storage of other media items. The only downside is that it's kind of time consuming to mail off 27 DVDs individually - not for people who are super busy or out of town a lot!

I used Half.com to sell of text books in college, and I'm happy to report that it's pretty cost-effective to use for selling off unused or unwanted DVDs these days, too! Give it a shot if you've got some extras!

What Irresponsible Becca Would Do With a Tax Refund

I got my tax refund at the end of last week, and the sweet, sweet government cash hit my bank account yesterday morning. Of course I'm doing the responsible thing and putting most of it towards my student loans, while the rest is going into savings/rainy day-funds. But it's just so much fun to play the "what if?" game and see what I could possibly use it for instead... so here goes:

If I were an irresponsible person, here's what I'd spend my $800 on (these are mutually exclusive):

• Entrance and travel to the Maui Marathon. I've always wanted to run a full marathon, and I've always wanted to go to Hawai'i - wouldn't it be pretty cool to do both at the same time? Someday, island running and I will meet and fall in love...

• Buy a killer outfit (or three for $800, let's be honest) for a trip to California I'll be taking in a little bit. I'm liking this look specifically (Adriana Lima - by ThinLizzy on Polyvore.com):

• Hit the spa. With $800, I'd only have to pay a little over $120 to go to the spa three times and get the 5.5 hour package each time. That's 16.5 hours of services, yo. And I really love this spa - I went there about a month ago with a gift certificate from work, and enjoyed every second of it.
  

• Register for Yoga Journal's Colorado Conference in September. I love yoga, and I've always wanted to learn more about it. Plus I've never been to Colorado, and there's a first time for everything!

• Visit the Motherland for the first time ever. By Motherland I mean Sweden, of course! My sister is in Europe until June, and it'd be the perfect time to go. I could even stay on the farm with the relatives if I played my cards right.

Alright, I have to stop. I feel like I'm talking myself into all of these options... and that's not what I want at all. I do sense a trend though... all of my "irresponsible" choices center around trips of various sorts. I think this means I need to make an effort to travel more (cheaply, of course!). Guess it's something to consider as I plan - and budget - for the future!

Project 15: Ticket Storage

Those who know me (and Matt... well, mostly Matt) in real life know that we go to a ton of concerts because we are music fanatics. Seriously, we go to anything and everything, from local shows to reunion tours to big name acts of the moment. And we have aaaalllll of the ticket stubs to prove it. They've been scattered all over the place for far, far too long, and I am thrilled to finally have a way to store them

The new storage solution with a random sampling of ticket stubs.

While visiting Portland (Oregon) a few weekends ago, we wandered into Powell's Books (which you absolutely must visit if you are ever in Portland because it is ridiculously awesome) and found the Ticket Stub Diary. It has a ton of pages, and three different sizes of sleeves that hold most standard ticket stubs. Awesome! I'm working on cataloging our tickets as we speak.

A Letter to the Best Food Storage Systems EVER

Dear Fit N Fresh:

Thanks for making the best storage containers for my work lunches ever. Seriously, you guys rock. Gone are my days of carrying bags of tupperware around, with multiple containers that risked disintegration and spillage at every narrow doorway. Instead, I have one container that stays cold and allows me to bring multiple things for lunch every day.

Today I'm enjoying your Lunch Chiller, although I also have your Breakfast Chiller and your Lunch On The Go box that compete for my affections. And look at how great Lunch Chiller is doing at keeping my food cold and separated:

So thanks, thanks for providing products that allow me to eat a healthful lunch without having to carry around a bag full of plastic containers. And thanks for making your products pretty snazzy-looking, too. Even though you aren't as cute as Bentos I still love you.

--Becca

P.S. 1/4 cup ricotta with strawberries and granola on the left; stir-fried tofu, collard greens, broccoli and red bell pepper on the right.

Grocery Blogging

What better time for a grocery post than during the new Top Chef episode! Seriously, I'm in love with Stefan and Fabio in this season. How can you NOT love watching Team Europe talk smack to each other?

Anyway, I went grocery shopping tonight (finally! It's been on my to-do list since Sunday) at the local grocery store. I started out with a decent list - some staples and some bits and pieces for recipes this week - and I have to admit that I succumbed to a few of the sales. Here's what I came away with:

• 2 1-pound packages of tofu
• 5 Lean Cuisines (5 for $10... I don't love them, but they are good for the nights that I have to eat dinner at work) - not on the list
  
• Almost 3 pounds of grapes - not on the list
  
• A 2.5 pound head of cauliflower - not on the list
  
• Can of corn, can of stewed tomatoes, and can of black beans for black bean soup
• Ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses for lasagna
• Whole wheat english muffins
• Veggie broth
• 1/2 gallon of milk
• A dozen eggs

Total spent: $43.17. Not too bad. This means I have $106.83 left in my grocery budget for my February Food Challenge. Now you might be wondering - why didn't Becca buy many fresh fruits and veggies? Well my friends, I also got my Fresh Abundance box this week! I haven't shared a picture of an actual box yet, so here it is:

There are all kinds of awesome things in here: apples, oranges, pears, bananas, tomatoes, an avocado, an onion, a red pepper, a head of lettuce, two heads of broccoli, a bunch of collard greens, and a fresh bunch of cilantro. I am so excited about the fresh cilantro I can't even tell you. I've never cooked with it before, and I'm excited to find a recipe to try early next week (recommendations welcome)!

A new addition to the family...

We've got a new little guy joining the family! No, I'm not having a baby... we got a fish! :) This is the first pet Matt and I have ever had together, and hopefully it'll be the first in a long line of super cute bunnies and little doggies. Without further ado, I give you...

Mojo da Betta Fish!

Sorry that my fish photography skills kind of suck - he's only been in the apartment for a day, so I think I get a little slack, right? I'm hoping my skills at keeping fish alive are far superior to my skills with herb gardens. Mojo's part of the family now, though, so he's gotta be top priority! He seems to have warmed up to his new surroundings - after being pretty quiet last night, he spent a lot of time tracking fingers and faces that we put right next to his glass. I think he really knows that we're there! Okay, maybe that's taking it a little far... :D

Apron Love

One of my favorite things to do after work is go home, throw on my apron, and cook or clean something (or veg in front of the tv... let's be honest). I can't explain it - there's just something about an apron that makes me feel elegant and feminine. And, they kind of serve as adult bibs - I don't have to worry about spilling on myself because that's what aprons are for! Plus, my apron's pretty sweet if I do say so myself:

This is my baby, my sturdy, hot pink Williams Sonoma apron.

Recently, I've been wanting to get another apron - you know, rotate through them, spice up the kitchen a little. This of course means that I peruse all kinds of websites looking for aprons in my spare time. And I ask everyone that has/is wearing a cute apron where they got theirs. Today, for instance, I asked the baristas at the coffee shop where they got their cute white with mutli-colored striped aprons (Walmart, apparently), and we collectively mused about how wonderful aprons are.

In the market for a new apron yourself? Cost-Plus's aprons are absolutely adorable - the prints are just so cute! And how can you go wrong with matching pot-holders and kitchen towels? I covet this one especially:

This is the Paradise Bird apron from World Market; although the apron is apparently not available online anymore, so you'll have to go the actual store.

Also, here are links to Williams Sonoma's aprons (which are great for simple but sturdy ones), Target's aprons (there are some gems), and there are some cute ones at Bed Bath & Beyond, too.

If you're looking for a more personal touch, I'm absolutely in love with this apron that's currently for sale on Etsy:

Flirty Everday Housewife Apron

Not even kidding, I'm fighting off the urge to buy it right now. Here are all of the aprons currently listed on Etsy (there are currently over 11,000!); I particularly love this store (the maker of the apron above) and this store as well.

Happy apron shopping!

I missed Menu Plan Monday this week

So, I didn't quite make the Menu Plan Monday deadline this week... add that to the list of things that I put off and missed! I actually did plan out my menu on the whiteboard in my kitchen, though, so I'm not really that much of a slacker. I even went grocery-shopping on Monday night based off of what was in my fridge, what was on-sale, and the menu I had created accordingly. Here's what I got:

Lots of delicious things, right? And only $37! There are a lot of bits of meals in that bunch, but not the whole lot of complete meals - missing the milk, eggs, carrots, etc. In no particular order, here are the meals that I'll be making with my winnings:

• Vegetarian Chili with cornbread
• Shepherd's Pie
• Fried Rice
• Beef Curry Stew (with tofu and green peppers instead of beef)
• Lasagna
• Stir Fry
• Mac-N-Cheese (boxed) with veggies
• Lemon-Ricotta Orzo
• And last but not least, veggie soup with all the leftovers!

A few side projects to write about!

I've been working on a really big home project; slowly but surely, the guest room has been getting more uncluttered and more usable! But alas, it's not ready to be written about or photographed yet, but it's also been keeping me from working on other things, so I haven't had much to update about. :( This hasn't kept me from undertaking a few other small side projects, however!

The new charging station!

If you're like me, you have about 5 million things that you carry with you every day that may or may not need charging and may or may not already have designated charging places. When I left my personal cellphone at home for the third time in one week because I couldn't find it and it was totally dead, I decided enough was enough! I've been very happy with the charging station above from Costplus (this link is to a similar one), as it keeps track of my keys and chargers for me! It just sits on my counter by the front door, and it's small enough that it's not intrusive on that (already busy) space.

A little home herb garden, replanted.

I also decided it was time to redeem myself for all of the plants I managed to kill this spring and summer by replanting the little herb garden planter I bought this past spring. My first attempt at growing chives and basil starting out well enough, but failed miserably when I forgot to water it for a month and everything turned brown. This time, however, I'm determined to get some usable herbs out of this planter! Plus, there's nothing like a little herb garden to liven up your kitchen during a dreary winter, as this one's definitely going to be. :)

Budget Grocery Shopping

So, I finally did it. I menu-planned based mostly on what I had on hand, I made a conservative list of items to buy for the rest of the week, and I checked out the grocery ads online before hitting the store. What I came away with is probably the most productive grocery trip ever, which also happens to have been the cheapest (for what I got, that is).



The spoils of my trip, minus the wine.

I got 4 cans of beans (3 for chili, one for salads), two cans of diced tomatoes, green salsa (thanks for the recommendation Rachel!), peanut butter, 6 eggs, a 1/2 gallon of milk, two kinds of cheese, frozen green beans and frozen peas, whole wheat bread, and english muffins - for eating. I also bought 6 bottles of wine that were super on sale, and then cheaper with my reusable wine bag.

Grand total? $42.13. Mommy blogs, you've got me convinced. Coupons/ad-checking/menu-planning is the way to go.