No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 12.22.11.
I’ve (finally) come up with a mailer to send to places I love and want to work at! I’m SO excited about it! It’s going to be expensive to ship, but I don’t care. I need to get noticed! Here are a couple pics showing the products I’m sending to go with my ticket theme on my resume…
Front
Back
The idea behind the products is that people want to eat food when they go to the movies (ticket-themed resume), so I’m sending concessions! Popcorn, water, and a chocolate bar! Yay! Who wouldn’t want to eat a bar of chocolate while looking at (my) pretty artwork online? : )
The boxes I’m going to ship them in have been custom made and shipped on Friday from Iowa, so they haven’t arrived yet. When they come in I’m going to paint them to looks like the boxes people get their food in when they go to the movies. Then I’ll wrap them in brown paper and ship them out!
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 10.18.11.
A couple weeks ago my mom and I went to Nashville. She went on business, and I went just to see Nashville and take a much-needed vaca. We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Resort – that place is amazing! It reminded me of Disney’s MGM studios. There were plants, koi ponds, waterfalls, restaurants and shops all over the place. The rooms basically outlined all the stuff in the middle. It was like they built an indoor shopping mall and added hotel rooms as an afterthought. I had plenty of time to myself, so I took plenty of pics. My grandparents came up for a couple nights, and I went with them to the zoo. It was awesome! But I’m a sucker for a zoo. I’ll go anytime, anywhere. I also did some shopping. I bought some legit cowgirl boots… 3 pairs… But one was for my sister!
I also toured the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, TN. It was the BEST tour I’ve ever been on! AND it was free! Totally worth the hour and a half drive down there. It was a guided tour of the distillery. Inside and out. Amazing. I wanna go back.
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 09.13.11.
This weekend I completed my first ‘major’ sewing project – a jacket for my mom! I’m so happy with the way it turned out!
There’s a slight problem with one of the sleeves, but it’s easily fix-able, and I’ve got until next summer to do it because my mother refuses to wear white after Labor Day!
Next up… a shirt dress for me!
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 09.09.11.
Just in case you don’t already know… IT’S FRIDAAAAYYYY!! And the weather is gorgeous! I can’t wait to get off work so I can go outside! I’m planning on taking the dogs (and my parents) to the Military Park for a nice run/walk. I don’t think I’ve been this excited about the weather since…well, at all…this year! It has put me in a great mood this week!
Today at work temptations are abounding… Between my department and the break room, there are two…TWO boxes of donuts and a circle of Monkey Bread. One box of donuts is in my department, the other is with the monkey bread in the break room. So if you go to the break room to get coffee or a slice of that awesome monkey bread (that I made – guilty) and you happened to miss the donuts the first time, you get another chance to get one in the break room! Wonderful!
P.S. The monkey bread recipe came from here.
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 09.08.11.
I found a really great tutorial on how to make your own headband here, and I thought this would be a perfect first project to use with my new sewing machine! (Given to me by my awesome step-grandmother). I modified the directions a little bit because I didn’t want the back of the band to tie. I wanted it to be one whole piece, so I sewed the two ends together. I also ended up having to use a jersey material that I had left from a dress I tried to make a couple years ago. I don’t think my head is made to wear normal headbands like the one in that tutorial, because when I used the regular cotton fabric, the band did not lay properly flat on my head. I actually tried both her version (that ties in the back) and my version and they both looked stupid! Anyway, I remembered I had that fabric so I tried it (with my version of the band) and it worked! I love it!
Here’s the result!
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 09.07.11.
A few weeks ago I came across these awesome babies:
It’s a bubble tent by Bubbletree! I know right?! I thought the same thing! Let’s go camping! THIS is the kind of camping I’m talkin ’bout! Yes, it’s a far cry from roughing it on the Appalachian Trail, but I think once I’ve gotten that under my belt, there’d be no problem treating myself to a little luxury camping in one of these.
They come in two different kinds – completely transparent or half and half. Your choice. ; ) They also come with options such as portable sofas, wardrobes, roll-out beds, and optional electricity! All for the low price of $9 – 17,000.
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 09.06.11.
One of my favorite websites is ideeli.com. They sell brand names at very discounted prices. You have to sign up for it in order to get access to the sales, but it’s well worth it. They have different sales every day starting at 11am, and they only last a few days at a time. It is also on a first-come first-served basis, but they send you emails on the new stuff they have every day. They usually sell out kind of quickly, but if you aren’t looking for anything in particular it’s fun to shop.
I have actually been looking at the site almost every day, keeping an eye out for clothes to wear on the AT – specifically ones that wick sweat away from your body. I want to get some now to see how they wear (and smell when you have to go days without taking a shower) and stuff like that. A couple weeks ago ideeli had a sale on Columbus outerwear. Score! I got a pair of pants and a trail jacket for $75. I almost got a couple pairs of the pants, but I’m glad I didn’t because they have seams in weird places for workout clothes and I can see that being a problem when walking 20 miles a day. But I love them to work out in at home!
I think the jacket will be perfect though. It’s mid-weight and waterproof, fully lined with an awesome inside pocket. :)
I’m always on the lookout for an awesome discount.
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 08.31.11.
This year I watched the whole VMAs, from the new Jersey Shore episode, through the pre-show, and onto the end of the actual show. I have been skeptical lately of MTV showing Music Video Awards since they don’t actually play music anymore, but I guess if they don’t do it no one else will. Anyway, it was actually a good show and worth staying up late(ish) for.
Lots of good people got recognition for their songs that I normally wouldn’t have expected from MTV/Twilight fans… Even though the ones who may have deserved the award more did not actually win, being recognized enough to be nominated is a step in the right direction in my book. Some of the people who got nominated were Mumford and Sons, The Black Keys, Foster the People (even though I’m about sick of Pumped Up Kicks, it was a great song), and Wiz Khalifa (I think he should have won Best New Artist because he’s had more hits than anyone else nominated for that category).
I’d also like to thank Lady Gaga for toning it down this year. Even though she dressed in drag, it was still not as flashy as she usually is, and I think it’s about time! It was almost classy. Needless to say her performance was amazing as well! I have slowly been getting over her completely ridiculous shenanigans lately, and her performance at the VMAs slowed that indefinitely.
Beyonce – KILLED IT!! She stole the show with the way she announced being pregnant! That was probably the best way to announce a pregnancy of all time! After a killer performance, she just ripped her (amazing) blazer open and rubbed her belly with a HUGE grin on her face! Talk about awesome timing! Jay-Z looked so proud, too. They are such a cute couple.
Chris Brown – no I don’t like him. At all. But the man can surely put on a good show. The music choice was amazing, the dancing was almost perfect, and he was the only person who flew from stage to stage. It was awesome!
Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato looked amazing. I’m not a huge fan of their songs (though I looked up Skyscraper yesterday and will be downloading it promptly), but they looked beautiful.
I’m also glad Jessie J got some exposure. She seems like she could make some pretty good music (better than Price Tag). I hope other people recognize that as well. I liked some of her covers more than the original songs.
Adelle was amazing as expected. I’m surprised she made it through the song she sang without bursting into tears. I surely teared up. It was very emotional.
Kreayshawn has also been put on the map. At least my map. I hadn’t heard of her before they announced her as a nominee for Best New Artist. I downloaded her song Gucci Gucci and I really like it. That girl’s got some goods.
A couple things I was disappointed in were:
Nicki Minaj’s outfit. What was she thinking?? OMG. It was terrible. Who’s she trying to be? Lady Gaga? Gah! Words cannot describe how awful that outfit was.
The Hunger Games “Sneak Peak.” It was like 5 seconds long! I realize they’re still filming it, but surely they could’ve given us more than what they did. I mean, I could’ve looked that much up on Youtube. When you’ve got like 8 million viewers, that’s your chance to get them ALL hooked on the movie you want them to see! I hope they didn’t blow it with the people who haven’t read the books because I’m sure it will be a great movie. They just did not do it justice. Come on people! Use your brains!
Lil Wayne closed the show, and I have to be honest, I was not impressed. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Lil Wayne, but they had to censor literally half the lyrics! It was terrible to watch that on TV! If you have to silence half the song, DON’T PERFORM IT! Jeez!
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 08.30.11.
I thought I’d write an update on my Fitness Pal goings-on for the MANY people that I KNOW keep up with my awesome blog… ; )
The Fitness Pal has become more of My Fitness Enemy lately. Last week I ate at a buffet TWICE! And I did not do well… Buffets are my weakness. Especially Chinese buffets. And that happens to be where I ate both times… Needless to say I have almost gained back the entire 10 pounds I lost through watching calories. BUT, I am not giving up! This week is a new week. And with this week starts a new month, and I have vowed to do better! I am doing this for no one but myself, so I have plenty of time to lose the weight I want to lose. (And get in shape for the Trail!)
I have really been slacking on the exercise thing the past few weeks, and I think that has been the reason for most of my downfall (of course those buffets didn’t help either). So, I am getting back on the strict 1500 calorie a day plan this week, and I am going to try to do at least 30 minutes of something at least 6 times a week (or burn 300 calories – which ever comes first on days I’m feeling sluggish). I AM going to make this work!
Yesterday I jogged/walked 4.4 miles, and I am feeling it today! I will probably just walk 3 miles tonight. No need to hurt myself with this running thing. I am in NO hurry to be able to run more than a mile at a time. It will happen when it happens. Meanwhile, I will keep pushing myself, if nothing else, to get outside and MOVE!
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 08.22.11.
As of last week, I have added hiking the entire Appalachian Trail to my bucket list.
My step cousin in Texas is doing it, and she has inspired me to do it as well. She looks like she is having the time of her life, and I know she will always look back on that, probably, as the hardest thing she ever did (and accomplished!)
As of right now I am aiming to begin in April of 2014. I think I can have enough money saved up by then for everything. I have started looking up and buying equipment for the hike. I ordered some pants and a jacket today from Columbia, and I plan to test them out on a couple hiking trips to see if they will work for 6 months on the AT.
I have been researching it like crazy, mostly trying to see if I can actually finish it. But I’ve seen that people with all kinds of disabilities have completed it, and that makes me sure I can do it too. My next step is to get books by people who have hiked the whole thing. I’m making a list and am planning on getting them sometime soon.
Next summer I am planning to go on an Outward Bound rafting trip. It lasts 7-10 days and they sleep outside at night and raft during the day. I need to take a few hardcore outing trips to prepare for the AT, and I’ve never gotten to white water raft before, and it sounds like a ton of fun. I’m really excited about it!
Anyway, I’ll send more updates as they come.
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 08.11.11.
The Help finally came to theaters yesterday! Yay!
At first I didn’t think I’d get to see it because no one could go, but then I got an email from my grandmother inviting me to go with her and her friends… I know, appropriate, right? Anyway, it was a great movie! Long, but great. It followed the book almost exactly, too. I loved that about it. Especially since I recently read the book by Kathryn Stockett.
Of course, Emma Stone was amazing. Love her!
Viola Davis was also amazing. She had to gain 25 pounds for the film AND get padded – she said she gained that weight by eating Mississippi food… big surprise. I wish I could look at a sweet little toddler who has no idea of what’s going on around her, and cry like I’m never going to see her again. Viola is good. And she’s already back into amazing shape. Wish I could do that too!
I also just found out yesterday that the whole cast (minus Sissy and Bryce) came to Madison Grandview for the premiere a couple weeks ago, and man was I mad I didn’t know about that. I would’ve gladly shelled out a couple hundred dollars for a ticket to that!
I am adding this movie and Bridesmaids to my list of movies to buy when they come out.
1 CommentPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 08.10.11.
I have been taking care of the house and animals by myself this week, and since I can’t seem to get myself out of bed before the crack of 6:30am-barely in time for work, I’ve noticed the dogs seeming restless. We bring them inside at night to sleep, and I couldn’t get them to bed Sunday or Monday night. I figured they were either chock-full of energy or just wouldn’t listen to me. My mom is the iron fist when she is around (which is most of the time). So, last night I tried two different things to make them listen to me. When I got home from work, I went outside to play with them. I haven’t cared for doing this since we got Heffer, the flood rescue dog that we are housing for the Animal Shelter until she gets adopted. Heffer has established herself as pack leader among her and Jane. They are constantly going at it-play fighting all the time. Anyway, before Heffer, Jane would get the toy we threw for her and bring it back to us so we could throw it again. Now Heffer thinks it’s…funny(?) to take the toy from Jane and bring into the basement and stash in her bed! I hate that! It’s annoying. I constantly have to go find other toys since Jane can’t bring the one back to me that I threw. And I think it’s mean of Heffer to do that.
So when I got tired of them fighting for toys and Heffer taking them inside, I decided to water the plants with the sprinkler. Jane absolutely loved trying to catch the water in her mouth, but of course Heffer didn’t like the water at all. I tried to spray her to show her the water wouldn’t hurt, because she looked so jealous at Jane having fun and I wanted her to have fun too. But she just backed off every time I sprayed her and kept her distance from the sprinkler.
There’s Jane, soaking wet, after playing in the water.
Although she was afraid of the sprinkler, Heffer had no problems licking the water off Jane.
The next thing I tried to get them to go to bed was being stern with them and actually making them get into their beds. After me yelling at them in the middle of their playing for a good 30 minutes, I got up and pointed to each of their beds, and told them to get in them and they actually did! They listened to me, lol. Heffer actually got up a few times, but all it took was me saying her name for her to go back to it. It was cute.
This morning I also got up and took them to the Military Park at 5. It was completely dark, and my flashlight didn’t do much. Jane dragged behind us for most of a mile and a half, and I couldn’t figure out what her problem was. Heffer stayed right beside me even when I tried to run, but I had to keep stopping because Jane was making me drag her along. It was annoying. Finally I noticed she kept trying to get up beside Heffer on the other side of me, so I let her, and once she was able to walk in front of us, the walk went much smoother. OMG! I have a pouting dog!
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 08.08.11.
My life has been kind of hectic lately, and I literally haven’t had time to blog. However, I hope to have more time this week, but who knows what could happen between now and tomorrow?
Anyway, a couple weeks ago I applied for a job in New Orleans/Mandeville. I went down there for two separate interviews and did a project for some package design for them and still didn’t get the job! But at the interview last week I stayed with my friend who lives in New Orleans for a couple nights, so it wasn’t a total waste of gas! We went to a bar called the Bulldog. When you buy beer there they give you a glass cup that you can keep. When you collect 21 cups you can trade them in for a t-shirt. So, of course, my goal for the night was to get 21 cups and trade them in! I couldn’t possibly drink that much (1 beer and I’m ready for bed), so we started getting donations to my t-shirt fund. We ended up getting 24 glasses! Someone even brought me a box to put them all in. But of course, when we tried to trade them in the bartender said we’d have to come back the next day. He was onto our scheme… Needless to say, I did NOT go back the next day. I wasn’t about to make an extra trip over there, so I am stuck with 24 Bulldog glasses. Each of them have a different design on them, and some are pretty cool. I’m thinking when/if I ever get a full-time job and apartment of my own, then I’ll have an ‘Apartment Warming’ party and send people home with those glasses as a party favor or something.
Some of my glasses (before we got a box to put them in). The glasses have since been cleaned/antibacterialized.
I have to mention this ice cream I got when we went to Whole Foods in New Orleans, which by the way, is an awesome store! It’s kind of expensive though. Anyway, the ice cream is called Arctic Zero, and an entire pint of it is only 150 calories! So I bought chocolate and strawberry. Strawberry was definitely the better of the two. I liked them both, though, but my friend didn’t like the texture. The texture was different than other ice cream, but it was only 37 calories a serving! If you must have ice cream, it’s definitely the better choice!
I spent three whole days working on the project the company wanted me to do for my second interview in Mandeville the week of July 27, the next week I spent two and a half days in New Orleans, and did not get hardly any work done on Focus, so I had to forgo my family vacation to Texas this week and get it done. Boo. I guess the bright side is that I have the house pretty much to myself this week. It’s just me and the dogs, cats, and the rabbit.
The day after my first interview in Mandeville, I got an upper scope done to check for ulcers since I’ve been having such bad/weird-acting acid reflux. I also had a sonogram done to check for gall stones or gall bladder disease. I spent all freaking day at River Region (without being able to eat a thing) and all the tests came back negative. I’m perfectly healthy… Awesome… The only thing they found was some kind of inflammation in my stomach, but they didn’t think that was what was causing my problems. They biopsied it and it was fine. So, now I’m back to square one with that problem. Guess I’ll just have to deal with the pain when it flares up as usual. I don’t think I’ll go back for an EKG. There’s nothing wrong with my heart, and I for sure don’t want to spend another whole day at that hospital. They tried to get an intern to put an IV in my hand! The boy was younger than I am! He beat the mess out of my hand, I guess trying to get the vein to show up, and then complained that my skin was turning red and he couldn’t see anything… Wonder why it turned red?? That was the worst IV experience I’ve ever had. No one has ever had any problems putting one in before him. I understand they have to learn on someone, but why me? And why can’t they have a more important-looking title on their name-tags than ‘Extern’?
Anyway, I’m hoping this week will see my life getting back to normal… I’m hoping…
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.22.11.
I have been at a loss the past couple days as to what to blog about, so I figured I’d just write a post of random facts of things going on in my life right now…
- I am designing the entire print version of Focus magazine for Ergon this week! It’s a huge responsibility and one I am kinda thrilled about getting to do! After a couple false starts with my concept, I have one out and am sticking with it. I already have a design concept and three or four spreads done already. I really like the way it is turning out. Here is one of the spreads. Just remember that this is still in its beginning stage and this may or may not be the finished product. As always, I would love for some suggestions on improvements!
This is the second and third page of a 3-page spread. It is my favorite so far.
- I have a job interview in Mandeville, La Monday! The position is for a Graphic Designer at Pyrotechnico. They do fireworks displays! It sounds really cool! My mom and I are going down Sunday night and staying in a hotel room. My interview is at 9:30 Monday morning. Can’t wait!
- I am going to Starkville this weekend to visit my cousin Stacey. We’re mostly just gonna chill and hang out, but it will be fun! We’ll probably go to Local Cultures yogurt place. It’s pretty cool.
- I have been sticking to my 1500 calorie a day plan, and it has been paying off! I’ve lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks! Yay!
- I am getting an Upper GI on Tuesday to check out what’s been going on in my stomach. I’ve been having what feels like really bad acid reflux for a few months now. Only the specialist I finally went to see last week said what I describe doesn’t sound like acid reflux. It sounds like it could be really bad and unusual acid reflux, gall stones, or a heart problem… Eek, Let’s hope for the first one!
- I am reading a book called The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd, a graphic designer. It is hilarious so far! I was literally laughing out loud as I was reading last night!
Read this book! It’s hilarious!
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.19.11.
I’ve been watching The Bachelorette this season kind of religiously for some reason. Even though I didn’t really like Ashley to start with, she has kind of grown on me. I think it’s because she finally shut up about Bentley. She doesn’t look so clingy anymore. Now I’m rooting for her to find a good guy that she’ll be happy with.
My first choice has been J.P. from the start. I’ve always thought he was cute, and he has a really good personality. Or at least he did until last week. It annoyed me that he got so jealous and moody (!) about her going out with the other guys… HELLO!! You’re on the Bachelorette! You came into it knowing that would happen! He kind of seemed possessive, and that’s not attractive. Especially since his mood seemed to radiate all around him and bring everyone else down. He pouted throughout the entire episode! He may no longer by my first choice…
I didn’t really have a second choice for her until I watched last night’s episode. Now I really like Constantine. I’ve never thought he was that attractive, but when he brought Ashley home, he kind of came alive. His family is so cool! Constantine was almost like a different person, and now I think I might want Ashley to pick him over J.P.
I don’t think you can date a bunch of guys for a few weeks and decide if you want to spend the rest of your life with one of them. That is way too quick in my opinion. You can’t know if you’re making the right decision until you’ve seen each other at your worst, and I don’t think people are going to let that show on national television. But what do I know? Hardly any of the couples on the Bachelor series have actually worked out, but I kind of really hope Ashley’s does.
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.18.11.
This weekend was a fairly good one despite a few small things going wrong.
Saturday I went to see Harry Potter again with my parents. The movie started at 12:05pm, so it didn’t end til 2-something. By this time we are hungry. I have only had enough calories to make it 3-4 hours without eating, and it is past time for me to eat. So as we are speeding along some back road on the way to Ichiban, my mom gets pulled over and handed a speeding ticket. Yay.
Ok, so life happens while you’re making other plans. So we head on to Ichiban, walk in and see a sign saying they are closed for lunch and will reopen at 5 for dinner. Dang.
Oh well. We find another place to eat.
Sunday morning I wake up with a headache. The best way to start a day in my book. I take some aspirin and it goes away.
Sunday evening I go for a run in the military park, and complete my first mile in 9:42! YEAH BUDDY! I was pumped!
When I get back to the car and stretch, I take my phone out of the sleeve I wear on my arm to post my run on Facebook. And I drop my phone. The screen now has quite a few lovely cracks in the face of it. Nice.
I guess I’ll get to be one of the cool kids and get the newest iPhone when/if it ever comes out. But I was quite content with my iPhone 4 to be honest.
I’m not devastated over my phone or anything though. It’s like tucking your skirt into your underwear after using the bathroom… It has to happen to everyone at least once. (And yes, that has happened to me)
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.15.11.
I just finished reading this amazing book by Kathryn Stockett. It is written from the point of view of two maids living in Jackson, MS in the 60s and a white woman who wants to write a book from their point of view. The white woman, Skeeter, wants to be a journalist and write something that will change the lives of the way these women are treated by their employers. Skeeter doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into when the stories start pouring in. Some of them are greatly inspiring. Some of them are heartbreaking. And some of them are down-right cruel.
Although she writes the stories anonymously, Skeeter faces ostracism from her best friend, villain, and the town’s queen bee, Hilly. She is forced to do it all in secret, risking the lives of the women telling her the story and her own social status, but Skeeter doesn’t hesitate to finish the book.
What begins as an attempt to impress a publishing company in New York ends up sparking the first change in the way these women are treated by their employers.
Now for the even better news… The Help is being turned into a movie! And Emma Stone is playing Skeeter! It is being released August 10 and I cannot wait! I watched the trailer for it and it looks like most of my favorite parts in the book have been put into the movie! I teared up just watching the trailer, so I know it will be just as emotional as the book was for me. This will definitely be a movie to watch over and over again.
The Help Official Website
P.S. Here is one of my favorite quotes from her book:
“Mississippi is like my mother. I am allowed to complain about her all I want, but God help the person that raises an ill word about her around me, unless she is their mother too.”
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.14.11.
IT ALL ENDS… TONIGHT!
Yep, you guessed it. Harry Potter, the final installment, is premiering tonight at midnight! And I have tickets! P.S. It’s in 3D!!
Can you tell I’m excited?
My friends and I are having a Harry Potter-themed dinner tonight. It’s technically breakfast for dinner, but we are going to cleverly name the food HP-style. Also, I found a recipe for “Butterbeer” online that sounds REALLY good to me! It’s Butterscotch Schnapps and Cream Soda… OMG, I can’t wait to try it! I’m trying to save calories for it today.
I’m not really planning for a run today since I’m going straight to my friends’ house in Clinton after work, but I did bring clothes for it in case we get bored between dinner and the movie. We are thinking we’ll get to the theater around 10. My friend Margaret bought our tickets online and she said there were only 19 tickets left for the entire showing. Eek, there’s gonna be a LOT of people there!
Harry Potter Trailer
*As you can probably imagine, the movie was amazing!! I laughed. I cried. I’m gonna miss those kids. More-so Hermione and Ron… Harry’s been getting on my nerves the past couple movies. But I can’t wait to see it again!
It was shorter than I expected – a little over 2 hours, so of course I was happy to get that extra hour of sleep. And the movie was so action-packed I don’t think I could’ve handled another hour of it! OMG it was so good! I just need some sleep now!
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.13.11.
As you can see from the title, I am now on Day 3 of the My Fitness Pal app. So far I have learned two things: Leave more than 380 calories for dinner on days you don’t work out, and carrots do NOT fill you up.
Last night it was dark and dreary out, and I didn’t feel like running or going to the gym to do strength training. So I didn’t… That is until I realized I only had 380 calories left for the day and I wanted ice cream after dinner (said dinner being a hamburger patty with cheese on top-like I said: allot more cals for dinner!) Anyway, once I added the ice cream to the hamburger patty, I was -52 calories. I realize that’s not a whole lot but seeing it in writing like that inspired me to do something about it. So, as I was watching Tosh.o, I did some crunches and added them into My Fitness Pal. However, according to my app, crunches don’t burn any calories! Crap! So, I got on the elliptical for 10 minutes… Didn’t even break a sweat. BUT! My app’s news feed now says that I completed my food diary and was under my calorie goal! Score! DAS what I’m talkin’ bout!
So, today I decided to try not to eat as much during the day as I have been so that I can eat more at night. However, I love fruit, and that has been a problem… It’s kinda high in calories. So I brought some baby carrots today and have been forcing myself to eat them to put off eating lunch – 330 calories of Chicken Alfredo and Pasta – as long as possible. However, those carrots may as well be gum. They have no taste without Ranch dressing on them, and I think I’m getting MORE hungry the more I eat. UGH!
Anyway, so far I have managed to save calories for tonight so I won’t go to bed hungry. However, today is also a running day, so I shouldn’t have any problem with that today… Of course… My timing has always been terrible.
Well, despite my complaining, I have lost about 3 pounds since the last time I weighed myself (about 2 weeks ago), which is more than I can say for the days of getting Coke Icees every day thanks to Kangaroo and their $7 Summer of Temptation. >>>
Those days are over… : (
Yeah, sad, I know. I still have the cup, though. I haven’t decided if I want to try to sell the cup, keep it as a memento, or just cut down to one Icee a week. We’ll see. I only have until September 5 to decide!
Ugh, now I want one… And carrots ain’t gonna cut it.
4 CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.12.11.
That, my friends, is my running shoe. The Nike Nike Air Pegasus+ 28 Breathe Women’s Running Shoe.
Originally, I had the LunarGlide+ 2 as my shoe, but I was mistaken… If you look them both up, they look a lot alike! My bad! In fact, they are almost exactly alike except for small changes in the outer design. And maybe the LunarGlides have a little more support.
Anyway.
I absolutely love these shoes! They are made for people with injuries and for those who like extra support.
I went to FleetFeet in Madison a couple weeks after I had started running. I had been running in Nike Shocks, and my ankle was hurting a little and I was getting blisters. Anyway, they set me up with this guy who measured my feet and watched me walk. I told him I had an ankle injury and needed extra support, so he brought out a couple options – Nike’s and New Balance. I tried the New Balance and they felt okay, but when I put my foot into the Nike’s it was like stepping into a cloud. They were so soft on the inside! I also loved the bright blue color. I was sold. He then told me I needed to get an insert to support my high arch so they don’t collapse. (Eek!) And I had to buy the awesome socks he had me put on to try the shoes on with. They were softer than the shoe! And they had little pad thingys on the heels to keep them from sliding into my shoe and giving me blisters!
When I got to the register I was expecting to pay at least $170, but I was pleasantly surprised that it only came out to $114. With the socks, inserts, and shoes, I think that was a pretty nice deal!
Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend anyone starting out running that they go to a store like FleetFeet and get professionally fitted for a running shoe. I haven’t had any ankle pain or blisters since I got them!
P.S. Here’s my socks! Balega Hidden Comfort
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.12.11.
Yesterday I finally accepted that my calorie counter that I PAID for for no less than $2.99 is terrible! It only shows me foods I search for when it feels like it, and it’s ALWAYS slow. SO, I downloaded a new, FREE, app called My Fitness Pal. I actually read the reviews before I downloaded it and most everyone had good things to say. Once I entered my information it told me I needed to cut down to 1530 calories a day to lose a pound and a half a week. I, of course, already knew this information because the last app told me that before its newness wore off and it decided to crap out on me. Anyway, for some reason, this new Fitness Pal got me pumped up. It actually has a news feed, and you can join in with other people (your friends) on the app for more support! Right now my news feed says, “Emily completed her food and exercise diary for 07/11/2011 and was under her calorie goal.” Heck yeah!
Yesterday I stayed under my allotted calories by like 400 because I ran in the Military Park after work. I even had ice cream after dinner! (granted said ‘dinner’ was a half a ham sandwich, but still…) After I completed the day’s entry it told me if every day were like this I’d be down 12 lbs in 5 weeks! Way to pump me up! Thursday nights better watch out. No more fattening Mexican food for me… hopefully.
I seem to have a problem with will-power. I have no problem staying away from bad food on my own. I won’t even buy it at the store. BUT when it’s put in front of me (ex. my house) already cooked and delicious-looking, I have to eat it! However, I’ve learned a little trick recently (probably the last person in the world to do so) to eat lots of fruit/veggies before that crappy food gets on my plate. Then I can eat til I get that miserably full feeling, but I won’t have to feel QUITE so miserable about it! Nice, I know!
P.S. I have an animal update from my run yesterday: I glanced up (yet again) to find two very large turkeys grazing in the grass right in front of me! However, they weren’t happy that I interrupted them and they ran off.
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.11.11.
Yesterday I ran my fastest mile at 10:40! Yeah, I know that’s not super fast or anything, but it means I almost ran the whole thing and I’m pretty happy about that! I did have to walk up a hill once and that’s what slowed me down. I’ve been using the Nike Plus iPhone app to track my pace and it consistently gets better. Except for yesterday… that almost 10 minute mile made me tired the rest of the loop that I run, and I didn’t run as much in the 2nd and 3rd miles, but I’m still happy about how it went all together… baby steps!
Anyway, I thought I’d post my most current power songs to run to. I go through them pretty fast. Once I get tired of a song, it’s pretty hard for me to keep running to it. But this week I’ve been searching the internet and other people’s blogs trying to find some good songs to help pump me up and keep me going.
Here is what’s on my playlist as of right now:
- “Flexin’” by Young Jeezy
- “He About to Lose Me” by Britney Spears
- “Big Fat Bass” by Britney Spears
- “Loser Like Me” by the Glee Cast (I really like this one, it gets me motivated even when I’m not running!)
- “Cheers (Drink to That)” by Rihanna (I have to thank my friend Erin for this one)
- “The Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga
- “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” by Arctic Monkeys (thanks Nikeplus.com!)
- “I Wanna Go” by Britney Spears (LOVE this right now!)
- “Rumor Has It” by Adele
-”Forgot About Dre” by Dr. Dre
Yesterday when I was running, I saw a baby coyote just chillin’ on the side of the road in the grass! I thought it was a fox at first, but once I got closer it looked more like a dog. My mom said it was a coyote and that his mom was probably watching us closely…
I seem to keep getting caught up in my own world when I run, only to look up and see some animal right in front of me. One time it was a huge snake waiting on me to go by so he could cross the road. It scared me to death! The other time it was a little brown bunny eating grass… not nearly as scary as the snake. Needless to say, on each occasion except the snake I had to stop running and watch the cute little animals for a few minutes.
BTW – That’s not me in the pic. ; )
No CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 07.09.11.
For the past few months I’ve been trying to get in shape by jogging. I started with an iPhone app called Couch 2 5k. You start by jogging for one minute and walking for a minute and a half for 30 minutes. Each week you run more and walk less. I made it to about week 6 before I discovered the treadmill…
I found that I could run farther on the treadmill than I could outside, so I basically spent the next few weeks running on the treadmill either at home or at the gym. Once I got up to 3 miles on it (with only a few minutes of walking in between) I got the bright idea to run a 5k! So my friend and I signed up for the Watermelon Classic on July 4th. Two weeks before race day, I figured I should run outside to get a feel for how it would be on the day of. I could barely run a full mile! And half of that was downhill! So, needless to say, I knew I wouldn’t be running that whole race, and I accepted that right then and there.
My friend, however, who’s been running (outside) since January was much more nervous about the race than I was. I knew I wasn’t going to run the whole thing, but she had much more faith in herself than I had in myself. So I couldn’t really relate to her race-day jitters. Anyway, race day came and went and my time was about as expected-39 minutes or so. Erin came in a full 7 minutes before me which wasn’t surprising either.
That day a couple weeks before the race I learned my lesson-NEVER run on a treadmill! They give BIG HEADS and FALSE IDEALS!!
Here we are pre-torture…
Just remember: DLF>DNF>>DNS – Dead Last Finish is greater than Did Not Finish which greatly triumphs Did Not Start.
And for the record – I was not even close to Dead Last.
3 CommentsPosted in Blog by emilyjacksondesign on 02.02.11.
Hey everyone!
My site is currently a work-in-progress because I am learning WordPress as I go along! I think it’s coming along pretty well so far though.
I’m trying to style it after my resume…
