last night

brunch: half a greek yogurt (60) with granola (60) and one strawberry (50)
dinner: six pieces of salmon avocado sushi (300), six pieces of spicy tuna (300)
total calories: 770
weight: 114.4
goal: 105 by the end of the summer

goals for the summer
- clean my room.  i think this will need to be put out in phases... i have 6 weeks to clean my room, so that can be split by: desk/under the bed/drawers/dresser/closet/final.  yikes.
- learn more about hinduism
- learn more about kung fu
- learn more chinese
- get to 105

yesterday pat called me.  i miss him a lot.  we talked for an hour just about stuff we wanted to do this summer and his trip to canada and vegas and my trip to singapore and bali.  he wants to surf this summer.  i want to clean my room.  we joked around and talked about having housewarming parties and how we would visit each other.  i was completely serious.  i am not sure if he was, too.  i think he was.  he kept saying, actions speak louder than words.

i told him how i was living with tara and what a disaster we were together.  he mentioned europe and i laughed and said, i'm not going to tell you.  he said, i'll find out eventually.  i said, that's not even the worst thing we've done together.  he said, oo the plot thickens.  i said, those are stories you have to earn.  he said, i will.

after an hour i told him i was going to leave.  he seemed surprised and said, oh... okay.  i told him i would talk to him soon.  he said, yeah call me whenever.  i said, i'll call you next week... i probably won't have anything new to say though (and i laughed).  he said, that's okay... i like talking to you.  and my heart melted a little.

i used to mistake his quietness and reserved nature for indifference... but i think i know him a bit better now.  when he really wants something, he'll ask for it.  in a weird way it's comforting, knowing that he's not saying things that he thinks i want to hear.  though sometimes, i do wish he were more affectionate.  i guess it's better knowing that he's not bullshitting me.

Relapse

A picture of my puppy for no reason at all.

So my experiment with going vegan had a few minor setbacks.

While I ate at home, I was good.  I have tons of vegan options and lots of vegan-friendly substitutes.  When I ate out, I was a disaster.

On Friday I had a sandwich with cheese on it.  On Saturday brunch I had an omelette.  And on Sunday dinner I had pasta with vodka sauce... which is made with cream.

I think even after a few days I was definitely becoming more aware of what I was eating, but I don't think I can go cold turkey on eggs, milk, and cheese.  It's especially hard when we're going out because I don't want to make my friends go to different restaurants (especially since few of my friends are vegetarians and because any of the vegan restaurants are pretty far from where I live).

Anyway, maybe I'll just try to eat vegan and home and vegetarian out for the time being.

Going Vegan for a Week

Hey all!  Sorry I've been so MIA.  We had our spring break last week and I was off in sunny San Diego and then to Las Vegas to celebrate my first week as a legal young adult!

After a week of partying with eight of my best friends, I came back to DC feeling a bit sluggish and gross.  A week of alcohol, nachos, and late-night snacking will do that to you.  Now that I'm back in cold weather again, I need to be able to fit into my skinny jeans!

So in response to a lost week, I've decided to detox for at least a week by going vegan.

I consider myself a vegetarian under normal circumstances, though technically I'm a pescetarian.  I do not eat any meat, though I do eat fish occasionally.  I don't eat foods that were cooked in beef or chicken broth.  I do eat eggs and cheese - lots and lots of cheese.

This week I've decided to challenge myself by cutting out eggs, milk, and cheese - as well as any foods made with any of these ingredients*.  It has been pretty difficult, especially because I am still a college student, but  I'm on day three right now and going strong!

Senior Slump

Hey all,
I'm sorry I've been so M.I.A. lately... but I'm back with a playlist full of beautiful, indie music for your pleasure.

• Sleepyhead by Passion Pit
• Rhythm Of Love by Plain White T's
• Chinese Translation by M. Ward
• French Navy by Camera Obscura
• Mayfly by Belle & Sebastian
• Baby by Devendra Banhart

Add a playlist to your page using iLike

Updates soon!

Battle of the Bottle

For any eco-ista, a reusable waterbottle is a must have.  Having owned either a Sigg or a Klean Kanteen, two of the most popular metal waterbottles, I can say that these waterbottles have increased my water intake and have been lifesavers.  Though both come with their own benefits, the biggest of which is decreasing plastic bottle consumption, I have to say that one comes out as the clear winner for me.

Sigg:
Pros:
- Thick walled
- Cute designs
- Easy to drink from the narrow top
Cons:
- Difficult to clean - you can buy a special brush to wash it, but you definitely can't wash it by hand
- Heavy - because it's so thick, it is pretty heavy (though you could use it in self-defense)
- Dents easily - for someone like me who drops their waterbottle constantly, this is an issue
- The lid of the bottle can grow mold if it's not cleaned very thoroughly - gross!
- My Sigg started shedding paint/plastic bits at the top, so that was the last straw for me
- Made out of aluminum, which has some questionable health/safety issues (i.e. BPA in the lining)

Klean Kanteen:

Pros:

- Easy to wash - you don't need a special brush to wash it and there are no places where mold can grow

- Wide opening - you can put ice cubes into your waterbottle

- Made out of stainless steel, which is safe for you

- Light and easy to carry

- Seems to dent a lot less - I've dropped mine a few times and no dents yet

Cons:

- Wide opening - I know that I put this in the pros, but I also spill a lot of water while trying to drink out of this

- Few designs and limited colors

- My roommate says that hers leaks, but I haven't had that problem

Tally:

Sigg: +3, -6

Klean Kanteen: +5, -3

And that is why I say that my Klean Kanteen is the winner.  I love it!

Picture That: Winner

Hi all,
I wanted to thank the few of you who entered into the giveaway contest.  Using Random.org, I'd like to congratulate Meri for winning the giveaway!
Meri, please send me an email with your shipping information (i.e. address) at your earliest convenience.

Everyone else, thank you for following!

Lengthen Your Lashes

Over the past few weeks I've been using Tarte's multiplEYE natural lash enhancer.  It is formulated without parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, and synthetic dyes and fragrances.

I'd wanted to try Revitalash or Latisse, but I couldn't really justify getting it.  I was scared of the reviews that claimed that using these products changed the color of your eye so who knows what else they could have done?  When Tarte came out with this product, I decided to give it a try.

My eyelashes are short and straight, but I definitely noticed growth after using this product.  It's a little pricey, at $65 for a tube that'll last about two months.

You definitely have to follow the directions exactly, so that means using it every day on clean eyelids, which was probably my downfall.  It also stings a little bit after application, but nothing terribly unpleasant.

So will I buy it again?  Probably not.  It did work for me, but it was hard for me to remember to put it on and failing to put it on clean eyelids meant that it wouldn't work.  However, if you know you're going to be diligent about it, it's definitely worth trying out.

Finally, I'd just like to remind all readers to enter into my giveaway!