Pedal Pusher

So. I'm sure you've all been waiting with bated breath since I last mentioned a pending change in my corner of the 'verse, so I am here to finally spill the beans. Last weekend I downsized from four wheels to two. No more car for me... I'm now a full-time bike commuter!

Most people ask "What happened??" with great concern, but this was a choice. The short version of the story is my youngest brother and his girlfriend are the lucky parents of the Cutest Baby Alive, my nephew. Life has been throwing them curveballs right and left, and one curveball in particular has been the inability to find a car that stays running for longer than a week. Cars are expensive, but when you have a little one a car is pretty much essential.

So I gave them my car. On Father's Day, I handed my brother an envelope with the keys and the title signed over to him. And then I asked him for a ride home :)

Sure, it's been an adjustment... I now only carry the essentials for my day – lunch, laptop, ballet gear, basic Avon business stuff and items to freshen up post-ride. Feel the burn, baby! I may be in shape, but any new activity requires muscles to be used in new ways - I was ready to call it a night by 9:30pm all last week and I’m not an early to bed gal. On Friday I calculated approximately how far I bike in a day, and it came to about 15 miles. Not bad. Oh, and the appetite! I’m a hunger monster anyway, but my food consumption has gone through the roof. The money I’m saving on gas and insurance may be traded in at the grocery store. Holy moly.

What was one of my biggest fears? Helmet hair, ha! But honestly, it's not been as bad as I expected. My bangs fluff back to life without too much effort. And my morning routine is much simpler, allowing me more time to snooze. There is no point in doing a full blowout or makeup face nowadays. Again, I was worried I’d be a hot sweaty mess upon arrival at work, but I change from biking getup to work-apropos outfit, dab on some powder and lip gloss, and I’m good to go. Thank the stars I work in a casual office.

Any inconvenience or adjustment on my part is far outweighed by the benefit to my brother and his li’l family. It was the right thing to do, so no regrets. FoCo is a very bike-friendly little city, so that helps tremendously, too. And you know I'm still sporting my girly style... hot pink Nike backpack; pink, black and white helmet; and my nails are still polished... today is sparkly red Ruby Slipper.

Wouldn't mind if this was the view on my commute...

All kinds of bike-related posts have been swirling around my helmeted head… such as beauty/fashion posts, potentially titled “Biker Babe Beauty” or “Pedal Pushing Pretty”… We’ll see what happens!

images We Heart It

Happy Monday lovelies!

xoxo
J

Friday, you lookin' fiiiiine

Twas a rough week! No major drama, just serious sleep deprivation. I spent the last week house and dog sitting a town away, which was a good samaritan thing to do to help out my friend, but I'm not gonna lie - I can't wait to get home tonight! I haven't really slept for about 7 nights now and I'm a hot mess. Every night it was something different... the pillows were tweaking my neck funny; the house was hot; the dog decided to bark and play around 3am; I babysat my 6-month old nephew overnight one evening, and the little guy still wakes up in the middle of the night for some grub. Got a little taste of mommyhood there... I will happily rock mommyhood someday, but I'm good with putting that off just a bit longer!

Still the reigning champ of the Cutest Baby Alive Award!

So, YAY weekend and being back home!! Friday is lookin' fiiiiine. What's on my weekend agenda?

Tonight... bed, sleep, passing out. End of discussion.

No sooner do I get home that I leave town again... Tomorrow I head to Denver for a joint birthday bash for some good friends I haven't seen in awhile. Many of the party-goers are hip hop dancers so the dance floor should be bumpin'. I miss that crew... If I'm not too distracted by the awesomeness that is sure to be demonstrated on the dance floor, I'll snap a few pics for le blog. Maybe I'll even be brave enough to jump in there myself. These peeps are legit, so we'll see.

Sunday is Father's Day of course, so I'll spend the day with my dad. This usually includes some bomb barbecue on his part, which will be the perfect cure for birthday dance party recovery.

And then it will be back to the grind before we know it, le sigh...

Ooh, and I have a li'l change happening over the weekend, so the next time I pop in I'll have some news... never a dull moment 'round here!

What are your weekend shenanigans??

Happy weekend loveys!

xoxo
J

Look who's 3!

My blog turns 3 this week! Since I myself am a December baby and was never able to have the pool party I always dreamed of, I will throw my blog one, right here...

Can't have a party without balloons

I want our guests to have options

Party favors

We'll top the cake with berries picked fresh from our garden!

I'll be here all day, folks

Just because the sun goes down doesn't mean the party's over...

Enter the DJ

Images via We Heart It

Who's going to join us??

xoxo
J

Lunch of champions

I know better, I really do. I've taken Human Nutrition courses, read plenty of legit nutrition scoop and even hired a personal trainer earlier this year to help contribute to my health quest. I've experienced first hand how much better I feel overall when I'm eating like a health rockstar. Being an athlete, I know the importance of fueling my body. I know what efficiently fuels my body and what's just fluff. I know my jazz.

But sometimes I don't do so hot, and this time the budget is the culprit.

A tricky budget is nothing new in my world, but I always figure it out one way or the other. I'm not always the wisest of consumers and I waste money on things that I convince myself I will die without, which then takes those funds from more important things or goals. One of the bigger goals being returning to student status in the fall and finishing my dance degree next spring (I took this last year off due to finances, for those readers new around here). I'm so close, only two semesters to go!

I've been chipping away at some hefty past-due tuition at the university over the last year and now that I'm down to the wire - two months until fall semester! - I'm in full-on penny-pinching mode. If I had forced myself into said mode months ago this wouldn't be so critical now, but c'est la vie. Long story short, I'm cutting corners and food is one of them... which means three days this week so far I've eaten cup o' noodles for lunch. Ah yes, so nutritious.

I know, I know... you don't need to tell me. But to help give myself some peace of mind, I give my cup o' noodles some oomph with half a tuna or egg salad sandwich (eggs and canned tuna are great cheap protein options, P.S.) and whatever fresh veggies were on sale that day at the grocery store. I keep snacks simple with more veggies and/or fruit and a protein such as yogurt or cheese. And Homeboy has saved the day by feeding me substantial meals for dinner.

I know I can do better than this. I know it's possible to eat on the cheap without sacrificing all nutritional heft. It simply a matter of getting creative and disciplining myself to meal prep better than I have over the last several months. And although I may know my jazz, I don't doubt that there are ideas and tips you all might have that are new and fresh to me... so please send your own healthy-but-cheap strategies my way!

Bon appetit!

xoxo
J

Packed with a punch

The week was short and sweet but jam-packed full o' goodness.

Numero uno: it is officially summer, y'all... wahooooo!

We Heart It

Okay, maybe not technically until June 21st, but whatevs... June 1st rolls around and it is officially summer in my mind.

Numero dos: Ballet Club is LIVE! Those of us dancers who stay in the FoCo over the summer get together to do ballet and other dance, yanno so we stay in shape and prevent losing all the fierce technique we fought so hard for during the year, [obviously] dubbing it Ballet Club. This year I want to get t-shirts made... Anyone know of any cheapo tee-design websites?? And P.S., you don't use it, you lose it. I am out. of. shape. yo. Well hello there, dance muscles.

Numero tres: SYTYCD! I rarely watch TV but this one I arrange my schedule around, if possible. As cheesy as it may sound, the show completely inspires me... many of those dancers are uh-maaaazing. And truth? It was Season 4 that inspired me to march my little patooty to the CSU Dance Department and sign up. Can't wait for the Vegas call-back show next week.

Numero quatro: Cardio Kickboxing and Strength. This is the group fitness class I teach on Friday mornings. I channel my inner Billy Blanks and do my best to do him proud. My bf (yes, there is a bf on scene... see #5 below) is such a trooper and attends my classes. Um, coolest bf ever! I love teaching... no matter how groggy or not in the mood I am when I roll out of bed on Fridays, after class I am bouncing off the walls and the effects last all day. Every Friday so far = best mood ever.

Numero cinco: Boyfriend. Hmm, whaddya want to know?? We officially started hanging out in February, Valentine's Day to be exact... I know, I know, barf right? But it was not an official Valentine's date - it was very spontaneous and unplanned and involved a romantic dinner of Five Guys burgers. But he's awesome. Really and truly. I mean, the guy attends my fitness class, and that's just the tip o' the iceberg. Something HUGELY awesome about him is the nonstop laughter. We are so dorky and silly together and we make each other almost-pee-our-pants laugh. MUY importante, mis amigos. So now that I've let the cat out of the bag, maybe you'll hear more about him from time to time... stay tuned!

That is all. I will leave you with a video that the bf, whom will be known as Homeboy from here on out, posted on my FB wall last night. He says it makes him think of me. He often comments on my seemingly boundless energy. I guess he's right, but I never really thought about it: I don't stop moving. Enjoy!

Happy weekend, lovelies!

xoxo
J

I'm a junkie... but it could be worse

I definitely took up residence in Funkytown earlier this week. An exceptionally snarky visit by Aunt Flo plus relentless gloomy, rainy weather did not a happy Jessi make. I know the exact solution to shaking my grumpypants, but when I feel like crap and the weather is dark grey and soaking wet - for days on end, ahem - well, all I want to do is park it on the couch with some B&J's Dulce Delish!

Mmmm, craaaack...

Not a good combo when you have your first cardio kickboxing class to plan. Or accomplish any of the other 37 things to get done by Friday. Yanno.

But then a li'l 30-minute core conditioning lunch-hour class broke the spell! It was all I needed to remember that I'm a ninja who can't be kept down. Two lessons learned here:

#1. A quick sweat sesh is kryptonite to Unmotivation. Life bombards us with a gajillion reasons not to go for that run/bike ride/hit the gym/pop in that Jillian video/dance around the house like the next So You Think You Can Dance candidate (yes, this counts... and yes I do this). And the Excuse Monster is Unmotivation's bestie, so beware. Even 20 minutes of anything that gets the blood moving will roundhouse kick those two square in the family jewels... so in the words of my fave brand, JUST DO IT.

My M.O.

#2. I'm an endorphin junkie. But really, I already knew this.

And to bring this mood turnaround full circle, imagine my surprise when I apprehensively peeked out my curtains this morning and saw blue sky and SUN - I think I audibly squealed. So yeah, I guess I'm a UV/vitamin D junkie, too. Ah well, there are worse addictions I suppose.

And speaking of SYTYCD... t-minus 6 days y'all... BOOM.

Happy Friday loveys!

xoxo
J

Wind in my sails

So I started writing this post yesterday (Wednesday) when the wind truly was heinous... now it's calmed down to a gentle spring breeze. Nonetheless, here's my rant on Wyoming's wind invasion and how I'm really just jonesin' for summer and a new bikini...

I'm not sure what's going on here in NoCo (northern Colorado), but Wyoming has invaded... if you're not from 'round these parts, that translates to chilly hurricane-gale winds. Don't even bother doing your hair. Glancing outside, it's all sunny and blues skies, making you think "yay, spring!" but upon stepping outside you immediately regret not grabbing a fleece... YUCK. It's May - I don't want to wear boots and sweaters and scarves anymore, y'all. And if any of you know me even a smidgen, you know I'm a summer girl to the core. So, I'm going to channel the SoCal sunshine some of you lovelies whom I blog-stalk (Maegan, Lizzy, Mrs. Swede, to name a few...) have been making me green with envy about, and put together one of those fun summer fashion wish lists... yanno, for when the real summer weather shows up.

I've decided that my 4-year old bikini needs an upgrade. It's holding up quite well for being a boutique Target purchase many moons ago. I do love it - it's a classic triangle li'l number, chocolate brown with real seashells sewn onto it and it would fit perfectly with the tribal theme that is all the rage right now - but I've decided to switch gears and go with one of my all-time fave classic styles: nautical!

I'm dreaming of navy blues stripes, anchor prints and top-siders as my pool uniform this summer. Here are some internet finds inspiring my hunt for the perfect ensemble...

Ahoy there Roxy!

The price is right on these Payless pretties. Espadrilles are my fave summer sandal of. all. time.

I'm having a helluva time finding a nautical/sailor-inspired bikini. I just spent that last couple of hours perusing the interwebs and am quite frustrated. How do you fashion blogging gals do this?? Oy, not my forte. I'm not a endurance shopper in real life (I crap out after a couple hours, typically crabby and ready for food), and I guess the same goes for the 'webs, too. But! I did find this, which is PERFECT...

Nautica

... except... *le sigh*... there are a couple dilemmas. Numero uno, it's $64 for just the top. Um, not exactly in my budget. Numero dos, the smallest top size they have is an 8. Uhhh, yeah, my tiny ta-tas are not quite an 8. Sooo... a little help?? If any of you online shopping mavericks could point me to some sites with bikinis similar to the one above with a lower price tag, I would be eternally grateful!! I'll bake you cookies. And maybe send you a present ;)

23 days 'til the pools open here in NoCo!!

xoxo
J

Comin' up for air

Dance concerts done. Work slowing down. Aaaaaaand, breathe....

Hello my lovelies! It feels good to have a moment of down time to pop in and say hello... What kind of April shenanigans have you all been up to? Are you all recovering from your Easter candy comas? ;) My April was quite epic. And by epic I mean FULL...

Knocked out three dance concerts...

Spent 3 days in Denver for a work conference...

Traded the tights for a pencil skirt...

Drove an hour back to Fort Collins in the middle of the work conference to audition for CSU Tour Dance Company for next year... made company member and one of the Assistants to the Director :)

Taking a playground break during our 2009 Aspen tour :)

Volunteered with some of the dance crew to help clean up the FoC0 community...

Not the clearest pic... but what a good day!

Auditioned and interviewed for a Group Fitness Instructor position at the CSU Rec Center... and just got the job offer call about ten minutes ago!

Hosted Easter dinner for the fam. I decided to start a new Easter dinner tradition by preparing salmon. I'm definitely not one to follow tradition for the sake of tradition and ham is schmeh as far as I'm concerned... 'Cause the fishes are delicious...

And now I'm regrouping to tackle the next items on the to-do list... finish my taxes (hellooooo extension)! Study for my ACE certification exam! Spring clean the shiz outta my house! Tune up my bike! Spring is here and summer is a-comin' baby... SO excited about this!

Now to do a little blog-stalking to catch up on all of your shenanigans...

xoxo

J

Sicky time means couch time

The little cold that decided to show up earlier this week blew up into one nasty, congested mess. No surprise... between two jobs, class, and the height of performing time for the semester, I most definitely do not get enough sleep. I think my body finally had enough and gave in to the cold, forcing me to bed, ha!

Cutest tissue box ever! (we heart it)

Not that feeling like crud is ever fun, I have enjoyed the excuse to park it on the couch and catch up on Food Network shows, movie reruns (Pretty Woman will never get old), and, oh yeah, sleep! And now that I'm starting to feel human again, I can stand to look at the computer without my eyeballs feeling like they're going to pop out of my head... which means blog catch-up time!

Sitting by a pool some place warm would heal my cold right quick! (we heart it)

A box of tissues and cup of tea by my side, Food Network in the background and your blogs all cued up... I think my Saturday is set!

What are your weekend plans, my lovelies??

xoxo
J

Behind in life

I take 2 steps forward and 5 back...

I am so behind in so many areas of life, ugh. I'm behind with rent and bills. I'm behind in pursuing my dream career (starting dance at 27 with no previous technical dance training is not easy, yo). I'm behind in building my Avon business... so many great ideas to get that rockin', so little time to execute them... I'm waaaaay behind in studying for my ACE Group Fitness certification exam. I feel behind in the love/relationship department. I most definitely do not get enough sleep. And I'm obviously hella behind in making an appearance here on zee blog. [*sigh*]

Oh life.

Mama's tired.

But of course I keep pressing on, because that's what I do. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, somewhere up ahead. I focus on small things that bring me joy, to keep trucking along...

Like daylight savings time! All the whiners are really grating my nerves... "I'm tired, I lost an hour of sleep, it's dark when I get up in the mornings"... dude, it's LIGHT OUT past 6pm, which is glorious... spring is fast approaching, which means the sheer happiness that is summer is not too far behind... the weather is warming up... you don't have to don your winter coat atop 5 layers to attempt to stay warm... no scraping ice off the windows of your car in the mornings... the birds are chirping and it smells like spring - ya know, that earthy, grassy smell?? mmmm.... please stop complaining. You have zero sympathy from me.

My chubby, happy, adorable, precious nephew. The last time I posted pics of him, it was the day of his birth. Here are a couple recent snapshots...

Lucky kid, he gets to do this a lot

Um, yeah. My nephew is the cutest baby on the planet. My apologies to the other babies of the world. And please note the AC/DC onesie. Kid's stylin'.

And speaking of behind on sleep, it is past midnight and I do have to wake up at 6:30, so I should probably think about getting ready for bed... Auntie Jessi is going to make like Forrester and pass out... Nighty nite loves!

xoxo
J