February 2013 Favorites

February has been such a short (DUH) and hectic month for me, and I've been doing a ton of things this month...which resulted in a ton of favorites. So, without further ado - let's get started.

RueLaLa app I love shopping. That's no secret. And who doesn't love a great bargain?! I know I do. If you don't know about this website and you're a proud shopaholic like me - you have not lived!!! It's basically a website that has different flash sales from designer brands. You can find anything from Prada to Lilly Pulitzer to Tommy Hilfiger there - the discounts are amazing, but you need to be sure to get anything you want right when the sale starts, otherwise it might be out of stock! I've had a problem with that before - whenever I logged in to the website everything was out of my size. So frustrating! But then I found this app - it sends you notifications when the sale of your desired brand starts! My wallet has not been as happy as me this month, that's for sure...

John Green books ("Looking for Alaska" & "The Fault In Our Stars" You know you're reading a good book when it makes you cry. I both love and hate these two books exactly for that reason - they are amazing but they make me cry SO much! And I'm already a big crying person, so this just pours more oil into the fire (is that even a saying...?). After reading "The Fault In Our Stars" I had a hysterical fit for 3 hours! The whole experience (yes, reading these books was an experience) has just been so amazing and definitely unforgettable - I think I found my new favorite author! I've heard so many good things about John Green books, and they definitely do him justice! If you haven't read his books yet - go buy one. Now.

Running I've always wanted to run, but before, whenever I tried I always got terrible side stitches, which lasted for days. But recently I decided to try running again - but this time I made sure to do it right. I found an 8-week program that starts you out with running and that has totally prevented the side stitches for me! I've been running about 3 times a week in the gym (it's too cold to run outside) and I can't wait for the weather to get better so I can take it outside!

Arose186 You may or may not know that I spend 40% of my time on tumblr, 20% studying or working out, and 40% on YouTube. I've been watching YouTube practically every single day since 2009, and needless to say, I abandoned TV a long time ago! Arose186 - or Arden - has been one of my favorite people on YouTube for quite a bit of time already (she does beauty videos if you were wondering), but I've just been watching and re-watching her videos all the time this month! I even had an "Arose186-marathon" where I watched every single one of her videos (even from her vlog channel) from the first one up until the last one she posted! I was sick, and had a lot of free time, okay?

"One Way Or Another" music video Everyone knows I love One Direction. I mean, there aren't many girls between the ages of 7 and 25 that don't like One Direction. They just recently came out with their music video for "One Way Or Another", but I've watched it at least 18 times already, so I think it's okay if I include it in my monthly favorites, am I right ladies? If you haven't seen the video yet - go watch it! It's so funny and just straight up adorable - makes me smile every time! Plus, the song is super catchy!

Nars "Laguna" bronzer I don't usually use bronzer during the winter months, simply because I just get way too pale for it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm super pale in the summer, too, but I'm mega pale in the winter! So if I use bronzer it just looks cakey and fake on me. But after cleaning out my makeup collection - I found my Nars "Laguna" bronzer and decided to try to use it again, even though it's winter. Just putting it out there - I still am mega pale, but "Laguna" just adds that tiny little bit of refreshing summer glow in the winter months (plus, I've been contouring with it, too!) without looking cakey or fake - love it!

YSL Touche Eclait I've been traveling a lot this month (definitely not one of my favorites for the month), so I've been stopping by Duty Free a ton (whoops). The YSL Touche Eclait has been on my list for quite a long time, so one day when I was passing by the makeup counters I just decided to check it out and possibly get it. I tried it out on my hand after seeing how flawlessly it blended out and how it reflected light and I was SOLD. I've been using it every single day since (even on days I don't wear makeup - not even mascara!). It just blends so easily, looks flawless but natural at the same time, highlights, covers blemishes, and is super easy to use due to the brush applicator that is already built in!

I just realized this post was super long, but if you read it 'till the end you are now officially my best friend.

xoxo,
Liz

Why I Eat Healthy and Workout

Someone asked me a question not so long ago. The question was: "You keep going on diets, but no one's ever called you fat - why?". The answer to this question is really simple - I don't diet, I just eat healthy and workout. But why do I do what I do? What motivates me to eat a banana instead of snacking on Doritos? Why do I feel like I need to "diet"? And on that note, what is "dieting"? You will most likely be able to find answers to all of these questions (and more) in this post - hopefully that will help you understand me more.

It is true that - at least for the past 1-2 years - no one has called me fat. I do not consider myself fat nor am I overweight. I do not know my body weight simply because I do not need to know it to be happy or need to know it for any other reason. I eat healthy and workout simply because it makes me feel and look better, and I gain major confidence. As for the "dieting" aspect of my life - I do not diet, nor have or will I ever diet. I do do "challenges" sometimes though, such as "no-cheat _____*any month of the year*" or "Whole 30", etc. Now, I eat healthy 99% of the time. I let myself eat something (usually froyo, chocolate, or macaroons) not-so-healthy every Sunday - but that's pretty much it! Sometimes I get off track and have a french fry or two (this hardly ever happens), but I really never over-eat - and that's the key to everything! You can eat anything you want, just in moderation!

I workout about 5-6 times a week - 3 days of the week I run, and I do strength training (lifting weights, working on certain parts of my body) the other days. It is very important to give yourself at least one day a week to rest from any exercise at all, so Sundays are usually my day off. I try not to overwork myself, but when I do I usually give myself a week or so to rest and relax. Why do I workout? Because I feel amazing when I do. I look amazing after I do. And I believe in doing what's best for my body - which is eating healthy and working out. 

Ah, I can talk about this forever, but I'll have to refrain, since I only have so much free time. Let me know if you have any other questions on this topic!

xoxo,

Liz

Where Is Liz???

This is going to be a really quick post, because I just wanted to explain something very quickly. I haven't been posting for the past week (I think?) because I got super sick - and still kind of am - and literally couldn't get out of bed for the first couple of days. On top of that - February break started in school, and I left to Slovakia to a ski resort with my grandma and sister. Of course, I didn't ski - or even leave my bedroom - for the first 3 days. I felt horrible! So I only got to ski for 2 days, but I'm just trying to get well :)

Anyways, I'll be making another post explaining my new blogging schedule and such - so look out for that!

xoxo,
Liz

P.S. Thank you so much for continuing to read my blog (for those of you who still do), I know what I did was very unprofessional, but I was so sick and stressed - I had to take a break.

Harlem Shake...?

Out with the old, in with the new, right? Well, Gangnam Style might be "so 2012 and late", but I've recently been seeing/hearing this "dance"/song everywhere! This leads us to the next question - is Harlem Shake the new Gangnam Style? 

I say yes! First of all, it's not so super up-beat, which I prefer. Second, it is so much less annoying than Gangnam Style (no offense)! I remember the first time I heard Gangnam Style, I was like "what the...". But when I first heard Harlem Shake it just made me want to dance and go crazy.

You can just go on YouTube and search "Harlem Shake dance" up - you'll find tons of hilarious videos that will want you make to film your own! 

Basically, the whole point of this "dance" is that one person dances weirdly for the first couple of seconds of the song and no one pays attention, and then, after about 15 seconds everyone in the room starts dancing like crazy. And this isn't attractive-Beyonce-single-ladies dance...it's more like a Liz dance. *Liz dance a.k.a this-girl-wishes-she-could-dance-but-she-cant-so-she-just-dances-awkwardly-on-purpose-because-doing-it-on-purpose-is-better-than-unintentionally dance*

The video above is definitely one of my favorites out of the ones that I've seen so far (and I've seen a ton, in case you're wondering)! It's so funny!!! Notice the guy in the lower right corner. And the guy with the giraffe. And the guy in the helmet. And everyone else. It's hilarious!

What are your thoughts and opinions on this new trend? Yay or nay?

xoxo,

Liz

How To: Organize Your Notes

I love note-taking. Love it. I mean, I like discussions and such in class as well, but there's just something about note-taking that I am absolutely obsessed with! Now, I don't take notes directly on the laptop and write them down in this format. First, I just write everything that I need to know in my notebook, then I go through the notes and copy the focal points of the notes into a Word Document. The rest is shown below.

This is a follow-up to a previous post that I wrote yesterday, by the way, so it kind of goes along with the theme. I basically just took a couple of screenshots of one of my older notes from Biology and it clearly shows how I write and organize my notes on my laptop.

In case you didn't know - this is how you split a Word document into two (or more) columns. Just click on the symbol shown above with the red arrow and I'm pretty sure you can figure the rest out yourself - all you have to do it choose how many columns you want to have on a page.

As you can see - in the left column I have the main subject written down (question) and on the right I have the actual material (answer). As I mentioned before, this comes in handy when I quiz myself by covering up the right side, looking at the subject and revising to myself (or, often, writing on another sheet of paper) the material that applies to the subject.

This is just how everything looked overall - much more organized and short (to me, at least) than simple notes.

Let me know if this helped you/if you have any questions!

xoxo,
Liz

How To: Study For A Test

I'll just put it out there now - I very strongly dislike tests and/or exams (such a surprise, right?!), but I love preparing and studying for them! Just something about the whole organization process makes it so fun and interesting for me!

This was also a request, so I decided, why not write a post about this? Just as my last post - this isn't a very thorough post that explains every single detail of each topic - just a quick step-by-step/overview. I will try to make a more in-depth post about each of these (or at least a couple) topics, so be on a lookout for that!

Now onto the actual post.

Know exactly what to study. This is pretty self-explanatory - if you don't know what to study, well, you'll most likely fail the test (or whatever you're studying for). Ask your teacher about the material if you have any questions or if you missed some notes/material (teachers love it when you ask them questions) - they should be able to help you out. I usually just make a bullet point list of what notes to use to study.

Do not procrastinate - start studying right as you get the material. I know this is hard, and I'll be honest - I am a huge procrastinator! I think I'm getting better at it, though! The whole trick is to go slow and study a tiny bit each day - not to cram it all in the night before the test. I usually do end up cramming the night before, but it never hurts to try! I know some people who actually do better on their tests when they cram the night before than if they study consistently for weeks - so just do whatever works best for you!

Organize notes. I will definitely do a huge, long post on this - it's just too long to explain in this post! Basically, all you need to do is organize your notes in whichever way works best for you - for me, typing it up on my laptop and printing them out is more comfortable - but more on that tomorrow (or sooner or later). The main point is to organize your notes in a way that is comfortable for you to read and review.

Make study guide. This will also be another blog post, because it's another thing that needs to be explained more thoroughly. Basically, there are a couple of ways to make a study guide - one of them is making a Microsoft Word document and separating it into two columns, then writing the topic of each subtopic (sorry this is confusing - it's late and I'm tired) in the left column and then writing about that subtopic in the right column. To study by using this method - you just cover the right column up (after you print the document) and revise the material by looking at the topic on the left column. I use this method, but I also usually make a study guide with questions for myself - but more on this later, since this paragraph is getting way too long and is probably confusing most of you.

Read notes for 5-10 minutes every night before bed for about a week before the test/exam. This one is easy and pretty self-explanatory - just go over the study guide/notes that you made prior and read them for a couple of minutes. Not too long, though - you don't want to overload your brain with information - just a little at a time.

I am so incredibly sorry if this post was confusing or hard to understand (let me know if it is!) - I've had no time to blog lately, but no worries! I am slowly sorting everything out, so I'll be back to normal, non-sleepy post soon!

xoxo,
Liz

How To: Clean Your Room

It's Monday - which means a whole new week! And a whole new week means a fresh start. And to get a fresh start you need to start off...well, fresh! And even though I usually like cleaning my room on Sundays (simply because I have, literally, no time on weekdays), this week I made an exception since I'm leaving for vacation on Saturday. 

I know, the idea may sound stupid: "How to clean your room". You may be thinking, "I know how to clean my room", but this was a request, so I'm just sharing some of my tips and tricks of how I like to clean up.

Step one.  Crank some tunes. Music always helps. It sets the mood! If it's a sad, rainy day - turn on some happy, bright music! It will not only make your day better, but will also set the right mood and make cleaning up more fun (remember the "clean up, clean up" song?)!

Step two. Take all of your things out of your drawers and take everything off of your hangers. Next, sort your clothes in three piles - to give away, to keep, and to get rid of. Just throw away all of the clothes you don't need anymore or that are just...well, useless, and leave the rest on the bed. After that, put all of the clothes that you can give away into a trash bag and donate them to charity or something of the sort. Then sort through all of your "keep" clothes and organize them however you feel suits you best - by color, sleeve length, whatever (I can make another post on this later on if that will help you guys!).

Step three. Clear everything off of the bed and make it. Once you're done with that - clear everything under the bed. You'll be amazed at how many things you can find under there! Sort through all of that, and move on to the next step:

Step four. The shelves. Clear everything off of your shelves and then dust everything (I mean, if you feel like it) with a duster - don't you just love those fluffy things?! You can also polish the furniture if you want to, but I only do that about once every two months. 

Step five. Vacuum. I hate vacuuming with a passion, but since all you have to do is quickly slide that thing around the room floor - it's pretty fast and easy to do. Don't forget to vacuum in places you would otherwise forget - under the bed, under the desk, under the rug, in the corners, etc.

Step six. Tidy up the little spaces - your desk, your dresser, nightstands - places like that. I will most likely also do a post on how I organize my desk, so I won't go too deep in on that, but just make sure to have everything neat, full of free space, and organized.

Hope you guys found this somewhat helpful and interesting to read - 11 days of blogging has really been kicking my butt!

xoxo,

Liz 

8 Shoes Every Woman Should Own

I love shoes - that's no secret. Everyone loves shoes - or they should, at least. I mean, how could we live without shoes?! We just couldn't. But of course, women just have to own tens (or in some cases, hundreds) of pairs of shoes - one for every occasion imaginable.

So today I put together a list of shoes that I think every woman (or girl, or lady - whatever) should have in their wardrobe (or should I say "arsenal"?). In this case, you should try to invest in these pieces, rather than having 20 of each. Quality over quantity!

Neutral flats. These could really work in any neutral color - black, brown, nude - anything that works for you and your wardrobe. I love flats - they are so versatile, you can wear them with anything, plus, they're so comfortable!

Sandals. I left out the word "neutral" this time, because that pretty much applies to all of these categories. You want to invest in shoes that you will wear multiple times, not just with certain outfits. Sandals are also very comfortable and chic - not as laid-back as flip-flops, but not as put-together as flats at the same time!

Flip flops. You can wear flip flops a ton of places, which is why I included them in this list - the beach, around the house, you name it! Just make sure your toes look nice - no one wants to see your toes/feet if they're gross!

Ankle booties. These could be worn in basically any weather - and I love the color of the ones in the picture! They're especially great for the fall season, though, but I think you could make them work in the summer as well.

Pumps. I've said enough about these in my previous posts, but you just can't go without pumps. There are some occasions where it's only appropriate to wear heels - and needless to say, neutral-colored pumps do the job.

Cork wedges. I've also mentioned these in my previous post, but that's only because I love me some cork wedges! They look so cute with dresses, especially in the summer - I'm obsessed with these!

Equestrian boots. You all know how much I love my brown equestrian-style boots, and since horseback riding hits so close to home, these couldn't not make it to this list! These are kind of more appropriate for the fall/winter seasons, but nevertheless, they are an essential.

Rain/snow boots. How can wellies work as snow boots you ask? Well, there are actually special socks that are made especially for Hunter boots and are meant to be worn in the winter, when you want something warmer than just rubber. I would add L.L. Bean duck boots to this list instead of these, but I don't think they're necessarily everyone's style, so I added these instead. And they come in so many different colors!

Hope you enjoyed, and happy shoe shopping!

xoxo,
Liz

How To: Deal With Stress

I've been getting a lot of requests from you guys lately, which is amazing - thank you so much! I've been definitely getting some ideas from what you've been asking me to blog about. So far I've blogged every single day in February without skipping any! 10 down, 18 to go...

Today I'll be sharing with you some of my favorite ways to de-stress & just calm down & relax. I get stressed a ton, so I've definitely mastered the art of dealing with stress. Well...kind of.

Do yoga. I love yoga. It strengthens and stretches your muscles, plus it's so calm and relaxing - it's bound to put you into a good mood once you're done! And all you really need is a yoga mat and the internet - there are some great websites with poses for beginners - just google it!

Paint your nails. This is a huge one for me. First of all, I love painting my nails (so I kind of use being stressed as another reason to do so). Second of all, it's a way to basically waste time and wind down. And finally, who doesn't love some nice painted fingernails (or toenails, I guess)?

Have a treat. Dark chocolate does the job for me - it puts you in a good mood, since it's full of antioxidants, and it tastes delicious too! You probably know that I'm a big fan of dark chocolate, so I eat it whenever I can find an excuse to (no shame)! Just make sure it's at least 70% cocoa - that'll do it for you.

Have a cup of tea. There's nothing better than a cute little cup of green tea and a fun movie or TV show to watch (well, to me at least). It doesn't really matter what kind of tea you drink - just make sure it's not caffeinated, because in that case you'll probably get even more stressed (coffee does that to you).

Read a book. This is probably my favorite one out of all of these. I adore reading - it just takes me into a whole new world where I can forget about all of my worries, and instead, worry about the characters in my book - I just love it! Plus, I love re-living the scenarios in my head later on (please tell me I'm not the only one who does this).

Hope y'all found this somewhat helpful - sorry this post was a little shorter than usual - I have to leave to Moscow early in the morning tomorrow, so I have tons of packing and planning to do!

xoxo,
Liz

Spring & Summer 2013 Bucket List

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope your week has been good to you so far - mine definitely has! Looking forward to performing at a choir festival tomorrow (I got a solo - YAY!), and just hanging out with friends. 

A couple of days ago I got a request to blog about my Spring/Summer bucket list, and this is pretty much all I could come up with for now. Enjoy!

1. Read at least 10 classic books
2. Have a family movie night
3. Make healthy raw cookie dough
4. Go to a 4th of July party
5. Have a water balloon fight
6. Blow bubbles
7. Go on a picnic 
8. Go to a zoo
9. Go to the JB, Beyoncé, and One Direction concerts
10. Make lemonade
11. Do a DIY project
12. Try a new food
13. Memorize a poem
14. Learn to cartwheel
15. Go to a movie
16. Re-organize (major clean-up) room
17. Go hiking
18. Play in the rain
19. Go to a park
20. Sleep in 

As always - leave your requests down below, and let me know what you're planning to do this spring/summer!

xoxo,

Liz

Valentine's Day: Pretty In Pink

I'm just going to put it out there - I don't necessarily like Valentine's Day. To me - it's just like any other day, only there are cute couples everywhere that make me feel miserable and forever alone. And we all know that's always fun.

Leaving the all of the negative aspects of this holiday behind, I love actually dressing up for Valentine's Day. Gives another reason to wear pink, right? It can be a subtle statement - pink nail polish or lipstick, or you can go all out and wear a pink dress or fuchsia heels.

Cute hair bow. 

Spring 2013 Essentials

Who's excited for spring? Because I sure as heck am! I figured since it's February already and some of you may or may not be shopping for the spring time - it might be helpful if I share some of my spring must-haves/what I'll be shopping for this spring.

White dress is an absolute essential for me. It just screams spring/summer, is so feminine and classy, plus effortless and chic (and super easy to style)! I wouldn't wear it in the early spring, though, 'cause where I live - the snow only melts in April... And don't you just feel like you're at the "white party" from Gossip Girl?! Or is that just me...

Body-con dress is also a must. For every time of the year, actually. Gotta show off all that hard work, right, ladies? This one is from Herve Leger...definitely saving up for one, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to spend $1,000+ on a dress that I'll probably only wear once or twice (spend your money wisely, girls!).

Nautical-inspired 3/4 sleeve shirt is perfect with red pants if you're feeling a little parisian on a bright spring day. I also love wearing this over a swimsuit as a cover-up, or just with a pair of jeans and sandals on a laid-back day. Can't go wrong with this one!

Bright cardigans are a spring essential for me...which is why I put them in this blog post... DUH LIZ. I just think pieces like these are great for your wardrobe, because you can style them so many ways! *also great bikini cover-ups*

Trench coat is definitely something you need in Europe in the spring months! It's usually super sluggish and gross around April-March here, so you can't go without a decent trench. I own a bright yellow Michael Kors one, which isn't the most practical color, but it sure does add some summer to an otherwise rainy day!

Hunter boots - or any rain boots, for that matter - are also a must-have for European springs! The story is pretty much the same as with my yellow trench coat - I own turquoise ones (I wear them with everything, nevertheless) and I absolutely love them! If you're looking into a pair of ones (and you live in a place where you'd wear them often) and just can't decide if you need them or not - YOU DO.

Neon bikini (preferably from Victoria's Secret). Now, I made a post on my must-have swimsuit of summer 2012 - which is the one shown in the collage. The bandeau top is amazing - check out the post to see a full "review" on that. I know, I know - neon is pretty much only a summer color, but who really cares, right?!

Adorable one-piece is something I don't yet have, but I will get sooner or later...anyhow, I'll call it a must-have, because I must have it. I think every girl should own a cute one-piece - they're a classic! Plus, we all have those days when we feel gross and ugly in a two-piece, right? Right?

Jack Rogers is another item that I have not yet purchased, but I'm pretty sure I'll be placing an order online pretty soon, since I want to wear them on my trip to India in March, and I've heard so many good things about these!

Cork wedges just scream spring to me. Especially if they're in a bright color! You can easily dress them up of down, and they look adorable with summery dresses! Plus, wedges are definitely the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn (besides loafers, of course) - they have the comfort of flats, but the height of heels!

Nude pumps are an essential for every month, I think - they're definitely a classic! These are from Christian Louboutin - and I really want these! I have a love-hate relationship with pointy-toe heels, but these look really good on me (tried them on in a store, okay, don't judge :P). But that's not the point. The point is - you need nude pumps in your life. I do too.

Bangles from J.Crew are the most adorable things ever, I swear! I usually don't wear much jewelry, but in the spring and summer months I definitely break out all of my cutest pieces - no idea why, I guess I'm just more in a mood for jewelry in the summer and spring!

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed, and have a great day!

xoxo,
Liz

P.S. I really appreciate all of your requests that I've been getting lately! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Valentine's Day: Boy No-No's

A couple of months ago, one of my best friends and I (we didn't sleep for more than 24 hours and had a lot of coffee, okay?) made "The Guy Rules" - approved by our best guy friend, by the way. "The Guy Rules" are basically some ground rules that were made to try and keep us sane & full of dignity. I can't really say that we've followed them since (whoops), so I deleted the file from my computer and never looked back. This weekend, however, I decided to go through everything on my computer and sort through all of it. Then, I got a request from a friend to write about the guy rules, which instantly reminded me to try and find them. After a long search in the trash of my computer, however, the search ended without a result. So, I decided to call my friend that I made the list with, and ask her if she still had it. And, to my (and your) luck, she did.

I present to you - the guy rules.

1. He cannot ask you out over Facebook/text/any social network. This one's pretty self-explanatory. You simply don't deserve a guy who asks you out over a social network. You just don't. Unless you're really desperate, of course. But you shouldn't be. Definitely rule number one.
2. Don't let a guy feel you up (unless you're dating). Simple, yet effective. If you get the "How To Keep Your Dignity" handbook (not sure if it exists or not) - I'm sure that one of the most important things not to do is let a guy feel you up. There is nothing less classy than just letting a guy feel you up whenever (& however) he wants to.
3. Cannot seduce guys (unless he's your boyfriend). Now, let me clear this one up. By seducing, I do not mean "flirting". I flirt all the time. Seduction is a tempting or attractive thing. If put into simple words - don't tempt guys. Unless you're dating. Then do whatever you want. 
4. Don't tell everything to your friends. Some private things need to stay...private. We all know that even the bestest of best friends sometimes open their mouths to others about something you said. So many relationships that I know of have just crashed because of people opening their big mouths about things that happen inside of the relationship. Of course, you can share most of the things that happen with your friends, but not everything.
5. Try to make your relationship last longer than a month. In other words, unless he breaks up with you before that, don't cut it off with a guy if you've only been dating for a couple of weeks. First of all, you don't want to seem...well, easily available to guys, and second of all - don't just quit if something isn't working out. At least try to fix whatever is wrong with your relationship.

I am, by no means at all, an expert in boys. I mean, I've never even went out with anyone! But my dear friend who I made this with has dated many guys - and I'm pretty sure it's safe to call her an expert. By putting my prudish aspects on dating and her...well...experience together - this is what we came up with. We don't live by these rules - and neither should you! But, just try and keep them in mind ;)

xoxo,

Liz

P.S. I really appreciate your comments and requests - keep 'em coming!

10 Movies to Watch On Valentine's Day

Whether you're alone or with your true love on this Valentine's Day - movies are a must. And whether you like movies like "Gone With the Wind" or "The Hangover" - this list combines romantic classics with newer releases that you can watch in your living room while cuddling with your boyfriend, or spending the evening stuffing yourself with Ben & Jerrys in your bedroom like me (minus the Ben & Jerrys).

 When Harry Met Sally

 Valentine's Day

 Lady and the Tramp

 A Walk to Remember

 Breakfast at Tiffany's

 Pretty Woman

 The Notebook

 The Breakfast Club

 The Vow

Titanic

Hope you enjoyed this post! More Valentine's Day themed posts to come!

xoxo,

Liz

February Workout Schedule

To go along with my no-cheat February I just finished my February workout schedule and I figured I'd share it with you girls! But first, a little background info. In June of 2012 (back when I just started blogging!) I made a "My Daily Workout Plan" post, which basically explains what I used to do for my workouts up until September. Looking back at it now, I can see how much I've progressed health-wise - I wasn't 100% sure what I was doing and I just think I was overworking myself. But, I have became much more educated in fitness and eating right, so I guess this is a somewhat updated version of my last post.

If any of you like these, I might do these every month, so let me know! 

To start off, this is what my general, every month, workout schedule looks like:

• Monday - legs & butt
• Tuesday - run
• Wednesday - arms & back
• Thursday - run
• Friday - abs
• Saturday - long walk + legs & butt
• Sunday - rest day

As you can see, I run about twice a week (sometimes on Fridays, too, when I have time), and do strength workouts every other day. As for running, I've just started - so I follow an 8-week program (tell me if you want to see it!). Now, onto the actual schedule. Oh, and all of the strength workouts that I do are Blogilates videos - not sponsored or anything - I just love her videos! She is so happy and encouraging, plus, her workouts kick butt!

Legs & Butt: 

• POP Pilates: Perky Butt 'n Long Lean Legs (13 minutes)
• Call Me Maybe Mighty Squat Challenge (5 minutes)
• POP Pilates: Slimmer Inner Thighs & Runner's Calves (12 minutes)
• POP Pilates: Pippa's Butt (10 minutes)

Arms & Back:

• Bikini Blaster: Awesomesauce Arms (20 minutes)
• Sleek & Sexy Arms for Beginners  (13 minutes)

Abs:

• Bikini Blaster: Abs Abs Abs! (13 minutes)
• As Long As You Love Me Love Handles Challenge (6 minutes)
• POP Pilates: Miley Cyrus Ab Workout (12 minutes)

Each workout is about 30 minutes long, and it's like that for two reasons. First of all, I don't think I'd be able to handle more than 3-4 Blogilates videos a day. And second, I just don't have time. 30 minutes a day is really all I can dedicate to working out. Of course, there are some days when I have more free time, and on those days I try to do more, but on an everyday basis I just have too many things to do.

Don't forget to stay hydrated during your workouts, and let me know if you enjoyed this post!

xoxo,

Liz

February Goals

Happy February everyone!

This month I have decided to set a couple of goals for myself to help me - in the long run - reach the big goals in my life. Since February is the shortest month of the year, one of my goals is "no-cheat February". In case you're not sure of what "no-cheats" means - it's basically a fitness/health freak kind of thing - usually once a week (on Sundays) I have a "cheat" meal. Every week my cheat meal consists of 2-3 scoops of Pinkberry frozen yogurt, plus some chocolate chips and candy on top. I've always wanted to do a no-cheat month at least once a year, and since February only has 28 days I figured this was my chance (who knows how long I can go without Pinkberry)!

Another one of my goals is to blog every single day. I'm pretty excited, but also quite terrified, since every time I try to do something like this, something is bound to go wrong and instead of having 28 blog posts in a month - I end up with, let's say, 23. I'm most likely going to just sit down one day and type up a couple of blog posts to cue them, but I really do hope I don't get off track with this! And besides, Valentine's Day is coming up, so in case I run out of ideas - I have that as a backup plan!

If you have any ideas on what I can blog about this month - please do leave a comment below!

xoxo,
Liz