09.03.2013
A letter to my 18-year-old college student self

me and my friend Allison, circa 2001

It was 12 years ago TODAY that I started my freshman year of college at Hofstra University…god, how time flies. I’ve blogged before about how much I loved my college experience (ironically, in a post from exactly one year ago today), but I decided a few weeks ago that I’m going to dedicate this ENTIRE WEEK to back-to-school, all with a college spin. Make sure to check back every day for a new college-themed post but, in the mean time, enjoy these throwback college-themed posts AND the below letter to my 18-year-old college self.

Dear 18-year-old Jamie,

Looking back, I just smile ear to ear when I think about how excited you were to start college. I want you to grow as a person, experience new and exciting things, have fun and, of course, continue to learn and get a good education. I’m so proud of the 18-year-old that you are; you’re kind, compassionate and have an openness that I wish I could once again have at 30. Always stay true to yourself and value your innocence– it makes you unique, not weak. Most of all, enjoy the next four years because honestly, they are some of the best times you will ever have. LIVE in the present, don’t take anything TOO seriously, and remember this:

You can’t control anyone else; you can only control your reaction to other people.

Lastly, while I have you, please (PLEASE) always wear flip flops when you walk into the Estabrook 12th floor bathroom. You were usually so good about this but that one time…planter’s warts are no fun. Oh, and enjoy those 4am trips to SBARRO’s for baked zitti, because those will come to a prompt halt post-college.

Love,

30-year-old Jamie

08.28.2013
5 Things I Love Right Now

1. Michael Popp #Poppaganada shirt: You may have read my post back in December where I mentioned a long-time friend was diagnosed with cancer. Well, I’m happy to report that while he’s not completely out of the woods, he IS doing well. He’s selling these rad shirts to help with the cost of his recent battle with leukemia and his even more recent bone marrow transplant.

2. La Fresh Nail Polish Remover Acetone-Free Pads: Every time I’m traveling, I always seem to notice that my nails look absolutely awful; it’s like kind of comedic at this point. With that said, I got SUPER excited when I discovered these little travel pack nail polish remover pads! I mean, I’m just going to leave them in my “to-go bag.” Done.

3. Clinique A Different Nail Enamel For Sensitive Skin in “Yellow Genius”: I blogged about the Clinique nail polish line before but I’m really into this limited-edition shade, inspired by Clinique’s original “yellow genius,” its famous moisturizer.

4. Stella and Bow “As If” bracelet: I don’t need to explain my Clueless obsession, or why I love this bracelet. End of story.

5. NUANCE Salma Hayek Lasting Wear Gel Eyeliner: I have a rough time finding an eyeliner that doesn’t run down my face, true story. However, I recently tried this gel version from NUANCE Salma Hayek and I LOVE it. It’s awesome.

08.12.2013
Healthy Asparagus and Tomato Frittata

As you guys know, I’m so NOT a cook. But since I do work from home now, and I am in the middle of August Anarchy, I’ve been making a bigger effort to cook almost every meal at home. The other night I was looking at Instagram and saw Sydne posted a photo of what looked like a frittata, but apparently was, in fact, NOT a frittata. Regardless, her photo inspired me to use the veggies that I had in my fridge, asparagus and tomatoes, to make a delicious high-protein meal. Here’s the recipe, which I adapted from a Better Homes & Gardens recipe.

Healthy Asparagus and Tomato Frittata

Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 30 mins
Bake: 35 mins
Stand: 10 mins
Oven: 350°F

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
12 ounces fresh asparagus
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
6 eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lightly coat a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside
Take asparagus, snap off and discard woody bases. If desired, scrape off scales. Cut into 1-inch-long pieces
In a large bowl, whisk together egg product, sea salt, and black pepper, until well-mixed
Pour over vegetables in baking dish
Bake, uncovered, about 35 minutes or until slightly puffed and top shakes set
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving

08.06.2013
Food Fantasies

After seeing Emily’s post about her food fantasies, I got to thinking…what would my ideal food day consist of? Take away all the calories (imagine that) and the guilt of eating the worst foods on Earth and think about what your ideal day would look like, cause it’s actually REALLY fun to think about. Funny enough, my “ideal day” is really just a list of my favorite foods and not actually any solid MEAL, which is fine by me. I love potatoes and really carbs of any kind, mixed with a smidge of chocolate.

Breakfast: Gotta start the day off right with a Mimosa! I also love a good croissant, turkey bacon and, of course, a hash brown.

Lunch: A chocolate milkshake, corn on the cob, mozzarella sticks and my favorite potato chips ever, Ruffles.

Snack: Because I obviously need more food, a Mexican fiesta! I love a nice salted margarita on the rocks, chips and guacamole.

Dinner: A glass of sauvignon blanc, gnocchi and McDonald’s french fries (they have the BEST fries).

Dessert: I have loved Edy’s Cookies ‘n Cream ice cream since I was about 7 and nothing has changed since then. I also recently got into making S’mores in my fireplace the past few years. Apartment living…

Tell me, what would your day consist of?

07.31.2013
Introducing: August Anarchy

August Anarchy. Yes. Back in June 2011, I briefly blogged about a new “lifestyle” (e.g. diet) that I had been doing for about 2 months and I was LOVING it. I felt lean, toned and strong…which I really miss. It’s been a little over two years now and, sadly, I’ve gained a good amount of weight back at this point. Am I overweight? Absolutely not. But do I feel good? No. I’m not (and never have been) a naturally thin person and I’ve always had to work REALLY hard to not gain weight, most of which is really just diet and being slightly active. I’m a carb fiend, guys…no, seriously I LOVE potatoes and pasta and I’ve realized that the only way to avoid gaining is to really just limit my intake to once or twice a week and that’s it. Period. No exceptions. It sucks but hey, as Kate Moss once said, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” and it’s really a choice: eating all of the food I love constantly OR being thin.

Long story short, I was inspired by my friend Beth’s journey to lose her baby weight. Granted, I didn’t have a baby, I’m just LAZY and love pasta, but Beth looks AMAZING. We’re about the same size/build so there’s really no excuse why I can’t do the same thing (seriously, look how fabulous Beth looks after only six months). Beth did Paleo, which is really similar to what I’ve had success with in the past: Tim Ferriss’ Slow Carb Diet. Basically, I’m going for it. August Anarchy. 31 days of hard-core Jamie…my friends are going to be annoyed (I tend to not be as social in order to avoid eating “no no” foods and drinks), but I’m doing it. And when I start to get annoyed, I’ll refer back to THIS Shape.com article, where I was glowing with excitement and energy.

If you’d like to follow along, you can follow my “Healthy Foods” Pinterest board, as well as my “Fitness!” board.

What do you guys think? Will you try out the Slow Carb Diet?

07.29.2013
3 Things I Love Right Now

Calvin Rucker Boyfriend Jean Shorts: I’m so not a shorts person but I really just love these boyfriend shorts. They’re the perfect distressed color with an equally perfect amount of perfectly placed rips.

JUNIPER box: There are TONS of monthly boxes out these days but this one is TRULY brilliant. It’s a monthly mailer for your period. Yes, it’s true. You can choose WHEN it arrives (based on your own period’s timing), what brands of tampons you want, etc. You basically get everything you need, for $28, and I have to tell you guys, it was pretty nice getting a box full of snacks and teas when I was in the worst mood ever.

Sole Society Elisa heel: I’ve been on a quest for a classic black pump for awhile now and I finally found an AMAZING pair: the Elisa heel. It’s a good heel height (some height but not too much heel) and they’re actually comfortable, not kidding.