Weekend Recap and a Really Cute DIY Gift!!

Hello and happy Tuesday {evening}! It's finals week and I got released early, so this was supposed to be up this afternoon. Buuuttt I couldn't help myself from cuddling up in front of the TV and then taking a nap. I have to catch up on lost studying sleep!! 

Since I shared my Christmas Wish List with you guys yesterday, I thought I'd give you a recap of my fun, Christmas-filled weekend. :)

Lilly's favorite spot during the holidays: under the tree!! Cuteness.

Saturday started with pouring rain. Surprise, surprise. My friend and I had planned a 10am coffee date, but she overslept, so we waited until around 2 to run some Christmas errands together. 

'Twas a dark and dreary day. But we still had fun! I've been really wanting to make some DIY gifts for a few of my friends, so we wandered around the crafts/grocery store to get my supplies - can you guess what I made?!

I made personalized coffee mugs and filled them with chocolate dipped spoons and hot chocolate packets.

But first, coffee. 

1. Preheat your oven to 400*. Using a sharpie, draw a design on your mug. Remember to wash it first! Stick them in the oven for 30 minutes. 

2. For the spoons: mini-marshmallows, mini-chocolate chips, snowflake sprinkles, red sugar, crushed peppermints, and crushed butterfingers. 

3. Melt your white chocolate. 

4. Melt your milk chocolate. 

5. Simply dip, sprinkle with whatever toppings you want, and let em dry! I put them in the fridge so they'd harden faster.

6. Let your mugs cool for an hour.

Filling time!! Spoons, hot chocolate, and candy canes. 

This one was for my good friend Rachel who was on the team with me - she's a vegan and very healthy foodie so I filled hers with healthy treats. :)) 

I found really cute mini-ornaments that I tied onto the handle!! They were 75% off, so I paid like 50 cents for a whole pack. 

For these, I just (carefully) hot-glued the spoons to a packet of hot chocolate. And yes, my nickname is Jessie. ;)

Sunday was really chill, as usual. I was sooo tired, but after babysitting for a couple of hours, my energy shot way up! They were a handful. 

It was my "cross-train day," but I was not feeling cardio. Instead, I warmed up with some dynamics/jumping jacks for 5 minutes, and did a strength workout. 

Legs:

20 squats

30 lunges

40 calf raises

60 sec wall-sit

40 sumo squats (holy ouch)

30 leg raises 

20 squats

x2 rounds

Arms:

10 Minutes to Tone Arm Workout

10 Minute Tank-Top Arm Workout

This took me 30/40ish minutes and I was jeeellooo. 

Monday was the last full day of school until January - yaaaayyyy!!! 

Aaaannnd (take caution if you're squeamish), I had to share this dissection that we did in Anatomy:

A cow's eye!!! Neither of my partners wanted to do the actual cutting/dissecting, so I gladly volunteered because I'm an anatomy/gross stuff nerd. :) It was really cool to see what it actually looked like on the inside. 

The weather was beautiful, so after school, I headed out for a 45-min run. 

Distance? Not sure. Maybe 4 miles? I'm not really concentrating on pace/mileage, just how I feel. It was one of those runs where you just feel great the entire time, you're in a really good mood, and running is just pure joy. And that's more important to me than speed. Speed comes with practice. :)

I cooled down with a walk around my dark backyard...creepy.

Now come the finals. Algebra and APUSH are down, Spanish 4 and  Lit are tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Christmas Wish List

Okay, I know Christmas is really close, but I couldn't not make a wish list to share with you guys.

1. Essie Sable Collar nail polish - I love how rich, warm, and wintery this color is.

2. L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner - because I love me a cat eye, and I need long-lasting makeup.

3. Philosophy Cinnamon Buns 3-in-1 - it smells just like warm, gooey cinnamon buns!

4. Platinum Status Eyeshadow Palette - pretty holiday colors without being over the top.

5. Philosophy Peppermint Stick Lip Shine - my favorite scent!

6. ULTA Eyeshadow - the perfect neutral color while adding some pretty shimmer. 

1. Turn Back Time Necklace and Welcome Bach Earrings from Modcloth - so vintage and right up my alley!
2. Old Navy Graphic Tee and American Eagle Knit Dogneal Sweater - I love comfortable fashion, and both of these are adorable.
3. Blue Chalcedony Gemstone Ring from Etsy - so simple and pretty, and the color is amazing.
4. Haute of Doors Flat from Modcloth - I'm in love with the detail!
5. Old Navy Suede Short-Zip Boots - Loovee boots.

1. Nike Seamless Running Jacket and Nike Dri-Fit Long Sleeve Shirt - it doesn't get too cold in Georgia, but I would love some lightweight long-sleeve shirts to run in

2. Adidas and Reeboks Running Tights - I'm so obsessed with running tights right now, especially in the chilly weather! And just around the house. ;)

3. Nike Dri-Fit Running Gloves - to cover up my freezing/frozen fingers.....

4. Wave Sayonara by Mizuno - I really do need a new pair of running shoes (mine have at least 200 miles on them - crazy!!!) and these are really cute and lightweight. 

And some odds and ends that I couldn't really categorize:

1. Wild Squirrel Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter - Three of my favorite things in one, yes please! I love novelty food items. :) 

2. Flight Fancy Briggi Lunchbox - how cute is this?? 

3. World Watercolor Map from Art.com - my parent have been discussing letting me redo my room, and I am in love with this map to hang on my wall. It's soooo me. 

4. Anthropologie Wildfield Quilt - same as mentioned above. :) I love colors and patterns and this would be a lovely change from my *bright* pink quilt I've had since 4th grade. 

5. Native Union Monocle Speaker - my friend had one of these and always used it in the locker rooms after practice. It had a really nice sound quality!

Clearly, I don't need or expect any of these things (except maaaayyybbbeee the running shoes. Those may count as a need, ;)), but it's fun to dream, right? Are you surprised nothing included cats?!

 It was really fun making this post, and I know you guys got a sneak peek of the "Fashion" board - told you I'm practically no good with technology. :) As I was saving it, I think I linked it to Blogger or something?? Whatever works! 

I hope you have a loooovveelllyy day!! 

Fashion

Fashion by jessicamitchell661 featuring a chalcedony ring

American Eagle Outfitters cableknit sweater
ae.com

Old Navy short black boots
oldnavy.gap.com

Flat pumps
modcloth.com

Chalcedony ring
etsy.com

Pendant chain necklace
modcloth.com

Plastic jewelry
modcloth.com

Back in the Grooovvee

Heeeyyy guys! It's a rainy day around these parts (read: 99% of Georgia winter) and I'm about to head off, but I wanted to get a post in before I'm busy for the day!

For the past couple of weeks, I've been really getting back into running. I certainly am not at the level I was a couple of months ago, but I've been so amazed at how well my body/legs/mind are bouncing back into the running groove!

That being said, I'm really, really trying to make an effort not to overdo it. It's actually really nice running on my own time, and not being in what I call "training mode" - aka run every day, no matter what. I'll admit that I really miss those long runs, but hey, gotta have goals. Goals are fun! I've been enjoying a variety of exercise - running, walking, yoga, strength, and ciirrccuiitts, my new love!

Julie's are my favorites!

I have almost no regrets about running, but if I had to pick one, it would be how I handled my running hiatus. I tried not to let it come through on the blog, but I was very frustrated, and I hated it. I didn't allow myself to enjoy the relaxation and repairing of my body. Yeah, physically I was at rest, but mentally, I was not. Every day I thought about running in some shape or form. Transitioning from 35-40 miles/week to nothing but walking/resting proved really difficult for me to handle.

Guys, I wasted so. much. time and energy worrying about exercise. I really wish I had just realized that it was good for me, and focused on other things like having more time to spend with my family, and enjoying other forms of exercise such as walking. I didn't "lose endurance" (well, I did, but not as much as I feared), I didn't become a couch potato, and although I looovee other activities, I still really do have the running bug.

After getting rained on!!

The past two months have been such a learning experience for me. I wanted to share with you guys my current tentative fitness plan - I really, really like plans and they help me stay motivated, but I've made it really flexible (ie, no specific times/distances). I made sure to incorporate rest days, because I really do thrive on them. I am definitely going to enjoy those days off!

I don't think about time, pace, distance, or how many walking breaks I take. I just go out and do it - my poor Garmin is getting a lil' dusty! But this has been really helpful, and has helped me enjoy the moment.

Here's how I broke it down: 3-4 days of running, 2 rest days, and 1 day of cross-train (something other than running).

For example, this week:

Sun: 30 min circuit, 20 min strength (arms+legs)

Mon: 3.5 mile run

Tues: 4 mile run, strength (arms+abs)

Wed: Rest

Thurs: 4 mile run

Fri: 2.5 mile run, .5 mile walk, strength (arms+legs)

Sat: Rest

Clearly, I most enjoy running and working out my arms. I think because I ran 4 times this week, I'll just run 3 this week, but again, I'm mostly going off of what my body is feelin'. Heads up: I'm still planning on using Hal Higdon's plan, but that will be in Jan/Feb most likely. Goals, goals, goals!

Now that I've gotten that out of me, I'm feeling really good about it! :) I've got a lot of fun stuff planned today and this weekend....minus studying.

Have an awesome weekend, loves!

Madness, I tell you!

This pretty much sums up my schedule right now.

Dude it's been a week since I've done anything on the blog!! I've been either doing nothing or doing so much I just never found time to write. Or take pics. Or even think about anything other than school.

Kids, it's that time of year. The stress of finals is kicking in, full gear!!

Hahaaa I feel like this picture so much right now. But I do have all A's, so that's something of an accomplishment. 

Anywho, I've got a lot on my plate right now - I have to finish 4 CHAPTERS for APUSH (not happening, so I'm going to have to figure something out), do all 180 freaking vocab terms for it, I have to finish the Scarlet Letter, write a study guide for it, and finish the already 130-question study guide, be ready for my muscular system test, and be prepared for all of my cumulative final exams. And I didn't even procrastinate, people, I'm serious!!

Ha....ha.....

Okay done whining (for now). Now let's talk about some marvelous things instead of stressssssssssssss. I know I missed MIMM and WIAW sooo I'm stealing MIMM's thunder. Here's what's been marvelous for the past week!

Marvelous is.....new jammies! 

Yup, I still say jammies. I've been wearing the same couple pairs of flannel pants/t-shirts as pajamas for a couple of years, so it was time for new ones. I found these at Kohls - they have cute little penguins all over them!

Marvelous is......white chocolate peanut butter.

Okay this stuff is seriously so freaking delicious. I scored it at Target for $3 and when you compare that to almond/sunbutter that's normally at least $5 - awesome deal!

Marvelous is....runs! Running run run run! Runs!

Me? Overenthusiastic? Psh. ;) Week dos of run/walking I made it 3.6 miles yesterday - it took me about 45 minutes, with walking intervals and sloowwwly trekking up a hill. Once. I felt so accomplished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marvelous is....CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Yayyyy we finally put up our Christmas decorations. We claim to loovve Christmas, but my parents refuse to decorate until after Thanksgiving. We children complain about it every year, but I have a feeling it's a tradition that will stick into my adulthood. ;) Some things never change. 

Marvelous is....Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

OKAY if you have a grocery-store anywhere near your vicinity, you MUST look for Peppermint Stick Ice Cream. I repeat, this is a need if you want to fully live life. Mom bought two cartons of this and we plowed through them in like 3 days. I cannot describe its deliciousness.

Marvelous is....the cross country banquet. 

I'm hoping to see this time go down next season!! 

I actually had this last week, but never got around to mentioning it. It was so awesome! The coaches called each teammate onstage (just a tad embarrassing) and told a little story/something good about that person. It was really sweet and sad. The boys' coach even got a little choked up!! It was so sweet.

Marvelous is....peppermint flavored study fuel!!!!

Caffeine? Check. Carbs/protein? Check. Lots of work?! Check check check!

Marvelous is....all of these holiday gift guides! I would make my own, but I haven't figured it out, but here's a couple that I love:

Beauty:

source

Fitness:

from Brittany's blog

from Leigha's blog

Whew I'm glad I finally got a post up! :) See you later, darlings! 

Oh and have a WONDERFUL Wednesday evening!

MIMM #4

Helloo! Welcome to the new week! I had an awesome week off and am not ready to get back into school. BUT...only 3 weeks til Christmas break!

Marvelous is....ULTA

Seriously, I am in love with all of their merchandise, but especially their holiday merchandise. Gift list!

Marvelous is....a wonderful, family and friend - filled Thanksgiving weekend.

I was so glad to spend this Thanksgiving with family whom I rarely see, and also my good friend! And now I know that we're going to visit Grammy and Papa over Christmas break - yay!!

Speaking of which, marvelous is....the Christmas season!!!!!!

I mean really, need I say more?!

Marvelous is..a couple of successful runs

It's really amazing how much endurance and conditioning you lose (or I lost) after a couple of non-running months. But, I really needed those, and I'm excited to work my way back up!

Marvelous is...circuit workouts!

I love these things!! Especially on rainy days. And I love how they combine cardio and strength in a short amount of time.

Marvelous is....Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee

I need more of this coffee, asap! It may just replace Starbucks, dare I say it!

Marvelous is...SAT Practice

Okay, I know that this is kind of a lame thing to be marvelous, but the practices are sooooo helpful in preparing me for the actual test. Which is this Saturday....!!

Marvelous is....finding out that I'm more left-brained than right-brained

So I was a dork and decided to take a left/right brained test. I was 58% left-brained and 42% right-brained, so almost half and half. I totally thought I would be more right-brained - I hate and am terrible at math, anything logical or thought-provoking (ha!) and am certainly more creative than I thought I left-brained person would be. But the results were really surprising, and also quite accurate! Most of my strengths were a combination of both.

Marvelous is....taking a love-language test

I am really really a dork and for some reason, finding out my "love-language" sparked my interest. There are 5 languages, and mine, in order from most to least primary, were: Personal Touch, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Receiving Gifts, and acts of service. I'm not surprised at all about personal touch (it almost sounds weird, but it's very important in relationships), but I was surprised about how low receiving gifts was. But I answered as honestly as possible, and that's what I got.

Personal Touch:
A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, and thoughtful touches on the arm—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive. Appropriate and timely touches communicate warmth, safety, and love to you. (source)

Marvelous is...my new haircut!!

I finally went for it and actually cut off all the gross dead ends. And I love it this length!!

That's all for today guys - have a maaaawwwvelous Monday!!