the importance of a signature scent

do you have a signature scent?  for the past five years i've been a huge fan of alien by Thierry Mugler.  it is so flirty and unique.  whenever i wear it, i receive so many compliments from friends, family, and strangers alike.  i even got my sister and college roommate to start wearing it regularly!

i'm thrilled that i found a perfume that works well with my body chemistry.  scent evokes such strong memories and emotions.  whenever i smell chanel no 5 i instantly think of my grandmother.  similarly, a&f fierce will forever and always remind me of my high school boyfriend.

p.s. what should your signature scent actually be?

how I gained 5 pounds in two days

Happy Monday! How was your weekend?  MINE WAS VERY EVENTFUL; SO eventful, IN FACT, THAT I DIDN'T STOP TO TAKE ANY PICTURES EXCEPT FOR THE ONE ABOVE (NOTE THE GATORADE: A HANGOVER ESSENTIAL). And yes, as the title of this post suggests I managed to gain FIVE pounds!!!  a few buzzwords from my trip to boston include:

drunk jeopardy playing. Nail painting. early morning tailgating. cornholing. mimosa drinking. burger grilling. beer shotgunning. Wine tasting. fence climbing. surprise engagement partying. Balloon blowing. Streamer hanging. Cake throwing. Ice luge-ing. Champagne toasting. brunching. wild Dancing. TINDERING. Breakfast eating. Gatorade chugging. Book clubbing.

it was a great time with greaT people!  as you can probably infer, food journaling kindaaa sorta definitely took the back seat this weekend.  i did, however, track consistently monday through friday! add me on myfitnesspal: anidanielle

happy friday!

what do you have planned for this weekend?  i am heading up to massachusetts tomorrow for a boston college tailgate. go eagles!  here are a few links that sparked my fancy from around the internets:

seven sentences that sound crazy but are still grammatical

i'm really liking this ll bean rain jacket in black

lena dunham hilariously candidly interviews mindy kaling

to remember for my birthday next month

i bought a pair of nine west black over-the-knee boots.  i usually don't buy trendy pieces, but i'm kinda obsessed.  i especially love this olivia palermo look.

vogue's fall 2014 movie guide

(photo from my instagram #shamelessplug)

the perfect fall dvr schedule

earlier this week, i listed a few of my favorite things about autumn, but i totally forgot to mention the tv shows!  my dvr is in overdrive right now, and i absolutely love it!  here are my favorite, must-see shows this season:

the mindy project - tuesdays at 9:30pm on fox

when people ask me what i want to be when i grow up, my first-instinct response is “mindy lahari” she is smart, witty, and oh so funny. not to mention she lives in a gorgeous new york city apartment, wears gorgeous clothes, and dates gorgeous men. what’s not to love!? if you haven't seen this show, go watch it!

modern family - wednesdays at 9pm on abc

i rarely laugh when watching shows solo.  modern family is the exception. this show is consistently laugh out loud funny.

new girl - tuesdays at 9pm on fox

jessica dey is my spirit animal. her quirkiness reminds me of my quirkiness. i can totally picture being bff's with all of the main characters.  plus this show totally makes me want to live in a loft with three male roommates.

honorable mentions:

the big bang theory - mondays at 8pm on cbs

american horror story- wednesdays at 10pm on fx

scandal - thursdays at 9pm on abc

what are your favorite fall tv shows?

is cuyana the next longchamp?

i absolutely love my longchamp le pliage.  it has been by my side through college all-nighters, coffee dates with friends, and trips around the world.  it is the perfect day bag, school bag, and carry-on.  after five years of daily use, i can confidently say that it was worth every. single. penny.

however i've been on the market for something new, something timeless, and something that is sure to last the next five years without breaking the bank.

enter the replacement...

cuyana classic leather tote in caramel

i'm not sure if this leather cuyana is the answer to my answer to all my problems, but i am totes (#punny) crushing.  it is just so so so lovely, and it has been on my radar for the past six months.  my birthday is next month... hmm potential birthday present to myself!? me thinks so.

p.s. did you know that longchamp has a great after sales service repair policy.

autumn bucket list

happy first day of autumn, aka the best season of the year!  crisp mornings, beautiful colors, and pumpkin-flavored everything -- does it get much better than that!?  today i would like to share with you five of my favorite fall activities:

1. tailgating -- football + team chants + corn hole
2. apple picking -- tall brown boots + apples cider doughnuts + spicy aromas
3. pumpkin carving -- hayrides + pumpkin seeds + the monster mash
4. trail hiking -- colorful leaves + picnics + cozy knit sweaters
5. halloween-ing -- hocus pocus + fake cob webs + creative costumes

what are your favorite autumn activities?

(photo by maria starzyk)

weekly goal - meal tracking

this week i'm going to focus on tracking my meals. i will not be neurotic about this.  anything that enters my mouth, will also enter my food journal. i will not be neurotic about this.  i will simply jot down calorie estimates in this adorable new notepad that i picked up at the vera bradley outlet.  did i mention that i will not be neurotic about this?

p.s. i'm still going strong with operation drink-more-water. i even created game to make drinking “fun.” whenever i take a sip from my giant water bottle, i like to see how long i can go before stopping to take a breath. right now my record is 16 ounces. *insert fist pump emoji*

this post is part of the weekly wishes linkup, hosted by the nectar collective - for people who like to get shit done

last weekend of summer

happy sunday!  how was your weekend?  my grandparents came to visit yesterday, and we spent the entire day exploring my new town.  we discovered the cutest ice cream stand that sold the most delicious, locally made ice cream. i ordered the 'graham central station' (pictured above), which has to be one of the best flavors I've ever tasted. Graham flavored ice cream + a graham cracker variegate + chocolate covered crisp candy = yum!  it was the perfect way to spend the last days of summer.


i decided to link up with dateless in dallas and showered with design for this weekend recap post! yay for my first link up on this blog :)

1 month fitness evaluation

it has been one month since my initial fitness evaluation with my trainer.  i am so excited to share my progress with you!  this one month evaluation was just the pick-me-up that i needed.  i can feel my body getting stronger with each workout, and I've started making healthier choices (almost) instinctively.  it's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day numbers game.  results like this show the importance of taking a step back to look at the big picture.

the basics
weight: 159 pounds (-2.0 lbs)
body fat: 25.8% (-3.8%)
bmi: 25.4 (overweight)
height: 5' 6"

measurements
neck: 12.5 inches (-0.5)
chest: 38.0 inches (-0.5)
waist:33.5 inches (-2.5)
hips: 40.5 inches (-1.0)
arm: 11.0 inches (0.0)
thigh: 22.0 inches (-1.5)

fitness
pushups: 19 (+2)
wall sit: 120 seconds (+35)
plank: 90 seconds (+2)

onward and downward...

how to drink more water in ten easy steps

1. invest in a brita filter... or a filter for your tap... or a faucet... or learn to harvest rainwater... really, any source of clean drinking water will work here.
2. determine the amount of water your body needs. helpful hint: divide your body weight in half. (i.e. if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink at least 80 ounces of water per day)
3. buy one or two (...or three?) bottles that will provide the amount of water calculated in step #2.  i use the nalgene bottles pictured above. both were purchased on amazon. The blue one is 48 ounces and the pink one is 32 ounces. together, they provide 80 ounces of liquid awesomeness. important features: no leak, portable, easy to clean
4. high five for saving the environment one reusable bottle of water at a time!
5. Fill bottles with drinking water in the morning before work/school/netflix/etc.  this is key for all the water snobs (like me) that only drink ice cold filtered unicorn tears harvested by whistling leprechauns. this is also key for the lazies (like me) that don't want to waste time & energy refilling the bottles later.
6. keep your friends close and water bottle closer.  if you leave your water bottle in your bag/car/fridge, you will forget about it.  pretend your bottle is your baby; never let it leave your line of sight.
7. enjoy refreshing water throughout the day. set reminders on your phone if you have to.
8. feel good when you finish the last sip; partially because you've met your hydration goal, but mostly because an empty bottle is much easier to carry.
9. before bed, rinse the water bottles and put them on the counter so that they will be ready and waiting in the morning.
10. repeat steps 5 though 9, and in no time at all, you'll be feeling like Queen bey.

please drink responsibly :)

how do you hydrate?

10 things that will help me lose weight

note to self: bookmark this post for future reference.

to help reach my weight-loss goals, i made a list of things to add to my daily/weekly/monthly routine.  i fully understand that habits aren't formed overnight, that rome wasn't built in a day, and that the tortoise beats the hare every. single. time.  blah blah blah, i get it: old habits die hard and new ones are illusive, slippery little suckers.  in order to avoid the trap of too much, too fast, too soon, i will focus on one item at a time.  once something becomes second nature, i will move on to something new. so yeah, here's the list i came up with on my lunch break:

1. drink 80 ounces of water / day
2. sleep more than 7 hours / night
3. take vitamins daily
4. keep a food journal
5. run 15 miles / week
6. strength train 3 times / week
7. meditate every morning
8. journal every night
9. plan meals ahead of time
10. monthly fitness assessments