Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Juice bitch -

I was trying to make juice sound interesting so I added "bitch" to the end of it.  
The idea of making fresh vegetable and fruit juice every day is not a very Tired Girl activity at first glance.  But I want the good life, so I have to strive for things dammit.

Joe and I bought a centrifugal juicer years back and used it sometimes.  We loved the actual juice, but the whole process was ridiculous.  The work did not outweigh the juice and there was so much waste.  We sold our juicer in our garage sale and decided to try the masticating juicer instead. We did lots of research (e.g. I read about them on Amazon and Joe watched you tube videos comparing them) and then we headed to the Macy's Labor Day Sale.



This is what ours looks like. It seems to be cheaper on amazon
right now; we got ours super on sale at Macy's. 
I have a lot I can say about this so I will try and streamline it. 

The masticating juicer in short: 
 - requires WAY less clean up
 - is more expensive 
 - the juice produced can be kept for a week in your fridge
- way easier to juice kale
- just better  



The other (centrifugal) juicer is obviously: 
- less expensive
- horrible to clean up (in my Tired Girl opinion), 
- freaks me out with it's super sharp parts 
-  and the juice is only good for that day (for complicated sciencey reasons I won't go in to).

Our new masticating juicer is our new favorite family member. We have been meaning to watch the documentary "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead," but have been too busy living the juicing dream to watch movies (that is a lie).  We are not on a juice diet or a juice fast.  We eat food like normal humans.  This doesn't seem to be a blip for us - something fun to spend our energy on to pretend we are healthy until we get bored with it.  We seem to actually like it. 


Here are a few other things about it:


- I think it requires a smidge of planning - just like any other meal.

This is the centrifugal juicer we had. We had
never heard of the masticating juicer when we
bought this. We liked it at first and bought one
for my parents. The masticating one is much
better for Tired Girls.
- We still eat actual fruits and vegetables, but veggie juice tastes good and it feel likes you just drank a rainbow. We have simply added juice to our diet not replacing it with good eating.
- We still eat junk food - this isn't like a whole life THING - we are still normal people (did I already say this? Dammit we are NORMAL).
- For me it's all about kale - I couldn't sit down and eat two or three cups of kale a day, but I can juice it, mix it with carrot juice and guzzle it down, and get something good in the process.
- I hesitate to say this because it sounds goofballs, but I feel like drinking juice like this makes me feel a teeniny bit less tired.  

In my next juice post (because this one is too long already) I will discuss:

- Juicing for Tired Girls
- My favorite juice recipes
- How the heck to use kale
yum, unless this grosses you out, and then never mind

Sunday, January 26, 2014

It's okay to be a girl -

Food porn, I guess, is photos of yummy food - right? I don't really love that saying for whatever reason, but I think that this site I came across, is fashion porn. Or porn for your eyes - maybe that is what regular porn is actually.   Anyway, whatever -  I came across this photo blog and went ahead and wasted about four hours (in separate increments) this week. I could have read a whole book, or worked out a lot, or something. 

Instead I just scrolled and scrolled and scrolled through this site. Which, though I understand is kind of a waste, it's still going to keep happening. 

there's me, just blogging in sequins
These girls make me want to wear lipstick - not in the amount and in the colors that they do so casually, but maybe some. These girls make it okay to be a girl - like all things girly are worth posting and looking at - just for the beauty of it -  AND though my life doesn't regularly call for this amount of fashion in one outfit, I think it's like the idea of the fashion we see at Fashion Week, in magazines, and from Rihana. 

Of course, we girls, are not going to wear a tartan plaid men's suit and hot pink heels to work.  But, we will add a little more hot pink and a little more plaid to our wardrobe. That's the take away - as I understand it - from the catwalk. 
I actually will copy this exact outfit - it does entail a sweatshirt.

So this super beautiful site does that for me - it inspires me to be a little more of something around my home and on my body. 

Enjoy.  Hope you make it in to work tomorrow and aren't found by your children with your hand cramped and eyes glazed in the living room looking at this site instead. I feel like I have already said too much and maybe ruined this fun site. 

Here it is:

Southern Charm

Also, if you click on the photo you like on the site, there will be photo info - brands, sites, etc.

sure
I'll wear this tomorrow.

And I'll wear this the next day, and I am seriously going to buy some leopard flats.
And this can be my kid.



okay, yeah


And I'll live here.
 Anyone else have a site that makes them want to call in sick to work? 

Monday, January 20, 2014

Profile of a Tired Girl - JENNY!

So I have reached out to some real Tired Girls that I know. I thought it would be fun to see inside the world of other Tired Girls who want the Good Life.  Our first profile is from Jenny.  I know her in real life and she is the perfect two-sided woman - she is truly and seriously a Tired Girl AND she strives and achieves the Good Life. And she makes me laugh.  Here is our first Tired Girl Profile:  

First name: Jenny

Tired Girl product(s) recommendation:  Gotta admit I’m not a big product girl. That being said, here are a few items for which I could be forced to muster some excitement:

 - Yesto Carrots Daily Cream Facial Cleanser: I like the Yes to Carrots cleanser because it’s gentle, paraben/SLS/phtalate-free, and most importantly, does not make my skin freak out like just about everything other cleanser out there.  I’m sure I’d love some of the fancier cleansers, but my wallet disagrees. The only reason I even discovered this stuff was because it had a “Manager’s Special” sticker on it in a big bin of miscellaneous personal beauty products at the end of the cereal aisle at the grocery. So, you know, it’s accessible.


Here they are on amazon
 - Thayer’sWitch Hazel Astringent Pads: Let me begin by saying, yes, I’m the famous genius who recommended that Carrie use witch hazel to reduce puffiness. On recommendation of a friend, I tried it out as a toner after washing my face and loved it! I’d recommend that if you are a particularly Tired Girl, you should get these pre-soaked pads. I use the pads to reduce puffiness, remove make-up, or just because it makes my skin feel like I did something to it.

 - Trader Joe’s Vitamin E Oil: Yeah, it’s oily. Use it sparingly. But you will not find a more hydrating product than straight up Vitamin E Oil. 

 - YerbaPrima Skin Brush: Did this just get weird? Does anyone else out there brush their skin? No? Okay, nevermind.

Least favorite chore and how you work around it: Laundry. 1,000 times, laundry. I “work around it” by going about my life doing other things while it sits in a pile on the dining table. Frankly, it should be thanking me that I got it that far.
Seriously, I don’t know a work-around for laundry. Someone tell me. All I can think of is that I should get rid of all of our clothes.

Favorite non-tired activity: Hiking. Reading. Sewing. Yoga. Running around with my boys. Playing guitar. Actually, those all sound tired, don’t they?

Your go-to most tired dinner (take-out doesn’t count because as we know that is our MOST most most favorite): The current favorite easy meal around here is good ol’ beans and rice. Sometimes I add salsa to the rice for cooking. For the beans, I just heat some minced garlic in olive oil, then add black beans and cumin and let them simmer. Then I get really fancy by throwing a couple of frozen Trader Joe’s Naan pieces in the oven for 5 minutes. Makes the whole family happy!  

What is your most Tired Girl comfy uniform:  My dark skinny jeans, faded brown ankle boots, button up plaid shirt. Faaaancy!

Your most tired work outfit (whether your work is away from home or at home: Uh, see “comfy uniform” question. I dress this up by swapping the boots for red wedges, button-up shirt for silky black tank, add long necklace and lipstick. And, you know, pull my hair out of a bun. ;)

Biggest Tired Girl splurge: We recently splurged on a Keurig coffee maker. I thought this would make morning coffee much more interesting and fun, but actually I find myself spending MORE time on the coffee making and cleaning process.  A.) The K-cups are expensive, and I haven’t found one that I love, so we end up mostly just using our own coffee in the reusable filter. B.) When we DO use K-cups, my conscience won’t let me just throw them away, so I have to disassemble them to separate them for recycling.  I miss the regular coffee pot.

Current toenail color: Burgundy


Tired Girl philosophy: Be nice. 

I will not hold her appreciation for skinny jeans against her.  She also sent me an awesome tip for a future Tired Girl post.  



Sunday, January 12, 2014

Tissue Tassel Garland for Tired Girls -

I like to know what’s going on in the world. Sometimes that means knowing about boring and important things, like a change in flood insurance in Florida, and luckily it sometimes means knowing that, apparently, zippers on things are super in style right now. Especially if it’s a zipper that serves no purpose.

It may have all started with this company -
I have no idea  - I don't know why I said that-
their site seems official (expensive).   Confetti System link
When I traveled this fall I saw and loved these tassel garlands, and eventually looked them up. They are apparently popular everywhere in the world except my own house, because I didn't know they existed until recently.

So in my effort to still have the Good Life, regardless of fatigue, I am going to show you these things - (just in case you didn't know about them either) so you can look brilliant at a party when the flood insurance conversation wanes. I don’t know what parties you go to, but at mine, flood insurance chat quickly turns to trends in tissue paper.

If you google search "tissue tassel garland" your computer will explode, maybe.
If you type in tissue tassel garland to etsy.com you accidentally spend like $63.  There are a lot of choices on etsy.  You will need to take a half day from work just to look at them all. 


GlamFeteByBri
Two things I love about these things:
1) They serve no purpose except to be fun.
2) The unique and beautiful color choices that are created.

Because there are so many creative people making and selling these on etsy it was hard to choose whose photos to share - because I haven't actually made and photographed any of these myself. 




Here are some photos from the shop GlamFeteByBri


GlamFeteByBri



GlamFeteByBri



Here’s a quick how to also, if you feel so inclined to make instead of purchase. In six years, when they are out of style, I will get around to making a set myself, just to solidify my ability to always be two steps behind.

HGTV DIY Tissue Tassel Garland. 


You don't have to be getting married or having a baby to use these I think.
You can just string one up because it's Tuesday. Source


There are a batrillion blog sites that show how to do this too. I just couldn't pick one so I chose none.  

Anyone make a string of these? 


Wednesday, January 8, 2014

HALT -

When I was a freshman living in the dorm, our dorm lady - I think she was call our "RA" - put a piece of paper on each door that read "HALT!"  And it stood for:
Hungry
Angry
Lonely 
Tired

If you, as a freshman, were any two of those things you had to HALT!! and fix at least one of them - eat something, call someone, take a rest, etc. I assume many freshman were either 
A) good at eating, sleeping and socializing and the anger would come in when they got kicked out of school or 
B) terrible at maneuvering the world, suddenly, in such a different way and needed someone to tell them to eat something for Pete's sake.  


My college years were before the days
when we could express our angst with grumpy cat.
Luckily I was somewhere in the middle.  Of all the things I (semi) "accomplished" (a term used loosely in this sense) in college I think about "HALT"  a lot.  

When I use to work outside my home like a normal person I would often "HALT" myself first thing at work in the mornings.  Making sure I didn't get too busy to drink the coffee or breakfast I brought and making sure to reach out to friends in some way first thing - this made me happier the rest of the day. Obviously "Halting" yourself when you get in the evenings is important too. 

As a Tired Girl I know that if any of these things (hunger, anger, loneliness of fatigue) get away from me, like get too big - I am doomed.  There will be tears and a mini-meltdown.  (Aren't there tears every day you ask? Yes of course there - I am a Crier, but still).

Here is a quick word on each of these - the Tired Girl way: 


I like this flavor best and they do fill me
up for a breakfast on the go if I am short on time.
They count for 6 points on weight watchers.
Hungry - if I get too hungry, I get hangry (it's a thing) and I don't even know it's happening I just can't think and then I melt down. I carry a a granola bar or a Belvita pack in my purse - just in case.  I also try not to get too hungry or I effing binge! - I forget to purge though so that means I don't have disorder. 

Angry - I get more anxious than angry - either way a phone call to mom or my husband usually does the job there. Exercise is also my biggest ally in anger and anxiety, but that is not always feasible. So then I ask myself a VERY dangerous question "If you could do anything right now to feel better what would it be?"  Luckily the answer is usually something realistic like "move around my house to neaten it up, cry a little, look at sale items on J.Crew, and call my mom." 


A good ol' call to my mom fixes some things.
I did not edit this photo except to make it black and white,
the fact that we took this in a bathroom
shouldn't have made us look so plastic.
Lonely - I am happy being alone, but I do like to feel connected to the world. The key here is not to put all your eggs in one basket - don't just text one friend and sit there and wait for a reply.  I will email/ facebook like 6-10 friends when I feel lonely  - and write a short sentence or two about something we talked about last and ask how they are.  I like to know specific things about my friends - so I ask them what they had for dinner or what are they watching that night on tv, something that makes me feel right there with them. usually atleast two will write me back right away and I can go from there.  Also, commenting on a few people's post on Facebook makes me feel connected as well - don't psycho-anlayze me or tell me why that's nuts - just let me have this. 


Dogs doing human things is another favorite past time
when I am tired and looking for a pick me up. 
Tired - well I write a whole blog about it so I am like all over the tired thing. Alot of times though when I need to be less tired in the a.m. then coffee and movement do the trick. Tired in the evening I work to go to bed early, take a power nap or get on ebay as it strangely relaxes me.





Something we Tired Girls never want to hear, because our sole goal is to sit down, 
BUT exercise fixes things too.  
Here I am in my old lady easy spirit slip on shoes and my pajama pants. 
Check your judgement elsewhere.  
As a Tired Girl I will always need help helping myself.  How do you HALT yourself?


Sunday, January 5, 2014

Procrastination -

I have a new job. It is with the same great company and I am still surrounded by many of the same comforts as I was before. The new position is not HARDER than my previous one, but it is DIFFERENT and as a Tired Girl, different directly translates to hard. I could do my previous jobs in my sleep (and sometimes kind of did) and was still good (great!! – maybe) at it. 

As a Tired Girl I achieve comfort in my life by creating ease, simplicity and knowing what to expect. I know how my hair will look when I don’t wash it and what I will need to do to make it look like I don’t live in a cave. I know how much energy it takes to make chicken tacos and how it will taste and how much time I will have left in the evening to sit there. I do not know how to do my new job very, very well yet, and this causes angst, which causes me to avoid, which causes me to procrastinate, which causes me to feel bad, and ultimately to feel more tired – mentally – which is my life’s goal to avoid.

Here is how I felt reading emails I recieved the first few days of my new job - keep in mind I already work for this company and I was chosen to do this job - my thoughts are in pink and italic:

Tired Girl, 
Hey, hope you had a great weekend – I am letting Crystal Valley (is this a person or a place) know that the phoshphing (the what?) is no longer loading with Jazzhands (this is capitalized which implies a brand or person, although I have no idea what or who Jazzhands is).  The people at SSC Deusseldorf (again with the: what the?) know that Prose (no idea) is no longer correlated (to what?) so they may want to talk to BlipBlap/PPT (oh sweet baby Jesus) and switch to RRO or maybe Buster Brown (sobbing quietly now), depending on their timeline and budget. Also Rekram ( deep sigh) is soon to be approved (for what? by whom? oh God), but isn’t yet – so will you email and let them know about that as well.  
Let me know if you have questions!!  :)  Amy


I hope my total confusion was conveyed.

My shower has never been so clean due to this. Literally.  This new job has caused a very, very, very clean shower, because as miserable as cleaning the shower is it is easier then feeling mentally overwhelmed while I am still in training with my new position.

Thankfully I know that I LOVE my new job and all the people I get to work with. I just have not internalized parts of it yet.  I am excited every day to see what new task I can procrastinate and over-think!! Hooray!! 

This has taught me a Tired Girl lesson about procrastination.
Procrastination (along with clutter and jerky people) is a real enemy to Tired Girls.
I am not a procrastinator by nature. But when I don’t know how to do something – I put it off. I decided I wanted to learn how to make a cheesecake and two-years later I got right to and did it.  My stupid shower had soap-scum build up and none of my usual half-ass cleaning tricks worked so a mere 17 years later I took it on. 


When I don’t know how to do something I put it off - did I just say this - I blacked out to avoid thinking about this.  For some of you it may be redecorating your bedroom, losing weight, starting to date again, fixing up your yard, writing a resume, going back to school, teaching your dog not to jump on guests, whatever. No matter how big or little the task is procrastinating about something we need or want that we don’t know how to do takes up precious energy in our Tired Girl souls.  Procrastinating  making a cheesecake for two years?  Not a real big deal.  Procrastinating doing my job for even a second?  Not great.


So I’m going to figure what in the world Jazzhands and SSC Dusseldorf are and why they don’t align or correlate or antagonize or procreate.  You don’t have to do anything you don't want to.  But if you want to procrastinate a little bit longer here is an interesting article about procrastinating (which is a little ironic right?)  Wait But Why article.

Don't worry bosses - I am all in with my new gig, but it took a moment to learn what a Crystal Valley is and how to convey the true nature of a Blip Blap and a Buster Brown. 

What causes you to procrastinate? 

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