Thursday, December 7, 2017

Sentence a Day: November 2017

I first joined Sarah and Leslie in writing one sentence a day in January, and this is my eleventh sentence-a-day post. You can read my January sentences here, my February sentences here, my March sentences here, my April sentences here, my May sentences here, my June sentences here, my July sentences here, my August sentences here, my September sentences here, and my October sentences here.

November 1, 2017
I gave my first midterm today, did a lot of grading, completed a lunchtime barre class, went on an afternoon walk and did a short interval workout at the gym while the kid was at Taekwondo.


November 2, 2017
I started the day with a barre class (class 23 in 26 days), went on a long hike with a good friend, and then got caught up on work.

November 3, 2017
I gave my last midterm today and went to a beer release party with Andy in the evening.

November 4, 2017
I started the day again with a barre class, got a bit caught up at home, did some grading, and then we went to a very fun birthday party in the evening.


November 5, 2017
I started the day with a barre class, did a lot of grading, grocery shopped, and we went on a long afternoon walk.


November 6, 2017
Started the week not really prepared but quickly caught up by making soup for our lunches as soon as I got up, taught my class, held office hours, wrote a blog post, graded, and made time for a barre class.


November 7, 2017
I started the day with a barre class and went on several walks throughout the day that ended up totaling 20,000 steps.


November 8, 2017
I was in a bit of funk all day, so I bought some beautiful flowers to cheer me up; I also took a barre class at lunch time.
 
November 9, 2017
I started the day with a barre class and then got caught up on work and took care of some details for our Germany trip.

November 10, 2017
It was nice to have the day off; we went on a morning walk, out for lunch for Pho, and explored downtown San Jose a bit.
November 11, 2017
I went to a barre class, on a walk, to a stress management workshop, and in the afternoon Andy and I stopped by a new brewery for a while.


November 12, 2017
I started the day with a barre class, we walked 2 miles to a cafe for lunch (and back), went grocery shopping and got ready for the week.


November 13, 2017
I took a lunchtime barre class and got 17,000 steps by the end of the day; I may need to rest a bit soon.

November 14, 2017
Lots of grading and prep work after a morning barre class; in the evening the kid presented in front of the School Board, and we are very proud.


November 15, 2017
The kid finally got California rolls, which he had been asking for. Unfortunately, they were not very photogenic.


November 16, 2017
I met a dear friend of mine who recently moved back to California 2.5 hours away for lunch; since it was raining a lot it turned into quite the adventure.


November 17, 2017
I started the day with a barre class, and I brought treats for my 3-hour class.



November 18, 2017
It was a cool day, and we got some tofu soup for lunch.

November 19, 2017
We walked to our neighborhood cafe after my barre class, and I did some shopping at Old Navy in the afternoon.


November 20, 2017
The kid is off this week, and we went on a nice hike in the afternoon.


November 21, 2017
The kid and I walked to our neighborhood cafe for lunch and had the best time talking on the way.


November 22, 2017
Held office hours, taught my class, went to a barre class, and saw Wonder with the kid in the afternoon - such a good movie!


November 23, 2017
Our Thanksgiving plans changed abruptly, but we ended up having a nice day after all, including a last second meal.


November 24, 2017
The older kid and I have a standing Black Friday date for ten years now, ever since the younger kid was a tiny baby; we had fun doing a bit of shopping, going out to lunch and getting some coffee; in the evening we checked out the Winter Fest at Great America and then stopped by my friend's house.


November 25, 2017
I had some of my friends from grad school, some of whom I hadn't seen in years, over; it was good to catch up.

November 26, 2017
The kid's friend slept over and we went out for Japanese ramen.



November 27, 2017
I'm still trying to get organized after Saturday's party; plus, I realized today that we'll be in Germany in three weeks! Yikes!!! So not feeling prepared...

November 28, 2017
After several really difficult months, I feel there was a breakthrough today, and I'm very thankful; I'm also thankful for my daily walks.


November 29, 2017
It's week ten of the quarter and my students are losing steam; I tried to motivate them today...

November 30, 2017
I started the day with a barre class, got a haircut, and got lots of work done.



Questions: What were your highlights in November? Are you going to join us this month and write one sentence a day?


Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.

Be well,
Andrea

Monday, December 4, 2017

Making Time in a Busy Season

Life has been stressful and hectic for months now, but I'm consistently working on being grateful for the "little" things and cherishing my time with loved ones.

The older kid and I started a Black Friday tradition ten years ago when the younger kid was just a few weeks old.  Every Black Friday, just the two of us go out, but the focus is not on getting the best deal but on spending time together. This year we headed to a less popular mall, bought a few items, went to lunch and then had some coffee. Our one-on-one time was priceless.


Around that time I also decided that I wanted to experiment with a darker/brighter lip color instead of the usual neutral colors that I wear. This is a mixture of several colors, but I bought a red lipstick that I like yesterday, and I'm going to share it soon.
Later in the day on Black Friday, we headed to WinterFest at California's Great America in Santa Clara. It's a fun place for families to spend some winter fun. 


I also did a little shopping in the last few weeks. Unfortunately, the Rebecca Minkoff cold shoulder sweater that I ordered from Nordstrom didn't work out the way I wanted it to, and I returned it. 


Since life has been stressful in the last few months, exercise has been essential. I try to get as many steps as possible every day, and I have also been taking barre classes most days. 


This was a particularly good day; I don't get that many steps every day... :-)



I have also been lifting more weights and am proud that there are some more visible muscles showing up... :-)


This past weekend, we had fun at the Bubbly Walk in Willow Glen. We hung out with friends and had fun checking out the cute stores. And I managed not to buy anything! :-)
Finally, Andy bought an ugly holiday sweater yesterday, and I just absolutely love it! It makes me smile whenever I look at it! 


Questions: What's new in your life lately? Do you make time for the little things during this busy season? 

 
Be well, Andrea

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Integrity Advantage (Book Review)

I was recently provided the opportunity to review a new book: The Integrity Advantage: Step into Your Truth, Love Your Life, and Claim Your Magnificence.* The book is written by Kelley Kosow who started her career as an attorney and later became a Life Coach.


As the title suggests, Kosow discusses throughout the book how to live life in a way that is true to ourselves. She also points out a second definition of integrity: The state of being whole and undivided. She makes the case that the second definition is the reason it is so important to live a life of integrity.

I read the book at a very tumultuous time of my life, and I was able to relate to many of the stories Kosow uses to illustrate why we are often not true to ourselves and how to turn things around. She points out that we are all born with an internal feeling or voice inside that tells us if things are right or wrong. Unfortunately, over the years, we learn not to listen to that voice. While reading the book and the stories, I was able to reflect on my own life and times when I didn't listen to my inner voice and examine why I made the choices I made and what I would do differently now and what I will do differently going forward.

The book is divided into four parts. In the first part, Kosow discusses what it means to live life with integrity and why we often don't do so. In part 2, Kosow outlines steps that help readers find out what has prevented them from living a life of integrity. In the third part, Kosow gives reader a five-step process to sort through what may prevent them from living a life of integrity. The book ends with the Integrity Promise so that readers will be able to live a life of integrity forever.

The Integrity Advantage is a well-written, useful book that helps readers look at their own lives and determine when and why they don't always live a life of integrity. More importantly, it helps them make permanent changes to be true to themselves and therefore feel whole and undivided.

Questions: Do you ever not listen to your "gut feeling?" Do you regret it later? Why do you think that is?

 

Be well,
Andrea


* I received the book for free for review purposes; as always, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com benefits from actions taken on the links.


Sunday, November 12, 2017

White Jeans and Grey Sweater

I've always liked the combination of white and grey. And since it's going to rain next week, I decided to wear my white jeans yesterday when we stopped by the reopening of Clandestine Brewing for a little bit.
 This post contains affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com benefits from actions taken on the links.

 
I have gotten lots and lots of wear out of the white jeans, and they are still my favorite and very affordable. The grey sweater was a splurge, but I love the cutout detail and that it can be worn with the cutout in the front or the back. It's a unique piece that I know I'll have for years.




Outfit details: White jeans, Grey sweater, Bag, Boots

Questions: What are some of your favorite color combinations? Do you still wear white jeans at this time? If so, with what colors do you combine it? 

 

Be well,
Andrea




Monday, November 6, 2017

My Favorite LuLaRoe Pieces

LuLaRoe is probably best known for its super soft and sometimes quite loud leggings. I was first introduced to LuLaRoe through a friend who couldn't say enough good things about their clothes. So I ordered a pair of black and white leggings. I love how soft they are, and the print is very me. I read some mixed reviews about the leggings online, but mine have been holding up well through numerous washes (I do hand wash them as recommended).

LuLaRoe Leggings
This is not a sponsored post. I purchased all items with my own money.

After I got the leggings, I spotted a black and white Cassie skirt, and it really called my name. I love how comfortable the skirt is; it's my favorite pencil skirt for sure. Plus, the waistband can be folded over to adjust the length.

LuLaRoe Cassie Skirt

One of my more recent purchases is my blue/white striped Lynnae top. It runs big, and I love that I have enough room to tie it at the side. 

LuLaRoe Lynnae

Another more recent purchase is the Lindsay, which is perfect third layer when it's not too cold. I paired it with my Cassie skirt here and did a bit of pattern mixing.

LuLaRoe Lindsay and Cassie

My more recent purchases are from my friend Oana, who recently started selling LuLaRoe. Oana and I used to work together in high tech about 15 years ago, and I love supporting her business when I come across an item that speaks to me (lately, a few too many have been speaking to me...). You can check out Oana's LuLaRoe Facebook page here. She has some great inventory that she constantly updates and is super nice to work with. 

Questions: What clothing items have you recently purchased?


Click here to check out the fabulous bloggers I’m linking up with.


Be well,
Andrea