It’s really kind of overwhelming to me that we’ve already reached the last week in February. My life has been so busy since the start of the year that I’ve barely had time to squeeze everything in, let alone stop and take a breath. Things have changed a LOT for me in the past few months, so this seems like a good time for one of those general life-update type posts.
Professionally, I’ve had a lot going on after two of my coworkers and friends decided to leave the company in January. I’m happy for them for pursuing new things, but I miss them both terribly. We try to get together and catch up, but it’s really not the same as seeing someone five days a week. For awhile I was scrambling to keep up with their workloads as well as my own, and I’m proud to say that I never once lost my mind or went running through the building whilst shrieking. On the bright side, we have two amazing new team members that were hired a few weeks ago, and I’ve been busy helping out with their training.
Before I knew that things were about to get crazy at work, I signed up for two classes this semester instead of my usual one. I know that two classes doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you work full-time, it really is! I’m studying math and sociology, and am actually really enjoying both courses. Things are up in the air as far as how much my company will be contributing for tuition assistance in the coming months, so I’m not sure what will happen for me education-wise after this semester. I really can’t afford classes without the assistance, and I’m very hesitant to take out student loans. For now I’m just hoping that the tuition program will remain relatively unchanged and I’ll be able to finish my degree.
My personal life has had some major changes too. Last November, after a lot of very difficult soul-searching, I decided to end my nine-year relationship and move out on my own. I got an apartment in December and am slowly making it feel like home. Since deciding to make this life change, I’ve definitely learned a lot about the different people in my life and the role they play. Sadly, a few people I considered to be my closest friends were anything but, and I learned some valuable lessons with that experience. But I was also amazed at the extent to which most of my friends were there for me, and I wouldn’t have made it through this experience without them. I also made some great new friends along the way that I’m very grateful to have!
Although things were pretty crazy and overwhelming for awhile, I’m happy to say that my life is returning to a quiet routine. For the most part, things are going well and I am content.
 

Today is Valentine’s Day, but that’s not what this post is about. V-Day is a movement fighting to end violence against women and girls all over the world. One of the things that I like to do on February 14th, when we are celebrating love, is to donate to this great cause and do my part to end the terrible crimes that are committed against women.
I’m all too familiar with a staggering statistic: that one in three women will be a victim of some form of violence in her lifetime. In other words, over one billion women currently on this planet will be assaulted in her lifetime. With those statistics in mind, activist Eve Ensler (best known for creation of the play The Vagina Monologues) established V-Day on Valentine’s Day in 1998. The purpose is simple: to unite and fight back against the epidemic in the world of violence against women.
I myself have been a victim of domestic violence, and sadly I know too many other women who have shared a similar experience. I also know women who have been raped and assaulted. It truly is everywhere, it happens far too often, and it needs to stop.
Today is the 16th anniversary of the launch of V-Day, and to celebrate I am writing this post and sharing it with people I love in hopes of helping to shatter the silence and erase the taboo that goes along with being a victim of battery, rape, incest, female genital mutilation, and sex slavery. These things are happening, and they will only end when we as a global society are aware of them and refuse to stay silent about how unacceptable they are. We must demand change.
Please celebrate V-Day with me by visiting vday.org and getting involved. You can donate, find an event to participate in, or even organize your own event. Let’s stand together and celebrate a different kind of V-Day this February 14th.

It’s the first Monday of the new year, and I started it out feeling pretty good. I actually got out of bed when my alarm went off (this is not something that happens all that often….normally I hit Snooze at least twice and then laze about snuggling my kitties when I really ought to be getting up and ready for work), my hair cooperated in the getting-ready process a lot more than it usually does, and I was out the door with enough time to stop at Starbucks for a latte. All was reasonably well with the world as I arrived at work, set my coffee and bag on my desk, and started getting situated after being away all weekend. I was arranging things when, BAM!, my elbow hit my coffee cup and dumped my latte all over my desktop calendar, several papers, and my blanket. I was pretty irritated with myself as I mopped up the mess and sent a message requesting a replacement calendar.
Turns out, I shouldn’t blame myself, it’s the universe’s fault. What I have learned since this morning is that today is Blue Monday, which is a splashy way of saying it’s the most depressing day of the year. Has anyone else heard of this? Because it was completely not on my radar. Apparently Blue Monday is the day that the most divorces of the year get filed, and tweets are five times more likely to be negative. I guess on some level it makes sense: the holidays are over, people are going back to work, the credit card bills are starting to come in after a December of increased spending, families are sick of each other after all that “together” time.
I did some research and found that Blue Monday actually falls somewhere in the middle of January, not the first full week of the month. The date gets calculated by taking into account a bunch of different factors, like time lapsed since Christmas and average weather conditions. This isn’t really enough to convince me that Blue Monday truly exists. After all, in spite of the fact that I spilled my coffee today, my hair looks great and the sun is shining! It’s a beautiful day! Admittedly, spilling a four dollar drink didn’t please me, but it’s certainly not the worst thing that could happen.
I reject this Blue Monday theory. I’m not going to have a bad day just because someone decided that the weather and my potential credit card bills have dictated that I could. To me, this is a lot like Friday the 13th, which has been deemed a bad luck day but usually turns out fine for me (I mean, honestly, what’s to hate about Fridays?). I went back to Starbucks on my lunch and got myself a new latte, which I drank without incident.
It would be easy to go into a day that already has a label for being depressing and have a bad attitude, because why be positive when the day is going to suck anyways? But it’s just as easy to have a good outlook and decide that, Blue Monday or no, today is kicking off a great week!
 

It’s almost the end of the year, and since I haven’t blogged in awhile I thought it might be nice to get back into writing by looking back over my Resolutions for 2013. I had some good times and bad times in 2013, and overall I’m ready to welcome a new year and put this last one behind me.
So, how’d I do in 2013? Let’s take a look…..
1. Win the lottery. Nope, still no prize money. I have high hopes for 2014, though. As some know, 7 is my favorite number, so it would be appropriate for me to hit the jackpot in 7/14.
2. Continue to exercise and eat healthy and maintain the weight loss I’ve achieved.  I did a pretty good job of this overall in 2013. I’ve backslid recently, as people are apt to do during the holidays, but I’m ready to rally and get back to my diet and exercise habits.
3. Become a certified Zumba instructor. I achieved this goal in January and it was a great experience. I taught a class alongside my friend Kate for awhile. It never really took off, but I may look into other teaching opportunities in the future. For the most part I’ve decided I prefer taking classes to teaching them, but I did have a really good time teaching!
4. Stress less, smile more. This is a work in progress of sorts. I can definitely think of examples of times that I have let stress upset me more than it should have, especially in situations I had no control over. I still have moments where I feel anxious or even panicked, but I’m getting better at stopping myself and reminding myself that I need to roll with the punches. Life isn’t perfect, and things aren’t always going to go the way I want them to. All I can really do is choose to be happy no matter what’s thrown my way.
5. Get organized. In some ways, I’ve done a really good job of this….and in others, I really fell short. I made this resolution specifically for the way I handle my personal property (at work I am ridiculously organized, which proves to me that I do have the potential to meet this goal). There is still far too much stuff crammed into my closets and dresser drawers. I’ve been looking at everything lately and realizing all over again that I simply have too much stuff, and that I need to go through and get rid of a lot of it. I really do want to streamline my life, and adopt more of a ‘quality’ than a ‘quantity’ aspect to my possessions. Hopefully I’ll do better with this one in the year to come.
 
And now, some reflection….The year overall left me with mixed feelings. I had some really great things happen, like enrolling in Washington State University and working toward my Bachelor’s degree, and spending a weekend in Vegas with my parents and my cousins to celebrate my cousin Melanie’s fortieth birthday. I dealt with some really tough stuff too, especially finding out that my cat Angel is in the early stages of kidney disease. I made some new friends, and other friendships were strengthened. I also lost relationships with people that I had honestly believed would be in my life forever.
What I can say about this past year is that I’ve used it to really come into my own. I have regained a self-confidence that I didn’t think I would ever get back, that I haven’t truly had since I was 18 years old. Because of that, I was able to make some hard decisions about parts of my life that just weren’t going the way that I wanted them to. My mother is forever reminding me that I can’t save the world, and telling me that I need to prioritize myself and stop setting aside everything I want for the sake of others. Hard as it is, I’m trying to listen. I’m trying to put my own needs at the forefront of my mind for a change. It isn’t an easy mindset to change, and there are definitely times when I feel incredibly selfish. It isn’t in my nature at all, and I’ve had to fight very hard with myself at times to stop myself from falling into old habits and letting someone else’s happiness take priority over my own.
I did a little writing in 2013, and here are some posts from this year that I am particularly proud of (if you particularly liked a different post, let me know!):
Embracing Equality – I lay out my ideas about same-sex marriage legalization
Things I’m Awesome At – I revealed some of my most fantastic skills.
An Open Letter to GMA – I got mad at Good Morning America after they butchered a so-called interview with Jenna Mourey, one of my favorite YouTubers.
The Inner Monologue – Realizing that I’m my own harshest critic, and that I need to be kinder.
Looking Back: Ten Years in Telecom – A recap of the last decade of my professional life.
The Fabulous Life of Lauren Lien – I was lucky enough to be granted an interview with one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever known.
Mistress Shaming –  I reacted to a website that exists solely to shame the “other women”.
Now for the New Year’s Resolutions. I only really have one resolution for 2014, and that is to embrace it and do my best to enjoy it. I want to travel, have fun with friends, try new places and new food and have new experiences.
Happy New Year, my friends. I hope you all have a wonderful 2014!
 
 

We already know that every move we make can be captured and made public online. Nowadays, people are always posting pictures, tagging who they’re with, sharing every detail. Cell phones can track our locations. It’s lamented that there really isn’t any privacy anymore. And if we do something we shouldn’t, odds are, we’re going to get caught. After all, there’s an entire Wikipedia entry dedicated to Anthony Weiner’s dick pics. Howard Stern held a “beauty pageant” on his show for Tiger Woods’ mistresses. The inevitability of getting caught is definitely incentive not to stray, cheat, or do anything we really shouldn’t be doing.
As if the risk of being caught in a photo out at a bar when you told your significant other that you were working late isn’t enough to keep you honest, now there’s the chance of ending up on a website called ShesAHomewrecker.com. Apparently this website has been around for awhile, but it just came on my radar when I saw a story about it on the news this morning. Basically, the idea is that scorned women can go onto the site to upload stories and photos of “the other woman” to alert the Internetverse about that other woman’s misdeeds. The listings can be as detailed as the creator wants them to be, and might even list personal details like home address and telephone number.
The website was launched by a woman who calls herself Ariella Alexander. Alexander has stated that she feels she’s not in the wrong for starting the website, because “if women loved each other so much, women wouldn’t be sleeping with other people’s husbands. At the end of the day it’s about RESPECT” (quote from abc.com).
When I was a kid, my mom would remind me that “two wrongs don’t make a right” (usually after I’d hit one of my siblings, only to protest that they’d hit me first, as I was being sent to my room). What she meant was that hurting someone who hurt you first isn’t okay, because it doesn’t stop you from feeling the pain that they inflicted and does nothing to improve the situation. And while I admit that there have been times when someone did something to me that really hurt me or made me mad, and I fantasized about running them over with my car, I never actually did it. And listing a girl on ShesAHomewrecker can be every bit as harmful as hitting her with your car: women who have been called out on the site have received cruel messages and even death threats from strangers who now know the intimate details of what the so-called she-whores have done. Because the women uploading the content are the ones who feel victimized, they aren’t likely to include important details about whether or not the mistress knew there was a wife in the picture, or what the actual circumstances are. That “slut” being bashed and harassed online may not have even known that the man she’s been seeing isn’t single.
My initial reaction when I saw the story was “Hmmm, the type of person who could dream up a website like this is clearly kinda nuts. I wonder if that’s why she was cheated on?” To be fair, I’ve never experienced a cheating husband or boyfriend, so who knows how crazy I might get if it happened to me. But I’d like to think that I’d stop short of rallying the lynch mob online. I’m not saying that anyone deserves to be cheated on, because a commitment’s a commitment, no matter how nuts you might be. But I do think that if you’re the sort of person who believes it’s okay to ‘out’ your man’s mistress by listing her name and contact information online, then it’s possible you might be the sort of person who drives men away from you. Just maybe.
Another issue I have with this site is that it places the blame for the infidelity squarely on the shoulders of the mistress, who may or may not have even known she was wronging anyone. Let’s consider who DID know he was wronging someone: the guy that was in the relationship, and knew full well what he was doing. Unless a couple has a different, well-communicated arrangement, going off and snogging (does anyone say that?) some other random person is a pretty clear no-no. So why is there no MyHusbandBonedHisSecretary website to upload pictures and shame the guys?
For that matter, why is this website geared only for women whose men have cheated? Sorry to rat out my gender, but girls cheat too. According to Static Brain, 54% of women and 57% of men surveyed have admitted to committing infidelity. Those numbers are incredibly close. Clearly, men are not the only ones who are guilty of cheating.
Relationships are so terribly complicated. And although I think cheating is incredibly wrong, I can admit that I see how it can happen. I have multiple friends that have been both the victim and the perpetrator of cheating, and each instance was unique and stemmed from different problems. Sometimes, people simply find the right person at a very wrong time. Sometimes one person feels neglected and seeks solace in the first person that offers up attention. And sometimes, as much as it sucks, someone just makes a stupid decision that has some really horrible consequences.
If you’ve been cheated on, hey, I get it. You’re hurt, you’re pissed, and you’ve been betrayed. But the way I see it, you’re either going to try and pick up the pieces and fix what was broken, or you’re going to admit that the relationship is too badly shattered to put it back together and try to move on. But either way, publicly shaming your ex’s mistress online seems to me like a really terrible idea. Whether or not it hurts her, it will most definitely hurt you – and haven’t you been hurt enough already?
 
 

When it comes to getting what she wants out of life, Lauren Lien isn’t afraid to risk it all. This self-professed brazen brunette has fearlessly pursued her dreams, following her heart not just around the country but around the world. Despite encounters with her share of setbacks, Lauren has pushed forward and built up what she calls The Fab Life, a mantra for her persistence in living a life in which she refuses to settle for anything less than all she’s ever wanted.
I met Lauren in a high school Spanish class, and reconnected with her via social media when we were both in our twenties. When she began writing her blog, The Fabulous Life of Lauren Lien, in 2011, I was curious and subscribed to it so that I could read her posts and see what she had to say. What I had expected was that I would appreciate the enthusiasm for life and positive energy that is the essence of Lauren, and I was not disappointed. What I hadn’t expected was to be so wholeheartedly inspired by this person who was willing to put her whole heart and soul into pursuing her passions, but that’s exactly what I found.
 

I reached out to Lauren, asking her if she would mind doing an interview with me for my blog, and she very sweetly said yes. So, in the midst of getting engaged and moving to a new home in a new country, Lauren very kindly answered my questions and made this post possible. Check out the interview below, as well as Lauren’s blog. I hope you will be as inspired by her as I am!
 
You have both a blog and a mantra, “The Fabulous Life of Lauren Lien”. What inspired the inception of the Fab Life?
In college, my girlfriends and I used to sit around and watch VH1’s “The Fabulous Life” ; it became a silly habit to mock me and “The Fabulous Life of Lauren Lien”. For what reason, I have no idea cause back then I had nothing except dorm bedding, a mini fridge and dreams…haha
The real Fab Life mantra is inspired by my personal belief that something magical will always happen to those who wait and those who work for it. It’s in that moment that you are assured of “The Fabulous Life”.
Could you give me an idea of where you are now in life, what you’re up to and how things are going?
On June 3^rd of this year, I became engaged to my first love, Johny, where he proposed at the Dead Sea in Jordan. That day forever changed my life and direction I said “yes” on holy, historic waters to the love of my life through the most fairytale proposal imagined. That memory altered my outlook and my focus. I just was overwhelmed knowing there is so much in the world I have not seen and I don’t know…I wanted that to change.
In August I moved to the United Arab Emirates (unofficially, until you have a resident visa) and started my long search for a career here, since my fiancé works in the UAE. Never in a million years could you have told me I would be living in the Middle East. To visit here only sounded like a dream. However, that’s the magic of life and how you really need to be open to possibilities of the unimaginable and allow it to lead you to your destiny. Needless to say, I am going through all kinds of changes, which I can write a whole story in itself!!!

Did you always have such a positive outlook on your life, or were there events that led up to a change in perspective?
I am an eternal optimist. Always have and always be. Not sure why…my mother believes it has something to do with how badly she wanted to get pregnant and being the first born, how much love and affection was showered my way….not sure if its nature vs. nurture here. My faith is what keeps me strong and certain that everything will always work out, in time.
 
How have things changed for you since you adopted the Fab Life philosophy?
I had no idea that my blog would develop fans and actual readers…that has truly affected my leadership and being immaculate with my words.  I think my journey has gotten more interesting. Something’s better, something’s worse – but I always focus and share without malicious intent and maintain privacy while getting the point across.  Sometimes we get lost in the details and forget the message. That is what I try to avoid.
What advice would you give to people who want to embark on their own Fabulous Life Journey?
Rule #1, never give up. The hardest lesson in life to learn is when to go a different direction or when to keep pushing through when you experience road blocks. You must learn through experience and following your own gut. Rule #2, is to always stand up for yourself. Countless times people have let me down and didn’t have my back. That’s when you have to know your worth and stand up for yourself.  We call this self love.  Rule #3, be patient. Anything worth having in this world is worth fighting for AND waiting for. That’s a promise.
In life, we all have bad days, setbacks, and sometimes even tragedy. How are you able to keep a positive outlook when going through not-so-fun times?
I go through these times, in my opinion more than most cause of all the risks I take. However, I maintain optimism by constantly reading, listening and meeting other trailblazers, listening to their journey. I find that it literally refuels my inspiration tank. Most importantly staying close to my faith and grounded by my family and close friends always sets me back on track. A support system is critical.
 
Your blog, The Fabulous Life of Lauren Lien, has had almost 7,000 hits since its inception in 2011. What inspired you to start the blog, and what has been your favorite part of writing it?
I started the blog as a writing exercise. It is my dream to one day author published work (screenplays, books, maybe even have my own column) so it was no intention to achieve a status in the blogging world. Now that it has some clout, I do look to see what opportunities are there and how I can evolve my idea into something more…
 
What’s next in the Fab Life for you?
After I get settled in the United Arab Emirates, I plan to travel and explore the world as much as possible since this area is an interesting jumping off point. I would love to transform “The Fabulous Life of Lauren Lien” into an online magazine or shared multimedia blog with my better half, Johny. Where we educate others through our travels and provide other inspiring elements…still in the brainstorming phase, but we will see where life takes us!

A few years ago, I had a coworker that everyone thought was the nicest person. And indeed, she was bubbly, upbeat, and social. Despite those things, I couldn’t stand her. Nearly every time I saw her, she’d exclaim, “You just don’t look old enough to be working here! You look like you’re twelve!”
Hearing over and over that I looked like I was twelve years old was NOT what I wanted to hear when I was actually in my mid-twenties, and I was offended every single time she said it. Every time I had to hear her gush over the fact that I looked like a middle-school aged child, I would think to myself, “Well, you look so old, I can’t believe YOU still work here! They let you leave the assisted living facility every day to go to the office?”  (She actually didn’t look especially haggard or anything, I just thought those things because I was feeling snarky.) I never said any of it out loud. Instead I went home and stared at my reflection in the mirror and cursed genetics for giving me a baby face and little boobs. It seemed extremely unfair that at a time in my life when I wanted desperately to be perceived as a beautiful, successful woman, that all people saw when they looked at me was a kid.
I have no doubt that the woman who said those things to me thought that she was somehow being complimentary, or at the very least, didn’t realize that what she was saying was harmful. But what she said was burned into my brain, and it did horrible things to my self-image. It baffled me that it was okay to tell a young woman that she still resembles a child, all while knowing that if I had retorted that SHE looked like she had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, that it would have been horrific and unacceptable. Polite people don’t generally walk up to a woman and say to her, “Wow, you look SO old!” And yet telling me I look like a pre-teen doesn’t shock or horrify anyone.
Well, anyone but me.
Over time, the self-consciousness I felt after repeatedly being told I looked like I was twelve subsided, especially after I moved away and more or less forgot about that thoughtless coworker. In fact, I hadn’t thought of her in years, until last week when a friend jokingly called me a ‘skinny bitch’. That person was teasing, and we have a relationship where we CAN joke like that without either of us getting offended. But it got me thinking about how it’s seemingly acceptable to call someone ‘skinny’, but by contrast it’s rude to call someone fat.
Personally, I hate being called skinny, because I am not and I do not strive to BE skinny. The word ‘skinny’ in this context means “very lean or thin, emaciated”. Well, I am none of those things, and have no desire to be. I know people that really and truly are skinny, and they hate it. Now, before you think to yourself, damn, wish I had THAT problem!, remind  yourself that these people struggle with their weight just as much as heavier people do. Whether you are fighting to lose unwanted weight or gain pounds you only wish you had, it sucks to feel uncomfortable in your own skin. The difference is, somehow ‘skinny’ is perceived as something to be coveted, and therefore it’s okay to call someone skinny. And I think that’s also why it was okay for my former coworker to tell me how young I looked, but it would not be okay for me to tell her she looked old. Looking young is something that some women strive for, so maybe in her head, I was lucky.
Perhaps because I never told my coworker that she was hurting my feelings by telling me how young I looked, I did myself a disservice and suffered needlessly. It’s not that I’ve ever been shy about telling people what I think, but I could never figure out a way to bring it up or call her on it without sounding like a royal bitch. When it comes to being called skinny,  I’ve just said something along the lines of, “Ugh, I hate being called that!” That stops people short. They think ‘skinny’ is a compliment. But the nice thing is, more often than not, they ask me why I hate it and I explain, and then they stop. A few think they’re comedians and they continue to do it, and now I just avoid them or shoot them mean fuck-you looks.
I guess my point is that we all have our insecurities, and commenting on someone’s size or age just never seems like a good idea to me. Even if you mean for a comment on one of those subjects as a compliment, it may not be taken that way, and it could do more harm than good. If you want to pay someone a compliment, there are better ways to go about it. My rule of thumb is that I save compliments for when I genuinely mean what I’m saying, and I try to steer away from things that might point out an insecurity and stick to the staples like, “You look amazing today”. At Zumba, I continually find myself amazed at how fit some of my friends are, and I’ll tell them so.
And as always, remember: if you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.

Today I’m absolutely exhausted, but it’s worth a Monday of being tired because I had an amazing Sunday! It started with my first-ever Skype session with my wonderful friend Marcie, who moved from the US to Ecuador about the time that I moved from California to Washington. Although we’ve exchanged Facebook messages, there’s just nothing like being able to talk to one another. I was very excited to get to talk to her, and to hear about her stories of building a life in a new country! Thus far in life my international travel has been very limited, but I am definitely adding Ecuador to the list of my must-see places.
For lunch, I met my friend Jamie at Anthony’s Homeport in Everett. I’ve mentioned Anthony’s on my blog before, because it is one of my very favorite places to eat. I’d never been there at lunchtime on a Sunday before, and Jamie and I were happy to find that they were serving Sunday brunch. We enjoyed fresh fruit and coffee cake, and of course wonderful fish! After we ate, we took a walk down on the dock of the guest moorage. It was a rather gray day, but the air was fresh and had that wonderful saltwater scent (one of my favorite smells in the whole world!). For both of us, being there was just one of many affirmations that we are living in our happy place. I love that Jamie loves being in the Northwest as much as I do! We reached the end of the dock and turned around to go back, just in time to see a seal swimming along next to the dock. Jamie was quicker than me and was able to snap some photos of our new friend before he disappeared under the water.
 

 
The evening was just as good as the day, because Paul and I got to see my favorite singing artist, Pink, perform at the Key Arena! I’ve loved Pink’s music since I was in high school. As I got older, I could relate more and more to her lyrics, and also to her as a person. When I read her June 2010 interview for Cosmo magazine, I was blown away not just by how she rose to success, but also the candid way she talked about her relationship strengths and weaknesses, and how she had improved herself as a person. She inspired me so much. And last night, I became inspired by her in a whole new way as she performed skilled acrobatics while singing her songs. Seeing how talented she was, and how athletic, really impressed me. I am soooo happy that we got to go to the show!

Last weekend a group of Zumba friends and I got together for a 50’s-themed benefit. My instructor and friend Nancy is heading to the Philippines next year on a medical missions trip, and proceeds from the benefit will be used to help her get there and to provide supplies for the trip. What could be better than a fun night out to benefit a worthy cause?
I cannot express how much I love my Zumba family. Not only do we work out together two nights a week, but we are truly close friends that take care of each other – and love to have fun together!

Dressed in our best 50’s attire, a large group of us gathered at a Chinese restaurant in Everett for pictures, dinner, and karaoke. I got to know a couple of other women from class better and was psyched to have some new friends. I also brought my friend Jamie with me. She’s new in town and attended her first Zumba class last week, and everyone welcomed her into the group and chatted with her as if they’d known her for ages!

Karaoke with my Zumba friends is both fun and a workout, because – not surprisingly – we all love to dance! So we like to choose songs to sing that the group can dance to. My friend Carla and I sang our hearts out to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, which we chose because we’re learning a Zumba routine for it in class. We may not have been the best singers of the night, but I don’t care because we enjoyed every second!
It’s been three years since I went to my first Zumba class, and I think that the experience has been one of the best parts of moving to the Northwest. I love Nancy, I love all my friends at Zumba, and I love that I can bring friends to the class and they are accepted right away into our Zumba family!
Want to join me at Zumba? Visit www.zumbachangeslives.com for more information on dates, times, and class locations!

Happy October!. Here in Washington, the weather literally jumped from warm summer weather to rainy autumn weather over a weekend. I’m now trading my sandals for boots and my iced lattes for extra hot ones.  I can’t believe September, and summer, have already passed us by. Since September was an especially busy month for me, it’s no surprise that it seemed to go by in a blur. Here are some of my highlights from the month:
I Got to See Family
In September I got to enjoy lots of visits with family, which is always special to me since my closest relatives live about three hours away. Right after Labor Day, Paul’s parents drove up from Southern California to visit with us for a week. We had lots of fun adventures, including going to a Mariners game and visiting the Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit at Seattle Center. We also ate far too much good food!

The weekend after Paul’s parents left, I flew to Las Vegas to meet up with my parents and my cousin Melanie and her family for Melanie’s birthday. We had a great time! Mom, Dad, and I stayed at the Silverton Hotel. I remember going to the Silverton as a kid (they had a nice campground, and since we usually had a motorhome to stay in when we went to Vegas, it was a lot more convenient to camp than it was to get a hotel room), and I remembered the hotel as being slightly outdated and a little dingy. However, it’s gone through an overhaul and is now a really nice place to stay! The room was big and comfortable, the casino was updated and didn’t smell smokey at all (one of my biggest gripes in a casino is that I hate when the smell of cigarettes hangs in the air), and the hotel boasted a very nice cafe and buffet. If you’re okay with staying off the strip, I’d definitely recommend the Silverton.
 

The weekend in Vegas was great. I hadn’t seen my parents since July, so it was really great to have a whole weekend with them! And we had a great time hanging out with my cousins. We all went to see Raiding the Rock Vault, which is a show at the Las Vegas Hilton, hung by the pool, and checked out Fremont Street (it’s cool, but a little bit too loud and crazy for me hehe). The whole weekend, the weather was blissfully sunny and warm – it was a little bit of a shock when my plane touched down in Bellingham and I stepped out of the airport terminal into the windy, cold, rainy weather!
I Had a Blonde Moment
Okay, I know, it seems like I just posted a rave review about getting my hair colored red. And yet, I just wasn’t feeling it. Sigh. The look on my poor stylist’s face when I plunked down in her chair and announced that I wanted my blonde hair back was one of pain. But she put a smile on her face, resisted any urge she might have had to kick me (I wouldn’t really have blamed her if she had), and set to work foiling my hair so that she could get me back to blonde without first turning my hair orange. As usual, she did a fabulous job, and I’d like to give a heartfelt shoutout to Savvy Hair Studio in Marysville for always doing an amazing job. I will continue to go there until they wise up and refuse me for being such an indecisive pain in the ass when it comes to my hair! (And a quick PS: if you’re going to put your stylist through coloring/cutting/styling hell, tip them generously. I always do.)
I Found New Products I Love
I don’t think I’ve actually ever mentioned it in my blog before, but I am a makeup fiend. I love trying new products and I literally have three makeup bags stuffed full of different stuff. Now, that said, I’m desperately cheap, so most of my stuff is either drugstore fare or something discounted that I found online.
For my face, I picked up a bottle of Lorac Oil-Free Neutralizer for the very reasonable price of $10. The description of the product says that you can mix it with your foundation to reduce redness, but what compelled me to make the purchase was a review I read on Anything You Can Buy I Can Buy Cheaper stating that the product also did great things to refine the writer’s pores. So I gave it a shot, and was not disappointed in the great finished look that the neutralizer gives to my skin. The product description says to mix it with your foundation, but I just put it on first and then apply foundation over it, which seems to be working out fine so far.
The other product I fell in love with in September was actually also a face product, and I got it on the recommendation from Paul’s mom. I had run out of facial cleanser, and she told me she swears by Neutrogena’s Pore Refining Facial Cleanser. My requirements were simple: I wanted something that didn’t cost a bunch of money (I got this at Target for $7.50) and would help keep my face clear and free of breakouts (so far, so good!). I love, love, love this product and will definitely buy it again!
I Scored Some Great Deals
When it comes to my clothes, I am willing to pay more for higher quality. That doesn’t mean that I don’t love a good deal though! I’ve never really had much luck in thrift stores when I tried to buy things secondhand, and had resigned myself to paying store prices. However, I recently discovered a website called Poshmark, which is basically an online marketplace where you can list and sell items from your own closet (dresses, shoes, bags, etc.) and buy items out of the closets of others. The thing that I have grown to love about this site is that I can find name-brand items that have been very well taken care of for bargain prices. I’ve scored a couple of really cute dresses for under $20 apiece, and a great Coach bag for $30 that came to me in like-new condition. I’ve also gotten three pairs of shorts for our upcoming trip to Hawaii in January, for a super low price of $5 each!
Yes, September was a good month!