Christmas was SICK!

No, seriously… I was sick on Christmas. Boo, right?* I had a stomach virus earlier that week, and (continuing with my surfer lingo used in the post-title) it was gnarly, dude. On Christmas Eve, I felt good enough to dart into the Christmas Eve service (no worries, I didn’t give anyone hugs, just in case), but on Christmas morning I felt blegh (yes, it’s an adjective) again. Instead of feasting with the extended fam at my grandparents' house, I isolated myself all day. Woohoo! Thankfully, my family, John, and Santa were super good to me, and I got some goodies to cheer me up!

Thanks, Christina, Darci, April, and Natasha!

                         For this Five on Friday, here are just a few of my favoritest goodies!

1. Arm candy

I’d heard of Lily and Laura bracelets before from my brother’s girlfriend, but once Ryann blogged about them and I realized they were fair-trade, I fell in love. I was super pumped when John got me some for part of my Christmas present!

One of my favorite presents came from my brother, Corey. He bought my mom and me Alex and Ani bracelets, which are awesome because they are stackable, personal (ours each have our first initials on them), and they’re made in the USA!

2. Shoulder candy

Is that a thing? Because it should be, especially when it perfectly describes the new Kate Spade bag my parents gave me!  I hate carrying big purses, and this cross body is slim and stylin’. It fits my Hobo wallet perfectly, and while it may sound silly, that was a requirement for me. It also fits my phone and keys, but not much else… I’ll have to get creative with my EOS and Bath & Bodyworks hand sanitizer!

3. Wardrobe staples

There's not much to say about these Sam Edelman riding boots, other than I love 'em! I've needed new brown boots for a while, and these fit all my needs. Not too dark, not too light, not too many zippers or buckles. As for the j. crew utility jacket, I’ve already worn it a couple times, and this baby is versatile. It made an adorable peter pan collared peplum a bit more casual, and helped some coral cords seem a bit less girly-girl. Maybe it’ll make me look cooler than I actually am ;)

4. Fantasy perfume set

You know how some people have signature scents? Mine would have to be Fantasy by Britney Spears. Weird, I know, but this perfume I got in middle school (!!!) is still my absolute favorite. Through the years, I’ve tried (and loved) some Juicy Couture, Daisy by Marc Jacobs, and Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift, but ultimately, not even Taylor could compete with Britney… Weird, right? Not so weird if you smell it though. It’s like heaven. Or maybe what I think a sassy angel would smell like. Okay, now it’s definitely weird. 

5.  Leatherology jewelry case

With this gift, John really went for thoughtful yet practical: a combination of what we both love (you can guess who likes thoughtful and who likes practical heehee)! He noticed I spent so much time untangling  necklaces when we went places because I kept all my jewelry in a cute (but not super functional) Lilly pouch. This pretty leather organizer will make jewelry much less of a doozy to store and unpack! It’s gorgeous and came wrapped so elegantly. Just to make it extra special, John put a cross necklace he saw on my Pinterest board (if there are points, he gets all of them) inside. Such a keeper. 

*I do not want to sound like, "Ugh, I basically missed Christmas. My life sucks!" I realize the fact that: a. I have great health 99% of the time, and b. I had family and food to miss out on, puts me in the minority of the world, and for that, I am truly grateful. I hope everyone else had a blessings-filled Christmas this year, too!

Running in Style

Hey guys, remember that time when it was Friday night and it wasn't Sunday night and school and work weren't tomorrow morning?

Yeah, I remember that too. Sigh.

Thankfully, instead of a woefully long week, I just have two days until I'm homeward bound!

Yay for a break from classes, yay for yummy food, yay for family, and YAY for Thanksgiving! 

Anyways, back to why I reminisced on Friday...

I was so busy having fun on Friday (cough, going to sleep early so I could wake up and run at 5:45, cough) that I didn't share my Five on Friday!

Better late than never, right?!

Since I'm dabbling in the whole running deal, I've looked into a few accessories, or what I think is commonly referred to as "gear" in the sporty world.

Now, I have to say that I definitely have a "run for fun" mentality, and I realize a lot of this is unnecessary, but a girl can dream!

Hey, who knows... If I don't hate running by the time I've run the half, maybe some of this stuff will make an appearance on my birthday wish list! 

1. New Balance High Visibility Beacon Jacket
New Balance does not mess around when they make reflective gear! When "charged," this jacket gives some serious shine! I first saw it when Julie wore it at Disney World, and I don't know if it's just because Disney makes everything seem more awesome, but I've been diggin' the jacket's cool stripes and colors ever since! Of course, cool comes at a cost, more specifically $175! Yikes. If I'm spending that much on a jacket, you better believe it's going towards a Barbour. 

2. Lands End TNT Fleece Headband

I was a little worried about running outside in the cold (and I still am kind of dreading it, because I'm a wuss like that). Since you get warm once you start running, you don't want twenty layers of shirts and pants on, unless you enjoy sweating to death, but what do you do to keep from turning into a popsicle during that first mile? My amazing TNT coach, Dean, had advice for me about running in the winter weather: as long as I keep my ears and my hands warm, I should be good to go. Y'all already know I'm pretty into Team in Training, so a warm and cozy fleece to help me represent? Score! Only $9 and 20% of the money goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society? Double score!  

3. Sprigs Banjee Wrist Wallet

Okay, so I already purchased this cute and functional little wrist wallet for half price at TJ Maxx. When I run, I need a safe place to store my car key, but I'm not a fan of lacing it up in my shoe. With this thing, problem solved! Plus, it's pink, and it's reversible! It'll also come in handy one day when I need a little energy shot or block. (Sidenote: I'm still at the point where thinking about needing to fuel during a run sounds insane... What am I getting myself into?!)  

4. Nike Thermal Tech Printed Run Gloves

I'm not sure if I'm completely sold on needing a separate pair of gloves for running, but I guess I'll just try to use a normal knit pair a couple times and see what I think... If I decide running gloves are a must to shield my sensitive hands from the frigid winds (I may be a bit dramatic, but seriously, the wind is hands down the most miserable part about cold weather in general), this pair seems pretty nice and not completely obnoxiously priced. 

5. Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS Watch
One of my new running buddies, Katie, has a Garmin, and I've kinda just let her watch do the timin' on our Saturday group runs. I have a free app on my phone that can be used as a run-tracker, but it's not quite as accurate as a Garmin and it's a bit bulkier to carry. Plus, whenever Katie gets within three feet of her computer, her watch automatically syncs with a program on her computer, uploading all of her latest running info! Necessary? No way. Super neat? I'd say so! She said it's especially fun to see how many miles you've run the whole month or year! 

If you can't tell, I'm kinda sorta in a honeymoon stage with running where I'm lovin' it... That's what happens when your long run is five miles- we'll see how I feel about running when I'm doing ten miles at seven am! Probably not so much love! 

(But definitely worth it.)