(after my 100th class yesterday at Pure Barre)
What I bought
James Perse linen top (LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!), SoLow cropped foldover leggings (also love these), Goldsign jeans (didn’t get these yet…) – all from the Shopbop sale on sale…
What I Got rid of
A lot (here’s what’s left for sale). After I get back from our week’s “vacation” in Atlanta next week I’ll do a closet re-assessment of what’s left. I may also have more things to get rid of. It may seem like I’m being rather brutal, and getting rid of too much, but I’m not. Pretty much everything I’m getting rid of has been in my second closet or in boxes for 6 months or more. They are things that I might love, but don’t wear, and probably won’t wear…so time for them to go.
What I did
Worked and cleaned out my closet(s). This week I also reached my 100 classes at Pure Barre Plano, which means that I’ve completed 407 in all. My goal is to reach 500 by (before) the end of the year, and lose another 20 pounds. I never really thought I had plateaued in Pure Barre, but I definitely had, so this week I also set goals for what I wanted to achieve as I worked up to 500 classes.
One of them is to push up into straight-arm plank from forearm plank. This may not make a lot of sense to you, but basically after holding a forearm plank for 90 seconds (no knees!!!), we push up into a straight-arm plank for another 90 seconds. Hardly anyone does that; usually you fall back to your knees for a second of relief before pushing back up. But now I’m doing it, and it makes EVERYTHING else for the rest of the class harder. It’s amazing how ONE small change can make such a big difference…
What I Read
Thanks to Sally for including me (again) in her lovely links post this week – and as always, there are some gems in there, including this piece over at 40plus style on styling a cascading vest. I think the loose front-knot is my favorite…
Apparently we should all stop wearing bodycon because Kim Kardashian did. okay…first, I would never do or not do anything because Kim Kardashian did or did not do it. second, I am definitely feeling the oversized, nothing touching my body vibe that we’re going through right now, but I don’t think “fitted” is bad either. I will always love my James Perse curve-hugging dresses (they’re perfect for layering).
The Recovering Shopaholic does it again…her article on closet set points has my brain reeling!! I have definitely done this before; purged my closet only to have it build back up again. But things are different now. I am more set in my ways. Done experimenting with color. I have to write more on this in an entire post, but something for you to think about this weekend perhaps?
If you have ever bought something just because it was on sale, you’ll love (and relate) to this article. It’s hilarious. And long. But so good…
This piece in the NYT on pre-packing anxiety is REALLY funny.
Jennine wrote a really thoughtful post on food and social media.
Finally, brain pickings is my absolute favorite new daily read. And this is one of the reasons why:
Realism can be bad for your health. Optimists recover better from medical procedures such as coronary bypass surgery, have healthier immune systems and live longer, both in general and when suffering from conditions such as cancer, heart disease and kidney failure.
It is well accepted that negative thoughts and anxiety can make us ill. Stress — the belief that we are at risk — triggers physiological pathways such as the “fight-or-flight” response, mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. These have evolved to protect us from danger, but if switched on long-term they increase the risk of conditions such as diabetes and dementia.
The article is full of gems, but ultimately the conclusion is that a rich social life full of positive interactions is so important to aging healthfully. Which scares me, honestly. I’ve never had what you would call a “rich social life.” I suck at being a friend sometimes, which is why I don’t have many. I can retreat into myself for days at a time. It’s also very hard to move and make new friends as you get older. Being a 41 year old woman with no kids doesn’t help much either…but don’t get me started on that!
Anyway, one step at a time, but I think once I’ve got my “life” together in terms of financial health and achieving some important personal goals, I will make more of an effort to make friends and have more of a social life. It’s so daunting though…
What I Ate
I don’t even want to talk about that. Or mention how many trips I made to Trader Joe’s to stock up on snacks for our drive to Atlanta. I did discover their uthapaam in the frozen section though and am now ADDICTED. Good thing because our favorite Indian restaurant is more than a half hour away, and always so packed…Now I’m off to finish the kale, spinach and avocado that’s left in the fridge before we’re gone for a week…
What did you do this week??
Dang lady, 90 seconds forearm plank into 90 seconds straight arm plant is hard! I tried a plank challenge last winter, holding a forearm plank for increasing lengths of time each day until you reached 4 minutes, and I made it to 2 minutes. There is no way I could have transitioned into straight arm plank afterward. And I’m still having post-workout hair envy.
This week I applauded your Pure Barre achievements:). And told some other women I know with a web site/business to look at you as an example of how to do a shopping site well. xoxox.
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That Kim Kardashian article is hilarious…there is a world of difference between Kim Kardashian “body-con” and any of your James Perse dresses…”fitted” and “curve-hugging” are not the same as “plastic wrap around your body. Jeez.
Congrats on the Pure Barre milestone and pushing it further!
Congrats on your Pur Barre achievement, dedication and consistency. I’m impressed!
And as for the “Brain Pickings” article, nothing is written in stone. You’re vital, active, curious and I would say positive. Yeah, so you were a realist about your wardrobe…We’re all a mixture, some good, some bad. I just hope the scale leans toward the good side!