Day Two of Diet Blogging...

Today Kyle showed me this really awesome website that helps you track meals. I’m probably the last person on the planet to hear about it, but in case you are like me and have had marshmallows in your ears when it comes to healthy eating, the website is www.myfitnesspal.com.

You start by entering your current weight and goal weight. It asks if you want to lose a .5 pound a day or a pound a day, and I selected a pound for the sake of my short attention span.  At 135 lbs with a goal weight of 120 lbs, it gave me a caloric intake of 1470 calories per day. I would be happy even getting to 125 lbs, but I was feeling especially ambitious when I was filling it out ;). The only complaint I have is that it doesn’t seem to count calories for strength training… Only for cardiovascular training. I’m a runner so that won’t affect me too much, but it doesn’t seem fair or accurate.

Here is my meal diary for today:

As you can see, I’m 43 calories over my 1,470 calorie goal. (I haven’t actually eaten that plum yet, but I’m planning on it. I’m already hungry but I’m holding out a little longer so that I’m not hungry before bed.) The site also has a cool feature where it says, “If every day where like today, you’d weight xx lbs in 5 weeks.” I like this because even though I’m over my calorie intake today, it says I’d weight 130.5 lbs in 5 weeks… which still means I’d lose weight. :)

(I feel like I should admit that the first time I filled this out I incorrectly entered 2.5 cups of fried rice instead of 1.5 cups. I was way over the calorie count and didn’t like the website AT ALL. Then Kyle pointed out my mistake and I quickly decided it was an awesome website…)

Anyways, it’s time to break down the day:

Breakfast

I started taking pictures of my meals because it helps me understand the amount of food I am eating better when I see it documented in picture form all day. Also I woke up at 11:00 AM with lots of energy so I was feeling especially creative in regards to this “getting healthy” business. We don’t have any breakfast food except oatmeal and cereal right now, and I try to save the oatmeal for days when I have to work because it keeps me full longer. I couldn’t believe how small a “serving” of cereal is according to the box. Who only eats ¾ cup of cereal?? I upped the amount to 1 cup with ½ cup of 2% milk. (Kyle correctly pointed out later that ¾ cup of cereal is plenty if you are having it in addition to fruit or eggs or something like that.)

Lunch

Lunch was left over chicken fried rice from last night. It’s homemade, (so not quite as awful for you,) but it still has a TON of sodium in it. We are a little low on groceries so I’m just kind of making due for the next few days.

PS- Glogg is a spiced juice drink that I LOVE when it's cold outside. Kyle and I just learned how to make our own, but this one is from Lee's Grocery Store.

Dinner

For dinner I made spaghetti with hamburger and piled on some Parmesan cheese. Fried rice and spaghetti = a lot of carbs, but I had just gotten back from my run and wanted something quick. And once again, we just don’t have a ton of options right now.

Snacks

Remember that plum I mentioned? I am eating it now. Sorry sticky computer keys, I just couldn’t wait any longer.

Exercise

Today I did this work out. (I did each set twice as long.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGLnQdx0d4U

Immediately following that I decided to take an impromptu run around the block… which turned into running all the way to Kyle’s office and meeting up with him when he got off work to catch a ride home. Kyle’s work is 1.5 miles away, and I ran the entire way! (Except for like two minutes while I texted Kyle and let him know I would be there so that he wouldn’t leave witout me.) Something I love about the myfitnesspal site is that they credit you back the calories you burn when you exercise- so I actually consumed more than 1470 calories. I’ll happily run farther if it means I get to eat more!

All and all my sodium and carb count for the day are high, but I’m actually really happy with how today went. I managed portions substantially smaller than I’m used to, so it’s a great first step!

Here’s an unnecessary (but almost necessary) post-work out selfie... I didn’t think to wipe off my lipstick before I left, so I was feeling extra fabulous.

Until next time!

<3Nikki

Who Starts a Diet the Same Week as Halloween?

Crazy people. That's who starts a diet the same week as Halloween.

Alright, so in reference to my last post, I decided that eating right is going to be the hardest thing for me to accomplish, followed by portion control. Fortunately, I like exercising so that shouldn't be an issue. :)

To help with the nutrition aspect of a healthier lifestyle, I'm going to keep track of what I eat and how much for a few weeks... Hopefully long enough to give me an idea of where I need to improve. I can't promise I'll actually be very diligent about this, but I'm going to try regardless!

I'm also very aware that the past few days were relatively awful in terms of the quality of what  ate... That's part of why I'm forcing myself to write it down.

Halloween
-1 small bowl of Cracklin' Oat Brand cereal
-left over carne asada fries (three handfuls of fries, (I have tiny hands.) 1/4 cup of steak, salsa, 1/4 cup homemade guacamole)
-smokies wrapped in cresent rolls (like little mummies!) with nacho cheese dipping
-2 cresent rolls
-1 small bowl of kettle corn with reeses pieces and marshmallows
Exercise?
-Went trick or treating with small children on mainstreet whilst wearing high heels. I think this counts.
-I also went running, lifted weights, and did a short core work out

Is was Halloween. That is my excuse.

Saturday
-1 bowl of "OHs" cereal
-Kyle and I got Olive Gardens soup, salad, and breadsticks special to go for lunch. We shared the bowl of soup and I ate 2 breadsticks at lunch time.
-At dinner, we cooked one chicken breast, sliced it, and put it on the salad, and split it.
-1 pumpkin square with cream cheese frosting
-1 cup of hot spiced Glogg (if you haven't heard of it- google it. I buy the nonalcholic version. It's delicious)
Exercise?
-Went running!

Sunday
-Today was fast Sunday in my church, so I fasted through breakfast and lunch.
-4 cresent rolls. (WHY do these things taste like heaven?? This is why I never skip meals except for religious purposes haha.)
-mashed potatos w/hamburger and cheese sauce
-lots of water
-1 cup of Glogg
Exercise?
-I am choosing not to exercise on Sundays.

So, all in all, I do not recommend starting a diet the same week as Halloween. Thankfully tomorrow is a new week and I have the chance to do better! Although, if you leave cresent rolls out of the equation, I think I did pretty well on portion size this week. I didn't get seconds like a typically do, and Saturday was pretty good overall. I'm not about to get rid of desserts all together, I'll just eat less of them. :)

<3Nikki

5 Steps to a Healthier Nikki?

Recently I decided that it is time to get back in shape. We don't own a scale, so I don't really know if I've gained any weight, but I do know that my jeans are a little tight, I've lost a lot of strength, and due to some other life events, I've eaten a lot more than usual in the past few months (no, I'm not pregnant). I was talking to my best friend about it, and for some reason it just hit me: There are a lot of people in this world who suffer from issues that don't allow their body to work in all areas. But here I am, with my perfectly capable body, and I'm not taking care of it. 

God blessed me with a body that does all the things I need it to do. Shouldn't I be taking better care of it?

The Plan

Step 1.) Run at least a little bit every day (except Sunday)

Living in Logan has been a huge blessing in our lives. Not only have we made friendships that I will cherish forever, but I simply LOVE living in the mountains. It is a beautiful place to go running! Back in Twin Falls, I was working on finishing my ECE degree and didn't have time to take dance classes anymore (I had been a dancer my whole life up until this point). I decided that I wanted to start running, but I couldn't find anywhere I was comfortable. In the area where we lived, it didn't seem to matter how modestly I tried to dress- men would always catcall. I hated it! I started working out at our school's gym, but a gym just isn't nearly as appealing as nature. Moving to Logan completely changed running for me. I LOVE running here! Not only is the landscape pretty, but so far I haven't dealt with any annoying catcalling. I even pass other runners on a regular basis. It's a great place for outdoor exercise.

Step 2.) Build up those "Mommy muscles"

On Halloween this year I went with my ward's play group to Trick or Treat Mainstreet. Obviously I don't have any kids, but I didn't have anything else to do and I wanted to at least do something for Halloween... Plus I love little kids in cute costumes! Our kid to adult ratio was pretty solid, but I think it was good I was there to help out some of the moms with more than one kid to manage. I very quickly learned that I have zero upper body strength. Absolutely no mommy muscles to carry small children. I lucked out and got a young baby in a stroller most of the trip, but I definitely want to work on my upper body strength. The plan is to use Kyle's lightest weights after running, and slowly work up to heavier weights. If anyone has suggestions for upper body workouts, I'd love to hear them!

Step 3.) Uncover my lost flexibility and that hidden 6 pack.

I always told myself that I could never allow my body to lose the flexibility I worked so hard to gain as a young dancer... Do I still have that flexibility? NO. Not even a little bit. I will always remember one of my college dance teacher's complimenting the wide hip turn out I had (this is an important thing in ballet). Another student, who happened to be a new mom said, "That's gonna make giving birth a lot easier. You've got narrow hips, so you're gonna need it!" Kyle and I aren't planning on having kids soon, but I'm going to assume that this mom knew what she was talking about... And it would be a lot harder to regain that flexibility during pregnancy then it would be if I just start stretching regularly again now. Another thing dance gave me was a legit 6 pack. Dancers use their core muscles all the time to maintain balance... As a dancer who hasn't danced in years, I hardly ever use my stomach muscles. This is why my back is sore all the time, because my stomach isn't doing any work whenever I carry anything (like running up the stairs to the potty with the two year old I nanny, for example.) I will be doing sit ups everyday following my run.

Step 4.) Thank the Good Lord for a husband who can manage portion size.

My husband is the king of many things. The King of Craigslist (he finds the best deals). The King of Patience (I have literally only seen him mad a handful of times in our 5 years together). The King of Portion Control. You know those ridiculous portion sizes you learn about in health class? Like how a serving of meat is supposed to be roughly the size of your hand? (I have tiny hands!) Or how a handful of nuts, (even the really yummy ones like macadamia nuts,) is more than enough? Kyle is the only person I know who actually eats like that. Without saying anything to me, he has definitely made me more aware of how much I eat. Which in all honesty, is just too much.

Step 5.) Eat better.

This is by far going to be the hardest thing for me. I can make running fun, (hello Taylor Swift's new album,) I can make stretching fun, but there is absolutely no way to make spinach fun. Or salads. Or not cake. Once again, I can thank the Lord for a wonderful, supportive husband on this one. He is willing to spend money on spinach he knows might not get eaten, but even better, he's willing to buy a food processor so that I can sneak spinach into much yummier things- like pastas and sandwich spreads. Diets, like marriage, are apparently all about team work.

Stretch, exercise, eat less, eat better.

That's the plan. :)

A stroll through my top 3 favorite vintage reproduction clothing companies...

To date, my number one favorite retro reproduction store of all time is the one and only... 

Bernie Dexter
As far as quality goes, no one beats Bernie. 

I purchased this dress through the swap and sell page on pinupgirlstyle.com, and it has become my favorite dress. It has actual boning in the bodice- which I had honestly never seen before... I kind of thought boning was something that only really expensive designer companies offered. It is beautifully tailored and the fabric is gorgeous. In my opinion, no one beats Bernie as far as beautiful prints are concerned... Plus, I live in the mountains... Where it snows a ton during the winter. So I totally HAD to have this dress. As far as sizing goes, things here tend to run a little small, and everything is very structured so there is very minimal stretch. In my experience, it is really important to stick to the size chart here.

Fun fact about Bernie, she models a lot of her own designs. She's basically a super woman as far as I'm concerned. Here are some more of those beautiful prints I mentioned...

PUG (Pinup Girl Clothing)
This company is THE pinup girl/retro reproduction company. The discovery of this company exponentially blossomed my love for all things retro because it lead me to a community of others who love it, too. My first PUG purchase was this little number... (it came with a reversible bolero. How cool is that?!)

The Evelyn Dress

When I first bought this dress, it fit like an absolute dream. Sadly, I'm currently selling it (here) because I've gained a little bit of weight in the last year (in a good way!). This dress used to give me a great shape, but now it makes me look a little bit pregnant... I didn't realize this until I was photographed wearing it, but now that I've seen it from another perspective, as cute as it is, it has to go.
My only issue with PUG is the sizing. It's a little inconsistent, and I find that it is essential to research every single item before purchasing it- read every single review you can find and ask questions regarding sizing. They also tend to size for hour-glass shapes, which is great if you have that shape, but I definitely don't. The bust is almost always too big for me at PUG. That said, everything is seriously stunning. I always try to avoid going to the website because I know sizing will be tricky, but I can never stay away. I also really like that a lot of their products are made in the USA.

Here are some of PUG's current masterpieces that I am kind of totally dying over...

Tatyana (formally Bettie Page)

I honestly don't know if this dress has a name but I'm just going to call it the Perfect Dress. (EDIT- it does have a name. The Secretary Dress.)

In contrast with PUG's tricky sizing, my favorite thing about Tatyana is the sizing. The dresses just fit so well- and I'm not the only one who thinks so. This dress specifically sold out really quickly, and I'm pretty sure the reason is that it is seriously SO COMFORTABLE. I can actually breathe normally in it, for one thing. I can (and have) worn it all day. The fabrics at Tatyana are generally a little bit stretchy, so sometimes I can size down to a extra-small or up to a medium if they are out of the small. This is also the only reproduction store (that I know of) that has a shop in Salt Lake City. The ladies who work there are always so nice- it is my go-to store every time I am in Salt Lake... Even if all I do is try on the dresses and pretend like I can afford them. That said, it's a good thing I live near a brick or mortar store, because the website often doesn't have as much information per item as I think it should.

Other Tatyana pieces I've pinned recently...

The hardest part of discovering all of these beautiful designs and wonderful companies is that each dress is a minimum of $100... That is not exactly a college-friendly budget! Fortunately, websites such as the pinupgirlstyle swap and sell and Ebay exist for that specific purpose... I got that Bernie Dexter dress at the same time that I swapped a Pinup Girl clothing skirt that was way too small, in other words, it didn't cost me NEARLY what it would if I had bought it brand new. I even paid for the girl I bought it from to ship it from Australia and it was still less than half the cost. 

These are well-made, timeless pieces that will stand the test of time (and have a high resale value). It is a personal goal of mine to stop buying so many cheap, frail pieces of clothing, and start working towards less frequent and higher quality purchases. So far, each piece has been well worth the wait!

<3Nikki

Which Hogwarts House would Frank Sinatra be in?

For those of you who don't know, today is Harry Potter's birthday! And by that I mean Harry Potter the character- not Daniel Radcliff. I celebrated in all the appropriate ways...

Butterbeer at Starbucks with my friend Jen... (recipe here!)

...and wearing my Gryffindor hair bow from Magical Ribbons.

I have been officially sorted in Gryffindor via the Pottermore quiz. House pride!

Unfortunately I didn't get to bake a cake this year. Regardless, happy birthday, Harry!

Of course, Harry Potter isn't exactly a "retro" topic, which is kind of the theme of my blog. So, I'm letting my inner nerd girl seriously geek out by sorting my favorite Old Hollywood celebrities into Hogwarts houses! There is an entire Tumblr dedicated to this, but they don't seem to have any older celebrities, so I'm going to give it a go!

This is the quiz I'm using. I picked it because it's quick and easy, although the questions could probably use a little work... I'm not using the official Pottermore quiz because frankly, I wouldn't feel right creating so many fake accounts in order to do so. I'm answering the questions simply based on the information I know about celebrities, the characters they played, as well as googling some facts about them along the way. For each caption, I've included the first 3 answers I selected (click here to view the questions). Here it goes...

1. Vera Ellen - Hufflepuff

First 3 question answers: Gold, Cast a full body bind charm (see the fireplace scene in White Christmas), hard work (have you seen her dance?!)

2. Gene Kelly- Ravenclaw

Silver, devils snare, hard work (again, have you seen him dance??)

3. Judy Garland - Gryffindor

Silver, turn them into a toad (because she's hilarious and talented), bravery.

4. Lucille Ball - Gryffindor

Gold, throw a vile of shrinking potion on them (also because she is hilarious and talented), bravery.

5. James Stewart - Hufflepuff

Bronze, devils snare, intellect (based mostly on the characters he played).

6. Howard Keel- Slytherin

Bronze,cast a full-body bind charm, winning.

7. Vivian Leigh- Slytherin

She is so gorgeous.
Gold, devils snare, winning.

8. Rosemary Clooney - Hufflepuff

Silver, turn them into a toad, hard work (based off of a 'White Christmas' documentary and the fact that she had 5 children).

9. Danny Kaye - Gryffindor

Bronze, cast a full body bind charm, hard work.

10. Frank Sinatra - Slytherin

Black, full-body bind charm, winning

Frank baby, how could you do this to me?! I'm guessing this is because I selected that Frank would value winning at all costs... I take it back.

And that is how I celebrated Harry Potter's birthday. If you have any questions about any other answers, leave a comment! I could talk about this for hours.

Thank you for indulging my inner nerd girl.

Good night!

<3Nikki

A White Christmas in July and Other Old Hollywood Classics

Okay. I LOVE old movies.

What would be my favorite TV channel... If I still had TV.
From http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/

Everything from the way the actors spoke, (which was much fancier than the way they speak today,) to the awkward smashed-faces kisses, (which creeped me the heck out as a child,) to the occasional out-of-place scene cut, and obviously all the beautiful costuming- I love it all. It was so hard for me to narrow down my favorites to just 5, but somehow I made it work. (EDIT- No I didn't. I ended up with 6...) I'm also planning on a few hair, make-up, and sewing tutorials inspired by these movies... coming soon!

So, without further ado, movie #1...

1. White Christmas

Today I learned that this movie came out on January 1st....
Why?? This is a Christmas movie...
 Image from http://romancebandits.com

I do not care that it is July. This movie is shear perfection!
I was a dancer when I was younger, (do you know how hard it is to write that sentence past-tense?), and the first time I saw this movie I was immediately entranced by Vera-Ellen. Every time I watch it I cannot believe how flexible she is! Rosemary Clooney is a babe as well and Bing Crosby and Danny Kay. In my opinion, Danny Kay is one of the most charmingly funny actors of all time. Every scene from the barracks to the Christmas stage is beautiful!

2. The Birds

If you don't think this movie is terrifying, you must be Chuck Norris.
Image from http://www.nbcbayarea.com/

I am always down to watch an Alfred Hitchcock film, and this is the very first one I ever saw. It happened like this: At 10 years old, my best friend and I were having a sleepover. We were giving each other makeovers and in the middle of it we decided we wanted popcorn. While it was popping we went in to the living room to see what my mom was doing, and she had turned on the Turner Classic Movie Channel. My friend and I sat down to wait for the popcorn, and ended up watching the entire movie! The thing I was most impressed by at the time was that it was actually scary... I had always thought old movies couldn't be scary. They're too old! Too goofy! But not this one. This movie still gives me the heebie geebies... and the scenery is equally as fantastic as it is eerie.

3. Rear Window

I seriously thought this movie was called
"Rearview Window". Am I the only one?
Image from http://www.leninimports.com/

Another Alfred Hitchcock... No shame. One of the absolute coolest movie-going experiences of my life happened just last semester for one of my husband's art classes- his professor played Rear Window in an actual movie theater on campus! I never thought I would get to see a classic movie on the big screen... It was magnificent. I felt like I had been transported back in time. My favorite part was sleuthing right along with James Stewart as he tried to figure out what happened across the yard. (It had been years since I had seen it, so I couldn't remember exactly how it ended.) There were occasional murmurings from the crowd as everyone tried to figure out who did it... There were gasps and oohs and ahhs from the audience- an audience of college students who all thought their time would be wasted on some old movie, no less. Hitchcock's directing plus goddess Grace Kelly, a handsome James Stewart, and all the cooky neighbors (gotta love those newly weds!) make for one fantastic movie.

4. Singin' in the Rain

I feel like I don't even need to type a description for
this movie because everyone loves it... right?
Image from www.thefilmspectrum.com

Gene Kelly has always been one of my favorite actors. I watched a documentary about him once and learned that this classic scene just about gave him pneumonia- all of that cold water just dumping down on him on set... He certainly was dedicated! The entire premise in the beginning of this movie is simply one of the funniest plots I've ever seen- a silent movie actress diva who can't make the transition into sound films because her voice is so awful, so they have to dub her voice? Was this based on a true story? Who comes up with this stuff? Debbie Reynolds is flawless- I know she had to work incredibly hard to keep up with Gene and Donald considering she wasn't a dancer by trade... From the viewer's perspective, she nailed it!

5. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

I'm LDS... Isn't that enough of a reason to love this movie?
(I'm just kidding... It totally is a Mormon culture thing, though.) :)
Image from http://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/

I almost didn't include this movie, (there are just so many great choices!), but I couldn't leave it out. The first time I heard the premise of the film, it was from my best friend. We were probably 13 or 14 years old. It went something like this- "So basically, there are these mountain men,right? And one of them wants a wife but none of them understand how to date or court or anything, so they just go into town and kidnap some girls but eventually everyone falls in love and stuff." Um. What? Needless to say I did not think I would like it- but after watching it, I ended up buying myself my own copy that very same week! Despite the crazy storyline, this movie is just undoubtedly charming and sweet. And, once again, I love all the dancing.

Bonus movie b/c I just couldn't leave it out... 
An American in Paris

My poor husband... This is one of the only classic movies he just
could NOT make it through. He tried, but the second I said he could do
something else he was so thankful haha. Bless his heart.
Image from www.imbd.com

Can you tell that a good dance scene will have me hooked?
From what I've heard, it seems like you either love this movie or really, really hate it. I guess an almost 20 minute long dance number isn't for everyone... But it definitely is for me! In fact, that's my favorite scene in the whole movie. The second best part (or parts, I guess you could say,) are the complicated love stories through out the whole film. Poor Henri and Milo! I think Leslie Caron is stunning in her first acting role, and, as previously stated, Gene Kelly has always been one of my favorites.

There you have it- my top 5, well, top 6, favorite classic movies. I don't own all of these yet- but I will some day! In my opinion, these are better than any modern movie.What do you think?

<3 Nikki

A rad 1970s children's booster seat and other fantastic antique store finds of the day...

Why hello there ladies and gents, welcome to the first post on my blog!

It was way harder to figure out the handwriting + forward facing camera than I care to admit.
Yes, I am using the back of the sign. The front has handwriting from our wedding so I wasn't about to erase it! :)

My name is Nikki and I love all things vintage.

Today my husband and I had a few errands to run around town, but like many husbands, he wasn't really up for going to the antique stores that I wanted to venture through... So after dropping him off back at home, I headed to my two favorite stores in Logan:

Image from readthewac.com/utah-antiques-and-collectibles-stores/
Store website: countryvillagemal.net

and

Image from waymarking.com

I had one specific item in mind at About Time...

THESE BEAUTIES!

I managed to break our pepper shaker a few months ago, (I am basically the queen of breaking things. Daily tools and appliances need to be incredibly tough to survive in my house,) so we have been in need of a new set. I spotted this sweet little S&P set a few weeks ago when my mom was visiting, and I thought they were so cute I just had to go back and get them. Unfortunately it's not real jadeite, just a reproduction, but cute as heck nevertheless. 

At  Country Village, I came across this darling little recipe box and immediately a wave of nostalgia rushed over me. My mom had a few of them growing up, and I could just see my future self and my future kids rummaging through this one in the future. I held on to it for a little bit before deciding it just wasn't completely my taste (nor does it match my kitchen), but, I realized it would be cute in my mom's sewing room. I sent her a picture and needless to say, I will be mailing it to her on Monday!

Now, for the grand finale...

The most adorable children's booster seat I ever did see. It was marked at $16, which seemed like a good price to me, but I was already spending more than I had originally intended so I passed it by... I bargained with myself and told my brain that if I was still there next time I came in I would grab it. When I got to my car, I just knew I would regret it if someone else nabbed it (like those darn baby Mickey Mouse shoes I regrettably passed up last month,) so I went back in and scooped it up! It was even on sale and ended up being just $12! (Don't you love when that happens?) The colors are super bright, it's made from easy-to-clean vinyl, and it only has one small tear on the side. My experience in child care tells me that my husband and I are going to be using this a lot when we have kids someday. Kids just don't fit in adult size chairs, afterall.

That's all for now! I'll be sharing plenty more of my adventures on here from now on.

<3Nikki