Dah dah dah dah dahhhh....I'm losin' it!*

I had a request from one of my readers to explain what's going on with my fitness, so I wanted to share.  At the beginning of this year, I stepped on a scale for the first time in a few months, and I did not like what I saw.  I had put on about 25 pounds from this time last year, and I had to regain control.

As luck would have it, a friend at work expressed a similar goal and told me about LoseIt.com.  (That's their logo up top.)  It's a website (and a free app) that allows users to set a weight loss (or maintenance) goal; the site then produces a daily calorie budget.  You input the food you eat and the exercise you do, and it magically keeps you on track.

Y'all know that I love a sweet treat in life, but I've definitely cut those down quite a bit.  It's been a lot of turkey sandwiches, grilled chicken, oatmeal, and cereal.  And Skinny Cow.  Usually I'll have a cheat day on the weekend and indulge in a cupcake or some chocolate.  But I don't keep candy at my desk these days.

I have gotten back to the gym so far this year, too, and about three to four times a week I will power walk on that treadmill (usually 4.5 mph) for about 50 minutes.  Then most days I'll hop over to the elliptical for about 10-12 minutes.   My body has taken on a new, leaner shape, and I have to say that all this dedication has been worth it.  I'm down 16 pounds so far, and I feel stronger than I have in a long time.  In more ways than one.

*sung to the McDonald's theme...a lil' irony for yaz

Insta-specs

So maybe I'm a bit obsessed with Instagram.  And by obsessed, I mean that sometimes I post pictures there and subconsciously think that I blogged them instead.  Whoops!  Here's my feed.

Here's one of my latest snaps.  It's my customized stamp from Paperwink.  And I. Love. It.

Siri-ously Good Camera

Yum. My new iPhone camera or this sweet treat?  Umm...both.  This lil' jewel is from a local place called Nothing Bundt Cakes.  Unfortunate name.  Delightful product.

A pesto/chicken panini from Bruegger's Bagels. 

App-y as a Clam

So I gave myself a bit of an early Christmas present.  It's an iPhone.  And I'm instantly/officially/hopelessly obsessed.  It took me a while to come around, as I had what I somewhat lovingly refer to as my Jitterbug phone for three years.  I felt practically geriatric.

No longer.

What are some of your favorite apps?  So far I have Evernote, CardStar, Coupon Sherpa, Instagram, Flipboard, and Redbox.  Which ones am I missing, peeps?  And whare are some cool (legal) ways that you use your iPhone?

I plan on posting my final gift guide of the season either over the weekend or on Monday.  Thanks!

My Favorite Price

That would be free.  And here are my latest freebies that the WWW has to offer.

My new blog pal Erin of Better Than Bland turned me on to Picnik.  It's my favorite of the bunch, and here's why.  It's like a free (!) online (!!) Photoshop (!!!).  You don't even have to sign up, and you can upload and edit pictures.  If you do sign up, the site keeps track of your five most recent pics. 

My favorite edit button is "Auto-fix" because it magically corrects all evils with said photos.  (You know how oft I lament my dire apartment lighting situation.)  I was considering the purchase of a new camera or Photoshop/lessons to operate Photoshop.  But no longer. 

Actually, I've gone back to some of my homemade pictures on older blog posts and corrected them with Picnik.  Tah.  Der.

I stumbled upon The League of Moveable Type when searching for cool fonts.  This is a great place for them.  Gratis!

Evernote is a site I found through Real Simple.  Go figure.  It's a one-stop destination for corralling virtually anything, from shopping lists to pictures to websites.  And it links up and syncs up across all of your devices.  Home PC.  Space phones.  iPad/Pod.  Laptop.  Dental fillings.  JK.  Not too shabby.

iLike Byrd & Belle

Although I don't remember where I first saw a mention of these cool products (probably a blog), I'm glad I bookmarked the Etsy site for Byrd & Belle. 

Angie, the super efficient shop owner, makes really awesome tech-friendly cases out of felt and leather for pretty much iAnything, even laptops.  She has a couple of shades of gray felt and then brown or black leather, along with a gray or green lining.

Last week I bought a case just like the ones in the pictures* for my iPod, and I love it!  If you're looking for this type of product for yourself or as a gift for someone else (lucky them), consider this shop, won't you?

*from Etsy site, used with permission