Long time, no chat, my friends! I’ve been having a tough time getting my thoughts down into the blog lately, but tonight I had a surge of #feelings, so I knew it was time to check back in. I wanted to share all the things that have me feeling happy and fortunate and overall just plain good lately. And trust me, there are a LOT of updates, so you’re gonna want to keep reading. 😉 Enjoy! xx
Getting back into working out
You guys know, I go through phases with working out. But right now, I’m prioritizing it. I’m doing an 8 class a month package at Revel Ride (1632 South Street), which is new-ish and pretty close to my house. I still keep a few credits a month on ClassPass, which I use for things like yoga, TRX, and others. I sometimes try to go to Flywheel (1521 Locust Street) especially when Nicole is teaching, because I still feel like she is basically my favorite instructor in all of Philadelphia. I also have some Barre3 (1500 Sansom Street) credits I’m continuing to knock through (as they generously keep extending my deadline – so kind), and I’ve found I like the 7pm classes the best – they’re smaller and allow me to focus on the instructor. Either way, getting back into the swing has been so good for me, especially as the winter blues start to kick in.
Seeing progress with my skin
I have had acne, cystic, hormonal, horrible stuff, since I was a young, teen Emily. It had pretty much become a part of my life I had accepted, but as skincare becomes more of a talked-about topic (related listening: Emily Weiss of Glossier on How I Built This), several months ago, I started “trying” more in regards to my skin. I’ve been learning more about products and what I actually need for my skin and focused on being consistent in application and actually putting in the time. One of my closest friend did recommend a few treatments like Co2 Laser. After seeing reviews on co2 laser before and after, I was quite amazed by the results. However, for now, I will have to put a hold on such treatments. I learned that skincare takes time, people, there are a lot of layers and care! And I did start to see some improvement. I have also read somewhere that CBD (available from companies such as Blessed CBD) has been found to help reduce acne as an additional benefit to its anti-inflammatory properties. Along with that, it is also said to have shown great potential as an anti-ageing treatment owing to the anti-oxidants present in it. Private Label CBD products have gained popularity of late, and for the right reasons, of course. Though I am not sure if I want to take that route, it’s always good to know, right?
I made one of my first dermatologist appointments (to talk about a host of things I wanted answers for, the last one being my face, because, as I said, I had accepted it as part of my life), and actually walked away with a prescription that has truly been helping. I’m only about a month in so I’m open to sharing more as my journey progresses, but the progress is so reassuring for me.
Some really great visuals
Yes, I talk about my body a lot, and managing how I feel as my body gains and loses weight is something I’ve come to be really aware of in my adult life. Today, I was wearing these great high-rise Calvin Klein jeans and a grey crewneck sweater pulled down over my stomach. The first time I looked in the bathroom mirror at work, I decided I was not doing my body any favors, so I kinda folded the sweater up so it hit me like a crop (with a tank underneath, of course), and it felt goooood!
I know some people say Instagram is harmful because it presents pressure to look a certain way, but I’m actually so appreciative of the women in my Instagram feed for showing me bodies that look like mine. It’s like, if I stare at a woman with a body that looks similar to mine long enough, and think how incredible she looks and how I don’t even notice her stomach showing in a skirt or dress, maybe eventually I will get dressed and won’t even look at that myself, too. Isn’t it so crazy to think that if there was better representation of different body types in media, people’s entire lives and self worths would be different? Like, lives would change. Anyway, here are some of my favorites right now: @anabeth.jpg, @jennakutcher, @katewas_, @nataliemeansnice, and @garnerstyle.
Aaaaand here we go: I’m dating. One person.
Let me just bury this little factoid amidst a full post of other feel-good things. 😉 It’s weird, after all the time I talk about being single and my dating chronicles, I feel shy about sharing that I’ve found somebody I feel pretty, pretty good about right now. Amongst all the things I’m pretty obsessed with (he’s like, really handsome), Her Philly was sort of the connector, which is, pretty wild. I’m happy to divulge more if you guys are interested, but for right now, it’s going great, he is great, and I’m very, very happy.
The fact that I’ve had this blog for SIX. YEARS!
I have always said I struggle to balance the following: exercising, dating, sleeping, and blogging. One always has to give. And you guys know over the years, I’ve learned to be OK with one of the things falling off a bit while I focus on the others. I haven’t done my 2018 Philly gift guide yet, which is killing me, but with everything I just talked about above, finding the time is escaping me.
But that’s OK. Because I see this blog, to some extent, being a part of my life for as far as I can possibly predict. So with another year, I say: thank you! You’re all a huge part of why I do this, and I am so grateful for the love and DMs and in-person meetings from the time I was 23 until now. Here’s to many more. xx
