1. Right now I’m reading this book. It is a crazy entwined love story that travels back and forth in time to WWII Prague. I’m in love.
2. Never ever try to convince your meat lovin’ husband that turkey burgers made with flax are “real burgers”. I think I got the stink eye for like four days. That’ll teach him for not celebrating my half birthday.
3. I nixed the apple cider vinegar and coconut oil for my nighttime routine on my face that I talked about last week. Seriously, nothing is loving my face lately. I’m a hot mess — and by hot mess, I mean I’m a mess because my face is breaking out like craaaazzzyyyyyy. For the first week, my skin totally loved it. Then this week, it broke out like an 11 year old’s. I don’t know what to do. Ugh.
4. Just so you know, I just typed out this entire post and then my computer died. Now I have to remember everything I wrote. I am so not amused.
5. Have you entered my Chobani giveaway yet? You can win all three new flavors. As an update, I just tried Blood Orange yesterday. Oh my gosh, so good — I can’t wait to try Passion Fruit today at lunch!
6. A bunch of you asked me yesterday if I make my own gluten free bread. Most of the time, yes. When I make sandwich bread, I use this recipe (with flax eggs). The bread that was in my Spinach and Artichoke White Bean Chili recipe photos yesterday was Oatmeal Scones made from Jenna’s recipe using gluten free flour. So good!
7. I reeeallly want to go to the Lululemon Warehouse Sale today after school, but I heard it will have 4+ hour long waits. Uh, I don’t think getting home at like 8 tonight will be so good for the pup. I really want to go though, so I’m looking forward to waiting in line with people and fighting over a pair of wunder unders on Saturday. Namaste.
8. I got some really cute new slippers in the mail this week! I won a giveaway on Lindsay’s blog about a month ago for some house slippers made by her talented friend Susanna. She has her own Etsy shop and I am in love — purple corduroy!!!!
9. I read an article yesterday discussing how Pat Sajak and Vanna White used to get drunk before taping Wheel of Fortune — that just cracks me up.
10. Speaking of articles, I found a good one the other day that talks about the difference between cardio and strength training calories — it was really interesting!
11. On Tuesday night, Brittany had a dream about me. Wednesday night, I had a dream we both had babies. Mine looked like her, and hers looked like me. I don’t even know what that’s about, but I vividly remember freaking out because I couldn’t remember my “top” name, so I had to look through an app on my phone to figure it out.
12. Happy Friday everyone! I hope your weekends are filled with pancakes, snuggles, and Starbuck’s!
{ 97 comments… read them below or add one }
You’re going to love the new passion fruit (or at least, I did)! Nice and creamy like all 2%’s, and very tropical tasting… FYI, there are dark seeds – caught me off-guard, so just giving you a heads up
I loved it! I definitely prefer their 2% – so much more creamy!
I laughed out loud about #2! It reminded me of the time I tried to convince my husband that a portobella mushroom burger was similar to a meat burger.. that didn’t go over too well.. haha! Why have I never hear of the Lululemon Warehouse Sale?!
I don’t know! Do you live in Chicago?
No I don’t, but my brother-in-law does! I am thinking one of our visits needs to be based around the time of the next sale!
Ha ha
Yeah, the wunder unders are not worth that long wait! I know it will be crazy there!
LOVE the slippers, so cute!
Im sorry about your skin : ( I use PCA blemish bar and I seriously love it so much!
xoxo <3
Someone emailed me to tell me there wasn’t even any wunder unders which is what I wanted to go for – I don’t know if I’m going to make the trek anymore!
I was there yesterday and they didn’t have any wunder unders. I was incredibly disappointed as that was going to be my ‘big’ purchase there. The tops I got were discounted, but not enough to make my 3 hr wait worth it. I’d go if you want a scuba hoodie or a bag. Those seemed to be the only things discounted enough to make a wait worth it there.
Not surprising about Pat & Vanna..I always felt like he had just hit the bottle before taping. And sounds like he did! He so overly chipper and excited about…vowels. Day in, day out.
Your skin. Whatever you do, don’t change products again. Find one thing and give it like 2 mos. Your skin is sooo confused so just pick one thing, and then don’t mess around with it and that may mean “waiting out” some dicey days, but all the change is causing issues, too. At least for me, that happens. Sucks!
I won’t – I promise. I just couldn’t deal with breaking out if it was due to the oil. I had to stop!
I loved that article on strength training! It definitely confirmed my desire to keep up with it! Never try to convince a dairy lover that soy milk is delicious–> it won’t go down well
!
I’ve never ever loved milk, which is why I’m glad I love soy/almond milk so much!
I read that article about Wheel of Fortune – so funny!
Thanks for sharing the article about cardio and strength training calories!
Have a good weekend!
That book sounds really good! I love war/love stories!
The Lululemon warehouse sales sounds as amazing as the Lilly Pulitzer warehouse sale we have in PA!
The love story isn’t so much about the war as it is about the Holocaust – so good!
Adding that book to my list! Look book recs!
When I was in high school, I tried to make a facial scrub that I had read off the internet using household products. I think I ended up combining things like paprika, coffee grounds, vinegar… Anyway, I tested it out and my skin was not impressed! I was left with a sore red face for the rest of the day!
Youch! That doesn’t sound good!
HAPPY FRIDAY!
That sounds like a great read! I’ve been looking for a good one to start! Also, I hate when I have to start over on something I’ve written- like a blog or a paper or something. It never seems quite as good as the one I wrote before. (not that I’m saying that about this!) Have a great day and I hope your weekend gets off to a great start!
I remembered late this morning I forgot one of my fun facts in the new post – gahh.
Have you ever tried coconut oil + castor oil on your face? Nothing has been better for breakouts for me.
Do you mix the two together?
I love the cover of your book. I wore a red beret for Halloween in 7th grade and said I was a Paris lady. Everyone thought I was Monica lewinski. Sigh. I didn’t know Lululemon had warehouse sales!
I didn’t know either! Although someone emailed me to tell me that there were no wunder unders which is what I wanted to go for.
Hah I’ve had some pretty weird dreams like that too before! I don’t even want to be gin to read into them..
The slippers are soo cute!
haha I wanted to go to the Lululemon sale, but then I saw it was out in the burbs and… I have no money anyway. I must be strong. No purchases.
omg. 4 hours?! i had not heard that!! ahhh. not sure if i’m going to brave the madness today or tomorrow…will email you
Happy weekend to you too! I’ll have to give that book a shot, I’m always looking for new reads
Sorry to hear about your skin. There could be many reasons why you are having it: new workout routine, pollution in the air, changes in food, and many others. I agree with Averie from Love Veggies and Yoga, don’t change anything. I would see a professional for that. Good luck!
#2. Been there, done it. Big mistake! I learned it quick and now a few times a week I cook for them (husband and son) some meat. But we only want what’s best for them right?!
It might be from the greek yogurt – I hope not though. The one dairy product my body likes!!
My face is breaking out like crazy, too! My forehead it out.of.control. Something’s gotta give.
Let’s make a million dollars and go to the spa and have a facial.
Sorry about the breakouts. I hate it when that happens. Mine is usually correlated to stress, and NOTHING else but calming the heck down can make it go away.
Thanks for the bread recipe link. I’m going to check it out.
I hear you on the stress! usually when I’m stressed out, it wreaks havoc on my digestive system!
I feel for you in #3 .. I do not know how to help my daughter and it is sooo frustrating … please let me know if you find the magic potion!
I flip out a little (or a lot) when I lose a post. It’s so crazy. I’ve never been into romantic novels, but I’m going to trust you on this one…and now I want to go straight to the library and get that book. Nerd alert. AH! I hope my weekend is full of pancakes toooooo.
Happy friday dear!
It’s SOOOO good!
id really try a dermatologist, the medication im on yeah mite not be the most vegan friendly idk or care anymore, but its just a water pill with added potassium (dk why that either but it worked) my hormones were all over my dr said for no reason as they say and i tried everythin anyones ever suggested and got so frustrated bc i was eatin sooo clean! and i just use a cetaphil as my wash and they gave me a topical lotion that i really dont use much bc the pill took care of it all, and im just saying to do it now bc i waited for soo long to go and spent so much money trying not so cheap stuff and treatments and then this $15 prescription totally saved me. its worth a try to just go. i hope it all works out pimples suck!
That’s interesting! I wonder if I eat more potassium if it would have the same effect?
its worth a try, and drink a tonnn of water to get the same effect as the water pill. goodluck!
I’m planning on going to the warehouse sale tomorrow too! We were planning on getting there really early and just seeing how long the line is and deciding if it is worth the wait or not. Have you heard anything about best time to get there??
Also, I feel you on number 3. I have been breaking out lately worse than I ever did as a teenager. Not sure what is going on or how to fix it….
I’ve heard to avoid peak hours – I don’t know what that means though!
Did you end up going? We only had to wait in line for a little over an hour so not too bad…
I’m about to leave right now!
I was thinking about going to the Lulu warehouse sale after work today too, but considering I will get off at 5, I don’t even know if I will get into the sale tonight. I am just going to try tomorrow morning, but I really don’t want to spend 4+ hours in line.
Yeah I’m glad I didn’t go after school today – instead, I went to Costco! Yahoo!
SKin is so frustrating!!! I use to work for the skin care company Kiehls (all natural, and environmentally friendly) carried at Nordtsroms and we were taught that whenever you switch skin care systems you should give it at least 6 weeks to see how it does with your skin. Your skin will almost always do really well the first week, but then the toxins start to come out and you will break out until your skin adjusts to the new system (after about 6 weeks). You should try out some Kiehls! They will give you samples of EVERYTHING so that you don’t have to buy and try. I have been using it for 6 years and I swear by it (I forgot to mention that I have a horrible time with acne, and I have an entire history with horrible skin, but now it is clear as can be!).
Just read that cardio v. strength article. Very interesting! Especially the last point about it being a draw between the two for improving your 5K time. Interesting… I haven’t ditched cardio completely recently but I’ve really scaled it back in favor of strength and circuit type workouts and I really love the way I feel after those way more than a 5 mile run.
I just started to read your blog and your skin story sounds similar to what I went through last year. I hope you find something that works for you. I tried a number of products and finally tried plain ol’ Bronner’s Lavender liquid soap. I was so sure my skin would hate it but it didn’t. I think because I was buying “For acne” products, it was just too much. I am now using their bar soap and still looking good. I also use Alba face moisturizer. Not terribly expensive but organic and without the nasty things you need to look out for (they follow strict EU guidelines as well). I also don’t need to use a lot so it lasts a long time.
Thanks for the advice! I try to stay away from “acne” products as well as they tend to irritate my skin even more!
I believe we may have the same half birthday. And I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks it’s uber important to celebrate. Cheers to that!
Happy half birthday to you then!
bahaha. dreams are so weird!!!
haha I know right? I have a baby dream at least once a week now!! It’s ridiculous.
Oh Lululemon warehouse sales are such a nightmare! They have a couple each year here in their Vancouver warehouse but the lineups are just around the block, it’s so nuts. I’d rather go to the outlet – not quite such amazing savings but definitely better off. Or eBay. That’s a great place to buy some new pants if you know your style and size!
Btw, corduroy slippers? Yes please!
I wish we had a lulu outlet around here!!
face breakouts…. dreams about babies…. chelsey, is there something you need to tell us???
Absolutely not!
If you discover any other special potions that work for your breakouts please share! My skin still looks the same as it did when I was 13 and I can’t say this makes me happy. I just want clear skin for once in my life!
I know you probably dont want to hear this but have you thought about cutting out/reducing your dairy intake for your skin? I used to have skin that would break out all the time, which the dermatologist said was hormonal. I switched to organic daily only and [tried to stick with] organic meat. Now I have cut out dairy almost entirely and my skin is on a whole different level. The only time I have any issue is when I’m severely stressed out but that’s another issue in itself.
don’t make me do ittttttt
The only dairy I eat is Greek yogurt since that’s the only thing my body likes (well, at least my digestive system!)
Haha. How do men always know when you’re tricking them with food?! Luckily mine is pretty good about trying things, but it would never work to tell him something different from what it was.
I actually mentioned this on Katie Did today because she was talking about skin problems today too…but I had the worst acne which lasted through my teens and into my early twenties…and I now think it was partly due to eating dairy when I was lactose intolerant. I know you already have a very healthy (and quite strict) diet, and I think I am overly focused on this at the moment, but is there any chance you could have some sort of food allergy that causes your break-outs?
Also, I’m not sure what make-up you use, but I have found that mineral make-up is much better for my skin than the regular stuff. I use Erth Mineral Make-up (http://www.erthminerals.com/), which is actually my sister’s company (bonus – free make-up for me!!), but there are lots of other mineral make-up companies out there as well…this isn’t just meant to be an ad for my sister’s, although I personally like it best.
Hope you manage to get some good deals at the sale, and have a wonderful weekend!
~Emily~
uhhh I am kind of lactose intolerant. The only dairy my digestive system likes is greek yogurt, but maybe my skin isn’t enjoying it. You and someone else just suggested this. I hate to give it up – it’s such a large part of my protein source!
Well, it may be worth a shot for a couple of weeks, but if a bit of greek yogurt is all you are having, it seems unlikely to be the cause. I am not an expert on this – I just think it made a big difference for me and wish someone had suggested it to me when I was really frustrated with my skin.
Hope you manage to get to the Lululemon sale and get some good stuff!
~Emily~
I’ve heard good things about that book…it’s on my list! And I LOVE your new slippers. The perfect treat for a Friday!
Happy Friday!!!
Woohoo FRIDAY!!! That book sounds really good! Let me know what you think when you finish. The cover is a little creepy looking, though. I have also been having the craziest dreams lately…must be the weather!!
Um, also, I saw that on the news about Pat Sajak… I always wonder those things about game show hosts and talk show hosts!!! I feel like they might do it because it is the exact same thing over and over and over each day! It makes me laugh soo much. Also now every time I watch Padma Lakshmi on Top Chef I wonder if it really is true that she is drunk all the time in that show. I could see it!
Ahhhh the baby fever dreams
haha I guess so!
That looks like a good gluten-free bread recipe, although I can’t have xanthan gum. I read so many bloggers sometime I get confused, but aren’t you corn-free too? If so, what do you replace the xanthan gum with or do you just leave it out?
I am, but xanthan gum has never bothered me – I guess since it’s such a minimal amount, I’ve never noticed it!
That’s good that xanthan gum doesn’t bother you! My nephew is totally allergic to corn and can’t even have a little bit of it. I’m going to have to find a good gluten-free recipe that doesn’t need gums!
Yikes! I’m sorry your face is breaking out! Mine is too right now, only it’s for a known reason. Like a “once a month” reason… Yuck. I use some of the products you mentioned before. I use Clean and Clear cleanser at night (I like ones with the little beads in them – it feels like it gets my face really clean!) and a salicylic cream over any breakouts. In the morning I use the neutrogena moisturizer you mentioned. I don’t keep any products on at night or I’ll break out.
Sorry your face is breaking out too!
You should really try Aloe Vera Gel — if you have the Aloe plant, all you have to do is fillet the leaf and slather natures miracle all over your mug! Otherwise, you should be able to find the gel where you would find the juice at any grocery store like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. I’m also a huge fan of witch hazel w/rose water — smells pretty and is a nice toner before bed:)
I heard the thing about the Wheel of Fortune hosts too! It was on NBC though and they poked fun at it and said that the place they’d go to drink is a common pitstop for hosts of all kinds of shows
. I laughed. 
Thanks for shouting out to Susanna!! She’s going to love this!
Well I love the slippers!
Lululemon warehouse sale?! I MUST find out if this exists near me. I always browse the store and leave so sad because it is so expensive. Hope the passion fruit was delicious…that is the one I most want to try!
Last week we had turkey & chickpea burgers every single day. The recipe said it made 4 (maybe 6?). Nope. It made TEN 4 oz burgers. The hubby was not a happy camper.
May you secure your Wonder Unders! Namaste.
I am so glad you posted links to those articles. Pat Sajak drunk makes so much more sense lol
well after so many years of doing that show together, I’m sure its so routine they can do it wasted!
My weekend will be filled with pancakes tomorrow, snuggles with my sick baby, and dunkin donuts decaf!
I just love your Friday posts!
Lol….stink eye. 
#3) Bless your heart…It’s crazy that you are having such a hard time finding some facial cleansers.
Happy Friday to you too Chelsey! Protein pancakes, snuggle with the niece and nephew, and a trip to starbucks…I guess I can do that…;)
I have to agree with Carrie in regards to your skin. I used to work for a similar line of skin care, Origins, and that breakout you’re experiencing could be your skin purging itself of yuckiness. Definitely don’t throw in the towel yet! Give your skin some time to adjust.
Have a great weekend!
went to lulu warehouse tonight. they had just the basics, none of the new stuff. we got there at 8 pm, they almost didn’t let us in, but i may have begged a little. win!
So did you think it was worth it?
yes! though i didn’t really need any of the stuff i bought
To comment about your acne issues….I feel ya, girl.
Have you heard of Arbonne? All of their products are vegan, all natural, no fillers, no preservatives, no artificial nothin’. I just ordered some though a friend….I can let you know how it works, if you want! I have weird acne break outs too
The best part is that it’s really not that expensive! I also ordered some foundation, and that was like $40. But my friend said hers lasts her like 4-5 months. So I think that’s pretty good. Especially for the quality of the product.
Have you tried the Apple Cinnamon? Chobani is sending me some to try, and I can’t wait!
Happy Weekend!
im reading that book too!!! its so good! i am assuming you read Sarah’s Key, The forgotten Garden and all those other good historical fictions. i need to make way more time to read!
I have read Sarah’s Key but NOT Forgotten Garden! I just put that on my wish list!
Hey, Chelsey, I don’t usually comment but I do read (and love!) your blog a lot, and I know you’ve been having a lot of problem with your face lately, and I wanted to give you some advice. Over the past summer, I went through HELL with my skin (crystal clear to almost 100 pimples in under a week, and no improvement for MONTHS) and I’m now dealing with a faceful of hundreds of scars/marks and horrible skin quality now, 5 months later. Because of this ordeal, I’ve done a tremendous amount of research and have seen a few dermatologists… so I have a fair amount of knowledge about skin issues.
First of all, 1 week is NOTHING for skin. I highly doubt your new routine would cause problems that fast. That’s one thing I’ve noticed: you switch your routine around way too much! All that change is just going to keep irritating your skin. You have to find something that you think will work, and STICK WITH IT for at least 2 months to see if it works before trying something else. This amount of time gives your skin enough time to adjust, and since pimples are on a 8 week cycle (from the time they first form until they’re completely gone) it would take that long to get clear, anyways. Acne isn’t something that just gets better overnight (believe me, I thought it was at first, too… but it took over 3 months before I finally got clear on my regime!)
Secondly, you really need to STOP exfoliating with that pore scrub. Contary to popular belief, that’s one of the absolute worst things you can do for your skin. It just irritates it. If you need to exfoliate, do it gently manually with a soft washcloth without any of those harsh exfoliating washes. Also, I would quit with the apple cider vinegar, at least for now. That helps more with red marks left after pimples than it does with actual acne, and any sort of toner is bad for acne-prone skin (just causes more irritation.) But your moisturizer is a good one, but does it have SPF? If it does, quit it. Sunscreens are notoriously acne-causing. Neutrogena makes another oil-free moisturizer for combination skin; its brilliant–the only moisturizer I have used that doesn’t cause breakouts! Make sure to get the combination skin one, and not the sensitive skin one, because it contains petrolatum, which is known to cause acne.
I also think you need to start thinking about taking a medication. You said acne medication just dries your skin out… but you have to understand that you need to STICK IT OUT for at least 2 months before you’ll notice notable improvement… and in the meantime, it probably WILL get worse. It did for me; my first two months on Differin were the worst two months of my life. But in the end, its worth it, because I’m almost 100% clear now!
If you have any questions or anything, feel free to email me!
Hi Marissa,
Thank you so much for such a helpful comment. You’re right, I do switch around my routine far too often. I’m one of those “I want it to be fixed right NOW” people (impatient much?). I will definitely stick with it and take your advice about exfoliation/ACV to heart!
I know what you mean. Believe me, when the first dermatologist I went to told me it would take at least 2 months to be clear, I cried so much! Acne has literally been one of the most devasting things I’ve ever gone through, so don’t worry, I know how it feels! You just want it GONE! Its so, so hard to just resign yourself to a routine and stick with it when it just seems to be getting worse… but think about it this way: two months from now, you’ll wish you just picked something and stuck with, so you might as well start today. It has to be done… so the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be clear! This is especially true with retinoids (which I HIGHLY recommend… I can honestly say that Differin, although it caused me two months of absolute Hell, has saved my life.)
Also, what kind of makeup are you using? That can be a big acne-causer. What kind of acne do you have, specifically? Pustules/papules, comedonal, cysts/nodules? What kind of acne you have determines how you should treat it. (i.e. benzoyl peroxide works great for pustules, but doesn’t do a thing for cysts or blackheads!)
I have a lot of blackheads and whiteheads but every so often I’ll get cystic pimples, which is what I experienced last week. I”m such a baby because I’m sure it’s NOTHING compared to what other people go through, but 5-6 cystic pimples are painful and horrible looking when they’re along your jaw line!
Have you ever checked out the forums at acne.org? http://www.acne.org/messageboard/
The actual website is pretty useless (its just marketing their acne “cure”) but the forums are GREAT. There are so many knowledgable people and a wealth of information from those who have gone through it just like us. Just start poking around the message boards. I learned so much from that forum, and its sometimes just nice to go there and talk with other people who can relate to how I feel!
Hey there. Re: your face, I started a natural regimen that my face is absolutely LOVING.
you might want to give it a shot
1:1 castor oil and olive oil with a drop or two of tea tree oil. Mix in a small bottle
If you have dry skin, add more olive oil; if you have oily skin, add more castor oil. I have normal skin and the 1:1 works perfect for me
The castor oil removes dirt and bad oils, while the olive oil replenishes the good oils in your skin, and the tea tree will clear up any outbreaks you have…
When you’re ready to wash your face, pull your hair back, and get your face damp with a wash cloth. Take about a quarter sized amount of the mixture in your palm, and gently massage it into your face. Get your washcloth and hot as your face can handle and wring out. Then lay over your face until it cools down. Then wipe your face. That’s it…I prefer to do this at night. In your morning shower, your face may feel a little oily, but when you get out and dry off, you should be fine. I don’t have a problem at all throughout the day. Plus it’s a great night ritual to have a quick little treat yourself spa time.
I hope this helps!!