CONFESSIONS OF A FAT GIRL

Please share -- How you can help #Newtown

What happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday, is clearly one of the darkest, most horrible things to ever happen. Ever. 

I don't know how I put it into words -- I don't know how to articulate how it makes me feel. It's disgusting, deplorable, horrific, terrifying, heartbreaking. It is so many things and yet it is impossible to describe. My brain will never reconcile it nor do I want it to. 

And with that in mind, this broken community needs the love and support or the entire world. We should be collectively sending every prayer and thought of warmth in their direction.

Here are a few tangible ways you can help:

• Donations made to Newtown Youth & Family Services will be donated directly to those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. For more details on how to donate, call (203) 426-8103.
• Newtown Parent Connection is accepting donations via Paypal or any major credit card; all donations will be donated directly to those affected by the shooting. For further details, call (203) 270-1600.
• The United Way of Western Connecticut is accepting donations in a partnership with Newtown Savings Bank. Check donations may be mailed to: Sandy Hook School Support Fund, c/o Newtown Savings Bank, 39 Main St., Newtown CT 06470. You can also donate by credit card online.
• There is also a nwwq Indiegogo page accpeting donations.
• If you wish to volunnteer in some in-person capacity, please call (800) 203-1234 to reach the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
• Facebook groups which have formed to remember those lost at Sandy Hook are encouraging people to wear blue and yellow tomorrow (Monday, 12/17). 

We've got a couple of winners in the house!

Congratulations to the #LB12Days* winners!

• Lesley, who pinned this sparkly and fabulous skirt
• Jennifer, who pinned this very pretty dress (that by god, I kind of wanna buy now)

Ladies, if you haven't already, be sure to email me your addresses so I can send you your $30 Lane Bryant gift card! Hooray for giveaways! 

I really enjoyed this, everyone. Except that I'm a softy and I wanna just give EVERYONE a $30 gift card. Which I can't because I am not rich. But the sentiment is valuable, right? In any ase, thank you so much for supporting my very first blog giveaway.

Also, I want to let you know that the contest giveaway sponsor, the illustrious Lane Bryant, is hosting a Twitter party tomorrow, December 17! If you didn't win a gift card from me, they still have more to give! Check this out:

Lane Bryant “Holiday Fashion Fun” Twitter Party

Need a little fashion inspiration for an upcoming holiday party? How about tips on how to keep your look fresh this season? Sure it’s cold outside, but that doesn’t mean we can’t feel and look sassy, stylish, and maybe even a little flirty through the winter! Come one, come all, because we’re talking holiday fashion with our friends at Lane Bryant! Join our @LaneBryant “Holiday Fashion Fun” Twitter Party this Monday, 12/17 at noon PT/3pm ET! Fab prizes! RSVP to win prizes, including $30 Lane Bryant gift cards! RSVP: http://clvr.li/128tjBx

And don’t forget! Lane Bryant’s “12 Days of the Most Wonderful Surprises” is still going on now until December 16! You can unlock a new surprise offer every day on the Lane Bryant Facebook page. It’s the perfect way to get your favorite must-have fashion items for the holiday season, at great prices.

  
The Details:

What: Lane Bryant “Holiday Fashion Fun” Twitter Party

When: Mon 12/17 noon PT/3pm ET

Where: On Twitter! CleverTweets: http://clvr.li/SYaCNf

Follow: Hashtag #LBHoliday @CleverGirlsColl @LaneBryant

RSVP here: http://clvr.li/128tjBx

Prizes: 18 $30 Lane Bryant gift cards

* Winners were selected using Random.org as I am incapable of being impartial and picking one person over another ;)

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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A Holiday Shopping Giveaway!

Special Surprise Offer from Lane Bryant

A Little More Holiday Shopping Glamour

Nutrition via Chocolate? Mmmmm... Ok.

So you don't know this yet (and how could you), but as I'm wrapping up this year and trying to knock off my remaining "33 in 2012" goals, I am simultaneously planning for "34 in 2013."

Oh yes, I'm doing it again.

And one of my goals will be to take vitamins. I never ever do (maybe I did when I was little?) but I always think about my grandfather, who took them all his life, and up until the year of his passing, lived a supremely healthy and vital life. He credited vitamins for a lot of that and who am I to argue?

So when Adora asked me if I wanted to try their chocolate calcium supplements for my blog, my answer was hell-t0-the-yes. (I didn't really say that. If I'd said that, the PR rep woulda been like "Well, she's nuts -- let's send her the crazy pill chocolate supplements. Incidentally, I would like those if they exist.)

Sorry - a little rant for you there. 

The first thing I did was google "Why do we need calcium?" It's kind of a stupid question -- I only found out what most educated people know. Calcium is a mineral that fortifies your bones and teeth. Of course, what I didn't know? 99% of the calcium in your body is stored in bones and teeth. The remaining 1% is in your blood and soft tissues, and is essential for life and health. Without this 1% of calcium, your muscles wouldn’t contract correctly, your blood wouldn’t clot and your nerves wouldn’t carry messages. (source)

That sounds like some prettty important stuff.

So yes, bring me the chocolates with the calcium. Here's the skinny on Adora:

• High quality USP-grade calcium carbonate, vitamin D3, and magnesium
• Antioxidants from all-natural premium chocolate
• Only 30 calories to support weight loss goals
• A smooth, easy-to-digest consistency
• Gluten free and certified Kosher
• No artificial sweeteners
• totally affordable at $7.99 - $9.99

Two Adora tablets and you've gotten all the calcium your body needs in a day. True story.

AND, if you can believe it, they were quite the tasty treats! And to MY surprise, between the milk chocolate and dark chocolate, I liked the dark chocolate more (in all honesty, I usually hate dark chocolate).

So I endorse, recommend, approve, etc. And especially because they have an active online social presence. As all companies should.

Find Adora on Twitter  and Facebook.

Much thanks to them for sending these along. I thoroughly enjoyed them and feel even more motivated to viva la vitamins in 2013. 

 

I Bet You Never Thought I'd Write About This...?

It's just that I simply must sing the praises of Simply Be once more. :)

I was watching TV last night, in the wee hours, because I couldn't sleep (it was so bad, you guys) and caught this news segment about pregnancy and it got me thinking...

NO. Not about getting pregnant. Everyone just calm down.

I was watching this woman on TV who was not only pregnant, but also plus sized to begin with. So it got me thinking how hard that must be. I mean, finding stylish plus clothes is a pain in the ass to begin with but I've always assumed if ever I were knocked up, I'd basically be in tents and sleeping bags for nine months.

That's right, kids, camping gear as garments is hella sexy.

And as I often do when I can't sleep, I took out the ol' laptop and started looking around (hence all of the ads on my Facebook page today are about being fat and pregnant - awesome). 

Yet again, my online shopping research took me to trendy maternity clothes by Simply be. So cute. Jeans, flowy tops, comfy pants, and so forth. Of course, to be fair, I've never shopped for maternity clothes before but I did look around for a while before the sleep finally took over and dear god, there is some UGLY stuff out there, pregnant ladies. I am so sorry.

It will surprise no one that these two were my favorite looks:

Quote of the Day

Dear internets, You had me at puppies and kittens.

Dear readers, Pin this image in honor of best friends! 

Purely For Fun

I love Luke Bryan and when I happened upon "Fuck yeah, Luke Bryan" on Tumblr, I just about died.

Still don't care? Hmph. Watch this video. If you're not swayed, we can't be friends.

Oh wait, this one too. He's too cute. I can't stand it.

(Disclaimer/Explanation: When I have a couple beers in a divey bar on a Friday night, I just wanna come home, drunk text a couple homies, and watch country music videos on YouTube.)

Flashback Photo Friday

Every single day, I use this really fun app called Timehop. It syncs with all of your social media and lets you see your photos and updates from this exact day in history. It goes back pretty far and I'm always so amused to see it. 

I was especially amused to see this photo, from four years ago, recently:

That's my lovely friend Meg in the front there, proudly displaying a delightful bottle of Chianti. I took the liberty of blurring her out cause I didn't know if she'd want to be on prominent display in this blog, but trust me, she's a cutey. And I think we're at the Arboretum in Arcadia celebrating a friend's birthday and enjoying a concert (probably the one where the conductor wouldn't stop talking) but never mind all of that.

Look at my face.

Timehop, you are awesome. But I sure wish you could tell me why I'm so flippin' animated! Look at my face!!! WHAT THE HELL MADE ME SO EXCITED four years ago???

We may never know... Dammit.

Cheesy Hanukkah Humor

Spin it to win it, muffins!