A look at May in tweets

I've decided to start a new little monthly feature around here. A look back at my month in tweets. Not only because I want to blog more and try new things doing it, but also because I might just tweet a little more too.

(Both blogging and tweeting have fallen off some since I started working full time.)

Here's a look back through may in under 140 characters.

Feeling like a genius this morning.
— Elizabeth Wiley (@ewiley) May 3, 2013

My choice of donut for breakfast was justified because it was one of the cheapest options. Plus, you know, delicious.
— Elizabeth Wiley (@ewiley) May 6, 2013

In today's hot sauce chronicles, @evonnebenedict and I are putting hot sauce on potato chips. So yeah, Thursday is awesome.
— Elizabeth Wiley (@ewiley) May 9, 2013

Submitted without context: Over 750 people shared my forehead on FB yesterday.
— Elizabeth Wiley (@ewiley) May 10, 2013

It's nice that Restoration Hardware has so many comfy couches for a shopping break, even if I can't afford them.
— Elizabeth Wiley (@ewiley) May 14, 2013

Sometimes life is really full of adult things. That's why I take gummy vitamins.
— Elizabeth Wiley (@ewiley) May 17, 2013

"Barstools are like guys" - @emalwiley (submitted without context)
— Elizabeth Wiley (@ewiley) May 18, 2013

My sleep app told me my sleep quality was 32% last night. Ready or not, here Wednesday comes.
— Elizabeth Wiley (@ewiley) May 22, 2013

Executive decision this morning: an oatmeal chocolate chip cookies counts as breakfast, because oatmeal.
— Elizabeth Wiley (@ewiley) May 29, 2013

So there you go. I was going to include random FB posts and Instagram photos, but since you can't embed those, it all seemed like too much work. And I really, really am ready for bed.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter to get (a few) more random updates about my life. And have a very happy weekend!

The goods: product reviews

I don't know about you, but Ulta is one of the those places I always come out with more than I plan to buy. I go in for shampoo and come out with everything from lip gloss to lotion.

A while ago I ventured in for something (who can remember exactly what now), and came out with a haul. I thought I'd share some of my purchases and let you know what I'd recommend.

These were my fun purchases, and I like them all! I have only done the cherry Baby Lips so far, but I love the hint of color and the flavor. And the moisture stick has a really subtle color with a bit of shine.

The lotions (Hope in a Jar and Neutrogena Healthy Defense) are regular purchases. The Philosophy lotion is a splurge for me, but I love using it at night. It feels super moisturizing without being heavy. The Neutrogena makeup remover wipes were new and I really like them. They leave my skin feeling clean and fresh, and are super handy for traveling.

These last two were a first time purchase. I've been looking for a leave-in conditioner (my hair has been super dry!), and have liked Organix's shampoo and conditioner. So far it's been fine. I haven't seen amazing results, but I haven't had the same issues with knots and dryness either.

As far as the mascara, Maybelline's new Rocket Volum', I wasn't impressed. The coverage was good, but I found it to be pretty flaky and really hard to remove. I'll stick with my tried and true options there.

Have you tried any new products lately? What are you consistent must-haves?

Awkward and Awesome: The Short Version

I'm making this post pretty quick because I really need to head out the door to work. First of all, let's celebrate because the week is almost over. This week has seemed like the longest. In fact, I was a little surprised it was only Thursday today.

But you all probably have a Monday off to look forward to. Enjoy! I have to work, but I get the next few holidays off (we switch off on my team at work) so I'm not complaining.

Awkward:
- Mentioning how I was obviously going to be posting more in my last post. And then going silent for days.
- Wearing my shorts backwards to bed and not realizing it until the next morning.
- How often I buy breakfast and lunch at work. And how often lunch is grilled cheese.
- My total confusion over a website redesign for my credit card account. I could not find my transactions for the life of me.
- Forgetting what day I was supposed to get together with a friend (luckily I hadn't made other plans and it worked out!)

Awesome:
- I'm guest posting over at Elle Sees today. If you've ever wondered how to deal with curly/wavy hair, or love getting new tips, head on over. Or just explore her blog for awesome beauty tips. Elle Sees knows it all.
- A friend and I discovered that Four Seasons cheese bar is half off late night. Needless to say, last Saturday night was delicious.
- Plans for a full weekend of fun, even though I am working on Monday.
- Raising over $1,000 for MDA by getting locked up. I had support from my amazing family and friends! Personal thank yous are definitely going out. (You can still donate here if you want to be part of my awesome crew!)
- Something big in the works for me. I don't want to share it here until it's for sure, which is part of the reason I haven't been blogging. It's so hard not to mention.

My Favorite Seattle Spots

One of my favorite parts about living in Seattle, besides friends, sunny days, and exploring, has been finding some of my favorite places to eat.

I thought I'd share some of my tried-and-true options.

Breakfast:

Toulouse Petit
A hot spot at night, Toulouse Petit also offers a breakfast happy hour on week days. Not great if you have a normal 9-5 job, but if your schedule is flexible, I highly recommend checking it out. I've had a couple delicious items here and the coffee is served in a french press (fancy). This is another place I've meant to do longer posts about, but never quite pulled it off.

Pete's Egg Nest
My best friend and I stumbled upon this place last year and have been back a few times. It's a bit of a hole-in-the-wall. The portions are big, the service is great, the prices are reasonable, and the food is delicious.


Mae's Phinney Ridge Cafe (CLOSED)
This is a restaurant I first visited with my parents when I was little and my aunt lived in the area. I just learned that Mae's has closed, which makes me super sad. When it was open, they had amazing cinnamon rolls.


Lunch/dinner:

Taste of India
Bottomless chai, huge rounds of naan, amazing service, and delicious food. Once I went here with some friends and they comped us wine. You almost always get a small appetizer and a dessert to share on the house. Be warned though, this place gets crazy busy, especially in the evenings and on the weekend.

Than Brothers
This is the place to go for pho. It's a local chain that offers low prices and a cream puff as an appetizer with every meal. I've been to three of their locations and haven't had a bad experience yet. Want to be a little bit healthy? Ask for extra vegetables with you soup.

Serious Pie
This pizza spot is the brain child of Tom Douglas. I love stopping by here for happy hour (smaller versions of the pizza are offered at a lower price) for pizza and beer. Generally, these pizzas are a fun rustic option. I love the sausage pizza that includes an egg, but it's hard to go wrong.

Dessert:

Cake Envy
I've written about my love for Cake Envy before. Recently, they've expanded their offerings to include cookies, macarons, breakfast sandwiches and more. I still just go for the cupcakes. And if you have a smartphone, you can earn points towards free cupcakes and coffee. Score!

Hot Cakes
This place deserves its own post (and it will get one soon). Molten cakes in mason jars, boozy milkshakes, yummy cookies, and more. All in a fun location. Be warned though, the line can get long.

Did I miss anything? What are some of your favorite spots?

Help bail me out of jail!

In 10 days I’m going to jail. And I need your help to bail me out.

Now, before you freak out, you should know I’m getting locked up to help raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Any and all bail money I raise will go towards support and services local families need to deal with their situation.

1 million Americans are affected by muscular diseases, which often progress rapidly. For example, those with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) are often only given a few years to live.

My goal: to raise $3,200. It seems like a lot, but it will cover annual costs for one child with a muscular disease.

Look, this isn’t really about me. And any money you can give will make a huge difference.

I have a personal fundraising page here, and could even win a pizza party for 20 if I raise enough. If you give, that would definitely include you!

So please, if you have an extra $5, $20, whatever, would you mind clicking over and giving a little.

Don’t just do it to get me out of jail. MDA helps kids get treatment, support, and sends them to a summer camp where they can just be a kid. Pretty awesome right?!

Give a little for Daniel, who has to sit out most sports because of leg weakness or Destiny who missed out on prom because she was in and out of the hospital so much.

Seriously, anything would be appreciated!

And if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email (lizard22w (at) gmail). I’d love to talk more about it.

If you do give some money, let me know and I'll show you some love here, on Twitter, or Facebook.

And if you don't have anything to spare, I'd love it if you help me out by sharing my campaign with your networks. It would mean so much.


(As a sidenote, asking for money does not come naturally to me at all. But this is such a great cause. In fact, I gave money myself. But I can pay $3,200 myself. So help me out.)


Disclaimer: I will be posting about this more over the next 10 days. On the plus side, that means I’ll be blogging more.

Summer's here (for a weekend)

This past weekend I went off the map a bit (unless you follow me on Instagram or Facebook). I don't think I even really tweeted.

And it was just what I needed.

Friday, I left work to head down to Portland. My oldest friend lives down there and we had scheduled a much needed catch up/hang out session.
The weekend was pretty much guaranteed to be awesome because:
- We always have a good time together
- The weather was set to be amazing (a.k.a. sunny and in the 80s).
- She and her fiancé lives on a houseboat on the river
- Tax-free shopping

When I arrived Friday night, we enjoyed wine on the porch/dock and a fire in their chimnea while catching up on life.

Saturday morning was full of shopping, including a swimsuit because mine were packed off to my parents' house months ago. Once we picked up the necessary and unnecessary provisions for the weekend, we changed into our suits, poured some beverages, and lounged.
That afternoon, the houseboat began to fill up with friends and family. It's hard to resist the floating lifestyle when it's 86. There were delicious barbecued hamburgers, lots of snacks, some libations, and general good times.

By about 9 p.m., when the sun had finally set, we were exhausted, but in the best way possible.
Sunday, we moved onto wedding stuff. She's getting married in August and so we set off to (mostly) finish invitations. And I was quickly reminded that I am not crafty, but we were able to finish them off without too much trouble, mostly thanks to the yummy breakfast her mom made us.

We made it back to the houseboat in time for me to pack up and head back to Seattle. I had a date with some other good friends (and their adorable babies) who I hadn't seen in months.

By the time my weekend ended, I was ready for a weekend. If you know what I mean.

While the Monday was a workday, it still managed to be pretty vacation like. After work, I picked Stevie up from the bus downtown, and we headed out to West Seattle to get an early start on happy hour with the girls.
Seattle set a record high for temperature. We enjoyed five hours on a patio in the shade with breeze off the water and a view -- with some of the coolest ladies in town on Twitter. Seven of us crowded around a corner table meeting in person for the first time or catching up.

Overall, it was a pretty wonderful weekend that felt like the start of summer (even if it is a total Seattle weather fake out.)

Did you do anything fun this weekend?