Fortunate Fridays { Pre-memorial day weekend edition}

Hello ladies and gents!

Hope everyone had a great week. We have a long weekend ahead of us! Any exciting plans? Mine include but are not limited to-- catching up on reading, Zumba with my best friend, dinner with another one of my very close friends and hanging out with family.

How about you? If you have any super exciting traveling plans let me know. I'll be living vicariously through you. ha!

Here is the recap of some of my fortunate moments for this past week:

1. Being able to run a 5K with my dad. If you missed that post, check it out here.

2. Spontaneous quality time with my sister on a random weekday- this was awesome. We shared a delicious treat while catching up on life. (post coming up later on today)

3. Two of my favorite magazines came in the mail (plus, my daily Wall Street Journal, always grateful for that).

4. Journaling- I had forgotten how cathartic writing can be and how healing it is to just write away about our fears, emotions, the good, the bad, and everything in between. I took some time this week to get back to some old school writing (journal and pen) and felt a gazillion times better after that "session". Thinking about incorporating more consistent journaling time in to my life going forward.

5. Change your thinking change your life- I've been a fan of Brian Tracy's books for the past 8-9 years, every since I graduated from undergrad. His motivational messages are a true gift. I recently came across one of his books which I haven't read yet and immediately picked it up. I just started reading it but so far I'm really enjoying it. In a nutshell, the book emphasizes the realization that no matter what happens, we always have the choice of training our minds to have a positive outlook on things (also, understanding the power of the mind in completely changing our lives).

Amazon affiliate link

...And that's all folks. It was a good week. Although things are not necessarily "perfect" I cannot complain. I have a lot of things to look forward to and looking forward to a fun filled weekend, even if its simply in the company of family, friends, the gym, and books.

Tell me, what is your favorite Brian Tracy book or motivational book in general? (would love to add it to my reading list.)

Love,
Mabelle

Mid Week Motivation 10: Is never too late (Running the NYPD Memorial 5K)

Hello loves,

My dad and godmother ran their very first 5K this past Sunday. 

I felt so incredibly proud of them. Specially, of my dad. After a health scare this past January, which thankfully he was able to successfully overcome, my dad decided to completely change his lifestyle making great improvements with his diet and exercise. His progress during the past few months has been incredible.

First of all, he didn't got crazy joining gyms or buying powders off the internet. He simply started off by borrowing a treadmill from a family member that had it stocked away unused for about 10 years (yes, is possible to buy a very expensive piece of equipment and never use it). That treadmill has been such a motivational tool for my dad who has been waking up every morning for the past 3-4 months to complete several miles of walking/jogging. He also spoke to my mom about making healthier meals each day. Her help and support has been pivotal and extremely helpful during this whole process.

My sister is a New York City Police officer and they were having their yearly memorial run this past Sunday. We were both already signed up for the race. She then had the great idea of asking my dad whether he wanted to do it and he agreed. He was so excited the morning of the race that he actually woke up super early to walk on the treadmill to "warm up" for the race (talk about motivation). 

A little bit about the NYPD Memorial run- The run is done each year in memory of an NYPD hero that has died while working. When signing up, you have the option of choosing an officer that you know that has passed away or you can allow the system to randomly select someone for you. I decided to do the latter, and this is whom I ran for:

I tried to look him up in Google but he passed away such a long time ago that I was unable to find any info :(. If anyone finds some data on this, pass it on my way. Would love to know his background and what happened. Either way, it was a true honor to run in his memory. May he rest in peace. Looking forward to doing this race again next year.

We all ran as a family and it was nothing less than awesome. This is a great shot I was able to get of my godmother:

I was waiting for my dad at the finish line and actually found out that he beat me! Yes, ladies and gentleman. He finished the entire 5K three whole minutes ahead of me. His time was ~34 minutes while mine was ~37. I haven't been running outside in over 6 months so I have a lot of catching up to do. I was just simply so proud of him. 

I completed my first 5K ever in 2010 and it literally took me forever (I finished at 49 minutes). My dad runs his first race and finishes in 34. The irony!

Moral of the story: My dad is 55 years old. My aunt is 53. Neither had run a race in their entire life but they have made a decision to turn around their life for the better and live healthier lives. As a health and fitness advocate for a very long time, nothing makes me more excited.

My mom came for moral support- shes been there for my dad every step of the way. She claims will run the next one with us. Looking forward to that!

So, never put excuses in front of the things you want to accomplish. Anything is possible.

Love,
Mabelle

Fortunate Fridays {friends, wine, gym and natural beauty, edition}

Good Morning! 

{or afternoon/evening, depending on where you are ;)}

Random though of the day: How awesome would it be wake up in Paris :). One day for sure we will meet again. source

Yet another Friday has arrived. I hope you all had a phenomenal week. As it is the norm each Friday on the blog, I am here to share the top five things that happened this past week which I feel fortunate for.

1. Friday night girl talk {and back to back gym date} with one of my best friends last weekend: 
I've been hanging out with my friend Christina more often the past few months (we went to high school together and pretty much have known each other for over 15 years). Last Friday after work she came over to my apartment and we hung out drinking wine, having some grapes and dark chocolate,  while watching shows off my Roku. We caught up on the week and life events. Always nice to have good friends visiting me.

She ended up sleeping over and the next morning we hit the gym for some cardio (we wanted to make it to a Zumba class but got there too late). On Sunday morning we texted each other and agreed to go work out again. It was pretty awesome. I've been going to the gym by myself for so long that I forgot how truly great it can be to have a gym buddy to keep us accountable and even more motivated than going solo.

2. A spare of the moment 3 mile walk on Monday night (minus getting sick the next day):
I like being open and honest on the blog so I wont lie that on Monday night I was feeling pretty down on myself. As I've mentioned in past posts, I've been going through a phase involving some roller-coaster of emotions. I am well aware that this too shall pass. However, Monday was one of those not so great down evenings (I was okay during the day).

After a good cry I somehow had the motivation to take myself for a nice walk. I made sure a few of my favorite podcast were on my phone and off I went. I have to tell you my mood changed drastically after that walk! I felt so much better and so much more optimistic. I was so incredibly proud of myself that instead of eating everything in sight inside my apartment and going deeper in to the deeps of sadness; I turned it around and did something positive for myself. So incredibly grateful for this. (oh yeah, I ended up catching a bit of a cold, or allergies?, the next day. thankfully I have a kick ass immune system and Im almost back to normal. Definitely learned my lesson.)

3. Getting 90% of my packing completed a week before my trip:
I have news regarding next week which I plan to share with you guys on Sunday. However, something I feel so relieved about is taking the initiative to sort my stuff, find my luggage, purchase things I needed, and run a few related errands way before my trip. Leaving things for the last minute always makes me so anxious and upset. I am so incredibly glad I took it upon myself to do things differently this time around!

4. Finally getting my eyebrows done!
Nothing much to say about this other than the fact that it was wayyyyy over-due! I barely ever wear makeup. I love the natural look. However, I was feeling really unattractive lately with my [overly-overdue for a threading-eyebrows] so glad I finally took care of that. I feel and look so much better! Thank god for low-maintenance beauty :)

5. Being able to keep up my healthy living habits and reaching new 'personally-set' milestones
Sometimes when I am not feeling so great about certain thing(s) in my life I use food to numb my emotions and right after that working out also takes a backseat. However, I am not sure why but for some reason my habits are changing drastically (for the better).

Instead of wanting to eat my life away as a recovering emotional eater, I find joy and solace in physical activity and healthy eating. To be fair, I think it also has to do with the fact that for the past several months I have been able to keep up a healthier lifestyle and I have been able to keep those habits going in good and not so good times. I've come a long way.

...I'll leave you with an awesome quote I came across while reading my digital edition of Oprah Magazine as I worked out at the gym this week:

I take my Ipad to the gym and its such a great motivator! I usually do mostly cardio at the gym-- a combination of speed walking and running on the treadmill plus the elliptical. I like to read stuff off my ipad during my speed walks. Makes me want to keep going and going. I like to do my strength training work at home. 

..And that's all folks. Thank you for reading. 

Any plans for this Friday evening or the weekend?

Love,

Mabelle

Fortunate Fridays! {proud of my friends} Edition

Hey All!

 

Hope everyone had an amazing week! My week had a lot going on but I am glad is finally Friday! I just had a chance to sit down and write this post. I should really consider being a "real" blogger and writing these things up in advance. However, until that happens, here is what I feel fortunate for this week:

 

1. My amazing friends, whom I am so proud of!!!

 

I believe I mentioned on my previous post that I spent last weekend at my friend's lake house up in Syracuse, NY. She bought the house a couple of year ago and I missed her house warming party due to a family thing I had going on during that time. I FINALLY had a chance to go up to see her this past weekend. When I walked in to her gorgeous home (with a gorgeous lake to match) all I could think about how immensely proud I am of her and all she has accomplished over the years. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my friends succeed and see the fruits of their hard work. Congratulations Lejla! and I wish you much more amazing things!

 

I took a gazillion pictures but here are a few:

 



Us on the boat (one piece borrowed from my friend because of course a forgot a bathing suit).

View toward the lake

View of the house from the lake

Osvaldo and I (thanks for driving :)

Lamija and I :)

The girls

 

2. My dad!!! It was my dad's birthday yesterday and I know I've probably said this several times on the blog but I love my dad to the moon and back. He's been such an amazing role model in my life and all good things I have I owe not only to my hard work but to his never-ending support in my life. I am so blessed to have him around and was a little sad I wasn't with him for his birthday. But I hope to make it up to him soon. Love you dad <3

 

 

3. My new found "hobbie"--Running!-- So I am living in a dorm room within GWU for the summer (long story on that one). I am not necessarily ecstatic to have a roommate or to spend every waking moment in a room without a television so, I have this new "thing" where I just go out and run. I like it and I feel my stamina getting better and better. Yayy!

 

4. An amazing lunch (and trying chicken pad thai for the first time)-- One of the executives from my job took the time to take me and another analyst to work and shared so much knowledge with us! I was just listening to him absorbing as much as possible. Its quite the amazing feeling when you have a chance to talk with smart people and take the time to listen, engage and just learn so much from them. Cheers to educational lunches:

 

 

 

 

..and ps: pad thai is delicious...yes. I've been living under a rock this whole time.

 

I'll keep it short today considering is late and I am tired. But, never forget that no matter the challenges we may face in life, there is always something to feel fortunate for.

 

I leave you with some random selfie I took yesterday before work:

 

...and with my favorite "meme" of the week:

Tell Me, How did you spend 4th of July weekend? anything exciting coming up this weekend?

Fortunate Friday! {First week in DC edition}

Hey everyone!

 

Hope you all had a great week. Today is the culmination of the second week at my internship and I couldn’t be happier with all that I am learning so far. I have to be honest--- the environment is a little bit intimidating at times. You may or may not know that the finance/investments world is ruled mainly by man. What does this mean for me at the present time? I am the only female intern in the investing department and probably the 2^nd female employee in the entire department as well (the other girl is a permanent analyst). Isn’t that crazy?! So pretty much in a room of about 50 people, there are only 2 females.

 

Another factor that has made me feel a bit out of place at times but that actually motivates me to work harder is that I am constantly communicating with individuals who know a lot more than me about investing (especially when it comes to valuations aka numbers and spreadsheets!). So, while that may not be my strength currently I am definitely in the process of crossing that hurdle and becoming an even better investor. Definitely looking forward for what’s to come.

Anyways, sorry about all the work talk. Let’s get in to my Fortunate Fives for the week:

1.    I was able to switch my housing (dorm room) in Washington from a quad to a double--- O.M.G so, I walked in to my originally designated room on Sunday afternoon and almost fell in to a black hole of depression considering: how super small the actual room was, the lack of privacy, and the idea of having to deal with 3 other different personalities for 6 weeks this summer.

      Instead of crying my life away I walked around a bit, pulled myself together, and then made  a call to the housing department for a room change. Thankfully a double opened up and I was able to switch rooms immediately! I may not have my own space any longer but dealing with one person is a million times better than dealing with 3. So, halleluiah for that! The person I am rooming with seems pretty okay, also an intern, goes to bed at a reasonable time, and doesn’t snore. I am super happy about those factors alone.

2.    Being walking distance from the White House and pretty much right in the center of DC for the summer--- that makes up a bit (or a lot) for the fact that I have to share a room with a complete stranger. I also have a whole foods and a trader joes at walking distance. Made a quick run to TJs the other day just to explore the route and look forward to running more as my stay here progresses. Here is a photo from my first visit to the white house this past Tuesday:

Picture of my 1 mile run :)

 

3.    My enthusiasm to explore—Since I’ve been here I’ve walked around a whole lot and am becoming pretty familiar with the area where I work as well as where I live. I love just walking around, taking photos, exploring the town and the people. I actually have been lucky to find individuals whom simply ask me if I need help with directions, etc. Is it just me or people in DC are a whole lot nicer than in NYC?!

4.    I have a visitor coming to visit me this weekend—he gets here today. I am super excited.

 

5.    Feeling more comfortable in my environment, making friends, having family near.

 

That’s all folks. I am looking forward to a great weekend filled with activities (affordable/free ones to be exact) and just enjoying everything.

 

Tell me, do you enjoy being in a new environments or are you one of those people that avoids change at all cost? Would love to hear your stories!

For me, new environments always make me a little scared/anxious but it usually takes me a day (or 3) to adapt and then I am good (for the most part ;)…

 

Favorite Meme of the Week:

FORTUNATE FRIDAYS {I finished a book! Edition}

Hello Friends!

 

Welcome to another edition of Fortunate Fridays! This was another week of "freedom" for me so I indulged in an assortment of various activities. There is something wonderful about walking around with zero responsibilities, although I also remind myself this is only temporary. So, I am enjoying it while it lasts.



 

I have a busy day ahead so I will make this quick. I feel fortunate for:

 

1. The surprise birthday cake my family got me for graduation at a family gathering (this cake was pretty delicious with a Guava filling, my fave!)

 

 

2. Supportive Parents! I went to visit the 'rents last weekend and they surprised me with another congratulations card but this one included a check to help me out in this new phase of my life. Regardless of the amount, I felt as if they were helping me fund my dreams. Made me think about how they are my rock and have been there for me through every single phase of my life and beyond. I cant wait to make them even more proud.

 

3. Having eyes that allowed me to enjoy the NYC skyline from New Jersey on Saturday night.

 

 

 

4. Hanging out with one of my best friends on Monday catching up and simply strolling around the city.

 

5. FINALLY having time to get my booty to the DMV and apply to renew my license. I haven't been able to use my car in quite some time so this was a relieve! Weird selfie at the 'kinda ghetto bathroom at my local office:

 

 

 

6. Hanging out with another very good friend. We went to a spot called Caliente Cab in downtown NYC. My first time there and I absolutely loved it! The food was delicious and Mexican (I am obsessed with Mexican food). Plus, the server gave me a free drink thanks to my friend shouting to him that I "recently graduated". 'Gotta love friends that are loud and cheerful all the time! Here are some photos:

 



7. Finishing a book that I actually read for pleasure (as oppose to reading it for a class). Actually, this is the very first book I finish post graduation.

....As you can see I am not a huge fan of "fictional books" (although those are wonderful too). I usually reach for: self help, motivational books, personal finance or health & fitness. This book was great. If you want to see a review, head over to my other blog.

6. Finally finding frames for a couple of pictures I bough in Paris almost 3 years ago! I've had the pictures put away for a while and this week I finally found some nice frames on sale. Cant wait to put up these babies. So excited:

7. Finally getting a head start on a project I have in the works-- I will share more on this in the near future.

8. Fitness! I have been able to work out nearly every single day this week-- mostly running. I ran a little bit over 4 miles the other day which felt amazing considering I am getting my stamina back after slacking during the beginning of the year! I may be doing a race next week so, prepping for that:

...As you can see, my PR is a little on the slow side but I am not ashamed to show it as I am in the process of improving. As I always say--- I am my own competition! My current goal is to get to 10.30 mph and work my way down from there!

That's all folks! Any plans for the weekend? Please share :)

Lets Catch up Part 1: Divas Half Marathon *and* Rock N' Roll 10K

Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I passed by here! We have a lot of catching up to do! Okay maybe not a lot but enough that I can’t see myself writing just one post so I may split this up between 2 or 3 posts max.

Where should I even begin? Well, I can start by saying that, as promised and previously announced, I ran the Divas Half Marathon which took place in long Island on Sunday October 6^th and the week right after that, on October the 12^th I ran the Rock N Roll 10K race which took place in Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park. So, basically a whole lot of running has been going on. I have to say both races were a lot of fun and it was great that I was able to share the experience with my sister and friends. The most important part of running both races was that I (once again) was able to appreciate my body which is capable of so much. The races were a couple of friendly reminders to love my body and not take it for granted. We should all remind ourselves of that even when we aren’t running/putting our bodies through strenuous activities but sometimes we all need a wake up call!

After completing both races I felt extremely thankful that the half marathon took place the week before the 10K. I am not sure I would have been able to endure it had it been the other way around. Here is a quick recap on both races.

Divas Half Marathon:

So, let me just start by saying that aunt flo’ decided to show up in the middle of the night just hours before the race. Lately this ‘monthly visitor’ has had a tendency of showing up at the most inappropriate times (i.e.: went to Costa Rica back in April and she showed up the first day of vacation). But anyways, somehow I managed to dress ‘appropriately’ and drank two Advil’s prior to the race to stop any cramps from gearing their ugly heads. I am happy to say that my strategy worked and I was able to run smoothly, with no discomfort, at least at that level.

The weather on the other hand was not exactly perfect. It was cloudy and at times some drizzle was coming down. The sun did not come out once during the entire 13.1 miles but at least it didn’t actually pour rain (although running a half marathon in pouring rain actually sounds fun).

My legs and knees were amazing until approximately mile 10-ish when apparently my extremities finally caught on and that’s when I really started to feel super exhausted. My poor right leg/knee was particularly not happy at all. However, I kept going considering that when you’re consistently running so many miles; it sometimes hurts more to stop. However, when exhaustion hit, I mentally prepared myself to stop and take a real walking break at around mile 11.5, which I did. I lost my running partner as she continued running but everyone is different and I had to do what felt best for my body. I picked up the pace again at around mile 12-ish and ran the rest of the way—taking it slow. I surprisingly picked up some type of strange (yet, extremely welcomed) speed at around mile 12.5 or so and finished strong!

Photos:

My little cousin rockin' my crown post race...lol..isnt she gorgeous (Love her!!):

At the finish line I received the most awesome medal Ive gotten to date!.

My time was a little bit longer than my first half marathon (by about 10 minutes) but I honestly did not care! Two half marathons in one year has been quite the accomplishment for me and I am very proud of myself and my body. I may not be running half marathons at stellar times but I know what my body is capable of doing and an average of 10-10.30 (sometimes 11!) minutes a mile has gotten the work done and it works for me!! What works for you?

Rock N’ Roll 10K Brooklyn

Another super fun race! Thankfully aunt flo’ was long gone by the time this race came around so I had one less thing to worry about! The day was much nicer than the weekend before and although when my sister and I woke up for the race (~5:30 am) it was kind of dark outside; by the time we were all gathered at the starting lines the sun was beginning to peek through!

The weather was pleasant, I was comfortably dressed, and I ran the entire 6.2 miles quite smoothly. After running double that amount the week before; this particular race almost felt like a breeze! (Which is when I realized how grateful I was the long race had already been done and over with!).

I had never ran in Brooklyn’s prospect park before (or anywhere in Brooklyn) so I am happy to say it was truly an amazing experience.  

At the end of the race I got my super cool medal and tons of freebies (including several bottles of nesquick chocolate milk—ooolala so delicious). Another amazing race for the books!

Photos:

Favorite Photo:

Post race we found this little dinner in some random street by the park and had the most delicious brunch!!

And that's PART UNO of my catching up series :)

Hope everyone is doing great! 

Tell me, Have you ran any races lately? What’s a “comfortable running pace” for you, especially when it comes to long races?