obsess much? | mostefinitely

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021

I’m breaking up with my Apple Watch rings

I’ve had it. I’m breaking the cycle.

I have decided that I will not live and die by my Apple Watch any longer.

On October 9th, 2020, I unwittingly started a Move streak that would carry on for 187 days. Once the streak started, it was hard to let go of it. So much so that I’d spend some (okay, several) evenings walking around my family room while we watched a show, go for extra walks with our dogs, anything to keep my streak alive before the clock struck midnight. But on April 13th, 2021, I went to bed thinking that I had *just* met my goal. The ring looked closed to me. Reader, I actually missed it by a few steps.

At first I was mad and disappointed in myself. I thought I might make it to a full year if I kept the streak going. It even took me a couple of days to notice that it had ended in such a frustrating and unintentional way.

But now, I feel free. And I’m going to try like hell not to let it suck me in again.

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021

All about our complete bathroom remodel

Like many people, we’ve been spending a majority of our time right at home this past year. And, like many, we’ve been dreaming up changes to different parts of the house. In 2020, the house was quite a money pit, but not in a fun way. We had to replace our roof and rebuild our chimney in the spring following months of water issues; we had new drainage systems installed and our downspouts fixed to keep water from flowing into our basement during a heavy rain.

But in August 2020, we also got the ball rolling on a project we have wanted to do for several years: our main upstairs bathroom. While it wasn’t completely outdated looking, it had several elements we just didn’t like: a jacuzzi style tub where the jets got yucky from the standing water; white tile everything, from floors to shower to the countertops; a half-carpeted/half-tiled entryway; and not much in the way of soothing character or charm.

Our next door neighbors were remodeling their bathroom when the lockdown hit. After a delay, their project was completed in the summertime. I asked if they were happy with the company they chose, and they invited us to mask up and take a peek one evening. It looked wonderful!

In pre-COVID times, it would certainly make sense to call around and get quotes from other companies before moving forward with a project of this size. However, we are not in normal circumstances right now. Seeing the excellent work of a company and having a strong recommendation from a trusted neighbor gave us enough to move forward with the early parts of the process.

December 21, 2019December 21, 2019

Experiencing the joy of Goat Yoga

What a way to spend the Winter Solstice. My friends Linda, Ellen, and I just experienced a most magical afternoon of Goat Yoga at Hilltop Views Farm in Williamston, Michigan. Owners Shawn and Nick Cannarile have owned their 100-year-old farm for the last several years, and have held Goat Yoga classes there since 2016.

The entrance to the Hilltop Views Farm barn

The interior of the Hilltop Views Farm barn

This afternoon was the last event of 2019, a special holiday class with wine and goat bonding time in the beautiful barn at Hilltop, complete with a Christmas tree that proved to be very tempting for the hungry goats.

Goats are such delightful and sweet little animals, so getting a chance to hang out with them up close while also taking a yoga class felt like the perfect antidote to pre-holiday stress. Although, it’s fair to say that there was more squeeing about the goats than Shavasana.

September 23, 2019

Love pumpkin? You must try these fall treats

Today marks the official first day of fall, and while it always feels like summer flies by too quickly, there are also so many special things about fall in Michigan. I’m already dreaming about visits to Barkham Creek Farm for apple cider and donuts, Halloween costume prep, and dressing for crisper days.

It’s also the magical time of year when all things pumpkin appear on the shelves: everything from dish soaps to candles, flavored coffees to cereals. Pumpkin lovers rejoice, pumpkin haters groan. I’m a pumpkin lover, so I’m in major celebration mode this month.

I’ve been starting to bring out the annual standbys, like my Pumpkin Patch Kalamazoo Candle Company candles, but this season it feels like the universe is bestowing new pumpkin gifts onto us in great abundance.

Can you say, pumpkin pie hummus? Are you thrilled or disgusted by this notion? How about a spin on Starbucks’ cold brew, or a delicious, 120-calorie ice cream pop?

If you’re a pumpkin fanatic, please proceed.

September 12, 2019September 12, 2019

Sneak peek: Check out the new Foster Coffee Co. in East Lansing

In spring 2018, I went with my friends Linda and Ellen to visit the cute little town of Owosso. One of our must-stops was Foster Coffee Co, which was founded in Owosso in 2014. Foster celebrates community through local partnerships and, of course, coffee. I loved their cozy vibe, and the coffee was also so yummy.

Over a year later, I am so excited that Foster Coffee Co. is opening an East Lansing location in the new Center City project along Grand River. This Wednesday night, I was given the opportunity to get a sneak peek of the location, which is set to make its debut with a grand opening weekend on 9/20-9/22. I was also sent a fun little package ahead of the sneak preview with a Foster Coffee Co. shirt, mug, sticker, and gift card.

June 14, 2019June 14, 2019

Baby Foot: The good, the bad, and the peely

It has been two weeks since I tried out Baby Foot, the cult favorite exfoliation foot peel that can make people feel either disgusted or delighted by their shedding feet, depending on their personalities. I’m a peeler/picker/Dr. Pimple Popper watcher, so this process didn’t scare me away at all.

I’ve been wanting to try this out for awhile, especially as the weather is (sort of?) getting nicer out finally and my dry feet are on display in my Birks. But the process does involve a lot of different components, so I wanted to make sure I was ready to commit.

Here’s the good, the bad, and the peely with Baby Foot. Fair warning: photos of peeling feet are on the way!

March 25, 2019

Raising eyebrows with Riley Van Ness

One of my most prominent and expressive features is my eyebrows. I attribute them and my general hairiness to my Mediterranean heritage. Despite my best efforts in high school to rid myself of them (why were sperm eyebrows a thing we did?), they have thankfully survived and thrived over the years.

My eyebrows have been through the ringer, even beyond the over-plucking days of my teens. They’ve been tweezed, waxed, threaded, tinted, you name it. In the last year, I’ve started to embrace their near-unibrow tendencies and let them grow out in the middle. Honestly, it has changed my face. Looking at old photos helps me realize how wonky they looked when I fought how they wanted to grow.

Having my eyebrows done is one of those self-care maintenance items that I now try to make a priority. And Riley Van Ness at Kenneth Brandt Salon and Spa in Mason is the woman who helps rescue them each month.

March 5, 2019March 5, 2019

Review: Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer

Some things are just worth the hype. When so many people love and talk about them, you know there’s gotta be a reason. Around the holidays, so many women in a local mommy Facebook group were raving, RAVING, about this Revlon hair brush/dryer. Could not stop posting about it.

And the truth is, there is power in the mommyhood. Any product recommendation or piece of advice that proves to make life easier spreads like wildfire. There’s nothing like it.

Then, mere months later, two of my good friends Ellen and Linda were also raving about it. And these girls know their stuff.

Despite the amazing reviews, I hesitated buying yet another hair appliance when there’s a basket under my bathroom sink that has a hair straightening brush, a ceramic straightener, a blow dryer, a curling wand, and hot rollers. As it is, I only use those items every now and then.

It also costs $60, which isn’t as expensive as some of the higher quality straighteners but is more than the typical impulse buy. But when it saw it at Target this week on sale for $53.99, I decided to give it a try.

And now… I get the hype.

February 21, 2019February 21, 2019

These are a few of my favorite barre things

It’s truly no secret to anyone who knows me or follows my Instagram that I’m a bit of a barre-obsessed individual lately. Going to The Barre Code in East Lansing is something that has changed my life for the better. I am within five classes of hitting 100 total, which has been a major goal of mine ever since I started back in September.

As one might imagine, going to classes four to five times a week has helped to make a major change in my mental and physical health. I have also made friends with women who are just as crazy as I am when it comes to dutifully and enthusiastically waking up for 6am classes. But going to classes that often has meant something else: a lot of laundry.

I go through my barre clothes so quickly throughout the week that I find myself running a load of laundry at least once a week, if not twice. More often than not, I have pairs of barre socks air drying on top of the washing machine. And, as it usually happens, there are those favorite workout clothes that you wish you could just buy in bulk and wear every single time. Nothing ruins my experience exercising more than being uncomfortable, or tugging up my pants, or pulling down at my shirt.

But lately, I’ve settled into a groove now that I have discovered my desert-island must-have favorite barre clothes. Thankfully, the things I’m loving lately are as reasonably priced as they are fun to wear.

December 17, 2018December 17, 2018

Rent the Runway: A success story

This past weekend, I had my first experience with Rent the Runway. And let me say, I am a changed woman.

I own more than my fair share of dresses, but as I began to consider what I might want to wear to my friend Jen’s mid-December wedding, I realized that much of what I own is for warmer seasons. Rent the Runway to the rescue!

Rent the Runway allows you to borrow designer clothing and accessories for any type of occasion for a fraction of the cost of buying the clothing in a store. Think a $95 rental fee on a Monique Lhuillier dress that retails for close to $700. The outfits are shipped to your home, you wear the one that works best, and send everything back through UPS when you’re done.

Over a Black Friday weekend full of online promotions, Rent the Runway was offering some great deals, including a percentage off a rental and a free back-up outfit. I decided to give it a try and browsed through the dresses that would be available in my size for the wedding weekend.