Truthful Tuesday

So... I went to Florida where it was warm, but not too warm. And I didn't run at all. I planned to. I really did! I packed sneakers and running clothes and was excited to run OUTSIDE! But then, it just didn't happen.
I arrived Thursday afternoon and it was stormy. Not like CT stormy, but Florida stormy, where the skies open up and lightning strikes like crazy. So obviously I wasn't going out in that. Friday I ran out of time. I left the house to go riding at 8:15, and didn't get home until dinner time. I maybe could have gone before riding, but I haven't ridden in so long, I thought my legs might hate me. And I WAS there to ride. Saturday I showed first thing and was done really early. But I loitered around the horse show for awhile. I got home early enough, but somehow never made it out to run. I can't even remember what I did instead. Probably sat around and enjoyed this view:

Sunday I showed mid day. I didn't want to run beforehand and risk being too sore and tired to ride well. And by the time I was done and got back up to the house, it was late again. Oops.
That left Monday. I was all about going out for a run in the morning. But then I got stuck doing work for my job and working on some potential exciting news which I'll share later if it happens. Next thing I knew... Time to go to the airport. Ahhhh, there's never enough hours in the day!
I'm planning to get those free loading horses in the barn back to work tonight. I do plan to at least get a few miles in on the treadmill though.... We'll see how it all goes!

Thursday's Threads: Travel Edition

I'm in FLORIDA! With too many suitcases, but whatever. I'm here!!!! I'm a firm believer that when traveling one must be comfortable, yet not schleppy. Unless you're traveling overnight, then by all means, wear a track suit. But make sure it's a nice one. So here's today's travel outfit (my apologies for not having a mirror):

Jeans, a nice looking T, and well I had shoes on... More on that later. We'll start with the sweatshirt that was shed prior to picture taking:
Sweatshirt: Forever 21

Nothing too fancy, but it has horses on it. That makes it the best sweatshirt ever. Duh. It's nice also because it's pretty light weight. No dying of heat stroke while walking through the Palm Beach Airport.

T-shirt: Max Studio

I'm pretty sure you've seen this one before. I wear it a lot. It's one of my faves. This top lays perfectly no matter what's happening underneath it (for instance the addition of a fat roll or two...). It's comfy and cotton and doesn't require ironing. Maybe one of the best shirts ever made.

Pants: Vigold Jeans

Look at those thighs! WHOA. Just to be clear, they're not large, they're sturdy. Anyway, back to the pants. These are my go-to comfy jeans. They're super stretchy. I have two other pairs in a lighter shade of blue too. They fit with or without the extra 15 lbs I'm carrying, without even showing my fat! I bet these were the pants from that movie Sisterhood of the Traveling pants.

Shoes: Sperry's

I loved these shoes when I found them on sale for super cheap. LOVED THEM! It's hard to see from the photo, but the tan part around the foot opening is a goldish colored canvas. ADORABLE! And really rough. Like REALLY rough. So much so that I couldn't take better photos because they made me bleed. Through my socks, onto the shoes. I knew they were rubbing some, but I did not realize they were mortally wounding me! RIP socks. At least I travel with cute bandaids:

Belt: Ralph Lauren

I know you've all see this one before. It gets plenty of use. I bet come summer it will be a staple!

Bag: Tory Burch

This Tory Burch tote was meant to be my new horse show bag, but it's also the perfect carryon size. It's big enough for my laptop and necessities, but not so big I have to CRAM it under the seat. Perfect! Plus it has ponies on it.

Arm Party:
Left:

I was in a hurry trying to get out of the house this morning and didn't realize until, well, now, that I should have reversed the bracelets. These should have gone on righty, and righty's little lone one should have gone with my trusty watch. Oh well. Next time! You've seen all these before... Photo bracelet, Hermes wrap bracelet (A REAL ONE!), and my trusty time piece.

Right:

See what I mean? Righty is kind of bare with only this lone Tory Burch bracelet. I just got this one on sale from their website. Literally, it came yesterday in the mail. Just in time for my trip! Yay!

So that's it from here in (partly) Sunny Florida! Ok, it's raining right now, but the sun was out when I got here. Whatever, it's still better than the cold rain at home! Did I mention it's 83 degrees? No? Oh, well it's 83 degrees! Home is 48. This is better. I think I'll stay.

What are you wearing today? Warm or cold where you are? Hope you're having a great week!

What's Up Wednesday

In all honesty, not too much was up this past week. But I'll fill you in anyway! Here's What's Up:

-It snowed again Friday. It made for a VERY slow commute home. AND canceled my Friday plans. Booo. Thankfully Friday night was rescheduled for Saturday night so all was not lost. I met up with some friends for a game night. We played a game called Quelf, which would probably be more fun with heavy drinking... And some apples to apples which is always fun. Though I prefer Cards Against Humanity. If you've never played CAH, I suggest you give it a go! Unless you're super proper. If that's the case, you'll hate it.

-It was still snowing Saturday morning. The weatherman said it would end by 4AM. He was incorrect. It snowed until about 11. 5 inches later it actually got quite nice out. I decided to run errands in the morning and tend to the barn chores in the afternoon so the horses could enjoy the sunshine later in the day.

*Disclaimer... I know I posted these adorable photos of my ponies already. But they're adorable and deserve extra postings.

Because when you think spring, of course icicles come to mind...

-I was supposed to run a 5 mile road race on Sunday. But it was 22 degrees with 15 mph sustained winds when it would have been time to go. And I had zero interest in that. ZERO. Had I been running outdoors regularly, I would have toughed it out. But I haven't been. So I didn't. Instead I spent the morning with the ponies trying not to freeze. It never did get above freezing Sunday.

-After feeding the horses their breakfast Sunday morning, I took a few minutes to lounge with the short kids. I think they enjoyed the lazy Sunday as much as I did!

-Who says having four legged kids is all that different from the two legged variety? This is meal prep for the tall kids while I'm away. If only I prepped my own meals!

-While it's BARELY been above freezing here in the afternoons, it has been sunny, so some melting is going on. Thank goodness! The horses have a small path down one side of the ring that's clear, and they've been happy to meander down to the other end! Also, I have not failed to notice that Mother Nature is melting snow everwhere EXCEPT where I need it gone. Well played Mama, well played.

-I accidentally took a week off running, but got back on the 'mill last night and ran 3 miles. I set the machine to SLOW and just enjoyed the time. I watched Pretty Little Liars while running, which totally made the time go quickly! Running super slow allowed me to skip the walk breaks too! I stopped briefly at the halfway point to drink some water, but that was it.

-Tomorrow I head to Florida for a long weekend! I can't wait to escape these ridiculous temps. (Seriously weather it's almost APRIL!)

So that's What's Up this Wednesday! What's up with you? Any big plans coming up? Tell me all about the spring weather in your neck of the woods!
I shall leave you with some Pug adorableness.

Truthful Tuesday

I've been trying to pack stealthily for my long-weekend trip to Florida this week... Stealthily so the dogs don't notice of course. And I have to confess to you my friends: I am an over-packer. I should not need to check a bag for a 4 day trip. That's ludicrous! (Though doing so would allow me to bring my boot cleaner with me... so there's that I guess.)
I mean, I need show clothes, so that takes up some room. And my helmet and boots. (Talk about space hogs!) And then normal person clothes. And jammies. And running clothes. And shoes....
The responsible thing would be to pack outfits that all require the same pair of shoes. But wear the same shoes for 4 days?! Really? Just one pair? Ok. I'll try.
Do you have trouble packing? Any suggestions? Please don't say wear the boots on the plane!

Heart to Horse Box

My March Heart to Horse Box arrived this weekend! I've been pretty impressed with this box so far. I decided to sign up for the monthly delivery rather than just order each month, and by doing so, I saved 10%! My boxes now are $31.49 per month versus 34.99 if I were to opt for a one time purchase.
Heart to horse box is unique in that it includes something for the horse AND something for the rider each month. (Although this month seemed to be more horse oriented.) My favorite part is that 25% of sales each month is donated to a local charity. This month's recipient is the Hooved Animal Humane Society. They are an equine rescue that takes in neglected or abused horses, nurses them back to health, and finds them loving forever homes. Such a great cause!
Here's what was included this month:

This month the "for the rider " aspect was a little weak... we got some coupons. I mean, coupons are great, but they're more like extras. My first month had the best "for the rider" items so far which included gloves and a coffee mug. Month two was a travel case and some socks. This month... coupons. Meh. But they did make up for it with the horse items for sure!

 This month Heart to Horse Box was focused on thinking spring, and what better way than with some grooming essentials! Spring is shedding season after all! Not to mention for many of us it will be our first time back in the show ring since early winter!

Farnam Slick and Easy:

 I haven't used one of these in AGES! I had forgotten all about them! It's basically like a magic eraser for horses. They work great! And you can revitalize them by rubbing on a rough surface like the driveway. Be warned though, it will stink like rotten eggs when you do that...

Grooma Gel Curry:

 Obviously I love this. It's green and heart shaped. What's not to love? I just have to decide which kid is the lucky recipient... or maybe I'll order two more so everybody wins.

Grooma Tail Comb:

 I have a brush/comb like this in my braiding kit already, and love it. I'm going to swap that old one out with this one. Love the pink!

WAHL Pocket Pro Clippers:

 These little clippers are great for touch ups! You know when you are on your way to the ring and realize you missed a whole section of nose whiskers when you were clipping your horse? Yep, that's when these are the best. They're also great for nervous horses because they are much quieter than normal big clippers. And best of all, they are battery operated. Two reasons this is great: a. portability, use them at the ring! And b. no terrifying cord for the horses to be afraid of. (Yes, I'm talking to you Ducky.)
Majesty's Omega Wafers:

You probably can't tell from the photo, but this is a HUGE full sized bag of omega supplements. They are in cookie form, but are indeed a supplement and not a treat. (Thus, don't feed them by the handful.) Omega vitamins are great for digestion as well as helping with a shiny healthy coat. My kids will love these for sure. And there's plenty to go around!
 The extra: Dog Cookies!

 I love that they include a little something for the smaller four leggeds in my life. Many horse people are also dog people, so it only makes sense. It's like when your friend has a second (or third or whatever) child and you make sure to bring a gift for the older one(s) too. I saw on the web site that some people complained about getting these, since it's not a dog box. Frankly, I think that's ridiculous. It's an extra, if you can't use them pass them along to someone who can. Who complains about free stuff?! I think Heart to Horse Box had the same idea as they give several suggestions about what to do with your dog treats if you're not a dog parent.

I really am impressed with this box. You are definitely getting your money's worth, and I love to try new things. The products have all been not only name brand, but also full sized! I hope next month comes with something great geared toward the rider though! Our turn!

If you'd like to try Heart to Horse box, click here. That is not a referral link. As far as I can tell there is not referral program, so I will not benefit in any way if you choose to try it out.

Springtime in New England

It's officially Springtime here in New England. According to the calendar. And my seasonal allergies. But it really doesn't feel anything at all like Spring. Normal temps this time of year should be in the 50's. We've been quite lucky if we see 40's. Friday into Saturday morning we had a snowstorm leaving about 5 inches in its wake. But thankfully, the sun came out and it warmed all the way up to 42 by the afternoon so some of it melted. Then it refroze because the high Sunday was 31. If anyone knows where actual Spring is, please send it to CT. I promise we will be very hospitable! In the meantime, here are some gorgeous spring photos from the farm:

Thursday's Threads

This is some kind of evil joke right? 24, feels like 18 degrees? Winter Weather Advisory for tomorrow? WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
On the bright side, I was finally able to wear one of the outfits I've been hoping to don for awhile now. I won't keep you in suspense, here it is:

I thought about wearing different pants... I have some purple coated denim pants that would look pretty cute with the sweater. But when put together with the accessories, it was a bit over the top. Even for me. So I went with black. Let's look closer!

Sweater: Lucy Paris

I actually went hunting for the sweater after I bought the belt you'll see below. I couldn't believe it was actually in existence, AND I was able to find it on sale. All wins in my book! I wound up getting this sweater from a little boutique in Brooklyn who happens to sell online as well. Lucky for me, since it's a one day shipping point! I'm completely obsessed with this oil slick look. I think it became trendy last year, but I just caught on.

Pants: Earl Jeans

I was sure you'd all seen these before, so I didn't take a picture, but then I couldn't find where I'd posted them... So I took this quick. They're just black skinny jeans with rhinestone embellished pockets.

Shoes: Steve Madden

Obviously once I found the sweater, I needed oil slick shoes too... You'd be surprised how hard it is to find such a thing. So when I stumbled across these beauties from Steve Madden, I HAD to have them. Problem was, they were super pricey, and mostly sold out in my size. Thankfully, ebay came through for me. I found them for $28.00 shipped. Miracles DO happen!

Belt: No brand

Ah... the belt that started it all! I found this belt at Marshall's when I was in FL in December. I then found a matching clutch at the Tory Burch outlet, but I didn't use it today. Why you ask? Because I was super late and didn't have time to find it. Story of my life! This is why you should plan ahead. Anyway, the belt is super fun, and has this oil slick/mermaid effect happening. From some angles it looks purple and others it's green. I love it so much! The Tory Burch clutch does the same thing, but it's saffiano leather rather than this snakeskin print. Sorry I can't show you today.

Jewels:
Necklace: Stacie Original

Sometimes I like to go on ebay, pick a search word, and find things that are under $5.00. It's a fun game. That's how I found these horse head pendants. In OIL SLICK finish! Lucky me! They came in a pack of three for $2.19. Shipped. Bargain! I had the two beads and the ball chain around and voila! New necklace to match my outfit.

Arm Candy:
Left:

More Stacie Originals here! The first is a faux leather bracelet with oils slick ceramic beads. The second is a leather bracelet with holographic beads. Not to brag.... But I love them! And you'll recognize my watch of course.

Right:

I put together the chain bracelet from a necklace I got from Deb. I like how it came out, very simple, but fun with that oil slick finish again. The middle bracelet I put together from a bunch of random beads I found laying around. The last one I actually did buy from my favorite online bead shop.

Mittens:

As luck would have it, while I was sorting through clearance one day at Marshalls, I found these convertible mittens that match my sweater. Can you believe it? I had no idea such a thing existed, and there they were for me to find! For $3.00! Yeah, obviously I didn't think twice about them. Sad I have to wear them on March 19th though...

That's what I'm wearing today! What are you wearing? Is it still sweater weather where you are? Opinions on the Oil Slick trend?