GFE Updates: A crazy road trip, a surprise package, readers doing rad stuff and my cat is healing!

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Stretching out the kinks at a truck stop in Iowa after two days in the car. This week I’m on the road with my four kids and two nieces.

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Hotel room shenanigans We are tripping to see my baby sis graduate from high school! image

She is the CUTEST. So I’ll be MIA this week, frolicking with my kids, laughing with my parents who are finally empty nesters after 35 years (!!) and trying to give my sister allll the college advice (which thus far has amounted to “never say no to riding a mattress down a mountain in the middle of the night” and “don’t postpone starting final projects.” It’s ok, she still loves me.). In the meantime I have some fun stuff to share:

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Fitsugar sent me* a complimentary “must have ” box for June, to try out their box o’ the month club. It came with all these fun goodies:

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Being permanently parched in the desert, I went for the lotion first… image

And then remembered one of the perils of living at 6000 feet. Oops! Clean up went very smoothly though;) image

I really dug the Lollies hair ties . I always have at least one hair tie on my wrist at all times and these make it look like jewelry – like I actually tried when I got dressed! I found the “turkish towel” confusing though. It’s big enough to be an actual towel but the material is super thin and not really absorbent:

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So then I tried it as a cute scarf but while the fabric was nice, it was way too big: image

I also tried tying my hair up in it (too wide) , using it like sarong (too boxy) and running around the house with it tied to my shoulders like a cape (too perfect). Seriously, what are you supposed to do with a Turkish towel???

*I got the box for free but the opinions, lotion explosions and bad selfies are all mine! If you’re interested in trying the popsugar box, GFE readers get $10 off with the code JUNESELECT10

In addition, two GFE readers are doing some really cool stuff I had to let you know about :

– Jen Picicci wrote me to tell me if her new intuitive eating coaching business. She’s super qualified with certs in coaching, intuitive eating counseling certification, and as a NASM certified personal trainer, plus a Master’s in Health Education. She’s looking for 10-20 people’s opinions on some challenges they face when it comes to overeating, dieting, body obsession, etc And for those who are willing to respond, she will send them an email with some questions and once they answered she will give you a free 30 minute coaching session. If you’d like to be a part of her project, her site is http://jenpicicci.com and her email is Jen@jenpicicci.com

– My good friend and personal trainer (the first person ever to get me on a weight floor!!) Nasca Richey has started her own fitnes site leanguns.com

I love seeing all the cool stuff you guys do!!!

Lastly, I wanted to give you a quick update on my cat Luna! (Remember she got stuck in a car engine and got terribly burned?) She is doing soooo much better now! All her casts are off, her sores are healing beautifully , she’s eating like a champ again (and still loving her Sheba!), and – best of all – she’s back to peeing in her litterbox and not on my bed!! I really appreciated all of you who prayed for her, wished her well, emailed me about her or otherwise helped. You guys helped me through a really scary, sad situation and I’m so grateful! (Don’t worry, I didn’t leave her home alone. My husband is there with her as he didn’t have enough time off for the road trip.)

I hope you all have a wonderful week too!!

18 Comments

  1. Those are cute hair ties! What is the brand?

  2. #1- SO VERY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT LUNA IS HEALING SO WELL!

    YAY!!!!

    #2 – That is a way cool “roll” for that yoga pose in the first pic.

    #3 – That brand of lotion is…enthusiastic.

    #4 – Looked at the picture before I read the caption, thought the hair ties WERE jewelry.

    #4 1/2 – THAT picture with the hair ties looks professional. Magazine quality. Beautiful.

    #5 – Turkish towel is for a Turkish bath or hamman. Not a steam bath. Or Roman bath. Or sauna. Focus is on water. And heat. The air is hot. But not ambient steam. Dry air.

    My understanding is that they are to cover your nakedness, thin because of hot air, as one moves from room to room. You start in a warm room full of flowing hot dry air, perspiring as you will, then you move to an even hotter room, and then you would wash in cold water (a full body wash) followed by a massage, then the cooling room and take a plunge in a cool pool.

    Its all said to be focused on cleansing and relaxation.

    THAT is what you do with a Turkish Towel.

    You’re welcome.

    All of this courtesy of an ex-fiance of mine who-broke-my-heart-but-we-are-still-friends who recently spent some time in Istanbul and was there during the riots but was airborne in a plane during the earthquake on her way to lounge in Greece…where she still is.

    #5 – You have a FULL-LENGTH MIRROR! – Take a picture with the Turkish towel as a cape!

    #6 – AGAIN YAY FOR LUNA!!!!

    #7 – Have fun.

  3. SO glad to hear that Luna is healing!

    A road trip with that many kids sounds like quite an, um, adventure! One you are far better equipped to undertake than I’d be. I’m sure I’d lose at least one at a rest stop.

    Have a wonderful, wonderful time!

  4. Such a fun box. Have a fabulous trip and safe journey. Happy blogging break πŸ™‚

  5. Yay Luna!!!! I am giving her cuddles from afar. πŸ™‚

  6. I was actually wondering about Luna this weekend – glad to hear she is so much better! πŸ™‚

  7. I want to know what brand/color lip gloss you have on in the picture with the hair ties….it’s PERFECT!

  8. Hmmm that box looks like fun! What an adventure…road trip w/ out extra help. You rock!
    Thanks for the shout out;)
    Hugs

  9. So glad Luna is on the mend!
    And a road trip with 6 kids? You are a brave woman, lol! (Sounds fun, though!)
    The photos, as always, are gorgeous. πŸ™‚

    Have a GREAT time!

  10. Glad Luna is better!

    I use Turkish towels in my bathroom all summer to dry myself off after I shower. Depending on the fabric weave, some get more absorbent after they’ve been washed a few times. Some, the ones that have waffle-type weave, are great from day 1. They are also great to the to the pool due to their big size.

  11. I love road trips. Have fun!

  12. You look *fantastic*!

  13. You are so darn cute! Insight and out.

  14. I love my Turkish towel for travel. It’s light, compact, dries quickly and because it’s made of natural fabric, doesn’t develop that synthetic stank like other “travel towels” do. It doubles as a bathing suit wrap (and stays put much better than I heavy soaked terrycloth towel), picnic blanket and looks stylish to boot. A wet, heavy, soppy terrycloth towel is not only a pain to carry home, but brings along wayyy more sand home too. The tight weave of a Turkish towel means its easier to shake off caked on sand.

    Gush over.

  15. Hi. first time visiting your blog! I LOVE Emily Giffin! I have read all her books (except Where We Belong). My sister is reading One and Only now. I suspect I will get it when she is done.

  16. Yay for Luna πŸ™‚

    I second using the towel as a cape….because…cape!

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