And just like that, the first half of 2016 came and went. I know we don't need a constant reminder of how fast time is going, but it is what it is. All that matters is what we do to make the most out of our time. I'm fortunate to have a day job that keeps me from being bored out of my skull, but that's just me.
Don't get me wrong—I was OK with being a stay-at-home wife for almost a year, but I did miss having a daily routine of going to and from work. Anyway, let's start off with some exciting and current favorite things before I jump on a significant life update.CURRENT FAVORITES
- A day or two before we left for Spokane, I had a few hormonal breakouts on the side of my forehead. Of all days they had to sprout, right? My sister-in-law overheard me making a fuss about it on our first night, then she talked me into getting a Clarisonic. That conversation was the affirmation (and justification) I needed because I'd been wanting to purchase one. I got the Clarisonic Mia 2, which has two levels of sonic speeds. It came with a sensitive brush head, but I purchased replacement brush heads for acne-prone skin. I'll have a more in-depth review about this in the future (on top of many other things).
- One of my biggest splurge by far is a decked out MacBook Pro. I've had my old MBP for three years, and it's only recently that I noticed the "Service Battery" warning. I was debating whether to simply have the battery replaced and, while I'm at it, upgrade its RAM or to simply get a new one. This time, however, the brother-in-law convinced me to replace it altogether instead. I loved my previous MBP, but I love this one even more. Now, multitasking (a.k.a. running multiple apps at the same time) is more efficient with all the upgrades. I handed down my old MBP to Roan, who uses it mostly for school work and who still refuses to admit that he's officially a Mac-convert. (P.S. hard-shell case is from Speck.)
- Roan got me a Kindle Paperwhite a few weeks ago when I fell ill with upper respiratory infection. I unearthed my [almost forgotten] Kobo eReader, but it has no backlight, so I have difficulty reading in low-light situations. I kid you not, I've been reading nonstop on my Kindle that I've finally caught up on my 2016 reading goals! (P.S. Let's be friends on Goodreads if we aren't already!)
- Last, but certainly not the least, I got myself a 24-oz. Starbucks Metal Cup (no longer available online, similar)! I've had my eyes on this for so long, and I always bring this to work when I get Mango Black Tea Lemonade or Peach Green Tea (with Lime Refresher Base) on our way there.
LIFE LATELY
A significant life update includes the Golden State Warriors' loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. No, I'm not a fan of either team, but since the Los Angeles Lakers are out-of-the-season, Roan rooted for CAVS. I enjoy annoying my husband sometimes, so in true Jae fashion, I cheered for GSWs. Joke's on me when the CAVS emerged as champions in the recently concluded NBA Finals! Losing to Roan meant yielding to Roan's demands. In this case, going back to the gym to train with him.
The initial plan was to attend mixed martial arts (MMA) classes with him, but I'm so out of shape that I'm [more] likely to injure myself in the process. So, cardio kickboxing (CKO), it is. In spite of a fancy gym we have in our apartment complex, we signed up for an annual membership at the same gym my sister-in-law goes to. It's kind of my first time, but not quite, trying this type of workout because I used to join BodyCombat group classes two years ago. The only difference is that in CKO, we punch heavy bags; in BodyCombat, punches are mostly directed to the air. So, yeah, here's to wishing I get back (and stay) in shape and make it out alive.