Fostering A Pup

Hey what is up hello! We recently fostered a puppy and here is the our account of that!

Why did you foster a dog? 

I saw an ad fosters were needed to help keep dogs out of the shelter during quarantine. I thought I would get an old pup and just get to hang with a dog for the rest of quarantine. Well, the shelters had all their dogs adopted, and put me on a wait list. 2 weeks later 200 puppies were shipped from Mississippi to DC and the shelter needed fosters fast! Plus I am pretty lukewarm on liking a dog's company so I thought it would just be nice to have a little companion around the house.

What was the fostering process?

We filled out some information, picked a pick-up time, bought the gear to host a puppy, and picked her up!

And as a foster you take the pup to all their doctor appointments, and do everything to get your pup adopted

Why did you not adopt Major?

Major was the best dog ever and if we had a backyard it would be a no brainer. We fell in full blown love with Major. She was the sweetest, kindest, smartest dog around. I remember picking her up from the shelter and thinking "Oh my gosh, this is going to be so hard to give her up". Like guys, she kept holding my hand when I tried to get her out of her kennel. #TooCute. 

However, not in quarantine A and I are out of the house 10-12 hours a day for work/commutes. Alex works some weekends, I work 1 weekend a month. Add that to living on the 6th floor, 4am pup wakeups or needing to go out every 90 minutes was just not possible with our schedule. 

What did you learn from fostering a pup? 

I was so surprised how much love I had in my heart for a puppy. I fell in love hard with that little guy, and I was shocked how much you could care about something that just brought constant destruction to your household, but at the end of the day when the pup was calmed down and wanted to play it was so nice to have a companion around! I also learned a lot about A's and I's relationship, it really was brought to light how good of a team we make and using our skills for different things in taking care of the puppy.

Will you foster again?

No! Hard No! I think fostering is great for people who love dogs, maybe have to travel a lot and have periods where they are home, a great hobby for someone that loves pups and wants to help the community. However, for me I was way too emotionally invested and a week later I am still super sad that Major was adopted. Even though in my heart of hearts I knew it would not be possible that we could keep her.

I tried Drunk Elephant... And I Don't Know How I feel About it

Hey what is up hello! If you have not been living under a rock you have seen someone hold the white and colorful packaging of Drunk Elephant. Let me say their minimalist products, and colorful packaging is stunning. So stunning, when I knew nothing about skin care and had only used drug store products before, I mean an 80 dollar face mask? Is it worth the hype. Let's find out.

Let me start off by saying, I have a holy grail moisturizer that I was not able to get in the Middle East. I kept seeing Drunk Elephant everywhere. Their influencer marketing was spot on. I decided to give this a try, This is my take on the products. 

Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser// Meh. This has marula oil in it and the only other thing to me that stood out of the ingredients was cantaloupe. The ingredients are great in all of Drunk Elephant's products, I will give them that. However, I only wash my face in the morning, and this did nothing for me. This did not even get off or break up the mascara residue from the night before. It also made my skin not feel clean like it had a film on my skin. Overall, not for me.

Lippe Balm// There is no other way to say this, this was the worst product I have ever used. I do not know if this was just my skin, but for an 18 dollar lip balm, this destroyed my lips. This made my lips peel so hard. At first I thought it was like lipsense where it would take away the dead skin on my lips, and then my lips would be more smooth. No. This just kept making my lips peel.

B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum// This is a typical hyaluronic acid + B5. Which I use one everyday and I am a huge fan. I do like how Drunk Elephant goes the extra mile to make their own "cocktail". DE has added different plants for antioxidant properties and  barberry extract plant acts as a natural anti bacterial so you can say goodbye to acne. ALSO, I love the consistency of DE "cocktail" and it leaves my skin super hydrated. 

Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil// This product got me addicted to marula oil. This is DE bread and butter. My skin drinks up any moisturizer and this is the only thing that makes my skin so happy. Again, what makes DE stand out is their "cocktail". The marula oil is rich in antioxidants, it also uses licorice root (Which is one of my favorite ingredients ever) for its anti-inflammatory properties. What I will say set DE apart (to me) with their marula oil is that a little goes a long way.

Baby Face// This is why I bought the kit. I wanted to try this product more than anything. I saw bloggers and some of my friends post about it on Instagram. No one's skin looked magical, but I wanted to try it.

Long story short, this is a chemical exfoliator. Meaning it uses acids to exfoliate the top layer of your skin. You use this once a week for 20 minutes. 

The first three times I used it, it was great! I had some acne (not normal for me) and it completely went away. Then after about the first month no matter what I did, it burned my face. Overall, it was ~good~ but it was too much for my skin.

Overall, I did enjoy Drunk Elephant, and it really opened my eyes to skin care. Do I think it is worth the hype? Yes and no. I think they use great ingredients, however I think their products are hit or miss. I will say that Drunk Elephant goes the extra mile to make sure their "Cocktails" are top notch

*Please note I wrote this post and used the products for a full 4- 6 weeks before writing this review*

Engagment Photos Part 1

Hey what is up hello! Engagement photos are officially here! Our wedding is in the summer, and the next time we will take photos again will probably be winter 2021, so we thought a Fall vibe would be the best!

Number 1 blog photos and "candid" engagement photos are totally two different things. Blog photos you just stand there and get a photo of the outfit, engagement photos you really actually need to pose.

We one part were completely awkward and not prepared for this, and other part had a ton of fun and were so happy with the shots. It took about two hours in total (and a full day to get ready for the shots), where blog photos take about 30 minutes.

The whole thing was a good time and we are so happy we blocked off the day for the shots... and we caved and decided to get Christmas cards so this works great.

The Truth About Orangetheory

Hey what is up hello! I posted the other day about going to an Orangetheory Class, and I got a couple DMs about it, so I thought why no share my experience. (flash forward to paragraph 5 if you do not care about my story).

A little back story on me. I have been athletic pretty much my whole life. I have always been a runner, I have always enjoyed working out. I can say I think I have been a routine runner since 2006. Then I started doing army stuff in 2013, and my fitness level went to another level. I wanted to beat the boys, so I started running log distance, and doing a ton of body weight exercises.Long story short I had some health issues in 2016 and I stopped running distance because one of my knees killed, and with one of my health issues I lost so much weight I stopped caring about what I ate because I could not gain weight for the life of me (to the point where it hurt to sit down). Flash forward to 2019, I am on my deployment, the thought of working out exhausted me, and my horrible diet caught up to be about 20 extra pounds.

I tried just about EVERYTHING to get myself back into a fitness routine. I did not even have a goal, I just wanted to feel healthy/fit again. I tried to run again (my knee still killed), I tried getting into weight lifting (I gained a ton of muscle, but was not losing any weight), I tried spin class (I hated it), I tried BBG (I could not even get myself into the gym I hated it so much).

I get home and my mom signed me up to go to an Orangetheory class with her. I was hooked!

What is Orangetheory?

Their motto is "Run, row, lift". You run/walk on a treadmill, row on a row machine, and do circuit training (abs, arms, legs). They also say it is science based, so you will burn calories even after the class (super hitt type cardio). You also have a heart rate monitor, so you can see if you are pushing yourself too hard, or not enough. Which is nice because another thing was I was getting frustrated that I was not as good as I once was. Then at the end of the class it sends you how far you went, and how many calories you burned. You are never on anything long enough to get bored.

Do you like it? 

This is the first workout I have done since college that I like. In fact I LOVE it. It is super self paced. I have even gotten back into speed training (which I NEVER thought was even possible with my knee) In fact I think my knee hurt for so long because I was going the same pace. My knee, for the most part, feels fine now!

Have you noticed a change?

I feel less fluffy and more tone from this. I have been doing this for 4 months now, and I love how it makes me feel happy after the class, and I already feel healthier. In fact I ate something the other day where I was just so incredibly bloated, and 20 minutes into the class I felt a million times better. I am not saying it is magic (the class kicks your butt), but I love how it makes me feel.

How much does it cost? 

It depends what area you are in. I do the 8 classes a month. In Michigan it was 65 dollars a month, Downtown D.C. it was 165 a month, and DC suburbs it is 99 a month.

Can I do it if I am new to working out?

Yes! If you are a walker you can do it. If you are an ex athlete you can do it. Seriously anyone can do this class and get results.

How do you stay motivated to go?

Remember? I only go twice a week! I need to start putting a long run in there, but I am giving myself grace and just making myself go twice a week. And I also do a strength training day once a week because #abs #shoulders.

Do you feel like you will get bored with the Orangetheory Workouts? 

They are designed where you will never do the same workout twice! Which I agree, I have not done the same one twice! Some days focus on going longer distances, and some days you are at each station for like 3 minutes at a time and rotate. Also I normally would do a rotation of running and circuits. Rowing is kind of new for me though, but it is a fun way to get cardio in.

What if you can not do something?

I would talk to the coach, they understand, but also if you can not do something (circuit wise) you can skip it or do your own thing. I went to the Beta store a couple of times (I did not like it so I switched places) and they had some weird things, and I just substituted them for something else.

Do you get stronger from this class?

It is not a "lifting class" I would say you weight train for sure. People that worry about getting too big, this is a good class for you. You do enough weights to keep your body burning for longer, but I do not see this being a class where you "get big".

What shoes do you wear?

Brooks! I love brooks shoes. In fact I am getting these shoes: Ice Cream. I think they are so fun, and I ONLY wear them to run or OrangeThoery. I have better runner friends and they all agree brooks ghost are the best. Yes the are ugly but you knees and feet will love you.

Why do you stay with OrangeTheory?

1. My body loves for me to run. I get my best results from running. (and a healthy diet)2. It is only an hour a day. 3. I can go only twice a week and see results. 4. I feel AMAZING after the class. This class seriously made me feel like myself again.

Dresses for Your Engagement Photos

Hey what is up hello! Engagement photos are a big part between the process of getting engaged and getting married. I know it is a super easy way to cut on the budget, but there were a couple of reasons we really wanted engagement photos.

Recently I saw my grandma's wedding photos and I thought that it would be nice for something to pass down. 

You only get professional photos for your wedding and how many photos do you want in formal attire?

If you have the time and resources, why not?!

Here were some of the dresses I was thinking about. I wanted a fall vibe, and I almost  went with the yellow floral dress pictured above. Below are some other options, and a sneak (not pointing it out) peak on what I did wear.

Also a tip for what to wesr for the shoot is wear what makes you comfortable. I LOVE the maxi boho dress photos. However, I have never worn a maxi boho dress in my life, and I probably never will. I probably will never wear a flower crown ever. We personally went with a more casual feel, because we spend about 90% of the time not at work in workout gear! Haha! Wear what makes you comfortable and go with that!

Shop the look here

Pink Pants Three Ways

Hey what is up hello! I do not know about you, but I am a stylish gal on a budget. I also live in DC so space is scarce. That is why I love to be able to take a piece and wear it a couple of different ways. Here is how I styled pink pants 3 different ways. 

Number One// the place I spend the most time is work! I focus most of my wardrobe fund on what I can wear to work, and if I can wear it after work that is even better! I love the pink pants paired with a black top and make it even better with a super cute blazer. 

Number Two// Pair the pink pants with a white blouse. You can still wear this to work, and even better you can pair that with a jean jacket for AFTER work. I love this casual style for hanging out with the fam, or going to book club after work. 

Number Three// Ready to move a groove. I love a good two piece set, match this with a cute crop top, you can head to the beach, or a night out on the town. 

Why I started a Boutique

Hey what is up hello! I started a boutique (found here). Let me tell you, I love fashion, and I have always wanted to open a store. So here we are! Lets jump into it!

Where did the name Norm & Jane come from?

So I have always wanted to own a line of luxury handbags/ shoes. I wanted to do everything from scratch and something totally new, and I wanted to name that after my mom's name. However, I am not at that point of my life for that. The name she goes by is "Jane", I played around with that. I have no clue how this added to the equation, but Norm is my parents dog. Norm is the best dog ever, so this all came together.

Also if you ever questioned where the blog name game from, it might have also come from my family (here)

Are you working with someone to get the clothing items?

I think people thought I was part of an MLM. Actually everyone besides my mom did! I am not part of ~*anything*~ I am like any other boutique you would see around you. I have my own suppliers, I have my own online store, I do my own marketing.

So where do you get your clothing items from?

This is what makes every single boutique unique! There are hundreds to thousands of places to get your boutique items. There are a couple of major cities to get your items from and I mainly get all of my clothes from LA suppliers!

How did you find the time to open a boutique?

I was on a military deployment for 9 months. There was so much off time when you do not fiends or family around. Yes I was working 12 hours a day, but also I had nothing to do with the other hours! I had a lot of time to research, come up with a business plan, het all the legalities set up, and put in the ground work to start. Here we are!

Why did you open a boutique? 

I honestly tried to open 3 other businesses, (two service based, 1 product based). And I could not for the life of me get it off the ground. I tried everything. I went to try a boutique thinking that it would be just as hard.EVERYTHING CLICKED! 

Seriously I love clothing, I love fashion, everything came together so easy. (Post three other fails) I love it and I think it is my natural calling.

Are you happy you opened a boutique?

Yes, every second I learn so much. I love working on it and growing it! Plus I love seeing everyone enjoy Norm and Jane's clothes!

Are you working your boutique full time?

No, I still work my 9-5. I actually just a  communications roll that I am super pumped about! That is actually a big impact on Norm and Jane I found that business clothes for women are either super bland, or you are going clubbing. You want into a store womens clothes are going out or super casual. While the men's side have all these button downs, suit coats, and business attire. I remember going to an interview and I could not even find a button down that was appropriate to wear. That where Norm and Janes theme came from. An outfit you can wear to work and still feel trendy