Make reasonable choices

Live life to the fullest! Seize the Day! Don't let a good opportunity pass you by! Live life without regrets! Reach your fullest potential!

It's a new year. For many, it's an opportunity to start with a clean slate and to begin molding a better and improved version of themselves. With so many exclamation marks to guide us along the way, one would have to be hyper vigilant and flawlessly self-aware to make the right choices and to act accordingly to reflect our willingness to be our best selves, to reach our fullest potential.

I don't know about you, but to me, it's too much pressure. Also, it's unreasonable to think we can be honestly self-reflective and perfect judges at any given situation. And if anything less than perfection is considered a failure, no wonder people give up on their new year's resolutions before end of January!

This got me thinking about Will Ferrell. Specifically, Will Ferrell in the movie "The Internship". Not a profound movie by any means, but in the movie, Will Ferrell plays a character with a big neck tattoo saying "Make Reasonable Choices".

I think this might be the way to go. Not perfect choices, but reasonable choices. As simple as that. Every choice we make cannot be expected to fulfill every optimal criteria, but maybe our choices can be reasonable and generally not detrimental to our wellbeing.

To help us make reasonable choices it might be good to have an idea about why and for whom we make the choices we do. Everything from why and for whom we choose to exercise or choose the career path we pursue, to why and for whom we choose to self-sacrifice or choose to love. Maybe not entirely necessary to contemplate why and for whom we choose to brush our teeth, but you get my point.

In this day and age when self-expression and self-image is something many of us publicly share on a daily basis it might be good to be honest about why and for whom we project the image we choose to project. As an example, I recently posted a photo on Facebook and on Instagram of my Playstation 4. Why and for whom? As with everything on Facebook, I shared it for other people to see. I want people to associate me with gaming. I want to be associated with gaming because I spend a lot of time doing it, it's important to me and I am a fairly competent gamer. I even dare say I'm probably a fantastic gamer, compared to other home-makers in their 30s! Was the choice to post a photo on Facebook a step closer to reaching my fullest potential. Clearly not. But was it a reasonable choice given why I wanted to post it. Personally, I would say yes.

I've also thought long and hard about why and for whom I'm writing this blog. In short, I write because I think a lot and because I enjoy writing. I've never been good at keeping diaries, so making it public holds me more accountable (not entirely sure why). I know most of you who read this blog know me in person, and I like for you to know how I'm doing, what's going on in my life and what I've been contemplating lately.

Obviously, I hope some of you can relate to what I've written, hopefully I've even sparked a further thought or two, but I am acutely aware of the fact that most of the things we read on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and see on Instagram are fleeting moments that will only catch out attention for a couple of seconds before we move on to the next thing on our feed. Because, the things we put out there are usually not terribly important, not always interesting and frankly, people don't care as much as we would like to think they do. So a sincere thank you for the time you've spent reading this and for the minutes of your life you could have spent on doing something else.

A final note on reasonable choices. Sometimes reasonable choices come in form of products. 2014 has just begun, but three reasonable products have already improved my life and will continue to do so for a long time to come: Playstation 4, a new Electrolux vacuum and my Magimix food-processor.

Who am I?

Who am I? A very profound question, indeed. I've been on this earth for about 30 years and thought I had figured myself out pretty well by now. But recently I've had my pre-conceived ideas about myself not only stirred, but shaken.

If you know me or have followed my blog over the years, it should come as no surprise when I tell you that I truly enjoy shopping (especially shoes), food and entertainment (an example, The Eurovision Song Contest).

Last year, I consciously added a new aspect to my life, healthy living. I started exercising regularly and I finally found a way to successfully manage my weight. As a part of my healthy living, I picked up running. I can't say enjoy it, but there is no denying, it is a very efficient way to build stamina as well as burn calories.

To sum it up, I'm an almost 30 year old who likes to shop, eat, be entertained, with a healthy BMI who exercise regularly.

I don't just like shopping, I love bargain shopping. So, hitting the outlet mall on Memorial Day was a no-brainer. After a good few hours of scavenging, I had found some amazing deals. I bought a new pair of running shoes, padded bike shorts, a reflective bike jacket, bike gloves and two workout tops.

I also found a pair of sandals I really liked, but decided that $40 was too much to spend. How many pairs of shoes does one person really need? However, when I got home later the same day, I signed up for a 10K race for $45 without blinking. Did I choose racing before shoes?

We live in a small city. But in our small city, there is a restaurant rated in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant, Chez TJ, has a star of it's own, but amongst the chefs who started their careers at Chez TJ, the alumni currently hold eight stars in the Michelin Guide. Ever since my husband and I moved here, we have debated whether we should go or not. Food is a great love of mine, perhaps my greatest love. But more than anything I love simple street-food so spending a minimum of $85 per person on one meal has never seemed reasonable, so we have never been.

Over the past month, my husband and I have planned out our running goals for the near future. We're attempting our first triathlon in a few weeks, he's running SF Marathon later this summer, I'm running San Jose Half Marathon later this fall and next spring we're running Gothenburg Half Marathon. We made sure to register for all the events, so that we can't back out. All in all, we spent over $600 on registrations fees in May.

For the same amount of money we could have gone to Chez TJ and treated five of our friends, or the two of us could have splurged on the Chef's Tasting Menue, with wine pairing and still have $200 so spare. Did I just choose racing before food?

I've been ignoring the signs, maybe because I didn't want to realize I was changing. But there was an incident that opened my eyes and force me to face the truth.

I'm a huge fan of the Eurovision Song Contest. If you don't believe me, you should read my previous blog posts. Sweden won this year's competition and as a reward, Sweden will host the event next year. The Eurovision Song Contest is always held in May and I'm planning to be in Sweden in May 2013, to run Gothenburg Half Marathon. But as it turns out, the Grand Finale of Eurovision Song Contest 2013, will be on the same day as the half marathon, most likely in a different city. If Sweden is lucky, we'll be able to host Eurovision Song Contest once a decade. Gothenburg Half Marathon is every year. However, I've worked really hard on my fitness and I'm hoping to be in the best shape of my life next summer.

I'm making it sound like a difficult decision, but in fact, I had already made up my mind. Gothenburg Half Marathon, I'll be seeing you in May 2013! Did I choose racing before the Eurovision Song Contest? Yes, I did!

So, when looking at the facts, am I actually not an almost 30 year old who likes to shop, eat and be entertained as much as I am an almost 30 year old, who likes to run races, cook healthy food, shop workout gear and occasionally be entertained.

Waste of waist!

It's January 18th. So far, this year, I've spent about 20 hours at different shopping malls and outlets, actively shopping and looking for cloths. Am I a shopaholic? I wish! Let's look at what I've bought...

2 pairs of running tights
3 bras
2 panties
2 sweaters
1 shirt
2 t-shirts
1 pair of leggings
1 dress

A grand total of 14 pieces of clothing. If I remove the garments I bought out of necessity, such as underwear and replacement t-shirt and tights, I have bought 5 pieces of clothing out of enjoyment. So, it has taken me about 4 hours of searching to find each piece.

One of my pet peeves has always been people with nice bodies who doesn't dress "properly". If you have the goods, why not be proud of it. I'm not saying you should flaunt it, but if you have a nice body, most cloths will fit so why not buy appropriate sizes? I used to dream about the cloth I would wear if I weighed less.

Almost a year ago, I begun my own transformation, from being overweight to being smaller. My goal was to be able to walk into any store and have most of the medium sizes fit me. And when I reached my goal, I would reward myself with a new wardrobe.

Well, I've reached my goal. Actually, I reached beyond my goal. Now I fit in some mediums and some smalls. More or less everything I try on fits nicely. Have I treated myself to a new wardrobe? Nope. I have certainly tried, but it's been very difficult. I don't mean to sound like spoiled brat and I realize this may sound like a stupid problem, but I don't know how to dress the new me.

Last time I was this size, I was 13 years old. Obviously, it was a long time ago and there are very many reasons why I shouldn't be inspired by my 13 year old self.

Don't get me wrong, I have bought some new cloths, but only out of necessity, when I absolutely had to and not because I have found a million things I look great in. Trust me, when you're underwear is a couple of sizes too big, it's a sign your wardrobe has shrunk to a smaller size and it's time to buy some new cloths.

So, until I figure myself out, I will buy what I need to buy. Other than that, I will probably stick to my current re-invention of my style, belting and tying my old size 14 cloths. I've quickly turned into my own pet peeve. What a waste of waist!

TOMS vs BOBS

I've said it before and I'm saying it again, I LOVE my TOMS shoes! Not only are they the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned, the brand is all about making a difference in the world. For each pair you buy, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need.

The business model is very admirable and the founder of TOMS has said that he hopes more companies will follow in their footsteps.

And some companies have. Some more than others.

Last weekend I was in Birmingham for a university reunion. As I passed by a shoe store, I saw that they sold TOMS. Curious to know how much they are in England, I went in to have a closer look. But to my surprise, they were not TOMS, but BOBS! Not only were they not TOMS, they were more expensive than TOMS!

I was outraged! Did BOBS have the same social conscious as TOMS? Why were people buying a "copy" when the real deal is cheaper to begin with? There had to be an explanation! And of course there was!

Apparently, BOBS are produced by Sketchers. And just like TOMS, Sketchers donates a pair for each pair sold. So far so good. In the end of the day, children in need don't care if they wear TOMS or BOBS. However, the fact that BOBS is an EXACT design copy of TOMS, infuriates me! BOBS copied everything, down to the name, logo and placement of labels. A big company like Sketchers surely can afford to design their own shoe! But instead of creating a design that could add to the "one for one" market, they are trying to steal TOMS customers! Is that really something a company should do if they are trying to position themselves as "socially aware"?

In conclusion, I urge you to buy TOMS. Not only because they did a great job at designing an appealing shoe, but because it's important that they are encouraged to continue their good work. Nowadays, TOMS also sell sunglasses and apparel and everything they sell are matched with equal donations. Sketchers is a huge company, with hundreds of shoe models. But only one shoe model is matched with donations and they still couldn't even be bothered to dedicate time and money to design their own product. Shame on you!

Top 5 products

Dec 21: Top 5 stores

Dec 22: Top 5 products

Dec 23: Top 5 disappointments

1. Car

2. Netflix

3. TOMS shoes

4. Cuticle clipper

5. Swiffer Sweeper

top 5 stores

Dec 20: Top 5 excursions

Dec 21: Top 5 stores

Dec 22: Top 5 products

1. Psycho donuts, Campbell

2. Costco

3. Sausalito Ferry, Co., Sausalito

4. Nordstrom Rack in Palo Alto

5. Ranch 99 Market

Fashion forward? Or fashion awkward?

There is a rumor about Scandinavians. Apparently we are very fashion forward. Maybe I've lived abroad too long and become fashion backward but to me, this garment is just fashion awkward.

It's best described as a "scary sweat-jumpsuit" or a OnePiece (www.onepiece.com) and it's invented by three Norwegian men. This particular store is located at a prime location in Gothenburg (Arkaden, for those who know) and this is their only product.

How did they came up with this design? I guess it could be somewhat practical for men when using the men's room (see the crotch-zipper), but for us ladies it would be a hassle. And another question, have you ever felt the need to zipper your entire face? My husband might want to zipper my face at times, but I would like to see him try!

For those of us who haven't understood the obvious, this is apparently design and innovation. It's edgy and provocative! It's a statement piece. And it is all yours for 1350 sek ($200)!

Love is in the Air

Gadgets! Gadgets! Gadgets!

... is not a thing I would typically say. I wouldn't call myself a technophobe but I'm very far from being a technophile. And if there is something I'm definitely not, it's tech-savvy. Without my tech-savvy technophile husband I would probably still be inserting my floppy disk into my Windows 95 computer, hooking up to the internet via my modem and logging onto ICQ and searching for stuff on Alta Vista. I would listen to my portable CD-player and wishing the CD wouldn't skip all the time and I would play "Snake" on my cell phone which would have a huge antenna.

Good thing I'm not. Since I met my dear husband I've become the proud owner of a whole lot of new technology. He hooks us up on the latest stuff and I get to benefit from it. I've appreciated pretty much every addition he's made (even though you can question the size of our subwoofer).

Until recently, I've not been proactive at all. I've just adapted. But a few weeks ago I suggested we make another addition to our collection of gadgets. So, after some contemplation, we decided to buy an 11 inch Macbook Air.

I adore it! I don't just love it, I'm in love with it.

I'm sure it's a great machine and has great technical specs, but to me it's just so wonderfully light and portable. And who knew a gray, metallic square could be so pretty. I treasure it so much it even prompted me to sew a custom skin for it. I'm no Martha Stewart but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Let's face it, when I was a young girl, I loved dressing my dolls. Now, I'm a grown woman, living in Silicon Valley. Now I love dressing my Macbook Air.

Shopping brings happiness (sometimes)

Today is a good day. I've had a headache all day. I'm dead tired and I have eaten a way too big lunch. But today is a good day and nothing can bring me down.

So, what is the root of my happiness? A pair of shoes. I realize that this is my third posting dedicated to shoes and so be it, I love shoes.

For the past month I've been on the hunt for a pair of winter booties. I've had a very specific style in mind and I've been all over the place looking for them. As I am a bargain shopper I have also limited my choices to a very tight budget. Seriously, I live in California and will not be using my heavy black winter boots that many weeks of the year.

I found nothing. Well, I found a whole lot of lovely shoes, but not the perfect pair for the perfect price. So, what am I willing to give up? Giving up the idea of the perfect shoe or giving up on finding the perfect price? I decided to compromise the price. I had found a great pair at Urban Outfitters (one of my favorite stores). They were $69 and I had a 20% off promotion code to use online. However, I couldn't get the stupid code to work so I decided to drive to the store and buy them at the original price.

I almost tore the store apart. I couldn't believe they didn't have my shoes in store. I asked a shop assistant if they had more shoes coming in. She asked me which ones I was looking for and after trying to explain which one I wanted I was asked to show her on the computer. After going through hundreds of pairs of shoes, we found them. And they had them in store. In the sale department!

Online, they shoes I wanted was listed as "News" but in store they were recently sorted as a sale item. By recently I mean they were marked down yesterday! So, instead of paying $69 I ended up paying $19.99. Bring on the euphoria! I ended up finding the perfect pair for a perfect price and that is why today is a good day.

Item cloning

I bet all of us have, at least, one item of clothing that has past its expiry date. There are plenty of reasons to hang on to something. It can be sentimental reasons, or the "you-liked-it-when-you-bought-it-and-you-still-do-but-you-don't-know-when-to-ear-it" reason or my personal favorite, the "you-hope-you-will-fit back-into-it" reason. I have all the above in my wardrobe. But the most frustrating reason to hang on to something is when you have something sooooo comfortable and you simply can't find a replacement. For me, this most often applies to shoes, although not exclusively.

The dilemma: you don't know how comfortable shoes are until you've worn them a while. By the time they peek in comfort you really don't want to wear anything else. But then they become too worn so you need to replace them. By the time you reach this point they are no longer at the store where you bought them and you will end up spending time and money on finding a replacement. And there will be many disappointments along the way. And along they way, the original item is still in the closet, along side it's uncomfortable imitators.

Happy, happy feet

Like many others, I love shoes! A pair of shoes can be a work of art. I've had love affairs with many of my shoes. Some of them I've admired from a distance. They've been gorgeous, exiting, unpredictable and fueled my imagination. But more then once, they have left me hurt, in pain, bleeding and sometimes in tears. It will always start of being beautiful but somewhere along the way things will begin to change. Not really noticeable at first. You deny the uncomfortable feeling growing inside and when people around you (aka husband) question your choices you will defend yourself and give every excuse you can think of and you will be dead afraid that people around you can read the doubt in your face. But eventually everything will start to fall apart. You will surrender and promise yourself never to make the same mistake again. But then, maybe it will be different the next time, with another pair of shoes.

I've made enough mistakes, I've learnt my lesson. Maybe they are not as exquisite, or not as beautiful, but they are comforting, they give you freedom to run, jump, skip and they will never hurt you. In fact, they are good for you. I'm no longer having affairs, I'm in a long term relationship with my flats. I'm won't deny that I'm tempted, at times, to relaps, but I soon come to my senses when I step out of my comfortable flats to try on a pair of heels.

Nowadays I'm an avid user of flats of different kind and when I want some hight I usually opt for wedges. I have plenty of sneakers, sandals and cotton lace ups. I enjoy changing things up so I have a multitude of shapes and colors. But recently I found something new. I think I've found the shoes of my life. TOMS!

I've seen them around. I've tried them on. I've thought about buying them quite a few times. But $50 and up for a pair of cotton slip ons seemed a bit steep. I knew that TOMS had a admirable mission, to provide shoes for people in underdeveloped areas. For every pair you buy they will donate a pair. I decided to order a pair. Oh boy, am I glad I did!

They arrived a few weeks ago and since then I've worn them in Las Vegas, trekking around in Grand Canyon, to sports events and as dress shoes going out. I love them! They have replaced all other shoes I have. I literally want to wear them all the time! I know this pair will be the first pair of many. If you want to do your feet a favor, try a pair of TOMS.

Three things to remember, the material stretch to fit your foot, so they should feel a bit tight when you try them on. Also, to make sure your purchase will contribute towards TOMS mission, buy the shoes directly from them (www.toms.com). The online price (inkl. shipping) is about the same as the retail price. Last but not least, enjoy!

One for One - Official Store - TOMS Shoes - A Pair of New Shoes is Given to a Child in Need With Every Pair Purchased - One for One - TOMSshoes.com