Hello!

So after some much needed time to think, I think I've finally been able to get my new layout up on the blog and my redesign is taking shape nicely. I've also been able to think of some really great topics not only for future blog posts but also for some new video's. First though I wanted to introduce you all to my new layout. My graphic designer (husband) has designed my new layout and logo. It shows a bit more of my personality rather than being just a boring standard layout. I am really pleased with the way the new site looks. It's simple but fun at the same time. I will be integrating the new logo across my social media outlets in the upcoming days for a more uniform look. I'm excited because I will be able to finally print my business cards! I hope you like the new layout!

Anyways onto the new things coming up in the next few weeks (because the last few haven't been all that exciting.) I am going to film a series on my new diet and fitness plan that I'm doing so I want to give you a look into how I keep track of my food, diet and training/exercise. Along those lines and also in the series I am going to do in in depth look at my Day-Timer and give you a glimpse into how I manage my time and my calender and thirdly I will be doing another video on my project/home management system. It will be my little organization series. So those videos are coming up. I am also going to be filming or blogging my March favorites and that will be up by the end of this week. Things I loved and used a lot in March. There will be some other things in the works too. The major decision that has been made in regards to my blog and my YouTube channel is that I think I finally have the courage to begin vlogging. It's something I want to do and it's something I enjoy doing being in front of a camera talking to people, but at the same time it's very nerve wracking as well. It will feature a glimpse into my day and for now I plan on doing two "vlog" style videos per week. That will begin in the later part of April. With my full time Job and my commitment to my Curves plan I think for now that's a schedule that I can be okay with. If I really get into it then I will see what I can do to add an extra day.

The type of photos I post on this blog too are going to hopefully change a little bit. I will be taking photos to go hand in hand with what I share in my video's and sometimes I will just blog. Regardless I want my photos of what I share to be a little bit better in quality so I will be utilizing my DSLR a little bit more. I HAD to have this camera in late 2011 and I think over the course of the last year or so I've only used it handful of times so I want to use it a little bit more. It's a camera worthy of use, not just sitting in it's bag in my closet.

So that's the word for right now. I'm back in action again after a much needed break to just really think about what I wanted to do and the direction I wanted to take and now that I've found that direction and gained my motivation things in the world of Just Danielle will be a lot more regular and a lot more fun. Thanks for sticking with me and helping me to grow into my own.

March Ipsy and Birchbox Openings

Hey Everyone, I'm slowly getting back into my video's and blogging after a crazy February. I will be doing a blog post in the next few days about how the rest of my Disney vacation went, but I just got my March Ipsy and Birchbox so I wanted to share those with you. I plan on migrating those to Video's in the upcoming months but just to get started I've decided to blog them this month instead. I've finally gotten a little corner of my house cleaned out and decorated enough to where I think I will be happy filming. The husband has also mentioned wanting to start actually vlogging on his channel so if we do start doing that I'll link his YouTube so you can watch them. If he puts up out vlogs on his channel I won't on mine that way it's only up there once.

Anyways onto the real point of this blog March 2013 Ipsy and Birchbox. Both of these were fairly good this month. Last month's birchbox was rather disappointing. So I'll go ahead and start with Ipsy.

2013 Ipsy Glam Bag

 This month was a Nautical theme, the cosmetic bag that it came in is Navy Blue with stripes. It's a really cute bag. Inside it came with Juice Beauty Hydrating Spray, LA Fresh Travel Wipes, Glam RX single shadow holder, and two Yaby eye shadows. Upon first glance this is a really awesome bag, I love when they give the smaller facial hydrating sprays because I use them for Travel. The Shadow holder is pretty cool for some of my loose single shadow pots so that was pretty awesome and who doesn't need travel sized make up remover wipes. I always love when they include eye shadows in the boxes because if you don't already know, I love eyeshadow. However I'm not sure how fond I am of the Yaby shadows, they are very very light, not very pigmented, and normally I'd say that's okay for a daytime look but when I tried them on my eyes they barely show up. So if I had to rate this months box I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5. I love the cute bag and the spray, but the eyeshadow just didn't do it for me.

March 2013 Birchbox

So on to Birchbox. This month was pretty awesome. It came with a Madewell nail file, Macadamia Natural Oil healing oil treatment AND a Macadamia Natural Oil hair deep repair masque, Whish Shave Cream, Benefit Lip/Cheek Tint, and Supergoop Face and body lotion sunscreen. I am really excited to try the hair masque and the hair oil. I've been trying different Moroccan oils in my hair and it's been really helping so I'm excited to try these and see if they work better or the same. I tried the Benefit Lip tint a little bit earlier and it was okay, It felt kinda sticky then it dried and felt REALLY dry so I ended up having to put lip gloss over it. Other than that I haven't tried the products yet. I rate this months Birchbox a 4 out of 5. Very happy.

I will be trying out the products from both boxes over the next couple of weeks and I'll have my thoughts and reviews of the products and which ones I really enjoyed and the ones I didn't enjoy quite so much. That will probably be another blog post, but starting with April I will be moving them to Videos and of course I will link them.

If you get birchbox or ipsy let me know what you think of your boxes. I also might be adding RunnersBox to the mix as I am now getting very into running so if I do that then I will for sure be doing open box's on that too. You will all be the first to know! It depends on funds as I did just sign up for Curves Complete. My program actually starts tomorrow. I'm really excited because I feel like I needed a push to start my weight loss. I wasn't doing very well on my own, and I can't afford a personal trainer. This program is affordable and the motivation I need. I have a weekly session with a coach and 4 1/2 hour sessions a week doing a full body circuit. cardio, strength and core, so I'll be doing that, then on the other days I'll be doing my runs because I do plan on continuing and getting better at my 1/2 Marathons. I think this is the stepping stone I need, because I believe that core workouts are just as important as mileage and actual runs because the stronger my muscles and my core, the better I think I'll be able to run. I am considering buying a bike too for this summer. My goal is to be outside as much as possible and just live a more healthy and active lifestyle.

Now that I've gone off on a tangent I think it's time to end here. I will be back a couple times this week with a Disney update and a couple of other things!!! Have a wonderful Sunday Night!

2013 Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon Race Recap Part Duex! Video Style

***The song used in the Video is Josh Groban - Brave, I am in NO way shape or form affiliated with Josh Groban or his record company.***

Princess 1/2 Marathon Recap/Review

Hey Guys!!!! So here it is, the post you've all been waiting for (Well okay not really but help a girl out). This is my official 2013 Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon Race Recap. (The Rest of my Disney Trip Recap will be in another blog). This was my first Disney race as well as my first 1/2 marathon. It would have been up sooner but I just got back from Disney World yesterday very very very early, like 2 a.m. early.

We'll start with the expo which was Friday February 22, 2013 and Saturday February 23, 2013. This year the Fit for a Princess Expo was held at the Coronado Springs Resort, in prior years the expo has been held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports but due to the Atlanta Braves spring training schedule the event had to be moved. My running partner, my husband and I got to the event transportation bus corral around 8:30 on Friday morning, that was the first bus out. We got to the expo shortly before 9 and let me tell you it was an absolute zoo.

runDisney's Fit For A Princess Expo

YAY

And now a word from our sponsors

Expo Welcome

Event Transportation Sign at the hotel

The space was very big but I think it was under utilized, there was a TON of space at Bib pick up but where the official merchandise and the vendors were seemed kinda cramped. This expo probably brought in well over 40,000 people, if you think of the 26,000 1/2 runners, the thousands of 5K runners and all of their spouses or friends that went with them to the expo. After we got our bibs and our shirts we decided to check out the official merchandise area because it looked like it was getting busy. Boy were we under prepared. There was a huge line not only to get in, but once we were in, it was literally wall to wall people trying to get their hands on official runDisney and Princess merchandise. I was luckily able to grab everything I wanted. A Wine Glass, A 13.1 Magnet, a runDisney Vinylmation, Princess Ears, a couple of pins and my coveted tumbler, they appeared to be sold out of that but I was able to find one behind the counter that somebody didn't want because it didn't have a straw. That didn't matter to me as I keep straws in my house at all times, but one of the awesome Expo Workers found me a brand new matching straw. It was awesome. I was also able to pick up one of the coveted Disney Dooney and Bourke bags specifically made for this marathon. However and I am sad to admit by the end of Expo day one I was ready to hurt somebody because it was so busy and cramped. I'm not a fan of small tight spaces. We did get out unscathed and spent the rest of Friday downtown exploring.

Expo Shawag!

Expo day two was a little bit better. Since we didn't have to get our bibs or our shirts we were able to really just concentrate on checking out the vendors. This time I was able to pick up a Sparkle Athletic skirt from Team Sparkle and some KT tape which was amazing. We also got to meet Jeff Galloway! He is a running coach and has walk/run programs designed specifically for runDisney races. We also got to see Sean Astin from Afar!! That was exciting. He played in Lord of the Rings and Goonies and most notably he played Rudy. We checked out the merch section again just in case but by Saturday most of it had been picked over. So I didn't pick up anything new. I was able to get a close up look at the official runDisney New Balance shoes. They were very cool but I'd just purchased by Brooks Pure Cadence shoes so I didn't grab them but I was able to snap a couple pics of both the mens and the womens shoes. I also got to see all of the runDisney medals, they were on display. It was amazing to see them. We picked up a bunch of samples, yogurt, banana's, and apples. Yum! Day two at the expo was much better. We even got the royal treatment from Cinderella's Coachmen!

Womens New Balance Disney Shoes

I am a Princess Angel

Thats My #

Coachmen

The Banana lady

The Royal Treatment!

All the runDisney race medals! Perty aren't they!

It's THEE Jeff Galloway!

More Banana Lady

Welcome!

The Men's New Balance Disney Shoes

He is a one man Purse holder for two ladies!

Alright moving on! After the Expo on Saturday morning we spent the afternoon at Hollywood Studios with a friend who lives in Florida!! It was pretty fun, got to do Rockin Rollercoaster and Star Tours. We called it an early night though and left the park right around 5 to grab a quick dinner and hit the sheets. I was in bed by 7:30, I faked myself into thinking it was later because we had blackout curtains, set the alarm and wake up call for 2:00 a.m. and boy did it come early. I was bleary eyed trying to get ready. Once all ready we all met up and took the first bus to the Wonder Lot of EPCOT and got ready for the race. We took a few photos and drank in the atmosphere while I was still trying to wake up. There was dancing and pictures and food. I was pretty nervous as this was my first 1/2 marathon and I was just concerned about staying ahead of the balloon ladies. I was able to pose for a couple of photos and then we finally made our way to the corrals where the entertainment continued. I danced a little bit before finding a spot to sit and stretch. While 26,000 of us were waiting for that start there were some inspirational speeches and the DJ keep us awake and full of energy. We all started in corral E. That gave us a good 20 minutes up on the sweepers which made me feel a little bit better. It was now coming up on 5:35 and the race was to begin. Each corral was celebrated with a fairy godmother countdown and fireworks. It was very surreal and magical!

Photo Backdrop

Race Day Outfit

A rose and 2 sleepy princesses

We jumped right into our fairytale

Our Corral

I am a HAM!

So lets get to it than shall we! The good part! The actual race. By the time the race started I was feeling very calm but it was overshadowed by the fact that I had to use the ladies room really bad! It seemed like that first mile went on forever before I was able to use the portopotties. After I was able to do that my body started to feel better and I was able to gain some ground. There were TONS of opportunities to meet the princes and other characters along the way but I was so terrified of the sweepers my focus was really just on finishing so I didn't stop for any photo opps. Thats okay, I am going to work that into my training for next years race. It was very warm on race morning so I was making sure to drink both a water and a power aide at every station. I did end up walking most of the race as the course was VERY congested so I wasn't able to run as much as I'd have liked. At one point around mile 5 before the castle I was beginning to feel like I was fading so I turned on my playlist and listened to my go to song from Hercules. Go the Distance has been my training song for this race because I do want every mile to be worth my while! So that gave me the pick me up I needed to press on. I had high expectations for my time in Cinderella's castle but because it was SO congested the pace pretty much slowed to a crawl. There was no running through the castle. This was disappointing not because it didn't meet my expectations but because this was the turning point in the wrong direction for me. The slow pace of the castle gave the pain I was beginning to feel the chance to manifest and it really made the miles crawl by. Mile 5-8.5 were hard for me because I was in a huge amount of pain, but I pushed through. My mantra being I didn't make it this far to quit now. So I pressed on. At mile 8.5 they were handing out running gels and that was the pick me up I needed. I was now more than 1/2 way done with the race and the gel shot gave me the energy to keep going. The pain was still there but the race was thinning out and I was able to gain a little bit of ground. Don't excited yet. My slow pace from mile 5-8 caught up with me and before I knew it the balloon ladies were right behind me. I was terrified. I wasn't at mile 9 to get swept. I've heard stories about them, and I know they were trying to be motivating but the way they were yelling was coming across very harsh, and less than motivating. I'm sure it could have been just because at this point I was on pure adrenaline. I was exhausted and in pain. They just kept yelling to go. At this point I thought I was giving it my all, but my body surprised me. I started doing a run/walk combo and started to just sprint to get ahead of them. When I got tired I walked, and when they crept back up on me I sprinted again. I ran up two pretty hefty inclines and I finally made it to mile 11 where the sweepers deemed that it was a safe zone because it was off county roads and in a Disney Parking lot which they didn't have to worry about opening to the public. I was beyond exhausted, I was amazed that I was still standing. I continued my journey and finally made it into EPCOT and Spaceship Earth was on my radar. My entire body was shutting down, my pace slowed significantly and I was practically limping through EPCOT. I was starting to tear up, knowing I was so close to the finish and partly because of the intense pain my body was feeling. I was determined! I got so many uplifting messages from the volunteers and this group of wonderful women came up behind me and one grabbed my hand and we walked hand in hand from Spaceship Earth past the choir and to the finish line. It was exactly the encouragement that I needed. I was even able to pick up my pace a little bit knowing that I was not alone. These women were complete strangers but we had one common goal and that was to finish this race that we were so close to. Hand in Hand we crossed the finish line together and the beautiful finishers medal was placed around our necks. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. I took my finishers photo and then limped my way to the food tent where I met up with my running partner and my husband. It was an emotional reunion because at this point my body had completely shut down on me. I was in excruciating pain and I was excited that I finished the race. It was a surreal moment for sure but I did it. All 13.1 miles. My time was 4:05:20 and sure it was slow but I crossed that finish line with my head held high and a goal for next year.

The castle from Main Street

We are now entering the Magic Kingdom!

I DID IT!!!!! There is my shiny new bling!

Castle Bling!!!

Celebrating a Princess Victory with Cinderella

and Jasmine

and Rapunzel

Celebrating with the mouse himself Mickey Mouse!!!

Nighttime Victory Shot!

EPCOT Victory Shot

Celebrating with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! I was cold!

A MUCH needed Victory Drink after my shower and Nap!

Blinged out Light!

So that's it, my 2013 Princess 1/2 Marathon Recap. I hope you all enjoyed and I will have another blog post up either within the hour, or if I fall asleep tomorrow morning with a little extra Princess surprise. It was an amazing weekend with amazing friends and family! I was asked if I'd do it again and at first I wasn't sure, but now my answer is bring it on! Next year I will be better trained and conditioned and I will be back for more Princess fun! It was the hardest yet most exhilarating thing I've ever been able to accomplish in my life and I'm so proud that I was able to do this.

Checking in.....Sad News

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to check in with you all and let you know that I'm sorry I haven't been updating much this week. I did film a couple of video's but my family is going through a very tough time as we've lost an extraordinary member of our family this week so that has taken priority. I will be trying to edit a little bit tomorrow between Dr.s Appointments and maybe a little bit on the plane Wed. I promise I will have some new content up in the coming days and there are some things my husband and I are working on together. So please stay tuned and I apologize for the absence. Saying goodbye to such a great man and grandfather is never easy.

Thank you everyone!

~Danielle~

Music for the Soul

I know this is a little bit off topic from what I normally post about but I can't go any longer without getting this down. I have always been a fan of musical theater and good strong music in general. There have been songs that have rocked me to my core, that just resonate. Ave Maria and Hallelujah come to mind. They are two of my absolutely favorite songs in the world. There have also been musical theater productions that have had the same effect. The Phantom of the Opera, Rent and most recently Les Miserables and Chess have really just had a profound effect that I'm not used to. It's a feeling like you can't get enough of the story or the music. Those are products and songs, there has never in my life been one single artist that puts out a quality of music that is continuously stunning and evolving. There hasn't been an artist that has reached so deeply into my soul. I'm not a music expert, I can't carry a tune, I don't play an instrument, I can't read sheet music etc....but I know what speaks to me and I can appreciate those that do have the gift and are willing to share it with the world. I also can identify when a song is so powerful that it moves me to tears over and over again. Between 2011-present I've had the extremely fortunate pleasure twice which is unusual for me. There isn't just one but two artist that are so beyond talented that I couldn't help but be moved by their work. Both singers are are just so well rounded and strong vocally and bring such a power and raw emotion to their music that it's hard not to notice and I had to share that fact in my little corner of the internet world.

The first musician to be able to speak volumes in my life is somebody who isn't very well known yet, but is slowly being discovered and appreciated. I've had the extreme pleasure of being able to see him in not one but two countries. I was able to meet him both times and he is equally as sweet and gracious and humble as he is talented. Ladies and gentlemen he is West End Actor/Sony Recording Artist Ramin Karimloo. In 2012 he released his first solo album which was such a diverse range of music from musical theater to folk rock to regular rock and it melted together beautifully into one album. It is an absolutely stunning transition from the theater world to the musician world. He also starred in not one but two major anniversary editions of two of the worlds most well known musicials. Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera. I first became tuned in when I was watching the 25th Anniversary concert of Les Miserables at the O2 Arena in London on DVD. I couldn't get over his voice, so I just had to find out more about him and I was turned on to a world of diversity and expanded my knowledge of his work and after searching YouTube for hours, I was hooked. His voice is so stunning and powerful and diverse it's almost a shame that more people haven't heard of him. As I stated I've seen him live twice and the shows he puts on are so intimate and powerful. He brings such a passion to each show it's hard not to get swept up in the moment. What really struck me is the first time I saw him live he sang a mind blowing rendition of Leonard Cohen's version of Hallelujah, which is a song I've been listening too for years since I first heard it on The O.C. in the very early 2000's. There is something incredibly emotional about that song and his rendition was no different. The intensity in which he plays the piano and sings that song is elaborate and melancholy and iconic all at the same time. He also happens to be one of the most brilliant Phantoms of all time. He grew the role into it's sequel Love Never Dies. On top of his major accomplishments in both theater and mainstream music he is one of the most gracious and humble artists that I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He treats his fans like friends. The way he just seems to be so natural at everything is part of the charm. It's opened me up to a whole different way of appreciating music and musical theater. I could honestly go on for hours about him and what he's accomplished and what I think but I'll spare you all of that. I promise you though if you haven't been privy to appreciating his music, I suggest at least giving it a chance. He is worth discovering in your lives.

The Ever Incredible Ramin Karimloo

The next is an artist who is a little bit more well known but still equally as talented and diverse. His brilliant ranges and tones are what make him so stunning. I've been listening to his music since 2003 when I first heard one of his songs on the radio but I've recently rediscovered his immense talents after purchasing an album on a whim. Josh Groban's voice is magnificent. The emotion he puts into each and every song is so different from the crap that is mainstream today. He sings to sing, he puts everything out there, singing to full potential as if his songs could be in musicals where that kind of power is needed. I haven't seen him live yet, but I plan to change that as soon as possible so I can't speak to that, but what I can speak to is when I close my eyes and listen to him sing You Raise me Up, or most recently Brave, or his breathtaking version of Ave Maria, I can't explain the feeling of calmness and inspiration that wash over me. It sends shivers down my spine and it brings this serenity that cannot be explained with words, but only with feelings. He is incredibly diverse, If you've seen him in an interview he has such a personality that is completely different that the music he sings and I think that is what makes him unique. He is very humble yet he is funny and inspiring. His love for helping his charities is ever present in the way that he speaks about them. It takes him to a completely different level.  His role in Chess: The Musical was the perfect place for him, he showcased his incredibly strong voice that seems to be made for both the theater world and the mainstream music world. The complex emotion of each and every song speaks to my heart and floods my soul with a kind of emotion that is very personal and unexplainable. If you are into music, but haven't listened to Josh Groban or have heard him in the past I think it's worth giving the music some of your appreciation.

The Brilliantly Talented Josh Groban

There you have it, in one of my most personal blog updates, the music that really speaks to me and that resonates with me. Music is a very very personal thing for a lot of people so I hope that each of you have an artist or a song that speaks volumes to you like these two talented artists do for me.

***DISCLAIMER*** I am in no way affiliate with Josh Groban or Ramin Karimloo, I am just a fan in my own rights and these are my opinions. I am not being paid to endorse either artist, I just have such a strong appreciation of their voices that I felt that I wanted to share. Also the Picture of Josh Groban was not taken by me, it was found online. All rights of the Photo of Ramin Karimloo and myself are mine, that photo was taken my me and all rights to that photo are my own.

Weekend Haul!!!

This weekend brought some shopping after a debacle at the Eye Dr. (Nothing bad just an insurance mix up) So since we were out we decided to walk around at the mall. I wasn't really looking for anything specific but I fell in love with the most amazing Kate Spade purse. I only own a make up case from Kate Spade but I've been admiring her purses lately because they are so chic and beautifully made. So I was browsing the sale items at Lord and Taylor and found the prettiest Kate Spade bag, and it was marked at $238 but there was a sign that said there was an extra % off and after a quick price check it was determined that the bag would only be around $150 marked down fully from $310 so it was a HUGE savings. The bag is called Sidney and it's in the Perry St. Plaid pattern. I also had NO idea that our local mall had a L'Occitane store. I've always purchased those products from Sephora so I was thrilled when I saw that they had an entire store. I only grabbed one lotion in the Rose Scent and it's amazing! The last thing I was able to pick up was  a pressed pigment shadow in Deeply Dashing which is a gorgeous shimmery gold at MAC and a pink lip pencil in More to Love and lip color in Pink Pearl Pop. It was too snowy to do much else. We did end up getting a majority of the cleaning we needed to accomplish done this weekend, now just little touches before Disney, which is now (since it's after midnight my time) in 15 days! I'm beyond excited. I got my waivers for the race and my bib # so it's starting to feel really real now! I've been slowly grabbing things I need for this trip and have it set aside so I can lay it all out to pack! I haven't pulled out the suitcases yet because it scares Nala. She hates when her "mommy" and "daddy" go away. Poor thing. She's so cute though when she gets all clingy. She will be in good hands at my mother and father in law's house. I am so ready for a vacation! The last vacation I took was my honeymoon and I had the flu. It was terrible trying to navigate Disney with the flu and since I just got over a pretty bad cold I'm hoping it's smooth sailing for now.

Weekend Haul

Nala The Beagle of Wonder

Anyways I am rambling now! That's it for today and I'll be back this week with a couple of new posts and my January Favorites Video as well as the video version of the haul!! Next week the packing video and the carry on video's will be filmed and I hope to have them uploaded before I leave.  Vlogging will be starting soon. Ben and I will be Co-Vlogging 2-3 times per week and it will appear on both of our channels. (Or we might create a secondary channel for our blogs) If you are in to techy things and gadgets go check out his blog www.mizonation.com or his YouTube Channel BMiz Productions.