hello my loves! it is with great excitement that I announce my new blog, which can be found at robineylea.com! I am so excited to share this new chapter of my life with you all over there!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
get sweaty
{for this week's workout wednesday post, I've asked my very cool friend Nena to create a workout playlist! Nena is one of the fittest girls I know, and she's known throughout our social circles as the person with the coolest [and most extensive] taste in music! you can find her music blog on tumblr, and her hilarious thoughts on life on twitter. enjoy!}
Hello everybody! My name is Nena. I am a 20-year-old Sociology major/ German Language minor who has a thirst for good tunes and for being active. When the beautiful and lovely Robin asked me to be a guest writer on her rad blog, I was beyond stoked. To top it off, she asked me to write about my two favorite topics in the universe: music and working out (or well, more specifically, music to listen to while working out).
There is no doubt in my mind having the perfect playlist can immensely improve your workout . Listening to upbeat music has been proven to motivate you to put in more effort, it keeps you focused and a good beat can really help you keep a steady pace. I find that the playlist people listen to while they get their sweat-on can be a very personal thing. Everyone likes a variety of different genres and I've found that different songs work differently for the type of work out as well.
The playlist I have crafted for you today is categorized for the different stages of a good full body workout, including a warm-up, cardio, lifting and a cool down. I tried to mix up the genres and keep it fresh 2 death to tickle the fancy of all of you fit readers (Did I mention your ass looks great? Must be all those stairs you did listening to awesome jams eh?) Also I’m just going to do a shameless plug here and say all the tunes are soundcloud links. Soundcloud is seriously (in my opinion) the best listening/streaming site out there. If you make an account here you can make your own playlist or follow this 1-hour Get Sweaty Playlist that I made specifically for this post! Okay - now down to the nitty gritty (and sweaty?)!
Hello everybody! My name is Nena. I am a 20-year-old Sociology major/ German Language minor who has a thirst for good tunes and for being active. When the beautiful and lovely Robin asked me to be a guest writer on her rad blog, I was beyond stoked. To top it off, she asked me to write about my two favorite topics in the universe: music and working out (or well, more specifically, music to listen to while working out).
There is no doubt in my mind having the perfect playlist can immensely improve your workout . Listening to upbeat music has been proven to motivate you to put in more effort, it keeps you focused and a good beat can really help you keep a steady pace. I find that the playlist people listen to while they get their sweat-on can be a very personal thing. Everyone likes a variety of different genres and I've found that different songs work differently for the type of work out as well.
The playlist I have crafted for you today is categorized for the different stages of a good full body workout, including a warm-up, cardio, lifting and a cool down. I tried to mix up the genres and keep it fresh 2 death to tickle the fancy of all of you fit readers (Did I mention your ass looks great? Must be all those stairs you did listening to awesome jams eh?) Also I’m just going to do a shameless plug here and say all the tunes are soundcloud links. Soundcloud is seriously (in my opinion) the best listening/streaming site out there. If you make an account here you can make your own playlist or follow this 1-hour Get Sweaty Playlist that I made specifically for this post! Okay - now down to the nitty gritty (and sweaty?)!
warm up
Latch (Disclosure) - the lovely voice of Sam Smith
and the endless talent of the 2 Disclosure brothers never fails to get me ready
for a killer sweat.
cardio
Sunshower (Rusko) - annnnnd now its time to get in
a groove. Falling into step with this fresh off the press Rusko track is like
second nature.
Green Gardens (Djemba Djemba) - this remix of a great original
makes for a great cardio pusher
Girls (The 1975) - changing the pace with some
good British rock boys and a dance jam can get me motivated like no other
Inspector Norse (Todd Terje) - nu-Disco has this way of
getting me into a cardio trance.
Go (Grimes) - Grimes and Blood Diamonds wrote
this jam for Rhianna who turned it down and I cant imagine why ?!!?!?! The trap
break down can get anyone goin 3hunnit.
All Good (Av Av Av) - keep on going with the smooth
as butter track by Av Av Av will have you running longer than you ever thought
you could
Feel of Love (i-D) - feel the love. The love of the
feeling of pushing your body to the limits.
Cloudy (Feel so Real) - the endless groove you’ll be in
after this jam will have you wanting to keep going FOREVER!
lifting
Push 'Em Up (Boyz Noize) - PUSH UP THOSE WEIGHTS. I KNOW
YOU CAN DO ONE MORE.
Fancy Remix (Iggy Azalea) - hard twist on the song of the
summer to get you lifting more than you ever thought you could
Affection (Crystal Castles) - trap remix of the year. Hits
hard and so do you
Rock U Tonite (Wave Racer) - the synth drop for ultimate
motivation
Shabba (A$AP Ferg) - the bass beats got you like “do
you even lift bro?
Gibberi$h (Zooly) - ~LETS GO~ this track hits
harder than any weight out there. FINISH OFF STRONG.
cool down
As We Strive (TWOS) - wow good work out! You were really
striving for greatness *high five*
Amazing workout! Find the Get Sweaty Playlist on Soundcloud.
Huge thanks to Robin for featuring me today!
Hopefully I'll be back with another playlist soon!
Monday, July 21, 2014
The Blogmopolitan Quiz Part 3
I'm linking up again with Two Thirds Hazel for pretty much the coolest link-up imaginable. I tried to fill this one out as fast as possible because I typically put waaay too much thought into these things! So fun!
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Thursday, July 17, 2014
things learned
today I am 23 years old. although I definitely don't want to be one of those people who gripes about being old while still in my early twenties, I feel a little freaked out by 23. I know for a long time, I thought I'd have my life all figured out by 23. but I don't. I don't really have anything figured out, but I have learned a lot of things, especially over the past year.
while I may go into 23 still telling people that I'm 21, here are 22 things I learned about myself, relationships, and life while I was 22.
one: it's okay to say no, and to express what you really want.
two: and a follow up to number one, it's okay to not know what you're doing with your life, and it's okay to say that out loud [still learning this one]
three: moisturizing your skin is the most important thing in the world. or, well, it's up there.
four: love doesn't always work out. this was probably the hardest lesson I've learned over the past year, but also one of the most valuable.
five: I am a girly-girl. I think for a long time I tried to think I was "one of the guys," but I finally learned this year that a) I am not "one of the guys" and b) it's okay to be girly.
six: feminism is not about female supremacy. I think this past year, I learned that I am a feminist.
seven: being an auntie is the best thing in the whole wide world.
eight: it's okay to not be okay.
nine: being strong doesn't mean you're not hurting. it means that you can face your hurt with bravery.
ten: sometimes champagne is the answer:
eleven: people watching is sometimes the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
twelve: Dr. Seuss is pretty much the best philosopher in the world.
thirteen: sometimes you don't know what you like or don't like until you try it. so try it.
fourteen: you won't meet your future Mr or Mrs Right on some dating app. you'll need to download and delete the app several hundred times before you realize this.
fifteen: it's important to never stop learning.
sixteen: be yourself. the truth about who you are will always come out, so you may as well be you from the start.
seventeen: it's okay to keep reading seventeen magazine. but it's also okay to exchange it for a cosmo. you do you.
eighteen: that thing that you waste all of your time doing? it's not time wasted. it's what you should be doing.
nineteen: in the end, things won't matter. invest in relationships, not retail. (wow, I'm deep)
twenty: going to bed early is AWESOME.
twenty-one: Beyonce, hot chocolate and a good book are usually a good cure for anything.
twenty-two: learning to love yourself is the hardest thing you may ever do. but it's also the most important.
there's my list! what are some of your life lessons?
 |
| A Starbucks birthday cake pop is the best way to celebrate. |
while I may go into 23 still telling people that I'm 21, here are 22 things I learned about myself, relationships, and life while I was 22.
one: it's okay to say no, and to express what you really want.
two: and a follow up to number one, it's okay to not know what you're doing with your life, and it's okay to say that out loud [still learning this one]
three: moisturizing your skin is the most important thing in the world. or, well, it's up there.
four: love doesn't always work out. this was probably the hardest lesson I've learned over the past year, but also one of the most valuable.
five: I am a girly-girl. I think for a long time I tried to think I was "one of the guys," but I finally learned this year that a) I am not "one of the guys" and b) it's okay to be girly.
six: feminism is not about female supremacy. I think this past year, I learned that I am a feminist.
seven: being an auntie is the best thing in the whole wide world.
eight: it's okay to not be okay.
nine: being strong doesn't mean you're not hurting. it means that you can face your hurt with bravery.
ten: sometimes champagne is the answer:
eleven: people watching is sometimes the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
twelve: Dr. Seuss is pretty much the best philosopher in the world.
thirteen: sometimes you don't know what you like or don't like until you try it. so try it.
fourteen: you won't meet your future Mr or Mrs Right on some dating app. you'll need to download and delete the app several hundred times before you realize this.
fifteen: it's important to never stop learning.
sixteen: be yourself. the truth about who you are will always come out, so you may as well be you from the start.
seventeen: it's okay to keep reading seventeen magazine. but it's also okay to exchange it for a cosmo. you do you.
eighteen: that thing that you waste all of your time doing? it's not time wasted. it's what you should be doing.
nineteen: in the end, things won't matter. invest in relationships, not retail. (wow, I'm deep)
twenty: going to bed early is AWESOME.
twenty-one: Beyonce, hot chocolate and a good book are usually a good cure for anything.
twenty-two: learning to love yourself is the hardest thing you may ever do. but it's also the most important.
there's my list! what are some of your life lessons?
Thursday, July 3, 2014
xoxo
there are 5 blogs that I faithfully check every single day for new content. one of these is the fairy princess dairies (check it out! it's fun and fabulous). jordyn, the author, constantly raves about being obsessed with gossip girl. a few weeks ago, I was home sick from work for two days and decided finally to cave and get netflix. and I decided to start my netflix addiction by binge watching gossip girl.
and I am OBSESSED.
to be honest, the first few episodes had me feeling pretty meh. I actually told my roommate that it was the dumbest show I'd ever seen and that I hated all of the characters. she left for work, and when she got back 8 hours later I was flipping out about how obsessed I was and how crazy it is.
I've just finished season two and I have three main thoughts:
one: I have to add Blake Lively to my girl crush list. she's probably number two at this point. I feel like she is made of sparkles, joy and sunshine.
two: I am ashamed of how much I am like Blair Waldorf. I totally have a love-hate with her, and I'm [hopefully] not as plotting/manipulative/crazy as her... but I feel like I understand her pretty well. I hate to say it, but it's true. She frequently says things that match things I've said/thought. Here are two:
three: in a lot of ways, even though GG is totally over the top and ridiculous, the characters (however hateable) all reveal very true things about the world. like how true is this:
okay am I being crazy? you know you love me. xoxo, R
Monday, June 9, 2014
pick-me-up
you know those days when you're just feeling down?
I hate those days. they've been more frequent lately, with the whole breakup and all. you know the days. the days where you watch Crazy Stupid Love and lose it at your tv because if Steve Carrell can find love, why can't you? the days where everyone is busy, and you've had too much "alone time." the days where you feel bored and listless and just sort of low.
well! I have a list of my favourite ways to beat the low-days.
exercise. boost those endorphins! go for a ten minute walk, do some Zumba or hit a yoga class. no matter how you do it, make sure you do it for at least ten minutes. exercise is shown to decrease mental illness extraordinarily well, so it can also decrease the crappy-day-blues.
do something you love. which sounds obvious, but baking a cake, blogging or organizing your tool shed will distract you from whatever is making you feel low, give a sense of purpose and will also make you happy.
let someone know. telling someone that you're feeling like crap can be really therapeutic! it's like getting someone on your side, and it can also provide a fresh perspective.
take a shower. okay, this might be me-specific. when I'm sad/angry I really love to take a shower. it's my own personal space where I can think, cry and sing. plus, you come out smelling better than before.
remind yourself that it's not forever. you will eventually feel happy again. if it becomes something that lasts a significant amount of time, it might be worth discussing with your doctor or a psychologist. and in the meantime, there's always this song:
I hate those days. they've been more frequent lately, with the whole breakup and all. you know the days. the days where you watch Crazy Stupid Love and lose it at your tv because if Steve Carrell can find love, why can't you? the days where everyone is busy, and you've had too much "alone time." the days where you feel bored and listless and just sort of low.
well! I have a list of my favourite ways to beat the low-days.
exercise. boost those endorphins! go for a ten minute walk, do some Zumba or hit a yoga class. no matter how you do it, make sure you do it for at least ten minutes. exercise is shown to decrease mental illness extraordinarily well, so it can also decrease the crappy-day-blues.
do something you love. which sounds obvious, but baking a cake, blogging or organizing your tool shed will distract you from whatever is making you feel low, give a sense of purpose and will also make you happy.
let someone know. telling someone that you're feeling like crap can be really therapeutic! it's like getting someone on your side, and it can also provide a fresh perspective.
take a shower. okay, this might be me-specific. when I'm sad/angry I really love to take a shower. it's my own personal space where I can think, cry and sing. plus, you come out smelling better than before.
remind yourself that it's not forever. you will eventually feel happy again. if it becomes something that lasts a significant amount of time, it might be worth discussing with your doctor or a psychologist. and in the meantime, there's always this song:
Friday, June 6, 2014
coffee date
let's have a coffee date. you + me. right now.
why? because I have something personal on my heart, and it's easier to share something personal when you've got a hot chai tea latte or iced caramel macchiato in your hands.
do you ever just get the explicit feeling that you have no idea who you are? sure, if someone asks, you can give a list of the things you enjoy (starbucks, movies, psychology) and the things you do (work, watch movies, study), but can you really tell someone who you are? is that because you don't know who you are, or because it's far more complex than you can share in words?
I think it can be both. but even when I'm alone with my thoughts, I still don't really know who I am. I don't know what makes me special, or what my purpose in life is. I feel so much anxiety when someone says "tell me about yourself" that I often just ramble on and on and make no sense whatsoever.
I want to say yes to finding myself and yes to my adventure... but where do I even start?
Thursday, June 5, 2014
the friendzone
Today, I want to talk about an issue that annoys the crap out of me: the concept of the friendzone.
Imagine that Harry really likes Sally. Sally is not interested in Harry, but she appreciates having him as a friend. Harry becomes determined to win Sally's affections, and is the nicest, sweetest and kindest he can possibly be towards her. Still, Sally is uninterested in Harry in that way. He begins to smother her with affection, and Sally pushes Harry away. Harry's friends laugh at him and point out that Sally has totally "friend-zoned" him - Harry cannot believe that girls are only interested in bad boys and would never be interested in a nice guy like him! Sally is suuuch a bitch!
As if because Harry is a nice guy, Sally owes it to him to no longer consider him "just a friend." The friend zone is some made up construct for people to deal with the fact that someone else does not have feelings for them. Plain and simple - someone is not a jerk for not wanting to date you. We've turned Sally into a bad person because she doesn't want to date Harry even though he's a nice guy!? We're ignoring the actual reasons that Sally isn't interested in Harry - she's not attracted to him, doesn't feel anything beyond friendship for him + has feelings for whatshisname.
This concept is dangerous, and the media perpetuates it. We see so many countless movies where one person has major, unreciprocated feelings for someone else... and at the end, the other person magically has a change of heart.
Obviously, there are situations where a friendship can blossom into more. Where friends-feelings can change into more than friends-feelings.
But, bottom line: if you're being friends with someone simply because you hope to eventually date or have sex with them, you're the jerk.
Imagine that Harry really likes Sally. Sally is not interested in Harry, but she appreciates having him as a friend. Harry becomes determined to win Sally's affections, and is the nicest, sweetest and kindest he can possibly be towards her. Still, Sally is uninterested in Harry in that way. He begins to smother her with affection, and Sally pushes Harry away. Harry's friends laugh at him and point out that Sally has totally "friend-zoned" him - Harry cannot believe that girls are only interested in bad boys and would never be interested in a nice guy like him! Sally is suuuch a bitch!
As if because Harry is a nice guy, Sally owes it to him to no longer consider him "just a friend." The friend zone is some made up construct for people to deal with the fact that someone else does not have feelings for them. Plain and simple - someone is not a jerk for not wanting to date you. We've turned Sally into a bad person because she doesn't want to date Harry even though he's a nice guy!? We're ignoring the actual reasons that Sally isn't interested in Harry - she's not attracted to him, doesn't feel anything beyond friendship for him + has feelings for whatshisname.
This concept is dangerous, and the media perpetuates it. We see so many countless movies where one person has major, unreciprocated feelings for someone else... and at the end, the other person magically has a change of heart.
Obviously, there are situations where a friendship can blossom into more. Where friends-feelings can change into more than friends-feelings.
But, bottom line: if you're being friends with someone simply because you hope to eventually date or have sex with them, you're the jerk.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
workout must haves
I'm not going to look like a frump when I'm working out, and that's that. I'm much less likely to get moving if I feel less-than-pretty while doing it. Solution? Cute workout clothing.
cute waterbottle - comfy shorts - warm zip-up - cushioned shoes - pretty gym bag
cute waterbottle - comfy shorts - warm zip-up - cushioned shoes - pretty gym bag
Those are my must-haves. What are yours?
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
take a look
I saw this video yesterday, and it moved me so much - I even cried a little bit.
I know the concept of this video is a little strange... but the idea is liberating and sweet. These women faced their vagina fears and started the process of loving and accepting their whole bodies. These women were so brave to share such an intimate and deep moment with the internet.
Love it. Sex positivity makes me so smiley.
I know the concept of this video is a little strange... but the idea is liberating and sweet. These women faced their vagina fears and started the process of loving and accepting their whole bodies. These women were so brave to share such an intimate and deep moment with the internet.
Love it. Sex positivity makes me so smiley.
Monday, June 2, 2014
re:new
sometimes we need a fresh start.
sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to start over.
over the past few years, I have changed so much. I've lost my religion, finished my degree, become a feminist, gained and lost friends, relationships and jobs. My mental health has fluctuated just as much as my life has over the past few years. Sometimes, even in between a few days I can go from feeling 100% fantastic to 100% not-so-shiny.
Often, it makes me feel better to drop whatever I'm working on and to just have a fresh start - or at least to take a moment to lean back and look at what I'm doing. I need to see how things could be better, and it's pretty dang hard to do that during a panic attack or during high stress moments.Change is good. Change is challenging, but change is good. It's good for your mental health to rethink things sometimes. :)
As you can see, I've changed some things here on the blog. Definitely be expecting more changes - this mini facelift on the blog is just another example of taking a step back and seeing how things could be better.
Often, it makes me feel better to drop whatever I'm working on and to just have a fresh start - or at least to take a moment to lean back and look at what I'm doing. I need to see how things could be better, and it's pretty dang hard to do that during a panic attack or during high stress moments.Change is good. Change is challenging, but change is good. It's good for your mental health to rethink things sometimes. :)
As you can see, I've changed some things here on the blog. Definitely be expecting more changes - this mini facelift on the blog is just another example of taking a step back and seeing how things could be better.
Friday, May 30, 2014
favourites
here's a little friday fun! my five favourite cheerful places to look at when I've got free time or need a laugh!
1. #myfriendsaremarried - omg, this is seriously the funniest tumblr. as a single girl with a lot of married friends, this blog is basically constantly reading my mind.
2. ps.heart - this blog is a) incredibly beautiful b) written by two beautiful lovlies and c) my inspiration when I can't find my creativity. check it out!
3. anna akana - I love Anna's thoughts on life. she's smart, funny and a feminist. she's recently exploring making short films and I'm loving all of her twisted creativity.
4. fitsugar - way to make fitness look glam, fun and fabulous! I love reading articles on here. it motivates me and keeps me interested.
5. sexplanations - Dr. Doe, a sexologist that I adore (and pretty much want to be when I grow up!!), explains sex concepts in a clear, frank way - plus she's hilarious and goofy.
share the love - tell me what your favourite cheerful websites are!
1. #myfriendsaremarried - omg, this is seriously the funniest tumblr. as a single girl with a lot of married friends, this blog is basically constantly reading my mind.
2. ps.heart - this blog is a) incredibly beautiful b) written by two beautiful lovlies and c) my inspiration when I can't find my creativity. check it out!
3. anna akana - I love Anna's thoughts on life. she's smart, funny and a feminist. she's recently exploring making short films and I'm loving all of her twisted creativity.
4. fitsugar - way to make fitness look glam, fun and fabulous! I love reading articles on here. it motivates me and keeps me interested.
5. sexplanations - Dr. Doe, a sexologist that I adore (and pretty much want to be when I grow up!!), explains sex concepts in a clear, frank way - plus she's hilarious and goofy.
share the love - tell me what your favourite cheerful websites are!
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