I know many of you might be thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. What is it about a new year that makes us all think we can succeed at everything we failed at the previous year?

Well, besides the fact we can succeed at anything, it is a fresh slate of sorts. Everything is so last year and is so not happening  again in 2013.

I feel ya. I do.

And while it’s technically not the new year yet, it is a great time to beat everyone who is also thinking of hopping on the fitness bandwagon. They won’t get on it until January 1, sooooo, you have almost a whole week to snag up the fitness apparel in the sizes you want/need. Now, as a woman who is fluffy, I am appalled at the lack of cute fitness apparel for fluffys. It’s like I have to lose weight to fit into anything from the major fitness brands. I’m looking at you, Reebok.

Well, let’s say you want fitness apparel, aren’t sizes 0-10, and don’t want to spend $70 on yoga pants (yeah, screw you Victoria’s Secret!)…then you’ve come to the right place. These are stores with super affordable, cute, fitness apparel that will fit you NOW.

1.) Walmart.com: Affordable (think $17 and under per item), cute, and with 97-cent per item shipping (or shop in store), they are a viable, SUPER affordable option for workout pants, tops and sports bras.

2.) LaneBryant.com: Not as cheap as Walmart, but with coupons, it can be (if you buy at the right time). A lot of the items are made by Reebox, oddly enough since Reebox.com only goes up to XL, but lots of the tops/pants are on sale constantly. The sports bras are FAB quality, and are usually BOGO 50% off or free. Coupons are key to maximizing your savings, but the prices are reasonable nonetheless.

3.) OldNavy.com: Free shipping on orders over $50, free returns, and loads of coupon offers every week, this another great option for affordable fitness apparel. They have a whole section of plus size fitness wear that is cute, practical and affordable. The sizing is a little funky, so you might want to order one size up/down and return one. Some items run huge, others run small.

As you can see, with these options there is no excuse to workout in ratty t-shirts and icky pants. I think investing in a 2-3 workout outfits will help make you feel good about yourself when working out, and hopefully keep you motivated because you’ll look so darn cute.

And since you’re saving on workout apparel, I’d urge you to splurge on these items:

1.) A heart rate monitor! My absolute favorite is this one. I’ve owned it for about 2 years now, and I love that it tells me if I need to work harder (or take it down a notch), plus it tells me how many calories I’ve burned. That info alone will help your weight loss goals since those online calculators tend to grossly over estimate how many calories you burn. This is money WELL spent, and Polar is an outstanding brand that will last you MANY years. Well worth the $65 or so.

2.) Good athletic shoes. Your knees, joints, and feet will thank you profusely. I’d suggest going to a running/walking store to get properly fitted for the proper shoes (over/under pronators), but if you don’t or can’t, Amazon.com’s shoe department is your friend. They offer free returns on all shoes sold by Amazon, so by a few different sizes/types, keep what fits, and send the others back. You won’t even have to leave the house. I personally love Asics, these shoes to be exact, but order shoes that will work for the type of exercise you will be doing (running/walking/dancing, indoor/outdoor).

3.) If you’re running or walking or even just planning on vacuuming as a form of exercise, a pair of bluetooth headphones will prove invaluable. Gotta love the feeling of no wires to interfere with your arm motions, plus if you get a phone call while you’re exercising, it’s really easy to just pick up the phone by pressing a button on your bluetooth headphones. Adjust volume, switch songs, talk on the phone without having to mess with your phone. Pure. Bliss. I own this pair, and they’re so luxe without the luxe price tag. They’re rechargeable, have good volume and seem pretty heavy duty.

I hope those suggestions help all of us who are a little ahem, chubby, find some cute workout clothes so we can be fit and healthy in 2013. If there’s a store I forgot about, please leave me a comment so others can see, too.

I almost forgot—if you’re shopping online, remember to click through eBates! You earn cash back on all your purchases, so if you spend $100 at Old Navy, and they’re doing 5% cash back that day, you’ll end up with $5 cash back. Every bit helps, and it’s super easy to sign up here. You can save up that cash back money to buy some smaller clothes in spring time, right? :)

What are your favorite exercise/fitness activities to do when you’re trying to get back into a fitness routine?

Just a friendly reminder that there is still time to enter my giveaway for one of 2 Lane Bryant gift cards (see my post from earlier today), but if you want to have another shot at some holiday gift cards, then you might want to listen up...

There's a super fun Twitter party coming up where curvy gals can talk about getting all gussied up for the holidays. Maybe it's that fabulous company soirée or a family event where you want to dress to impress. Whether your favorite look is glam, modern, edgy, flirty or comfy chic, Lane Bryant has it all. You may get some ideas on how to put together amazing holiday looks. It may be cold outside, but you can still be smokin' hot, ladies!

Plus Lane Bryant has amazing special offers everyday, which you can learn about on their Facebook page.

So, join the @LaneBryant “Holiday Fashion Fun” Twitter Party this Monday, 12/17 at noon PT/3pm ET! Fab prizes! RSVP to win prizes, including $30 Lane Bryant gift cards! RSVP: http://clvr.li/128tjBx

The Details:

• What: Lane Bryant “Holiday Fashion Fun” Twitter Party
• When: Mon 12/17 noon PT/3pm ET
• Where: On Twitter! CleverTweets: http://clvr.li/SYaCNf
• Follow: Hashtag #LBHoliday @CleverGirlsColl @LaneBryantRSVP here: http://clvr.li/128tjBx
• Prizes: 18, $30 Lane Bryant gift cards

I hope to participate even though I will be on the road. Yay for technology! :)

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

So, yeah, my goals of looking like Jessica Alba didn’t pan out this year. Nor last year. Nor the year before that.

I think as I get older I learn that beauty isn’t tied to a number, whether it be weight or dress size. Luckily, stores like Lane Bryant also agree with me, and they make gorgeous clothing, accessories and shoes for the modern plus size woman. Shopping in their stores is always a treat because of their friendly staff and beautiful dressing rooms, and this weekend’s shopping expedition was no exception. Lane Bryant stores leave me feeling happy and confident. I don’t want to be feel ashamed when I just want to feel pretty.

I’m trying to convince my husband we should finally DO something fun for New Year’s Eve and the holidays, so I am hoping this cute blouse, shoes and earrings will help convince him!

I already have a pair of Lane Bryant classic black pants that I can pair with my sparkly blouse, and those heels are actually very comfy. I’m so not a heels person, but they are truly gorgeous.

Lane Bryant is having tons of special surprise offers just in time for the holidays, and today’s special offer will rock your socks. Here it is:

That is a GREAT special offer. Essentially you can buy a blouse and add on shoes for $1. Or a dress and get a cute sweater for $1. That’s a lot of value, just in time for the holidays. I’ll probably head back to a Lane Bryant store today just to take advantage because I love their pants and blouses for work. Confident, comfy, chic—that’s how I feel in their clothes. And with special surprise offers like these, I have no excuse to not splurge a little. Right?

And, because I want to spread some holiday cheer, I am giving away TWO $30 Lane Bryant gift cards to 2 very lucky people. It’s super easy to win, not complicated at all…

To enter to win one of the $30 gift cards, just pin your favorite holiday look(s) from the Lane Bryant website and include the #LB12Days hashtag in the caption, and leave me the link to your pin in the comments section of this post (not the link to your pinterest account, but your actual pin URL, one entry per person regardless of pins). Also leave me your email address so I can find you and mail you this fantabulous prize.

Contest is open from right now until December 18 at noon. 18+, US only. I’ll draw a winner on the 18th, and I’ll contact them via email. They’ll have 48 hours to respond before I give up and choose another.

With so many great special offers, Lane Bryant is a great choice for beautiful, curvy gal clothes this holiday season. Happy pinning!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Well, thanks to all of your comments and votes, I went with the fabulous pink shirt and pencil skirt outfit from the Liz Claiborne line at jcpenney for my big day at the office.

Ta-dah!

The outfit made me feel like I looked polished, yet modern and feminine. That day I was on my feet the WHOLE day, and I felt pretty comfortable in the outfit. I got lots of compliments on the color of the blouse, and seriously, who doesn't love compliments?!

It was a pretty important day for me because I had to coordinate a visit from a Texas State Senator on our college campus:

 

This meant I had to set-up for the event, greet guests, take photos, and generally be an awesome PR pro for the college I work at. The State Senator visit went off without a hitch, and I think I'm going to attribute some of that success to have a comfortable outfit that made me feel confident! I am sometimes nervous in my new position at work, and it may seem silly, but having clothing that makes me feel good about myself is important. This especially important to me when I feel really overweight and fluffy. It's a blessing to find stylish plus size clothing. Truly. I mean it.

Now I have classic, yet stylish/trendy pieces in my wardrobe that were affordable and will last awhile. I'm making my work clothes as fun as I can!

Then I felt so empowered by my outfit and the inspiring message of State Senator Judith Zaffirini that I went out to early vote in my fancy schmancy jcpenney outfit.

 

The next day I had a few emails telling me what success the day/event was, and I felt proud. So thank YOU my lovely readers for helping me choose an outfit that made for a memorable, important day at work for me.

Do you have an outfit that makes you feel uber confident? I'd love to hear about it!

This outfit gave me the confidence I needed to make a great impression. jcpenney carries iconic brands like Liz Claiborne that make looking good effortless at great prices. Go to jcpenney to shop for more of fall's best trends.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of jcpenney. The opinions and text are all mine.

As you all know, I was supposed to go to a wedding and wear an outfit from the jcpenney Liz Claiborne line.

Well, now I have to attend something else that's a little more business/work oriented, and I need your help picking out an outfit.

Now, my husband was supposed to be my photographer for this post, but his office is undergoing an audit...so the photos are all taken by me on my trusty iPhone. What would I do without technology?

I love shopping in store, but jcpenney is about 70 miles away from me, so I shopped online. Once on the jcpenney website, I clicked on the Liz Claiborne logo towards the bottom of the page, and I shopped away!

Their plus size line is actually really cute, and it's NOT just bigger versions of the misses line. I feel like they actually put some effort into making figure flattering clothes for us larger gals, and I appreciate it. I like to look cute, stylish and professional.

I also love the free shipping if my order is over $50, and I love that if I do need to return something, I can do it really easily at any store. Just make sure your item is in stock and not backordered if you're ordering for a special event. My shoes are still on their way, but should be here before the event next week.

I looked at all the options on the website, and I ended up choosing a sweater/pant outfit and a blouse/skirt outfit plus some accessories. Here's what I chose;

Outfit Option #1:

 

Liz Claiborne Dolman Sleeve Sweater: I love this sweater because it is COMFY. There is a lot of metallic threading in the pattern, which makes it really pretty. And the overall color is a deep teal, which is a super popular color right now.

Liz Claiborne Secretly Slender Pants in Charcoal Heather: These pants are very nice, and very forgiving! They're a smidge lighter than shown online, but the color is a nice change for me- I'm usually always in dark pants (black).

Outfit Option #2:

Liz Claiborne Front Pocket Blouse in Magenta Jewel: I'm usually one to shy away from silky shirts, but this one is so pretty! I like the pockets on it, though they're not really going to be functional pockets, of course.

Liz Claiborne Woven Straight Skirt: This skirt has nice texture to it, and a nice fit. I don't gravitate towards pencil skirts because they tend to be hard to walk in, but this one has enough room in it to be practical and retain it's shape. It's also easy for a full figured gal to look good in because of the nice cut in the fabric at the sides.

To go with either outfit, I also bought:

Liz Claiborne Drop Earrings

I love earrings! :)

Overall, I really do like the quality of the clothes and the ease of the shopping experience, other than the small backorder issue with the shoes. The prices are also pretty affordable, and I have confidence that the clothes will last awhile. Good quality, good prices.

Which piece of clothing do you like the best?

Vote for the outfit you think I should wear and tell me which is your favorite item I bought! I included links to the pieces from my outfits but be sure to visit jcpenney for more classic pieces.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of jcpenney. The opinions and text are all mine.

I’ve written about the Johnson & Johnson products quite a bit, and today I am focusing on the Daily Moisturizing Lotion and the Nourish & Moisturize Shampoo/Conditioner. When I first tried these out, I was kind of left a little unimpressed, but now…not so much.
I’ve been using them religiously for a few months now, and I just love it. I have these crazy phases where my legs itch like crazy. I’ve never been one to experience that kind of thing, and even Benadryl or antihistamine meds won’t help when I go into one of my crazy itchy phases. Even worse, my head sometimes gets like that, too. My initial impression was that because they weren’t scented, I wasn’t gaga over them, but I am thinking the all natural, no fragrance formula is definitely worth not smelling like flowers and rainbows. It soothes the skin, and during nights when I am itching so much I can’t sleep, it is my SAVIOR.

The shampoo and conditioner don’t do much for my curls or my dry hair, but it does a lot for my scalp. Gotta have priorities! I have less itchy/dry scalp feeling, and that’s worth a million bucks. Scratching your head constantly is NO FUN y’all, and it can be embarrassing. I think I straighten my hair too much to see a huge improvement, so please keep that in mind. My hair is fried!
I am in love with all the Aveeno products I’ve tried thanks to the Johnson & Johnson campaign with the Latina & Latino Lifestyle Bloggers collective, and I am thrilled to giveaway the entire line of products shown above in the first photo. I’m sure after you try them, you’ll love them just as much as I do. To enter, just use the Rafflecopter widget below:
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATS CANDY!

Yesterday on my blog, I wrote a little about my frustrations with being overweight at the present time, especially when shopping. And I also mentioned that there's a particular brand and store I love, and today I'm here to dish on why I love the Liz Claiborne line at jcpenney.

I bought a few things from the clothing line over the summer after I got my new job at the college. The sizing is true to size, which is nice because I hate vanity sizing. And although I have a cute sweater and a dress from the Liz Claiborne line that I use constantly when constructing my work outfits, I find myself needing a fancy, body flattering outfit for a wedding I am attending on October 20.

And guess what, you'll get to help me choose! I'm going to use a jcpenney gift card to purchase 2 outfits, and I'll post photos on here and you'll get to vote on which one I wear to my friend Mau's wedding. Her wedding will be held at a gorgeous, upscale venue in Austin, TX in the evening, so I want to make sure I look very pretty and that I also feel confident and comfortable.

I am the type of girl who adores dresses, but I am not against wearing some great slacks, heels and blouse with some sparkly jewelry. Just browsing through the options, here are a few that caught my eye.

 

 

I can't wait to go shopping and see what I find in store. What sorts of styles, trends or colors should I keep an eye for if I want to look good at a fall wedding and am a plus sized gal? Help! And please stay tuned for my next post so you can vote on which outfit looks best for my night on the town at my friend's wedding.

Remember, jcpenney carries lovable fall styles for ALL sizes. Go to jcpenney to shop for great brands like Liz Claiborne. With so many options, I need everyone's help to find the perfect outfit!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of jcpenney. The opinions and text are all mine.

The kind people over at Clever Girls have given me another opportunity to talk beauty with you all. Lucky me, right? Well, given that I’ve written a 2 part series about frugal ways to avoid beauty disasters, I am thinking I need to write about something a little different.

I love weddings, and as a woman who got married back in 2009, I totally remember the stress about the big day. Weight, skin, armpits (yup, armpit issues again!), hair, makeup…it can get overwhelming. So with bridal season underway, I thought it’d be fun to revisit some of the products that helped me on my big day.

Aww, memories!

1.) Wax strips: Now, I know many women may have hair on their face that they don’t like or heck, maybe you need a touch-up between eye brow waxings. These are fab! You warm them up using the palms of your hands and you’re ready to go. About $6 a box at most drugstores.

2.) Rollerball perfume: These handy little things are small and narrow making them an ideal choice for a bridal clutch. Easy to reapply as needed.

3.) Advil: Inevitably, all the stress, painful heels or lack of eating may lead to a huge headache.

4.) Soft touch/natural hairspray: Don’t pick one that will leave your hair crunchy. You want to tame crazy flyaway hairs while maintaining a beautiful hairstyle. Snag one of these in a trial size!

5.) Eyeliner & mascara: My eyeshadow stayed put throughout the day, but I remember wishing I had an eyeliner on me to touch-up my eyes a bit. Mascara also helps, especially if it’s waterproof! On my wedding day it rained a TON and I wasn’t very prepared for that.

6.) Deodorant: So imperative to not be stinky as you shimmy and shake on the dance floor. Back in 2009 Dove didn’t have their clear tone deodorant, but now that they do, I’d recommend it to all brides. It’s invisible, doesn’t clump up, smells divine and is so affordable.

Those are some of the tips I have that are less obvious than the usual band-aids, safety pins, bobby pins kind of things you see mentioned.

What helped you on your big day? Do you have any tips for brides?

I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All the opinions expressed here are my own.

So sorry for the lack of updates lately. As many of you know, I recently got a new job at the community college I’ve been working at for about 4 years now. It’s demanding, lots of hours, and I am utterly exhausted when I get home.

And then I don’t get to blog as much. However, behind the scenes, I am working on both bathrooms and getting my DIY list ready for fall, Halloween and holiday crafts.

I am that looney woman who is thrilled that Hobby Lobby has Christmas stuff already. Swoon!

But today, I am back to finish up my frugal beauty tips post. I posted the first half last week. This week, I am focusing more on beauty/makeup. I often Instagram photos of myself when my makeup looks particularly fabulous. I haven’t done that quite so much lately because my eyebrows..oh lord. It’s terrible. I need them waxed like 6 weeks ago.

The horror.

 

Often times I get asked about beauty products I use to create lovely neutral, smoky eyes or how do I get my eye make-up not to crease all day. Honestly, it’s by splurging a little on good products that last a long time, but may cost a bit more upfront.

1.) Eye primer: This stuff may seem totally unnecessary, but if you have oily skin (as I do) and live in a hot/humid environment (as I do), this stuff can help your eyeshadows stay on all day without creases. In the long run this will help you not have to re-apply eyeshadow/eyeliner, which can save money. Furthermore, many beauty brands offer shimmery finishes to their eye primer which will help your run-of-the-mill eye shadow look glittery and more dimensional.

2.) Make-up setting spray: Again, as a woman with oily skin, make-up setting sprays have saved me this summer. I didn’t want to spend the extra money on it, but I find myself not blotting as much with powder or blotting sheets during the day. My foundation stays on all day, my skin stays almost totally matte and it even reduces my pore size. Not to mention it literally takes 4.7 seconds to spray this stuff on your face. Because of my oily skin I use it before and after foundation application.

And finally, I have some tips for your nail tips:

3.) Use Vaseline around your cuticles/nail area to help easily wipe excess nail polish when painting your finger nails. I tried this for the first time last weekend, and I am hooked. I usually try to wipe off the extra nail polish ASAP, then I ruin my entire nail…or I use a q-tip afterwards and get fuzzies on my nail. Vaseline works well and is SO cheap.

4.) And much like with my DIY painting projects, a good surface always helps…so ya gotta use a base coat. I know, I know, it’s like a whole extra step, but think of it like priming a wall or furniture- it helps the paint stick on much better and you need less coats. Same concept.

Those are some of my favorite beauty tips that don’t cost a fortune. However, I need sometimes step back and remember that we’re all beautiful. Even with chipped nail polish, acne, huge pores, uneven armpits, hairy legs and anything else we all obsess about.

So while we all want to want to mask, fix or hate ourselves because of our imperfections, maybe the best beauty tip I can give you is to love yourself. :)

You’re fabulous!

I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All the opinions expressed here are my own.

A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from the lovely ladies over at Ball + Chain asking me if I was interested in working with them on a blog post. After looking at their website a bit, I decided I definitely wanted to help spread the word about this fabulous jewelry/accessories auction that they have going on.

Ball + Chain hosts auctions every week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On Tuesdays, it’s a name your own price kind of auction, so basically you decide how much you want to spend, bid and pay your PayPal invoice for the item you want. Wednesdays, it’s more like a normal store format where they have an item, a price and if you want it, you buy it. They have so many unique, beautiful pieces of jewelry and shipping is free on all sales. What’s even better is the great customer service they provide. If you just look at their Facebook wall, you see that they are attentive, courteous and very customer oriented.

They sent me a few pieces to review, and I have photographed them for you all. I thought it’d be good to see the quality of the items, especially if you’re thinking about bidding on anything in the future.

Everything was wrapped up securely and beautifully. I felt like I was opening presents. Happy day! And honestly, I buy a lot of stuff online, and I tend to be a repeat client to stores/brands that package items well. That extra bit of effort really helps.

The first box I opened up was this gorgeous, funky hot pink bracelet. I am usually a girl who hates gold, but lately I can’t get enough. This color is fab, and I love the bracelet. I wore it with capri jeans and a black top. Perfect punch of color.

Next up is the beautiful, beaded clutch. I am going to use this clutch so much at BlogHer 12. Like seriously. The linear pattern is so trendy right now, and this will stand out and be unique.

I thought about what I’d carry around at BlogHer to an evening party, and I would likely have the following:

And of course some lipgloss. Which I couldn’t find at the moment. And look at my iPhone colors? A perfect match.

And it’s not bulky and still closes with all that in there.

Now, I love both those items so much, but my favorite item has to be these earrings. I’ve worn them twice in the past week, and I get tons of compliments. They look high end, they are a nice weight and soooooo beautiful in person.

Here’s a pic of me wearing them. With my skin tone and dark hair, they stand out a lot, which I love.

Plus, they even wrote me a sweet message with my items.

If you’d like to see what other items they’ve had up for auction previously, they do have some examples/photos on their FB page. It looks like your next chance to bid on some fab items is tomorrow (Tuesday). I encourage you to check out their auctions and keep them in mind when shopping for jewelry. They have some amazing designer inspired pieces and A+ customer service. I know I will be stalking the auctions every week to get some more earrings. They have stuff that I don’t see in stores around this small town. Sigh.

What is your favorite jewelry piece? I am totally an earrings girl. I could buy a new pair everyday and would just be the happiest girl in the world.

Thanks again Ball + Chain for allowing me to review my experience with your fabulous shop! Keep up the fab work! xoxo.

Disclosure: I received jewelry pieces for review, but was not otherwise compensated. All photos and opinions are mine and not influenced by the store/brand.

{dress} Kiyonna

{earrings} Etsy: JBMDesigns

{shoes} Endless: Badgley Mischka

{purse} Endless: Kate Spade

{lipstick} Etsy: mojospa