fitpaprika-blog

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Blog Retired: Stay Strong!

Hi all,

I have enjoyed my year and a half as FitPaprika, but, at least for now, I am retiring this blog. At the time I started this, the Instagram account, and so forth, it was with the idea in mind that I wanted a separate platform to promote health and fitness to others. Since that time, my priorities have changed in many ways that have changed my goals and what I’m all about. Health and fitness have, in some ways, gone down in the list of my priorities but, maybe more importantly, have become more integrated in the flow of my life to the point where I did not want to separate them out on social media any longer. I have found a preference for wanting to share my life as a whole and not compartmentalize it into different sections. 

So this blog will stay up and can be referred to as needed but for any new updates, please follow me on my personal blog at myfishpajamas.tumblr.com @myfishpajamas Whereas this blog was almost exclusively original content, my personal blog will be a more typical tumblr with reblogs of things I like or find funny. I’ve actually had my personal tumblr for many years now, maybe going on ten years or more, but I just haven’t used it very much in recent years. I won’t be “reinventing it” in the sense of curating past content to fit who I am today, but I will be reinvigorating it with new content now, both original and reblogs. This is also where original writing in the form of blog posts will go and sometimes I will cross post original content from my Instagram account, now exclusively under the same username of myfishpajamas. 

Thanks for those of you who have followed this blog for the past year and a half. It has been fun, and I am excited for this new chapter in my life. Best of luck and stay strong! 

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You guys I actually ended up wearing this to MADD-X - this black, mesh, Ivy Park hoodie over nothing but that new sports bra. It was on a whim. I was thinking of what I would wear to layer on the way to class since it was so bitterly cold, and I thought of this under another sweatshirt or two. Then I thought, “Wow that might look really good as the actual outfit itself, better than this orange tank that doesn’t really match.” And it did. I was pretty nervous to wear this. I have never worn such a revealing outfit to a dance class before, and I know this isn’t truly that revealing, but it is for me, for someone self conscious about their body or other people’s judgments of their body. But wearing this made me feel good on a number of levels, and I was so glad that I swallowed my anxiety and wore it anyway. It was also the best class experience I have had in a long time, and maybe the outfit was a part of that. I also didn’t feel the lower back and hip pain that has been plaguing MADD-X for me. I haven’t been doing my PT regularly, but maybe the times I have done it have been working. - #activewear #active #plussize #plussizefashion #plussizeactivewear #fatfit #fatshion #plussizeathlete #workoutgear #dancewear #dancer #ivypark #torrid

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Wearing all my new workout gear tonight. Hello Kitty activewear set is from @torridfashion - you can just see the cute patterned sports bra peaking through and the back of it is all strappy. Loving the feel of the leggings so far. I have an active top or two from Torrid but these are my first active leggings and sports bra from them - we’ll see once in action but so far I am not disappointed. The top is one I already had at from Target that matched. Then I also got these shoes for Christmas for dance. My girl @sylviaslays2018 swears by them and I needed new ones desperately. She told me they take a bit of wear to break in, and they are feeling tight right now but I love the look of them. All of this for my fave, @themaddx - #active #activewear #plussize #plussizefashion #plussizeactivewear #fatshion #workoutgear #torrid #adidas #hellokitty

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I decided to try a #bulletjournal for this year (we will see how long it lasts), and here is the first page I will share from it: #2018goals These are the more tangible, measurable goals that can be broken down into smaller steps and accomplished. I’m working on thinking about and figuring out my intangible goals or as @sarahsapora says - how do I want to feel in my life? The scariest goal on this list for me is Couch to 5K because I am NOT a runner. The only time I ran with any consistency was when I had a personal trainer who was into running (she completed an Iron Man at the time she was training me). And I didn’t set this goal because I want to become a runner. I set this goal to prove to myself that I can do it. I set this goal to get out of my comfort zone and push myself. I set this goal to try something new. After I complete the program and the end goal, I may never run again. But I want to try and, more importantly, I don’t want to be afraid to try. @sylviaslays2017 there is a goal on there just for you 😉 Take me on that hike girl! - #goals #newyear #2018 #bujo #c25k #scary #bebrave

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I made the first cup of hot coffee in my house in almost a year since I gave up my Keurig - I have been relying on hot tea, already made cold brew coffee, and Starbucks. I got the @coffeegator pour over system for Christmas and a burr grinder (but no beans so I used already ground this morning). I am not a coffee snob, as you can tell by my blueberry coffee, and I definitely didn’t get all fancy and science-y with my pour over, yet it was still delicious. The way I did it was super easy, but I think even if you wanted to get fancy, it wouldn’t be too hard or time consuming. Yay coffee! - #coffee #pourover #pourovercoffee #newenglandcoffee #coffeegator #breakfast #blueberrycoffee #flavoredcoffee

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I updated my home gym over the course of 2017, including hanging some stuff on the wall today. My dog’s crate used to be where the bench is and the tow machine was folded up in a corner. We had to move my dog’s crate to put the Christmas tree up and then decided that we liked the crate in its new location so I said, “Why don’t we leave it there and unfold the row machine so we actually use it?” So now this whole section of our living room is our home gym. I organized it yesterday and then bought some hooks today so I could hang all of that stuff on the wall. Hopefully this space is more user friendly now and will, you know, get used more frequently by both of us. There are several @fabfitfun products here; besides the ball and the gym bag I mention in the video, there is a hot/cold pack and some aloe socks in the drawer. What’s in your home gym? - #homegym #gym #gymequipment #myspace #myhome #equipment #workout #workoutathome #fabfitfun

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Christmas Eve Aesthetic - #aesthetic #christmaswrapping #ribbonsandbows #christmasbow #christmasribbon #sparkly #decoration #christmas #christmaseve #selfie

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Another day, another metallic lip and perfect lighting selfie. Today I’m wearing a liquid lipstick I bought with my @sephora Beauty Insider points - Smashbox Be Legendary Liquid Metal Lipstick in Crimson Chrome. I even tried to do my eyes and may have succeeded a little?! Merry Christmas Eve! - #selfie #face #beauty #lipstick #makeup #liquidlipstick #smashbox #belegendary #liquidmetal #crimsonchrome #metallic #metalliclipstick #truered #redlips #redlipstick #sephora #beautyinsider #nofilter

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Sometimes you just need to wear purple glittery lipstick. Today we’re going to get my husband’s haircut by my BFF @bshankschair Check her out if you live near Winston-Salem at EgoHr on Robinhood! Then we’re going to go to see the new Star Wars finally. Also check this awesome lighting in my dad’s bathroom- totally wasted on a single man. #nofilter - #face #selfie #lipstick #beauty #katvond #everlastingglitterveil #liquidlipstick #televator #makeup #readyfortheday #purple #purplelipstick #myfavoritecolor

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My dad may or may not sell hot sauce 🌶🎄#hedefinitelydoes #christmastree #homefortheholidays #chilipeppers #chilipepperlights #aesthetic #hotsauce #heavenlyheathotsauce #hotsaucemall

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Forgot to post another attempt at an acai bowl for breakfast on Monday morning. I still haven’t quite gotten the hang of making these, though @haleyjordan12 posted a video recently that helped a lot. It doesn’t matter - I have never made one that was inedible! What really cracks me up, though, is that I don’t even know what they are “supposed” to taste like because I still have never had one made for me - I have only had acai bowls I have made myself. The base is two acai packets (unsweetened) blended with about a quarter cup of unsweetened almond milk, half a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter. It’s topped with about a tablespoon each of peanut butter, granola, and coconut and the other half of the banana. - #acai #acaibowl #food #breakfast #latergram #banana #coconut #superfood #nutrition

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I never formally wrapped up the outfit challenge - here were the last ones before I gave it up, something like Nov 9th through 17th. For sure the last one was on the 17th and the 3rd one was on Saturday the 11th. Obviously some days in there I was at home in sweats and PJs! I think I wore the first two tops on hangers with leggings and the third with black pants. Overall, I learned that I wear far fewer dresses and skirts than I thought I did, but a big reason for that is a lack of comfortable tights. 😖 So I am still on a mission to solve that problem. I also learned that I have a very simple way of dressing - pair a patterned or textured top with a black bottom or, much less frequently, vice versa. Additionally, I wear a lot of flowers?! That was absolutely not intentional. I had no idea that I am naturally attracted to florals, though I did know about the stripes. One goal I had in mind was to get rid of some stuff but, instead, I realized I really liked some stuff I never wear. 🙄 I probably wore 75%-80% of my wardrobe during this challenge, which is probably more than I usually wear in a given year. I think I learned a lot about my personal style and unearthed some outfits I never would have put together otherwise. It also made me realize what clothes make me feel good about my body. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

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Got on a @thefitnessmarshall kick and did the first 15 songs or so of a YouTube playlist I made with oldish and newish songs, some of which I hadn’t gotten around to trying yet. Y’all I gave up on P90 - some would sit here and say, “I have no excuses,” or “I failed” or say something self-deprecating, but I’m over feeling guilty for decisions I make. I am struggling a little mentally with a lot of things and trying to use my time to do stuff that makes me feel good. Sometimes that’s working out and sometimes that’s sitting on my tush. I might try to do a whole Beachbody program again, straight through, especially when school starts and I need that structure. But, for now, I will be doing dance classes as I am able and home workouts when the mood calls - and that’s totally okay. I’m pretty proud of myself for doing 7 straight weeks plus 2 days of P90 and only missing one workout during that time. I really didn’t know from the start how far I would get, and I tried not to put that pressure on myself. Each day, I just tried to make a decision to do it until the day came that I didn’t want to. That’s how I see body positive fitness. 💜 - #dance #dancefitness #dancer #homeworkout #workoutathome #fitness #exercise #workout #thefitnessmarshall #bodypositive #bodypositivefitness

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I made these cake cookies for our holiday cookies party at work on Monday at the request of colleagues - Heather made them last year. They turned out great, so they are honestly lucky that any of them are going to make it out of the house, especially with my husband around. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/16773/gooey-butter-cookies/ - #cookies #holidaycookies #buttercookies #cakecookies #baking #baker #food #dessert

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This morning I had a mild panic attack. I have been battling my student loan servicing company for a month and a half now, trying to reduce my payment, which went up after my husband and I filed jointly for our taxes. The latest communication seems to say I will have to pay the standard payment, which I haven’t been paying for the last three years, and which also means I cannot qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. I overreact to things, especially things about money, especially things I’m not controlling. So I panicked. But for the last hour or more, I have been sitting here, half distracting myself and choosing to worry about other things like driving to work today in the snow and ice and half trying to think, “Okay, what does it mean if you actually have to pay the standard payment? Is it the end of the world?�� I mean, it basically means I don’t get to have much fun for the next ten years. It means our efforts to pay off our credit card by May are futile. It means I won’t be at Disney for my 30th birthday. It could mean losing some of life’s small pleasures like dining out and HBO. But I will still have a roof over my head, running water, electricity, air conditioning and heat, groceries, clothes to wear, furniture, and so on. Functional daily life will continue to exist and happen. There are worst ways to live. Much worse. So, if I do have to start paying the standard payment, it will suck, and I am allowed to have all the feelings I want or need to have about it. But it won’t be the end of the world. This is a strategy my therapist has taught me to deal with my anxiety - think about the worst scenario, play it out as to what it would mean, what actions I would take, how would it change my life. This makes me feel like I have a plan, like I have some kind of control (even though I still don’t really), and it takes away the mystery of that happening, as well as putting it into perspective in terms of what is really “the worst.” She also says that I can still have feelings - that someone having it worse than me doesn’t mean I can’t say, “This sucks,” about my own circumstances. I’m learning. #anxiety #studentloans #dontpanic #therapy

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Out here in the pre-snow cold for some @themaddx @dance101atlanta - #dance #dancefitness #fitness #hiphopdance #maddx #atlfitness #atlantafitness #plussizefitness #dancer

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Second time making dal (first time didn’t turn out as well) - super easy in the crockpot and delicious - #food #soup #dal #crockpot #slowcooker #dinner