fitness | high plains thrifter

Jane Fonda, doing yoga in tights & a skirt. With her cat.

Oh. My. Gah. The amount of things in the “will deal with it after Mighty Swell” area of my mental to-do list is epic. Examples: take my dog on walks, eat meals that aren’t out of a Pizza Lucé box, wash my kitchen floor, plan date nights with girlfriends, clean the nasty trap in my dishwasher (done today—I nearly puked for real!), start reading a book, get back to blogging.

Also somewhere on this list? Exercise. Truth be told, I don’t much care for working out. But in the past month, there were some days I actually longed for the time to go on an after-work run or drop in on a yoga class. Vegetables and fruits? I missed them too. And you know what else? Some of my favorite dresses are starting to not fit like they used to. My cut-offs are a titch too tight. And folks, when it comes to motivation, there’s nothing that gets me off the couch and into my tennies quicker than the thought of not being able to wear what I want.

And so, I’m taking baby steps towards regular exercise—a little run on Saturday, a long walk with Finn (and Toots & the Maytals) yesterday, a yoga date scheduled tomorrow. I even pulled out my old Pilates DVDs from college (and upset my Wii/Netflix player in the process—oopsies!). Don’t fret—the blog will not be taken over by fitness-related posts—I just figured I’d let you know about what I’m up to. It’s this thing called catching up…and I’m taking it one day at a time.

xo,

Meghan

Hey thrifty people!

Spring’s put a fresh pep in my step, and I’ve been taking that energy and started strolling my lil self to work a few days a week. Sure it takes an hour, but it’s also really fun. I listen to music, notice new things in my neighborhood (hello yard roosters!) and arrive at work with a healthy dose of exercise under my belt. Win-win-win, in my eyes!

The only not fun part of the whole arrangement is that I sorta hate my backpack. I feel like a high-school freshman fashion don’t every time I wear it. It has way, way, way too many pockets and it’s a very boring black. Which of course, led me to ask: Do cute backpacks exist? Can you look good with a pack strapped to your back?

It seems like answers to both questions is YES.

I’m drawn to the most simple styles, like these two rucksack-like packs.

source

This one from Modcloth is right on in terms of simplicity and it’s pretty cool that it’s made from 100-percent recycled cotton. But, I think it’d be too small to tote everything I need for the day (i.e. laptop, lunch, change of clothes, etc.).

This vintage Boy Scout ditty is also simple and rucksack-y, but again, perhaps too small? I’m not digging the $60 price tag either. There has to be a cheaper similar option found at the surplus store, right?

And last but not least, this colorful knapsack by local knitwear designer Annie Larson is so charming, but for $130, I could buy myself a new bike and ride to work. It is undoubtedly awesome though. Good thing lusting is free.

Anyway, I’m going to keep my eyes peeled thrifting this weekend, and maybe hit up an army surplus store to see what affordable options they have. Do you have any ideas of where to look?

I hope your Cinco de Mayo has treated you all well! I’m trying out a new recipe for nacho night, from a new-to-me food blog, Real Mom Kitchen. I’m skeptical of heated cream cheese, but my fingers are crossed it turns out. Last week’s experiment turned out awesome, but you never know. Even if the food sucks, I’m guaranteed a night full of giggles. Cannot wait!!

Hasta luego, lovelies!

Meghan

P.S. Have you entered the giveaway yet? You have until Thursday night, so hop to it!