Trivia Tuesday -- Olympic Games

This week's Trivia Tuesday features Olympic trivia in honor of the 2012 Olympic Games currently going on! =)

1. The Olympics originated in Greece during the 8th Century BC.
2. London is the first city to have hosted the Olympics three times (can you name the years?)
3. There were more athletes than spectators at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris.
4. Inge Sorensen (Denmark) won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke in 1936. She was only 12, making her the youngest medalist ever in an individual event. 
5. Eddie Eagan (USA) is the only person to have won a gold medal in both the Summer and Winter Games (can you name the events?)
6. George Eyser won 3 golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronze in gymnastics in the 1904 Games. What was so remarkable about this feat was the fact that he competed with a wooden prosthesis after his leg was run over by a train. 
7. Nadia Comaneci was awarded 7 perfect scores of 10.0 during the 1976 Olympic Games, making her the first female in Olympic gymnastic history to do so. 
8. Women competed for the first time in the 1900 Olympic Games. 
9. The first time an actual pool was used during the Olympic Games was in the 1908 Olympics (coincidentally, held in London).
10. The first team added to the Olympics was Football (the US version, not soccer!) in the 1900 Games.

Music Monday -- 30 July 2012

Hello hello! We're back for some more Music Monday! This week features another eclectic list of songs =)

If you click on the song name, it'll take you to a YouTube Music Video. 

If you click on the artist name, it'll take you to the artist's website!

1. Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men -- catchy song, really bizarre music video. 
2. 5-1-5-0 by Dierks Bentley -- what's not to love, awesome summer song & Dierks' beautiful face!?
3. Too Close by Alex Clare -- I dunno what it is about this song, but I love it. 
4. A Warrior's Call by Volbeat -- badass song...love working out to it =) 
5. Wide Awake by Katy Perry -- Katy Perry's songs are always catchy, but I love that this one is a little darker.
6. Fly Over States by Jason Aldean -- this man is a country God. Enough said. 
7. Drive By by Train -- a little different sound for Train, but I love it. 
8. We Run the Night by Havana Brown -- you just have to dance to this. Party!
9. That's Why I Pray by Big and Rich -- given recent events, I think this song really hits close to home. Truly beautiful. 
10. Work Hard Play Hard by Wiz Khalifa -- anthem for my life?

Weight Loss Journey -- Week 2

Current Weight: 153lbs
Goal Weight: 130lbs
Boobs: 35.0in
Waist: 33.5in
Hips: 35.0in


This week was kind of rough.  An inconsistent work schedule and my car breaking down meant lots of stress (read: ate a lot of crappy food) and not much working out. 


I'm honestly surprised that I only gained one pound this week.  It probably should have been more. 


Got one work out in this week (today) -- definitely need to do better next week! 

Fitness Friday - Quick Treadmill Workout

Hello everyone! This week's Fitness Friday features a quick and dirty treadmill workout plus a little core work.

I really like this workout because you're really only doing 2 minutes total of high intensity running. I am horrible at running so this is about all I can handle, but you definitely get a super workout in without feeling like you're working too terribly hard for the majority of it. I was drenched in sweat after doing this today. Enjoy!

DIY Armpit Stain Remover

Fitness Friday will be coming shortly, but for now I wanted to share this tip with everyone!

My workout clothes and my everyday clothes are pretty much synonymous, and one thing I hate more than anything else is when all that sweat turns my awesome white shirts into not-so-awesome pit stain rags. However, thanks to One Good Thing By Jillee (awesome site by the way, check it out!), I have learned how to keep white shirts looking good as new!


I was being dumb & forgot to take "before" pictures, but trust me, this works! Also, forgive the poor quality of my photos. My trusty 7-year old camera finally went to electronics heaven, so I was left with only my phone camera.


First, make the cleaning solution in a recyclable container. I used an old Cool Whip container.


Recipe: 
1 part DAWN Dishwashing Liquid 
2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide
Sprinkle of Baking Soda


I used 1/4c Dawn, 1/2c Hydrogen Peroxide and 1tsp Baking Soda.

Next, pour the solution onto your armpit stains & then scrub it in, like so:

I wasn't really sure how much scrubbing was necessary, so I kinda just made sure that the solution was thoroughly soaking the T-shirt and gave it a few half-hearted scrubs for good measure.

Let the t-shirts soak for at least an hour (I forgot about this project and left it overnight)

Throw the T-shirts into the wash and wash like normal (I had a lot of shirts as you can tell, so I just did one small load of all the T-shirts I was cleaning)

And voila! T-shirts look good as new!

Some notes: 

• According to the comments I read, this solution doesn't really store well.  You could put it in an air-tight container and then refrigerate, but this solution is honestly so easy to make you might as well just make a fresh batch as needed. 
• Some of the shirts that I treated have had the stains set in for a very long time...you can still kind of see them but really only if you're looking hard and it's definitely an improvement over what they were.
• I also tried this on some old ink stains on one of my shirts, and while it isn't completely gone, you can only see it upon close inspection.
• Allegedly you can use this on other colored shirts for things like grease stains. I haven't tried it yet, but if you have let me know how this worked for you!

Hope this tip helps!

Weight Gain and the Olympics

With the Olympics less than a day away, newspapers have begun increased scrutiny of each competitor at this year's Games.

As a former swimmer currently struggling with weight issues, I was most interested in the article about Australian swimmer Leisel Jones' weight gain.

This article brought up a lot of interesting points. Besides some of the more obvious -- like maybe Jones is burnt out & isn't swimming quite the same yardage she  did for previous Olympics, or perhaps even that she has had some injury or health problem that has prevented her from working out as much as she'd prefer to. Heck, even her age has something to do with it I'm sure!

But really, Jones qualified for the Olympics. In swimming, not only do you have to be the top in your country, but you have to meet the qualifying standards. She wouldn't be going if she hadn't qualified, and just because she's added a few pounds since the last time she was in the spotlight doesn't mean she won't perform just as well.

London's focus with the 2012 Olympics was on increasing the health and fitness of its people...and although it fell short of this goal it got me to thinking -- Olympians are the pinnacle of athletic success. Millions of children worldwide watch as their heroes compete to be the best of the best. What are we telling them if we emphasize Jones' weight gain as opposed to her many accomplishments?

What are your thoughts?

Thirsty Thursday -- White Russian

In continuing with the daily theme, today I present to you Thirsty Thursday.

Unfortunately there isn't a day of the week that starts with "R", so Thirsty Thursday will feature not only drink recipes but also food recipes. 

Let's begin with our first recipe, a great girly cocktail:

WHITE RUSSIAN

1 oz Vodka

0.5 oz Chocolate or Coffee Liqueur

Pour on ice in an Old Fashioned glass. Top off glass with Cream. Garnish with a spice like Nutmeg!

Cheers!

Know of a good food or drink recipe that I should try out on Thirsty Thursday? 

Leave a comment and let me know!

Wednesday Websessions -- 25 July 2012

Welcome to Wednesday Websessions. Basically this is just a collection of things I've found on the internets that I am currently obsessed with. Without further ado...here is Week 1:

1. iFunny -- so many different pictures; most of them are pretty hilarious!
2. myfitnesspal -- great website that allows you to plan weight loss strategies, track calories consumed & burned, and provide support through your weight loss journey. Also has a great app for your SmartPhone!
3. Pattern Cooler - Tons of free backgrounds that you can customize to fit your website! The background you currently see on my blog was made here! =)
4. Olympics -- the official website of the 2012 Summer Olympics...find results, athlete bios and so much more!
5. Pinterest -- a very unhealthy addiction. Basically a website that allows you to "pin" (bookmark) websites and share with friends. If you know what Reddit is, it's like a girl version of that. 

Enjoy!
Know of something that I should feature here on Wednesday Websessions?
Leave me a comment & let me know! 

Trivia Tuesday -- 24 July 2012

And up next we have Trivia Tuesday. 

I love love love going to Trivia Tuesday at a local restaurant (I'm sure the $1 margaritas play a role in this), so I thought I'd share some of the things that I've learned during these things ;)

1. On this day in 1874, Brigham Young leads his followers into the Salk Lake Valley, resulting in the establishment of Salt Lake City.
2. Confucius started out as a corn inspector.
3. Colorado is the only state in history to have turned down hosting the Olympics.
4. There are 18 different animals represented in animal crackers (now can you tell me what they are...?)
5. A fathom is 6 feet. 
6. There is a city named Rome on every continent. 
7. There are more TV sets in the UK than there are people. 
8. "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the alphabet.
9. The highest paved road in North America is the one leading to Mt Evans in Colorado. It reaches 14,258 feet above sea level!
10. The electric chair was invented by a dentist (makes soooo much sense!)

Know a random fact the world should know by reading Trivia Tuesday? 

Let me know in the comments section!

Music Monday -- 23 July 2012

Music Monday...where I post 10 (or so) of the songs currently on my Playlist. My taste in music jumps around quite a bit as evidenced here...

If you click on the song name, it'll take you to a YouTube Music Video. 

If you click on the artist name, it'll take you to the artist's website!

1. Fast Car by Tracy Chapman -- classic. Love it. 
2. Man of Constant Sorrow by Charm City Devils -- great remake of the awesome song from O Brother Where Art Tho. 
3. Whistle by FloRida -- the whistling in this song gets stuck in your head real fast. 
4. She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5 -- such a pretty song. Very mellow.
5. Springsteen by Eric Church -- mellow country song. 
6. Levels by Avicii -- I'm not huge into EDM, but this song is just awesome.
7. The Animal by Disturbed -- pretty much what I think of when I think Disturbed (heavy rock).
8. Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen-- I HATE this song because it's always stuck in my head, but you MUST watch the military music video! =) 
9. Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson -- love love love the lyrics.
10. Seven Devils by Florence & the Machine -- hauntingly beautiful (and combined with Game of Thrones? Even better)

Enjoy!

Know of a song I should feature on Music Monday? 

Let me know in the comments!

Weight Loss Journey -- Week 1

Current Weight: 152lbs
Goal Weight: 130lbs
Boobs: 34.5in
Waist: 33.25in
Hips: 35.5in

I am now 1 week into using MyFitnessPal's website & Android App.

I have found it super helpful in keeping track of how much exercise I've done every day, how many calories I've consumed, and how many calories I've burned.

Using the website, you can set weight loss goals & it will calculate the number of calories you can consume during the day. I have found this super helpful, as I realized that I eat more than 400 calories more than I am supposed to to reach my target weight.

I am hoping to lose 25 pounds, which should take me about 16 weeks assuming I lose 1.5lbs a week.

We shall see.

Right now my biggest problems are 1) eating too much 2) not working out enough.

About Misch

I'm a twenty-something student and former collegiate athlete.  I have a dog named M whom I adopted from a puppy shelter after she had been abused and abandoned in the wild.  She is a lot of work, but I love her.

I've worked a number of odd jobs, and am still trying to find my niche.  I love the outdoors, especially anything involving water.  My ideal day consists of sleeping in late, doing something adventurous, eating good food (especially fresh sushi mmm) and then reading. If my ideal day had more than 24 hours in it, I would also travel across the world and watch good movies.  I wish I were crafty, so my Pinterest account is basically a collection of DIY stuff I would love to be able to do one day.  That and recipes, because I love food. 

The above image is adapted from a picture a friend of mine took. It's a few years old, so my hair is considerably longer now and I have gained quite a few pounds since then. I still like playing with balloons.

Welcome!

Welcome to Wandering Misch!

I'm not quite sure what this blog is going to be exactly. It's probably going to end up being a collection of things I love, a sort-of diary, and a fitness log. But who knows? I suppose we shall see where this takes us, yes?

For now, I'm just going to play with customizing this little blog to make it my own.