christiexlee

Food

It has definitely been a while! (Oh y’know, just 10 months to be exact .. but who’s counting?!) I started off last year SO on fire for blogging, and I had all these great big goals and ideas on where I wanted to go with my blog. My main goal was to have fun with my blog by documenting my life, while also improving on my writing and photography skills :)

Unfortunately, a mixture of life and laziness got in the way.. Whelp, let me catch you up on a snippet of what my life has looked like these past 10 months!

1. I did a lot of traveling last year! A mix of fun vacations as well as work trips made for many air miles logged. I was fortunate enough to visit Portland Oregon for the first time as a celebratory trip for my sister’s graduation! Other places included: Los Angeles, CA (twice!), Las Vegas, NV, Tokyo, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau, China. I’m going to make it a goal to start taking more photos on vacation, since I didn’t do that very much last year :(

I wish #afternoontea was a thing we did here too 😌☕️🇲🇴💕

A post shared by ♡Christie Lee (@christiexleee) on Oct 13, 2017 at 1:31pm PDT

Cute little tea shop in our hotel! They had the BEST scones ever!

2. I got a promotion at work! I’m not going to lie, but it was probably the scariest, nerve wracking, and most ambitiously ADULT thing I ever had to do .. not taking on the duties, but ASKING for the promotion! A lot of craziness went down at work, and I basically had to take over the duties of our previous marketing manager. I figured I shouldn’t be doing all that extra work without receiving some sort of compensation. For a very non-confrontational person, it was definitely a v. tough situation where I had to put on a “brave” front! Here are some articles to help you prep if you ever find yourself in the same situation: here, here, and here.

3. I started learning how to skateboard! My boyfriend gifted me with a beautiful 31” Prism Cruiser. I fell in love with the board and embarked on my journey on re-learning how to skate! Everything was perfect .. up until I was rolling down a slope and got my wheel caught on a rock! I flew off my board and ended up scraping my right thigh pretty badly :( It was nearly impossible to wear jeans or pants for the next week .. lol. With that said, I was pretty shaken up and had a hard time getting back on a board again .. BUT THEN I was introduced to e-boards. Say what? Boards that push you at speeds of 25 MPH and had a manual brake?! SIGN ME UP!

Winter? In California?! 🤷🏻‍♀️🌤 #coastin | 📸: @helloxjackii

A post shared by ♡Christie Lee (@christiexleee) on Dec 18, 2017 at 6:12pm PST

 Me attempting to pose for a "candid" pic (lol) featuring my Nuff e-longboard

I hope that gives you some insight on what my life had been consisting of the last year! It doesn’t really feel like it on a day to day basis, but looking back now, I did grow up a lot this past year :) I did some new things that pushed me out of my comfort zone and learned some new skills

I don’t want to make any guarantees about the amount of times I will start posting on my blog yet, as I’m still trying to figure out how to navigate my own schedule .. but I do plan on posting more often than I did last year!

Fashion

ADIDAS NMD R1: Ice Purple Review

April 29, 2017

Diary Post

Life Updates: Opportunites at Work & Bad Moods

April 5, 2017

Hey guys,

I’m sure you’ve noticed the lack of updates on my blog back in March. To say that March flew by would be an understatement! (Why is it that as we get older, time seems to pass by even quicker?) The lack of updates were partly due to the fact that I'd been so consumed with work these past few weeks and really just needed to spend my downtime resting my brain. Although I knew I was doing the right thing by taking mental breaks after work, I was still feeling stressed out for not updating. It was a vicious cycle. Safe to say, I was feeling inadequate and burned out.

As someone who’s been told countless times throughout my life that I see the world through rose colored glasses, I like to take pride in seeing and hoping for the best in people and everyday encounters that life has to offer.

I try to stay optimistic and upbeat on my outlook on life, but there are some days where everything is just super depressing for seemingly absolutely no reason. I’m proud to say that I received a raise at work last month, and I was super ecstatic at first! (YAY!) I had every right to be proud and was super happy that the higher ups noticed all of the hard work and extra miles I’ve been putting in day in and day out. I had also have an amazing and supportive family (and as much as they drive me a little insane sometimes, I love spending time with them). However, no matter how many good things seem to come your way, there are days where dark feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy consume you.

I went into work on a Monday morning in March feeling like a complete and total failure, not only as an employee, but as a daughter, a friend, and a girlfriend. I know it sounds crazy how you can just waltz into work feeling like horrible when your day has barely even started. I know I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, and I knew a large part of my bad mood was attributed to a lack of sleep and the fact that my hormones were probably going all out of whack, as my period was due to start at any time. That’s what frustrated me the most: the fact that I knew all of this, but I couldn’t seem to snap myself out of it!

As crappy as I felt in the moment, I had to remind myself that one bad day does not equate to a bad life. After a long day at work, I collapsed on my bed and mopingly (is that even a word? Lol). watched YouTube video after video just to get my mind off of things. After 2 hours of mindless video watching, I decided it was time to bring myself out of my funky mood! Yes, going through a bad mood is part of what makes us human, but there comes a time when you need to bring yourself out of all that negative energy!

Here’s what I did to cheer myself up:

1. Treat Yo’self!

While watching said YouTube videos, I also slathered on a face mask and munched on some of my favorite chips (y’know the purple Hawaiian chips?!) During that time, I also had my Muji Aromatherapy diffuser running in my room, and it really helped me to de-stress. Treat yo’self to a quick 30 minute spa session, it’ll help lighten your mood and help you to feel good about yourself.

2. Make a bomb azz playlist

I typically like to listen to slow jams and songs with chill hop type beats, but I knew that wouldn’t really help my mood. Instead, I opted to make a playlist filled with upbeat hip hop and edm songs on my SoundCloud. Check it out!

3. Be Kind to Yourself

Before taking steps to bring yourself out of your bad mood, as bad as it sounds, sometimes you just have to allow yourself to go through it. I know it’s tough, and no one likes to feel bad and unhappy. We’re not meant to be 100% happy all day everyday, and that’s okay. At the end of the day, we need to remember that we’re all human beings not robots, and we have an entire spectrum of emotions to experience. Do what you need to do: Journal, vent, or in my case watch YouTube videos and eat potato chips, but make sure to pull yourself out after a bit of wallowing :)

Yes, I did go through a funky and stressful month. I’m not saying that by doing these things you will automatically be cured of your bad mood, or if you have depression that doing these things it will be fixed, but I hope to shed a little light and understanding on emotions and listening to your moods. As overwhelmed as I do feel at work sometimes, I'm thankful that my boss trusts me enough to assign me tasks that give me the opportunity to learn and grow within the company. On a happier note, it seems like most of the busyness is behind me now, so I'll definitely be better about updating this month! ~*Fingers crossed!*~

Stay tuned for a post coming in a week!

What do you do to make yourself feel better? Share and leave it in the comments below!

Fitness

Fitness: Easy Ways to Stay Motivated

March 4, 2017

For those of you who have been keeping up with my little ole’ blog, you might remember that one of my #GOALS this year were to take better care of my health! I won’t be the first to admit this, but finding and making time to work out can be SUCH a struggle sometimes! There are some weeks where I’m extremely unmotivated and will curl up in fetal position with a bag of chips and watch Netflix for hours and hours on end. Don’t get me wrong; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and I personally think a little junk food and movie binge is in order to re-charge a person’s mental health and well-being!

Fortunately, I’m proud to say that I’ve been very motivated these past two weeks (as you can probably tell from my tweets)! I’ve been able to keep a persistent work out flow with the help of a few easy tips that I’m excited to share with you today:

Wear your gym/athletic clothes to class or work if possible!

I know this might not be realistic for everyone, as some of us might work in a more polished work environment or go to a school that requires you to dress professionally. However, back when I was in college I used to wear athletic gear (yoga pants, workout tank, and a light jacket) to class so that I had no excuses not to hit the gym as soon as lecture was over! (And to be honest wearing workout clothes are SOOOO much comfier than wearing … JEANS!)
However, now that I’m in the work force, I try to find little hacks here and there to incorporate some of my athletic wear into the office. For example, if I’m wearing a flow-ier top, I’ll wear my sports bra underneath. I’ll also wear my Nike leggings underneath a longer blouse! The key is to pick pieces that you already have that you know could you could incorporate into your office/school wear. For example, you probably wouldn’t pick your bright neon orange leggings with the words NIKE plastered all over them. (Unless your boss is cool with it!) If you work in a more relaxed setting, wearing your sneakers into the office will also help out too! I believe that having your gear on already helps to put your mind in a “workout mood.”
Plus it gives you less of an excuse to not go since you’re already halfway dressed!

Change up your cardio routine!

I have the BIGGEST love/hate relationship with running! I hate it while I’m doing it, but I love how it makes me feel when I’m done. Most days, I’ll spend some time on the trusty ole’ treadmill and elliptical, but let’s be honest .. it can get pretty boring! Lately, I’ve been replacing my treadmill time with a random dance cardio routine video that you can find on YouTube. It’s super fun, and it’s free! No need to join a gym or sign up for classes!
Changing up your routine is also a fun way to try out a new activity! (I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance, but I know I would be super uncomfortable taking a class by myself so this is a win win for me!) One of my personal favorite types of videos, are the POP Pilates series by Blogilates!

Here’s a video to get you started:

Note: This isn't "real" hip hop choreography but rather a fun hip hop inspired cardio workout!

Obviously there are a ton of cardio routine videos you can search on YouTube from: kick-boxing, aerobics, etc. The key is to find something that you have interest in and have fun doing!

Keep a fitness journal!

This is something that I personally haven’t been doing seriously yet but am going to incorporate! I’ve been jotting down the types of workouts that I do in my planner every time I do any exercise, but I think having a separate physical notebook dedicated to my fitness will be a game changer. I can definitely see how keeping notes and tracking your stats can be a rewarding way to motivate yourself.
Some of the items I want to track are my mile run times, including the number of minutes I can run on a treadmill before I stop for a walking break. I also want to track my PR for squats, along with the number of reps I can do for a specific amount of weight. (Side note, I’ve never tried maxing out for a squat set so this could be something to try out :P ?) Being able to see a physical representation of your progression is bound to make anyone work a little harder! I’m thinking I might want to start a bullet journal for this so if anyone has any tips, it would be much appreciated!

I hope these easy tips will help give you a boost in your fitness journey! If you have any tips you’d like to share, please leave them in the comments below! I’d love to see how you stay motivated :)

Music

Making the Most out of Your Concert Experience

February 24, 2017

As a 24 year old who has attended dozens of concerts over my lifetime, I’d like to think I know a little something about attending a show :) . Whether you’ve just started going to concerts, or are a crowd-surfing-mosh-pitting veteran, here are a couple of quick tips and tricks on making the most out of your experience!

1. Have a Game Plan

Are you going to this event with your friends, a significant other, or by yourself? Where will you meet up? Are you driving or taking a Uber? Can you bring that tube of lipgloss in? Doing a little research on the venue and having your plans laid out will make the experience less stressful. You don’t want to waste precious time circling around looking for parking just to realize the venue doesn’t offer parking. Likewise, you also don’t want to tell your friends to “meet at the entrance” and then later realize that there are 4 different entrances. (I’m speaking from experience! It’s super frustrating!)

If this a venue that you’ve never been to before, make sure you do your research and plan accordingly!

2. Manage your Alcohol Consumption!

I know all the excitement and energy in the air makes you want to ~TURN TF UP~, but over drinking can come with some pretty serious consequences.

First of all, you want to make sure security even let’s you pass through those heavily guarded venue doors. If you’re acting belligerent (aka actin’ a fool!!), security will not hesitate to deny you entrance or escort you off the premises! You also don’t want to end up over drinking and passing out before your favorite performer even steps foot onto the stage! Your friends, along with that hole you burned into your wallet, aren’t going to be too happy with you. You paid good money for the concert; make sure you get to experience and remember it!

With that said, if you do drink, remember: timing is key! For me personally, whenever I’m at an general admission event (no assigned seats), I tend to get a little irritated when there are people constantly pushing and shoving me in the crowd. Grabbing a drink before making my way to the stage floor ensures that my sanity is intact and helps prevent me from wanting to murder every sweaty drunk man that rudely bulldozes into me :)

3. Put that Phone Down

I get it, I swear that I do! All of us have the urge to add those videos onto our Snapchat stories and to take selfies with our friends of the stage, but don’t forget to put that phone down and just enjoy yourself! You don’t want to spend all night stressing yourself out about the lighting or angles of your videos. We all know how much I love Porter Robinson, but I remember the first time I saw him a few years back, I spent 85% of the night worried about capturing every single moment. I was pretty stressed out tbh, haha. I still had a great time, but do I still look back on the 20 videos I captured? No, not really. I had a good assortment of photos and Snaps posted, but I definitely would’ve enjoyed myself more if I would’ve put my phone down.

Plus, most people aren’t going to watch an entire 453 second Snap story, and more likely than not, you won’t ever look through all those videos again anyways. So save some memory on your phone, and enjoy the moment!

4. End the Night with a Dirty Dog (Optional but Highly Recommended!!)

A Dirty Dog is a hot dog topped with an assortment of condiments that you purchase from your local hot dog vendors outside of a venue after each concert. Honestly, I’m still not too sure why they’re called Dirty Dogs. (Is this a San Francisco thing?) If you’re ever wondering where you can find a dirty dog, just follow the smell of grilled onions and sausage. (You can almost always smell them before you see them!)

There’s nothing like devouring a dirty dog with onions, ketchup, mayo, and mustard to settle the late night munchies before heading off home. It’s a great way to talk about the experience you just had with your friends, while you’re all waiting for your Ubers to carry you back home!

At the end of the day, going to an event should be something that’s fun and memorable! Do you have any tips that you’d like to add to the list? :)

Diary Post

A Little More About Me!

February 8, 2017

Woah, where has this month gone?! Can you believe it’s already halfway through February? 2017 has really been flying by. I took a look at some of my blog stats, and one of my most viewed posts was my A-Z About Me piece I wrote a couple months back, which really still baffles me since I didn’t realize so many people would be interested in reading a post where I just talk about myself :P

(Picture taken from my Instagram @christiexleee)

As a follow up, here are a couple more random facts about myself:

I love shoes, but you will NEVER catch me wearing a pair of flats. Ever since I was introduced to flats as a little girl, I resented them! You can’t run around effectively in them while on the playground, and as an adult, walking in flats just feels super dirty and sweaty. (GROSS). I pretty much live in sneakers and boots (:

I love planning events! Whether it be a casual brunch hangout with friends or a corporate team bonding experience with my coworkers, I like watching my ideas come to life and seeing everyone enjoy themselves! Currently, I’m in the process of researching and planning my first international vacation with my boyfriend and friends! We’re going to Hong Kong together and hopefully Tokyo and Osaka as well.

I find music to be one of the easiest ways to bond with people. I go to a lot of concerts and shows, and I’m hoping I can find a way to showcase those experiences on my blog :) I’m always super excited when I meet someone who likes the same type of music or events that I do, and since I’m blessed to live in the Bay Area, there’s never a shortage of amazing talent stopping by! My favorite genres consist of R&B, hip-hop, trap, chill-step, and house.

Journaling is one of my favorite hobbies! As a deeply introspective person, journaling helps me to really reflect and unwind after a long day. My favorite day to write is on Sunday, as it’s kind of a symbolic fresh start to each week for myself. I write about what I did over the weekend and what I hope to accomplish for the upcoming week, and I decorate the pages with fun little doodles after words.

I hope you guys liked reading a little more about me! I know I’ve been away from my little blog for a few weeks now and have been feeling a bit uninspired. Hope you guys can bear with me while I get myself out of this funk! <3.

In the meantime, let me know, what’re some little known facts about yourself?

Weekend Fun: Seattle Edition

GIRL, WYA?!

ADIDAS NMD R1: Ice Purple Review

Life Updates: Opportunites at Work & Bad Moods

Fitness: Easy Ways to Stay Motivated

Making the Most out of Your Concert Experience

A Little More About Me!

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