Ugly Truth: turning 30

I have 5 days until I turn 30. Which reminds me, have you entered my giveaway yet? If not, you only have 4 days to do so... get crackin'!

Anyway, I had a REALLY REALLY REALLY long conversation with my friend T last night. She's a great distraction and also great at helping me piece out what's wrong in my brain. Last night's conversation was about how I don't feel the way I used to.

When I was 24, I could walk into a room and command attention... seriously just by walking in. My friends wanted my fashion advice (and other advice) and they wanted the latest workout tip.

Fast forward nearly six years later and no one is asking for my fashion advice, other advice, or for my workout tips. It's actually quite sad... for me. When T and I were talking about this, I mentioned how there aren't any self-help books for women like me... feeling slightly overweight, unattractive, and somewhat dead inside.

It's the truth. I feel a little dead inside. Is this normal for 30?

When we were discussing my issues, I mentioned how I want to write books for women like me. We're not depressed, we're not "fat", we're just disenchanted with what life has given us so far. So, she asked me the golden question - "what would you tell someone like yourself?" and I didn't have an answer. Seriously. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

I work out, take the dogs out for 30 minute walks (which, if you've ever walked Sparky is more like a run with a pulling challenge), do some yoga, eat healthy (for the most part)... ya know, all the things your supposed to do but I can't seem to drop the weight.

Think of it this way, when it comes to food- I'd still rather eat a cucumber and red pepper than chocolate cake. My lunch for today:

• Salad with Qinoa, lettuce, red pepper, cucumber, bulgarian cheese, hard boiled egg, and kohlrabi.
• Barley soup with potato, carrots and onion

My breakfast is even MORE fun:

• Greek Yogurt with 3% fat and a tsp. of honey

Yeah. Eating is actually NOT the problem. Maybe my weight issue is really that I feel kinda dead inside.

Regardless, I'm only 5 days away from turning 30 and I feel worse inside than I did when I was 23 and dating assholes (Pardon my French). I have a lot to be thankful for - a husband who thinks I'm beautiful (inside and out)... who would and does bend over backwards for me; 2 amazing dogs who do back flips for my attention... ya know, until they see a bug and then all bets are off; a great family; great friends; a job... but I physically don't feel like myself.

So, there you have it, the ugly truth about me turning 30.

What advice do you have for me?

Giveaway: My Birthday Gift... to you

My birthday is coming up. I'll be 30. Some of you readers are thinking "you're such a baby!" while others are pondering "isn't that old?" I'm neither old nor am I a baby... thankyouverymuch.

I decided that my new year resolution was to get people to like me more to take care of my health issues. I live in a fantastic country with sunshine 80% of the year and it gives me plenty of opportunities to get out and stay active. But I don't. Because I'm lazy. And I live on the Internet. No, not like Tron - I don't live IN it, just on it.

I kinda like spending money and April is going to be an expensive month for us. Why? Because it's my birthday month - DUH! So, in honor of my big 3-0 birthday and NOT completing all of the items on my 30 before 30 list (again, because I'm lazy) - we're doing a giveaway.

This giveaway is WORLDWIDE. Why? Because we live in Israel and it's my birthday. That's why! I'm a princess and what I say goes... on my birthday.


So, what will you be getting? A gift basket of stuff you can only find in Israel. So, for you, it's kind of a surprise but it's a gift basket of stuff that I like from the holy land.


What's in the gift basket? you ask...

• Water Based Hand Cream A Mineral Rich Water based Hand Cream with Sea of Life Minerals, Cucumber, Zucchini (squash) and Tomatoes extracts. For nourishing the skin and for a magic day. - it smells like Cabbage Patch dolls!!
• Dead Sea Mud
• Elite chocolate - like my favorite bar pictured below... the Egozi bar (hazelnut, nougat, and chocolate...drool...
• A Star of David or Cross Necklace from the holy land... depending on your religion (which I may have to ask of the winner)
• An assortment of dried fruit... we're known for it!

And a few surprises...

I really like our readers. You've been there for us through thick and thin and read all my b.s. so this is my gift to you for my birthday.

Don't you want my Egozi bar

Anyway, here's how to enter...

• Tell us what you know about Israel by leaving a comment on this giveaway listing - only comment once and leave your email address in the comment! (mandatory and must be done in the comment field)

For additional entries... (be sure to come back and fill out the form below each time you do one!)

• Be our FAN on Facebook and leave a relevant comment telling us why you want to win
• Follow us on twitter
• Retweet "@Hilly293 I want to win your birthday giveaway! http://ow.ly/4q3ir" once per day
• Blog about the contest (send us the URL in below form)
  

The contest ends on April 9th - 11:59pm EST.

Good luck!

Holy Sh*t - Birthday Ideas

I know my 30 before 30 list only came out... um, yesterday but I can update it NOW! YAY!

Part of why I'm doing my 30 before 30 so late in the game is because a) I forgot about it; and b) I want to see what I'm capable of doing in such a short amount of time.

Today conquer 30 before 30, tomorrow THE WORLD!

1. Finish my bachelor's degree (ZOMG, it's almost done)
   
2. Go to the Dead Sea for a day and just veg out (next weekend...next weekend)
   
3. Finish my cookbook and do a DIY publish job
4. Run every day for 2 weeks in a row
5. Make a proper "Southern" Mac and Cheese
6. Cook a proper flank steak
7. Visit Europe - completed in 2010
8. Watch all 6 episodes of Star Wars in one day
9. Dye my hair blonde... like a real blonde.
10. Start a rainy-day/vacation fund
11. Learn to cook something like my aunt (she's WAAAY better at cooking than me)
12. Do YOGA every day for two weeks before work (maybe it'll become habit)
13. Train Sparky to walk WITH me, not in front of me
14. Read a good book that has nothing to do with history/war/government/politics (suggestions?)
15. Go to a local winery and get sloshed (sorry hubby... you're my DD)
16. Get married
17. Get pregnant
18. Go on a DayCation (thank you Cyprus!)
19. Eat at Segev restaurant
20. Get dressed up for Purim and DO something (I haven't done that since I was 10)
21. Learn to make pot stickers from scratch
22. Do 20 push ups consecutively
23. Make a week's worth of vegetarian main dishes
24. Start saving for a house
25. Start paying back my $10,000 student loan
26. Go one day without wearing ANY make up... and then go out
27. Go one week without wearing a black/brown/or neutral colored shirt/pants/skirt/sweater
28. Make 1 jar of pickles by myself
29. Move to Israel - completed in 2006
30. Become comfortable in my own skin.

Aside from my updated list, I've been thinking A LOT lately about, well, me. I have no real wants, no real needs - and this is making it SUPER difficult for Craig to pick out a birthday gift for me.

I've always wanted a vintage airline bag... like these:

Another idea that popped into my mind was a gift certificate for a massage/manicure/pedicure. I haven't had any of the above in a LONG time. Yet, it's not necessarily a personal gift... not nearly as personal as the popcorn of the month club. I'm not sure if we can get it to Israel but I'd love to try it out.

When you Google "30th birthday gift idea" you get a lot of results... most of them are crap. They give the typical jewelry/bath soap/body lotion idea. They're great and I do love ALL 3 of those things but, in truth, I don't really need any of them. I have A TON of lotion.

I found that FredFlare.com has some unique items like these:
Alas, I'll have to wait until April 10, 2011 to see what's in store for this year's Hillapalooza. Money is always accepted... except from close friends and my husband (because that's just dirty).

Do you have any other genius ideas for my birthday gift?

30 before 30...

In just over a month, I turn 30 years old. You're probably thinking "uh, Hillary, isn't it a little late to start your 30 before 30 list??" The answer is no. I'm a little time crunched but no, it's not too late - especially since I actually started this list at age 25 and I can automatically cross off a few things.

So, here's my list of things I want to do BEFORE I turn 30 (on April 10... gifts accepted):

1. Finish my bachelor's degree
2. Go to the Dead Sea for a day and just veg out
3. Finish my cookbook and do a DIY publish job
4. Run every day for 2 weeks in a row
5. Make a proper "Southern" Mac and Cheese
6. Cook a proper flank steak
7. Visit Europe - completed in 2010
8. Watch all 6 episodes of Star Wars in one day
9. Dye my hair blonde... like a real blonde.
10. Start a rainy-day/vacation fund
11. Learn to cook something like my aunt (she's WAAAY better at cooking than me)
12. Do YOGA every day for two weeks before work (maybe it'll become habit)
13. Train Sparky to walk WITH me, not in front of me
14. Read a good book that has nothing to do with history/war/government/politics (suggestions?)
15. Go to a local winery and get sloshed (sorry hubby... you're my DD)
16. Get married
17. Get pregnant
18. Go on a DayCation (thank you Cyprus!)
19. Eat at Segev restaurant
20. Get dressed up for Purim and DO something (I haven't done that since I was 10)
21. Learn to make pot stickers from scratch
22. Do 20 push ups consecutively
23. Make a week's worth of vegetarian main dishes
24. Start saving for a house
25. Start paying back my $10,000 student loan
26. Go one day without wearing ANY make up... and then go out
27. Go one week without wearing a black/brown/or neutral colored shirt/pants/skirt/sweater
28. Make 1 jar of pickles by myself
29. Move to Israel - completed in 2006
30. Become comfortable in my own skin.