Legally Blogging Series

The Legally Blogging idea was dreamed up by three ladies who all met in blog-land and instantly clicked. You could say it was love at first sight. The immediate connection stemmed from the one thing they had in common: Law. Obviously, as time went on, they discovered they had much more in common than just law, but that was a great starting point.

Here they are!

They decided to join forces and start a blogging series, to show that lawyers aren't always what you'd expect. The main goal of the series is to connect with other legal ladies out there and meet some great new people. Every week, the hope is to showcase a new person in the series.

Series so far:

Catherine - Part 1
Allison - Part 2
Jackie - Part 3
Jackie (City Girl...) - Part 4
Erica (To The Sea) - Part 5
Crystal (29 Rue House) - Part 6
Bridy (Brid's Journey) - Part 7
Josie (Straight No Chase) - Part 8
Jennifer (Come Rain or Come Shine) - Part 9

If you're interested in participating in the Legally Blogging Series, just send an email to Jackie: jjstoughton [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

We'd love to have you on board!

I'm excited to be posting in this series of Legally Blogging today! So, a little bit about me is that like Jackie I'm also a Pittsburgher! I was born and raised right outside the city and I absolutely love it here. I when to a University in Philly, but I found my way back to the Burgh for law school. I actually am a new attorney, I graduated from law school last year, took the July Bar Exam and thank goodness I passed on the first try!

See, don't I look official? I'm very happy that I'm finally done with school and working doing something that I enjoy.

So, on to the questions!

Why did you start blogging?

I started a blog on a whim, to be honest. One day I just sat down at the computer and decided I'd write a post. I just blog about my life and what is going on at the moment. At the moment I'm navigating life finally as a full fledged adult now that I'm done with school for good. And I'm trying to lose weight. While I was in law school all the studying and stress I definitely got to my highest weight ever. I've always been overweight, but after law school and the bar I was at my highest. I decided it was time for a change and started following Weight Watchers in August. After losing motivation and deciding I could use some support and accountability and started blogging. My weight loss has been slow, but I'm working on it. I've lost a total of 37.2 pounds so far and from graduation to now I can already see a difference! 

What do you like to do when you're not blogging?

I absolutely love to travel! I have a goal to visit all 7 continents by the time I'm 40 and I only have 3 left! I also love to spend time with my friends, go to concerts (next up is Of Monsters and Men, Fun, and Justin Timberlake), and I love movies. I'm also a bit of a nerd, if being a lawyer didn't give it away, and so I love to read as well! 

What do you find is the biggest misconception about lawyers?

Well, I see that this is a common answer, but I definitely think that the biggest misconception is that all lawyers are rich. That is definitely NOT the case. There is such a wide variety of legal positions that salary widely varies. 

Also I think a few lawyers give the rest of us a bad name, so to speak. I'm actually a 3rd generation lawyer and back when my grandfather was living and practicing lawyers were greatly respected as a profession. I feel like times have changed in that regard. Now I think some don't appreciate lawyers until they need one. Now, I'm not saying that it is the greatest profession or anything, but I think some have given it a bad reputation. 

Another big misconception is that all lawyers sue. Actually there are a lot of lawyers who have never filed a law suit. You can do so many things as a lawyer and there are so many options that not every lawyer you meet is practicing like the attorneys you see on TV. 

What is your favorite vacation that you've ever been on?

My favorite vacation is probably when I went to Fiji. I studied abroad in Australia and on the way home I stopped over at Fiji with a few friends. It was amazing! Paradise. 

So that's a little be about me! Thank you again to Allison, Catherine, and Jackie for asking me to participate!

Spring Training: 5k Challenge - The Home Stretch!

The goal of this challenge is to get moving. No matter how much or how little you can do you can participate. Linkup and share a fitness related post. If you've started walking, running, swimming. . .tell us how you've started to get moving! At the end of the challenge we will be running/walking a virtual 5k together on June 1st!!!

Well, we are in the home stretch of this challenge now! I can't believe it is the end of May already! It is amazing to me to see the progress everyone has had over these past weeks! I know I wish my progress was better to report, but I have been walking much more than running. I am trying to get a walk in each day during work for at least part of my lunch break. My PF was ok today and I got a decent amount of walking in with all the good weather. I still have a goal of running a 5k, but I'm proud that I know I'll be able to walk the whole 5k. 

I was talking with the instructor/trainer at the gym and told her about how I want to try running more. She knows about my issues with my foot currently and we have been focusing on things to not further injure it, but we are going to work more and more on the proper running technique. She even said she'd like to run/walk with me on the local trail. Hopefully we can make that happen because it is always nice when you have some with you to help push you and vice versa. I'm keeping this short as I will be linking up with the Legally Blogging Series today too, but I can't wait to read about your fitness progress this week! 

What had you moving this week?

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Bloggy Boot Camp - Charlotte 2013

Attending Bloggy Boot Camp in Charlotte was a great experience. If you are really enjoying blogging and thinking about possible opportunities to take things a step further then I highly recommend attending one of their conferences. 

One of the first things we were asked at the conference was: "What is your endgame?" To be honest, before this weekend I don't think I had one. When I sat at my computer in November and wrote my first post I had no idea that I'd keep up with this blog, that I'd find such a great community, that I would so enjoy sharing about my life. When I started blogging, not even 6 months ago, I had no clue where it would go. I started my blog because I felt that if I put my weight loss journey out there that I couldn't just quit as I've done so many times in the past. Also, I was looking for others in a similar stage of life or going through a similar weight loss struggle. I'm just writing about my life, my story, my experiences. I love the community I've found.

Your endgame could be anything from simply documenting a certain period of your life in print to monetizing and earning money or even writing a book! Whatever it is for you think about what your endgame is and work backwards in a sense. Think about what you should be doing now to get there. I started just documenting this period of my life, now I'm not 100% sure what my endgame is. I'm thinking about it a lot because I know I'm in limbo for the moment! 

Honestly, I made the decision to attend Bloggy Boot Camp because I wanted to meet other bloggers. I've interacted with so many people online and it is so nice to finally meet some people face-to-face! There are so many wonderful women that I met this weekend and I can't wait to share their blogs with you all (like some of the lovely ladies pictured- Emily @ Be Blessed, y'all and Rebekah @ All that Glitters and Ricci @ Ricci Explains it All). I've been very on the fence about monetizing fully lately, so mainly I wanted meet other bloggers, hear opinions, experiences, and remain open minded. 

The ticket was very affordable, about $100, and the hotel was so nice and very reasonably priced and then I lucked out and got a super saver for my flight. All in all it was an inexpensive trip and I think very worth it! I felt like I had a nice mini vacation! 

As I've mentioned, I was very naive when I started this blog. Of course you write for yourself, but I can't lie - I am intrigued as to how bloggers are able to earn money or work with companies. 

So, what did I take away form the conference? 

I am still reviewing everything myself, so I'm sure I will have tips to share for awhile, but if you want to grow your blog here are 5 to start with:

1. Focus on your content. First and foremost, your content is what is important. At the end of the day you need to produce something that someone wants to read, right?

2. Have a Facebook page. Am I the only one who missed this memo? Anyway, my blog did not have a facebook page, until this weekend! If you enjoy the blog, please go on over and "like" KTJ Weighing In on Facebook. Thanks!

3. Schedule social media. There is some debate on whether it is better to schedule or not. However, if you are busy and want to have a few tweets go out you can actually schedule some of your social media on sites like HootSuite. However, for facebook posts use facebook to schedule, not a 3rd party. For all other media it seems ok to use a 3rd party to schedule, but be mindful that on social media the whole point is to be social. So if you are scheduling everything and not interacting then that may not be the best either. 

4. Edit your pictures. Ok, so I'm guilty of this! I primarily use my iPhone for all pictures, which is ok, but first I need to remember to take more pictures and then edit them a little before posting them. If you don't have expensive programs like Photo Shop that's ok. A great site was recommended to us: PicMonkey. 

5. Consider what blogging platform you want to use. Basically, do you want to use Tumblr, Blogger, Wordpress, etc. From the conference, if you want to monetize it was highly suggested to use Wordpress.org where you self-host. This is something that I've been thinking so much about. When I first wrote that post at the end of November I wrote it on Wordpress. I didn't make an educated decision, then I switched to blogger in January and Hubby Jack did my design. I hate to say it, but months later I'm strongly considering moving back to Wordpress. Mainly because I didn't fully research the differences between the 2. There are pros and cons to both. Anyone have any opinions of why you like one vs. the other? The reason why I'm really feeling the push to switch to Wordpress Self Hosted is that you then have more control over your blog, when on blogger technically google owns your blog and could delete it at any time, however I think it is pretty rare that they do that and you can back up your blog frequently to avoid losing all your content. 

Obviously my blurbs are so little compared to the wealth of information received by attending the conference, which is why I recommend attending one if growing your blog really interests you. These are just a few of the things I've taken away. There is so much more that I'm sure will come as I review my notes and reflect on the weekend. All of these things cannot be done in a day. Just like with weight loss, take one thing at a time. Focus on one aspect of your blog that you'd like to improve and work on that. Don't overwhelm yourself. Easier said than done, I know!

Have you ever been to a blogging conference? What did you find most valuable about the experience? If you haven't attended a conference, what is the biggest piece of blogging advice you'd give to a newbie?

Fifth and Mae Giveaway!

Well everyone, I'm off to Bloggy Boot Camp! I'm excited to attend my first blogging conference, but more excited to meet some good blogging friends that I've gotten to know over the last couple months. I've only been blogging now about 5 1/2 months so I'm looking forward to learning new things and connecting with other bloggers. I often feel strange if I bring up the blog with my IRL friends. I don't talk about it much and very few people who actually know me read or know about this blog. So it will be nice to talk about blog things with people who get it! I'll be posting updates while at the conference on twitter and instagram.

I'm also excited that I'm going with a new accessory!

Michelle from Fifth and Mae is so sweet and she offered to send me these cute mint heart earrings! I just received them in the mail this week and I really like them. My sister was with me when I received the little package and her first thing she said to me was "I may be borrowing those!"

Fifth and Mae offers cute and quality jewelry for $10 or less. I've always been a fan of jewelry because you don't have to worry about the size! It is nice for a little reward too!

Do you want to win some jewelry? Well, you are in luck! Michelle is offering one lucky reader a $25 store credit to Fifth and Mae! 

All you need to do is enter on the Raffelcopter below and comment on this post sharing what piece of jewelry you'd buy. You can also earn some extra entries by tweeting about the giveaway and following Fifth and Mae on Facebook and Instagram. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*All winners will be verified

*Participants must be 18 years or older. No purchase necessary.

*Winner will be contacted via email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If no response is received within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen. I am not responsible for emails that go to spam. 

*For full terms and conditions please review the "Terms and Conditions" above on Raffelcopter

I received the earrings complimentary from Fifth and Mae for the purposes of review and the giveaway. All opinions are my own. 

Non-Scale Victories #17

Wow, week 16! I certainly did not invent Non-Scale Victories, I just thought it would be a good linkup for people to share all their NSVs and be able to support and encourage others through linking up. I'm glad that Lex and I decided to start this because I've found so much personal motivation from people sharing over the las few months! 

At my Weight Watchers weekly meetings my leader always asks at the end if anyone has a NSV to share. I love that! I'm glad people are being reminded that it doesn't always matter what the scale says. We put way too much emphasis on the number on the scale and get discouraged or feel like failures even when we are making some awesome healthy decision! 

If you are new to the linkup, this is what we are all about:

Too many of us base our success just on the number we see on the scale, but there is so much more to it! All the little changes we make are helping us make a healthier lifestyle. Whether you lost weight this week or not, let's celebrate your non-scale victories! So whether you said no to that birthday cake in the office, ran a 5k, or tracked your food every day this week. . . it is time to celebrate! 

My NSV for the week has to do with some spring cleaning. As many of you may know, I'm in the process of moving. Everything happened so quick, the closing was almost exactly 30 days from the date of the offer, that I didn't have the most organized packing strategy. I figured I could sort things once putting it all away at the new place. I know, not the best strategy, but life has been pretty busy.

Anyway, a day after celebrating the closing, my sister and I went to the new place and it flooded. With all the repairs that need to be completed from the flooding we have been delayed moving in about a month. With the delay and being in limbo I've decided to just organize things, plus I needed to start wearing the clothes I packed! 

I tend to be a little bit of a pack rat. I'm one of those people who thinks I may need to use that binder full of notes from x class, but in reality I never have touched it. I've been getting better about purging things I haven't used in months and when sorting through clothes I've decided to be proactive and get rid of my clothes that no longer fit.

When getting rid of clothes that are too big you are taking a risk. The clothes are perfectly nice and in good condition, but I've grown out of them. I decided it was time to donate them. Next winter I better not be fitting in that size! Part of me feels like hanging on to them would be a security blanket of sorts. If it all went bad I'd have a perfectly fine wardrobe for work next winter, but I don't need that safety net. I never want to see that size again so it was time to say goodbye! 

What is your Non-Scale Victory for the Week? 

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How to participate:

Please follow your co-hosts, Lex over at lifebylex.com and me :)

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Spring Training: 5k Challenge

The goal of this challenge is to get moving. No matter how much or how little you can do you can participate. Linkup and share a fitness related post. If you've started walking, running, swimming. . .tell us how you've started to get moving! At the end of the challenge we will be running/walking a virtual 5k together on June 1st!!!

We are getting close now! 

I wish I could say that I was so ready to run this, but I'm not. My PF has been really bad and has been a major setback. I was fitted for inserts to help with the pain and was told a few stretches to help. I also ice and elevate. With all that though, I may be walking at least part of this 5k. We will see how it goes, but in the end all of us who are newer to exercise need to make sure that we listen to our bodies and our doctors so that we do not injure or further injure ourselves.

Days when my foot is really bad I'm still working out. I've been doing a lot more strength training and working on my core a lot. At many places you can by exercise balls and many even have various workouts to do with the ball on the handout that comes with it that you can try. 

Also, the weather is getting nicer! Walking is a great activity! If you aren't at a stage where you are able to run yet, then walking is a great option! This past weekend I went to Kennywood with my family for mother's day. Kennywood is just about my favorite place. It is a local amusement park and I definitely got a workout wandering around chasing after my nieces! 

The key is to just get moving! Find something that works for you and try to add activity into your life. 

What had you moving this week?

<p align="center"> <a href=" http://www.ktjweighingin.com/"><img src=" http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z468/suit1/runningbutton1_zps01881789.png" alt="button" width="329" height="284" /></a></p>

How to participate:

Write a post about fitness and exercise

Copy and paste the HTML code in your post

(When you are in the compose screen, click the HTML button on the left to switch to HTML view.  Copy and paste the code from the button.  Then click the COMPOSE view again to see things like normal)

Visit as many other posts and offer support and encouragement!

Weigh ins

I signed up with Weight Watchers in mid-August. I joined with my sister because after a family vacation we decided it was time we made a change. We had both just finished school receiving advanced degrees and taken our respective bar/board exams. We both were at our highest weights and for the first time in our lives we believed we could actually do it. Being overweight the entirety of our lives we knew this would be far from easy.

I don't even know why I wrote my first blog post. Part of me felt like if I put it out there I couldn't lie to myself anymore, be more accountable, and receive and give support to those in a similar circumstance. What I've found is that there are so many others who understand how I feel and who are right there with me on their own personal weight loss journeys.

My blog is not a weight loss "how to." I don't know secrets, I haven't lost the weight. I am right in my own struggle and trying to make a difference in my own life. My blog is me "sharing my story as I work towards losing 100+ pounds," as written in my bio. I don't know how long my journey will last.

As of today, I've lost 37.2 pounds. That makes my weekly average about 1 pound per week. Sure some weeks I've lost 3 pounds, some weeks I've gained, some I've stayed the same. But, I've still lost 37.2 pounds. My original personal goal was to lose 50 pounds by the end of April. I didn't make that goal. I'm frustrated with myself that I didn't, but I'm proud of the many personal accomplishments I have achieved in that time. I no longer drink pop, I don't go through the McDonald's drivethru on the way home from work, I actually go to a gym. . .

Still, I can do better! I should be doing better!

With starting a blog I knew that opening myself up on a forum like this that I would receive feedback, both positive and negative. Although I don't see myself ever personally critiquing or judging another person on how slowly their rate of loss is, when you read a post by someone critiquing you it is in effect holding you accountable. When I read a post last week critiquing my blog and my rate of loss I was at first hurt. I'm a sensitive person and some of the statements were harsh. I was sad and it really made me think if I want to open myself up to posts that could be harsh. It makes me rethink why I am blogging or if it is worth it to put my story out there. However, the crux of the post was that I have not recently been having good weigh ins.

Life isn't perfect and neither am I. However, the essential, bottom line criticism relating to my rate of loss I agree with. I need to get mentally back in the game. I've said it too many times on my blog that I will be back to where I was in December. My early posts in the blog that I reread I can see how motivated I was. I need to find that girl again. I am going to work towards being better, doing better. Actions speak much louder than words though, so I need to prove it on the scale.

So while I may have initially been upset by the post I read, I took a moment to reflect and pause and remain open to critique. It is an opportunity to make myself better and I need to be doing better. I need to be doing better for me. Success or failure, the person who is affected is me. I'm the one who deals with the consequences of my actions.

I'm going to go back to the basics and review what I've been doing because it clearly isn't working. That is my goal for the week. In the beginning I would make one change a week and fully commit to it. One change and it eventually helped me find my motivation again. Then build and the next week continue with the change but add another change. My one change I'm going to focus on this week is packing my lunch each day this week. No going out because even a salad at a restaurant is more points/calories by the time you add it all up. So here is to holding myself accountable!

. . .

I know this post is already super long, but I'd also just like to address my sponsor page for a moment. I also received some criticism relating to having the sponsor page. It was said or felt that I was soliciting people for money. My intention has not been to solicit for money, but allow other bloggers or shops to advertise on my page. I don't know if this is a battle in semantics or a misunderstanding, but "sponsoring" is advertising. Perhaps I was/still am naive when it comes to this aspect of blogging. It is something I've put a lot of thought into. All the blogs I read that are monetized have a "sponsor" page where you can buy an ad on the page. With buying an ad you have various options per the price. Some people monetize through google adsense where you are paid per click, essentially, and you pick the placement for the ad, but not necessarily the content. My understanding of having "sponsorships" was allowing people to advertise on your sidebar and then you can pick the content and placement. Similar to buying ads in other forms of print media.

However, saying that, I have struggled with whether I want to be a monetized blog or not. I know I've mentioned this on the blog before, but I'm still not sure how I want to proceed. I'm attending a blog conference this weekend, I decided to go to a blog conference because I wanted to meet many of the wonderful women I've been talking to, but I am excited to learn about how other bloggers handle things. I still have only been blogging about 5 1/2 months, I'm still learning! I'm honoring all current ads, but currently reevaluating how I want to proceed in the future.