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Sunday, August 31, 2014

Post #50 and a two cups of coffee kind of morning.

Welp. This morning I've already successfully been to the vet. Before 10am on a sunday. I've hit an all time high/low (which ever way you look at it) for being a crazy cat mom. Hopefully my boy gets to feeling better soon. 

And the only thing he is eating now is treats. On the up side at least he is eating something!



So this is post #50 and one of things I love the most about this blog is to be able to spread a little positivity on this corner of the interwebs! Today I had two cups of coffee this morning. I intend to have a great day before this work week starts, not that I have the average work week normal 8-5ers have, but you get my point. I have to work tonight, so I will be having coffee again today! Oh night shift!


So I'm sure you guys have all heard about the Jamberry craze. Everyone is having online parties and selling these little adhesive nail things. I bought a bunch of these last year and they still stick fine. I put them on my finger, use the warm setting on my blow dryer and they stick for at least a week. 

However, I don't like putting them on every nail, I think it looks like a jumbled mess, so every other nail is fine with me (i'm a little OCD, weird). PLUS, not being in nursing school right now, I'm probably going to be sporting these bad boys until the day I go back... (we are allowed to have ANY nail polish or fun things on our nails during the program.) 

No, don't worry I don't sell these things, so I won't be harassing you to buy! 



Did you know.. 

Hello Kitty was actually a little girl. My mind is kind of blown... but I'm not a Hello Kitty enthusiast so I don't really care. It's still weird

Fun facts: I absolutely love knowing useless information. 


I thought this was crazy. I mean what are they going to come up with next?


This has been a life long dream of mine to visit this island. Go figure. No surprise here. 


I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!
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Do you have a place that you've always wanted to go?

What kind of coffee do you drink?!

Saturday, August 30, 2014

3 vet visits and $600 later.

Today has been one of those days, where you'd be completely fine getting back into bed and starting the day over. Yes, it's been one of those. 

So do you remember where I was watching a new kitty for a friend while she was deployed? Well that went south real quick. 

Apparently, cats don't like change, when their environment changes, so does their health. I've been to the vet three times this month. Both my cats have developed some respiratory illnesses as a result of stress or the new cat bringing new cooties in the house. First, Lou kitty got the sneezes and then on to Gizmo. This is a conundrum folks.  Just look at that poor little face. 


Either way this crazy cat lady is about out of patience. So I got back in bed. Best decision i've made this far. Do you see what is in that bowl?!? It's Spinach Artichoke dip. It's gone, all of it. 
My struggle is real. I will make up for this tomorrow.


If you're ever in Charleston and craving pizza, eat at Steel City Pizza. Their pizza is amazing. I ordered this new pizza they are featuring, called the Caprese, I added pepperoni. For some reason, I feel like pizza is not pizza without pepperoni. 


Don't you worry, I basically left a whole pizza for Matt. Hopefully, he likes it. I also am calling it a How I met your mother marathon again. My team already played this week, and we won. 


There are days that are good and not so good. I'm grateful for the life I have, the bumps in the road always make it interesting and worth while. Right now, I'm painfully full and need to go run 5783475983475934857 miles. 

Thanks for listening to my rant. 

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What do you do in stressful moments?

Do you eat like crap or not at all?

Tell me something amazing that is going on for your long labor day weekend!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Hello college football, welcome back!

Y'all nothing speaks to me more than the start of college football again. Really any football game. There's something about this time of year that just makes me feel happy. Fall is on it's way back and i'm ready for scarves and boots again. Well I do live in Charleston.. so maybe not for a month... but it's coming. Also, it's not fall until the pumpkin spice latte makes it's appearance! Let the Pumpkin craze begin!

For those of you who don't know. I'm a huge Texas A&M fan. I'm from College Station, TX, where Texas A&M is located. While I didn't attend school there, living in the town for 20 years makes me an honorary Aggie and a proud one at that. Before every game we do whats called "Midnight Yell". This is a tradition where our yell leaders (our own version of cheer leaders, who are men--another tradition), get the Aggies all fired up about the game the next day. Apparently our yell practice happened at the statehouse in South Carolina in Columbia last night, if you're wondering what it's all about, you can see it here!

I have to brag we just revamped our stadium, Kyle field back in College Station. I'm excited to go home and see it. Apparently you'll be able to see the jumbo-tron from 2 miles up the road from where I used to live. Crazy.



Since moving to Charleston, I get very homesick when game days are here. I just know back home our whole town is buzzing around with anticipation for the great game. It's ok, I made Turkey chili to help with my homesickness! I'm sure this is going to be a great game, no matter the outcome! 


I have to say some of the best recipes, I've ever made are the ones where I just threw some ingredients together. My Turkey Chili is one of these recipes and it's not that bad for you. The best part of any chili is you can add and omit any of the ingredients to make it your own. 

Turkey Chili 



One serving = 1 cup without cheddar cheese and chips

Serves: 8-10 people 

Ingredients: 
  • 1 lb ground turkey meat (99% lean)
  • 1 bell pepper (any color)
  • 1 onion 
  • 15 oz can of cannellini beans ( you can definitely omit these)
  • 4 oz can of Trader Joes's green chili's 
  • 1/2 jar of Frontera Jalapeño cilantro salsa (you can use your favorite)
  • 1 cup tomato sauce 
** I do like add chili powder and cayenne for a little kick** 

First I like to brown my turkey meat and set aside. 

Dice up bell pepper and onion, sauté until soft, then combine with browned ground turkey meat. 

Combine all ingredients in large pot and let get warm and fill your house will all kinds of good smells. 

I top with sharp cheddar cheese and Late July Chips Multigrain chips.  

Nutrition facts from myfitnesspal.com


Nutrition Facts
Servings 10.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 93
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1 g1 %
Saturated Fat 0 g0 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 28 mg9 %
Sodium 357 mg15 %
Potassium 164 mg5 %
Total Carbohydrate 8g3 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g8 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 13 g26 %
Vitamin A5 %
Vitamin C24 %
Calcium5 %
Iron5 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

I hope everyone is getting super excited for college football, it officially starts this weekend!!! WHOOP!!

Any favorite game day foods?

Who is your team?!




Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Today is the day.

No more hiding.

Yesterday was a day that I don't want to experience again. I'm having body image issues again. Of course this pops up anytime I see numbers on the scale. I went to a doctor's appointment yesterday and saw the scale.

I've dusted myself off with the help of my bestie, Olivia, and am moving on.

I think the issues i'm having is accountability. I've really jumped off the wagon of healthy eating. If you eat crap everyday, you're going to look like crap. I really have no one to blame but myself.


Here are my measurements as of today.

Weight: 163 lbs 

Arms: 10.5 in 

Legs: 18 in

Waist: 30 in 

Hips 39 in 

It took a lot for me to put those numbers up there, but today is the day, no more hiding. I'll only check my measurements and weight every month, for me, I don't feel that it's healthy to check your weight so often because it varies so much. Hopefully next month i'll be brave enough to put up a picture. Baby steps.

I really want to reach the following goals.

  • Be able to run 5 miles without stopping. 
  • Lose 5-10 percent of my body weight-- I'll still be within my limits for healthy weight, not to worry.  
  • Lose 5 inches overall. 
  • Track my food intake, focusing on healthy foods to fuel my body with. 
  • Cutting down on processed food. 
  • Do 20 real push ups in a row. (Right now I can only do 7 in a row.) 
  • Hold a plank for 2 minutes. (I struggle after 45 seconds)
  • More positive self talk. 
All of these goals, I hope to attain at least half by the end of the year. There are 18 weeks left of this year. I know I can do this. Each week I will report how everything is going. I intend to gain some insight from my trainer. I don't believe in weight loss drugs and will not give into them. I believe that weight loss drugs are an easy fix, and if you want a healthy life, it must be a lifestyle change. 

That's really the hardest part, a lifestyle change. 

Here's to the next 18 weeks. 

Thanks pinterest
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Is there anyone else out there that is struggling?

Did anyone make a healthy lifestyle change this year?

How did you measure your change?


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Ten things about this week.

Thanks pinterest
I feel like sometimes I don't use memes enough on this blog. Not to worry, I will fix this today. 


1. My Lou kitty is sick. While we've been watching this other kitty cat, I didn't realize how much it was stressing out my older cat. He'd been hiding behind the dryer and either the dust got his allergies going or something, but he definitely has been sneezy. Long story short: antibiotics, has anyone tried to give a cat a pill? Let me tell you it sucks, bad. I'm just glad he's on the couch with me today and not hiding! 



2. I've been having tons of issues eating right this week. I always fall off the eating healthy wagon around shark week.. ahem... any who! I just feel like this. I just need to jump right back on and start eating cleaner. I always feel better. 


3. But then again I have this.. 

MY goodness, this stuff just jumped in my life and now I need it to make an exit. Trader Joe's is an amazing places. If you haven't gone to Trader Joe's, you need to. 

4. Thanks to Tropical Storm Cristobal, it's been very nice weather in Charleston, I mean the mornings have felt just like fall. It's official. I'm just ready for fall



5. I'm ready for my man to come home. Yes, he left again, big surprise. Sometimes, this Air Force thing gets on my nerves. He will be home on Sunday!!

6. HIMYM. How I Met Your mother. I'm re-watching episodes, thanks Netflix for giving me something to do late at night. If you don't have Netflix, you should. It's probably the best investment I've made in my adult life. 


7. So I started running again... Yes, we have invested in a treadmill. I love it, but it takes up my sun room, and now I have to find a new foam rolling place.. #1stworldproblems Anywho, I'm using this treadmill more often and trying to find my running mojo. This has been super hard for me. Especially with getting really sore and not wanting to do a thing the next day. I have to get better about this. 




8. I feel this struggle the most, my braces catch everything. 



TEN.  It's Tuesday. Don't forget to be awesome. 


I hope everyone is having a great week. If it's not great, it's not too late to start. 



Wednesday, August 20, 2014

There is something about the sea..

that absolutely speaks to my soul.


This might sound crazy, but I love having the beach to myself. It's one of the few places where I feel so much peace. I'm really grateful for school starting this week, not for me, but the kiddos of Charleston. 

I also had really great girl talk today. Somedays you just need to have girl time and I'm thankful for that. 


The only down side of many hours at the beach... the SUNBURN. My goodness, I thought I put enough sunblock on... clearly not. Y'all this is what I get for not going to the beach periodically the entire summer and trying to make up for it twice in one week. Here's to a long, long week of aloe. 


Side notes for this week, I've been killing it this week for workouts!

Monday: Bootcamp! This day we did sprint intervals X 4, lots of cardio today, walking lunges, squat jumps, inch worms, planks, and leg raises.  I definitely was sore after those lunges and jumps, I can't stand jumping, still working on it. 

Tuesday: Spin

Wednesday: Bootcamp! After my long day at the beach, I actually made bootcamp. We did tons of work on pushups. Every. SINGLE. kind. of push-up. ever. The point was to work on form and to try not to do modified pushups. Diamond pushups, pylo-pushups, plank jack pushups, thruster-scorpion pushups, and wide hand pushups. Y'all I hate pushups today. 

Thursday: Spin (hopefully) 

Friday: Some kind of strength training. 

It's been really nice to getting to work out this week. I just have to keep remembering that I'll always stay the same, if I always do the same. 

SOOOO.. I'm thinking about doing an Advocare cleanse soon... I usually do one every 3 months, just to keep my food intake a little bit cleaner... let's just say i'm a little over due.  I will be documenting what I'm eating and doing here to stay accountable. I'm thinking it will be in the next two weeks or so. 

I hope everyone is having an amazing week and I'll check back in with you soon! 



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Anybody ever do the Advocare cleanse?!

If so, What did you think? What were your results like?

Do you use any Advocare products? 
-I currently use Spark and Protein shakes

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Change is in the Air.

Every so often, I feel chapters open and close at the different seasons. In our house, we are getting ready for some big changes.

I am getting ready to graduate nursing school. It's been so crazy trying to prepare for my boards and jump through all the hoops for my licensure.

You know my love for countdowns.



We are also getting ready to move. Life of the military, we only live in a place for 3 years. Charleston was our first assignment, and i'm now getting anxious leaving. Not just because of the move, but because of what the move will mean. I will be a nurse at our new place and actually responsible for people's lives. Scary. I know this is something that i've been working toward for the past 2 years, but it's always been a distant goal.

Matt will be changing jobs in the AF. Weird. Which will change the dynamic of when he'll be home. He will be traveling a lot more.  With this being said, we've also been putting more thought into our family, who knows when that will happen.. but it's definitely in the foreseeable future.

Most of all (in the present) I'll be leaving another awesome support system, my friends. My friends that i've made around town as well as my nursing family. The family that always picked me up through 2 deployments and anytime I needed a pep talk.

This is one chapter that will be hard to close.

Change can mean so many things. It also means that sometimes we have to let go. I'm not so good with this part of change. Robin Williams. This man was a huge part of my growing up in the 90's. I'm having a hard time getting used to the idea that this man will no longer be a part of this world. After my clinical in psychiatry, I witnessed depression and substance abuse, and I've realized these people feel isolated from the world. Isolated from their loved ones. They feel like no one can save them, not even themselves. It's really scary when you sit and think about it. A lot of people don't understand how debilitating these mental illnesses are. I only hope that people will try to understand before passing judgment.

This quote truly spoke to me.


I don't usually do posts like this. However, I feel that my last clinical forever changed me. I have seen a different side of people that I can't unsee these days. I look a little deeper before passing judgement. I'd love to say that i'll never pass judgement, but let's be honest... that'll never be true. 

Change has definitely influenced my life yet once again. Just another one of the reasons that I love being in my late twenties. Growing is such a huge part and i'm embracing it. 

I hope that you embrace change today too. 

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Well Hello August!

Right now, I'm in bed re-watching Gossip girl and listening to this glorious thunderstorm right outside my window. Y'all there is literally a light show right outside my window, this will be one thing I'll miss about living so close to the coast. Not that we are going anywhere for the next 6 months or so.

Let's recap all the happenings lately. I've been awful at this whole blogging thing. I will find my groove..

Hanging out with Matt and the cats.. you know the usual.


Now that my class is over... I've been indulging. That is carrot cake, my friends. SO DELICIOUS! 


Put you eyes back in your head... I didn't eat the whole thing. You bet yourself I wanted to though. 


I've really been enjoying dating my husband again. After the deployment, we have been doing date nights and it's been amazing, I forgot how much I missed this. We recently went to this neat raw bar called Coast. Oh my goodness, it was heaven. They have the best mojitos in Charleston. Check it out. 


Don't worry I'm still up to doing nursing things. Me and my ride or die chick, Ashleigh are taking 50 pizzas to all the New student nurse's orientation. Yes, it's confirmed 50 pizzas will fit in my Wanda the Honda. 


Matt took me to this place called Swig and Swine. I don't necessarily like SC BBQ, but this is really great. Check it out they have tons of good things. My favorite was the sausage and pimento cheese. We are on a pimento cheese kick right now and trying out new beers. 



Oh yes.. So we have been watching this new cat for someone who is on a deployment right now. Meet Leia. She has been trying to fit in with the cats, operative word: TRYING. It's pretty rough right now.. Any ideas for introducing new kitties?!


Oh yes. So I went to Texas, for a bachelorette party! Miss Tirah's bachelorette party went off without a hitch. I drank a lot of wine this weekend. 


Right across from this house, was a beautiful lutheran church. I can't even tell you how wonderful it was sitting on the front porch in Fredericksburg, TX and looking at this. It's the oldest church in Fredericksburg!


Tons of winery hopping.. Won't go into too many details but my goodness I was in wine heaven. 





A trip to Texas wouldn't be incomplete without Chicken Express corn nuggets. Y'all don't know what you're missing. 


So after being in the plane for 5 hours coming home from Texas. My husband surprised me with this at the airport. A 2014 Mini Cooper Countryman. This is my early graduation present! I couldn't believe he got this for me.  Y'all I have a keeper.  Incase you were wondering, my hubs is taking care of Wanda the Honda these days. She was an awesome car. 






I had a lot of catching up to do. Hope your week is going awesomely!