Goodbye, Sweet Girl

Today I said my final goodbyes to my sweet and loyal friend, Ethel.

A little over 10 years ago I volunteered at a local animal shelter and was told that I was allowed to volunteer there as long as I didn't bring any pets home. Of course, I agreed to these terms and knew in the back of my head that I would be able to talk my parents into a pet if I really wanted to. Well a few weeks into volunteering there, I fell in love with one of the dogs. Fast forward 10 years later and you will easily see how big of an impact she has made on my family and how loved she was.

These last few weeks have been really rough for her. I hadn't seen her for a couple of months because of the move so I didn't know how bad of shape she actually was in. When I saw her on Friday evening I knew we had to do something to take her out of the pain.

Over the weekend, I spent every free minute I had with her. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to say goodbye to her and hold her in my arms for her final moments. While I hate to see her gone, I am so glad that I was blessed with such an amazing friend and now know that she is finally at peace.

Saturday Morning Pancakes

Last week I asked some of the girls at work for recommendations on places to take my mom while she was in town. Several people recommended that we check out  The Old Spanish Sugar Mill Grill and Griddle House so on Saturday morning we woke up extra early to beat the morning rush.

The restaurant features tables with electric griddles built in where customers get to make their own pancakes! I guess I didn't do a good job of explaining this to the crew because when we sat down Jon said "We have to make our own breakfast?!" Haha!

After we stuffed our bellies full with the amazing all-you-can-eat pancakes we headed outside to enjoy the natural spring and tour the area. Being from Indiana, I had never seen a spring before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Apparently the springs are a constant 72 degrees year round, make a perfect swimming hole in the cooler months, and are home to several manatees! While we were there we found out that you can rent kayaks so we are planning a day trip to do that very soon!

It was definitely a fun morning and Jon and I are already planning trips back to the spring very soon!

Question of the Day

Have you ever been to a DIY restaurant? Have you ever been to a natural spring? 

All Moved In

I have officially been a Floridian for one week! Woo! 

Moving to a new state in an entirely different part of the country has made it hard to have any free time these past few weeks but I am finally able to sit down, relax, and do absolutely nothing. And it feels so good. 

On top of going to work and making sure we remember to eat dinner, unpacking boxes, putting furniture together, and making countless trips to the store has been our daily routine for the past week. We are still waiting for our couch and a few other things to arrive and then the house will finally be complete! I can't wait to show pictures once everything is finally put together! 

My dad drove 15 hours yesterday to bring the last load of my stuff to me. Isn't he the greatest? We went to a local seafood restaurant and we both enjoyed the alligator dinner. It was delicious! They even had an awesome fresh seafood market you could shop from.

After we ate, we headed to the store to get a few more things and then my dad was off! He wasn't able to stay and visit very long but I'm sure he will be back for a longer stay soon. I can't wait for more visitors to come down! If anyone needs a Florida getaway, just let me know ;) 

Ten Years Later

A few weeks ago I promised my mom that I would drive home to help her clean, organize, and rearrange the storage room in the basement. This room holds everything from Christmas decorations to extra microwaves (thank you college dorm life). There are boxes of toys and stuffed animals, boxes full of birthday cards, trinkets, old clothes that should never see the light of day again, and so many photos.

Instead of just throwing the box of photos to the side and continuing on with the cleaning "fun" I decided to take a break and go through all of the photos. It's so strange to me to actually hold pictures in my hands as the new norm is to have them all on your phone or computer. This also makes me want to print every single picture that I have and put them in a big, old fashioned photo book just incase my computer were to randomly die and I lose every single one. (Are these considered old fashioned now?) 

Out of all of the photos, this one really stuck out to me.

This photo is from the summer of 2005, almost 10 years ago! I'm pretty sure it was taken on my 13th birthday. Ethel, my black lab was about 3 years old at the time and the only white speck on her is that tiny little spot you can see on her neck.

When I was 12 I volunteered at a local animal shelter and was told that I wasn't allowed to bring any animals home. Well when I was working there I wanted to save every single animal I saw but this sweet pup stood out to me. Every time I took her out to play she was so sweet and loving. She had a sister, Lucy, that had already been adopted so she was left on her own. I begged and begged my parents to let me bring her home. When I say begged, I literally had to ask about 100 times and tell them that I would scoop poop every week, take her to the vet, and buy her dog food. They finally gave in! So we all loaded up in the van, I gathered together every penny I owned ($50) and we headed to the animal shelter to bring Ethel home! The first night all of us kids slept in the living room with her on the floor in our sleeping bags and we've been in love with her ever since.

Fast forward 10 years and look at us now.

Still best friends! Just a little bit grayer - her, not me... yet ;)

It's crazy how fast these years have flown by and the changes in her! Looking at these two pictures side by side, I can hardly believe that it's the same dog!

Boy, oh boy do I love this girl! 

Free Fall Fair

Wednesday night one of the small country towns near our city had their annual Free Fall Fair. My mom and step-dad asked Jon and I if we wanted to drive up from school and go to it with them. Naturally we said yes as country music is our favorite. And who passes up a free concert?

A smaller band performed first and then Cole Swindell performed. He was a songwriter before he became a singer so he sang a lot of songs that he wrote for other big name artists. It was neat to hear him sing the songs he wrote for others and the songs he wrote for himself.

Being a free concert in a small town you couldn't expect too much from it. We sat on some old wooden bleachers surrounded by a lot of locals. There were a few verbal fights going on between some crazies and we couldn't see much due to all of the people who felt it was appropriate to stand right in front of us! But overall, it was definitely a fun time with some of my favorite people!

Question of the Day

Country music - love it or hate it? 

Whole 30 Challenge (Week 1)

I have officially been on the Whole 30 Challenge for over a week - 9 days to be exact!

Carling and I began this challenge "just because" and I'm so thankful for the experience so far. It's been such an eye opener reading nutrition labels (focusing on the ingredients), learning more about where food comes from, how to prepare it, and how it can properly fuel your body.

Meals Day 1 - 9 

Day 1 - rest day (I slept in late so breakfast and lunch were combined)
brunch: buffalo chicken lettuce boats topped with avocado; cherry tomatoes
dinner: steak; broccoli; sweet potato

Day 2 - rest day (slept in again, it was the weekend!)
brunch: 2 hard boiled eggs
dinner: steak; asparagus

Day 3
breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs
post workout: protein shake; handful of strawberries
lunch: sweet potato nachos (sweet potato chips topped with ground beef, guac & salsa); olives
dinner: chicken & veggie crockpot soup

During my workout this day I was really light headed and decided I needed to add more carbs to my breakfast.

Day 4
breakfast: banana
post workout: protein shake - click to see what protein I'm using during the challenge
lunch: turkey burger topped with guac; salad topped with tomatoes, mushrooms & olive oil
dinner: sweet potato topped with chicken & veggie crockpot soup

Day 5
breakfast: 1 hard boiled egg, banana
post workout: protein shake, 1/2 avocado
lunch: ground beef flavored with taco seasonings, guac & tomatoes; strawberries on the side
dinner: same as lunch but hot sauce was added; cauliflower, carrots, & cucumbers on the side

I found that day 4 or 5's breakfasts are key for feeling good and having enough energy throughout my entire workout.

Day 6 - Day of the CrossFit Open 14.2 Workout

breakfast: banana
late lunch: turkey burger topped with guac & tomato; sweet potato fries; sautéed mushrooms & peppers; berries
post workout: protein shake
dinner: chicken fajitas topped with guac & salsa

Day 7 - rest day
breakfast: banana
lunch: ground beef mixed with avocado, tomato and baby spinach
dinner: turkey burger topped with guac & tomato; spicy sweet potato fries; caulirice with mushrooms

This is when I started craving pretty much anything sugary, fatty, or greasy

Day 8
breakfast: banana
post workout: protein shake
lunch: ground beef stir fry (asparagus, onion, tomato, mushrooms, carrots); berries; avocado
dinner: kofta (a middle eastern meatball); tabouleh; chicken; olives & pickles; strawberries

This day was when the real challenge set in. I went to my cousin's birthday party and had to turn away some of my favorite foods. Shopping and cooking for myself at home allows me to control what kinds of food are available so it was a challenge having to pass up some of the delicious dips and desserts at the party.

Day 9
breakfast: banana
lunch: salad loaded with veggies topped with olive oil & vinegar; cafe americano coffee
snack: 1 square Ghirardelli 100% dark cocoa (disgusting!); spoonful of cashew butter
dinner: crockpot chicken & veggies; green beans

This was my first day ordering something from a coffee shop. I told the cashier about the Paleo diet and that I couldn't have anything with dairy or sugar in it. She was really cooperative, wasn't annoyed by my requests, and gave me a few different suggestions.

Today we also hit up some of the local health food stores. I was so shocked by the size of the organic sweet potatoes! They were huge! I bought 3 and they each weighed almost 2 pounds.

The Best & the Worst

The Worst Parts:
Cravings - At my cousin's party I really wanted to give in and have one bite of cake but I knew I would feel guilty afterwards and the satisfaction of finishing this challenge without cheating is going to feel so much more rewarding. But doesn't this cake look so good?

Explaining myself - (This can also be considered one of the best parts when people are actually interested and want to learn more about the challenge) While I love talking about healthy living, eating, and this challenge, I absolutely hate having to explain why I"m doing it. Some people think that the only reason you should change your eating habits are to either lose weight or because of allergies and don't understand why anyone would want to eat this way. It's hard convincing people this is a good change when they don't believe in giving up things like pasta and sweets.

Reading labels in the grocery store - Shopping takes so much longer when you actually stop and look at the ingredients in different products. However, it's easier when sugar is the first ingredient listed and you can just set the product back down on the shelf! Soon I will be able to just know what is paleo and what isn't and won't have to study the ingredients so much. (I was so shocked when I saw that the precooked frozen chicken I have been buying for awhile has sugar in it!)

The Best Parts:
All of the support I have - between Carling, Jon, family, and friends I have a ton of support. I am so grateful that the people I nanny for eat a paleo diet and always make sure that there are several meal options available for me.

How I feel - I ate healthy most of the time before the challenge but I definitely would have my days where I would scarf anything down without thinking. I can tell a difference in my sleep, my energy levels, and my performance during CrossFit.

Cooking - I have found a new love for cooking and creating new recipes. I purchased two paleo cookbooks today and am loving all of the recipes in them. The ones I have are Paleo Happy Hour and Make It Paleo.

On A Different Note

I have to share this picture of Ethel with you all. I was laying on the ground playing with her and as soon as I whipped out my phone to snap a picture of her, she turned her head. She absolutely hates the camera! She's such a precious girl though :)

Question of the Day

What's your favorite paleo meal?

Be sure to follow me on Instagram to stay up to date with all of my eats!

Chase Charlie 5K

Each year on family weekend the university hosts a 5k race called Chase Charlie. Charlie Cardinal is our school's mascot and he always begins the run! He doesn't finish it though, just runs a few yards. I mean, I can't blame him - I would never be able to run in that costume, especially with those huge feet!

Before the race I met up with a guy from the running club so we could run it together. I only ran twice the week before the race so I wasn't sure how I was going to feel while running but I did feel pretty good, despite going to bed after 1 a.m. the night before and having to wake up at 7! (bad idea)

I finished the race in 27:20 (Garmin time) for a pace of 8:49. Since I hadn't ran in so long, my goal for the race was to have a sub 9 mile pace and I did it!

After the race we rushed back to my apartment so I could shower and get all cleaned up for a Dean's List Recognition Ceremony. My mom (who also came to the race, hence the awesome pics!), my dad, and my dad's girlfriend, Liz, all came to the ceremony. My sister came and ate the cookies that were served before hand and then headed out.

(mom & dad)

(dad & Liz)

(Stephanie & I)

I'm really glad they were all able to make it, especially because they all had over an hour drive. I really don't know why I always schedule races the days that I have something else to go to immediately after. After my half-marathon, I had to go home and shower and go straight to a wedding! Talk about craziness. Hopefully after my next half nothing important pops up!

Question

Do you ever make plans after a big race or do you like to relax the rest of the day?

While I Was Away

Hey strangers. Or am I the stranger here? I haven't blogged in... awhile.

While I was gone I seriously debated on whether or not to keep this blog alive and active and then it hit me - I love blogging when I can. So that's what I'm going to do, blog when I can.

It was stressing me out being away from the blog and not posting anything but I've realized that life comes first. I need to focus on my classes, work, and training (I'm going to start training for another half very soon!) and will definitely update you on that!

Anyways, the only fun and exciting thing that happened when I was gone was my 21st birthday! My mom took me to Chicago for my birthday and some of her best friends tagged along! We went out to eat at a fun Italian restaurant, went to several bars (some were very interesting!), and did a little shopping on Navy Pier. It was definitely a great trip.

Speaking of trips, I'm leaving for Cali on Monday to visit family and I couldn't be more excited! I love it out there. I will share pictures when I return!

For now, enjoy some pictures from Chicago!

Question

Any exciting vacations coming up for you?! 

 

Ten on Tuesday

First I have some exciting news! Over the weekend my younger brothers graduated from high school! I was able to spend the entire weekend at home and go to their graduation and party.

Their party was a lot of fun and it is always good to see friends and family you haven't seen in awhile. And let's not forget the food. My mom made 50 pounds of shredded BBQ chicken and it was delicious!

I was told about these fun surveys and thought I would give them a try! A way for you guys to get to know me better and to have some fun here on the blog.

Ten on Tuesday

1. What is your favorite Pixar movie? Have you seen all of them?
I don't think I have seen every Pixar movie but I have seen a lot of them which makes it hard to choose a favorite. Some of my favorite ones are Lion King, Toy Story, and A Bug's Life.


2. Do you enjoy soccer?
I used to play soccer for a few years when I was younger and in middle school. I also played on a team with my two brothers and sister and my mom was the coach. I think I would have loved it more if I was good at doing all the fun tricks. I could run to the ball and kick it but wasn't very good at dribbling the ball down the field.

3. Are you musical?
No. I played the recorder in elementary school but everyone had to. My grandpa used to try and teach me some things on the piano but none of it every stuck.


4. How many push-ups can you do?
I haven't done any in awhile but a couple of months ago I was able to do 15 regular push-ups!

5. Did you have braces when you were younger?
Yes. Braces, expanders, rubber bands, retainers, I had it all.

6. Summer or winter? Coffee or tea? Wedges or flats?
Summer. I hate being cold.
I like coffee and tea but if I had to choose I would pick coffee with lots of flavoring, sugar, and cream.
My mom always tells me because I'm short that I should wear heels more and when I dress up I love wearing heels and wedges but on a day-to-day basis I am definitely a flats kind of girl.

7. Do you buy new or used cars?
Used. Brand new cars don't really fit into the full-time college student, part-time worker budget.

8. Are you afraid of needles?
Nope.

9. Do you get cranky when you’re tired or hungry?
Cranky when I'm really tired.

10. Write your newest favorite recipe.

• Italian Chicken:
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 packet zesty Italian dressing
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 cans cream of chicken
• Mix it all together and throw it in the crockpot for 4 hours.  I love it over noodles.

Hard Work Pays Off

If you remember back to when I started this blog, the sole reason I began blogging was to raise ovarian cancer awareness while training for my first half marathon in honor of my aunt.

This weekend I had the chance to present the money that was raised to my aunt, Hala, in front of family and friends.

Through fundraising, a bake sale, a t-shirt sale, and lots of hard work, together we were able to raise $2,149.39! My initial goal was to raise $1,300 and with the help of family and friends I was able to surpass that goal! 

It was wonderful to see how happy my aunt and uncle were when I presented them with the check. It meant so much to see all of the hard work really pay off. They are going to use this money to help pay off some of their medical expenses.

Another fun thing that my uncle did for the celebration was mow a cancer ribbon in his front yard! So awesome!

This whole experience was really life changing. It was amazing to see yourself make an impact in someone's life, no matter how big or small the deed you do is. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago the idea of raising awareness and training for a half-marathon in honor of Hala was just an idea floating around in my head. Seeing it come true was amazing and I hope to keep on running the mini-marathon race and raise awareness!

Question

Have you ever raised awareness to an important cause/charity/foundation before?

Mother's Day Coupon Book

I'm back! Finals are officially over and I can blog my little heart out (at least for the next 2 weeks until summer classes start back up!) I hope you enjoyed Brittany and Miranda's guest posts while I was away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mother's Day is just a few weeks away!

If you need a quick, and creative gift idea then why not print out one of my fun coupon books? This is perfect especially if you are busy on Mother's Day and can't spend one-on-one time with your mom because you can plan a few fun mother-daughter dates!

I know that my mom would rather have a lunch date at her favorite restaurant and a Starbucks break during one of her busy days at work than get a bouquet of flowers this Mother's Day.

Just print out the page, cut on the lines, and staple or tie together with a bow! Your mom is sure to love it.

Question

What are you getting your mom this Mother's Day? Do you like buying or making gifts better?

The Greatest Man

I want to take some time today to dedicate this post to my grandfather who peacefully passed away in his sleep early this morning after a short battle with cancer.

My grandpa was by far one of the greatest men I ever had the opportunity of knowing. I am so thankful for all the memories I have with him, all of the support he gave me, and the daily reminders of his love.

I will miss all of his good morning texts and seeing him on the sidelines of races but know that he will always be watching over. I am so thankful for all of the time I was able to spend with him when I was home on spring break and will cherish those memories forever. 

Even though I am sad that he is gone, I am happy that he is no longer in pain. I love him so much and can't wait to be with him again someday.