And I said hey ya ya ya hey ya ya...what's going on??
Remember that song, 90's kids? I sure do. 4 non blondes have ever so successfully placed their song in my head each time my friend texts me, "What's Up?"
Yesterday I was in bed ALL day with a migraine. I watched 26 episodes of Good Luck Charlie (yes, the Disney show) and studied Calculus for over four hours. Do you know what it's like to study calculus with a migraine? Don't try it.
I ate cottage cheese, strawberries, cantaloupe, an entire handful of sweet potato tater tots, a 20 oz soda that I painfully regret, a super small slice of pizza, and tons of veggies. After going down the stairs to the dining hall, I was winded. Man, can migraines really knock you off your feet.
This morning, when I woke up at 6:30 I had one of those confused dreamlike states. I couldn't understand why I was getting up. For the life of me, I didn't know why George Strait music was coming from my phone nor what the time meant. I thought for sure it was 6:30p.m. of yesterday. Nope. Time to get up!
Ugh.
I slept for another hour and then hastily brushed my teeth, threw on the closest "nice" clothes and ran my ass to work. Any of you other college kids have early classes or jobs? I swear mine must think I am just permanently tousled hair and red-eyed.
So, Wednesdays I deemed as wacky Wednesdays...right?
Dear Morgan, what were you thinking??
Fine.
I'll do it, for the sake of keeping my word.
Just give me time to figure out what crazy thing I will do.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
20 Things about Me
1. When I was in 2nd grade, I was rejected from the talent show after auditioning to the song "I want Candy." Convinced that they were deaf, I recorded myself one night. I promptly understood why I was rejected.
2. I have a childhood dislike of showers. Whenever I have the option to take a bath, I do. Complete with bubbles. Lots of them.
3. Whenever I fly alone, I always introduce myself to the people around me because I wonder if there is a reason I'm sitting next to them, if maybe I'll meet them again in ten years.
4. No matter where I am, I like to know where the nearest first aid kit is, AED, and emergency exit. I'm a little very accident prone.
5. I can't listen to the "hit" radio stations. The thought of Lady Gaga makes me gag. The day I'm pregnant, I am going to make my belly listen to Led Zeppelin's Thank You.
6. My first job was working at Chuck E Cheese.
7. I am a certified nursing assistant and want to go on a mission trip to utilize my license before it expires.
8. I have thousands of pages of novels I've started, but never finished.
9. I could watch Chopped marathons for days.
10. Books are my escape from reality. My imagination is so vivid that I will forget that I'm sitting in my room and truly feel as if I'm climbing the stairs with the characters, listening to their voices, and seeing their faces.
11. I am quite the procrastinator, but I always put 100% in the projects that showcase my talent.
12. My secret dream is to own a coffee shop in the heart of a city, but make it look like a log cabin complete with a grandma-like couch and doilies.
13. I always have a pile of clothes hiding somewhere (currently on the unused lofted bed under a comforter).
14. My boyfriend has taught me more things about life than I could have ever learned on my own.
15. I would hike every single day if it was a breezy 75 degrees and I lived at the base of a mountain.
16. My favorite color is turquoise and I have something turquoise in every square foot of my room.
17. When I own my first home, it will be so colorful because I grew up with all beige walls, all the time.
18. I want a country kitchen! Complete with a window sill to put fresh pies on.
19. I rarely match my socks. I enjoy having two different colors to look at.
20. My favorite place in the world is Coronado Island in California.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Blissful
This playlist eases my most intense headaches. Trevor Hall's voice is like a lullaby, Bon Iver is so talented, Nico Stai's voice makes me smile, and all of the others equally excite me.
Rather than a nature walk this morning, I went out with my three girlfriends I'm living with next year to look at an apartment. I am not sure if I'm extremely excited, or my stomach is acting up because of my financial worry. I have a feeling this blog is soon to become 100 ways to make Ramen useful.
Last night I went to the SOJA concert. A band called Dubskin opened for them, and let me tell you....the lead singer's voice was AMAZING. Just the perfect mix of new and old reggae. He was also extremely funny on stage so I kept laughing and before one of the songs he pointed at me and winked!!! I don't think the girls believed me when I told them that this morning afternoon, but I'm as sure as the sky is blue that it happened. I was encompassed with bewilderment that out of thousands of people I was noticed (ok, I was literally touching the stage). The only thing that would have made that concert better would have been dancing with my boyfriend instead of myself for six hours.
Have a great Saturday!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Free as a Bird
Have you ever tried to flush a toilet without water? Have you ever seen a river flow without water? A fish live without water?
No.
So how can we deprive our bodies of water? Water is naturally detoxing the body--flushing out all of those nasty chemicals that creep into our digestive tracks. Have you ever seen someone who blatantly drinks more than 64oz of water a day? One of my high school teachers had the most beautiful skin and radiant hair, nails, and eyes. We would wonder what made her so glow...
then we realized her beauty secret was as simple as drinking water. Every. Single. Day.
She'd come to class each morning bearing a giant 2 liter bottle of water. To this day, when I'm dehydrated while I sleep I will literally dream about going to 711 and buying one of those. I distinctly remember a few nights ago pulling change out of my pocket to pay for the giant water bottle, and waking up wondering where it was. Something about the altitude triggers my need for water. Without it I get massive headaches and lose the ability to lose weight. I become weak and my immune system shuts down.
Which brings me to my thrifty thursday tip #1:
Beauty cream, Emergen-c, and medicine are all very expensive. In order to eliminate the need for such items, try boosting your daily intake of water. For every cup of coffee or tea (8oz) you need to add 8oz (or however many oz the coffee was) on to your daily body water bill. Each day you should be drinking 64oz of water. + One 8oz coffee=72 oz. Make the goal, make the change. Guzzle that water!
No.
So how can we deprive our bodies of water? Water is naturally detoxing the body--flushing out all of those nasty chemicals that creep into our digestive tracks. Have you ever seen someone who blatantly drinks more than 64oz of water a day? One of my high school teachers had the most beautiful skin and radiant hair, nails, and eyes. We would wonder what made her so glow...
then we realized her beauty secret was as simple as drinking water. Every. Single. Day.
She'd come to class each morning bearing a giant 2 liter bottle of water. To this day, when I'm dehydrated while I sleep I will literally dream about going to 711 and buying one of those. I distinctly remember a few nights ago pulling change out of my pocket to pay for the giant water bottle, and waking up wondering where it was. Something about the altitude triggers my need for water. Without it I get massive headaches and lose the ability to lose weight. I become weak and my immune system shuts down.
Which brings me to my thrifty thursday tip #1:
Beauty cream, Emergen-c, and medicine are all very expensive. In order to eliminate the need for such items, try boosting your daily intake of water. For every cup of coffee or tea (8oz) you need to add 8oz (or however many oz the coffee was) on to your daily body water bill. Each day you should be drinking 64oz of water. + One 8oz coffee=72 oz. Make the goal, make the change. Guzzle that water!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Ash Wednesday
Rarely will I ever bring up religion or politics on this blog, but I must explain the background for today's wednesday adventure commitment.
I have never been extremely religious, but always based my life and morals around the teaching of the bible. My parents never took me to church, but somehow I have come to thank them for that. Why? Simply because their lack thereof led me to wanting more of....
I would go to church with my friend Kaitlyn every once in a while. I specifically remember drinking communion wine with her, nearly choking from the taste, and worrying about all of the misdeeds I had committed that week. Every Sunday I would come home and confess something (usually minuscule like borrowing someone's pencil and accidentally keeping it) to my parents and beg for their forgiveness. Looking back, I sort of understand why they would roll their eyes. As I got older, I continued the habit of confessing all truths to them. To this day I can't hold in a personal secret due to the enormous guilt that I feel.
One Ash Wednesday Kaitlyn took me to church and explained the meaning of the holiday to me. You gave up something that made you feel joyous in order to understand (to a very small extent) the pain and suffering of Jesus's sacrifice.
Simple enough? Well, it depends on how dear you hold your item of sacrifice.
I love sugar. Cookies, chocolate, sugary drinks, soda, sugar sprinkled on my cereal, and sweet smoothies is what Mo's fat cells are made of.
Sugar, when consumed in mass amounts like I do, maxes out and starts to store itself directly as fat. That's where the Freshman 15 stems from. Because these new college students are beginning to drink, they don't know how to handle the excess sugar and their bodies convert it to fat.
Maybe I am being a little bit greedy with my sacrifice, knowing that it will benefit me, but I must commit. I will be going back on to the 30 day challenge at day 22 (I failed to do this straight through).
Have an enlightening lent!
I have never been extremely religious, but always based my life and morals around the teaching of the bible. My parents never took me to church, but somehow I have come to thank them for that. Why? Simply because their lack thereof led me to wanting more of....
I would go to church with my friend Kaitlyn every once in a while. I specifically remember drinking communion wine with her, nearly choking from the taste, and worrying about all of the misdeeds I had committed that week. Every Sunday I would come home and confess something (usually minuscule like borrowing someone's pencil and accidentally keeping it) to my parents and beg for their forgiveness. Looking back, I sort of understand why they would roll their eyes. As I got older, I continued the habit of confessing all truths to them. To this day I can't hold in a personal secret due to the enormous guilt that I feel.
 |
| From Wikipedia |
One Ash Wednesday Kaitlyn took me to church and explained the meaning of the holiday to me. You gave up something that made you feel joyous in order to understand (to a very small extent) the pain and suffering of Jesus's sacrifice.
Simple enough? Well, it depends on how dear you hold your item of sacrifice.
I love sugar. Cookies, chocolate, sugary drinks, soda, sugar sprinkled on my cereal, and sweet smoothies is what Mo's fat cells are made of.
Sugar, when consumed in mass amounts like I do, maxes out and starts to store itself directly as fat. That's where the Freshman 15 stems from. Because these new college students are beginning to drink, they don't know how to handle the excess sugar and their bodies convert it to fat.
Maybe I am being a little bit greedy with my sacrifice, knowing that it will benefit me, but I must commit. I will be going back on to the 30 day challenge at day 22 (I failed to do this straight through).
Have an enlightening lent!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Show Me Good Music!
When I started middle school, I didn't understand the appeal to poppy music with high pitched girly voices. Luckily, I had a best friend that would sit on MySpace with me for hours on end looking for good male voices.
We even used to dress up as hobos and make signs that said "Hitch Hiking to Greenland, Need Cash Now" while my parents would push us around in a cart. That is one of my favorite memories. In our ghetto grocery store, we were grabbing sugary drinks in the soda isle when my dad suddenly came around the corner with a bottle of Jack Daniels. My best friend, my little brother, and I were cracking up because he wasn't wearing any shoes...or socks for that matter. My family isn't normal. But hey, they're the few that I fit in with.
From that night, I vaguely remember listening to the Bloodhound Gang on my old green iPod. Don't worry, that's not my tune of the day.
Simply, I associate music with different parts of my life. When I went on my first date with my boyfriend of almost three years, I will never forget the song that he played during the ride home.
We went hiking on a beautiful orange rocky mountain near ASU. We climbed up to a cave and watched our surroundings carry on with their lives. A lady was doing yoga nearby and she looked extremely peaceful.
So was I, for once.
Happily sitting in the passenger's seat of his Chevy Silverado, I smiled and asked him to play some music. Grinning, he picked a song I had been asking about.
It was called Show Me by Mint Royale.
It's the perfect mix of upbeat, quirky, and something you don't hear every day. It's been a song that has cheered up my day any time I need a pick me up. Better than any cup of coffee could do.
Preview it on iTunes. I love it!
We even used to dress up as hobos and make signs that said "Hitch Hiking to Greenland, Need Cash Now" while my parents would push us around in a cart. That is one of my favorite memories. In our ghetto grocery store, we were grabbing sugary drinks in the soda isle when my dad suddenly came around the corner with a bottle of Jack Daniels. My best friend, my little brother, and I were cracking up because he wasn't wearing any shoes...or socks for that matter. My family isn't normal. But hey, they're the few that I fit in with.
From that night, I vaguely remember listening to the Bloodhound Gang on my old green iPod. Don't worry, that's not my tune of the day.
Simply, I associate music with different parts of my life. When I went on my first date with my boyfriend of almost three years, I will never forget the song that he played during the ride home.
We went hiking on a beautiful orange rocky mountain near ASU. We climbed up to a cave and watched our surroundings carry on with their lives. A lady was doing yoga nearby and she looked extremely peaceful.
So was I, for once.
Happily sitting in the passenger's seat of his Chevy Silverado, I smiled and asked him to play some music. Grinning, he picked a song I had been asking about.
It was called Show Me by Mint Royale.
It's the perfect mix of upbeat, quirky, and something you don't hear every day. It's been a song that has cheered up my day any time I need a pick me up. Better than any cup of coffee could do.
Preview it on iTunes. I love it!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Monday Mayhem
Like any normal human being, I have an aversion to Mondays. I casually bribe myself with a latte, pack a pair of sweatpants to change in to immediately after work, and promise myself a two hour nap the moment I get home.
Naturally, the time I allot for a nap is when the caffeine from the latte kicks in. Knowing I have two hours of time meant for a re-charge, I generally feel stuck.
What to do with those two hours? Sometimes I just lie in bed and watch the newest episodes added to my Hulu queue. Other times I practice clicking on Facebook profiles and pin the latest clothing to my pinterest boards.
Naturally, the time I allot for a nap is when the caffeine from the latte kicks in. Knowing I have two hours of time meant for a re-charge, I generally feel stuck.
What to do with those two hours? Sometimes I just lie in bed and watch the newest episodes added to my Hulu queue. Other times I practice clicking on Facebook profiles and pin the latest clothing to my pinterest boards.
Lately I've come to realize that although my social networking sites are extremely well organized....
my surroundings are not.
Which led my to believe that I needed to start organizing one thing each and every Monday during my down time. First were the sock drawers, then the separation of winter and summer clothes, the occasional rearranging my clutter drawer, and a few alphabetizing sprees.
After several Mondays passed by, I finally got a job. They asked for my personal documents and I turned my room upside down searching for my SS# card and my birth certificate. Where in god's name did I put them? I would scratch my head, shuffle through a myriad of unknown papers, and repeat the shuffle 7-10 times.
Oh yeah. I left them back home, 900 miles away. Wow, did I feel blonde.
In order to make sure I always knew where my documents resided, I started a dorm friendly filing system.
Bin big enough to store folders & binders in: $10 at TJ Maxx
Supplies: $5, for about 10 different folders of various categories, $5 for files, $1 for a pack of labels
What I did: Laid my contents of my messy "paper bin" all over my floor and started to divide them into piles such as important documents, fall semester classes, spring semester classes, coupons, receipts, warranties, keepsakes, and misc.
The end result: Fabulous! Extremely easy to access and I know exactly where every last loose leaf needs to go. I corresponded the files I had on hand with my "documents" folder on my laptop.
Bin big enough to store folders & binders in: $10 at TJ Maxx
Supplies: $5, for about 10 different folders of various categories, $5 for files, $1 for a pack of labels
What I did: Laid my contents of my messy "paper bin" all over my floor and started to divide them into piles such as important documents, fall semester classes, spring semester classes, coupons, receipts, warranties, keepsakes, and misc.
The end result: Fabulous! Extremely easy to access and I know exactly where every last loose leaf needs to go. I corresponded the files I had on hand with my "documents" folder on my laptop.
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| File folder kept at my desk for documents that need immediate action. |
 |
| Easy storage bin that resides on the bottom shelf of my desk. |
 |
| In honor of Monday, I changed into my cupcake pajamas the second I got home. |
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Beer-utiful Locks
Let's face it: we're college students. Admit to at least having a sip of beer. Personally, I'm a pain when it comes to beer. I refuse to drink cheap beer and opt for the imported (or domestic, considering I'm in a town where the breweries are the main employers of the town) lagers.
Lager is extremely good for your hair because once you wash it out, it leaves the proteins behind that coat your hair and give it a nice and shiny look with extra bounce.
What I used: A Belgian beer, Stella Artois, About $12/12 pack here in Colorado. I had one leftover that had sat out all night and decided to try this new hair tactic.
What I did: Drenched my (dry) hair in a full warm bottle that had lost its carbonation. Let it sit in a bun (dripping wet) for 30 minutes. Rinsed and washed hair with shampoo and conditioner.
Did it work?
I blow dried as usual and it wasn't as tangled as normal. When I was finished, there was a noticeable difference in volume. I wish I had kept it natural to see just what it could have done without the blow dry. The next day (today) I noticed an increase in shine after my steaming hot shower that normally leaves my hair dry and brittle. It worked!
Next time you're cleaning up from a party and notice someone brought in some grade A beer, sneak off and soak your hair in the beer for thirty minutes to impress the guests that you nudge awake moments later.
Happy Sunday!
Lager is extremely good for your hair because once you wash it out, it leaves the proteins behind that coat your hair and give it a nice and shiny look with extra bounce.
What I used: A Belgian beer, Stella Artois, About $12/12 pack here in Colorado. I had one leftover that had sat out all night and decided to try this new hair tactic.
What I did: Drenched my (dry) hair in a full warm bottle that had lost its carbonation. Let it sit in a bun (dripping wet) for 30 minutes. Rinsed and washed hair with shampoo and conditioner.
Did it work?
I blow dried as usual and it wasn't as tangled as normal. When I was finished, there was a noticeable difference in volume. I wish I had kept it natural to see just what it could have done without the blow dry. The next day (today) I noticed an increase in shine after my steaming hot shower that normally leaves my hair dry and brittle. It worked!
Next time you're cleaning up from a party and notice someone brought in some grade A beer, sneak off and soak your hair in the beer for thirty minutes to impress the guests that you nudge awake moments later.
Happy Sunday!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Where is this blog going?
I am a big fan of constant change. Sure, I want many things to stay the same: family, level of optimism, summer vacations, and soy lattes. When it comes to where I live, what I busy myself with, the arrangement of my room, and my wardrobe...I'm constantly craving a change.
So here it comes...
This will be my new blog regimen (with a little bit of health food thrown in):
*drumroll please*
Sentimental Saturday
-A relaxing playlist
-A morning work out/yoga session/nature walk
-A little reminiscing from my past
Squeaky-clean Sunday
-A healthy beauty tip
Monday Motivation
-Ways to organize
Tunesday
-Helping you discover GREAT music
Wild Wednesday
-I will commit to doing one crazy & whacky thing each Wednesday, and sharing it with you
Thrifty Thursday
-Ways to save money in college
Freeday
-Everyone's got to have a little change!
So here it comes...
This will be my new blog regimen (with a little bit of health food thrown in):
*drumroll please*
Sentimental Saturday
-A relaxing playlist
-A morning work out/yoga session/nature walk
-A little reminiscing from my past
Squeaky-clean Sunday
-A healthy beauty tip
Monday Motivation
-Ways to organize
Tunesday
-Helping you discover GREAT music
Wild Wednesday
-I will commit to doing one crazy & whacky thing each Wednesday, and sharing it with you
Thrifty Thursday
-Ways to save money in college
Freeday
-Everyone's got to have a little change!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Enlightened Day Eight
Although all of that processed crap was delicious and that cheese was ooey-gooey good, I'm not sad to return to vegan eating.
I'm surprised by myself. I thought I would be devastated to go without milk products (or honey for that matter...I finally stopped cheating with honey).
One of my biggest offenders and hardest to stray from was ranch. Really, there are so many alternatives. Salsa. Guacamole. Rice wine vinegar. Hot sauce (hot sauce has saved me many times when I've gone to reach for ranch). Hummus.
As for bread, it's almost nice to get to enjoy plentiful amounts of food that I wouldn't eat before because I was scared that the bread had taken up my calorie allotment.
I'm feeling good.Bring it on, Monday.
I'm surprised by myself. I thought I would be devastated to go without milk products (or honey for that matter...I finally stopped cheating with honey).
One of my biggest offenders and hardest to stray from was ranch. Really, there are so many alternatives. Salsa. Guacamole. Rice wine vinegar. Hot sauce (hot sauce has saved me many times when I've gone to reach for ranch). Hummus.
As for bread, it's almost nice to get to enjoy plentiful amounts of food that I wouldn't eat before because I was scared that the bread had taken up my calorie allotment.
I'm feeling good.Bring it on, Monday.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Day Seven: Sucked.
What I did for exercise:
-Walked across campus (ha!)
What I ate:
-Tater tots
-A brownie
-Blueberry Pie
-A slice of pizza
-2 oreos
-32 oz. coke
I haven't eaten this bad.....since I was little. Even though I broke the code of the challenge, I'm going to restart tomorrow(but still call it day 8). Tomorrow I have to go to the gym for two hours! Stinkin' rules.
-Walked across campus (ha!)
What I ate:
-Tater tots
-A brownie
-Blueberry Pie
-A slice of pizza
-2 oreos
-32 oz. coke
I haven't eaten this bad.....since I was little. Even though I broke the code of the challenge, I'm going to restart tomorrow(but still call it day 8). Tomorrow I have to go to the gym for two hours! Stinkin' rules.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Spirited Day Six
All vegan all day long today (so far)! We have a basketball game at six that I'm pumped up for.
GO RAMS!
Friendly Day Five
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| Starry Night in Fort Collins, CO. My favorite coffee shop! |
But that was my third strike.
Which means every day for this next week I will be going to the gym twice a day as per punishment & tomorrow: 10am soothing yoga class.
Well, it's just me, my cupcake pajamas, and a movie tonight.
Good luck, if you're doing this challenge with me.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Day Four: meh.
Starting Weight: 162
Today's Weight: 155
In three weeks that seems like nothing.
Only a centimeter on the scale.
With this whole vegan kick, I have definitely noticed a change in my brainpower. I notice more. When I'm watching tv...i'll notice a cute bookshelf in the background. I'll be able to recall the actors/actresses' wardrobe a few days later. Amazing what a change of diet can do.
I have a confession: I stopped eating honey, because I felt bad. But without even thinking today I had parmesan cheese. Oopsies! That's strike one. Three strikes and I am making myself do two-a-days for a week.
I have to be honest. I also had ranch *giggles*.
Two strikes :D No more! I promise...
I can't expend any more energy. I have a shin splint and a pulled arm and buttock. Owch.
Goodnight y'all.
Today's Weight: 155
In three weeks that seems like nothing.
Only a centimeter on the scale.
With this whole vegan kick, I have definitely noticed a change in my brainpower. I notice more. When I'm watching tv...i'll notice a cute bookshelf in the background. I'll be able to recall the actors/actresses' wardrobe a few days later. Amazing what a change of diet can do.
I have a confession: I stopped eating honey, because I felt bad. But without even thinking today I had parmesan cheese. Oopsies! That's strike one. Three strikes and I am making myself do two-a-days for a week.
I have to be honest. I also had ranch *giggles*.
Two strikes :D No more! I promise...
I can't expend any more energy. I have a shin splint and a pulled arm and buttock. Owch.
Goodnight y'all.
Day Three (Yesterday)
In the morning, I am so sluggish that I only wake up last minute. It feels like I literally cannot force myself out of bed and I sit there, staring at my phone praying it won't turn the time that I have to get out of bed in order to make it on time.
Please, just five more minutes.
I finally get to class or work at the early hours of the morning and think to myself, Now that wasn't so bad.
I smile and get on with my day. I get a $1 small soy chai latte at the book store and all of the day's impending worries fade away.
Then comes lunch time. Facing the not-so-vegan-friendly dining halls is a class of its own. For lunch I chose the dining hall with the mongolian grill and had a delicious broccoli and mushroom stir-fry. Afterwards I was done with my classes and trekked back to my dorm room only to find myself close to comatose post-meal.
I decided I needed to be proactive and got up and went off to the gym for a good ol' workout:
20 minutes run/walk intervals on an incline at speeds of 8.0 and 4.0 (I switched off every two minutes)
10 minutes on the bikes with 10 resistance
100 outward push for my legs
100 inward push for my legs
20 minutes of power sculpt yoga on hulu when I got back to the dorm
Phew. Just thinking about that this morning makes me tired. Afterwards I ran home (literally) and jumped into my warm and cozy bed for an episode of New Girl and then a 4 hour nap. Upon waking up, I was faced with a dining dilemma: Yesterday the only "vegan friendly" items that the dining hall closest to my dorm had were located on the fruit and salad bar. When I went to drizzle dressing on top, I realized that none of their dressings were vegan. That was when I decided to just a get my usual "express" meal of a vegan burrito and hummus.
Ho-hum. I'm going to make an exciting post this weekend. Sorry for these chronological posts I've been having.
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Day Two
Wooo-wee! I'm exhausted. I was only home for an hour in between work, school, and the gym and I delighted myself with half of a drama inclusive episode of teen mom.
Today wasn't a bad day for a vegan! It's getting easier. I saw fried rice on one of my favorite blogs, and decided to grab some veggies and tofu from the dining hall (my lucky day...they had tofu at the salad bar!). I sautéed mushrooms, tofu, broccoli, one slice of a lemon, spinach, red kidney beans, and black beans. I drizzled olive oil on them (also from the salad bar) as well as Mrs. Dash (our seasoning station). I added a tiny bit of flour so that the tofu would get crispier (it worked!). Add soy sauce and Siracha and voila!
Today wasn't a bad day for a vegan! It's getting easier. I saw fried rice on one of my favorite blogs, and decided to grab some veggies and tofu from the dining hall (my lucky day...they had tofu at the salad bar!). I sautéed mushrooms, tofu, broccoli, one slice of a lemon, spinach, red kidney beans, and black beans. I drizzled olive oil on them (also from the salad bar) as well as Mrs. Dash (our seasoning station). I added a tiny bit of flour so that the tofu would get crispier (it worked!). Add soy sauce and Siracha and voila!
It was 3:00p.m. and I had only had a few bites of a clif bar this morning and a 200 calorie soy latte so I thought I was due for anything that I could whip up (and fast!). This was a whopping 659 calories, but worth every bite.
Post work out tonight I ate vegan bread (from the dining hall...I was surprised they had it) with walnuts and fruit leather on top. My new favorite post-workout food, but next time I'll have the fruit leather on the side.
Time for yoga and studying for calc!
Also time for a confession.
I hate to burst your bubble but I had some honey today.
In my defense, it was from a local farm that gets their honey naturally and keeps their bees "happy"...so they say. I'm sorry, but after seeing the bee movie I'm convinced that honey is ok as long as it comes from a natural bee keeper.
You are more than welcome to dispel my belief and convince me otherwise. Until then, I will be having honey, lemon, and ginger green tea.
Monday, February 06, 2012
"You know it's hard out there for a Vegan"...: Still Day One
This is hard. Already! I have been up for twelve hours and I feel the struggle to be a vegan on a college campus. On day one! You know that meal plan I laid out for myself last night? Well, I realized I was going for the easy way out: a stir fry. That's the simplest of vegan foods. My dining hall happens to be the hardest one to eat vegan at.
Sitting in that dining hall I mooned at all of the glorious brownies. The chocolate toffee caramel cookies. Pumpkin pie (in the middle of February?), and a self serve soft ice cream machine with all the toppings the child inside of you could possibly desire. I reached for one of the brownies and the challenge told me to stop. I can't break a commitment the first day. I'm no Kim Kardashian.
So I didn't. I picked up two beautiful vegan sugar cookies (this school can do one thing right: bake treats). Tucking them into my to-go box, I quickly sat down at my desk to indulge myself. Paired with vegan bitter dark chocolate, they were delectable delicacies.
Sitting in that dining hall I mooned at all of the glorious brownies. The chocolate toffee caramel cookies. Pumpkin pie (in the middle of February?), and a self serve soft ice cream machine with all the toppings the child inside of you could possibly desire. I reached for one of the brownies and the challenge told me to stop. I can't break a commitment the first day. I'm no Kim Kardashian.
So I didn't. I picked up two beautiful vegan sugar cookies (this school can do one thing right: bake treats). Tucking them into my to-go box, I quickly sat down at my desk to indulge myself. Paired with vegan bitter dark chocolate, they were delectable delicacies.
At 71 calories a pop, I couldn't resist.
What I actually had for breakfast: A Chocolate Peanut Butter Clif Bar
I really did have that soy chai latte and it was spectacular. I am not a fan of any chai but the extra spicy kind.
Lunch: Vegan eggplant soup, and a vegan salad all from Spoons, our free on campus restaurant. The only way I knew they were vegan was from the asterisk next to them on the menu. Otherwise I would have been beside myself wondering what was in either of them.
Dinner....
Three delicious vegan black bean falafels, and originally I grabbed a boca veggie burger and lathered it with guacamole and other sauces. Once I saw that the burger was strangely cold and pink, I decided to grab some corn tortilla chips and just eat the sauce.
When making an Arnold Palmer from scratch today at the dining hall, I went to grab honey when I realized that I wasn't sure if it was vegan or not. So I did what any person of my generation would do....
I googled it. Upon the top search, scientists noted that honey was not vegan-friendly due to the constraints of a vegan that Donald Watson defined:
Veganism is a way of living which excludes all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, the animal kingdom, and includes a reverence for life. It applies to the practice of living on the products of the plant kingdom to the exclusion of flesh, fish, fowl, eggs, honey, animal milk and its derivatives, and encourages the use of alternatives for all commodities derived wholly or in part from animals.So there you have it. But is it even possible to truly use alternatives for everything? I feel like everything I touch has remnants of an animal in some way. According to this, it's impossible to be a vegan:
By no means am I hating on veganism, but I'm pointing out the fact that all we can do is use the available alternatives. I don't need that last brownie with an egg from a chicken that couldn't stand up. Let it be known I'm only on this journey to assist future college freshman with their vegan experience as well as enhance my mind and body articulation skills.
Have a wonderful day y'all.
Day One: Meal Plan
Howdy y'all...It's 1:18 and I can't sleep. When I groggily roll my fat ass out of bed at 6am I'm going to be mad at myself for staying up so late. I'm really bad about waking up on time. Sometimes I start screaming in my head, "I will do anything for five more hours of sleep God, I'll stub my toe today! I'll gladly gain five pounds. Just please give me five more hours."
Imagine an angry rhino thumping around the room like she just got grounded from her first prom. That's me. But when I was being interviewed, they asked me if I was ok with coming in at 8:00a.m.
My heart started pounding. As much as my body was physically rejecting their offer, my mouth overruled and said, "Of course! The earlier the better."
Each night before I go to bed, I am excited to take a nap the next day. This is why I'm giving up dairy. I have a slight suspicion I'm lactose intolerant and wondering if, by chance, it could be causing my extreme exhaustion and awful sleep habits. Surely coffee could be a strong attribute to my sleeping patterns, but I've gone weeks without coffee before and still been sluggish.
My MONDAY meal plan:
6:30 AM Breakfast in the dorm room: Half a grapefruit with a small bowl of mashed strawberries, dry oats, a little bit of granola, a little bit of soy milk, and walnuts.
10:30AM Snack: A 45 calorie pack of apricot fruit leather and a chai soy latte.
Lunch @ the dining hall: Baby corn, carrots, extra broccoli, snow peas, water chestnuts, spinach and tofu in a stir fry with a spicy vegan sauce (had to look up which sauces were low calorie and safe).
Snack: One red apple that looks like the apple from Snow White
Dinner (leftovers from this weekend): Vegan evol burrito (they serve these at our express dining hall) with hot sauce and a bowl of vegan carrot ginger soup ($2 for a quart from Whole foods).
This won't be that hard after all! I'll edit this post with pictures throughout the day. Documenting all of this to a white screen and for everyone to stumble upon helps me maintain a sense of commitment.
What's your schedule like? I would love for you to tell me about what a typical day is like for you in the comment section below :)
Imagine an angry rhino thumping around the room like she just got grounded from her first prom. That's me. But when I was being interviewed, they asked me if I was ok with coming in at 8:00a.m.
My heart started pounding. As much as my body was physically rejecting their offer, my mouth overruled and said, "Of course! The earlier the better."
Each night before I go to bed, I am excited to take a nap the next day. This is why I'm giving up dairy. I have a slight suspicion I'm lactose intolerant and wondering if, by chance, it could be causing my extreme exhaustion and awful sleep habits. Surely coffee could be a strong attribute to my sleeping patterns, but I've gone weeks without coffee before and still been sluggish.
My MONDAY meal plan:
6:30 AM Breakfast in the dorm room: Half a grapefruit with a small bowl of mashed strawberries, dry oats, a little bit of granola, a little bit of soy milk, and walnuts.
10:30AM Snack: A 45 calorie pack of apricot fruit leather and a chai soy latte.
Lunch @ the dining hall: Baby corn, carrots, extra broccoli, snow peas, water chestnuts, spinach and tofu in a stir fry with a spicy vegan sauce (had to look up which sauces were low calorie and safe).
Snack: One red apple that looks like the apple from Snow White
Dinner (leftovers from this weekend): Vegan evol burrito (they serve these at our express dining hall) with hot sauce and a bowl of vegan carrot ginger soup ($2 for a quart from Whole foods).
This won't be that hard after all! I'll edit this post with pictures throughout the day. Documenting all of this to a white screen and for everyone to stumble upon helps me maintain a sense of commitment.
What's your schedule like? I would love for you to tell me about what a typical day is like for you in the comment section below :)
Sunday, February 05, 2012
30 Day Mind & Body Challenege
Now that the Super Bowl is out of the way for those fattening appetizers and...hold on let me wipe the crumbs off of my face....all of those saucy wings. I've decided to start a mind and body challenge. Now I know I have a tendency to forget about my new diet/"lifestyle" changes only moments after I sit down and create them, but this time I'm in it for the win. After all, it's only 30 days!
I will begin tomorrow, Monday February 6th, and end on March 8th (which marks the start of my spring break). I would love to see many of you that read this join me. This is what I'm committing to:
Every Day:
I will begin tomorrow, Monday February 6th, and end on March 8th (which marks the start of my spring break). I would love to see many of you that read this join me. This is what I'm committing to:
Every Day:
- 10-30 minutes of yoga
- 1 hour at the gym
- No animal byproducts
- Eat raw whenever possible
- Take a multivitamin
- Go to sleep before 12am
- Drink hot water with lemon, ginger, and honey(whoops! my one vegan slip) every morning
That doesn't sound too hard, does it? What will help me is telling you guys about my progress. I wonder how possible this is on a college campus, when they fry everything....even pickles!
I would also like to address that you don't need to spend ungodly amounts of money on this 31 day challenge. Steal a few lemons from your neighbor's tree (don't get caught :p), ginger root (in the produce section) is generally very cheap because one knob will last you a few weeks. I bought my multivitamin at target for $4/100 tablets. You don't need a yoga mat, but TJ Maxx sells them for roughly eight dollars. As far as eating raw goes, that's just "whenever possible" meaning I should abstain from grabbing steamed veggies rather than eating them in their whole state. One advantage of being on a college campus is a nearly unlimited supply of walnuts. These contain essential omega 3 fatty acids that are vital to your brain power. I will get most of my protein from cooked beans and say NO to any type of bread or pasta 9 times out of 10, although I am going to allow my body to have enough carbs so that when I stop the challenge, I won't gain back quite a bit of weight.
I know I have deferred from my "food blog"-ness, but I promise I'll start blogging my daily meals. I want incoming college freshman to get a feel for what it is like to eat in the dorms...and how the freshman 15 can be avoided.
Have a great day everyone! Please comment below if you'd like to join me :)
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Snowy Latte Kind of Day: For Your Sunday
After a snowy walk outside, my friend informed me that she was sick. I thought this called for some starbucks, even though I have 3 lbs of espresso sitting on my window sill. I noticed that they decided to valentinify their cups. Have they always done this? Where I'm from, you don't get hot coffees in February...it's already too hot!
After my coffee I got the sudden urge to clean. I started cleaning everything from the ground to my electronics. That was when I found some old journals of mine on this computer that I transferred from my other computers. I haven't changed one bit personality wise since seventh grade! Even then I was obsessed with baking goodies, reading, writing, etc. Well, there was one thing. I used to love llamas with a passion. To the point that I decided to write "llama" on my soccer jersey. Little did I know that "llama" was name in spanish. So in the name slot on my jersey, I basically wrote name. I bet everyone thought it was a misprint.
Have a beautiful Sunday!
Friday, February 03, 2012
A story I would like to share.
This story will make you cry. But it's one of the most inspiring stories that made me want to live my life in kindness. I'm trying. Will Norton, I wish I could have known you. To this day, I continue to pray for this family. His sister used to be an avid makeup vlogger...and since she lost her brother, she has yet to get back on. I pray that she takes back up the hobby that she loves.
Shop Til Ya Drop!
I just created a "store" on Amazon! I love to shop, and I'm sure there are a ton of y'all out there that like to do the same.
If you are going to college, community college, or you are someone with a .edu e-mail address, let it be known that you can sign up for a sort-of-Prime account. You cannot use the kindle's lending library or get a ton of free stuff...
but you do get free two day shipping!!
My Shop
Enjoy!
If you are going to college, community college, or you are someone with a .edu e-mail address, let it be known that you can sign up for a sort-of-Prime account. You cannot use the kindle's lending library or get a ton of free stuff...
but you do get free two day shipping!!
My Shop
Enjoy!
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