New Experience

So I totally failed on that Everyday in May link up... I did great for the first week and then I fell off the wagon. Oops.

Oh well, I decided to tell you about a new experience. I woke up before the sun and went outside in the freezing cold (ok, it was in the 50's, but in May in Texas that's cold!) and worked out.
I went to Boot Camp.

My friend Lindsay has been doing it since February and has absolutely fallen in love with it. She's seen results, too! She wanted me to try it after she started, but that stay in the hospital delayed things a bit - but I promised her I'd try it once before I moved to Fort Worth! And today I did it.

Lindsay and me at Christmas

I woke up at 4:30 AM when it was still dark outside and worked out for an hour. It completely sucked while I was there, but I have felt great (although tired) all day (and surprisingly not very sore at all)! Today was arms and I have no upper body strength so it was really hard. I definitely didn't do everything as hardcore as everyone else but I tried it and accomplished it and it's nice to try something and like it and feel like it went well! So I'm definitely patting myself on the back.

The instructor was fabulous. I really liked her - she didn't push to excess, she kept it positive, and showed me (nicely) how to do everything. (I was worried that the instructor for something called "boot camp" would be SUPER intense and somewhat negative which is not the way I'd like to work out at all.)

I think I'll try it again and maybe in Fort Worth I'll find a group that does it not so early in the morning because I don't know how Lindsay gets up at 4:30 every morning for that. She's a beast for sure.

Have you tried Boot Camp?

Everyday in May: Day 9

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! Today's prompt is perf. So get ready for a little bit of picture overload.

I'm 25 now and I've decided that 25 is going to be the best year yet. I went to the Dr for a check up Tuesday and all of my blood work was as close to normal as it's been in a LOOOONG time. It's all because I FINALLY have my tummy issues under control and I feel a million and a half times better than I have in a LOOOOOONG time. I hate that I had to stay in the hospital for 8 days two months ago, but damn - I'm SO glad to know what's wrong and has been causing so much trouble. ANYWAY, since all that is good to go, I'm dedicating 25 to being the most phenom, amazeballs, fantasmagorical year ever. Here are some shots from my day!

yummy cake my mommy made

My cards from my family and coworkers

I got a rose at work today!

#throwbackthursday birthday edition

I was trying to recreate my #throwbackthursday picture and failed

Was your 25th year everything you wanted (and more)?!

Grad School, Here I Come!

I'M GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL!!!!!!!

I just got my official acceptance to TCU and I'm feeling AWESOME. (I'd like to think my excitement about grad school is how newly engaged couples feel - THAT's how excited I am!)

I got rejected from one school just before all of my hospital junk happened, so I was starting to feel discouraged about grad school and life in general what with all the fun of the last month(literally, it's been exactly 4 weeks since I was admitted to the hospital).

I have until May 4 to decide, but let's be real, Fort Worth is calling my naaaaame!

This has seriously made my day. I wasn't feeling too great and this just totally lifted my spirits!

Things to Remember

Since I'm kind of living day-to-day on how I'm feeling these days, I thought I'd post some quotes that I'm finding inspirational and remind me to push through the weakness I feel so easily. (Also, how about some applause for getting out of the hospital a week ago! Sleeping in a hospital is the worst and I've SO enjoyed my own bed this week.)

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Frances on Pinterest

This is SO true. I couldn't (and still can't) thank my friends enough for their visits and flowers and well wishes. It meant (and still means) the world to me and seriously brightened my life last week).

Source: polyvore.com via Frances on Pinterest

Everyone should believe this about themselves.

Source: sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net via Frances on Pinterest

Loved this movie. I want to read the book, but since I know it'll be so much better, I want to wait until the movie is fully out of my head (anyone else like that?).

Source: artoflovely.com via Frances on Pinterest

This is a big one for me right now.

Source: galileogst.tumblr.com via Frances on Pinterest

I am the absolute biggest worry-wart. Anyone else?

I hope these quotes are as helpful to you as they are to me. Pinterest has the best quotes (and some are even super cute)!

The Tears of Small Children

So I caught a cold from one of my friends. Honestly, this is the fastest I've ever kicked a cold's ass and I'm waiting for it to come back (knock on wood, it doesn't!). Anyway, whilst taking my cold medicine cocktail this week I decided someone needs to make chocolate flavored cough syrup.

Maybe not chocolate flavored, but just not death and the tears of small children... Am I right?

Breakfast Ideas... Anyone?

I love breakfast. I have been known on occasion to eat it for every meal of a given day. It's delicious.

The problem is that when I eat breakfast for breakfast I eat crap. The best breakfast for breakfast I eat is probably my Cinnamon Toast Crunch (judge me all you want, but you know it's delicious!) and organic milk (I love Horizon!).

Anyone else guilty of cracking up at these ads?

The past few days, though, the rest of the morning leaves me feeling sluggish which carries through the rest of the day. I've been trying to make the conscious decision to eat "better," but this week has failed miserably. I've gone to bed feeling bloated and just generally uncomfortable. I know how I can make lunches and dinners better, but I'm just at a loss for breakfast.

I wake up hungry so it needs to be something relatively easy(ish) to fix. Oh and I'm super picky. I tried oatmeal a few weeks ago. The flavor was delicious (Maple and Brown Sugar Quaker Oats), but the texture was... not so yummy. Shudder-inducing shall we say? I'm not normally a huge texture person, but that was just not ok.

Anyway, I'm wondering what you kids out in blogger world eat for breakfast that's quick, easy, filling, and delicious!

Sunday Social

It's the last Sunday Social of 2012!



And it's all about New Years!

1. Favorite New Years Eve you've ever had?
NYE 2010 in California before TCU played in the Rose Bowl! There was a big TCU NYE party at Hollywood in Highland with the TCU Band and celebrity look-alikes! I took my picture with Lucille Ball, just like Mr. Bob Schieffer. We toasted at Texas midnight (aka 10 pm California time) and all headed back to our hotels. The next morning I got up and went to the famed Rose Parade and watched my Horned Frogs win the Rose Bowl!

Happy New Year's and go frogs from LA!

2. Are you doing anything this NYE and if so what?
My married friends, the Browns, moved over the summer to a nicer apartment and they're hosting their first big shindig at the new place. We're going to have lots of food, fun, and of course friends!

3. Name a book we should all read come January.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. I've blogged before about my newfound obsession with Mindy. She's hilarious. She was hilarious on The Office as Kelly Kapoor and she's even more hilarious on her new show The Mindy Project as Dr. Mindy Lahiri. I also recommend other comedienne's books (Tina Fey, Chelsea Handler, etc).

4. What are your new years resolutions?

• Drink more water! This has been a resolution for the past few years and I've made a great effort, but I know I still don't drink as much water as I should.
• Read more! I started the A Song of Ice and Fire series (aka Game of Thrones) last September and I've spent most of this year reading the fourth book. I want to finish 4 and read all of 5 in 2013! As well as the other 3 books I've got open in real life and on my Kindle. (Give me some suggestions on what you're reading, too! I love to know what my friends are reading!)
• Get into Grad School! I know this isn't totally in my control, but once I get into grad school I want to study my ass off. I mean, study like I know I should have in undergrad. Get awesome internships. Meet new people. Enjoy grad school to the fullest.
• Spend more time with Nappy. Do more things he likes, like playing with his little soccer ball outside and going to the dog park when we move to a place that has a dog park (hopefully this summer?).
• Eat better. I've been battling my cholesterol for the past two years now (an unfortunate side effect of my thyroid issues) and I know I can eat better, but Chick-fil-a is so convenient and delicious. I started counting my calories in August and it's actually helped me stay accountable to how much crap I eat and makes me want to eat better. So I'm going to do it. 2013 is the year!

Are you linking up for Sunday Social?

It's Finally Cold!

I've been ready for it to be cold for a few weeks. It would get a little chilly for a day or two, but then it'd be back up near 80* for two weeks. Texas weather, what can I say?

Anyway, I found the cutest coat (in black) in the Victoria's Secret catalogue about a month and a half ago and I've been beyond ready to show it off and now I can!

My doctor has also been wanting me to eat oatmeal because I have border-line high cholesterol and oatmeal is obviously a cold weather food. So, I found some at Target a few weeks ago, Quaker Oats brown sugar and maple flavor. Sounds wonderful. I made it this morning because It was 36* when I woke up. I measure out my milk, read the heating instructions, stirred it all up. The flavor was great. The temperature was perfect. The texture... Ew. Y'all. How do you eat oatmeal? That was no bueno. I tried so hard to like it. I took several big bites. I couldn't do it. The texture was chunky and yucky. So, readers, if you like or even love oatmeal, please let me know what I'm missing! I really want to like it, but that texture was... ehhhhhh.

OH! And yesterday, I took Nappy to get his picture made with Santa! I'm officially one of those dog moms that does silly things with her dog. Nappy was SO good, too! Except for this mean Beagle right by the door when we walked in. S/he growled at Nappy and snarled and was just mean. All Napster wanted was to meet Santa and make some friends. I'll share his picture as soon as I get it! It's way cute.

Hope you're all staying warm!

Life Update

My life is still boring, but exciting things have happened. Not working on grad school apps, which SERIOUSLY needs to happen because the first one is due Dec 1. AHHHH!

Last weekend (and in not the one that just ended, but the one before), I was in Fort Worth for TCU Homecoming. The weather was gorgeous and I had a blast! My stomach hated any and all beer I attempted to drink, so tailgating for the game was a bit impeded, but fun nonetheless! I had a hotdog and enjoyed the new stadium and watched one of the BEST games of my life (even though we lost... wah wah). Seriously, TRIPLE overtime. It was CRAZY.

Welcome to the prettiest stadium in all of college football.

Wednesday, I had lab work done and found out I'm more anemic now than I was six weeks ago even though I've been taking iron three times a week. Who does that? Apparently I do. Then I went a voted! It was so exciting voting for President in person! (I voted absentee four years ago... I think I had a test on election day.)

Don't pay for parking, you're voting! Yay!

Thursday night I got to stalk one of my campers who was in town for a tennis tournament. It was so nice to see her! She's a crazy one. Friday morning I made Tweety cookies for her, a Camp Mystic camper/counselor favorite. I'd LOVE to share the recipe, but it's a secret! But, it sure is delish.

Best. Cookies. Ever.

Friday night we got Halloween-y! I went over to Kendall and Michael's and we carved pumpkins! This was my third solo pumpkin and I have to say it's probably my favorite.

Kitty and a pumpkin... on a pumpkin!

Then Saturday, I watched a very upsetting football game and made some AWESOME Halloween cupcakes! I found a picture on Pinterest and made them and they were SO cute and definitely the hit of the party!

"Vampire Bites"

Then I went to Kendall and Michael's for the big Halloween party! This year I was way late in finding a Halloween costume so I googled "last minute Halloween costumes" and decided to be Rosie the Riveter! So super easy and so super cute!

I'm so cute.

Have you carved pumpkins yet? What did you carve? What are you dressing up as/what did you dress up as this year? Happy Hallo-week!

Welcome to Blogging, Jessica!

So last year one of my dearest friends Jessica started a livejournal blog. It kind of fell apart and as she says, she's all but abandoned it. But she's back and on Blogger instead!

Follow her and her family's lifestyle change through her blog, the Accidental Nutritionist. I'm so relieved to hear her mom is doing better and anxious to see how her nutrition journey unfolds!

Also, this is hilarious. And please vote for SuperFrog. He's pretty BA.