Tornadoes, Job Hunting, and Finals - Oh My!

This post is dedicated to those who are currently losing their mind like I am. 

Don't get me wrong, I know all of this will pass and it will be okay, but sometimes you feel stuck in a pretend tornado (still, much better than a real one!) and getting out seems a wee bit impossible.

 So for those of you, who currently feel like I do, who feel along the lines of this:

But wants to feel like this:

Her are some of the things I do to feel a little less psychotic during these times.

1) I work out. Working out always makes me feel better. If working out is not your thing, its okay! You can take a dog on a walk or just spend sometime outside - whatever floats your boat!

2) I listen to music really loud. Instant de-stressor.

3) I clean the house. That might not de-stress other people but when the house is clean it makes me feel as if I have something under control :)

4) I read. It lets me not think of everything going on that I have to do.

5) I make time to watch a TV show that I've been looking forward to. So I may have been studying all day and managed 1 hour of TV time but if I have something to look forward to I find that it makes studying slightly more bearable. 

Depending on my time/what is going on that week, I tend to cut some of these activties off of the list or shorten them. I do what I can.

So what do you do in order to relax during high stress times?

Happy Wednesday and for those of you who have been dealing with severe weather in the south like I have - stay safe!

A Weekend Full of Crazy(ness)

Friday was a disaster. 

It started off great. It was Friday, the weather was beautiful, and I had my last A&P test of the semester. 

Let me first say that we had a small chance of rain on Friday - 30% chance. Well during my test the bottom fell out and we endured a mini monsoon. 

The fact that I did not bring an umbrella or a rain coat was the least of my concern that day. 

By the time I made it to the gym we had a tornado watch. 

By 4 o clock that afternoon life was about to change. Tornado warnings started popping up all over the state. Then we were under one. Let me just say that I am a coward and prepped the bathroom and the nuggets. 

I also called Daniel a few times once I realized they were still in the field planting and blissfully unaware that we were under a tornado warning. 

Round one wasn't so bad. I survived and was like psh that wasn't so bad. We'll round two threw down and I spent 15 horrifying minutes in the bathroom. Thankfully we never had a tornado that close to the house - there were two about 15-20 mins away though! - but it was horrifying to say the least.

This is a picture that was taken about 20-25 minutes from the house.

Saturday was not too exciting. The weather was gorgeous but I spent most of it in the house studying and having a horrible stomach ache. 

I did make it out of the house to go see a movie with Daniel that night. 

Sunday was another beautiful day. Daniel ended up not feeling good late Saturday night but Sunday still managed to be productive. I made it to the gym, the barn, and Daniel and I went to brunch. I spent the later part of the afternoon studying more and then I was suddenly hit with another upset stomach. Between Daniel and I, this weekend, we could not win the both people are feeling well game. While I died on the couch, Daniel washed my car for me and cooked dinner for me :)

I relaxed a bit Sunday night with a face mask, a hot pad, and a book.

Daniel and I enjoyed a nice brunch outside on Sunday :)

Sooo good. Good thing Daniel and I split it because otherwise I probably would of finished it myself.

Overall it was a good weekend. I did make a mistake and try Dunkin Donuts Cookie Dough iced coffee. So good! And the nuggets got a puzzle toy that has been a big hit! 

Have as great of a Monday as you can! :)

Confession Friday Time!

I am so relieved to make it to Friday!

Join the link up here!

{1} I confess that the end of the semester has just gotten real. Can you say more tests/finals/practicals  than days left?? Holy cow I may not make it...

{2} I confess that I need sleep. I normally run off a little extra sleep than I should be without a problem. I am not sure what it was about this week but I was exhausted on Thursday. I haven't felt like that in a long time.

{3} I confess that I found Cake Batter Chapstick. Yep, you read that correct! I am so excited to test it out. Cross your fingers that it'll be great!

{4} I confess that I am so bummed that my nail place no longer takes appointments. Wha??? This is going to be a problem. Appointments make my life slightly easier and I cannot constantly go over there just to leave because the wait is too long or sit for an hour. So, I guess I need to start hunting for another nail place which is never fun.

{5} I confess that I may of just found my new nail place after researching like crazy on the internet. We will see!

{6} I confess that I am debating whether or not to do the more advanced puppy class with the nuggets. Decisions, decisions.

{7} I confess that I have a jammed packed weekend ahead and I also need to study. The panic is real! Lets see if I can accomplish this.

Have a great weekend!

How My Week is Currently Going

It has been no surprise to me that this week is insanely busy. I knew it was going to be, but boy did I jump on the struggle bus as soon as I woke up on Monday. 

Thankfully it's just a week, right? And there has already been a few positive things along the way. 

Let me catch you up on how I've been feeling this week.

As I interviewed for jobs:

^^No I did not say this - but I may have been thinking it! 

I do think my interview yesterday went well so fingers crossed!

Walking the nuggets yesterday:

This is literally how it went. Hot mess express. Apparently they forget how to walk if you neglect to walk them for four days.

As I attempt to not overload on caffeine:

That last part is pretty accurate

When I magically found out that yes indeed we are doing that microscope quiz spur of the moment in lab yesterday:

When I slaughtered (in a good way!) that quiz in 36 seconds:

How class is going this week:

What I really need:

That pretty much sums everything up!

How is your week going?

Now that I have overloaded you with gifs, I hope you have a great day :)

Easter Weekend

First off, I would like to say that I am not ready for this week. Nope, nope, nope. 

This weekend was a great one and I was not ready for it to end!

I didn't have class on Friday but ran around like a mad person so it didn't feel like I had the day off. Daniel got off of work early on Friday so that we could drive to my parents house and beat the traffic Friday afternoon. We made the trip to my parents without a hitch. I was able to watch Say Yes to the Dress with my mom Friday night which was great because we usually 'watch' it together via texting, haha. 

 My mom always has Easter baskets :)

We had so much good food but I loved this tart from Fresh Market!

Saturday was BUSY! I ran around with my mom to pick up my dads Birthday cake, the rest of the Easter food, and we managed to do a little shopping, and go to the Farmers Market! 

One of the vendors at the Farmers Market has the best homemade ice-cream. We got chocolate with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and it was amazing. I was so sad that there was no way it could survive the 3 hour car ride and make it to my house :(

That night we went to dinner for my dads Birthday and had some great food at Southern Roots. 

Sunday was a great day that consisted of family time, a nice walk/workout session with my dad, some fantastic food, and a safe car ride home. We did have a little mishap when Ash threw up in my car twice. So that was a lot of fun - but the important thing is we all made it safely. 

Boone really enjoyed our car ride.

It was so nice to see my parents and sister and spend the Easter Holiday with them. 

Did all of you have a nice Easter? 

Is anyone else boarding the struggle bus with me today? 

Here are some words of wisdom that I think I needed to hear this morning:

Five on Friday!

We are switching it up a bit this week!

Happy Friday! Give yourself a pat on the back because we all deserve one.

{1} My Target is getting a cosmetics department makeover! I heard whisperings of this but I never thought the Target here would be included on that list. Well it is and I am happy to say that they weren't even done with rearranging everything and there were a few new make-up brands!

{2} The nuggets were neutered and they wore the cone of shame! You can see pictures in my post from earlier in the week! 

{3} The fact that Oberon is back on the shelves AND I managed to find Blue Moons Summer Honey Wheat! I fell in love with Blue Moons seasonal summer beer two summers ago. Last summer I could not for the life of me find it anywhere! Yesterday I went to Fresh Market to get a few things and there it was! Also, Oberon is fantastic and seasonal so get your hands on it!

{4} The weather! It is a gorgeous day with a high of 72. Of course we are expected to get rain all weekend. Oh North Carolina - you never seem to fully pull it together.

{5} My BKR water bottle. I know to some it is just a water bottle, but I drink a lot of water so I wanted something to tote around easily. I had two Camelbak's and as much as I loved them - they both decided to give up on me. Granted I haven't had my BKR all that long but it goes everywhere with me and even though it's glass it is incredibly sturdy. Website

Happy Friday!! Any fun plans for the weekend?

Focus on the Good

If you are anything like me - type A personality, slightly neurotic, a constant doer - then you probably focus on a million things in a day.

Getting all of your plans done in a day is a tough task! Therefore, when something doesn't go just right it tends to discourage me a bit. Why? Because I made sure to plan it out,  I worked hard to make sure it would happen, I put in all that time and effort for it to just drop of the map. 

Frustrating, no?

We all know that obstacles and disappointment, for lack of a better word, are a part of life. While it is easy, especially in the heat of the moment, to let disappointment take a hold of you - it is only a small part of life. 

That leads me to this point. A lot of times we get consumed with disappointment and forget that it is only a small fraction of what we experience on a daily basis. While disappointment is inevitable, don't forget to focus on the good.

Sometimes the "good" we may experience on a daily basis is that the family is all home safe tonight, we managed to make something good for dinner, we managed to clean the house, we went on a long awaited date night, spent special time with your children, etc. 

It's easy to overlook the good things that happen on a daily basis.

Frustrating experience? Reflect on it but don't let it control the day. Focus on the good stuff and that frustration will slowly dissipate. 

Happy Wednesday everyone! We are getting closer to the weekend :)

The Dog is Shunning Me

"They both look dead." That is the exact sentence I told my mom and Daniel after I picked up the nuggets on Friday. Thankfully their neuters went well and I was able to get them as soon as I was out of class.

I was excited to get them (remember, pathetic nugget mom over here) and I certainly wasn't expecting what I got when I showed up at the vets office. Both of them were wearing cones of shame and they almost lost it when another dog wanted to say hi. Poor things were half awake and traumatized I'm sure. After a successful (yet pitiful) car ride home, I discovered that Ash just wanted to be snuggled and Boone decided that he would not move while wearing the cone of shame and that he would shun me all at the same time. 

Awe, my babies! 

The next morning they sprung back to life like anything didn't happen! It's been a chore trying to keep them quieter than normal. Thankfully they love walks and the weather was so nice so we went out and walked for a bit. 

Daniel worked the entire weekend. I spent most of the weekend studying and cleaning the house. Of course I didn't get as much done as I had imagined but that's because I spent half of Saturday running around trying to find a certain flavor of greek yogurt ice-cream for the desert I made for Daniel that night and spent another chunk looking for some treats and a toy for the nuggets as they recover. 

Even though Daniel had to work Sunday, he got off at a decent time so we were able to spend sometime together and watch August Osage County. Such a raw and real movie. I enjoyed it very much. 

When I was out and about this weekend I did pick up a great little treasure...

Meet the Dammit Doll! They have small ones and large ones. What a funny idea. I bought my mom one also, haha. 

You can check them out here and locate a location near you if interested.

My weekend flew right on by. I don't think I'm ready for Monday but alas here we are and here we go!

Anyone do anything fun this weekend?

Confession Friday!

Whew, another week done! Well almost.

Let's get to the confessions of the week, shall we?

{1} I confess that the nuggets went in to get neutered today. I am a pathetic fur mamma and thought it was slightly sad when I came home from the gym and had no puppies to great me. Sad isn't it? I love my fur children. 

{2} Since we are on the topic of fur children...If I could put a pasture around my future house and let Velvet stick her head through the windows I would. Yep.

{3} I confess that on the way home from the barn on Thursday I barely avoided an accident. Long story short, some guy didn't see that the car in front of him was stopped and had to hit the breaks so hard that you could smell the burning rubber and see the smoke. So what does he decide to do instead of rear ending the truck? He decided to just cut across my lane and pull into the exit of a church.

Erg! Thankfully for him he avoided both the truck and my car but come on people use your brain! That could of ended really badly. 

{4} I confess after that shock and awe, I went home and managed to grab the last seat in the summer class that I need/wanted! I am so relieved! Now to I just need to find a job!

{5} I confess that it is once again wasp season. I hate wasps. Especially those big cicada killer wasps...

I could live happily without those in my life. Horrifying. 

{6} I confess that I was so excited to have some free time this weekend (AKA no tests next week!) but then I found out that Daniel has to work for sure Saturday and possibly Sunday. Darn. 

{7} I confess that I don't think I've had Starbucks for about a week - maybe even longer! Incredible you say? I know! 

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Watcha Got Cookin'?

Recently I've noticed two recipes that other bloggers have shared that I was drooling over.

I challenged myself (and Daniel) to not spend any money eating out this week.

Therefore I thought it was a perfect time to try these recipes!

And guys, both of them did not disappoint - seriously, they are new favorites!

Bonus: Both of them of simple and easy to make!

{1} Healthy Power Pasta

I was starving last night so I failed to take a picture, but I got this recipe from Liz @ FitnessBlondie and you can drool over it by clicking here!

The only thing in the original recipe that I changed was that I used chicken instead of ground turkey.

I added some sautéed onions and garlic.

Before popping it in the oven I spread a little basil leaves on top of the feta cheese.

-Veggie Pasta
-I used basil and tomato sauce
-Feta Cheese
-Spinach
-Onions and garlic
-Chicken

Cook the pasta and sauté the onions and garlic. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once the pasta and chicken are cooked, place the pasta in an oven safe dish, add sauce (stir), add chicken (stir), add ion ions and garlic (stir), spinach (stir), and sprinkle some feta on top. Place in oven for 20 minutes and then you have a fantastic meal!

...I'm pretty sure I could eat this for lunch and dinner most days. Definitely give it a shot!

{2} Sweet Potato and Quinoa (ahem couscous in my case) Chili!

Elise @ CheersY'all posted this recipe a little bit ago and as soon as I saw her picture I knew I would be trying this. You can see her post about it here!

-Package of ground turkey
-1 onion
-3 garlic cloves -minced
-Salt and pepper
-3 cups of chicken broth (I used the low sodium kind)
-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (I used a smaller can of chopped tomatoes)
-15 oz can of baked beans
-Can of black beans
-1 cup of uncooked couscous (or quinoa!)
-1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped
-2 tablespoons of chili powder (I totally forgot to add chili powder and it was still delicious)
-1 teaspoon cumin
-1/2 teaspoon of paprika
-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-Whatever toppings you want - I cheated and bought guacamole

Cook up ground turkey, onion, and garlic. Once done, place in crockpot and begin adding the rest of the ingredients - no particular order! Stir it all together and let cook on low for 5-6 hours.

I have leftover pasta and left over chili! I am one happy lady. I will definitely be making both of these again!

Tell me your favorite recipes! Also, if you make either of these recipes let me know if you enjoyed them as much as we (Daniel and I) did and also let me know if you modified them so I can try :)

More Zzzz's Please - Weekend Recap

This weekend was a good one!

Daniel didn't have to work on Friday since he had to work from 11pm-9am at the farm Thursday night. Since he had the day off he came to the barn with me and it was such a beautiful day! The weather was in the 80's with little humidity. I got to spend some time with my horse and my man - I was one happy girl :)

Saturday Daniel worked and I did my usual gym routine in the morning before getting my nails done.  I also took the little nuggets on a walk before I headed to the gym. They love their early morning walks. After the gym I I opted for some spring colors now that it's finally feeling like it!

I then proceeded to study the rest of the day (Chem test and A&P Test Today and Tomorrow - panic!) until Daniel and I went out to dinner. We had a wonderful dinner at a great little restaurant in town called Cafe Duo. After dinner we watched Game of Thrones as we prepared for the season premiere last night! AH!

Sunday Daniel joined me at the gym, I ran out to by some socks (since the nuggets keep tearing mine up), and Daniel and I went to brunch. I then studied the rest of the afternoon (big shocker) and tried to relax a little before Game of Thrones and my tests the next day.

Overall the weekend was a good one! I may have spent half the time worrying about my upcoming tests but I have studied my butt off and need to keep that in mind. Did you guys have a good weekend? 

I am glad we had some nice weather this weekend because we are looking at some rain for the next few days. 

Confession Friday!

Hello Friday!
Feel free to join Leslie's link-up by clicking here.

P.S. Did anyone use to watch Flight of the Conchords?? I loved that show

{1} I confess that stress has currently gotten the best of me. I didn't sleep worth anything last night and I am so tired

{2} I confess that part of this stress stems from my summer class/working situation dilemma. I'll be able to work both of them out but the pros and cons of each are making me a bit crazed

{3} I confess that I need to paint my toe nails. They have been rocking the no polish look for way too long now. This has now turned into a problem because I am wearing flip flops again.

{4} I confess that the immaturity of what some people do just blows my mind. How can you just be so rude and then sweep it under the rug like nothing happened?? Crazy.

{5} I confess that I went to the grocery store last night and actually planned out some meals! Winning! Today I went to grab a few (favorite) extras from Fresh Market and I totally forgot the original item that I went there for. Fail.

{6} I confess that I am a coward when alone at night. During my last semester of college my room mate left to go home during the summer which left me all by myself. While I still believe living by yourself (even just for a little bit) is a good growing process - it scared me to death the first week.

{7} I confess that I love watching all of my mystery/murder shows. Nightmare next door, Redrum, Dateline, Unsolved Mysteries, etc. It's all fun and games during the day but then at night if I hear a noise...I have a flashback to one of the shows I watched. I do the same thing with scary movies. I love watching them but then it all catches up to me when I'm trying to sleep. You win some and lose some,  right?

I hope everyone has a great weekend and if you are having nice weather like we are in good ol' North Carolina then I hope you can get outside for a bit!

How To Be Healthy On The Go, Go, Go!

From what I have gathered from reading all about other bloggers lives - we're all incredibly busy.

When you have a million things going on in your head, one of the last things you may be thinking of is your lunch/snacks if you're going to be out and about.

I do my best to live a healthy lifestyle and this includes eating healthy. If I could meal plan and cook every single day I would! Sadly this is not reality so here is how I stay healthy on the go!

The best thing for me - but you need to do some planning and have a little time - is to plan your meals ahead of time so you can pack them! Easier said then done, I know. 

I have very little time to slap together meals before I leave.

Salads are one of my go to meals on a regular basis. On Sunday I make some chicken, cut up anything I want to include in my salad (tomatoes, cucumber, celery, etc) that way when I only have 30 minutes before I leave I can just pull out my prepared ingredients and presto lunch!

The other great things about a salad? You can take it to go!

Another quick meal that I can enjoy for lunch or dinner? Overnight oatmeal! 

The great thing about overnight oatmeal is that there are plenty of different versions, it is easy to whip together, they are portable, and you can eat them hot or cold!

If you forget to make something the night before or if you are running crazy behind (been there done that!) then here are some of my favorite fast food-ish options that are still healthy and not a million calories. Remember you can add or delete anything that is part of a meal to make it healthier and remember that portion size is important!

{1} Panera

Panera has multiple healthy and nutritious options for those who are looking for a fast and healthy meal!

I really like their salads, chicken noodle soup, and the turkey avocado BLT

{2} Which Which

I love which which! I love to get a small turkey sandwich with wheat bread, tomatoes, avacado, grilled onions, and some lettuce.

You can also get a salad version of this sandwich along with others! 

I also opt out of chips and will usually grab an apple from the house instead if I am on the run

{3} Chipotle

It is no secret that I am a lover of chipotle. Granted the calories can add up super fast but that doesn't have to be the case! I usually get a burrito bowl with brown rice, chicken, black beans, corn salsa, lettuce, and I do get their guacamole at times. To me the burrito bowls are massive and I can only eat about half of one in a sitting so I take it home and have lunch for the next day :)

{4} Zoes Kitchen

Zoes has plenty of healthy options also! I am a big fan of their greek salad. I like to get it without the potato salad and add grilled chicken. I also love their chicken kabobs. Now if you look at the calories of the chicken kabobs - you may die, but I only eat about half of portion at once.

I can almost always manage to make my lunch before I leave or pack something before I head out but when I can't these restaurants are my favorite places to grab a good meal!

A few other tips to continue eating healthy while out and about that have helped me:

{1} Leave your wallet in your vehicle or do not carry cash.

While everyone might not be able to leave their wallet in the car depending on what they are doing, I have been able to get away with it during my time as a college student. This prevents me from buying anything on campus. Does that chick fil a look better than what I packed? You betcha. Am I bored from sitting in class/studying and want something from the vending machine? Yep. But look-y there - I don't have any money on me so I will have to pass.

This saved me during my time at State. I walked passed all the great food constantly but not having my wallet on me prevented me from buying food just because friends were and because it looked/smelled good!

{2} Pack your own snacks.

Know that you are going to be out for a bit? Bring a healthy snack that you can easily grab if you start getting hungry. This will keep you from spending unnecessary money and from eating junk food because it is fast and cheap.

{3} Have a sweet tooth? Don't fight it - bring a little treat!

If you are anything like me and love chocolate then hopefully this will help you too! 

I love chocolate/ice cream/cookies, etc. I just make sure to moderate my intake.

I found that if I brought a piece or two of something like Dove chocolate that it keeps me from wanting that Kit Kat Bar in the vending machine. 

What do you do to stay healthy while on the go? What are some of your favorite, healthy, meals??

I hope you all are having a good week! :)