I Bought a Journal.

 

Hey everyone! I have been experiencing some internet troubles the past few days, hence the late post. It’s very irritating and I don’t know the cause of it (maintenance?). Anyway, on to today’s post:

In a previous post I wrote about my new year “resolutions” and in that post I spoke about Saturday being my day to unwind/de-stress. Since I was in high school, I have really enjoyed keeping journals. Oddly enough, as years went by, I forgot about the journals and have not written in them, nor started any new ones. However, I’ve recently become inspired to start again. I feel very excited about this because I believed I have reached a stage in my life where everything exciting in beginning to happen. I think that eventually it will be very heartwarming to look back on the documented memories. Journaling and writing letters is an ancient tradition, of course it has taken on many forms over the course of time, but one thing I know for sure is that keeping a journal is good for mental health (bonus: it’s fun).

Over the span of two days, I have acquired a sketchbook and a journal. The sketchbook will be transformed into a scrapbook journal, for documenting events/fun memories/trips and the like. While the other will be used for daily journaling – musings, general thoughts, etc. I also bought a nice box (which is wrapped in very pretty canvas) to store my scrapbook and journal supplies.

Non-digital photo albums are on their way out, which is unfortunate. I personally really enjoy having printed photos. Digital devices can break or you can accidentally delete something – many things can happen to digital copies of your memories; but physical prints (if kept well) can last for a very, very long time. I still use Costco’s photo printing service! Books and photos to me don’t feel the same if they are digital. Sure, the convenience of an online textbook is fantastic, but if I were to sit down and read a book for leisure, you can be sure that it will be a physical copy. As for photos, I have a lot of photos that I keep on my phone or computer as digital, because they aren’t all that meaningful. The photos I like to print are ones that are of memorable moments and have emotions attached to them, which is why my scrapbook journal will be the perfect place to keep those meaningful photos and events in a unique and fun form. Very excited!

This is my daily journal.

This is my scrapbook journal – the cover will be decorated, of course.

 

These are my two new journals! My daily journal says Happy Everything on the front of it, which I find to be an extremely uplifting reminder to smile. The scrapbook is just a regular, large sketchbook which I will vamp up. Once I have completed the set-up and acquired everything I desire, I will post updated pictures of all of my supplies along with my decorated box and scrapbook journal.

 

 

 

I am now off to kick-start my daily journaling and then off to slumber land! Have a good week, everyone.

P.S. I will be back again before next Tuesday with a new post, so check back soon 🙂

P.P.S. Here is a recipe for a good drink – I like to drink this on cool, dreary days as I write or do homework.

Coconut Hot Chocolate

What Goes in it:

• 3 cups milk
• 1 14 – ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 14 – ounce can sweetened condensed milk (2/3 cup)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Whipped cream

How to Make It:

Step 1: In a medium saucepan combine your milk, coconut milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Whisk it all together. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Whisk in cocoa powder until it is well incorporated.

Step 2: Keep on medium-low heat for a minute more after adding the cocoa powder, stir often. Then remove from heat and whisk in the pure vanilla extract. Serve in large mugs with whipped cream.

*To make this a dairy-free option, skip the whipped cream and replace the 3 cups of milk with almond milk or coconut milk*

Trust me, if it is cold and grey outside, this drink will make you feel ten times better.

 

 

How To Enrich Your Life

Hello everyone!

I often hear people say “life is short”…well, it actually isn’t that short. It is literally the longest thing you can ever do. So, wouldn’t it be nice if the longest thing you ever did was the most pleasant thing you ever did? Of course. However, life is a mysterious road which, if we are lucky, is filled with more good mysteries to uncover than bad ones. No matter what, though, our life depends on us. Our attitudes, choices, decisions, actions, & thoughts. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like we are in control, and though there are times we really aren’t, most of the time we can at least control our reactions. Training thoughts, attitudes, and reactions takes practice, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor. I’m still working on that myself. While we are on the topic of life, I would like to share with you the ways which I have found to enrich my life – and by no means does it make me an expert on this, but perhaps you will find it to be a pleasant read (or maybe even inspiring). So here are some of the ways I enrich my life:

1. Be a human sparkle. That doesn’t mean to be excessively vivacious or obnoxiously flamboyant. I mean that you shouldn’t restrain yourself from being bright and cheerful. Radiate positivity. Smile often. Be grateful. If you are in a poor mood, try making your significant other laugh – that will likely take the edge off your mood (plus it’s so uplifting to see your sweetheart smiling).
2. Learn to value yourself. You are given one life, one chance to be you, one opportunity (with a million little ones sprinkled about) to make your life truly yours. Don’t compare yourself to anyone, don’t compete with the rest of the world. There is no such thing as perfect people, there is no such thing as flawless. Embrace everything about yourself- work on becoming the best version of your own unique self. As Dr. Seuss put it: “Today you are you, that’s truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you”. Through all of this though, stay humble.
3. Take care of your mind. Keep your mind pure. Do not let thoughts corrupted by fears control you. Do not let anger and resentment consume you. Do not overthink/over analyze or brood. Do not evade communication or difficult conversations with those you love; express yourself in a kind, gentle, and sensitive manner. Quiet your mind through meditation, journal writing, going for a walk, or other methods which suit you best. Direct emotions & thoughts instead of letting them direct you; instead of reacting instantly, take a moment to reflect on and understand what the situation is. Often times our emotions do cloud the reality of a situation…it’s not wrong to feel the emotions, it’s just better to pause and take a moment before reacting. Let your thoughts and emotions flow like the river – accept their path, appreciate their significance, learn, grow, and let the “waters” of the mind flow peacefully.
4. Believe. There may not be magic in the sense that we imagined it when we were kids, but there really is magic around us. There is a sense of magic in love, in a plate of delicious food, in the waves of the ocean, and even in a headbutt from your cat. Believe in the good; believe that everything will be okay and that all things will end up as they are meant to.
5. Show your loved ones how much you care. We are all busy, but we all make time for what matters most to us. Take the time to show the people (or person) you love most just how much you appreciate them and care for them. It will not only enrich your life, but it will also enrich theirs.
6. Take a Moment. Whether you are having your morning tea/coffee, reading a textbook, doing laundry, or eating dinner – take a moment. Even if it’s just a second, take that second to acknowledge the present. You don’t need to think about it for any prolonged period of time, nor give the moment any mental energy…all I suggest you do is just let the mind register it. We all seem to either be stuck in the past or living in the future, taking a second to register your present can help alleviate some stress.
7. Celebrate your victories – even the tiny ones. I found that when I do this, I feel so much better. I mean it; be proud of yourself for all the things you accomplish, even if they seem trivial. Say you have never made a fancy dish before, and tonight you pick up a cookbook and cook something you’ve never even considered before. Be happy, be proud! It doesn’t have to be perfect, the fact that you did it is a cause to say ‘good job, self’. Do so in everything and watch how much further you go.

To end this post, I want to share a recipe with you which makes the best apple pancakes:

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup shredded tart apple
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• Honey and berries/fruit for serving

Method

1. In a big mixing bowl, combine the egg, butter, milk, vanilla extract, and apple. Mix until well combined. In a second mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon. Give the dry ingredients a quick mix so that everything is blended together. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, adding a little at a time and making sure to mix well between each addition.
2. Heat an oiled frying pan on medium heat. Use a small ladle or tablespoon to scoop the batter onto the pan. Cook until browned on both sides.
3. Serve immediately with some fruit/berries and honey.

This recipe is great for a weekend breakfast treat, plus it’s pretty simple and quick to make.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

 

 

30 Random Questions

Hey everyone! I’m a little late with the blogging schedule because today was kind of a busy day and my original plans didn’t work out quite the way I anticipated them to. Sorry for that, but it’s not going to change future blog posts, I will still be posting on Tuesdays! 🙂

Second week of school went by – I was sick!! Ugh. The worst part was not only feeling poorly, but being too ill to actually attend classes. Missing material was very displeasing. I did my best to make sure I covered whatever was missed – mostly over the last two days of the week and over the weekend. Last week looked something like: sleep, wake up coughing and with a plugged nose at 2 am, sleep again, wake up again, sleep a bit more, then wake up and decide 3rd time wasn’t a charm. Have a boat load of medicine (which I normally don’t ever have), have tea, have water, have more tea, finally manage to eat something. Try to sit down for homework and readings but realize eyes won’t focus, head hurts, and if I tilt my head ever so slightly downward nose runs like a faucet – so, no studying. Rinse and repeat. I managed to get some studying done (when I felt meds kick in full force). I am sure everyone wanted to hear that story, right? Haha. Thankfully, I am cured and I am healthy again! Yay! I am always so fascinated by how complicated and ingenious our bodies are.

I thought, since I was feeling pretty “blah” last week, it might be fun to answer 30 random questions for you guys to lighten up the mood. Here we go!

1. Do you sleep with closet doors open or closed? Umm…closed. I don’t care too much when they are open, but I definitely prefer them closed. Why, you ask? No idea…
2. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? Out. I cannot stand feeling constricted when I sleep. I totally mess up the bedding in hotel rooms!
3. Do you cut out coupons and then never use them? I usually do use coupons I cut out. Though, sometimes, I forget and then I don’t end up using them because they expire.
4. Do you always smile for pictures? Hmm…I find fake, wide, toothy smiles look terrible in photos (at least when I do it). Unless someone makes me laugh or someone catches me naturally smiling. So, I am going to say yes, I do smile in photos, but I don’t show teeth.
5. Do you ever count your steps when you walk? No. I just walk…
6. Have you ever peed in the woods? Yep. Camping.
7. Do you still watch cartoons? If adult cartoons like Family Guy, Simpsons, F is for Family, count…yes.
8. Where would you bury hidden treasure if you find any? Bury it!? I just found treasure! I’m keeping it locked in a safe at the house.
9. What do you drink in the winter? I drink tea, as always. I also drink hot chocolate and eggnog – a lot of eggnog.
10. Can you change the oil in your car? Yes, I can.
11. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket? Nope! Clean record.
12. Are you afraid of heights? No. But, depending on where I am, I can sometimes be afraid of falling from very high-up places.
13. Do you sing in the car? On occasion; if I am being silly with my fiance or I am alone and bored or super tired haha.
14. Is Christmas stressful? Nope. I love Christmas! Even on the rare occasion that I might find myself a little stressed before Christmas, I don’t pay the stress much attention. So, my answer is no, it is not stressful.
15. Occupation you wanted as a kid? Oh boy, that’s a long list! Haha. I think it was always something to do with medicine – veterinarian, medical doctor, nurse, paramedic, etc. However, I also wanted to be a flight attendant at one point in time.
16. Can you curl your tongue? I believe I can.
17. Have you ever cried because you were so happy? Yes! On the engagement day!
18. Can you swim well? Very well. I worked as a lifeguard back in the yester-years.
19. If you became a multimillionaire over night, what is the first thing you would buy? A nice car! And then a house for my future family to grow in. So, first thing is car…then I would drive that car to look for homes. LOL.
20. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear right now? I hear my cat purring.
21. What is one food you cannot live without? Well, I couldn’t live without food in general, seeing as I would starve and die. So…all food?
22. What did you do for your last birthday? My sweetheart took me horseback riding! It was the most amazing time. I am a huge horse person (don’t hear that too often, do ya? haha), so the experience was absolutely incredible. Thank you again, honey!
23. Do you have any tattoos? Yes. I have two tattoos.
24. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yep. I have dyed my hair blonde, dark purple, and black. However, I haven’t dyed my hair in years.
25. What is your favorite scent? That’s a bit difficult to answer, because I like quite a few scents for different purposes haha. I will say coconut would be my favorite scent for a lot of things – but only if it’s not artificial smelling. I actually bought a coconut milk body butter today, it’s delicious.
26. How many pillows do you sleep with? Haha – this is funny because my fiance likes a lot of pillows, and I usually have only two.
27. What is your essential kitchen appliance? Ah…a fridge. Because that is where I store food at home. Other than that, probably a stove, because you can do anything with it- boil water, fry, bake, roast, you name it.
28. Baths or showers? I actually like both equally, but I take more showers than baths. I take baths to relax and showers to get clean…
29. Do you have any secret family recipes? I do, actually. A few of them 😉
30. Would you like to build/design your own house? Umm…hell yes!

Well, that was my 30 random questions. I hope you enjoyed this post and I am wishing everyone a good rest of the week!

 Hooray for most things!

– George Carlin

 

 

Detox Tea – is it a real thing?

Hey everyone! So, I am still sick and at home resting to recover. I decided to take this time to talk about something that I’ve noticed has become a big thing. Not only is it a fad, but people are actually buying into it – which is an issue I will address in this post. Now, you all know how much I love tea…but…

If you are thinking of purchasing something for a lot of money, you want to make sure it’s worth the investment. If that something that you are thinking of purchasing is one of those “cleansing” teas or “detox” teas or “skinny” teas which are delivered to you monthly for loads of cash…save your money. I think they are a massive waste of your hard-earned money. That’s not to say that tea in itself doesn’t have the properties these marketers and companies are trying to sell. All tea has antioxidants, “detox” properties, “cleansing” properties. It doesn’t have to be packaged in a nice tin with pretty labels and delivered to you for ridiculous prices – you can get the same results with any good quality tea you buy (for a tiny fraction of the price). It is true that tea should be loose leaf for it to be decent quality tea, but that doesn’t mean it should cost you a fortune. You can go to many different tea merchants and tea shops online and get yourself a fantastic selection of teas for much less than these other “super tea” companies are selling for.

It’s really not hard to get sucked into the marketing and the packaging of these expensive teas. I mean, they do a convincing job! There are people on social media raving about these cleanses, too – “look how clear my skin is after drinking this tea for a week” or “this tea made my stomach so flat” or “I have so much more energy after drinking this tea” – they’re probably getting paid to tell you this, and if they aren’t…then they are most likely following the current fad (who wants to admit they spent a fortune on a packet of tea which did nothing for them?). The biggest selling point these teas share is that they tell you that your body is absorbing all these “toxins” while you’re breathing and eating and living and just being human. Well, sure! That’s a fact…thankfully, though, we have a few organs that do the cleansing and detoxifying for us: liver, skin, kidneys, and lungs. If your body wasn’t able to do this on it’s own, their would be a serious biological issue which would require medical treatment.

A lot of the companies aren’t very specific about what these toxins they are talking about are. What are the names of these toxins? What do they do to the body? What makes this combination of tea the perfect solution? Something to keep in mind. Where is the scientific evidence that their specific product (which is being sold as something that is used to detoxify your body) does the job the best? A healthy diet, good sleep, keeping active, and staying hydrated are the main things that will help you feel healthy.

That said, tea has been used for centuries as an aid in traditional medicine and even meditation. There are many different, natural teas that have properties which are good for your stomach or your skin or your body in general. You don’t need to pay these companies to get your hands on something that is found in almost every tea shop, supermarket, or even online. You can get some great quality valerian tea for getting a better sleep, peppermint tea for digestive aid, ginger tea for nausea, lavender tea for stress relief. It’s just about knowing your stuff and doing  your research.

Another rather unsettling fact is that a lot of the teas that are made for weight loss can actually make you dehydrated and cause you to lose muscle tissue (and muscle weighs more than fat does…so, is that healthy weight loss?). A lot of these “skinny” or “fit” teas contain herbs and seeds which are appetite suppressants, diuretics, and even laxatives. These things can mess with your gastrointestinal flora (which is what keeps yours entire stomach balance in check) and can also make you lose water. In addition to that, if you want true tea benefits, you need to customize the tea to your needs and your body.

To wrap up, I am sure you are all intelligent people. I also know that there are companies out there who really know how to market things and make it tempting to believe them. Take this as a kind reminder to be careful of what you put in your body. We only get one body, let’s treat it with respect and make health-conscious decisions. Drink your tea, but don’t buy into the expensive (and sometimes harmful) trends.

*Cough*Sniffle*Cough*

Yes, yes I do.

Hello interweb society! I’m sick – coughing, feverish, runny nose, watery eyes, headache – sick. I am not one to get sick regularly, my immune system normally does a good job of keeping away the bugs; unfortunately, it seems that something has made it past the barrier. Poop. As a university student, not much can take you down like a flu or a bad cold can. It’s like Kryptonite! You want to do your readings, you even get settled at your desk ready for action…but when you look at the textbook for more than 5 minutes, your head begins to spin and your eyes roll back into your head. I have been doing my best to get small increments of reading done and even took some notes the other day. Today, though, it’s not looking promising. I slept pretty much all day – woke up at 1:30 pm! I think? Or it might of been 2:30…oh my goodness. I don’t know. What day is it?! Send help.

So, my parents went out and bought me anti-viral tissues (did you know they made those? I didn’t), flu medicine, medicated cough and throat lozenges, and general cold/flu care package materials. I am beyond grateful for that. I made some chicken stock two days ago, but that is long gone and I have no energy to make anymore. Currently working toward mustering the energy for some post dinner studying – I must get something done today…maybe. Though, I did vacuum earlier today (because cat hair and dust and being plugged up and coughing don’t make a nice combination). I gotta say, the energy exerted while vacuuming nearly ended me haha. I was sure that if I sat down I would pass out. Yet somehow, I am still conscious. All I really want to do is watch Netflix in bed for the rest of the night and drink hot tea and eat warm foods. But I also want to get school work done…*sigh* I guess we shall see what I feel like after dinner.

Bailey (for those of you that don’t know, she’s my cat) has been keeping me company; which is good because I am quarantined in a tiny space by myself until I am virus-free. Speaking of keeping yourself and your viruses confined, I think more people should learn to do that! I mean, I go to school with hundreds of people, and I also take public transit. I have noticed people hacking a lung in the 3rd row of class – mouth open! Yes, just spreading that bug to all of us, thanks…sharing isn’t always caring. Sometimes it’s best to keep things to yourself. Or, better yet, standing on the bus next to someone (an adult) wiping their running, snotty nose with bare hands and then grabbing the pole to hold on. WHY. DUDE do us all a favor and stay home with your chicken noodle soup and Netflix. *angry hand gestures*

Okay, let’s move on. Aside from whatever bug has been plaguing me the past few days, things have been well. I acquired some new pens – I am a stationary enthusiast, so this is very exciting news to me.  The pens I got are the 10 pack of Staedtler multicolored pens and two Pilot Precise V5 pens. I am the type of person who likes to have her notes not only look neat and organized, but also color coordinated. I do that with my planning, too. Colors play an important part in my life as a student and generally organized human. I am now realizing how sad it sounds to be excited about pens, but you know what? I embrace my affinity for stationary. Pretty excited to use them, as soon as I gather enough brain energy to focus on studying.

Next week, when I am well and more “with-it”, expect a fun post. Meanwhile, stay healthy and have a wonderful week! For now, I am off to make myself some more ginger-honey-lemon tea and try to figure out what to do with myself – study or sleep or Netflix…decisions, decisions.

Week 1

Hello all! As I mentioned previously, I am thinking of making Tuesdays my post day so, here I am! Still not totally sure I will keep Tuesdays; I shall decide after this intro week is over and I have my next week planned out.

How is your first week in 2016 starting out? My Monday was pretty good – I was a little bit too eager and showed up on campus 1.5 hours before class was supposed to begin. Though, to be fair, I did want to buy textbooks at the campus bookstore before the line-up became too long. I guess my early arrival was planned (but I had not foreseen being there that early).

So far…

1. I think I will enjoy my classes much more this semester. I have classes focused on neuroscience, clinical evaluations/treatments, as well as social psychology, and cognition. All deeply interesting topics that spark desire to learn and absorb information.
2. This week, as most intro weeks go, is slow. Everyone is still acquiring their textbooks (including me), professors are introducing their classes… and that is about it. I, however, plan on doing as much as I can this week anyway – starting with review of topics from previous courses which are relevant and helpful.
3. Sleep is coming along…will still take time to adjust to my desired optimal sleep pattern.
4. I have made a schedule which should serve me very well for this semester.

…and that is pretty much it for now haha.

Nothing too exciting to report. Oh! I did make a delicious English muffin breakfast today. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo before devouring it; but I will tell you what goes in it and how to make it:

• 1 English muffin sliced in half
• 1 large portobello mushroom, chopped into small cubes
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 slices of mozzarella cheese
• 2 slices of aged cheddar cheese
• Butter

Take the chopped mushroom and fry it up in the butter with your salt and pepper until the mushroom becomes soft. Add your sour cream, mix until well combined, and let it all cook down together for a few minutes on medium-low heat.

While mushroom is doing its thing, put the cheese slices onto one half of the English muffin and toast (both halves separately) until the cheese starts to melt. Remove your mushroom concoction from heat and dollop it onto the melted cheese. Close the sandwich with the top half of the English muffin. That’s it.

Surprisingly delicious (can add meat or egg or bacon if you desire) and easy.

Off to study now. Have a great week!

 

The one with resolutions

Happy New Year! I learned a lot from 2015. I am thankful for many things that happened last year. All wonderful things aside, the last stretch of 2015 (from about the end of August up until Christmas) was challenging. My semester started off pretty smoothly, but quickly turned as unforgiving as white-water. Everything was different – my fiance had just left for school to a different province and I was swallowed by school work and studying of my own. It was a trying experience, but I learned a lot from all of it. Though, before any learning took place, I had a rough time. I let myself get away with negative thinking, I slipped into poor habits (such as staying up way too late and losing sleep), etc. I was not myself; I felt like I was annoying myself with how down I got. I started looking for reasons and found them. Now that I found them, it is time to fix them.

I heard/read a lot about resolutions being stupid and that setting resolutions is useless because they are sure to fail. I decided to challenge that! I think that with the right goals and the right mind-set resolutions will not fail. It’s all about willpower and good planning. I made a decision (after my semester ended) that, in 2016, I will make some resolutions and stick to them. So, without further ado…here are mine:

1. Blogging consistently. As you all know, my blogging kind of took a nosedive a few months ago. I kept setting times to post… yet somehow either school got in the way or inspiration wasn’t there. So, my goal is to have one day a week set in my schedule where I will post – rain or shine. I have not yet decided the day, but I am leaning toward Tuesday (as I have that day off from classes). I will update the set day later on in the week as I settle into my schedule better.
2. Sunday Ritual. I will be using Sunday as a day to get organized for the week ahead and regroup. To make this a “ritual” I will be doing a basic set of things every Sunday without alterations (unless truly necessary or planned). First thing is shower and do morning yoga stretches. Following that, I will have a large breakfast. This breakfast will be something special/different than the usual daily breakfast – fancy pancakes, smoothies, and/or something like a quiche…you get the idea. During this breakfast, I will read a chapter of a book (nothing related to school; something that will set a positive note to my day and get my brain into gear). Next, is sit down and plan out the week ahead. I will use this time to make to-do lists, get a sense of what I need to do during the week, assign different work for different days of the week, etc. After I have my plans set for the week I will get some work done – such as making notes and doing reading for classes. By the time I have completed all of this it will be time for dinner, so I will spend the rest of the time from dinner onward relaxing before Monday.
3. Unwinding on Saturday. Sunday is the power day of the weekend, so Saturday will be the day of rejuvenation. This means a stress- free day. A day I can use to work on a hobby or project (such as painting), do some yoga, pamper myself a little bit with a bubble bath and good book, make a nice dinner of comfort food, catch-up on TV shows or watch a movie, and things of that nature. I will also be some doing school work, but less volume of it than during the week/Sunday (and most likely in the morning rather than later in the day). I will essentially use this day to create a “zen” state of mind.
4. Consistent Sleep Schedule. God, how my sleep suffered last semester. I was a zombie by the end of it! My goal is to get to bed earlier and awake earlier. At the same time every day. Even on weekends. I do not want to sleep in late, I do not want to stay up too late. I want to have a steady sleep pattern so that my brain is optimally functional and my mood is optimally pleasant haha.
5. Get It Done. As trivial as it seems…it’s important. As human beings we tend to leave some stuff for tomorrow or simply later. With some things, it is OK to do that. When it comes to school work (or other important tasks), not so OK. With that in mind, my goal is to get as much done in a day as possible before I start to feel overwhelmed. That means no dilly-dallying during the week, no putting off readings for “later”, and keeping up with my schedule as closely as possible. I am lucky this semester to have quite a bit of spare time for studying, so I will utilize it to the best of my abilities.
6. No Schoolwork Past 8:00 PM. As important as it is to not procrastinate, it is equally as important to remember to not over-work yourself. I feel like I always knew that, yet despite my knowledge of it, I got sucked up by the current and forgot to breathe. Not drowning myself is another resolution. This means I will try to do as much during the day so that I can finish any remaining school work before 8:00 (or so) PM. Time to wind down before bed is crucial for a good sleep – at least I found this to be true for me.
7. Keeping A Positive Mind. As I have mentioned, this is an area that needed improvement last semester. I was never a totally negative person by any means (that isn’t my nature), but I was not ambitious enough because I felt discouraged, I let little things get under my skin because of other stresses, I was governed by the negatives rather than the positives. So, now I will be getting back to positive thoughts and positive actions and positive expectations. This means beginning each day with good thoughts and ending each day with gratitude and a peaceful heart. I think this will play a key part in keeping up with the rest of my resolutions.
8. Get Moving. I was not successful at finding time or motivation to do yoga consistently (or any other exercises) in the last few months of 2015. I feel quite let-down about it, but now it is time to get into the habit of consistent exercising again.
9. Achieving Straight A’s. As I have mentioned before, my last semester made me struggle…in more ways than one. Needless to say…my GPA struggled, too. That makes me angry. I like my A’s and A+’s. Hence my goal for this semester is to achieve nothing lower than an A on any given assignment or exam. I know that sounds like I am putting a huge strain on myself, however, the way I plan on achieving this standard (such as following my Sunday and Saturday “rituals”) is going to make it as stress-free as possible.

That wraps it up for my resolutions post. I hope you enjoyed the read and I will see you again soon!

New Year’s Eve

Hi everyone! It’s the 31st of December and I have not posted the promised holiday recipes…I apologize, again *grimace*. I thought I would have the time to do so but, with family events and my fiance’s arrival, I was unable to find the time to write any decent holiday themed posts (or any posts for that matter). On the bright side, it has been a wonderfully healing and rejuvenating break – spending time with my loved ones and being with my fiance again (time flew too quickly, he is leaving in a few days and I’m not ready yet haha). I know, the past several months have been pretty scarce in terms of my posts, which is why my resolutions will be a good post for you guys to read. I will be posting it in the new year – on the 3rd of January. Yes, this time there will actually be the promised post on the promised day *sigh*.

I have so much to be thankful for in terms of the year that has come and gone. I was lucky to have some dreams come true in 2015. That said, it has been a difficult four months leading up to Christmas – a lot to get used to, a terrible semester, and other things which put me into a poor state of mind/mood (which I will talk more about in my resolutions post). I am now ready to send off 2015 with a positive attitude and accept 2016 as an even better year!

I wish you all a very Happy New Year! See you next year 🙂

Happy Days

And so this semester has come to an end. Thank goodness. Never looking back! This semester ended with a bang. Literally. I smashed my knee cap (full force) into the corner of a wall. So, I sat the rest of that night with an ice pack on my knee, sobbing in pain. I guess such a semester couldn’t end too painlessly. Haha.

To rid myself of stress and to have a fresh start for the coming new year I am spending this week doing elephantine amounts of cleaning – and will be following advice from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The cleaning will also include spiritual and mental clutter as well. This week also begins the wrapping of gifts and putting up Christmas decorations!! I don’t think I have ever been more excited for Christmas than I am this year.

I never really did the whole “new year resolutions” thing, but, I will try it out this coming year. I know many people sort of scoff at the idea since the common phenomenon surrounding the notion is to list a bunch of goals and never follow through. That said, I think where many people go wrong with any kind of goal is they start too big/vague and get lost on the way (I’ve been there). So, for my “resolutions” I will be making sure to include all the little steps in order to better keep on-track and make each goal easier to begin – essentially, I will make following through with each goal more attainable. I will share my resolutions with you guys (once I figure them all out for myself) and how I plan on carrying through with them, along with background information regarding each of my goals. Maybe one of you will join me in the idea of creating new year resolutions for yourselves and in making 2016 one of your best years (as that is my aim).

On another note, I have been really enjoying the combination of peppermint and chocolate this holiday season. With my new found taste for this combination, I have been searching for the perfect at-home peppermint hot chocolate recipe. I have found one! Let me share it with you, so that you all can join in the deliciousness:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
170 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped up

1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 drops peppermint oil (the edible kind! not the essential oil…)
Whipped cream (for garnish)

In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar, and salt and heat over medium-low heat. When the cream mixture just begins to steam, add the chopped chocolate, and stir, until melted. Stir in the peppermint oil drops. Divide the hot chocolate among mugs and top with whipped cream.

 

I will be posting festive recipes sometime soon! Keep a lookout for the recipes and my new year resolutions post 🙂

Thoughts + Update

Hello and good evening 🙂

I thought I would give you an update on what has been going on with me.  As you all know (and are probably tired of hearing – trust me I am tired of it, too) I’ve been swamped this semester. Little time to do much else besides homework…let alone post a well thought out blog post regularly. There are big changes coming to my life very soon; some of them have been in the works for a while and some of them inspired by my decision to take better care of myself and to be fairer to myself.

The first big change coming is something that I will talk about once it happens because I want to make sure I have all my facts straight & have everything set up before exposing it to everyone online. It involves my schooling! No, I am definitely not dropping out of university or anything like that; actually it will be the polar opposite of dropping out. Anyway, more on that later – It will be for the better.

Second change involves a book called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I was going to borrow it from my friend when she was through reading her copy, but she actually gifted me a copy! So, thank you (you know who you are). I have always been quite good at keeping my things orderly –  I am a clean-feaky person. However, I have come to realize that I have to downsize the amount of some of my belongings. I don’t own too much in the general sense, that’s to say I don’t shop excessively. I think I just have a difficult time parting with articles of clothing that have memories attached (like a gift from someone in the family) or books I think I will reread one day (but haven’t touched in over a year)… things of that sort. So, I began reading my book and was motivated to revamp my space before Christmas! Sometimes the simple act of decluttering can make a room or space feel less hectic and make you feel less stressed.

Third change is coming after my exams are over. I am going to set up one day of the week dedicated to blogging, cooking new dishes, relaxing, yoga, and recharging my batteries. A day I will use to make sure that I am fair to myself so that I don’t work myself to a nub, can catch up on sleep if needed, etc. Over the course of this semester I can honestly say that I have not done a good job of being kind to myself. A huge course load of science/math courses and being separated from my fiancé has taken a toll on me. I need to recharge and get back to truly being myself: healthy, positive, and “Zen”. I know that I will be just as busy next semester in terms of volume, but my subjects will be ones I resonate with and ones that I am passionate about learning.

Fourth change might come with the territory of the all the changes combined. Nonetheless, it is a change in itself regardless of other changes. My goal is to stop letting negative energy or thoughts takeover as well as avoid overwhelming myself with silly things. I have slowly slipped into a slump, I am sure most of us have been there at one point or another. That said, I still firmly believe that a smile is the prettiest makeup I can wear.

A smaller update: I have acquired a new tea (as seen in the photo). It is the white chocolate peppermint tea from Teavana. I never quite bought much from there, mainly because the teas are expensive and I have always just gravitated towards David’s Tea. However, I was pleasantly surprised while sampling their new teas. I ended up with one of their holiday collection teas. It is a rooibos tea that has candy cane pieces and white chocolate shavings. I know my tea class professor would probably frown upon this purchase but… this is simply delicious. What is even more surprising is that I actually like the flavor of it; I am usually not a big rooibos drinker at all. Although rooibos is supposed to be excellent for your health…some of the benefits including relief of: anxiety, headaches, insomnia, and eczema. Sounded like something I could really use right now!

This brings me to the end of my update post. Wishing everyone a good weekend. Also: is it appropriate to be excited for Christmas yet? Because I am! *big grin*