Bucket List Item #13

I may or may not have just registered for the...

ah-hem...

PARK CITY MARATHON!!!

This is absolutely nuts...

I'M nuts!

But mostly I'm SO excited!

Insert giddy laugh here _____.

When did I become a marathon runner?

"Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great."

~John D. Rockefeller~

The Royal Wedding

You don't have to be Kate Middleton to marry a prince...

...There's still Prince Harry ;) Hahaha!

You thought I was going to say all men are princes, huh?

Hahaha!

Yeah. That, too...

Have I Told You Lately...

Design via Tumblr

Y'all simply rock my virtual world.

And yes, I love you.

All 86 Fabulous Followers,

Thousands of Kind Commentations,

And 40,444 Blog Views of you!

Thanks for being so awesome!

His Reminders

Yesterday...well, it was kind of a discouraging day.

I guess I just realized how many things I don't have time for right now.

These days I come home from a long day at school/work and my room looks like, to quote my dad, "a bomb went off in there," my laundry is still laying in baskets scattered around my room, my hair's in a boring ponytail for the 50th time this week, and my lack of makeup is continually fading.

I won't even mention how many Cadbury eggs I ate this past weekend in that way we humans do in supposing that food will ease the blow of life's tricky issues.

Anyway, the point is - I was spent and felt just plain "blah".

On my way home from work, riding the bus, watching Harry Potter 7.1 on my iPod. La de da. I pull the cord and walk to the door when this kid - basketball shorts around his knees, wife beater, buzzed head, kind smile - stands up from his seat and comes to the door to hand me a note. "Excuse me? This is for you."

I didn't say anything. Unfortunately, I just kinda took the note looking confused and got off the bus. I tried to look as indifferent as possible as I waited for the bus to pass, then I curiously opened the note and read the following words:

I smiled. I had to admire his bold kindness - something we could use a bit more of in this world of ours. I smiled inside, too, and thanked Heavenly Father for sending His unexpected angels to step in, share His love and the kind reminder that even if the rest of my life is lacking some serious beauty or is increasingly "blah" or discouraging...
...I have "gorgeous eyes."

Those eyes were opened yet again to the beautiful blessings and creations that our Father in Heaven has placed here to bring us joy, to make us smile, and to ease the blow of life's tricky issues like no amount of chocolate will ever do.

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost...

...amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all.

Count your many blessings, angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey's end."

~Count Your Blessings by Johnson Oatman Jr~

muju

**Post revised 4/25/11 @ 5:13p with new photos

We interrupt this unannounced blog hiatus to bring you a word from our...uh...sponsors?

Ok, basically I just finished a project and wanted to show you how pretty it turned out.

Ready? Ok.

(whoa, suddenly I'm a cheerleader)

Introducing:

muju

(like Moo Juice - it's flavored milk)

A bottle labeling and packaging project

by Lindsay Kay

Yellow Drink: HORCRUXES - Commotion Potion

Brought to you by "Harry Potter 7" & the Retro era

Red Drink: SUPER HERO - Crunch Punch

Brought to you by "Iron Man 2" & the Art Deco era

Green Drink: GROWING UP - Animation Libation

Brought to you by "Toy Story 3" & the Cubist era

Blue Drink: UNBIRTHDAY - Shrink Drink

Brought to you by "Alice in Wonderland" & the Borrowist (my made-up) era

The package, workin' it for the camera.

 

 

 

Pretty no? :)

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program,

And off to class for me :)

PPP - My Healthy Addiction

*PPP = Pinky Promise Project for more PPP posts go HERE

Running is one of the more common activities done to burn fat, lose weight and to maintain one’s health. It not only is one of the easier sport activities to do, but a truly effective one as well. Here are some of the benefits of running:

1. Running is one of the best activities most people can do to improve their health

2. Running is one of the top activities for burning fat

3. Running can slow down the aging process

4. Running helps lower blood pressure by maintaining the elasticity of the arteries

5. Running reduces the risk of stroke and breast cancer

6. Running builds confidence and self-esteem like few other individual sports can

7. Running can help train the mind as much as it trains the body

8. Once you start running the fat in your body will make place for muscle

The above article via

I can attest to all of these. I feel like running has made me a stronger person in SO many ways. A lot of my siblings did track in junior high and high school and have stuck to running for years afterwards. The reason I bring that up is because I never thought of myself as much of a "track star" like them...mostly because I've never pushed myself...till now. A couple of weeks ago I was running uphill and surprisingly keeping up with my extremely athletic classmates and I thought to myself, "Hey! You've got the track star genes!" CONFIDENCE. I've never had confidence in ANYTHING athletic in my life, so this is a big deal for me.

Now, I know that the majority of folks look at running as "mindless exercise." Yes, I actually heard a girl call it that in the locker room yesterday. I thought so, too, in the beginning. It's why I listened to my iPod and had that killer running mix to "distract" me from how miserable I felt. Now, I feel like it's the opposite. Just like any other intense physical activity, running takes a great deal of mind power and, once you train up to it, can actually be fairly relaxing and peaceful, especially on a Spring morning.

I honestly feel like running has given me what the Biggest Loser contestants would call "a new lease on life." That's not to say I was on my way to an early grave, but I have honestly never felt so empowered and happy. I feel like I can do reaaally hard things if I put my mind to it and that I'm no longer limited by the size of my goals anymore. Go big or go home ;)

Anyway, if you don't like running, find something healthy that you do like and start steering your life in the direction YOU want to go.

Next time on PPP Healthy Addictions:

PILATES!

And how I went from only being able to touch my knees

to being able to almost do the splits. Yeeyah! :)

A Credo

Let's just say...

It's been a long day.

"Not. Cool."

It's 4:12

in the A.M.

and I'm awake.

Why?

Because I'm STILL sick

Yep.

Have been all week.

Remember how I'm graduating?

And remember how I get sick

like, every month?

Yeah.

It's time for the Dr. to say something like,

"LLLLLLLET'S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLE!"

and usher an antibiotic into the ring

to duke it out with this...

this...

I honestly don't even know what it is

that's holding my immune system hostage.

All I know is that,

I'm sick of this.

Pun intended.

- - -

And, to reveal the Disney Channel-lovin' side of me,

I now know what Sicky Vicky feels like.

"Not. Cool."

The Difference Between Mystery Meat & Spiders

Today I sat. And I thought. Unfortunately, that's something I think we miss out on a lot in this busy country of ours. We have gadgets that do our thinking for us while we run around eating microwaved meals and multitasking like it's an olympic event.

Anyway, tangent. The point is I slowed down...for like 5 minutes, but it was a priceless 5 minutes nonetheless. I pondered about my life...again. Trust me, there's a lot to think about. My future for one. It's so exciting and yet SO mysterious at the same time. I mean, sometime's mysterious is intreguing like Carmen San Diego and...other times mysterious things just plain freak me out. Like, the "mystery meat" in the school cafeteria. Eh? Like I said, scary ;)

Ya know what though? Aside from not having a really super cool graphic designer job...yet, I'm REALLY excited about my near future. I've lived long enough to realize that change does NOTHING but stretch me and make me stronger...IF I let it. And why wouldn't I? I mean, it'd be silly not to.

Oh, Life. It'll be interesting living on my own for the first time ever, owning a car, graduating from college, having a career, a brand new ward, running a marathon, etc. My my, that's a lot of changes! In fact, I'm pretty sure Mr. Change didn't leave anything out...OH wait. That's right. I'm still single. Ah-hem! ...I figure that's next on his to do list ;)

Anyway, I don't know where I was going with this. I think mostly I just needed to let my brain get rid of all those words up there, clear out the congestion, more room to breathe and think about the here and now...

AAAAAAGGGHHH!!! Like the nasty spider I just noticed out of the corner of my eye, stealthily scuttling his horendous little way up my pillow. Ew. Ew. I kid you not, this guy's got some LEEEEGS on 'im!!! EW!!! Bbbbhuhuhgggraahhh! *shudder* NASTAAAY!!

"Um, Daaaaaaaad?!" ;)

...annnnnnnd,
then again...

some things never change.

PPP Recipe - Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

*PPP = Pinky Promise Project for more PPP posts go HERE

Yes, it's your lucky day. You get a recipe for breakfast AND another one for lunch! You're all set, cause if you go here you kind find another one for dinner :) I recommend the fajitas. MAN, I'm hungry.

Ok, so...this recipe is SO good and is perfect for those of you who are vegetarians. For those of you who aren't, you won't even miss your meat, this recipe is SO hearty and mouth-watering. YUM! Enjoy!

Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

(from the kitchen of Cookin' Canuck)

www.cookincanuck.com

Burgers:

• 4 pieces day-old or toasted whole-wheat sandwich bread
• 2 tbsp olive or canola oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp minced jalapeno pepper, membranes and seeds removed 
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Cilantro-Lime Mayo:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp fresh limejuice
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Serve with:

• 4 whole-wheat buns
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese (I used Swiss, it was delicious)
• 4 large slices tomato
• 12 slices avocado

Burgers:

• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse sandwich bread to form breadcrumbs.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until soft.  Add garlic, jalapeno, and cumin.  Saute for additional 2 minutes.  
• Scrape the mixture into the food processor.  Add black beans, brown rice, limejuice, salt, and pepper.  Pulse until the beans are chopped, but not pureed.  Scrape the black bean mixture into a large bowl.  Add half of the breadcrumbs and the chopped cilantro.  Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until combined.
• Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties. If the mixture is too moist to form patties, add more breadcrumbs.  Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick, so a good crust can form) set over medium heat.  Add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes per side.

Cilantro-Lime Mayo:

• In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, limejuice, cumin, cilantro, and pepper.  Stir well.
•  Lightly toast the whole-wheat buns.  Spread 2 tablespoons cilantro-lime mayo on each bun, and top each with a black bean patty, 2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese, 1 slice tomato, and 3 slices avocado.  Serve.

first image via

PPP Recipe - Pumpkin Waffles

*PPP = Pinky Promise Project for more PPP posts go HERE

Thanks to my sister Kim for this DE-LICIOUS recipe! YUM! SO simple, tasty and HEALTHY...for waffles anyway :) Enjoy!

Pumpkin Waffles

(from the kitchen of Kim Rowley)

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups Whole grain flour (wheat or oat or a mixture)
• ¼ cup agave, or 100% pure maple syrup,
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 eggs or egg substitute
• 1½ cups milk, or almond milk
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• ½ cup pumpkin (I add about ½ of a can, because I like more pumpkin taste)

 Instructions:

• Plug in the waffle iron to preheat it.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
• In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, melted coconut oil, and pumpkin. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
• Coat the preheated waffle iron with cooking spray.
• Pour the waffle batter onto the center of each section of the iron (You will need 1/4 to 3/4 cup of batter for each waffle).
• Cook the waffles for about 4 to 5 minutes or until they are crispy and light brown.
• Serve immediately.

**Serves 4

Simple yummy syrup & topping ideas:

• Blend your favorite berries or peaches with agave in the blender and pour over waffles.
• Pure Maple syrup
• Slice up fruit like berries, peaches, or bananas serve with agave sweetened yogurt                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Thanks, Kim! For more healthy and tasty recipes click the "recipe" label link at the bottom of the page and keep sending your healthy recipes my way! :)

New Beginnings

Hello, dear friends :) I'd just like to take a post to say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!

Did you see General Conference this weekend? It changed my life...yet again. Really though, I very much needed that this past weekend. It is the most beautiful blessing I can think of to know that God lives and loves us and has sent a prophet to guide us today! Doesn't that just make you smile? I feel so fresh, renewed, full of energy and simply happy :) That's what makes life beautiful. Thank you, Joseph Smith

Speaking of Joseph Smith, look what the church put online! AWESOME!

ALSO, I'd like to say

HAPPY BIRTH.DAY

to my brand newest niece Sophie Mae (isn't that an adorable name?)

That is...as soon as she decides to get here.

My sister-in-law is at the hospital right now :) YAY for babies!

I love this month and the fact that Spring has finally decided to tell Winter to take a breather adds a lot of joy to my life! :) I love that the trees are starting to bud and that birds wake me up every morning with their happy songs and that my life is going in the right direction.

It's such a good feeling to know that everything will be ok. God lives. You are His child and He has a plan for you that is far more perfect than anything you may dream up for yourself. I've witnessed that SO many times in my life.

I know that things are not always sunshine and roses, but that's why Heavenly Father provided a Savior, Jesus Christ, who lovingly paid the price for all of our sorrows, sins and weaknesses. Nothing makes me want to better more than that fact, and nothing makes me happier than that knowledge. I know that my Redeemer lives and I love Him.

Keep smiling and moving forward with hope and happiness.

You are loved :)