Read, Watch, and Listen

Hello all! So, I don't have a Tuesday Tidbits post for you because I couldn't find anything too interesting or glamorous about watching Netflix and reading off my kindle as I lie in bed on a heating pad all night. I threw out my lower back on Monday, and so I'm trying to recover in which requires a lot of advil and minimal movement. Therefore, I decided today to write a post on entertainment that I have recently read, watched, and listened to.

 Five Shows & Movies I've Recently Watched:  

1. Criminal Minds 

2. New Girl 

3. Once Upon A Time 

4. The Maze Runner 

5. Ghost Hunters 

Favorites: ALL OF THEM! The Maze Runner gets your adrenaline pumping, Once Upon A Time has such an interesting plot line, Criminal Minds provides cases that I like to get into and help solve, and Ghost Hunters is my guilty pleasure of real life haunts with evidence and perfect for fall, spooky October days!

Four Books/Series I've Recently Read: 

1. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak 

2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs 

3. The Matched, Crossed, and Reached Trilogy - Ally Condie 

4. Paper Towns - John Green 

Favorites: The Matched Trilogy I read in a matter of days, but to me it seemed almost to close to The Giver by Louis Lowry. I love dystopian young adult books though. I'd choose my favorite of these books to be Paper Towns. To be honest, I haven't even finished. However, it's been an exciting adventure so far reading it and I'm excited as soon as I finish this post to get back to the book and finish the last 20 percent!

Three Songs I've Recently Listened To:

1. Skinny Love - Bon Iver

2. Perfect Storm - Brad Paisley 

3. What We Ain't Got - Jake Owen

Favorites: ALL OF THEM! These songs each have beautiful stories. I love the melody and voice behind Bon Iver's music and the stories of the country songs make me extremely emotional too. I love country music and sometimes its nice to slow the tunes down a bit and focus on the lyrics!

Two Entertainment Events I'm Looking Forward To: 

 

1. Garth Brook's Concert on November 14th

2. Re-watching the Gilmore Girls series on Netflix

The concert is going to be AMAZING! I'm going with my boyfriend, his family, and my mom. I received pretty good seats in the lower level and just about halfway of the arena away from the stage. As for Gilmore Girls, I can't wait to snuggle under covers and start the series that I grew up watching reruns of on ABC Family over again.

One Entertainment Form I've Recently Neglected: 

1. Pinterest 

I am Pinterest deprived. I think I need to spend a few hours this afternoon pinning puppies, gift ideas, future life event ideas, recipes, and more! 

 

Please leave a comment and tell me your list of the most recent thing you've Read, Watched, and Listened to.  Like this: 1. Read 2. Watched 3. Listened. What was your favorite of the three and why? 

Back to my mental health day involving nothing but trying to heal the injured back, watching Ghost Hunters marathon, and finishing Paper Towns! 

Mental Monday Challenge: Week 4 - Ignore Excuses

If you've been keeping track with the weekly challenge: Mental Monday series, you might have noticed that I didn't post one last Monday. Totally fitting with the week's goal to ignore excuses. I could list all the excuses I have for not posting last Monday, but I'll spare you all the details and instead state that this week I vow to be better and not let excuses get the best of me, and I hope you will too.

How's the challenge been going so far? I haven't heard any feedback yet - but I'm hoping that all you readers are at least giving all the week challenges a try! Following along with the free printable found HERE, I stands for Ignore Excuses.

When I started my journey, I woke up every morning around 8am during the summer to exercise. I decided on 8am because I knew that if I had a set time in my schedule to work out, then I would be more likely to follow through with my workout plan for the day. However, after the initial few weeks of my training program of workout DVDs and running, I noticed that some days I would wake up and linger a little while longer in bed on my phone or reading on my kindle, etc. Soon, I lost that dedication to my fitness, and I could tell in my weekly measurements and even in my energy levels. 

I discovered that it is vital to learn how to ignore whatever list of excuses I can think because its the only way I will ever fully succeed at what I want to accomplish. I don't always eliminate all excuses as is seen in my failing of posting this post last week. However, by ignoring as many excuses as I can and following through on my plans, I notice how much more I can accomplish and how much quicker I can reach my goal. My excuses sometimes return from time to time, they are never forever removed from my thought process, but by anticipating their arrival and ignoring them or squashing them immediately, keeps them from cluttering my path to success.

This week's challenge is to pick one aspect of your life (whether its fitness, blogging, hobby related or even eating healthy to cleaning the house) and focusing on eliminating any and all excuses that you could possibly create to hinder your progress to your end goal and result. What excuses have prevented you from achieving success in your daily life? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know along with any action plans you plan for the upcoming week. Otherwise, keep them privately tucked away or reevaluate them and spend the next week eliminating them until they completely disappear.

Time to check on the turkey chili I'm making for dinner. It smells absolutely delicious!

Tuesday Tidbits: Twins Game

Bet you can't guess by that photo how I spent this past Tuesday? Just kidding, you're all smart. I went to a baseball game! GO TWINS! The night consisted of perfect fall weather to watch some baseball. It also happened to be the last night home game of the Twin's season. What made it even more special of a night, was the company I shared the night, some mini-donuts, and good conversation with. But first, let's rewind to the start of the day.

I grabbed a free 12oz coffee at Holiday for their Tuesday promotion and hit the road with my boyfriend, Zach. Minus the glasses, my professional look was on account of spending the afternoon at a sport's career and internship fair with Zach. As a sport's management major, he wanted to see what the fair had to offer in terms of job opportunities and I went along as support and mostly because we were planning to stick around for the game after.  

After the career fair, we headed back to my car to switch out of our professional wardrobes and into some team spirit wear for the game. Also, Zach and I were hungry. He might argue that I was even a little hangry (definition: to be so hungry, you become angry). So we used my awful navigation skills and the help of Siri to locate a Chipolte tucked away near the city center in Minneapolis. 

 

We had some time before they'd let us in the gates for the game, so naturally I wanted some pictures in the giant golden glove. When we were allowed in, we walked around the field for a while. I was on the hunt for those delicious looking Bloody Mary's with the hamburger sliders in them, but ultimately decided to pass on account of not wanting to part with 18 dollars for a drink. Instead, I settled on the hotdog and diet pepsi included as a value pack with our game tickets. I bought mini-donuts to share later in the game because it was too windy and breezy for ice cream.

Here's a view from our seats. Later in the night, we found my mom and sister in their lower level section and sat by them. For the first few innings though, we sat out in the left field three levels up. The best part of these seats were the beautiful pictures I was able to snap as the sun was going down. 

 

See? How phenomenal is this view?

So, like I said - it was a great, fall night for some baseball. However, I really enjoyed the company the most. 

This guy is my best friend. He's a sports fanatic and made the night so special just by being there with me. I have so much to say about what a genuine, wonderful man he is, but I'll save that for a later post! :) 

 

Zach and I met up with my mom and little sister, Alissa, later in the game. I was incredibly grateful to nab a few seats next to them for a while and be reunited. I don't get to see either of them nearly enough these days. It was a happy moment. Even better was that at the end of the night, the Twin's WON!!!! What a Tuesday! Now, I just have to wait to see Zach again until next Wednesday for a much needed weekend getaway.

 

I must throw in one curve-ball to this post too (oh hello, baseball puns...). Wednesday afternoon I had the privilege to grab lunch with my college roommate and close friend, Hannah. She lives a good three hours away from me, and so when I heard she was in the cities, I jumped at the chance to get some lunch and catch up. We ate at Lucky's pub. It was my first time there, and it was delicious food. You definitely got your money's worth. I had grilled cheese with four cheeses, tomatoes, and guacamole and paired it with some sweet potato fries. I can't explain how happy even lunch sessions catching up with college friends makes me feel. I'm so excited to head back to my prairie home next weekend! I'm counting down the days! 

What was great about your Tuesday?

Food Feature: Chicken Fajita Salad

Alright, before you read this post... do me a favor if you're at your computer. Open a new tab and go to pandora.com. Add the Mumford & Sons station. If you don't have a pandora account, you should sign up. This station was my muse while cooking dinner tonight; and, it was always my go to station for homework in college whenever I needed to be productive. Are you listening yet? Good. Now, feast your eyes on this sight:

 

That my readers, is what I like to call a chicken fajita lettuce bowl. It was one of those nights where I was running around Target to see what other than what I actually came for I could leave with, and it was then that my stomach grumbled. I found out that boneless skinless chicken breasts were on sale for a dollar less than normal and you better believe I dove right in to get myself a prize package of that special. With a little help from the back of a fajita seasoning mix packet, I collected the rest of the ingredients and left the store excited to head home and cook myself some dinner. 

While I tease your taste-buds with the first image of this post, let me interrupt and show you my cute outfit for the day. I am so in a fall mood right now. I know what you're thinking...and it's right. I am one of those pumpkin spice latte type of girls. I treated myself to a small latte while shopping for dinner. Anyways, let's just sweep that addiction...I mean...confession under the rug. I am no fashionista by any means and unfortunately working retail has not made me too much trendier, but I still try. 

I thought I did alright putting together this outfit. I am currently a fan of finding creative ways for patterns to work together. I am also longing for a mustard yellow cardigan and have been for a while. I even went as far as to purchase one, but chose the wrong size... silly me. That's another reason I was at Target tonight; but, good news is that I'll have the correct size in my possession tomorrow and be ready to parade around for the rest of fall in warm autumn tones. Now, back to the good stuff...that's right. FOOD!

I have learned to love vegetables with a passion over the past few years. These peppers though...do they not look delectable? Again, there is definitely some warm, fall colors on this cutting board. Yum. Yum. Yum. I also chopped up half a huge onion. 

I followed the package directions on the fajita seasoning and cooked the chicken until it was no longer pink, then removed it from the pan and sauteed the peppers and onions in some olive oil and water. I cut up my head of lettuce, but left a piece for my lettuce bowl for my salad.

Finally, I added a sprinkle of cheese and some delicious homemade salsa that my boyfriend's mom, Wendy, made from scratch and gifted to me. (Thanks Wendy!!) There is something about homemade salsa that makes dinner all the more special. 

One more confession for you all. You know how the lettuce bowl is supposed to be a substitute for the tortillas which can add unnecessary calories, fat, and carbs to your meal? Yeah...Well, normally I avoid the tortillas and take only the salad route, but tonight I was craving carbs. Therefore, I took one tortilla and shredded it up into little squares and sprinkled it onto my fajita salad like little raw croutons. I know, I'm weird; but, you should try it sometime. It's wonderful.

Still listening to Mumford & Son's Pandora Station? It's soothing and empowering, right? What's your favorite Pandora station?

Tuesday Tidbits: A College Visit & Sisterly Love

 

Graduating college left a huge hole in my heart leaving behind my home for four years, friends that I made, and projects I completed. So, when I had the chance to visit my younger sister, Alissa, at her college, my soul jumped and bounded with joy. Even better is that she is just beginning her college experience this year. Another chance to step back into the college experience, even for only a day. I should first mention that Alissa is an aspiring blogger as well with immense talent, and you can read her blog and follow her along her life's journeys HERE!

The above picture of me was taken by Alissa's favorite study spot on her college campus, and who wouldn't love to study here? I was instantly overcome with a sense of awe and tranquility with this location. She continued to take me on a tour of her campus and I found beauty in even more places. Unfortunately, my iPhone is running on empty when it comes to storage, so pictures were limited. (All the more reason to save up for a nice DSLR camera, huh? Christmas present, anyone? Just kidding...But if money is on my wish lists this holiday season, you'll now know why!) 

How lovely is this chapel? A definite work of art! Alissa told me a less than glamorous story about the removal of the body of a woman who apparently dedicated the chapel to the campus, but it is in the process of being restored, so it has potential. At least for now, it is phenomenal to just look at. 

The campus grounds were beautiful as the seasons battle against each other and fall begins to settle in. The green of the trees shows that summer has some energy left, but I did find a perfectly orange leaf on the tar during our walk, which excited me for the upcoming warm tones of fall. 

There are old buildings on campus that intrigued my sense of wonder and interest in historical beginnings. I very much enjoyed our campus walk and can not wait until another day when I can spend time with Alissa again and perhaps explore more of her beautiful college campus. 

After our walk, I let the deprived Lissa drive my car to Chipolte with me as a passenger. She does not have her car with her and walks everywhere, so I think she enjoyed going for a small joyride in a vehicle again. I understand the feeling. One thing to know about Alissa is that she lives, eats, breathes, and craves Chipolte. It was easy to please her by agreeing on burrito bowls for our lunch. We went shopping at a few stores, and finally parted ways. I am amazed at how college has already began to shape my beautiful sister into an even more mature and wisdom filled woman. 

My Tuesday didn't stop there though, I stayed the night with my mother and we went on a mother-daughter dinner date to a very fancy steakhouse restaurant. She had a gift card to use up, and so we eagerly settled into our dinner reservations. I didn't manage to get a picture of us unfortunately. However, I was all dolled up in a new dress and my mom looked beautiful as always too. We each ordered the queen's cut of prime rib. Now for confession time... I ate it all. I know...I know... I was surprised myself. 

We also ordered pan seared mushrooms and loaded mashed potatoes. They even served fresh buttery bread for dinner. Needless to say, it wasn't a dinner that I would have every single night. It was expensive and I do not want to even estimate the calorie consumption that occurred. All that matters is that it was great, quality time with my mom! 

And now, if you'll excuse me...I have some New Girl to watch on Netflix. Am I the only one excited for October to arrive for Gilmore Girls to come to Netflix? 

How is everyone's mid-week going for them? It's hump-day at least! *cue the camel commercial* 

Mental Monday Challenge Week 2: Organize

It's another week...another Monday... That means it's time for another Mental Monday Challenge. If you missed the first blog post, you can read it HERE and get the printable! 

How did everyone do with the first week's challenge? Did you master looking at situations with the mind over matter philosophy? I'd love to hear if you had a minor or major accomplishment this week! Leave a comment if you want to share! If not, I completely understand. It's time to add in another step in our cleansing of our minds to achieve our healthiest mindset. 

The O in Motivate stands for Organize as the printable shows. Organization in your life is so important to help keep your goals obtainable and in reach. Today, I want to share some of how I organized my life to fit a healthier framework. 

 

In order to motivate myself, I apparently need to first chug a chai tea latte from my keurig and then procrastinate a bit...and; oh wait, that's just on motivating me to write this blog post! It's been a long Monday, that's all I can say. Anyways... I suggest buying or finding an old cork board from a store or around the house and putting it somewhere that you will see everyday. I have mine beside my bed. On this board I keep the following: 

• Pictures of my supporters (ie. family, friends, other noteworthy people) and me 
• Pictures of a time when I looked my healthiest and want to continue to fit that image
• Goals - Either measurements, pounds to lose, miles to run, things to do...etc. It's important to keep goals in sight. 
• Motivational Quotes and Images from Pinterest or Tumblr or the internet in general to reflect on when I need a small push to keep me going. 
• A clothing item in a size smaller than I currently am or a new swimsuit, even an item that I want to buy in the future (it's great to have something to work towards)
• Reminders or a To-Do List to keep me on track.

You can decorate your board as fancy as you would like and turn it into a weekend DIY project, or you can leave it plain and tack up some of the above suggestions. If you have no way of finding a cork board to pin up these ideas be innovative. Perhaps use your fridge and magnets or post-it notes on your bathroom mirror? You could even create a digital board on a website or your desktop too! 

 

My challenge for you this week is to create a board where you organize your goals and priorities for your own road to a healthier you. Feel free to share pictures or comments of how you succeed in this challenge this week. 

Until next time,

Pumpkin Spice Muffin Recipe

If accidentally spending $6 dollars out of a poor post-graduate pocket on three huge apples just because they looked delicious doesn't scream fall to you, maybe the current 45 degree weather does? No? Then, I've got something to put you right into fall mode. Nothing pairs better with autumn then the scent of pumpkin spice. So on this chilly Friday morning, I'm bringing you a recipe that could just be one of the easiest you've ever made. It will leave your kitchen smelling like pumpkin spice for hours. I'm all for researching and experimenting with healthier ingredients and recipes; and, this recipe is no exception.

All you need to purchase from the store is a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin. My go to cake mix brand for these muffins is Duncan Hines.  Libby's Pure Pumpkin is a great choice for the canned pumpkin, but I went generic to save a few pennies (Hey, when you're fresh out of college - you save anyway you can!). Before you leave the grocery store, make sure that your can of pumpkin says, "Pure Pumpkin", not "Pumpkin Pie"... the recipe won't turn out otherwise.

When you're ready to make these sweet treats, it doesn't hurt to light a fall candle to bring out the aroma of the spices. Set your oven to 350 degrees. Pour the cake mix in a bowl and scoop out the pumpkin. DO NOT ADD ANY OF THE INGREDIENTS ON THE BACK OF THE CAKE BOX. The pumpkin is the healthy substitute for the oil and eggs of this recipe! Pretty neat, huh? You end up saving quite a few calories. 

Stir up the two ingredients thoroughly. The first time I made this recipe, I was flabbergasted at how the pumpkin absorbed the cake mix. Trust me, you'll be amazed. Keep mixing with a spoon until all the clumps of cake mix are gone. As you can see from my picture, I enjoyed a cup of pumpkin spice coffee from my Keurig with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice while I was baking.

Grease a muffin pan and spoon the dough into the pan. I don't use muffin liners, but you're welcome to if you want. Just make sure those are greased nicely. Pop the muffins in the oven and follow the directions for baking time on the back of the cake mix box. Stick a toothpick in them to check if they're done. If the toothpick is clear, the muffins are done! 

 Let them cool. Then enjoy! They are perfect with a glass of milk. You can store them in an air tight container for a few days, but they taste better within a few days of making them.

What's your favorite scent of fall?