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A Minor Change to the Blog

By now, I’m assuming many of you have noticed that I post less frequently now. I haven’t been great about staying on top of my posting schedule lately. Some weekends, it’s really hard to put something together! Because of that, I’ve decided that I will be making a minor change to the blog.

Instead of posting something new every Sunday, I plan to post every other Sunday. Hopefully this will give me some more time to put something good together for you all to read! That being said, it’s still possible that I will post some stuff here and there in between if something really good comes up. But for the most part, I think it’s safe to say that you can expect regular content every other Sunday starting with this Sunday of course. 😊

While I still enjoy blogging, I find it increasingly more difficult to put together pieces that I’m happy with and that I find fun to read. So like I said, I hope that switching up the post schedule will make things better for all of us. I hope you all have had a good weekend. I’ll see you on April 17th!

April 3, 2022
5 Pounds Away

It feels so good to move, doesn’t it?! Well, I really think it feels good. And yesterday, I found myself 5 pounds away from my goal of bench pressing 100 pounds! I think that’s pretty cool.

After whatever it was that happened earlier this month, I find myself more and more grateful to have a body that is healthy for the most part that can do so much for me. Exercise makes me feel so good. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t feel strong. I think being strong is empowering and beautiful. I feel like I can handle myself and I feel capable of a lot too.

I came into my fitness journey with the idea that my upper body strength was pretty decent from all the tennis that I play. Boy was I wrong about that!! My upper body strength was garbage, to put it nicely. I couldn’t do a pushup. I could barely bench press a 45 lb bar. Looking back on things, I have come such a long way. My pushups are pretty subpar, but they exist now. I’m on the brink of bench pressing 100 lbs. I’m working on getting pull ups now too!

I think working out is so rewarding. You set a goal and you work toward it. You meet that goal and then you set another one. There is always room for improvement. I’m very excited to keep pushing myself and see what else I can do! Now let’s go get this next 5 pounds and I’ll see you all next week!

March 27, 2022
A Little Health Scare

So it’s been an interesting past couple of days for me… On Thursday, I had a bit of a health scare that made the end of my week pretty exciting. Here’s what’s going on…

Currently, I’m doing a bit of work as a nanny and while I was nannying on Thursday I had the most excruciating and awful pain in my pelvis come on. It felt like I had been stabbed or hit by a bus or something. Regardless of how I describe it, I was in a lot of pain. From that moment on, it was pretty tough to do much. Obviously I had to be there for the kid, but my mood dropped and I felt like I couldn’t move much. I didn’t want to eat and the only thing that made me feel good was hugging my knees to my chest. I also noticed that I was pretty bloated too. And when I say I was bloated, it felt like I was maybe 4-5 months pregnant (not that I’ve been pregnant, but it looked like it for sure)…

I managed to make it through the rest of my nannying day somehow. Then, when I got home, I decided I needed to sleep. The pain I was feeling had traveled up into my abdomen as well but it was also starting to feel the worst on the right side of my pelvis. It was pretty tough to sleep being in that much pain, but at least lying down felt good. I had chills and a fever too to add on to everything now. Going through my head I wondered what could be going on. I hadn’t eaten anything out of the ordinary so I wasn’t sure that it was a food poisoning problem. Plus the only thing I had eaten on Thursday was my usual protein shake in the morning! Thinking about the fever, I wasn’t sure that I had some virus or other bug because I wasn’t showing any other symptoms.

Thursday night was horrible. I was still in a lot of pain but my fever dropped off pretty quick so that wasn’t a big concern. Bloating was still horrible though and I didn’t have much of an appetite. I did force myself to eat dinner though. Sleeping was an absolute joke though. Any time I tried to turn, I was incredibly uncomfortable. Not a fun night. Yes, I was still in a lot of pain but I decided I didn’t need to go to an ER right away because my fever had gone away and I was feeling ok enough to eat dinner Thursday night. My mom and I decided that regardless of how I was doing Friday, I needed to see a doctor in the morning.

And so that’s what I did. I went to an urgent care office Friday morning. My pain was still pretty bad (slightly better than the day before though!) and the bloating was still bad. Thank goodness I didn’t have another fever or the chills though. My biggest concern throughout all of this was that my appendix may have burst. Fever is typically a sign of infection, so if something was wrong with my appendix, this could be a sign. The pain was in the right part of my lower abdomen which could be my appendix. Bloating is also commonly seen with appendicitis or a ruptured appendix. At the doctor’s office, I was very happy to find out that whatever was going on was not appendicitis. Unfortunately, though the answer I was given still wasn’t definitive. That being said, the doctor was pretty sure that an ovarian cyst had ruptured. The symptoms of a cyst rupture are pretty similar to that of appendicitis and the location of the pain can also be very similar. With his conclusion, I was told to take Aleve as needed and take it easy the rest of the weekend. I asked if there’s anything that can be done in the future if this happens again, and I was pretty discouraged to learn that there really isn’t much I can do beside take pain meds. If anyone with a medical background could provide some more insight, I would greatly appreciate it.

Looking back on my little health scare now, I’m incredibly thankful that I’m okay and feeling better now. I’m still in some pain and there’s still some bloating, but it is much much better than it was. Thursday night, I was fully preparing myself to need surgery the next day for a ruptured appendix or something like that. I am feeling so blessed that wasn’t the case. I really hope this isn’t something that I ever experience again and I wouldn’t wish this on anyone else ever. Worst. Feeling. EVER.

Make sure to take care of yourselves and have a wonderful rest of your weekend. See you all next Sunday. ❤️

March 13, 2022
My Mom’s Birthday

So today just so happens to be my mom’s birthday and I find that pretty exciting. Happy Birthday, Mom!!

She doesn’t usually read my blogs but from time to time she does, so I really hope she gets a chance to look through my more recent posts and see this one. 😊

More than anything, I think it’s always really important to show my mom how much I love and appreciate her on her birthday. I try to show all that every day, but on my mom’s birthday, there’s even more to go around. Like today my sister, dad, and I surprised my mom with some roses when we got back from playing tennis first thing in the morning. After breakfast, my sister, mom and I went to Starbucks so she could get a free drink and stopped by Nothing Bundt Cakes so she could get a free bundtlet (I have no idea if I spelled that right but she got a free little cake… that’s gonna have to be the best way to describe that)! We went to a restaurant of her choosing for dinner and then enjoyed cake after. Overall, I would say we had a nice and chill day. Nothing too fancy or over-the-top. It felt just right. Birthdays are always so fun and I think it’s always great to get to celebrate someone you love!

Mom, I hope you had a wonderful day and here’s to another wonderful year. Thank you for all you do. You’re the absolute best mom I could ever ask for and I wish you nothing but the best. Love you, love you!!

Have a great week everyone. See you next Sunday. ❤️

February 27, 2022
Lessons Learned Playing Tennis

People often call tennis a lifelong sport. I can tell you that so far, it has been a lifelong sport for me. There are literally pictures of me as a baby next to a tennis racket. It was bigger than me at the time. When I first started walking, I would wander around the tennis court while my dad would hit with my mom. And here we are twenty two years later and I’m still hanging around the tennis court. I’ve learned a lot playing tennis, and in my recent match in a tournament, I was reminded of something really important.

Playing in juniors and high school was stressful for me. I felt like there was always an absurd amount of pressure for me to perform well at all times. My coaches, including my dad were always good to me, but I could just feel this competitiveness and urge for perfection always. It doesn’t help that I’m a perfectionist either. If someone else wasn’t pushing me, I was. I put a lot of pressure on myself to always be improving and always be perfect. That was really hard to maintain and I think I suffered in a lot of ways. I became frustrated easily and discouraged if I went on a losing streak.

In high school, I had been working with a coach for a while and he picked up on my spiraling and tension pretty quick. One of the biggest things I could take away from him was that if you’re not having fun on the court, then you shouldn’t be playing tennis. I’m not in a life or death situation on the court. I’m not playing for money (but even if I was, I shouldn’t beat myself up so bad!). I’m playing for myself to enjoy a sport I care a lot about. So, the most important thing is to let go of any frustration or anger or tension because in the grand scheme of things, tennis is a hobby. It may mean a lot to me, but it is not a lifestyle or anything extreme. It is a passion of mine and it should be treated as such!

It’s kinda funny to look back on my high school tennis career. I qualified for state my first three years and then I just missed it senior year. I was absolutely devastated. But, I kept playing. Practically the second I graduated from high school, it was as if a massive weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I think it wasn’t even a month or two after high school finished, and I was hitting with another one of my coaches and she asked me what had changed. Apparently I looked much more relaxed on the court. I looked free! She was right too. I had realized that competition is great and all, but the key to really improving and enjoying the sport was to have fun. When I stopped worrying about every little thing and the competition and the things I can’t control, I was a totally different tennis player.

This mentality has helped me immensely as I’ve come into the adult tennis world. I’m still competitive and I still want to win, don’t get me wrong. I still want to get as good as I can, but at this point, it’s all just to see how far I can go, move my body, and have fun!! If tennis is a sport that I’d like to pursue the rest of my life, I sure as heck better have fun doing it.

So, the lesson to be learned here: be kind to yourself and remember that your passions are your PASSIONS for a reason. You love what you’re doing and it’s supposed to be fun. Keep it that way!! Have a great week.

February 20, 2022
Stop Making Excuses

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and I’ve come to realize that people who complain and then do nothing about what bothers them really bothers me. In other words, making excuses has become a big pet peeve of mine. That being said, stop making excuses. Just stop.

Now, I can understand when a person has a genuine reason to miss out on working toward their goal or completing some task. If you’re sick or injured, that makes sense. But when you’re feeling lazy or tired or sore, and that’s your reason for choosing to not go to the gym or study a little more or do whatever it is you’re going to do, I’m sorry, but come on!! I get that we all have days where we feel tired, sore, lazy, or just not quite right. That being said, it’s important to push past those feelings and get done what needs to get done!! You’re not going to get to where you want to by lying in bed watching Netflix all day feeling bad for yourself! The only person that can make you change is you!

I’m not saying I’m perfect or that I don’t have bad body image days because I most definitely still have days like that! But, I used to be the type of person to complain about how I looked and I did nothing about it. Part of why I did nothing was because I didn’t know what to do with myself and I let that excuse be enough. Looking back, I wasn’t happy that way. I wanted more for myself!

I found that when I stopped making excuses and worked toward what I wanted, it came. My results may not have come as fast as I may have liked, but I keep working and I have come to appreciate the process and develop my discipline. And that doesn’t just apply to working out and developing a more sustainable, healthy lifestyle! That can apply to anything! If you’re wanting to make improvements in any aspect of your life, you’re not going to get there by complaining or feeling sorry for yourself. Your excuses will get you nowhere. Step outside your comfort zone, make sure you have a good support system, and go for what you want!

I know you all are so capable of many things. So, stop making excuses and go take care of business. If you need someone to cheer you on, I’m right here for you. 🥰 Have a great week everyone. I’ll see you next weekend.

February 6, 2022
Star Puff Pastry Recipe

My mom recently stumbled across this fun and very pretty looking star puff pastry dessert that we definitely tried and really enjoyed! I’ll just cut to the chase right away with the recipe and if what you see in the picture below interests ya, then stick around!

Ingredients:
-2 packages of puff pastry (we use the one by Pepperidge Farms, with this you just want to make sure you can get puff pastry that can be cut into circles about the size of a pie and rolled!)
-33.5 oz jar of Nutella (you will use the entire thing!)
-One egg (you’ll end up beating it)
-Strawberry jam

Recipe:
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your first puff pastry sheet on the parchment paper. Cut the edges so that you make a circle with the puff pastry. Place Nutella on the puff pastry using a spoon. Do not place any on the outer edge of the puff pastry though! Leave about an inch on the edges. We found that it was easiest to warm up the Nutella in the microwave for like 15 seconds so it was softer and easier to move around.
After you’ve placed the Nutella, go ahead and place your next puff pastry sheet over top of your first. Repeat the process of placing Nutella and then the next puff pastry sheet until you’ve placed the fourth puff pastry sheet on top. Don’t put Nutella on top of your last layer. Instead, lightly roll the dough so that the Nutella has a chance to spread evenly in each layer. With this done, take your fingers and gently press on the edges of your puff pastry so that the edges will seal somewhat.
Using the mouth of a glass, press gently into the center of your pastry to leave a mark. With this circle, you’re now going to make 16 even cuts from that circle. With these 16 even slices, you’re now going to take 2 slices (1 in your right hand and 1 in your left) and twist the slices. Twist the slice on the right to the right twice and the slice on the left to your left twice. After this, join the slices by folding the edges over. You can use water here too to help make a better seal for the slices. Repeat this until you have 8 points.
Now, beat your one egg and brush the beaten egg all over your pastry. This will help give it a nice golden color when it’s done baking! Place your puff pastry in the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown! Once, your pastry is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. Once it has cooled, brush strawberry jam over the top of the pastry. And that’s it! That’s how you make a star puff pastry!

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Nutella but I really enjoyed it in this star puff pastry dessert. I think the puff pastry and the strawberry jam helped calm down the strong Nutella taste and it was really yummy! I hope you get a chance to try this one out! Trust me, it’s MUCH easier than it looks. Then, you’ll have something pretty to look at and then eat! Enjoy your star puff pastry!!

January 30, 2022
Meow Wolf Denver

Meow Wolf review time! I actually visited around a month ago so this is long over due but that’s ok. Better late than never.

While my aunt and uncle were in town around the time of graduation, we decided to make a family trip to Denver to see Meow Wolf. If you plan to go, you do have to book tickets in advance, so plan ahead! We also found that we had to book our tickets like a month in advance also, because the place is popular!!

I’m not exactly sure how many locations there are but I know for a fact that beside the Denver location, there is also one in Santa Fe. I believe the two locations also have different themes. All I know is that Denver’s theme is convergence station. The idea is that there’s this main hub for different alien societies to join together.

Anyway, time for the review now. I think Meow Wolf is a cool idea. An interactive and fully immersive art museum sounds like a really good idea. I found that it was too much for me though. There were a lot of people and a lot of colors and sounds and it was just a lot to take in. I found some of the stuff to be really weird and kinda creepy in some places and in others, I found some genuinely pretty things to look at and walk through.

In this huge area that was like an underground city, my sister and I found some stairs that led down to a little pizza shop and I think that was by far the CREEPIEST room of the entire place. In the center of the shop, this massive one-eyed pizza creature stood before my sister and I. There was this panel you could press and he would say a variety of things. As we walked through the pizza shop a little more, I looked down into what I thought was a sealed-off ball pit. It was exactly what I thought it was AND MORE. There was this creepy little figure that appeared to be crawling through the pit. All of my fears of ball pits and foam pits as a child came back to me in that moment. Demented pizza place? Check!

Moving on from the horror at the pizza shop now, my favorite areas within Meow Wolf were probably the ice palace room and the big forest room. There were definitely still some strange looking creatures and figures within each of these two rooms, but overall, I liked these areas a lot.

In general I would say I wasn’t the biggest fan of Meow Wolf. It was just SO overstimulating. So much noise, color, and movement. It was just a lot to deal with. I’m pretty sure we were there for close to two hours but I’ve had friends say they think they could stay for 5-8 hours!! I feel like two hours was pushing it for me honestly though. We did miss out on buying these pass things (I think they were called Q passes?) that would make the whole museum more interactive and engaging. If we bought those I think you have the ability to learn more about the stories behind each area and uncover some sort of mystery. I was okay going through Meow Wolf without doing that but if you’re the type of person that likes that kind of stuff and can deal with all the busyness that is Meow Wolf, then go for it! I think certain people can have a lot of fun there and I’m just not one of those people.

If you’re in Denver and you’re interested in Meow Wolf, be sure to make a stop at it! From my experience, I can say I definitely ventured outside my comfort zone with my visit and if that’s something you wanna give a try, then go for it. Maybe you’ll react like I did or maybe enjoy it! If you go, let me know what you think! Have a good week everyone!

January 23, 2022
My Strange, Transitional Spot in Life Right Now

My sister goes back to school tomorrow which means that I won’t have her at home anymore to keep me company. Life feels like it’s in a really weird spot right now. Everything is good but I’m still adjusting to life without college. I have no homework to do and I have nothing to study for. Talk about a transitional stage in life!

I’ll start dental school in the fall so I have about 8ish months to do whatever I want really. I’ve looked at getting a job so I can start saving some money but even then, I’m not quite sure what I would want to do.

Despite all of the uncertainty right now, I feel so thankful to have all of this time to take care of myself. I’ve been able to work out more, do more yoga, go for more walks with Boo, and just relax! In school, I never really gave myself time to relax so I guess I’m making up for that now. Like this past week, yes, I did work out and walk and stay active, but it really was just a nice, relaxing movie week! I watched the new Disney movie Encanto twice and then watched a bunch of my favorite Sandra Bullock movies. It was pretty great!!

For me, I think the biggest thing to remember in this transitional spot right now is that it’s a transition. It has also been really important for me to recognize that my life is not going to be like other people’s lives. I have my own plans and my own comforts and I will do what works best for me! Many of my friends are still in school and it’s hard to see them all so busy and productive while I’m at home. Makes me feel like I’m slacking! It’s hard to slack though, when you have no schoolwork to do. Some of my friends and people I’ve known from school in general have started working and some are even getting married now! I’m just at a different stage in my life than they are and that’s totally ok! I’ll just go at my pace and see where things go.

This transitional time has really given me and will be a great opportunity for me to continue to work on myself and I’m super excited for it. When you can, remember to take time for you too. 🥰 I hope you all have a great week and I’ll see you next weekend!

January 16, 2022
Hello 2022!

Just like that we’re in another new year. Hello 2022! I won’t make this post very long but I did want to wish you all a wonderful new year. I really hope we can get past this pandemic and get on with life.

Full disclaimer, no I did not make it to midnight on New Year’s Eve. I stayed up til 11 and then I was DONE. I usually go to bed around 10:30 pm so the extra 30 minutes was pushing it haha!

I’ve never really been a resolution maker but I do have a few goals for myself in the new year. For one, I’d like to have more positive self-talk. That’s just part of working toward a more positive view of myself. Second, I want to continue working on myself (obviously mentally) but also physically. I want to get into meditation and yoga more this year and also see if I can’t PR on bench pressing 100 lbs this year. That, and I want to be able to do a pull up. It’s the small things I need really!! And while this isn’t exactly a goal, I’m just excited for dental school to start! That’ll be a fun, new adventure for me and I’m so excited to see where it takes me.

I hope you all have time to set some goals or intentions for yourself this year. I feel like it’s gonna be a good one! Again, wishing you all the best this year. Let’s make it great!! Buh-bye 2021 and hello 2022!

January 2, 2022