I know this is a day late but, Merry Christmas 2021! I hope you all had a wonderful, restful day with family and friends yesterday.
Yesterday my family and I pretty much did nothing. It was fantastic. We had a nice breakfast in the morning which featured my great aunt’s cheesy potato casserole recipe. Since we don’t go to her house for Christmas breakfasts anymore, she shared the recipe with us and since then, we’ve been using her recipe to keep some traditions going on Christmas morning.
After our breakfast, we opened presents and while the material goods and presents really aren’t what this season and Christmas are all about, I still really enjoy getting gifts and giving gifts! We got my sister a rice cooker for her apartment and I was very excited for her to open it. She was excited to get it too. 😊 The gift I was most excited to receive was this really cozy and big, fluffy jacket from Lululemon. The security tag was still stuck in the pocket when I unwrapped it yesterday. I didn’t want to ruin the pocket and try to take out the security tag myself, so we made a trip this morning to free my jacket from the little tag. Anyway, I can wear it now and I’m obsessed. My sister and I also got the new Mario Party game for the Nintendo Switch and we have enjoyed playing that since yesterday. Mario Party is just a good classic, fun game and you really can’t go wrong with it!
We enjoyed a really yummy pot roast for dinner last night and that was pretty much it for our day! We did also take Boo on a walk yesterday and he always enjoys walks so that’s fun.
Christmas 2021- you were a good one! I hope you all have a great rest of your weekend. Take time to be with family and enjoy the rest of 2021. See you all in the new year!
It’s official now. I am a Colorado State University alumni and a college graduate! Yesterday, I graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelors of science in biological sciences and a double minor in business administration and chemistry. Let’s go class of 2021!!
On Friday, my family and I went to an honors recognition ceremony for me being a graduate of the university honor’s program. The ceremony was pretty small, which we all enjoyed and I got a medal that I wore for graduation from it! There was also cake, and I joked with my family that the honors program does one thing right for certain- there’s always good food or good cake at every honors event. I was not wrong. While it was stupid cold and windy that day, we still braved the weather to go take a couple of pictures with my medal and some of my regalia around campus. After our chilly little photoshoot we went to lunch at a place I really like in Old Town Fort Collins called Union. If you’re in Fort Collins, first, I recommend going to Old Town. It’s so cute. Second, definitely go to Union. They have great food. I had a Monte Cristo for first time there and it was pretty yummy! Friday night, we picked up my aunt and uncle from the airport. My aunt and uncle came to spend the graduation weekend with us and a few days following! I’m very excited they’re here and I’m thrilled to get to spend some good time with them for a few more days!!
December 18, 2021 was a really good day. I woke up when I always do and from the moment I got up, I had to start getting ready for graduation. Yes, the ceremony was at 1 pm but I was at home already and line-up started at 11:30 for us, so that meant I had to leave by 10:15 am if I wanted to be there when I did. Around 10:15, we left and were just in time. I met with a couple of friends before the ceremony and just like that it was 1 pm, my feet were still doing ok (yes I did choose to wear open-toed three-and-a-half inch heels to graduation), and it was go time!
The ceremony was wonderful, despite the fact that I had to wear a mask the entire time. We all did. I’m just thankful that I had the opportunity to actually graduate in person. I worked too hard to not get to celebrate in person!! I saw some of my previous professors from general biology and organic chemistry at the ceremony and that made it a bit more fun too. And after the ceremony, I took more pictures with family and friends and then my family and I went to Ted’s for dinner back home!
It’s crazy to think that my undergraduate journey has now come to an end and that I’m now a college graduate. I’m incredibly thankful for all of the opportunities I had at Colorado State University and I am even more grateful to have met the people that I did. I complained a lot about the rigor and load I dealt with throughout university, but in the end it was all ok. I finished strong and I couldn’t be more proud of the work that I did. Not only that, but I finished a semester early. Pretty cool stuff. And with that chapter finished, I get to wait to start the next one now! Dental school, here I come!!
Me and my sister 🙂
I hope you all have an excellent week and a very Merry Christmas! If you also graduated this weekend or are graduating this semester too, congrats grad! We did it! Stay warm and stay healthy everyone! ❤️
Well, based on the title of this week’s post I think you all have a pretty good idea of what’s going on. I’m going to dental school!! I am so excited to announce that this past Wednesday, I received an offer from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine to start in the fall.
The past week, and particularly the days leading up to this past Wednesday, were interesting for me. I became increasingly stressed as decision day crept closer and closer. I really didn’t expect to hear back on the first day to possibly hear back but I’m glad I did. On Tuesday night, I called my mom on my way back from tutoring anatomy and she could tell just how stressed and worried I was. She told me to stop worrying otherwise I would probably make myself sick. She was so right on that too. My heart was racing and I was definitely on my way to a stress headache or something. So, Wednesday morning I woke up and thought nothing of dental schools or acceptance letters.
But there was something inclining me to check my application page. Something deep down was teasing me, telling me to just take a peek and see if anything new showed up on my status page. I tried to ignore these feelings and did some yoga that morning, but all I could think about was whether or not I would hear back that day which was horrible. Right after I finished my flow for the day, I made a bee-line for my laptop and went right to the status page on my laptop. And that’s when the world stopped. Under the University of Colorado, it said “Offer made” and I started to cry.
If I’m being honest, I didn’t think I had the best chance of getting into dental school. I’m a good student and I make good grades, but so do a lot of other people applying to dental school. I’m hard working and responsible and organized and detail-oriented, but so is the majority of the applicant pool for dental school! As decision day approached, I remember even starting to see what other options I had beside dentistry with my degree because I really wasn’t very sure of myself. Getting that offer has changed my perspective on myself. I am capable of doing hard things. I am good enough. I am smart enough. I am worthy and deserving of everything I have worked toward.
Wednesday morning ended up being really special to me and it turned into a really good day in general too. My friends, sister, and I went to Dutch Bros like we always do at the beginning of the month for free stickers and that’s when I told everyone I had been accepted. I received a call from one of the professors at the dental school, congratulating me and letting me know how much he appreciated our conversation during my interview. I was with my friends and sister in the car when I got that call and I will never forget how we all screamed when I got off of the phone. I received so much support and love that day and it really touched me in ways that I don’t even think I can comprehend or thank everyone for enough. Later that evening, I also happened to receive an acceptance notification and offer from Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of University of Southern California which I am so honored to have received. Receiving two offers to two incredible dental schools is something that I am so grateful for. Despite the fact that I received an offer from USC, I will be attending University of Colorado, sticking closer to home. 😊
So with the end of my application journey comes another one! Dr. Ana Horvath DDS coming to a dental world near you (give me about 7 more years though because I want to go to into orthodontics so it’s gonna take a bit)! Before I end this post, I just want you all to know that you are also more than capable of anything you set your mind to. You are smart. You are deserving. You are also capable of doing hard things and absolutely crushing them. Have a wonderful week. ❤️
To those of you in the United States, I hope you enjoyed a restful and good Thanksgiving. I always enjoy Thanksgiving and think it’s a great day to reflect on everything there is to be thankful for. If you’re not in the States, I hope you also had a great, restful, and enjoyable week.
You all have NO idea how much I needed this Thanksgiving break. I’m so thankful that my university gives me a week off, especially considering that I haven’t had a day off from school since Labor Day. It was a much needed and appreciated break, let me tell you.
I started off my break doing absolutely nothing. I think by Tuesday, I was doing some homework but it was refreshing to think about everything that wasn’t school for at least three days. Wednesday, I went to a volleyball game with my family and I haven’t been to one in a long time so that was actually a lot of fun. After the game, we went to the mall to look at some things for Christmas. The mall was pretty busy and it was honestly really comforting to see it with more people around. It was something familiar again. While the mall is definitely more stressful that way, I forgot what it was like to be around so many people! To our surprise, it was snowing when we left the mall. It’s about time Colorado. We haven’t had any snow yet this year so it was nice to see it. 😊
Thursday- the big turkey day. I had the chance to help my mom with the food for Thanksgiving this year and it was honestly a lot of fun!! it was a lot of work but it was so worth it. We made our own pumpkin pies and for two of them, we also made the crust. After this year’s Thanksgiving, I have decided that I can only have homemade pumpkin pie. It really is the best!! If you’re ever interested in our recipe, let me know. 😉 I never really realized how rewarding it is to enjoy something you’ve made and see others enjoy it too. So fun. While it was just my parents and sister at the table, we enjoyed a wonderful turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and of course our pumpkin pie. My favorite food this year was the green bean casserole. It has typically always been mashed potatoes with a truckload of gravy glazing it in the past but this year, the green beans were the winner for me! Aside from the meal, it was wonderful to spend a nice, relaxing day with my family. We also had the ability to Skype with my aunt and uncle that night which was another great treat. I haven’t seen them since this summer so it was great to see them again, even if it was virtually.
After a great Thanksgiving, the week was very low-key. Friday was a fun day too- my sister helped me take some graduation pictures! On top of that, the rest of my break was some tennis, some working out, and also some shopping, and a lot of homework. I feel recharged and ready to finish up my last semester of undergrad now. It’s crazy to think that I have two weeks left of classes and then finals and then graduation!! Exciting things are coming! I hope you all have a wonderful week! ❤️
This past week, I finally met a goal of mine that I have had for an incredibly long time: I hit my goal weight. While this used to be something so meaningful to me, I have come to realize that there are other places where meeting goals are much more important. There are bigger and better things to focus on than how much I weigh. There’s a lot I have to say reflecting on my journey to this point and all of the details associated with that, so if you’re looking to learn more about my mental and physical journey over the past year or so, stick around!
I’d like to say that when I began my fitness/lifestyle journey when I felt that the biggest thing to me was to lose weight. I was fairly unhappy with how I looked as a result of some things that have happened in my past and as a result of incredibly low self-confidence. I had this idea in my head that becoming a certain weight would make me happier. And now that I’m at that point, I am happy, but it is NOT because of that goal I had set for myself over three years ago. Just because past Ana had this desire to be a certain weight, and current Ana has met that, it doesn’t mean all my problems are solved. It also doesn’t mean that I’m the most confident person in the world either. There is a lot that I still feel I need to work on, but I’m very happy with all the progress I’ve made. There is so much more that I have come to realize over the past year and that is what I am much happier about.
As I have developed a more sustainable workout routine and worked on how to properly fuel my body, I have realized that there are more important things to focus on than what I weigh. There are more vital things to look at like moving my body for at least 30 minutes every day/getting a good workout in 5 days a week, drinking enough water, and eating when I’m hungry. If you’re also in a place where you feel like you want to make improvements for yourself, there are a few things I think you should focus on most:
How much water you drink. I go for around 100 oz of water, but again this is for me!
How many hours of sleep you get. This is when your mind and muscles recover!!
How often you move your body. Aim for 30 minutes a day at least and 4-5 days a week. Do what works best for you though and do what you think will be most sustainable!
Eat when you’re hungry. Food is fuel and your body needs it to function properly. I give my body what it wants and I know how to balance things out.
While my body has been changing quite a bit in its composition over the past year, I think that I have also changed a lot of things mentally, and that has been the most impactful. It can be really hard to stay consistent and positive when you aren’t seeing what you want right away. It can be challenging to stick to what you’ve been doing when you see others progressing faster in a shorter period of time. What I’ve come to realize is that my journey is my journey. There is no need to focus on anyone but yourself when you’re working to improve yourself. Making progress more slowly is more sustainable for me and I know that I’m creating good habits with the things I’ve been doing.
Meeting goals, whether they’re big or small is huge. Celebrate every little milestone and accomplishment you make because you’re so worth it! I hope you’re able to take something away from this post and just remember that no matter what you’re doing or what you’re working toward, your journey is your’s and your’s alone. Focus on doing what will allow you to improve and grow and good things will come. Have a good week. ❤️
Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you’ve had a fun day doing whatever makes you happiest on Halloween. If I’m being honest, Halloween is actually my least favorite holiday. I don’t like scary movies or horror. I hate clowns. I’m finding that I’m pretty picky with candy now too. I do enjoy dressing up though, so I can at least get on board with that.
This weekend, my parents were out of town, so my sister and I were home with Boo, my dog. We didn’t do too much beside homework and just hang out which was really nice actually. Last night though, we did dress up and take some fun pictures! I decided to be a butterfly for Halloween this year and my sister was a spy. Boo’s costume was my all time favorite though. He was a tiger. We chose to have him wear his costume on our walks the past three days and it was so funny to see his confidence boost when he got all dressed up. I think that his confidence was definitely fed by the compliments he got. So fun! 🐯
And like I said, I’m not a fan of the “spooky” part of spooky season, so I really don’t like to do much exciting stuff. Two Halloweens ago, I watched It with a couple of friends and I think I spent more time covering my face than watching the actual movie. Like I said, I hate clowns so it was just a big no from me. Creepy things just creep me out!
Well, again, Happy Halloween!! I hope you all have had a fun and safe weekend and I hope you have a wonderful week! I can’t believe it’s November tomorrow!!
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22! This past Wednesday was my 22nd birthday! Birthday celebrations can be so much fun and I will definitely be the one to say that these celebrations were not limited to October 20th. 🥳
Last weekend, I celebrated a bit early with my family. Beside releasing the baby squirrels, I also worked out, played tennis, and got to do some birthday shopping with the help of my mom and sister. We also went to one of my favorite restaurants for a pre-birthday dinner. My dad and I both got the knife-and-fork chili cheese burger at Ted’s Montana Grill and that will forever be one of my favorites, so I wanted to throw that out to everyone if you’re looking at the menu there!
On Tuesday night this past week, one of my friends surprised me with roses while I was at work which I thought was the sweetest thing ever. If you ask me, it’s the little things that are super special. And then on Wednesday, my actual birthday, I had 22 by Taylor Swift stuck in my head all day- no joke. It was a really good day though! I started my day with a good workout and then went to dinner with two of my friends and sister. Torchy’s Tacos has been a tradition up to this point, so I definitely kept that tradition going. The trashy trailer park taco is the best there in my opinion. Let me know if I’m missing out on something else though!!
And then this weekend, the birthday celebrations still did not end. Something I’m starting to realize is that birthdays are not limited to the day they occur on. Birthday celebrations can last a week and I have no problem with that! Before going out to dinner, I went and got my nails done at this place called Nailbar in Fort Collins. I like getting my nails done but sometimes I find it a bit stressful, especially when the place is really busy and kind of hectic. They were definitely also pushing me to get dip done instead of just gel and I don’t appreciate being pressured like that. My manicure looks fine though and it was fun overall.
After that, my friend group went out with me last night for dinner at the Union Bar and Soda Fountain and then we went to Social after. The spicy chicken tenders at Union were SO GOOD and their fries were also pretty yummy. Shoestring fries hit different than steak fries for sure. After dinner, we went to a speakeasy called Social and it was a very cute!! I do not drink and while this place was definitely a bar, it was a very sophisticated and fun sit-down place. They also had a really good non-alcoholic beverage menu and I really liked the Neutral Karma drink they had.
If I take anything away from this past week of birthday celebrations, it’s that I have such an amazing group of people that surround me and I am so incredibly grateful to them for everything. ❤️ My friends and my family make me feel so special and I love each and every person so so much. Here’s to being 22!
So over a month ago now, my family and I rescued a baby squirrel. If you’re looking to know more about how everything started, please check out my first post Adventures in Squirrel-Sitting! I get into a lot of detail there so if you wanna catch up first and then come back, feel free to do so! 😊 On with my squirrel story!
I had been checking on Chip week by week until I received terrible news that he had to be euthanized. Honestly I was shocked. I think I received that call after leaving a voicemail to check on him about two weeks after we had dropped him off at the wildlife rehabilitation center. I cried that night and I find it funny that I was so emotionally invested in an animal I barely knew! At this moment, I thought my journey with this little squirrel was done. But oh my goodness, I was so incredibly wrong.
This past Thursday, I received a call from the wildlife rehabilitation center. They let me know that my little Chip was ready to be released and they would love if I was able to release him and one of his friends!! Receiving this call was the most shocking news of my life. I had gone a month now thinking that Chip was no longer with us. Now for a bit more background- the rehab center decided to call our little squirrel Theodore. So to us, he was Chip, and to them, he was Theodore. Turns out there was another squirrel at the center whose name was Teddy. There was a total mix-up with the call I got that one day back in September where I was told that our little squirrel didn’t make it. Teddy didn’t make it, but our little Theodore, or Chip, did make it and has been so healthy and so good.
So, yesterday, my mom and I drove to pick up our sweet little baby squirrel and his friend and released them back at our house around the trees where we think Chip fell from. It was wonderful to see Chip at a new stage in life. Yes, he is still so young, but he has a much better chance at life now thanks to the wonderful care provided by Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. That is truly a very special place that does incredible things for all sorts of animals in need. I’m so excited for Chip and his little friend and I truly wish them all the best in their little squirrel adventures.
This was such a rewarding end to a rather dramatic squirrel story. Again, I’m so thankful to the people that helped properly raise and rehabilitate our little Chip and hope that he and his friend live the best lives that squirrels can possibly live. If you want to see a bit more on the release, stop by my Instagram and say hi (anahorvathh)! Make sure to brake for squirrels when you can and have a great week. 🐿❤️
Hi everyone! I hope you had a good week. I can’t believe it’s already October, my goodness! Time is just flying by. So I went home this weekend, and I have to say that for most part, I really like going home on weekends.
Of course I enjoy getting to spend time with my friends when I can, but I like being able to get away from Fort Collins for a little bit and be with my family. I also get to workout and play tennis which is great. Yes, I workout when I’m at school, but it just isn’t the same as being in the gym that I usually go to at home.
One of my neighbors at home likes to give my sister and I a lot of crap for coming home so often which I actually think is really funny. I just ignore that because I know what works for me and I know what makes me most comfortable, so I will continue with all my plans.
We usually make an effort to do something fun every weekend like this weekend, my mom and I went and got pedicures, and last weekend we got manicures. 😊 A couple of weekends ago, we went to this big festival my hometown throws every year and that was super fun. I think as long as there are things to do, it’s great. Regardless though, going home on weekends is just great and I really enjoy being able to spend more time with my family. They’re the absolute best people in the world.
Well I hope you all have a chance to get outside today if you’re in Colorado! The weather is supposed to be great today. And the leaves as starting to change (I hear the mountains are in full swing), so that’s exciting. Have a great week!
Hi everyone! Sorry for missing last weekend. It was a bit crazy! It was good though, so nothing too crazy is going on in my life. This post may be a bit personal and if you’re not that into health-related content, then maybe you come back next Sunday! Please do what’s best for you. I will be talking about some stuff that relates more to the female body also, so again, if that’s not your thing, that’s totally fine! So this past week, I was informed that I have PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome. I just wanted to take this time and dedicate this post to reflecting on that and sharing a bit about it.
According to the Office of Women’s Health from the US Department of Health and Human Services, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is:
a common health problem caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. The hormonal imbalance creates problems in the ovaries. The ovaries make the egg that is released each month as part of a healthy menstrual cycle. With PCOS, the egg may not develop as it should or it may not be released during ovulation as it should be.
– Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
As a result of failed ovulation and improper development of the egg, this can lead to the formation of cysts (which can vary in size) in the ovaries. In some women, this can be painful and in others it may not bother them. Some women don’t even actually develop cysts and may still be diagnosed with PCOS. And when referring to “hormonal imbalance”, the Office on Women’s Health is referring to high androgen (“male” hormone, even though women do naturally have a small amount of these) levels and high levels of insulin. Again, not all women with PCOS present with both high androgen levels and high insulin levels, but this is typically the case. Typical other symptoms or signs that a woman may have PCOS include but are not limited to hair loss, weight gain or having a difficult time losing weight, increased presence of facial hair, acne, and/or irregular/non-existent periods.
Before I discuss my own personal experiences, I would just like to say that by no means am I a doctor. Just because I experienced one thing doesn’t mean it will hold true for everyone, so please keep that in mind. I speak only for myself when I say what I’m going to say. 😉 When looking at my case, my biggest issue was my extremely irregular period. And when I say irregular, I mean that it would typically come every 2-3 months and if I was lucky, it might show every month like it is supposed to. Yes, I did breakout more around the time of my period but I figured that was normal. When my period skipped, I experienced what I thought was cramping/pelvic pain, and I thought it might come and then it never did. I did experience some hair loss beginning when I was about 15 or 16 but I feel that might have been related to going on a steroid inhaler for an extended amount of time. I don’t think I’ll truly ever know if that was correlated though, because my hair is growing much thicker and faster than it ever has now (and I’m SO thankful for it!!).
In an attempt to treat what I thought was just irregular periods, I was on birth control for about a year. This did help regulate my period but I began having heart palpitations. The longer I was on the pill, the more frequently I had palpitations too, which was concerning. As a result of that, I came off the pill and thankfully the extra heartbeats or lack of a heartbeat came to a stop. I thought that maybe a year of regulation on the pill would serve as a jumpstart for my body. Maybe my hormones had finally figured it out. But oh boy, WAS I WRONG. I understand that birth control can do strange things with your hormone and that some women don’t see their period for a year after coming off of the pill, but something just felt wrong. My period did not come and I was just concerned.
So, I ended up finding an OB/GYN in my area and I shared everything with her. After discussing some things with her, I had an ultrasound done and two separate blood tests. During the ultrasound, we were looking for the appearance of cysts in my ovaries. They were there. During the blood tests, she was looking to see what my follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were like. She checked other hormones, but these were two key ones. My LH was higher than my FSH which on a very basic level means that my ovaries would be unable to ovulate properly, hence so many missed periods. In a normal case, on the third day of a woman’s period, FSH and LH should be at a 1:1 ratio. Again, my levels did not look like that.
At this point, my OB/GYN was pretty confident I had PCOS, but I had my second blood test done to confirm that it was PCOS and not some other disorder/disease that mimics polycystic ovarian syndrome. I had a full lipid panel done in addition to having a diabetes screening, and had a few more hormone levels checked. From that blood test, my diagnosis was confirmed.
Prior to officially knowing what was going on, there was a lot of uncertainty. I fear the unknown and it was honestly troubling and frustrating not knowing why my body wasn’t working right. I had done some research on PCOS prior to being told that’s what I had and it was a bit scary reading some stuff. The biggest red flag that came to me was the word infertility. Every source I combed through mentioned that it may be more challenging to have kids and that was disappointing to me! But, from what I learned with my OB/GYN and the ultrasound technician and with further research, PCOS is the most common, but treatable, cause of infertility in women, which was incredibly encouraging.
I think it’s important to note that prior to getting a diagnosis or a result, it’s okay to feel scared and unsure. But, you shouldn’t allow yourself to jump to conclusions and get all worked up over something you don’t really know much about yet. You need to educate yourself and properly do your research to look for solutions and a brighter perspective. Yes, there is no cure for PCOS but there are ways to manage it. Yes, there may be a slight challenge with fertility but I know that it is extremely possible to have healthy, normal pregnancies even with PCOS and that penalty of women been through that. Yes, there might be a lot that I still don’t know about this condition that I have but it will not change how I function as a person. If anything, it will help me be more in-tune with my body and see what all I am capable of in attempting to become the best version of myself.
I’m just going to continue working out, eating healthy, loving food (because who doesn’t?!?), and loving life. Have a wonderful week everyone! ❤️
