Challenge Completed

The Challenge is over! We made it to the other side! I feel good!

And here is how it went: I ended the week really missing a lot of foods that I wasn't allowed to have (sweets, pasta, bread). But my body felt strong and healthy. I don't usually think about how certain foods make me feel. But I can definitely tell now that there are foods that make me lethargic and blah. Overall, I'd say this Challenge was a good experience. It helped me be disciplined when it came to food and exercise and helped me think about how I am taking care of my body. But I am still a strong believer in "everything in moderation". I don't do well when I completely cut things out of my diet. I become grumpy and can't stop thinking about it. 

I'm very proud of us for sticking to it, even when we were severely tempted! And for sticking to it, we decided we earned a reward on Sunday! We had date night at Chili's and ordered the molten chocolate cake! Yummmmmmmm YUMMM!

This was a fun weekend on the shore! Saturday morning, we went to Easton's Farmer's Market for the first time. It was so fun with all the different vendors. They had local produce, flowers, crabs, baked goods and soaps. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I loved everything about it. While I was there I picked up some flowers for our table. 

Later that night, we found a beach that we could take Josey to. When we first got Josey, she was not a big fan of the water. She seems to be warming up to it a little bit. Though she spent more time trying to get into everyone else's business. She's a stinker, that one. 

The Eastern Shore is a bit of a snooze in the winter, but come Spring and Summer it is one of my favorite places to be. We love our home and everything it is teaching us!

P.S. Hubbs, gardening this morning was a new experience for me. But if it means I get to watch you use a machete like a samurai sword I am a fan!

Update a Million Months Later

Hey all! How's everyone doing?? It's been forever and I figured I should check in. Ok, ok, I totally gave up blogging and I'm the worst. I know. But let me tell you, I have been in the biggest slump and I just now feel like I might be coming out of it. 

This week, Hubby and I are doing a 7 Day Challenge. Today is Day 4 and it has been a roller coaster day. First off, I'll tell you what the challenge is. 

For 7 days you can NOT have:

 Soda

Bread

Red Meat

Alcohol

Pasta

Sweets

Each Day you must:

Eat a citrus fruit 

Drink 6 or more cups of water 

Eat a green vegetable

Eat fish or chicken

Work out for 30 minutes

Basically, we are using this challenge to reset our minds to making healthy choices and trying to control my addiction to all things chocolate. Something I do want to state is that I am not a huge fan of diets and I am especially not a fan of cutting things completely out. (I may write a post later about why I think these things. I don't know. Want one?) 

This challenge is only 7 days long and you best believe I will be adding all of these things back into my diet come Sunday. I am just hoping they will be added back in with a little more moderation and better thoughts toward what I am putting into my body.

Anyway, we are half way there and I have actually seen some significant changes!

1. I am tighter and more lean. I am actively converting fat to muscle with each work out and I feel GOOOOD!!!
2. I am less bloated. Bloating is something I struggle with a lot. It is completely under control! My thoughts on this is that I am actually properly hydrated and have cut out a majority of my simple sugars and carbs. 
3. I have all of the energy! All of it! Right around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, I am usually dragging. But without the sugar highs and lows I am maintaining a constant energy level and there is no crash! Also, I know it sounds so weird, but working out will energize you! 
4. I am craving sweets like it is my only job in life. Ok, so this isn't a great thing. I was hoping after Day 3 I wouldn't crave sweets so much but I was wrong. Not going to lie, I had a dream about a cinnamon bun. Yes I did.
5. Guys! This challenge is kicking my stress in the butt! I feel so calm and genuinely happy! Feeding your body good, clean foods and working it out is so much better than any antidepressant you could ever find. 

I'm so happy to be getting my body and mind into a better place. I have found my joy for exercise and fitness again. And being stress free is something priceless to me. I plan on checking back in on Sunday after the challenge is over. Hopefully, these positives will continue throughout!

Thanks as always for reading =)

P.S. Johnathan, thank you for agreeing to do this challenge with me. I would never have been able to do it alone. If you had been eating an ice cream cone today I would have tackled you to the ground and cut your fingers off for it. 

5 Strengths

I remember talking to some girls in college about a book called Strength Finders by Tom Rath. It is a book that starts with a test that evaluates your top 5 strengths and then goes on to explain them and help you use them in your every day life. The girls that I was talking to were amazed at how accurate this testing seemed to be. I was very curious about how I would test and asked for the book for Christmas. 

After taking the test, I am surprised at the accuracy of their findings!

I'd thought I'd share my Top 5 Strengths with you all! (I am still reading through the book and once I am done, I may do a follow up post about what I learned!)

1. My #1 strength is called Relator. A Relator is someone who desires close relationships with people. So instead of having many acquaintances, I prefer to have a few very close friends. In these friendships, I want to go deeper and really understand and love this person. I find my strength and energy in these relationships.
2. My #2 strength is called Futuristic. Someone who is futuristic is inspired by the future. If you have been reading this blog at all you know all about this strength of mine. I love love love making goals and working towards something. I am constantly thinking about what my next step is and where I will be weeks, months and years from today. 
3. My #3 strength is called Learner. A Learner desires to learn and improve themselves. I absolutely love the process of learning. I feel time wasting away if I am not actively learning. This can be; something at work, reading new books, a new hobby, anything! This is why I always say I would be a professional student if I didn't have to pay a gazillion dollars and write papers. 
4. My #4 strength is called Discipline. This means that I enjoy routine and structure. I thrive on a set schedule. I am crazy productive if I have a routine. I am the queen of to-do lists and getting things done. 
5. My #5 strength is called Responsiblity. This basically means that if I say I will do something, you can bet your sweet bottom it will get done. It also means I run on very stable values. 

After reading about what each of my strengths are, I have come to the conclusion that, I am only fit to be a high ranking officer in the military. Like, jeez! could I be any more strict and to the point!?

I am excited to see where this book takes me! I think it is such a great idea to learn how to use your strengths and skills to better your life and others'. But of course that could just be the Learner and Relator in me...who knows =)

P.S. Johnathan, I think your #1 strength is being an awesome husband and #2 is putting up with my crazy!

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day! Well I guess only for about two more hours...

I have always kept Valentine's Day casual. I believe that if you put too much pressure on something you are really just setting yourself up for disappointment. So we tend to celebrate minimally. Though, I will NEVER complain about an excuse to go on a date with my husband!

There seems to be an idea going around that hating Valentine's Day is the "cool" thing to do. It's a consumer holiday...a day for couples to shove their relationships in other peoples' faces...a day to focus on how single you are... But I say, why waste time being such Negative Nacys? Like seriously, get over it. Either celebrate or don't. Why not take a day to celebrate! I know I know you should show you love someone everyday. But we don't. And you know it. As sad as it is, everyone needs a reminder to stop and focus on their loved ones. And today is the day to do just that!

Anywho....we decided to go out for brunch this year! Johnathan had to work all weekend so brunch was what we could fit in. We love going to new restaurants and I have never actually gone to brunch. Does that make me less of a woman? I hear that brunch is something women often do.

We have been having a blast exploring the Eastern Shore and today found ourselves in Royal Oak, MD. The restaurant, t at the General Store. I ordered strawberry Nutella french toast and Johnathan ordered smoked salmon. We both gave our meals a 9+ out of 10. It was seriously good stuff. Needless to say, we plan on going back. Probably many times. 

This abandoned church was across the street from the restaurant. I thought it was haunting and beautiful!

After brunch, we had about an hour before John had to go to work, so we drove around and looked at the mansions in the area. These houses are comically large! Of course we pick out the one's we love and will one day live in (I would never. I can't even begin to think about furnishing and cleaning these houses).

It was a really fun, relaxing morning! Dating your spouse is such a game-changer. I love it!

I finished out a great day watching chick flicks with my friend =) We watched Crazy Stupid Love, Julie and Julia, and The Holiday. I would highly highly highly recommend every single one of these movies! Sooooo good! 

P.S. Husband, Happy Valentine's Day =) Thank you for telling me what crimes occurred in every neighborhood we drove through. I'm gonna sleep so soundly tonight...

Super Size Me

One year in high school, I made a New Year's resolution to cut out all fast food. I had watched Super Size Me and freaked out. I also really wanted to see how my body changed without it. Though, I never ate a lot of fast food anyway. I, maybe, ate fast food twice a month but I still thought it was a good goal!

I did it! I didn't eat fast food for the entire year. It annoyed the poo out of my parents! To clarify, it only annoyed them when we were on a road trip and we needed to stop for food along the way. Jessie don't eat that crap! (sike, Jessie eat that crap now but not that year!)

To be honest, it wasn't hard unless we were on the road. In those situations, we would go to Subway (not the healthiest place ever but shhh) or somewhere that I could get a salad. 

The results were crazier than I had expected! I had significantly more energy, my skin was less oily and my weight didn't fluctuate as much as before. It also strengthened my self-discipline. I felt awesome making a goal and seeing it through to the end. After the end of that year, I did eat fast food again. But I was making healthier choices. That resolution was something that changed my behavior for the better.

Since then I haven't made another New Year's resolution. I haven't thought of one that I felt as passionately about. If I didn't have a specific, attainable goal then I was just going to set myself up for failure.

But I have been on a healthy kick that I hope sticks around for a while! 

Have you made a New Year's resolution? Did you stick to it?

P.S. Husband, this morning I was getting the stew ready while you were sleeping. Chopping carrots happens to be the loudest activity ever!! Sawwryyy

Josey Bear

This morning I found myself throwing a fit about having to go to the dentist. I threw myself onto the floor, curled up into a tight ball and grumbled to John about "hating my life". Five seconds later I hear a *thump* and Josey is laying next to me sticking her icy nose in my ear. I rolled toward her and buried myself in her fur.

This act alone is HUGE! We have had Josey for a little over a year now and only in the past couple months has she really started to show affection. For the longest time she had only one reaction to any emotion...that was chewing on me.  Happy? She bit my elbow. Mad? She'd chew on my fingers. She hated us petting her and you should have seen the spazz when I would try to hug her!

But in the past two months, she has become the biggest cuddle bear ever! And I am beyond giddy! Each day I will sit myself down on the floor and you can see the excitement fill her up. She will sprint to get a toy to bring me, come running up, her entire body wiggling and plop down in between my legs. Then she will start to roll! She will roll over my one leg and then the next. Flailing her legs in the air and chewing on my pants (the chewing hasn't exactly stopped).

Randomly, throughout the day she will come and rest her head on me asking me to pat her head. My heart sings that she is warming to my affection and that she truly enjoys my love. Though she still requires a lot of personal space...she gives John the "please control your woman" look when I lay next to her on her bed.

I am blessed by her most when she can tell that I am stressed and not feeling great. Just having her lay next to me while I'm throwing a tantrum on the floor creates a peace inside of me. She's my pretty girl and I love her to death!

P.S. Husband, Thank you for driving me to the dentist...every time. Because I'm obviously a non-functional princess toddler. I love you =)

Goals are Hard

If anyone reading knows me even a little bit, they know that I am practically made of goals. I love setting goals for myself and for my husband and for my parents and for my dog....My entire life, I have had specific short-term and long-term goals. But somewhere in the past couple months I have lost all of that. I'm in this super weird period in life where I have absolutely NO individual goals. None. Nada. 

With it being the new year and just having graduated, it is a very uncomfortable feeling to not know what is next or even know what I want to come next. I'm like seriously fickle all of the sudden. I decide I want something then two seconds later I have given up on that goal. I'm grasping for anything resembling a goal! I've started making showering a goal...

Johnathan and I are going through a devotional together and we are on a chapter that is asking us to come up with marriage goals. I fidget and grumble and try to skip questions. I DONT WANNA!! How am I supposed to make marriage goals when I don't even know what I want to do tomorrow!? 

God is really trying to teach me something here. Probably about control and how He has a plan for me. But this lesson is going to need to wrap up soon because the crazy in me is getting pretty high. My right eye is starting to twitch and I'm drooling a lot more than I used to. 

So if you need me, I'll be the girl wandering blindly in a circle. 

P.S. Johnathan! I forgot to P.S. you in the last post! How dare I!? It's because you made me answer all those devotional questions about where you and I want to be in thirty years...Can I say the Caribbean? Can I make that my goal? Good! I think we are getting somewhere now!