The Break Up Update

So a few weeks ago, I declared that I was going to make some changes. Some healthy changes. Eat healthier, stop drinking soda, exercise more. Here's an update on breaking up with old habits and the new habits I am trying to start.

Eating. My eating has gone up and down. I use the calorie counter and it helps, but sometimes it is hard to remember to enter everything or find what I am looking for in the searches. But, I am finding that even if it is a "close enough" search to what I have been eating, it makes me much more aware of how much and what I am consuming.

Moving into our house has made eating healthy much more difficult. When your trips to the grocery store become few and far between, it makes keeping fresh ingredients at home difficult. I am glad we are getting settled in and will be able to unpack all our cooking stuff so I can start making meals at home. Pizza and hot dogs for several days in a row are not exactly part of my eating-healthy plan. But, I have been able to make a couple quick trips to the store to get some fruit and salad stuff so I am making it happen the best I can in the interim.

One of my biggest things I am trying to work on is not to give up on this goal. It is discouraging when you can't eat healthy because of time constraints or because you don't want to overbuy right before/during/after a move while you are getting settled. It is so much easier to eat out or get something quick, like pizza. So, I am trying to keep a mindset of not getting frustrated. It is ok and it is only for a time. I am trying to monitor my portions, but if my current meal isn't ideal, don't worry, and don't fall off the bandwagon. You got this. I will try again the next time. I find that if I can't do something fully and completely, I tend to push it to the wayside. So I am working on that.

Soda Drinking. It is funny because I used to not be a big soda drinker at all. Times change, but I am doing pretty well with it. I have had some soda, especially with moving, etc., but kinda like with my eating, I am not going to fret over a soda I may have. Because I haven't been eating as healthy and the stress of moving and still going to work every day, my stomach has been giving me issues. Sometimes, you just need to drink a soda. Sugar and carbonation can help sometimes. So, what I decided was I should try and not have soda as much as possible, but if I am really craving one or am feeling not-to-great, try to just have 1 soda for the week. This goes back to the don't-fret-and-don't-fall-off-the-bandwagon mantra. Just have to keep plugging along and do the best you can.

Exercising. Packing boxes. Moving boxes. Unpacking boxes. This totally classifies as a workout. So the gym can wait. :)


So there's the low-down and update of my big declarations. I haven't found the scale yet in unpacking, so I guess that's probably a good thing for now.

:)

Here is to breaking up with old habits and keeping up with your new goals and sticking with them...but not fretting if you slip up now and then!

~AMK

Habits & Rabbits

Ok, so this post really has nothing to do with Rabbits. I just liked how it sounded. I am not a poet, but if I get a chance to rhyme a word or two, I feel like telling my high school self that it will turn out ok that you can’t master writing a haiku or other poetry types. (Confession: yes, I have been laughed at, by a teacher, with how poor my poem-writing-skills were, in front of the whole class). But that is neither here nor there…I’m beyond my need to write poetry. Doesn’t really suite me anyway, just not my thing. 

But ANYWAYS, back on track. Reeling it in.

Habits. I googled “define: habits” and this is what pops up:

Pretty straight forward and applicable. Minus the taking of drugs part. Just say no.

Anywho, I have gotten into a bad “regular tendency or practice” of not eating as healthy as I should, and not exercising regularly. I blame two things: I started dating KGK and I became happy, so why work out?; and I started grad school.

So now, I am more than 2 years beyond the start of KGK and I starting our fun-filled journey together and my grad work is behind me. I have gotten into quite the slump and extra humps (graphic, I know, how do you think I feel?!). So it is time to get myself back into better shape. I will never be within my ideal weight/BMI range for my height. Never have been. And even when I played sports with morning and evening practices and constantly on the go when I was younger, I was NEVER within those ranges. I was always like 20 pounds more than those. Not sure how they come up with that stuff, but I had two things going against me: big hips (even in middle school when those suckers started spreading), and big boobs (even at my lowest, these suckers are just big).

So now that I have gotten extremely personal and said things on the web that my mother would probably freak out over (sorry mom, but just being honest about the girls), I have decided to get myself into a workout routine and making healthier eating choices.

Now first, let me explain. I am not an expert. I will mess up. I love beer and wings, so those will still be in my food consumption every so often. However, I am making small choices to ensure I am feeding my body what it needs MOST of the time, and having those “fun” things only some of the time. My some and MOST have been flip flopped for the past couple years. So it is time to flip flop them back again. Get myself back on track and be a better and healthier me.

Ok, next. Working out. UGH. Say it with me…UGH. Well, time to get that kicked into high gear too. I am not planning to start going to the gym 5+ days a week. I will not spend more than an hour or so there at a time. Because let’s face it, if I place too big of a goal, I have more room to miss it and fail. So, I am starting small. I plan to go to the gym at least 3 times a week. If it doesn’t happen, I will try to do it the next week. Life happens. You can’t always be a machine and stay on schedule or keep to regimens as we hope we can. So I am allowing myself to be flexible, but not be lazy. I am going to force myself out of bed in the morning to go to the gym. I will be sure to go to classes or get a workout in even after long days at work. Enough forcing and it will be an easier push eventually. I will get in the habit of it again. I used to frequent the gym 4 times a week before grad/KGK happiness entered my life. Now, with more going on, I expect 3 times a week for myself. I want to be healthier and fitter so that I can be active for more years of my life. I don’t want to have a family and not be able to go outside and kick around a soccer ball or not go for hikes. I want my kids to see their momma as active and going on adventures. They need to see me making the time to take care of myself so that they will do those same things too. 

So now starts the hard part. Getting into the habit. Habit making is hard, habit breaking is easy and so much more fun. But once something is a everyday practice, it becomes easier. Making my coffee every morning is a habit. I enjoy it. Being healthy can be the same too. I just have to get over the initial work to get it brewing.

Received this gem from a friend today.

So my goals are to get some poundage off and be healthier. I will need all the help I can get, so any encouragement or words of advice/wisdom are greatly appreciatedJ

~AMK

The first big thing.

So how’s it going? How’s life? It is May, you know! That means summer is RIGHT around the corner. WAHOO! AND big things are happening in May. I am excited:)

The first big thing happened yesterday.  For most, this would not be so big. But for me, it was awesome. The rest of the big things will be shared later...how do you like that for suspense? :)

So yesterday, I went to the library and checked out a few books.  Yes, you heard me. I went to the library to check.out.books….not read journal articles, do research, or write a paper. But I looked at the fiction, autobiographies, mystery and other “fun” sections.  This was a momentous occasion! Finishing school means I can read again.  Didn't I read during my entire time in grad school, you ask? Well, yeah. But research isn’t as exciting as a good novel. So I am PUMPED. :)

photo from here

As I browsed the shelves, I found some books that I am excited to read. I looked for some that others had suggested, but I couldn't find them. So I decided to go through and see what was sitting there, waiting to be picked up and the cover read. I decided upon three books to last me the next week or so. 

Here's the breakdown:

photo from here. 

The first, was the third book in a trilogy by Allie Condie called Reached. I have been reading this trilogy since last summer. I read the first one just before the fall semester began, then read the second one over Christmas (before the stomach plague of Christmas 2012 hit), and I am now able to read this third one. To me, there are similar to the Hunger Games in that they are easy to read, they are so creative with a futuristic type society, like in the Hunger Games.  It is really a good read if you are looking for a couple books to get sucked into on a lazy Saturday.

 

photo from here. 

The second book I picked up was called  Into the Wild by  Jon-Krakauer. It is about a man that hitchhiked to Alaska and left everything he had behind to live in the wild. I have heard that this book is excellent, so I am pretty pumped to start this one. AND, they made this into a movie…so it looks like I have another movie to add to my list of “need to watch”.

photo from here

And the last book I got was Jodi Picoult’s book that she co-wrote with her daughter called Between the Lines. From how understood the description, a teenage girl has been reading a fairy tale story but the characters are actually real. It shows her interactions with the characters and their struggle living in a fairy tale when they don’t want to be living it. I am excited to start this one!

So I have some reading ahead of me and I couldn't be more excited! I’ll be sure to fill you in J

What have you been reading lately?
~AMK

Dear Future Self: WE did it!

Dear Future Self,

I want you to remember today. This moment. This last night. You have been working so hard to get this degree finished, and you are here. You have made it. You just have one presentation left, and you have your Master's degree...GO YOU!

Future Self, I want you to remember what this feels like. The excitement, the anticipation, the I-CAN'T-BELIEVE-I-MADE-IT feeling. It has been a hard couple years. There has been less sleep, more stress, lots of reading and writing, too much snacking (which in turn lead to gaining the grad school 15...yeah don't be fooled...it is not limited to college freshmen...UNFORTUNATELY!), and not enough exercising. But, it is worth it! You made it. You got through working full time, starting to date your now-husband, got married, had a mini-moon (our short honeymoon because of being in the middle of the semester), and many fun events having to be turned down because I had homework to do. No more turning down working out, or going out with friends, or watching a moving with the hubs. I get to be a normal adult! Well, let's be honest. Normal will never be a word that accurately describes me, but I can at least attempt to be normal:)

I can't believe I made it and I now need to do a round of thanks...picture it like at the grammy's or another award show, except I am sitting at home, in PJ's and the audience I currently have is my dog watching to see if I drop a morsel of a snack to him. But I really am grateful for all the support my friends and family have given me during this time. SO here it goes:

First.....KGK...well, you rock! You met me just a couple weeks before I started this graduate school journey and you have been with me through it all. You have only known me to be a grad student. I am excited to show you who I am without homework and other school stuff to do. I can't wait to have more time for us.  I am glad I can now pull my own weight when it comes to normal life stuff like cleaning and errands.  During this whole process, you would walk the dog, do errands or chores, or just sit there and tell me I could do it when I needed to hear it most. You are the most supportive person I have ever met, and I am so grateful for you. :)

And to my friends...thank you for not giving up on me with all my "I can't hang out" or cutting fun short because I had to do more homework. Thanks for still being my friend even though I was so busy and I didn't give you a lot of my time. Well now, I have more time! Let's celebrate! :) Beer? wings? let's make it happen.

And to my family, y'all have been awesome. Listening to my rants and raves, and ups and downs about my various classes, scheduling issues, and whatever else it was at the time. You listened. I talked. and talked. But you still listened. You had no idea what I was talking about, but you still listened. So thank you for that! :)

So future self, as life gets busy with other things, because we know it will, just remember this moment just before the finish. Remember how it feels to have 2+ years of late evenings, lots of papers and group projects, and all that hard work paying off. And remember that you didn't do it without the support of your family and friends. They made it happen as much as you did sitting doing those assignments....

So basically....

CONGRATS Y'ALL. We made it!

:)

I'm off to do my last presentation of grad school...here goes nothing EVERYTHING! :)

~AMK

Dear Future Self: Spring & New Beginnings

Dear Future Self,

This spring has been a crazy whirlwind for me. I am finishing up my last couple weeks of graduate school, working with a new system at work that is actually working quite well (woot woot!), a new little nephew on the way, and am loving having more free time now that the bulk of my capstone work is wrapping up. I haven't had free time like this in a while. It is NICE:)

A couple weekends ago, I helped host my SIL's baby shower. We made the felt letters, and they turned out so cute! (I will post a follow-up to that...it was quite a fun craft!)  It was great to see family and hang out with the mom-to-be!  Gotta love all those little baby clothes and gifts and showering the new little family with some much needed goodies.

In my last few weeks of school, I am really enjoying extra time spent with family and friends. I love having plans to do things on the weekends that do not involve getting up at 6am to do homework, but instead sleeping in a little, actually cleaning our home, and doing fun things with friends. I am very much treasuring this spring weather and time spent doing "fun" things.

Also, KGK went to a baseball game recently and thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the warmer temps while enjoying a hot dog, people watching (at least that's one of my favorite parts of going to the games!), an ice cold beer, and not having to wear a bunch of layers to tolerate being outside. I am loving spring!

Happy Spring!

~AMK

Our First Christmas

KGK and I had our first Christmas as a married couple this year. Everything was going so wonderfully until an hour before his entire family was to arrive at our house for Christmas dinner. Cue the vomiting...  No, seriously. Let me explain...

The weekend before Christmas, KGK and I enjoyed a relaxing weekend, did some cleaning and organizing, and we were anxiously anticipating having our first Christmas Eve and Christmas as hitched folk. We also were excited to host his family on Christmas day for dinner (pot-luck style...took the pressure off!). Needless to say, everything was going perfectly. We decided to start a tradition to open 1 gift on Christmas Eve, have a stay-in dinner of wings and beer (we are classy), and watch a movie. Perfect if you ask me. So we went about our first Christmas Eve traditions and woke up to a fantastic Christmas morning. Gifts were opened, Skype calls to family that lived away from us occurred, and we began the cooking for the evening meal.

Now, about 2 hours before his family was scheduled to arrive, I started to feel sick to my stomach. I thought it was from a richer breakfast than I was used to, but it wouldn't go away. It only escalated into more pain and nausea. It is now 1 hour before family is to arrive and I cannot stand up long enough to make my last few menu items. I wore a mask in case I was getting sick and tried to complete the last few projects. Then, it happened. I am standing there preparing the stuffing and I have to run to the bathroom. The time is around 3pm and I had my first vom session. Sorry, that's gross. But well, it was.

Fast forward about 2.5 hours, KGK has been entertaining family while I am violently sick in the back bedroom/bathroom. Then, he comes back. It is about 5:30pm. He feels it too. Vom session numero dos. For the next couple hours, both hosts are in the bedroom, quarantined from our guests. We appeared briefly to say we were done for the night and that they were welcome to use our living room for all the time they wanted.  His family is wonderful.  They picked up our living room, did a bunch of dishes and had an assortment of foods in foil in the frig for when we feel better and are ready to grub later on the Christmas feast.

The next 24 hours, after KGK came back into the bedroom (about 5:30pm), are a blur.  That was the worst stomach bug I have ever had. Ever. And man, is it going around! I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. It took me until New Years Day to feel like myself again. Needless to say, I got a lot of rest and caught up on several different shows that played in marathon fashion throughout those last days of 2012. I am ready for 2013 and no more bugs!

So that was our first Christmas together. Alternating turns in the bathroom. Lover-ly. But, as KGK said, at least we got to spend it together, even if it was back in the bedroom, miserable while the Christmas spirit lived on in the rest of our house.

So Happy 2013 everyone! I hope you escaped that nasty bug!

~AMK

Traditions

the date when we became official:)

There are some wonderful traditions during this time of the year. Growing up, our tradition was me begging to put up the Christmas tree earlier than a week before Christmas and fighting to keep it up the entire day of Christmas. My folks weren't so big into decorating for the holiday. So now that I am an adult and KGK and I have a place of our own, we have started to create our own traditions! Like a Christmas tree going up at Thanksgiving:) Nice and early:)

our first Christmas a few years back

Last year, we had a breakfast casserole and cinnamon buns for breakfast and opened our gifts.  This year, we are going to have our Christmas breakfast again, but we are steering away from the casserole, and we are having omelettes instead...with cinnamon buns. Cinnamon buns are going to be a staple on Christmas morning for our family...that is for sure!

Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

********************

So traditions...

Now that we are married and we have so many friends with children, I have started thinking more about what traditions we will begin with our family as it grows in the years ahead. I see on facebook and from hanging out with friends that they all do different things to make this time of year extra exciting for their kids. Some do the "Elf on the Shelf" book surprise, which I had never heard of until this past year. That is such a cute idea! T. A friend of mine of FB posted this and I thought it was so hilarious!

hahahaha! you just never know where you will catch that elf!

And many people visit Santa at the mall or write him letters. I actually never believed in Santa. Don't be sad for me. I didn't mind, really. Our family didn't do the whole Santa-thing. I don't have a problem with telling kids there is a Santa, and I don't have issues with being upfront either. I haven't exactly decided what I want to do with our kids one day. I think it depends on the kid too. Some kids LOVE the idea of Santa and have such great imaginations that really help them feed their curiosity  I was not that child. I was too realistic. At the age of 2 and a half or 3, (just old enough to be able to speak in full-enough sentences) I asked my mom in a matter-of-fact voice, "Mom, can reindeer really fly?" She said, no. I was good with that answer. I replied, "Yeah, that's what I thought." Santa to me didn't really make sense as a kid so I didn't really feel like I was left out of anything, but I still think it is a fun tradition for kids to experience.


So I guess KGK and I will have to see what we want to do in regards to Santa. I think it is a fun-hearted way to celebrate the season. I do know that I want to create some form of tradition involving a manger and maybe having baby Jesus appear on Christmas morning. I have heard of families doing that, and I loved that idea of keeping the manger empty until Christmas morning, and then he is there when you wake up. I treasure those Christmas mornings where we would read the story of Jesus' birth as a family before opening presents. We did this to always remember that the reason for Christmas is not just to receive presents. But to remember that Jesus was born, and that we were given the greatest gift of all, and we need to always remember to give to others. Giving is more important than receiving during Christmas. They ALWAYS stressed that, and I hope to pass that along too.

So with Christmas one week away, what traditions are you excited to participate in this season? Do you have a special memory from your childhood that you have carried into your adult life (whether you have a family or not)?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season!

~AMK

Advent of Crazy?

Dear Future Self,

Today, I sit here at my computer feeling like the world is going so fast around me and I am in slow motion. You know that feeling, future self, don’t you?  The feeling that lines are blurring, and you standing there with your life circling around you, and it is going so fast you can hardly keep up. I think the Christmas season is like that for many of us. We have more gatherings, more cooking, more cleaning, and more crafting than we typically partake in for a whole year! The hustle and bustle is so fun, but it sure is overwhelming too.

For this year, our first year being married, we are taking in all things us. We are going to our friend’s parties, we are creating our own traditions, we are enjoying decorating our first place together and are doing our shopping and crafting and preparations with feelings of excitement and newness. Having our first Christmas as a hitched woman is starting off great so far this season. Loving that there is going to be so much time to spend with those we love and care for. And, we are missing all those that we are not able to be with too. But, we will be sending our love and hopefully doing some Skyping too J (Future self, do you still use skype or has teleportation become the latest and greatest?)

So while I am here at my computer, looking at my calendar that is quickly filling and my to-do list is growing with little being crossed off yet, I am trying to focus on how awesome this time of year is. How grateful I am for this holiday season and all the life it brings to us. It stretches us and makes us do more with what seems like less time. So I am getting my list-making skills at the ready because its gonna be a busy but fun ride!

Basking in the holiday cheer,

~AMK

Let's Give 'Em Somethin' to Blog About: Inspiration Destination

"Let's Give 'em Somethin' to Blog About" is an effort for me to share a blog posting that I have read somewhere or an article I have found interesting. I will give my thoughts that rambled on through my head as I read them or have been marinading since then. Some I may have just read within a few hours and others may be ones that have stuck with me through the weeks, months or even years, and I want to grasp something from it and remember. They are a way for me to look back and remember.

Today's Post: Our Wedding

Young House Love. What else can I say besides...LOVE! These two are fantastic (well, and Clara & Burger too!). John and Sherry are full-time bloggers with so much energy, quirkiness, and creativity that you can't help but soak up all they write. Amazing. Many of their projects and ideas have inspired me to think beyond what I actually see and create from that canvas to something so different you can't believe the transformation. They LOVE their ORB (I am a huge fan of it too, Sherry!), painting everything they can white or yellow (have I said before that I just love yellow?!), their ceramic animals, and crisp clean lines with bold burst of color and soft gray contrasts. I did not love gray or yellow or ORB or being crafty..at all... until I started reading their blog a few years ago (wow, has it already been that long?!). So it wouldn't surprise anyone then to say that their DIY wedding was a HUGE inspiration for me as KGK and I started thinking about our own wedding ideas. With that said, let's get into the pure simplicity and merry of their DIY backyard wedding. 

John and Sherry bought a house in Virginia and planned to have their wedding be as relaxed and friendly as their awesome personalities are. They had those cute vintage touches with the water and mint lemonade in the wine bottle, and string lights overhead to set the scene. Everyone looks so happy and soaking up the love of the day. They really focused on their guests and how much they appreciated them coming to their wedding and being a part of their lives.  There was also a photo booth where guests could commemorate the occasion with awkward yet funny pictures with friends and family, and enjoy the peaceful setting of a backyard cookout. How fun does that seem! 

So when KGK and I were planning our wedding, having it as relaxed and "us" was the focus. We wanted it to be as outdoorsy and inviting as we possibly could. Laughter, eating, catching up with family and friends you rarely see, and enjoying the time with people you see often was the main focus of our wedding. It was perfect. 

College friends!

Fall Centerpieces

Yeah, I love this guy ;)

So thanks, YHL, for the inspiration to keep it simple and you through the whole shebang. It made it so worth it. 

~AMK

Dear Future Self: DIY Wedding Thanks

Dear Future Self:

If there is one thing that I have learned about preparing for a wedding, and having it a DIY wedding, is that your family and friends deserve so much thanks for all their help.  Whether it be a shower they planned, a bachelorette outing, craft help or just being there to offer a listening ear, these are the things I want to cherish during this preparation time just before the BIG DAY.

So THANK YOU to everyone who is making this chapter of our lives so FANTASTIC!! Y’all rock!

~AMK

Blogging Day One

So every blog needs a first post. So here it goes...

Hi! I'm AMK. This blog is a way for me to share all the craziness and interesting things that life brings and remember what has inspired me at a particular time in life.  I will share pictures, stories, recipes, cleaning "haps & mishaps", random ideas, and other fun stuff:) It is also helpful to have a place to combine all the things I find on the "inter-web" in one place.

A few things about me:

-This fall, I marry my best friend. He rocks:)
-I love to cook...you will definitely find Pinterest posts and pictures of food I have made to share with those interested.
-The outdoors is so much better than indoors. Hiking, camping and anything with adventure and fresh air just does it for me.
-Gardening is new to me...so I am attempting to start in little ways by keeping flowers alive on our porch to build up to my dream garden one day.
-My recent addiction is Instagram. (You can follow me at: AMKINSPIRED). I love how it makes the simplest of pictures artsy, interesting and with so much depth.
-I would definitely describe my personality as silly or goofy. My fiance has been telling me I should write a blog for a while now just to put some of the crazy things that happen into writing for us to look back on later. Gotta keep things interesting because normal is just boring:)
-A good spreadsheet, schedule or list makes my heart throb, besides my man, of course. I'm a NERD. I have accepted it. :)

Ok, probably enough for now...gotta save ideas for other posts..:)

Happy Monday!

-AMK