The Funk

Here is a little Friday stream of consciousness for you... Happy weekend! :)

It is funny. All that time spent in graduate school has given me a new perspective post-graduation. While I am SUPER grateful to be done with homework, late nights reading articles or textbooks, or group projects, I am finding that this time after graduating has been fun and relaxing, but different. While life and work and normal responsibilities still are moving at a fast pace, I am finding that all the things I thought about doing post-graduation, I am lacking the routine or discipline to actually do them. I had projects GALORE I wanted to do once being done with school. All those nights I was writing or meeting virtually with group members on projects, I had a list of "man, I wish I was doing [insert some form of fun that doesn't involve schoolwork here]". I even wished I had time to clean...like clean your whole house clean. Now that I have that time, I am having a difficult time making a routine. Scheduling my days to accomplish something outside of normal work hours. Once I get home, I just want to watch tv. I have never been a big tv watcher, but now, that's much of what I find myself doing. My books I have from the library even remain unread. What is going on?!  I need to get myself back on track and find a good rhythm. When you are forced to do hours of schoolwork, you just do it. It is hard, not fun, but it forces productivity. I can't handle not doing something productive. Just sitting is so foreign to me it makes me feel almost guilty for doing it. I guess, like in all things, I need to find a balance. I need to balance sitting watching tv time with doing projects or other household activities. I mean, I have been keeping up with routine cleaning, etc better than when I was in school, but the extra projects seem to be just waiting to be addressed and I keep putting it off. I am not a procrastinator, for the most part. Why am I suddenly doing this? I need to get out of this funk. This "wanting to be lazy" funk. I need to get on a schedule...you know I love a good list:) looks like it is to the drawing board on "being productive post-school".

I'll let you know how this all turns out... :)

Watermelon Salsa

Image from here.

Ok, don't be scared. My aunt introduced this recipe to me.  This salsa is incredible. It is sweet but has a little kick to it too. This is great for keeping it healthy and it isn't as acidic as tomatoes. Light and refreshing, you will LOVE IT. 

I have made this recipe many times now, and most people are stunned after trying it to find out that the "red" they see aren't tomatoes! This is a sure crowd-pleaser! 

I hope you find this is a fun alternative to regular salsa and enjoy changing things up for your summer cook outs!






Watermelon Salsa

2.-3 cups diced seedless watermelon
3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (I used red)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons brown sugar 
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix and serve chilled with tortilla chips!

Enjoy!

~AMK

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

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: It is no longer a stream. It's a flood!

Dear Future Self:

Here is my stream flooding of consciousness, in an effort to give my brain a break at thinking. It is amazing how simply writing things down makes it feel like it is no longer swirling aimlessly in my brain but has a place, a definitive space in my life and gives me comfort to know I have recognized that thought and it is no longer clouding my brain and my thinking.

Working Out. My stinkin' knee lately has given me trouble for a couple weeks! boo.... I love going to the high aerobic type classes at the gym, but with a recent knee twist, it has set me back in my work out patterns. In hopes of getting back into the work our groove, I tried a class last week. Not a good idea. My knee was still giving me trouble apparently. So this week, I am being lazy filling my time with other things I needs to be doing, and not hitting up the gym. The knee is much better, but still needs to be rested a bit to ensure it is all better. Then, I am back at it!! :)

Eating Healthy. Trying...but so much easier to each unhealthy foods sometimes. Keep on keepin' on...

Homework. Where to begin. This semester is kicking my butt with group projects, my individual projects and trying to do a book review. My planner is my best friend lately, and I STILL feel like I am missing stuff. No laziness allowed this semester, that's for sure! While it is not allowed, it still happens. Enjoying those bits of lazy times and enjoying it while it lasts:) I just keep thinking of May and all the glory that comes with being DONE.

Life in general. Life is great! :) I feel like every moment is taken up with doing something, but let's face it, if I weren't busy with work, school and all the normal life stuff, I'd most definitely be looking to fill my time with something. I am a glutton for busyness...my mother will attest to this and me being a very active, into everything type of child. Thanks Mom for putting up with me:)

Weather blues. PICK A TEMPERATURE... preferably warm:)

Thanks for listening to the rants and ramblings of one head-spinning-with-busyness chick.

I feel better already! :)

Hope you are having a good Monday! :)

~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

Yup, I'm THAT girl.

I am that person. The one you go to a restaurant with and you change one or everything about an option on the menu to make it what you want or need it to be. I feel bad for the waiters and waitresses that have to wait on me. And I feel bad for my friends who sit there and have to listen to me say...once again..."I have a question about {this food item}".  Thankfully, they are all really good sports and just give a good chuckle because I did it again.

When KGK and I went on our first date, we decided on the restaurant beforehand. In hindsight, I am very grateful for this simple fact. Many times, you may not know where the date may be, but for me, this was great.

KGK asked me to dinner. We went to this great spot that had a wide variety of food items to chose from: steak, chicken, salads, seafood..really a very large selection. For this, I am so glad. You see, when I go out to eat, I have these crazy food allergies and intolerances. And unfortunately, the list is quite extensive.  So, before our date, I looked up the menu online (of which I am also very grateful for!) and scanned what I wanted ahead of time, so I didn't have to ask a thousand questions or take FOREVER to order. Don't want to come across as high maintenance or anything on our first time out! :)  So on our date, I was able to order with no difficulty, made the impression I can scan a menu, order quickly, and don't get to know the waiter faster than the person you are on a date with because of all the crazy load of questions. Online menu= goal accomplished! I was one happy chick.

Thankfully, KGK is very helpful with checking to make sure all my allergies and intolerances are taken into account, now that we have been together and had many meals together. And our families and friends are also so wonderful to always check ahead of time to ask what I can or can't have. This is especially nice around the holidays were every type of dish under the sun is resurrected from the years past and feasted upon and about 80% of them have something in them I can't eat.  I always say, please, don't plan around me. I will find something! But, they always check and they always make sure there is more than carrot sticks that I will be able to enjoy.

So today, in the spirit of thanks as Thanksgiving is upon us and food is ever-present on our minds, stomachs, and waistlines, I want to say THANK YOU to all my friends and family who constantly keep me in your thoughts when it comes to food. For many, this isn't even a glimmer of a thought. For me, it is every trip to the grocery store, every meal out, and every party where you feel like a goober for not trying the famous dish of the night. It can be embarrassing to say "no, I can't, but thanks anyways!". So thank y'all for being gracious and so thoughtful towards me! I appreciate it more than most people realize!

~AMK

Let's Give 'em Somethin' to Blog About: I'm Still Me

"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: Sarah Sitting Down

Sarah's story was first revealed to me by Kelle Hampton (I told you I really liked her blog!). Sarah's story has been tragic and amazing and wonderful..and I say all these with the utmost awe and respect. She was paralyzed from the waist down after an accident while horseback riding. Her story has been on my mind, and I eagerly await to hear the next part of her journey and what she is learning to embrace. 

In each blog post, Sarah eloquently describes her story. Her scary-yet-enlightening story. She goes through the different times she has struggled and was adjusting to a new way of life. So many times, I think that a new way of life is something that YOU initiate. That it is something you have chosen to do-- like become a vegetarian, or move to another country, or change career paths. But Sarah, she had an accident. Her path was chosen for her. She didn't have a choice in this. She just had to deal with what happened to her and learn to live her life in this new scenario. 

So many times, I plan (cue laughter now!). I plan every detail of a day or hour or minute. I try and have a course of action or a well-thought-out road map for where my life should go. But really, it just doesn't always go as we planned. We can account for whatever curve balls will come our way, yet we will still miss something. That's just life.

Her story makes me come back to the whole "If God has a plan for your life". I really believe He does. Whether you believe in God or not, there are so many things in life that really seem to come together, even when the unexpected happens. For me, I like to believe that those things are the ones that will, in time, make us stronger. They may not make us happy, but we will be different because of them. It is just up to us whether we chose to be better from it. 

This change that occurs within us-whether from something major, minor, completely life-changing, or just a small insignificant memory or moment that stays with us- we need to be patient. While we are still living, we are still able to grow. We can adjust, adapt, grow, crumble, and build back up again. We can have hope. 

And not all change is from bad circumstances. Change can be fantastic. Like, getting married--since this is something very real to me right now. It is wonderful to share life with someone. The one person you have committed your time on this earth to. This change has been wonderful for me. And I am excited to see how I will change and grow from this point forward.

It is funny, when I was younger, I thought getting married meant you would somehow be different by that point. Well, I am still me. I have changed, but I am still the same in many ways. In my teenage years, I thought when you went to college, you would have everything figured out. NOPE. And when I was in college and right after, I thought that then, I would have it all figured out. NOPE. I always viewed adults as the ones that knew things. They just did, somehow. They were grown ups. I thought being a grown-up meant you had it all figured out. NOPE. And when I was single, I thought, when you are married, you have made it. You will be grown up and have it figured out. NOPE. Well, I have realized that I am still me. I am still growing. Changing. Evolving. I still have areas where I need to mature and grow up. There are things that I have overcome and do not worry about from when I was younger. Things have changed-life has changed.

While my change has not been as drastic as Sarah's, she has learned to grow and adapt in ways that I have never and may never even begin to imagine. She has overcome so much. Her story is inspiring.  She is strong and courageous. She works through life and she is always adapting to be better. She is living life and learning to figure things out. She is constantly working to be herself.

To Read Sarah's Story from the beginning, go here. 

~AMK

Never Get Discouraged!

A few friends and I send emails to each other almost daily as a reminder to keep our heads up and encourage each other to eat healthily and keep up the good work with working out. I received this one last week and it has been on the forefront of my mind lately as the scale just doesn't like to budge.  But I am noticing a difference in the way my clothes fit from all these workouts I've been doing!

So remember...NEVER GET DISCOURAGED! :)

Until next time...

~AMK

(I don't have the original link, but all credit goes to that blog/site that had it first.)

Hiking, Showers & Homework...

Last week and weekend was a busy one!

Here's the run-down of life lately: My grad classes started back up, I have worked out several times, had the stomach bug, celebrated our friend Megan's birthday, played some baseball at a local field while Buddy ran around and barked at anything that went by, saw the Hunger Games for the second time, attended 3 showers, and had a busy work week last week and into this week on top of that!

Over the weekend, I took Buddy on a hike. It felt so great to be back on the trails. With all the crazy going on, I am not out as much as I would like. So it was a spectacular day to hike.

I also had 3 showers this past weekend! THREE! Two on Saturday and one Sunday. One was a bridal shower for my friend Can-dance (real name: Candace, but Can-dance is so much more fun to say:)), the other was a baby shower for our friends Kristin and Brian at church who are having a little girl in September, and then on Sunday, a few of my AWESOME friends threw a shower for me. It was the BEST time. I appreciate all the wonderful ladies who were able to come out. Everything was perfect down to the smallest details. I have been beaming with happiness ever since:)

In addition to the hiking and showering of love and gifts, I had an oddly insane amount of homework for it being the first week of class. But 5 chapters later, 4 discussion boards, and other activities done, I went to bed a little late, but got it all set and done on time.

Now, my goals for the rest of this week are to continue to work out and be motivated! I also have a few recipes I am hoping to tackle. 

Until next time!

~AMK

Farmer's Market Goodness

The other day, KGK (my rockin' fiance) and I went to the Farmer's Market. LOVE. It is so nice supporting the local farmers and getting fresh produce! What is great about this farmer's market too is that it has a garden center. You can get anything and everything there---fish, seeds, decorations, lighting for your garden/patio, birdhouses, fountains (there was one fountain there for $6,000!), etc. etc. etc.....

Needless to say, we had a blast!

We got some fresh fruit and are making a fruit cup with all of it.  Excited to have a healthy, refreshing snack on these hot summer days.

Until next time...

~AMK