Some Motivation For Today

Challenge Accepted

Someone I know online posted a workout video, challenging others to complete as many sets of these burpees as possible in ten minutes. After some very brief consideration I decided....challenge accepted! (the screen grab for this video may look inappropriate, but trust me, it's not)

I lasted a whole one and a half minutes before my legs gave out. I am ashamed. But now I have a new goal to work towards!

I've decided to take it easy today. I went running for the past four days in a row, plus I've been doing the 8 minute ab video on YouTube. Yesterday I took Jack on a run and then did an intense weight lifting workout. I think I deserve this day of rest! But tomorrow I will work hard on the burpee challenge.

On an unrelated note, I did some light shopping yesterday! I picked up a very cute denim shirt dress for $17. I've never worn a shirt dress, and I've never worn denim aside from jeans. I'm completely in love with it!

Happy Father's Day

I love this picture of my dad. My niece snapped it last Thanksgiving. He looks like a giant perched on top of the tiny fireplace.

I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day!

A Long And Arduous Task

I have fond memories from my childhood of flipping through old photo albums. When my parents got married. My first day of school. Family vacations. All sorts of embarrassing baby pictures. My siblings and I would look at the pictures and reminisce on good times, or fill in the blank for things we didn't quite remember. I especially loved the old pictures. My favorite albums were from before my brother was born and before I was born. Life before me was so intriguing.

This is most of my family, plus my sister's husband. My oldest sister is
missing from this photo. I wish I had my childhood pictures to show
here instead.

Last night I spent an hour sorting through hundreds upon hundreds of pictures on my computer. I've been so haphazard with uploading and organizing in the past several months. Nothing after October of last year was sorted in any sensible fashion. This afternoon I spent a good three hours uploading the pictures to the Walgreen's website and selecting pictures for printing. Tomorrow I can pick up my prints, and put together my album. 

Many people I've talked to think making a photo album is such an old thing to do, or else they think photo albums are good for when children are around. I'd like to start making photo albums now so my children can see what life was like before them, just as I always wanted to see.

On Tonight's Menu

Taco salad!

Is it true Mexican food? Not even close

It was a very bare-bones taco salad. My boyfriend is on a rather restrictive diet so meals I cook for him are free of starch, gluten, wheat, dairy, and a few other items. That list automatically excludes tortillas. I had actually just learned to make homemade tortillas about a month ago. They were delicious! But I won't be making them at home for a while.

For a base we used diced roma tomatoes and shredded lettuce. I then shredded some imitation cheddar cheese. It's almond-based and really delicious. I couldn't tell the difference! The meat is just regular grass-fed ground beef. I used my own blend of seasonings: 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cumin, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Goal update: so far this week I've done nothing to work towards my goals. I intended to go for a run today,  but after a trip to the dentist I was absolutely not in the mood. I need to work harder for the rest of the week!

Living Room Makeover

I finally have pictures of the living room!

The completed hallway

Full shot of the room

So many changes from the awful yellow before! I'm not particularly fond of the couches, and neither is the boyfriend. The dogs have done some damage to them, and we're looking to replace the couches soon.  Now to look closer at some details.

I received these elephants from my Secret Santa in a gift exchange. I absolutely love them!

Elephants on the front door

Close-up of an elephant

I picked up the coffee table for $50 off of craigslist. There are a few scratches and dings but I absolutely love the antique detailing. I want to refinish it this summer, but first need to determine how to maintain the marbled finish. 

The chess set comes from my grandparents. I don't think I've ever played a game on it, but I like to leave it out on the table.

When we were in Mexico, we picked up a few items for decoration. There are two fish bone Buddha statues on the window sill. We also have a checkered blue blanket for snuggling.

We got these at market in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Price
negotiations were interesting to watch! Of course I don't
speak enough Spanish to participate

Last summer I found an antique mirror on craigslist. It has never been hung and is currently lurking somewhere in the basement. I think it would look perfect at the end of the hallway. The walls are very bare so I've been keeping my eye out for some decoration. My sister is painting me something for my birthday. I can't wait to see the finished product!

You can see the old yellow reflected here

Goal Evaluation

I want to do a quick check-in for my 5 mini-goals of the week.

First up was 'recycle old electronics.' Done! My boyfriend told me of this website Gazelle. All I had to do was list what electronics I had and what condition they are in. If the items are in good enough condition, Gazelle will pay for them. If not, Gazelle will still recycle the items for free. Since I had a water-destroyed cell phone, non-working ipod, and an outdated LG Rumor I didn't get any money back. It is still nice to know that they were recycled, though.

Up next: 'finish skirt project.' Um, about that...I think I made this goal too broad. Since I wrote 'finish skirt project' I felt intimidated and as if I had to do the entire thing in one sitting. This will continue on to next week's list, though in less broad terms.

'Register for classes.' Done! After meeting with my academic adviser on Tuesday I spent some time picking out classes. Then on Wednesday morning I registered. I'm taking Intro to Statistical Math, Sociological Theory, Latin America and US History, and Anthropology and Contemporary World Problems. I'm excited for all of them!

Number four was 'go for a run three times.' I am proud to say I achieved this one. If you had asked me one month ago to run three times per week I would have laughed. But today I ran for one mile with no breaks or walking. I'm definitely keeping this goal on my list for the next several months.

Finally, I had 'paint the hallway.' I posted about this one earlier this week. Unfortunately, I don't have good pictures of the room yet. However, I do have a picture of my dogs on a couch.

Fresh Coat Of Paint

As soon as I moved in to my boyfriend's house I got an itch to paint the living room. For some reason the previous homeowners thought that a 1970s style yellow would be a lovely choice. It made me want to vomit. After months of pestering I got Xavier to agree to a color, but it wasn't until January that I had a chance to actually paint. I painted the bulk of the room back then, but had to leave the hallway yellow. I ran out of painting time before work, and Xavier complained about the paint smell. He requested that I wait until I would be able to open some windows for ventilation.

Before. I hate the yellow

So today I painted the hallway.

It took me at least an hour to clean the walls and tape off trim and fixtures. The hallway is only 17 feet long, but there are six doors, two outlets, a thermostat, and some odd electric fixture that I can't identify. Then the painting process took me two and a half hours. Phew. I'm too tired to take pictures now, and the living room is a mess anyway. I will try to post some pictures soon. 

Here's a taste of the new living room

My five mini goals of the week are almost complete! I'm going on my third run of the week tomorrow (though I did jog as part of my workout tonight) and then I just need to finish my skirt. I'm not sure if that will be done by the end of the week. 

My First Mile

Last night I downloaded the Endomondo sports tracking app for Android. It allows you to track time spent and calories burned on dozens of different activities like running, hiking, kayaking, aerobics, walking, weight lifting, etc. I plan on using it primarily to track my progress in running. The app uses GPS to track the route and determine distance.

Sample of what the app looks like

And guess what? Today I ran my first mile since middle school. 

For some people that is just a warm up. But for me that is a huge accomplishment.

I focused on my breathing and was very careful with my posture. Unlike the past two times out, I didn't feel a tightness in my breathing at the end. My legs were more sore than anything else! I did some stretching to cool down afterward. Just three days in and I'm seeing significant improvement. I know that it is not much, but it's enough to keep me motivated.

Today's Adventures

This afternoon I had a meeting with my academic advisor to figure out my plan through graduation. I picked out all my courses, decided on a minor, and learned that I do not, in fact, have to take pre-calc as a prerequisite for other sociology courses. Instead I can take an easier math class like statistics or algebra. Woohoo! However, I'm still waiting to be authorized to register. I'm not sure if I'm waiting on my advisor or on the registrar. I need to make some phone calls tomorrow.

While I was on campus I had lunch with my good friend Joe. I haven't seen him in a while, so it was good to catch up.

I also headed over to the mall. I found a cute pair of shorts, some sunglasses, a blue tank top with silk flowers, and an orange cardigan. I also picked up a belt for a dress I bought a few weeks ago (on consignment for $10.  It's a Banana Republic dress). Upon trying the dress with the belt I decided it looks awful. I'll be returning the belt.

I adore those shoes!

Don't I look so cute with my face cut off?

I then went to the local co-op. My boyfriend has gone on a gluten and wheat free diet, so I decided to find some specialty flour and cookies for him. Originally I was looking for almond flour but the manager told me they no longer carry it. It's expensive, perishable, and not that popular. Instead I found a Breads From Anna bread mix that is gluten, wheat, soy, nut, and rice free. It tastes delicious!

Shop for the bread mix and many more here.

A Second Run

I went out for my second run today. Once again I started off with a brisk walk to get my body moving. The initial walk was a little bit shorter this time since I was walking faster. As I started to run I focused on my breathing. It stopped me from thinking things like 'I'm hot! I'm tired! I'm sore!'

I set smal goals for myself. Make it to the next mailbox, no, the next one. How about that driveway? I've found that while the idea behind the Couch to 5k program is good, it is rather pesky to keep track of seconds while running. I ran as I could, and took breaks as I need them. I was only outside for a little more than 15 minutes, but of that I ran for about 10 minutes. That's a significant improvement from Friday!

I really was craving McDonald's earlier. However, I stayed strong and resisted the urge. Instead I ate a tuna sandwich and grapes.

Finally, I've started a list of 5 mini goals of the week in the sidebar. I can already cross off one!

Out For A Run

For the first time in an unknown amount of years I went for a run. Me. Running.

I abhor running. Anytime I've ran in the past--even in the basement playing with the dogs--I'd become short of breath within seconds. However, I know how good it is for the body. It's great cardio, burns a lot of calories, boosts metabolism, and so much more. 

A few weeks ago I ran across this program called Couch to 5k. Its goal is to get even the laziest of couch potatoes running a 5k in just 9 weeks. The first week of the program starts with a brisk 5-minute walk followed by alternating 60 seconds of running with 90 seconds of walking. Well, that certainly sounded easy to me! 

So today I laced up my running shoes (I found them on sale for $60 off the retail price) and went out.

It was not easy. I ended up being outside for 25 minutes, with sunscreen of course, but only actually ran for 5 minutes. The good news is that I didn't feel too winded. I wasn't gasping for air or breathing too hard. However, I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my stomach. I'm wondering if perhaps I drank too much water before going out. 

I didn't accomplish the goal set out by the program, but I did accomplish my goal of actually running for a change. On Sunday I'll go back out and try the program again.

In case you're interested, here is the link to the program.

Starting My First* Sewing Project

*First not including the pillow I made when I was 12


A few weeks ago I went to the fabric store with my mom. Oh, boy, how time flew in there! According to my dad's watch (he sat in the car, of course) we spent right around two hours. My mom picked up some notions to replace her aging things as well as some fabric and thread for a tote bag.

I hit up the patterns and found three that I loved. Two were from Vogue, one for a skirt and one for a dress, both on sale for $3.99 I also found a beginner's pattern from Simplicity for a simple elastic-waist skirt. I decided to make that my first project, so moved on to get fabric. My mom spotted a gorgeous black and white fabric that I immediately fell in love with. Alas, she claimed it for herself. I ended up finding a cute grey-patterned fabric instead.

A snippet of my fabric

Admittedly, I've been procrastinating. I'm scared to mess up. I'm scared that it will be hard and that my dreams of making dresses will be crushed. I'll never know if I don't try, right?

So I'm trying.

Today I laid out my fabric and cut out the pattern pieces. I had a little panic moment where I thought that the pieces wouldn't all fit on the fabric I bought (even though I bought the amount that the pattern suggested!). One piece strays into the white area at the top of the fabric. My mom assured me that because of seam allowances it won't actually show in the skirt. Whew.

I didn't get far today. But at least I did get started!

My progress thus far

Something I Haven't Done In A While

In the past few days I've had someone ask me (several times) 'why aren't you blogging?!' It has been a very busy semester for me. Between work and class I didn't have much free time. Now its summer, so I have no excuse! I'm going to try for daily posts again.

As of yesterday afternoon I am officially a University of Iowa student (again). Last May I was dismissed from the college due to a very poor GPA. I definitely deserved it. My time management was awful. I worked far too many hours and never used a planner so I would often forget about assignments or tests until the morning of. Since then I attended a community college where my GPA was significantly better. Now in the fall I'll be returning to the university to finish my BA in Sociology.

Planning has helped me tremendously this past year

I've learned a lot in the past year. First, I learned to say 'no' to my boss. In years past I would never turn down shifts or opportunities to make more money. I was living in an apartment by myself and therefore needed the cash. Now I have a financial safety net set up, so I'm not afraid to say 'no' to work for a few days or a week. School is far more important than pizza delivery! Second, I've learned how to use a planner. My Moleskine notebook goes everywhere with me. Every single assignment, work shift, and appointment gets written down. The opposite page is blank to allow for notes. I can write down assignment descriptions, to-do lists, and little reminders. It's great!

There is still one thing I might struggle with this semester: math.

Twice now I've taken--and failed--the same Elementary Functions class, which is just a fancy name for Pre-Calc. My advisor at the community college told me it wasn't necessary for a BA in Sociology, so I chose not to retake it there. However, I learned that it is required at the university as a prerequisite for the Sociological research courses. Great!

Courtesy of www.amazon.com, of course

See, I failed Elementary Functions not just because I skipped class. I'm just really, really bad at math. It's never been my forte. I can trace that back to fourth grade when I struggled with fractions. But I must take this class! So what am I going to do? Study, of course!

I ordered a book this morning to review algebra. I'll work through it over the next month or so, and then move on to a trigonometry review book. Also, the University of Iowa has a math lab and tutors. I definitely plan on utilizing those this upcoming semester!