Day 23, 24 & 25

Although I have still been achieving my 365 goal of doing one good thing for myself per day, I haven't felt as motivated to write about it. I'm hoping I can get back into it and be my hilarious witty self.

So Thursday was Day 23, I took my sister's dog Ru who I'm watching all weekend for a nice long walk. I also drew eyebrows on her to get a little laugh and a lot of pictures, but I don't think that counts as part of my project.. The healthy part was the nice long walk which was really enjoyable now that mornings and evenings are nice and cool.

Here's a bonus eyebrow picture of the cutie.

Obviously she didn't enjoy the eyebrows as much as I did..

Friday was Day 24, and the day of my big work event. It ran so smoothly, surprisingly, and I didn't have any hiccups. I was really impressed with my staff for coming through for me, and being organized ahead of time really made the night a success. I was not as stressed out as I thought I would be, and actually had fun. So afterwards, I had a nice glass of wine and dinner with my dad, which was a really good way to end the night after a busy day.

For Day 25 I went to yoga after work, as much as I would have rather taken a nap and cuddled with Ru and despite the fact that I was running late getting there (which I get major anxiety about). So I went, and as usual I did not regret it. There were only three other people in the class, the smallest class I've been in, and it really gave me a chance to focus on myself, and make adjustments to the poses because I could clearly see myself in the mirror without distractions. I wish all of my yoga classes could be like that, because I didn't compare myself to anyone else since I could only see myself in the mirror and no one else. I don't like watching myself in the mirror because I focus too much on the issues I have with my body instead of how I'm doing in the pose, so this forced me to face that, and it wasn't so bad. It really helped to not have those skinny show offs in front of me as well. It made me feel that I am where I'm supposed to be and it is okay.

And I spent the night with Emily drinking vodka martinis and watching House of Versace. It was a good day.

Cheers!

Day 20, 21 & 22

Wow, I have been seriously slacking on updating this. I'm so sorry to my many many followers who hang on my every word and check daily to see what I did for myself. Don't worry, I'll bring you up to speed on my week.

On Monday for Day 20, I decided to take a personal day. After class in the morning I decided not to go to work and instead go the next day. I didn't have the SO over. I didn't pick up the work I've been putting off, and I didn't put my mind on anything I didn't want to. I think it's important to spend a day like that every now and then, to just let your brain rest. I caught up on Homeland (needed to finish it so I could get back to the real world), I had a healthy dinner, and I had a great night of sleep. Worth it.

On Tuesday for Day 21, I made dinner and hosted a few friends. The SO, his brother, and Emily. There was plenty of wine, and food and everyone seemed to have a good time. I made the enchiladas for everyone, this time with a side of Spanish rice, and they were successful. Lots of good conversation and laughs, and it was good to spend time with people after spending the day before alone. It's all about balance people!

On Wednesday for Day 22, I came up with a plan at work. I am hosting a huge work event on Friday, and I'm feeling a lot of pressure because it is the first time I've hosted this large of an event since I've been in this position, and it will reflect on how well (or not) I do my job. So to be prepared, I wrote out a big list of what needs to happen before the event, and a schedule of what needs to happen the day of the event, as well as during the time of the event. I planned who will be responsible for what job, and we will all be having a brief meeting before the event to all get on the same page. I know it's probably common sense to do something like this, but I included it in this challenge because it made me feel better myself in my work life by feeling more prepared and empowered that I can pull this event off. Wish me luck!

Cheers!

Day 19

Yesterday was a good Sunday. Had breakfast with my mom and sister and the dogs at OHSO, ran some errands, watched more Homeland. I needed to buy new sheets and went to Homegoods to get them. I was very excited to see a set of Diane von Furstenburg super soft sheets for only $16.99, but when I got home and laid them out, turned out to only be the top sheet.. No matching fitted sheet, no pillow cases. Big bummer, but the sheet was super soft and cozy so I decided to keep it anyway.

The day ended with the series finale of Breaking Bad, a show I've been following not since the beginning, but for awhile now. I'm relieved that I feel satisfied from the finale, but still sad not to have those characters in my life anymore. It's crazy how attached we become to our tv families, isn't it?

And for Day 19, I tried yet another recipe. Baked Mahi Mahi with a Wine & Herb Sauce. This recipe ended up being a complete dud.. And I was pretty bummed to say the least. I can't remember the last time I tried a new recipe and it didn't turn out awesome, so I felt defeated. It took a lot of prep time, the ingredients sounded so good, and the fish was fresh, but when the SO took his first bite and said "It tastes like chicken", I knew it was doomed. Just so bland and flavorless, despite the awesome ingredients of fresh rosemary from my flower box garden, my favorite Whole Foods wine, fresh lemon juice, thyme, etc. But that's okay, you win some you lose some. Cooking fish is new to me, so I'm bound to have a couple of fails here and there. Even though it didn't give me the turn out I had hoped, at least I tried another new recipe and completely a task for Day 19.


Cheers!

Day 18

Went to breakfast at my favorite breakfast place Crackers & Co. with the SO this morning before work. Even got to sit outside since the weather is actually started to change. Very enjoyable!

Then worked a decently busy work day, nothing too crazy, went home and watched some Homeland. I know I'm being the trend, but I just started watching it this week and easily I'm hooked. Very interesting show so far.

So for Day 18, instead of taking a nap after work, I did some working out at home. I did some arm weights, and some ab workouts, and I did this video that I find very beneficial for just a quick 10 minute work out.

I do some of the work outs from this video when I'm brushing my teeth, or waiting for water to boil while cooking. It's easy to fit in little moves that keep you active when you get a chance. And if you have a really busy time where you can't go to the gym or yoga, this 10 minute work out is a great way to feel like you've done something good for yourself for just a few minutes, something that's very important in our daily routines.

I know it's small, but it's something. Going over to a friend's house for the rest of the evening. It'll be fun to see some friends I don't see too often (or often enough!).

Cheers!

Day 17

Today I went to work in the morning, had lunch with my mom (finally able to see me after the tattoo news), and then accompanied her to get some new work clothes for her business trip she has coming up. I love my mama. Also cleaned up a bit around the apartment. It's amazing how many times I have to clean the kitchen in a week. I don't understand how it gets so messy so quickly?

So for Day 17, I tried a new recipe. Black bean and spinach enchiladas I found over at The Garden Grazer. I've never made enchiladas before and I think they turned out very successful. They were easy and the SO was happy with the turn out, even though he had quite a long wait for them after somehow losing one of the ingredients, and discovering that he had grabbed parsley instead of cilantro.. Boys. I will post the recipe for them in a little bit.

I love trying new recipes, it's exciting to see what the outcome is going to be and I love being pleasantly surprised by how tasty it ends up, or enjoying a laugh when it's a disaster.

Cheers!

Spinach & Black Bean Enchiladas

I know the picture doesn't make them look that awesome, but trust me they totally are. And easy to boot!

For the sauce:
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
Pepper to taste

Make the sauce in a saucepan. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomato paste, flour, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Cook 1 minute, whisking. Whisk in broth, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Pepper to taste, and set aside.

{Or if you're crunched for time or just feeling lazy, I'm sure using canned enchilada sauce and adding your own spices would be just as awesome.}

For the enchiladas:
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can corn
Bundle of fresh spinach
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp cumin
3 cups shredded three cheese blend
6-8 whole wheat or flour tortillas (I ended up using 6 medium sized)

Preheat oven to 375.
Saute the spinach in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until slightly wilted.
In a large bowl, combine beans, 2 cups cheese, spinach, corn, green onions, 2 cumin, and cilantro.
Lightly spray a 9x13-ish inch baking dish, and pour a small amount of the sauce to coat the bottom.
Generously fill tortillas with mixture, roll up tightly with ends tucked in, and place seam side down in dish. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas, coating evenly. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese on top.
Bake about 20 minutes, and garnish with cilantro and/or green onions if you're feeling fancy. Obviously I wasn't.

And I gotta say, they made AH-MAZING leftovers the next day. I just pooped one in my toaster oven for a few just to warm it up, and ugh, de-lish.

Let me know if anyone tries this!

Olay!

EDIT: It's hard to believe, but they make EVEN BETTER 3 am munchies!!

Day 16

Yesterday was my best and longest friend Janell's birthday. So for Day 16, I went out with her and celebrated.

I'm really not a huge 'going to crazy bars on Mill Ave' type of person. I prefer a dirty dive bar with pool tables, or just hanging at someone's house. But Janell is definitely a party-er and wanted to go out on Mill. I only knew two of the people going, and there were a few more I didn't know. This kind of thing makes me really uncomfortable and a lot of time I end up bailing for a quiet night instead. But I pushed myself to do something out of my comfort zone and go out with them, and very glad I did. Everyone was really nice, I ran into some old friends from high school, went to some new places I've never been, and had an awesome time overall. Definitely was feeling it this morning at work though..

Janell is really a wonderful person and although we don't see each other weekly, I am so glad she is in my life and will be for a very long time I'm sure. I'm so glad we've been able to spend so many birthdays together.

Cheers!

Day 15

For Day 15, I took some time to have a great, long conversation with my boss. He's really a great guy who I admire, and I might not be working with him much longer which makes me sad. But today at work we got some good one-on-one time. He has all kinds of weird sayings, is completely witty, and has an answer for everything. He does not let me give in to gossip or complaining for the sake of complaining, which is very important in work life. He has been a positive influence on my professional career and spending time with him on the rare chance I get is something I look forward to.

Short and sweet but that's what I've got today.

Cheers!

Day 14

For Day 14, I went to a movie by myself. There's a weird stigma about people going to the movies alone, and I think people fear it more than they need to. I've only gone by myself to a movie once before, and honestly I don't mind it at all. I think that all depends on what film you chose though. I chose Lee Daniel's The Butler, something I've been wanting to see since it came out. If it was say a thriller, maybe a Seth Rogan film, I'd want a buddy with me to share the experience, but this one I felt perfectly comfortable seeing with myself.

There's something about going out by yourself that encourages others to talk to you, something I really appreciate. For example, the nice man who takes your ticket stubs at the entrance who had to put on his glasses to read my ticket. He told me it was a great movie choice and we started a conversation about how it is in his top give movies of this year. If I had been with someone else, I'm sure he would have been perfectly kind and still compliment our choice of movie, but since I was alone I felt comfortable responding back with more than a thank you, and instead asked questions back. I think we all need to do this more often. There are so many people in this world we will never speak to, and it's refreshing to make a connection with a stranger, even if it's just for a minute.

Although I felt a little uncomfortable about going to the movies alone at first, it made me feel a sense of confidence once I actually went. I did not feel lonely, and the movie was wonderful. It was just a small, insignificant action, but this kind of thing is exactly what I had in mind when starting this project.

Cheers!

Day 13

For Day 13, last night my sister and I took our mom out for dinner, our treat. We went to Salut, a really great wine bar near my apartment. I get to spend a good amount of time with my mom, and I try to see my sister as much as I can, but it's more rare for the three of us to get together at the same time, so it was nice to all catch up.

There was another reason for the dinner yesterday. We had to tell my mom about the tattoos we got together yesterday. My mom has never been a fan of tattoos, in fact she hates them (although I think she's secretly becoming more and more accustomed to them), and we knew she was not going to take it well, despite the fact that we have been talking about these tattoos openly for over a year. We feel bad about her reaction, but like she told us last night, we are adults and they are our bodies.

And as promised to my many avid readers (aka no one), here are the pictures of what I got.

The matching Z my sister and I have

A little finger tattoo I've been wanting for awhile

My mom was upset about how large the Z tattoo is. She thought we were going to get some small dainty Z and was upset at how large it turned out. And she says my finger tattoo looks like dirt (which I actually find humorous). I understand her reaction, it can't be easy to see the life she created permanently marked with ink, something her generation still views as trashy. But I'm very happy with my little tattoos, and they are meaningful to me and to my sister. It's a bond my sister and I will always have together, and I do not regret getting them.

Regardless, this conversation was beneficial to myself in that I am glad I can be honest with my mom. I did not want to hide these things from her, which we easily could have done to avoid this conversation, but I am glad we have the type of relationship where even if she is mad at us for the next few days, she loves us enough to get past something she doesn't agree with.

Cheers!

Day 12

As I mentioned the other day, Day 12 was the day I was going to get my tattoo done! Woke up early to head home and shower, and my sister and I grabbed some iced tea and bagels and got pedicures so our feet would be nice and clean and pretty since that was going to be the location for the tattoos. It was nice to spend some time with her as a bonus today. She is always so busy with work and social events that I don't get to hang out with her as much as I'd like, so when we get some time together I'm glad.

Anyway, Joe Ianuzzi (@ianuzzi1134) did our matching tattoos and he did a great job, and is overall a really nice guy. I'm very happy with how it turned out and am very glad we finally got these done after talking about it for a year.

Part of Joe's really awesome private studio

And there's my view of the tattooing

It hurt a bit, but wasn't too bad. My sister did not feel the same. It was her first tattoo and poor thing was in quite a bit of pain and a sweaty hot mess. But she did great. I'll post pictures of the tattoo once it heals.

Now I'll need some positive energy sent my way for telling my mom.. Wish me luck!

Cheers!

Day 11

I didn't have access to my computer yesterday so I'm writing two days worth today. Yesterday was a crazy Saturday at work, very busy and long, but everyone seemed to be in a good mood which is always a good way to get through a work day. I had to study for and take a test for one of my classes while at work so it was even more hectic, but I got everything done with the help of caffeine of course.

So for Day 11, I took it easy and had a little girls night with Emily and her mom. We made cocktails, dinner, watched The Bling Ring (not a fan) and Face Off (fan), and chatted. It was a really a good way to hang out after such a busy day at work. After the craziness of the day, it was nice to just unwind and take things slow with good company. Also discovered Emily's hidden talent for sounding like Mae West, which will becoming regular dialogue in our apartment I'm sure.

Cheers!

Day 10

For Day 10, even though it was the only morning I would get to sleep in this week, I got up and went to yoga. And I'm very glad I did. In the beginning of class, I set an intention for that specific session. Anything from "I want to hold at least one of the one-minute poses without falling over" to "I just don't want to pass out this class". Today my intention was to feel really good during class. And that's exactly what I did. I let go of whatever was bothering me during the class and just focused on my body. I fell out of the poses but got right back into them. I worked to improve poses I struggle with. And I had an excellent few minute semi-meditation at the end (still working to turn off my thoughts, it's a personal struggle).

During the final Shavasana the instructor said something that rang so true to me:

"When you take time for yourself, that's when the healing begins."

That statement just reiterates everything I'm hoping to gain from this project. I want to work on myself, on my self esteem, on my mind body and soul (as corny as that sounds), on my relationship with myself, on accepting myself just for who I am, and accepting others the way they are, so that I can bring all of those wonderful attributes to my relationships and understanding of other people.

Now, back to the mayhem at work tonight.

Cheers!

Day 8

For Day 8 I did a little retail therapy since I've been having kind of a rough go of it at work this week. It's hard to butt heads with someone as stubborn as myself, and usually results in an unsolvable argument. I know it'll be worked out soon, but it's been getting me down the past couple of days. So to get my mind off of things at work, I went to Ikea.

I had a purpose when I went. I was determined to finally get a white frame for an art print the SO made me awhile back that has been sadly staring at me from the floor while it waits for a frame. So I finally got one. I also had intentions to buy a couple of art shelves for the framed portraits I've been collecting and haven't been able to hang yet, but unfortunately Ikea only had black and I really wanted white, and didn't want to bother with the spray paint thing unless I really had to, so I figured I would check online first.

So did I leave Ikea with just the frame and consider myself defeated after not finding the correct shelves? Of course I did.. Not.. I ended up with seven items in my cart.. How did this cart even get in my hands? Why would anyone who wasn't going to buy more than a picture frame and shelf need a cart? Oh I know why, to store the items I totally didn't need to buy but ended up in my cart anyway! I mean, the average person can't hold seven (yes, I ended up with seven items..) in their arms comfortably to the check out line, right? Especially at Ikea where they don't even give you a shopping bag for the small items you get.. What's that about anyway?

And you know what? I don't feel guilty. Some of these things I've been wanting or needing for the apartment and found a really excellent deal on them, so I decided to splurge a little. And is $50 total really a splurge for seven items? I think not!

Cheers!

Day 7

Today marks one week since I started this project. My has the time passed! We are all getting better acquainted now aren't we?

So for the one week anniversary aka Day 7, I designed a tattoo. For someone else you ask? For a client? Nope, for myself. My sister and I have been talking about getting this tattoo for a year now, so what better time to finally do it. Not only did I design it, but I made us an appointment, it's finally happening! But shh, don't tell mom. Also, I'm technically getting two tattoos (one is tiny!), but don't tell mom that either.

It's not my first tattoo, but it has been four years since my last. This is something I feel very comfortable permanently inking on my body, and is meaningful for me and that's all that matters. It's small, nothing crazy and noticeable, but it's just a little reminder of where I come from that I'd like to take with me everyday. You'll have to wait until Sunday to see what it is (what a threat, no one even reads this), because Sunday is when I will have it done. I can't wait!

Cheers!

Ahi Tuna & Mushroom Quinoa

Tonight's meal received RAVE REVIEWS! It really wasn't very difficult to make, I recommend chopping all the ingredients first (I had helpers!), and cooking the quinoa before the tuna. You can leave it on low heat while the tuna is quickly seared. Here's the picture my SO snapped before clearing his plate (doesn't look super pretty, but it was super tasty).

For the Ahi Tuna:
(I made three steaks, but could probably make four)

2 big handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6-ounce) block sushi-quality tuna
1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust. Pour 1/2 of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish. Serve the seared tuna with the sliced avocado and the remaining cilantro sauce drizzled over the whole plate.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pan-seared-tuna-with-avocado-soy-ginger-and-lime-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

For the Mushroom Quinoa:
(Original recipe makes six servings, I have plenty of leftovers)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (8 ounce) package mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the hot oil until browned, about 5 minutes; set aside.

Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa to the melted butter and let it brown, about 3 minutes. Pour the chicken broth over the quinoa; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the sauteed mushroom mixture and cook another 2 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

 

Let me know if you try this and how successful it was!

 

Cheers!

Day 6

Another busy but very productive day.

I had a great Life Drawing class today. First of all, we had two models - one who had a shaved head which I find gorgeous, and the other looked just like Modern Family's Sarah Hyland. I have never done live nude drawing with pen, only with charcoal, so although it was challenging, it was really fun. My hippie teacher gave me a feather pen he had made yesterday to work with today and told me I look like Thomas Jefferson while I was drawing. Obviously I took it as a compliment. He told me the goose who provided the feather did not die in vain. Another worthy compliment. Here are some of my two-minute warm up sketches from today.

After class I went to Sprouts to buy groceries for the meal I made for dinner, which I will get into later. I love the fresh fruits and vegetables Sprouts has, they are locally grown and so inexpensive. You know how hard it is to find avocados for $0.48? Thank goodness for that.

I took a quick power nap, and then cleaned the entire apartment - something I've been putting off for weeks now (specifically my room). I cleaned all the dishes, counters, toilet, bathroom, cleaned off my desk (which was piled with various paper and jewelry making items), folded and hung up all of my clothes, and put my sheets in the wash. I felt very accomplished after, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to sleep very well tonight in my clean room and bed.

After that, for Day 6 I cooked a delicious meal for my roommate and S.O. Ahi Tuna with a cilantro lime dressing, and mushroom quinoa. I had never cooked Ahi Tuna, nor had I ever cooked quinoa before so I was a little nervous, but it turned out to be a great success and I received rave reviews from both eaters. I will post the recipe with the photo my SO took following this one. I thank my darling seester for introducing this meal to me. I love cooking for others, and it's great to have some really appreciative foodies as my audience!

So altogether a very productive day, that's ending with a very hefty class of wine (following the delicious blood orange/lime cocktail Emily made before dinner). Just call me Susie Homemaker!

Cheers!

Day 5

Today was a busy day of school, being an airport chauffeur, and going to work. But for Day 5, I was able to dedicate some time to an old friend for some wine and appetizers at happy hour.

And by old friend, I mean that she is older than my mother. But that doesn't mean we are any less connected. I've been considered an old soul, or born in the wrong era for a long time now, and I can't help but agree. I connect so well with older women as friends, and I just have so much respect and love for my older friends. So it was lovely to catch up on each other lives, and bitch to each other about the things that are annoying us in our lives. We joke that seeing each other is our therapy, but I think we both know it's true. She is a friend that I adore, and I'm so glad we are able to make time for each other regularly.

Cheers!

Day 4

As much as I wanted to be lazy this Sunday and watch HGTV all Sunday, for Day 4 I decided to take Roxy for a nice long walk. Not sure how much she actually enjoyed it considering it's a thousand degrees outside, but I like to think she did.

I was invited to see a band called Local Natives tonight with a few friends and I'm really bummed that I had to cancel, but I didn't want to leave Roxy home alone for too long since she's not reacting well with my mom being out of town. Would have loved to go, but I figured I should do the right thing for her. Here's a video of the band I'm missing, complete with cute puppies for your enjoyment.



So even though I missed out on a good gig, I bought tickets to see Volcano Choir in January. I know that's a very long time from now, but that doesn't mean I'm not any less excited.

A day full of music is a good day for me.

Cheers!

Day 3

Today was a crazy busy work day, I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But got a lot accomplished, handled some last minute mishaps, and made money. I had made a delicious salad the night before - peppered chicken, fresh romaine and iceberg lettuce, crunchy bits and some oriental dressing (nothing extravagant, but tasty nonetheless) - brought it into work last night and was looking forward to eating it for lunch today, but someone had stolen it. Jerk. I was very upset to say the least. So I posted this on the office fridge.

So that put a damper on my afternoon, but I got over it and laughed about it with some of my coworkers. Still not sure who took it though..

After work we took Roxy, my mom's adorable six year old Collie who I am taking care of this weekend, on a little coffee date to Seattle Espresso. My mom rescued her about two weeks ago, and it has taken no time at all for her to become acclimated to our family. She's very sweet but also clumsy and awkward which I love. She gets a ton of attention when she's out and about and loves meeting new people and especially new dogs. Here she is loving life on our date.

It wasn't until after the date that she decided to poop all over the living room when we ran to the store for ten minutes and be an anti-social weirdo the rest of the night. I think she's having abandonment issues from my mom being gone. I'll just keep showing her my love and hopefully she'll be okay.

And for Day 3, I am having a lovely girl's night with Emily. We got some supplies at the store (Cheap wine and plenty of fresh fruit for Blood Orange Sangria. Oh, and more cheap wine.), and we will probably watch girly movies in our underwear, because yes, that's what girls do. At least these girls. It's important to me to dedicate time to just hanging out with a good friend. I'm not a huge "Night on the Town" kind of twenty-something, so hanging out drinking, relaxing, and laughing is my kind of Saturday night. 

So it's been a day of highs and lows. Hopefully I can get my butt in gear tomorrow and be active instead of giving in to a lazy Sunday.

Cheers!

Day 2

I spent most of my day taking it easy and recovering from last night's lovely ordeal before going to work tonight. Sometimes we need to let our bodies relax and heal when we have the chance, so I took that chance. Now I am at work, obviously working very hard on work-related things.

So for Day 3 while at work, I wrote to a new pen pal. I signed up awhile ago with an organization called Soldier's Angels to be matched with a pen pal who is over seas right now. I have had two pen pals through this group who have both made it safely home, and I was just assigned a new pen pal last week. So today I sent him a nice long letter complete with envelopes and stamps so that he can write back easily. Next week I will send him some of those Mio drink mixes as he requested because he says water can get very boring over there.

It may not seem like a big deal, but it's something I get joy from. Regardless of the fact that I typed out the whole letter just to have it crash right before printing and having to re-write the whole thing. I have a few pen pals from different places, friends who have moved away or that I have moved away from. It's not the quickest way to keep in contact by any means, but I have collected beautiful post cards that were sent to me, and I try to send unique ones as well. It's a reminder of where I or my friends were at during each point of our lives all there in writing on the back of a small piece of art.

And besides, no one can deny how exciting it is to receive a piece of snail mail in their mailboxes.

The most exciting part of my day - booking the hotel room for my trip to Chicago that is exactly one month away! Also booked a food tour through Chicago Food Planet Tours, which is something I didn't even know existed, but should be a really good way to eat my way through Chicago (just what I need?) next month. It has been a few years since I have traveled to a new place, and I could not be more excited to explore! Recommendations are encouraged!

Cheers!

Day 1

I went to the Gyno yesterday for the ever pleasant "check up." I really hate any appointment that requires me to get naked and wear that giant paper towel with arm holes for any period of time. Not because I hate getting naked for strangers, which yes, I actually do hate, but because of the sheer inconvenience of it. And there is something strange about wearing a pair of fabulous earrings while the rest of you is covered in that paper towel.

What's worse than wearing a big folded napkin and sitting on what looks like a doggy pee pad? I would say it was the obligatory weigh-in at the beginning of the appointment where once you see your weight, you want to yell "Wait! These flip flops and jeans are definitely adding those extra ten pounds, I swear!" Yesterday's weigh-in marks the heaviest I have every been in my twenty-some-years of life.

As hard as it was to leave the Sex and the City series finale that was playing again on tv (Yes I know it aired almost ten years ago, and yes I have seen this particular episode at least five times), but for Day 1 of this 365 challenge, I started by going to a Hot Yoga class. I have never been someone who enjoys exercising, and seriously a "Runner's High" is a huge myth some skinny bitch made up to make it seem like she was enjoying killing herself over a couple of pounds. But Hot Yoga is the only form of working out that I have kept up with for a period of time. I mean, you get to lay down during the class, that's really the most we can ask for during a workout for those of us who hate working out. A few months ago I was attending yoga classes a few times of week and really enjoying it, but life happens and I haven't been keeping up.

So today, I went, and wanted to kill everyone in the room because I was so miserably hot and couldn't stand on one leg for a whole minute while twisting my torso in unnatural ways and some guy was breathing too loud. But alas, I felt great after going as I usually do. When I'm in the yoga studio, I don't think about the stresses I have outside the room, and just focus on myself. It's freeing, and refreshing, and I feel better mentally and physically after spending an hour in that hot room. It was a great way to start this challenge.

So I was feeling good, enjoyed my afternoon catching up on laundry and some stuff around the apartment. Come to realize, I have a yeast infection brought on by the antibiotics I've been put on to help clear up my face.. Sorry if that is TMI, but if this kind of talk offends you, you were not raised in a household like mine, and this wont be the blog for you. This is the first time I have ever experienced this horrid thing, and it's just another reason I love being a woman.. Not. I now know the truth about yeast infections - They are the adult female version of the Chicken Pocks. Vaginas are very scary places, and this was confirmed tonight with this lovely new experience. And damn it, I was just at the Gyno yesterday! I may be twenty-something, but I still asked my mom to go to the store with me to buy Monostat and cranberry juice because I didn't want to brave it alone. I'm not a grown up, I'll be the first to tell you that.

However crappy this evening's situation is, it solidifies why this 365 challenge is important to me. Between the crap we deal with on a daily basis, it is so important to find time to devote to bettering ourselves in some small way, so that when this shit happens to us, we can accept it and laugh about it instead of let it bother us more than it should.

Cheers!

Welcome Blogging World

After taking a medication that caused me to gain a bunch of excess weight, have my skin freak out, lose my sex drive, lose motivation and have an overall poor image of myself, I am finally starting to feel like myself again being off the medication for a few months now. But I still have plenty of work to do on myself.

The intention of this blog is to force myself to do at least one good thing for myself every single day. I plan to eat healthy (most of the time, after all I am a major foodie) practice yoga, create something, work with my hands, better my not-so-great writing, but mostly I want to become more comfortable and confident with myself. Seems like an easy enough thing to do right? But we don't account for the bad days when work is wearing and that midterm kicked your ass and your friends ditched you and all you want to do is bitch and moan about it. Or the days where you finally have free time and instead of doing something productive, you sit on the couch and watch Friends all afternoon, and then feel guilty about it later. First world problems, right?

I want to feel great about at least one thing that happened during my day, every single day, no matter how bad my day was. I want to wake up and plan out that one great thing I'm going to do for the day, and hopefully other great things will happen that day as well.

I never thought I would be one of the tens of millions of people who have a blog, but alas here I am. If I have someone reading this great, and if you want to give me feedback please feel free. If you can relate to anything I have to say, consider me a buddy and do share. If you tell your friends to read my blog because of my hilarious witty banter, superb, the confidence boost is very much welcome here. But honestly the whole point of this project is to commit to doing something every single day for 365 days, and I am using the internet to hold me accountable to the commitment. There is no hiding, all the posts are there, dated and time stamped, for not only myself to read, but whoever happens to stumble upon my humble little blog.

In this blog look for recipes, mostly healthy to keep me on track (mostly, after all I am a chocolate lover at heart), but don't expect a health-nut-juicer who pretends she's not hungry after drinking that green crap in the morning. Expect DIY projects I have tried (succeeded or failed) because that's something I love to do as a struggling college student with expensive taste (thanks Grandma for that genetic trait). Look for silly stories from my past or present, rants to get things off my chest, and basically whatever I damn well please because I am a twenty-something with a mission.

Cheers!