MIM

I am  Move-In-Maker. MIM.

Today I moved in… 6 people? Maybe 5?

There’s 1200 people in my dorm. Which means the next few days (especially tomorrow) are going to be a hot mess.

Oh and Friday is supposed to be 91 and humid. Lovely. I work 11-2:30, the hottest time of the day. #notwinning

On the bright side I like having the rest of the afternoon to myself, or in the case of today, visiting friends! Two of my good friends, Joanna and Liz, moved into their apartment the other day. I can’t wait to see them, along with Joanna’s boyfriend Nick and Liz’s friend Caroline. It’s seriously going to be a big party reunion. (:

Before that though, I am going to eat a peach. Well as soon as I am finished typing this post. I think I told you, but I got peaches from the farmer’s market on Saturday and they are to die for! So super yummilicious.

—-bathroom break—

I just met the cleaning ladies! They are so nice and friendly. Gwen & Betty. What sweethearts! Last year the woman who cleaned the bathrooms was very shy, but we always wrote nice things on the white board in the bathroom (:

I haven’t worked out in awhile. I woke up to go work out yesterday, and the IM building was closed! It opens up again next week ): At least I am going to be walking all over. I have to run to CVS today to pick up some prints of my pictures. The collages won’t be done for a few days but the prints are ready now. It’s so exciting that I will have my own pictures in my dorm room! Everyone loves the Christmas lights I put up.

I feel good. Today is another good day. I am taking 8 pills a day (7 of them are vitamins) and I wonder if those are starting to help. I am doing the organic skin care and makeup, and my skin seems to be doing better. It’s been almost a week since I started it so after about a month hopefully I will really see results! It’s the same as working out and eating right: it takes awhile to see results.

Speaking of eating right, I’ve been bad, oh so bad. I haven’t eaten a ton of sweets, I’ve just eaten a ton! I forgot what it was like to have all of this food around me all of the time, especially having it right in my room. Bah! Once I have classes and get into routine it will hopefully be easier. I’m not counting calories, I am just intuitive eating. Well, I’m going to be intuitive eating now (;

I absolutely love Coldplay’s new song, “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.” It’s so catchy and upbeat. (Although I haven’t listened fully to the lyrics…)

Okay so the wind just blew the door shut and it scared the bejeesus out of me. Whew. Off to eat a peach and tumble.

Have a wonderful day bloggies!

Namaste<3

Oh. My. Goodness.

I finally got my DSLR camera! Merry Christmas to me… a wee bit early this year (;

I spent two and a half hours walking around town today taking pictures of campus and downtown; it was so fun!

The whole process of editing took awhile as well but here are a few of the finished products…

I’m pretty proud of them if I do say so myself (: If only I had this to take foodie pictures over the summer! Ah well, now I have it for the school year. It’s nice because I still don’t start classes for another week, which allows me plenty of time for exploring my new camera like I did today. I will be helping freshmen move in daily starting tomorrow, but it’s only during lunch for about 4 hours (which isn’t a lot when you have the rest of the day free after!).

It’s so wonderful being in Ann Arbor without the stress of classes. There’s some social life stress, I’m meeting a lot of new people which brings on anxiety. Of course they are all sweethearts though which makes things easier.

I feel as if I am the only one who doesn’t go out. It can be difficult being the only one who wants to hang out in the dorms. Tonight I think I might just watch some shows on netflix or something and hang out in my room (which I will have pictures of soon). I put up xmas lights! I guess I really am into celebrating early (;

I don’t feel ready to start college again. I suppose I’ve already started, but last year was so difficult. I feel better prepared at least… I already have noticed a huge difference just in my first few days being back. I really like my RA again, Emily. After meeting her and the other new RAs, as well as hanging out with old ones, it makes me consider applying to be an RA. Crazy right? I just feel so good when I can answer questions for freshmen, and I would love to help them find their way. I feel like I’m a pretty responsible person, and it’s not like I drink or party very much either.

Who knows? Like my parents said, there’s no harm in applying. If God feels I’m a right fit (and if I don’t mess up my application/interview), then it will happen. What will be, will be.

My IBS has bothered me a lot today. I’ve had a very flippy stomach and some fairly annoying, painful cramps. Why oh why did I eat the pasta at dinner? White carbs are a big trigger food for me 😦

I ordered collages and prints of my favorite photos. Instead of buying other people’s photos (posters) why not make my own, right?

The pre-school jitters are getting to me. I need to spend some time to myself tonight relaxing. After all, there’s no homework I should be doing (:

Namaste<3

Protein Bars & Summer fun

Well, okay. They are more like protein brownies. Fudgey yummy delicious brownies… that have lots of protein (:

NRG PROTEIN BARS

2 scoops chocolate protein powder

one scoop of fiber powder (if you have it)

1 C crunchy (or creamy) PB (we used Dark Chocolate Dreams by PB&Co)

1/2 C uncooked oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C honey

lots of raisins

Stir it all up and enjoy (: We just put ours in a pan. (my mom & I) After you make it, you should cover & stick in the fridge to keep them fresh.

They are so so so tasty. They are perfect for a snack that will fill you up with a small piece! Great for on the go.

So tomorrow… I move in.

AHHHHHHHHH!

It’s completely crazy to me that I’m already moving back into my dorm. Where did my summer go? Well here’s some highlights…

I discovered smoothies & oatmeal.

I ate a lot of sushi.

I spent time in the sun.

I broke the meat fast.

I spent a lot of time baking.

Tie-dyed with friends.

I had a photoshoot.

I ate more sushi.

I read the Omnivore’s Dilemma.

I camped with friends.

I went out with my boyfriend.

I celebrated Independence Day.

I saw the final Harry Potter at midnight (and made this t-shirt).

I got this tattoo.

We have two new additions to the family. (Zeus above, Cocoa Puff below)

(She likes sticks.)

And overall,  I just had a fantastic, amazing, and memorable summer.

What a way to live.

Namaste everyone. Have a peaceful and relaxing night.

puppy pics

Cocoa Puff, Zeus, and my photoshoot at the park yesterday with the bf… Fun fun fun (:

Camping ’11

Holland was amazing y’all! I had a blasty-blast with all of my best friends. It was wonderful (:

I would like to offer you a gallery of pictures to look at!

We had ice cream at the beach, watched the sunset, a bird pooped on my sleeping bag, took a tour of Hope College courtesy of Fodes (yeah Dutchmen!), went shopping in downtown, ate at the New Holland Brewery (pizza rolls is that awkward picture!), and I got tan. Huzzah!

It was the best camping trip yet.

I had my second to last therapy session today. When I talked with Teresa, it helped me realize just how far I’ve come. The thoughts I used to have compared to the thoughts now…. well, honestly, they can’t even been compared. I have conquered so much these last 6 months… it is beyond what I thought I could do.

I guess it has taught me to have more faith in myself. I also know that I need to seek out help. I have tried to face too many things on my own, tried to take on more than a single person should.  I’m fortunate enough that I have had many people stand by me in such tough times. Conquering my demons has been hard… they aren’t all gone by any means. Now, however, I have many more tools to fight them. I hopefully will win more battles than I lose.

Time for me to study some biology. Ugh! I loved my vacation; I do not love all the bio homework I now have because of it.

I think I’m going to make my tattoo appointment sometime soon as well<3

Namaste.

It’s a zoo in here!

It’s been a crazy weekend folks.

Happy Birthday America!

Red, white, and blue runs through my veins.

I’ve got a lot of pictures for you from the zoo, so please, enjoy them (:

Celebratory oats!

Well, Adam is here and he’s taking me to sushi as a farewell dinner before I go camping for a week. I will talk to y’all tomorrow about more fun things. I hope you enjoy the gallery of pictures!

Namaste ❤

P.S. If anyone wants to guest post, I’ll be gone for 7 days. So just shoot me an email with your post and I’ll get it up while I’m gone! (;

greekyogurte@gmail.com

you do you

I discovered this on someone’s blog today and was amazed.

It’s a video about photoshopping by Dove. I was shocked when I saw it. I then went on to watch a few more videos on photoshop and… I will never judge myself against pictures in magazines again. Okay, sometimes. But I’m going to try not to.

This is after I just had a big bowl of ice cream. (bring on the tummy ache.)

It’s so hard after eating a lot of unhealthy food. Tomorrow is always a new day though right?

When it comes to self-esteem and body issues, I’m not always the person to ask. In fact, most of the time I’m not the person to ask. In all my mistakes, my fumbles, my insecurities, I’ve learned a few things about loving yourself.

P.S. I reuse pictures sometimes. I’m about to pass out from being so tired. I’m sorry!

Perfection isn’t possible. No matter how hard you try, it’s not going to happen. Ever. Why? Why isn’t there perfect? Because perfection is in the eye of the beholder. What is perfect to me might be just sub-par for someone else.

No matter how much you beat yourself up after eating something bad or binging, it really won’t make you eat better the next day. Or maybe it’ll last a few days, but I guarantee it won’t stick with you long. I know because I’ve done it. You think “Oh my gosh I am never eating ice cream again. I’m going to eat salads for the rest of the week.” Yeah, doesn’t happen. So why not save yourself the trouble and move on with your normal routine instead of focusing on your mistake and making yourself feel awful about it?

You have to eat treats sometimes. You do. Sometimes that means emotional eating. I failed a physics exam in college that warranted the biggest bowl of froyo you’ve ever seen. It happens. Just don’t make it an every day thing.

If you don’t enjoy your exercise (or at least get something good out of it), then it’s just torture. You’re torturing yourself. I hate running; thus, I don’t run. Sometimes I do, when I’m feeling up to it. But I usually try to do other things instead because 1. it causes less pain 2. it’s more enjoyable.

Just because someone is skinnier than you doesn’t mean you should hate them for it. There’s always going to be someone prettier, skinnier, smarter, nicer… it happens. It’s life. There is nobody who is you though.

Speaking of people who you “think” are “better” than you in looks or health or perfection… you are putting them on a pedestal. Not okay. I often get jealous of other bloggers, then realize they are running 6, 10, 12 miles a day! 30 miles a week! I don’t even come close to that. I just about passed out running two. So honestly, if I put in the full effort, I could probably look better. If we all spent more hours training, more meals eating healthier… we can always improve. We can always be jealous of people. But the truth is, we live our lives the way we do for a reason. That is not to say that we shouldn’t improve in whatever way is possible, but to say that for a working mom it might not be convenient to get up at 5am to run. It’s all about what works best for you.

Also, there are those itches who just think it’s cool to eat ice cream all the time and be a size 0. Whatever.

pfft.

Loving yourself is really hard. I’m definitely still working on it. I don’t think we’re ever really done. Done improving ourselves, working on ourselves. I aspire to be the best person I can. I stumble a lot, but don’t we all?

Goodnight bloggies. With self-love,

Namaste<3

a beautiful #wiaw

I’m currently sitting in the sun. My keyboard is black and getting very hot very quickly, but I can’t miss a what I ate wednesday.

I love it! Yay warm weather!

b*fast

lunchies/snackies

I know it’s not a lot but I had just eaten breakfast a little while ago!

Dinner

NOT MY PHOTO! (I wish) it’s a recipe via http://ohsheglows.com/2011/06/20/high-protein-quinoa-almond-berry-salad/. I can’t wait to eat it! (it’s in the fridge right now) (: Please check it out because I’m sure it absolutely delish!

So just a disclaimer, I do not post everything I eat. Especially because it’s only 2:30pm and I have no idea what unfortunate food I will binge on tonight. (Last night it was fudge and my tummy hated me).

It’s hard not to binge on unhealthy foods once I get my hands on them. Any tips???

I ran two miles today! How pathetic right? Well it was hot and my feet hurt… and actually it’s not that hot and my feet don’t really hurt I’m just complaining (; I want to do a 5k in August so I am going to have to start running again. Poop! We (my mom) bought Jillian Michael’s 30 day shred. My mom ached a ton after doing it last night. I was going to try it tomorrow or Friday; we’ll see how ripped I can get in 1 week before I leave for camping up north. Woop woop! (:

Right above my pelvis is hurting when I push on it, and I’m not sure what’s wrong. My parents banned all activity for the rest of today, otherwise I could have done Zumba. 😦

I visit baby Zeus this Sunday! Hooray!

I have to go enjoy the weather now. Bye bloggies!

Namaste<3

So much fun (with quinoa)

I’ve been so busy!

Guess what? I’m getting a puppy.

Yes, a little itty bitty huggable, lovable puppy. A mutt. We’re going to name him Zeus.

SO MUCH EXCITEMENT.

I can only play so much with my brat of a cat. (13 years old and she’s not as spunky anymore.)

WHAT A FACE!#*()@#(!)@*$!!!!!! (2nd choice puppy)

Another baby puppy!

2nd choice puppy.

Little baby Zeus!!!!!

Mama pup (: she barked at me… apparently she doesn’t like pictures!

I had a very exciting weekend with my best friend Cassie (: We played video games, stayed up late watching netflix, and played frisbee with other friends. ❤

Also, we made a quinoa recipe!! Are y’all ready?

Quinoa Salad

• 1C uncooked quinoa
• 2 C water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 C chopped onion
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/4 C chopped tomato
• 1/4 C basil
• 1/2 C almonds
• 1/4 C dried cranberries

Boil water, throw in quinoa, lower to medium heat and cook for 10-15 min. (Until all water is absorbed.)

In the meantime make the dressing.

• 2 tbsp lemon juice,
• 1/4 C olive oil
• some lemon pepper (to taste)

Mix together and throw into your mix once it’s all cooked. Either eat warm (like we did) or refrigerate until ready!

Feeds two very hungry girls (;

We didn’t use tomatoes this time because Cassie is doing this weird diet thing for a few weeks (for health reasons) and she can’t eat tomatoes. STOOPID. It was delicious anyways!

fun times at Cassie’s house (:

We also made a smoothie!

Tropical Trip*

• 1 C coconut milk
• 1/2 C chopped pineapple
• 1 banana
• 1 medium/large orange
• 1/4 C greek yogurt
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Blend, baby, blend.

I truly loved this smoothie. A lot.

“you’ve outdone yourself this time.” – Cassie ❤

I hope you all had a great weekend. Let me know if you make my quinoa recipe & tell me what you think! (;

I’m thinking I’m going to get my tattoo this Wednesday since they were closed all this week!

Namaste<3

Midwestern Girl

Keeping track of the days is difficult because I don’t post everyday. It sounds like a good idea in theory, but it’s hard.

Yesterday was a lovely day. Happy Father’s day to all the daddy’s, or soon to be daddy’s (; I had a great time with my family. We had another family dinnah!

Sweet potato fries, BBQ chicken, and sweet corn. Slightly southern? Awesome. [I want to be southern. So. Badly.]

It was great family bonding time; I really enjoy my family time. My dad & brother are quite sarcastic which makes for an interesting meal. (;

My dad & I at my junior prom….

Happy Father’s Day, daddy<3 I love you.

[even though he doesn’t read this.]

My favorite postsecret of the week:

I spent the last two days with Adam too! He came over apres le diner hier. We hung out and had a wonderful time! We took a walk and I had a photo shoot! A southern photo shoot!

photo shoot*

Highlights….

I a midwestern girl; my hair is long, my nails are short, and my budget is small.