Summer To Do List 2013

Today was unseasonably cool and dreary. Much more reminiscent of fall and winter. I dreamed of staying in bed and sleeping the day away amid Netflix clips.
But then I remembered it's only July 30th. And there is much more summer to be had.

Here are a few things that were/are on my summer to do list:

SUMMER TO DO LIST 2013

*Tuesday Taco Ride

*Classic Frozen Custard Date

*Bike to Snookies

*Drive-in Movie

*Picnic

*Bike the Trestle Trail

*Day in the Amana Colonies

*Bait Shop Fun Run

*Craft Brew Fest

*Art Fest

*Jasper Winery Thursday Music

*Nitefall on the River Show

*Beach Day

*Grill Out Party

*Golf with friends

I've been able to enjoy a few of these things already (the ones in green!) and I'm looking forward to knocking out a few more in August. I'm just realizing how many have to do with food...HA. #notsurprised

What things are you up to this summer? Have any summer things you always have to do?

Tips for a Busy Life

It's cold here.
Like my friend Sam said via twitter 'Freeze the snot in your nose cold'.
The air is windy and unforgiving.
We are measuring the temperatures in negative degrees.
Saturday it was 55 degrees.
It's a bit of adjustment.

That's how these past couple weeks have been for me.
We had the nice, quiet days of Christmas break and then we went back to work.
Then my schedule just exploded.
This week I worked full days at my regular job, then I also worked 3 night shifts at the tax office and a full day yesterday there as well.
Talk about an adjustment.

Somedays feel like this- I try to avoid that!

I have managed to still squeeze in time with T, workouts, writing, reading and even some cooking and social time with friends.

Often, people say to me, How do you have time for all this stuff?, When do you sleep?

To which I reply- I don't have time and I haven't slept in years!
Just kidding. :)

We all have VERY busy lives it seems these days and lives that just seem to get busier as time goes on. Work commitments. Family commitments. Social commitments. Community commitments.
There has to be a balance so you can do the things you love and not go crazy in the process.

So here is my list of tips and tricks that work for me when life just gets so dang busy.

1. PLAN AHEAD

When I did my Goals In Motion challenge, they used to always tell us this mantra when it came to planning workouts and eating healthy:

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

I firmly believe that is true. In all facets of life.
I have a routine on the weekend to prep for the week ahead:

Food
- Take inventory of what is in my fridge/cupboards and make a list to supplement what I need for lunches and dinners. I focus on fresh veggies and fruits that will keep me feeling healthy and free of sickness when I don't really have time to catch the flu!

- For lunches- I try to make some kind of dish that provides 5-6 servings I can dish up for lunch. I've been prepping my way through Angela's Top 5 Salad Recipes of 2011. I really love the 'Back on Track' salad and  the 'Red Quinoa and Black Bean' salad. Both work well atop mixed greens as a meal and are easy to prep. I also have fresh fruit like apples and oranges as well as nuts or trail mix for snacks- easy to transport!

Detox Salad dished out for lunches

- For dinners, I plan on cooking one big thing one of the two nights I'm off and eating leftovers of it the other nights or having something easy to cook up (think a grain like rice or couscous and stir-fried veggies). 

- Clothes
- I pick out all my work outfits before the week starts. Including jewelry and shoes. This saves me a TON of time in the morning. Each night before I go to bed, I pull out what I'm wearing the next day and hang it up where I can see it. Then there is no browsing through this mess in the morning.

2. START YOUR DAY OFF RIGHT
Before you have a chance to make excuses or other plans get in the way, do these three things in the morning:

WORKOUT

SPEND TIME WITH JESUS (#shereadstruth)

HAVE A GOOD BREAKFAST

I am 100% convinced that my day and my attitude are better when I get a little sweat in, then recover with a heart healthy green smoothie and the words of  God. It's a way to center myself physically and spiritually each morning and honestly- it's my favorite part of the day.

3. USE THE TIME YOU GOT WHEN YOU GOT IT
Often, it seems like our to-do lists never end. I find that I often end up with a bunch of things that would take 5 minutes if I just sit down and did them- like responding to emails or blog comments (sorry guys). Or there is something I've been wanting to do- read a book, work on a craft, etc- but keep waiting for the perfect time to do it. Instead, I've found any free time is the 'perfect time.'

I use my lunch at work to read and eat. It's a nice break in the middle of the day and then I'm still keeping up with on my books and blogs and emails. 

And sometimes those 'free moments' don't seem like the ideal moment, but it's the moment you have.
Hence why this instagram of me cooking veggie burgers at 10 PM occurred  I needed lunch for the next couple days and this is when I had time.

I actually find cooking very calming and relaxing

Here are some other things that help me:

- I don't have cable. Which means I can't get sucked into HGTV for hours. Often, I won't even turn the TV on (I have Netflix and Hulu) or will just play music. It's one less thing for me to feel like I'm missing out on (if that makes sense) and I can use that time to volunteer or work on crafts or just talk on the phone with family and friends. 

- I have some pre-planned social events. I have a group of girlfriends that has dinner together once a month. I meet with friends at a certain time of week for coffee. I have work friends that I have scheduled lunches with bi-weekly. This is not to say my life lacks spontaneity- but having these planned times ensures I get to see the people I care about without trying to figure out everyone's schedule at the last minute.
- I always use a planner and a calendar. 
Calendars are your friends. So are lists. Daily/weekly/monthly lists. Break things down and they become more manageable. Plus crossing things off a list is just so incredibly satisfying.

4. BE OKAY WITH SAYING 'NO'
I have a hard time with this one- so this advice is for me too.
Each of us know how much we are capable of- how much our minds and schedules can handle. Often, I feel obligated to say 'yes' to whatever I'm invited to- even if I know I really don't have time.
This can be hard. You have to say 'yes' to the things that are really important and 'no' to the things that can wait...but also leave some time to just be and enjoy some 'you' time.

Evening walks with the dog are a 'YES' for me

 Ask yourself if the event is something that will further your 'love list.' 
I mentioned this article in my Sunday 7 post- figuring out those things that in life that you love the most and make you feel most content and inspired. The more I get to know people in my city and network around town, the more events I get invited to. If I wanted, I could attend 2-3 events PER DAY it seems.
I want to support the ones I really care about- which means I don't go to everything. Figure out what your focus is and be okay with saying 'no.'

5. HAVE FUN
It's easy to get caught up in the to-do's, but make sure you spend some time just laughing and talking and hanging out with the people you love.

Go on a movie date

Meet a friend for a run date and coffee

Hang out a coffee shop- chat, have a treat and play Ipad games!

6. REST IS BEST (My 2013 motto!!)
We all need a little time to decompress and when we don't do that for ourselves- we'll get burned out and unwell. If you are feeling tired and rundown, listen to your body and take a night off. Drink some hot tea. Watch TV from the bed. Do some yoga. Sit in the silence. Take a day off work and just nap and read. Go to bed early. Do whatever it is you need to do to get well and ready to tackle life again the next day.

How do you handle the busy seasons of life? Do you use any of these tips?

I'd love to hear how you keep sane when life seems just too busy- share in the comments below!

Sunday....um...Wednesday 7 6/27/12

Hey there friends.
I finally have gotten around to cleaning out my inbox and I found all these noteworthy little tidbits I've been meaning to share in my Sunday 7s.
As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I haven't been writing as much and the blog lost it's luster for awhile.
But I still have a LOT to tell you and fill you in on and I intend to that. Even if it takes me all summer. :)

In the meantime, enjoy this hodge podge of randomness I found interesting over the past couple months:

• I don't know if I've mentioned this before but the Young House Love blog is awesome. Check out this post on the very minimal amounts of personal and cleaning products they use in their house. It inspired me to do some simplifying in that area as well! I tried the Meyer's Lemon Verbena all purpose cleaner to mop my floors and fell in love. It didn't take hardly any to clean and it smells fantastic. I highly recommend if you are interested in using something natural and eco-friendly.
• I saw this article on whether vegan diets are actually healthy on twitter. The ladies over at We Like It Raw make some good points: focus on whole, unprocessed foods versus the foods you are trying to avoid. For me, that means shopping the perimeter of the store and avoiding the 'easy' vegan foods. I'm not 100% vegan these days but I still focus on a healthy, whole foods diet.
• We all know I love a good list. This post lays out 21 things you can do in just 5 minutes. I know I often feel like I don't have time to do everything I want, but if you do something for just 5 or even 10 minutes, it's amazing what you can accomplish. Some days are so busy it's good to set aside 5 minutes to just breathe too. :)
• In the past couple months, I've been doing a lot of things outside work to build my resume and get ready for my next career move (more to come on that). I found this article through LinkedIn on how to land a job as a young professional. I think it gives a lot of really good tips about how to make a good impression when hunting for that next job.
• It is no secret I LOOOOVE my Iphone. Anyone who has an Iphone loves their Iphone. That's sort of how Apple works. Anyway, this article on Siri makes me happy I do not use Siri much at all...
• This was one of the most valid arguments I have ever read about the Christian view of suffering (taken from a Relevant Magazine Deeper Walk email):

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with heralso weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 'Where haveyou laid him?' he asked. 'Come and see, Lord,' they replied. Jesus wept.
   John 11:33-35 NIV 
EVER SINCE THE apple incident, humanity is born into a state of sin, astate of living in opposition to God, a state of making decisions thatcan cause suffering. Remember, none of this was God's original design.He created a peaceful, perfect world. We tainted it with our desire forindependence.
I used to wrestle with the idea that God could have created a worldwhere the possibility of evil didn't exist, and thus suffering wouldnever enter the human experience—that would be a world without truefreedom. I think, perhaps, an evil greater than man's rebellion would be for a good God to withhold freedom from His creation. Suffering becomes inevitable in a world where imperfect people aren't robots. And while I don't pretend to know the answer for every evil under the sun, I doknow that God sees our suffering.
Jesus wept.
There is no suffering in which Jesus will not walk and weep withyou. There is no hurt the power of God can't bring new life to. In theproper time Jesus will make His way to your tomb, roll the stone awayand bring life to the dead. And the tears formed from mourning and doubt will flow with joy and gratitude.

• This article on the best national parks to hike in the US makes me want to plan a lot more 'outdoorsy' vacations. Girls trips anyone??
• Speaking of outdoorsy, I've also been doing a lot more bike rides lately. For you local folk, I found this great list of local bike rides to try. Do it up Iowans.

So that's what I've been interested lately.

How about you? What's sparked your fancy on the interwebs recently?

BIG Post and BIG News

Well Helllllooooooo there. (I'm saying this in my best Jerry Seinfeld voice. Remember that episode? Never. gets. old.)
What's shaking?

I have so much to catch you up on.
LOTS.

First, here's all the things I've found interesting on the internets the past few weeks:

• I've been on a HUGE decluttering kick.  This article had some great points.
• I've had situations where I feel burned out and this article on NOT multi-tasking made a lot of sense to me. Focus on the task at hand. Work is for work. Weekends are for weekends. :)
• I found these 100 tips about life on Twitter. I love 32, 58,68,98 and especially 66!
• I've posted an email from Relevant daily emails before, and like in the past- this one really stuck out to me:

"When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory."
 Psalm 73:21-24 NIV

 IN POP CULTURE, it’s cool to explore your spirituality, escape religion and search for God—it’s not cool to find Him. It’s definitely not cool to tell people once you do.
In a spiritual age that celebrates authenticity over assurance, it seems that questions are the new answers. Rather than embracing doubt as a vehicle to truth, the two have become nearly indistinguishable. Blessed assurance isn’t so blessed anymore.
For many, the temporary “dark night” of the soul is now a permanent reality. Rather than searching for truth, today’s postmodern climate finds truth in the very act of searching. There is an upside to this—questions are necessary to facilitate exploration. However, when the entire Christian faith is consumed by the deconstructive machine of postmodern culture, what’s left? For many of us, the answer is “not much.” My soul’s “dark night” nearly destroyed my personal faith. Pursuing authenticity was a goal in and of itself. Intellectual curiosity was what I aimed for, and I hit the target.
But I’ve discovered searching for a light switch is the best usage of a flashlight. Living in constant darkness just isn’t sustainable. Eventually, you simply run out of batteries. The means have to point to an end lest they become it.

I especially love the analogy of the light switch and the flashlight. Good 'food for thought' writing. I like reading things that speak to me.

• My friend Courtney sent me this article: 15 things you should give up in order to be happy. I think giving up my need to be right and giving up the past are the most freeing things I've accomplished in my life.
• This is a great list of things to STOP doing. It's career-orientated but can be applied to personal life too- spend time effectively and quit making excuses!

That's a lot of lists...but you know how I love a good list!

Speaking of lists, let's talk workouts.
I've fallen off the wagon recently.
I'm still working out, but it's not on a regular schedule and I'm having a heck of a time getting up in the morning and sticking to a regular routine. I know much of that is circumstantial to what's going on in my life right now, but still. It's annoying.
So here's what I've done in the past month or so (note* The ?s are because I can't remember what I did those days and most likely slept in instead):

3/19 Run 3.17 mi 28:48
3/20 KB?
3/21 Resistance? Run 6 mi 56:17
3/22 Run 3.3 30:33, Walk 1.08 mi with Rox
3/23 Resistance?
3/24 Walk 1.85 mi  with Rox 32:06
3/25 So this was the day of the St Patrick's Day run. My foot had been feeling sort of funky so I did a little run down the street and back to make sure it was good to go. If I had any pain, I was going to skip the race. Didn't want to cause any issues. It felt pretty good so I raced. My Garmin time was 6.31 in 57:55. It was a gun start (and I wasn't even too the line because I didn't know where it was) and there were no chips. My time from the website was 57:54. It was a 6 mile race...but obviously I went a little farther than 6 miles!
3/26 Resistance?
3/27 3.01 mi 28:04
3/28 Resistance?
3/29 Kickboxing?
3/30 Resistance?
3/31 Run 5.5mi 53:05
4/2 Resistance? Run 3.01 28:15
4/3 Kickboxing?
4/4 Resistance? 3.26 mi 33:31
4/5 Kickboxing? Walk 1.7 25:53, Run 2.09 mi 19:59
4/6 Resistance?
4/8 Run 3.42 mi 37:22
4/9 Resistance?
4/10 Kickboxing?
4/11 Resistance?
4/12 Kickboxing?
4/13 Resistance?
4/14 I was supposed to run Loop the Lake but I was nervous. My foot had been bothering me off and on so I took the whole week off of running but was afraid I would 'push' it since it was a race. Decided to test it out around home. Ran 5.76 mi in 53:46. I guess I could have raced after all... :)
4/16 Resistance and Run 4.14 mi 39:35
4/17 Kickboxing
4/18 REST
4/19 3.01 mi 27:11

So it's been interesting with my foot. I really backed off running to keep it rested for my HALF MARATHON race next week. To say I'm a little worried might be an understatement. I haven't ran over 6 miles since February. I plan on running 8 or 9 this weekend. I just need a mental boost. I know I can do it, but I definitely won't be PR'ing in TN. I am looking forward to checking out the race expo and all the stuff that a large race has to offer.

I head out to Nashville Wednesday to visit my aunt and Grandma and then race on Saturday. I'm looking forward to a little decompressing time!! Catching up on book club reading, blogs, working on my tan and just hanging out with family!
This past month has been filled with meetings, work, networking events, and packing. Yep, because I'm....

MOVING!!!!

And I'm SUPER DUPER OVERLY EXCITED ABOUT IT!!
I'm renting a loft in downtown Des Moines and leasing my house out to some friends.
The loft I'm moving too is a little smaller than my current place so I'm getting rid of a LOT of stuff. Mostly just random furniture and decorative items I had around to take up space. I've really looked at what I have and thought 'Does this thing make me happy? Do I use it regularly? Would I miss it if it was gone?' If the answer to any of those is 'No' it was put in the trash or garage sale pile.
And let me tell you- if you are honest with yourself about the amount of stuff you have just because you'll find you don't need 75% of it.

But back to the loft. :)
It's in a repurposed old building- concrete floors, exposed brick and vents, floor to ceiling windows, 2 blocks from church, T and Gray's Lake. I'm so stoked. Roxy and I have been walking every morning to get that part of our regular schedule. I think she'll like all the new people to meet and so many close parks.

I would have let you in on this information a little sooner, but things have been a little hectic. Timing for all this hasn't been the greatest. I have to be out of my place before my TN trip but I won't have the loft until the first weekend in May AND I'm getting the bathroom at the house remodeled too...so....it's a little chaotic. When I do have a spare minute to do anything...I just sit. Or sleep. Brain is FRIED.

But don't worry. I have so many things lined up to talk about: all the networking I've been doing through YPC Des Moines, the foods I've been trying and cooking, concerts, new ink work and T's birthday celebration!

Stay tuned...next post coming to you from downtown Des Moines!!

That's a big CHECK to the Life List.

October Reflections

Can you believe it's November already? I feel like the past 10 months have just flown by.
However, I do love everything about fall....

                               

                                 

 

The leaves. The mums. The pumpkins. The hot coffee. The beautiful sunsets.

Fall always feels sort of like a rebirth to me. It's the end of the hot, long days of summer and the beginning of the cold, dark days of winter. It always makes me feel super domestic - I want to bake and do house projects. Hibernate.

I saw this quote on Twitter:

'October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen.'

It's so fitting to how I feel about this month and time of year. I think fall is a good time to reflect on what you had planned for the year and how far you've progressed. 

Oftentimes, I find that I create some goal lists that may be a bit aggressive. As you can see, many things on this list are NOT crossed off.

For the remainder of 2011, I'm going a little more simple. I want to feel accomplished, not stressed. Achieved, not overwhelmed. I'm focusing on the things that make me happy and also a few things I have been putting off.

I've also been thinking a lot about what is on my to-do list for next year....

I'm turning 30 in a year and a half. To me- it feels like a milestone. At that point, I want to look back at how I lived my 20's and feel like I made time for those things that I wanted to. That I reached beyond my limits. That I experienced and traveled and learned and just lived.

I'm formulating a list (because we know how I love lists!!) of some things I want to do before I turn 30. My friend Holly came up with a 12 month life list and it inspired me. My list is going to be a few things comprised of stuff on my life list and some other random things that I want to have crossed off when I enter the 3rd decade of my life.

Look for it on a page soon.

As for the remainder of 2011, I have a few things left to do:

- Finish the 1 year Bible I started 5 years ago... (don't judge)

- Test up 2 levels for tax preparation

- Knit 2 hats

That doesn't seem like much but between my full-time job and tax prep training 2 nights a week for the rest of November and part of December, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Book Club, Small Group, Knitting Club and last but not least- T and Roxy...I don't have a lot of time. :)

Do you make goal or 'to-do' lists? What's do you want to accomplish for the rest of 2011?

3 Reasons...

This week totally sucked:

1. I worked close to 50 hours...to say month end = nightmare is an understatement.

2. I got fired from my second job....for having to go to my first job.

3. This.

No- not the toothbrush in my mouth or the bad hairdo. The giant black thing on my leg.
Stress Fracture.
Marathon goal for 2011- over.


This week rocked:

1. 1 Less job means less stress. Plus lots more free time for napping, reading, hanging with T and blogging, of course.

2. I got these sweet sandals for $20 at Famous Footwear.

3. I made a dent in my summer reading list....I'm on the 3rd Harry Potter book people...and I just started 2 weeks ago.

What are 3 great things about your week? Maybe 3 not-so-great things?

All About Me (The Birthday Blog)

Around 8:30 AM today, I officially turned 28 years of age. I have been considering starting a blog for awhile now and I figured today was the perfect day to start.
I look at each birthday a little like New Years. I make goals. Revaluate where I've been and where I'm headed. Take stock of life.
So...in the spirit of all that is new and birthdayesqe- I'm going to share 28 things about me: