Got the reviews!
I have quickly learned that I haven't developed a thick skin yet. Maybe I will in the future?
But I doubt it.
I was talking to my favorite professor today. She is the most kind, caring, funny woman and I want to be a professor just like her one day! And she told me that reviews still influence her.
Lovely.
So I am destined to a life where one days happiness rests in the hands of college students.
They were good, I mean, my ratings were right on par, if not slightly above BYU's, sociology's, and this courses usual ratings. So that is nice. It means people thought they learned a lot, I taught clearly, I stuck with the aims of BYU, and I was able to bring in the spirit of the gospel when applicable. There was one person who seemed to disagree with some of those things, but I guess you can't please everyone.
The comment section is where my heart strings get tugged a little harder...
Things I learned:
1. Someone likes my hair
2. They were surprised this was the first class I taught
3. They enjoyed class material
4. Someone believes I don't conduct myself professionally by wearing jeans and t-shirts so it was hard to take me seriously because I was their age
5. I can seem timid and reserved, probably a result of my age
6. I am great at letting people express and develop their own opinions
7. Focus my questions to talk about key concepts
And the overall comment was that they thought I was insightful and didn't think I was better than them.
Things I will do better at as a result:
1. Wear a skirt once a week
2. Make sure every question I ask is worth while
3. Keep guiding discussion so that people can feel comfortable expressing their own opinion
4. Whatever is happening, act confident
All in all, a few were hard to read, but SO much better than they could have been. You can't please everyone, but I at least seemed to appease most people.
A sigh of relief in my head, but my heart keeps making me re-read the negative ones.
How come that is how life is? It's so much easier to internalize the bad, while the good quietly slips by unnoticed?
Friday, June 28, 2013
I Bruise Easily
Today is the day I get my reviews/ratings from my students.
Wish me luck.
And thick skin.
Wish me luck.
And thick skin.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Come Clean
Not Juicing Day 4
Well...today is the day I quit my juicing cleanse.
It's a sad day, and mentally a little tough. I had my mind all geared up for ten days without solid food. But now that i'm "allowing" myself to have it, I don't want it. I think I am just sad that I am not reaching my goal. But i'm coming to terms with it, the goal will still be there when I finish the marathon in September. It's not like the juicer is going anywhere, or the 10 day cleanse is now or never. So it'll be okay. I keep telling myself that.
Jonathan keeps reminding me that most juices out there are three days, so i've practically done what I needed to come clean. I'm not totally convinced.
Anyway, Jonathan and I are having juice for breakfast from now until forever though. They really are a healthy way to start our day so we are keeping up with it.
For future reference, when I do this again here are some things I learned from my 3 day cleanse.
1. Buy actual kale leaves, not in the bag! The bagged ones don't give enough juice. And kale juice is strong, so proceed with caution.
2. Cucumbers give a LOT of juice. But sometimes (most times) I don't like the taste, so also proceed with caution.
3. Don't wear clothes you like while juicing, until you become a professional juicer. The thing splashes sometimes, or you just drop it on yourself...
4. Beware of pinterest, too many good things to eat on there. Surprisingly, I didn't crave any of it, but I saved all the recipes so I could make them later.
5. You have to pee a lot. And I mean A LOT. (sorry, for the info) And don't be alarmed what color it is...(sorry for that too)
6. Ginger is strong so add little bits at a time.
7. Always have extra apples on hand to fix an awful juice, I learned that I alienated myself from the juices too early on. I made myself dread them when I should have been enjoying them! What harm is an extra apple in your day? Absolutely none! Those good juices saved me!
8. It is possible to lose 7 pounds in 3 days. That was unexpected, but of course welcomed. Now we are just keeping up our healthy eating, just in a more solid form...
As for my favorite recipes (more to come as we find them):
1. Ingredients:
3 Large Sweet Potatoes (peeled)
4 Ripe Peaches (pitted)
Well...today is the day I quit my juicing cleanse.
It's a sad day, and mentally a little tough. I had my mind all geared up for ten days without solid food. But now that i'm "allowing" myself to have it, I don't want it. I think I am just sad that I am not reaching my goal. But i'm coming to terms with it, the goal will still be there when I finish the marathon in September. It's not like the juicer is going anywhere, or the 10 day cleanse is now or never. So it'll be okay. I keep telling myself that.
Jonathan keeps reminding me that most juices out there are three days, so i've practically done what I needed to come clean. I'm not totally convinced.
Anyway, Jonathan and I are having juice for breakfast from now until forever though. They really are a healthy way to start our day so we are keeping up with it.
For future reference, when I do this again here are some things I learned from my 3 day cleanse.
1. Buy actual kale leaves, not in the bag! The bagged ones don't give enough juice. And kale juice is strong, so proceed with caution.
2. Cucumbers give a LOT of juice. But sometimes (most times) I don't like the taste, so also proceed with caution.
3. Don't wear clothes you like while juicing, until you become a professional juicer. The thing splashes sometimes, or you just drop it on yourself...
4. Beware of pinterest, too many good things to eat on there. Surprisingly, I didn't crave any of it, but I saved all the recipes so I could make them later.
5. You have to pee a lot. And I mean A LOT. (sorry, for the info) And don't be alarmed what color it is...(sorry for that too)
6. Ginger is strong so add little bits at a time.
7. Always have extra apples on hand to fix an awful juice, I learned that I alienated myself from the juices too early on. I made myself dread them when I should have been enjoying them! What harm is an extra apple in your day? Absolutely none! Those good juices saved me!
8. It is possible to lose 7 pounds in 3 days. That was unexpected, but of course welcomed. Now we are just keeping up our healthy eating, just in a more solid form...
As for my favorite recipes (more to come as we find them):
1. Ingredients:
3 Large Sweet Potatoes (peeled)
4 Ripe Peaches (pitted)
2 Golden Delicious Apples (cored)
A dash of Cinnamon
A dash of Cinnamon
(source)
2. Ingredients:
1/2 pineapple
1 cup blueberries
1/2 in ginger
1 1/2 cup spinach
3. Ingredients:
1 medium beetroot, washed and quartered
5 large carrots, washed and peeled
1 medium sweet potato, washed, peeled and quartered
(source)
All of those measurements can vary, we would just eyeball it and add stuff until it was yummy. Each of those made a full glass of juice. I would estimate about 16 oz. So I doubled it for me and Jonathan. EXCEPT for the peach one, that made 3 servings on its own!
Also, the 1/2 cup of almond milk was really yummy right before bed every night. I would look forward to that all day! You can also make it from scratch which probably sounds fun to people who like that kind of thing.
Picking a juicer?
I just looked up about every blog about juicing, people seemed to have every kind of juicer out there. So I turned to what I felt was the most reliable source and went with that. It was the juicer used in Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It is a Breville Fountain one (the cheapest edition for us!). They are such an investment, they are expensive! And the whole juicing thing isn't cheap either, so if you aren't committed, I don't know how worth it it is. The main reason we ran with the Breville one is because it was the brand sold where we had remaining gift cards, so it all worked out perfectly. We like this one, but we have never had another so I can't quite recommend anything.
Read reviews, and make sure they say it is easy to clean. You'll be cleaning it at least 4 times a day, so ease is great! That reminds me, wash it out right after every one!!! No one wants to scrape off the dried pulp part hours later!
And make sure it is pretty clean. Juicing already creates a mess just from little drips, missing the shoot so you get greens all over, spilling it, just silly things like that.
Oh! Also make sure the pulp (everything that is not the juice) is really dry to the touch once you juice it. We would put the whole fruit and veggies in, then all the stuff it spits out we'd put it through again to get that last bit of juice out. It was worth it because we could always get more juice out of there! So watch for reviews that say it gives dry pulp, that's what you want!
Read reviews, and make sure they say it is easy to clean. You'll be cleaning it at least 4 times a day, so ease is great! That reminds me, wash it out right after every one!!! No one wants to scrape off the dried pulp part hours later!
And make sure it is pretty clean. Juicing already creates a mess just from little drips, missing the shoot so you get greens all over, spilling it, just silly things like that.
Oh! Also make sure the pulp (everything that is not the juice) is really dry to the touch once you juice it. We would put the whole fruit and veggies in, then all the stuff it spits out we'd put it through again to get that last bit of juice out. It was worth it because we could always get more juice out of there! So watch for reviews that say it gives dry pulp, that's what you want!
Expense:
The juicers are anywhere from 60-500 plus dollars. Yikes right? Ours was most definitely on the lower end.
As for the fruit and veggies, the documentary says to plan on spending 15-30 dollars a day when you're on a juice cleanse! (the variation depending on if you buy organic or not). So from now on, for our morning ones we are planning on buying whatever fruit and veggies are on sale and making it up from there. We are beginning to learn what we like and don't like, so that is helping.
To start, I picked a website and made a grocery list according to the things we'd need for three days for each of us. It was about 70 dollars. Practically all of our usual grocery budget for 2 weeks...
This was a good idea because we had everything on hand and it was quick to make them.
This was a bad idea because I must not have picked a good website, or our taste buds aren't accustomed to dirt. Some of those things were gross! So we have a lot of veggies we aren't total fans of, but now stuck using them. So maybe I would recommend buying small groups at first, figure out what you like, then buy more bulk later.
Also, having just done three days, I think I would recommend that as a good start. I know that physically I could have finished the ten days. But I know that once I start the 10 days for real, I will be more ready, I understand how to juice, I know what I like, and I know I can survive it. Those things would have been nice going into this one.
I think that's about it. I feel like I am in limbo between the land of juice, and reality. I know I can eat whatever I want, but I also feel like I need to be extra healthy to make up for the fact that I am not juicing. I usually eat pretty good but now I just don't know what to eat. What a mess i've created in my own head!
This is one time when reading too many things on the internet is becoming my downfall...I need to learn how to listen to my own body, opposed to all the "experts" out there.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
At least we made it this far
Juicing Day 3
What a day! I woke up from an awful dream about everything in my life going wrong. Let's just say I was excited to wake up. Then I got to live my dream in real life.
Just one of those days when everything seems to go wrong.
Not sure if I can attribute that to the fact that i've only had juice for 3 days, but i'm choosing to do so.
The cut finger while coring my apple
The juice I poured all over myself, not once, but twice
The endless papers I had to grade
And the all around spacey-ness I experienced today.
I read that people got a little spacey by day three, I didn't believe them. But I do now.
Anyway, some things did go right today.
My breakfast juice of peaches, sweet potato, apples and cinnamon was SO yummy. It was nice that it was not green. And it was nice that it was pure sweetness. I loved it.
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And lunch was my favorite green juice by far! It was blueberries, pineapple, spinach, and ginger. The color of the shake was disgusting though. Especially when it was all over my shirt and pants...
But pre dinner/pre run snack was AWFUL! And I mean so awful I chugged half, while plugging my nose, then dumped half of it out. Eww. Gross. It was a lot like the first juice, spinach, kale, chard, lemon, ginger, and cucumber. But the addition of ginger made it sting my throat? I don't know. It was the worst thing ever. Even worse than the 100 year old egg I ate in Thailand....probably.
Here is where the day goes even more south...I really was feeling pretty good! I drank more juice than usual, I was tired but not too bad. But the second I started my 4 mile run I was DEAD. I mean, light headed, legs like weights, getting a little blurred vision. So bad I had to walk for a while.
No good.
I've already experienced some injury training for this silly marathon, I didn't realize how much more stress I was putting on my body with the juicing.
So this is where my dilemma arose. I felt like I had so many options, and tons of conflicting advice from the internet.
1. Keep up my juice cleanse for the next 10 days like planned
2. Drink juice until dinner, then a dinner of only fruits and veggies
3. Drink juice until dinner, then a dinner of fruits and veggies and a little chicken
4. Drink juice until dinner then a dinner of whatever I want (within good reason)
5. Just juice for breakfast (which is what Jonathan and I want to make as a long term habit)
6. Stop juicing all together
So many options and I don't know what my body needs/wants.
I was pretty frustrated, and still haven't made my final decision.
But I was so light headed when I got home that I knew I needed something with substance. So eggs, beans, and spinach it was.
It felt good. My stomach feels a little weird now. But my pride is hurting more than anything.
A part of me is saying, at least I made it this far. But another part of me is wondering if I just ruined all the work i've done these last 3 days.
I'm not usually one to quit, and I feel like I just did.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Won't be long now, getting strong now
Juicing Day 2
I was surprised how not hungry I was yesterday. We drank just about the minimum amount, plus 1/2 cup of almond milk and I felt totally fine. I even slept pretty well!
Today, day 2, I woke up hungry, but nothing too out of the ordinary.
Jonathan and I made a breakfast of grapefruit, orange, lemon, cucumber and kale which was super citrus-y but not too shabby in my book. We even added a tablespoon of chia seeds just because it is another fad I find interesting...
I tasted grapefruit in my mouth all morning, i've learned there can be worse tastes in my mouth, so I was okay with it.
By lunch I was full on hungry though. Like stomach growling like a ravenous beast kinda hungry. But the problem was solved by our favorite juice so far! Who would have thought too? It just had sweet potatoes, beets, and carrots. It was still really earthy tasting (I decided earthy is a good way to say it tasted like dirt), but it was sweet. We were impressed. This is on the agenda for dinner too so maybe i'll scrub the veggies a little harder to remove more earth...
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Between lunch and dinner snack is an always delicious (delicious used in the LOOSEST sense) juice of kale, cucumber, celery, pear and apple. Either we are doing something wrong, or the apple and pear just aren't cutting it when it comes to sweetening things up. I had higher expectations not going to lie. Jonathan packed it in his bottle to take to work, and mine is sitting in the fridge to be had...this one tastes too much like celery...so I imagine it will be sitting in there for a while.
Anyway, my fear at the moment is exercise...i'm still training for that marathon, which is number one on my health priorities right now (over juicing) so i'm nervous about the week of running I have ahead of me on such little food. If I find myself being more tired then i'm going to switch to the Dr. Oz juice detox method which is juice until dinner, then a dinner of raw and cooked fruits and veggies. Not too much different, but just a little more food and more calories. We'll see though, just some biking today so nothing too crazy happened.
But I am feeling a little tired. And the next term of class started today, about triple the size and half the age. Okay half the age is an exaggeration, but they are probably 90% freshman and all of them were 100% shocked to see me as their teacher. I had a lot of people come up and talk to me about it after, one even said I am a huge inspiration because she wants to get her PhD and teach like I am.
I think i'm beginning to like these freshman :)
All in all, juicing day 2 has been a little better than I thought it would be. I'm tired, but I expected that. And the juices have been better than yesterday. I even just found a yummy sounding one with peaches, apples, and sweet potato with a dash of cinnamon!! I'll let ya know how it goes tomorrow, I'm all for sweet potato since today's successful lunch. But i'm feeling good, proud of myself for doing this and sticking to it! Can't believe it is Jonathan's last day on the cleanse tomorrow!
Day 3 is the one I dread most...I hear it is a hard one to get through. Here's to hoping!!
I was surprised how not hungry I was yesterday. We drank just about the minimum amount, plus 1/2 cup of almond milk and I felt totally fine. I even slept pretty well!
Today, day 2, I woke up hungry, but nothing too out of the ordinary.
Jonathan and I made a breakfast of grapefruit, orange, lemon, cucumber and kale which was super citrus-y but not too shabby in my book. We even added a tablespoon of chia seeds just because it is another fad I find interesting...
I tasted grapefruit in my mouth all morning, i've learned there can be worse tastes in my mouth, so I was okay with it.
By lunch I was full on hungry though. Like stomach growling like a ravenous beast kinda hungry. But the problem was solved by our favorite juice so far! Who would have thought too? It just had sweet potatoes, beets, and carrots. It was still really earthy tasting (I decided earthy is a good way to say it tasted like dirt), but it was sweet. We were impressed. This is on the agenda for dinner too so maybe i'll scrub the veggies a little harder to remove more earth...
.JPG)
Between lunch and dinner snack is an always delicious (delicious used in the LOOSEST sense) juice of kale, cucumber, celery, pear and apple. Either we are doing something wrong, or the apple and pear just aren't cutting it when it comes to sweetening things up. I had higher expectations not going to lie. Jonathan packed it in his bottle to take to work, and mine is sitting in the fridge to be had...this one tastes too much like celery...so I imagine it will be sitting in there for a while.
Anyway, my fear at the moment is exercise...i'm still training for that marathon, which is number one on my health priorities right now (over juicing) so i'm nervous about the week of running I have ahead of me on such little food. If I find myself being more tired then i'm going to switch to the Dr. Oz juice detox method which is juice until dinner, then a dinner of raw and cooked fruits and veggies. Not too much different, but just a little more food and more calories. We'll see though, just some biking today so nothing too crazy happened.
But I am feeling a little tired. And the next term of class started today, about triple the size and half the age. Okay half the age is an exaggeration, but they are probably 90% freshman and all of them were 100% shocked to see me as their teacher. I had a lot of people come up and talk to me about it after, one even said I am a huge inspiration because she wants to get her PhD and teach like I am.
I think i'm beginning to like these freshman :)
All in all, juicing day 2 has been a little better than I thought it would be. I'm tired, but I expected that. And the juices have been better than yesterday. I even just found a yummy sounding one with peaches, apples, and sweet potato with a dash of cinnamon!! I'll let ya know how it goes tomorrow, I'm all for sweet potato since today's successful lunch. But i'm feeling good, proud of myself for doing this and sticking to it! Can't believe it is Jonathan's last day on the cleanse tomorrow!
Day 3 is the one I dread most...I hear it is a hard one to get through. Here's to hoping!!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Drink with Me
Juicing Day 1
Well...not gonna lie. I don't think we are the biggest fans of juicing.
We had the highest hopes, expecting tropical delights every time we took a drink of that spinach/kale/cucumber/beet/ etc. juice. I don't know where that misconception came from...
...No blog I read mentioned how nasty the juice is. And how messy they are to make. And how expensive all the fruit and veggies are.
So the health benefits BETTER out weigh all these negatives we've managed to find on day one.
As for hunger, I haven't felt hungry all day which is nice. I'm thinking it's more because I dread the next juice a little bit so I convince myself I'm not hungry. Oh, and probably because it is only day one..
Jonathan keeps saying he wants chips and salsa, I don't blame him.
But we are pushing through.
We made three different juices today. It is recommended you have about 32-64 oz each day depending on your body size I assume. So in total I think we've had about 48 oz. today. I don't think I could put any more in me if I had to.
I've always hated V8 juice, so i'm not sure when I decided that i'd survive these 10 days. But like I said, the documentary managed to suck me in.
We started the morning off with an all vegetable medley of cucumber, spinach, chard, parsley, cilantro, and a little lemon.
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YIKES!!!
If I NEVER have that again I will be okay. Jonathan and I were gagging the entire time. I thought we might die. SO gross. It makes me cringe just thinking about it. And we had to keep reliving it through church...tmi?
But I am glad to report that we survived, and the next two drinks got progressively better (and by better I mean, we are on a scale of super gross to manageable).
THANK GOODNESS!
Round two was apple, pear, kale, cucumber and mint. Not too shabby...compared to the DISGUSTING drink from earlier.
And dinner was an oh so filling juice of beets, pineapple, cucumber, and lemon....
Not gonna lie, I think my favorite part of the day is going to be the pre-sleep cup of almond milk. I know it is not juice, but i'm dyin here people! It is day one and I already can't stand the look of the juicer. I glare at it every time I walk by.
Is it too much to ask for banana, fruity, smoothy goodness? I might just start making up my own happy recipes opposed to these killer all veggie ones. Yay for sugar!
And yay for surviving day 1!
Only 9 to go!
**I've gathered recipes from practically everywhere. But for these first three days we are sort of following this website. FYI.
Well...not gonna lie. I don't think we are the biggest fans of juicing.
We had the highest hopes, expecting tropical delights every time we took a drink of that spinach/kale/cucumber/beet/ etc. juice. I don't know where that misconception came from...
...No blog I read mentioned how nasty the juice is. And how messy they are to make. And how expensive all the fruit and veggies are.
So the health benefits BETTER out weigh all these negatives we've managed to find on day one.
As for hunger, I haven't felt hungry all day which is nice. I'm thinking it's more because I dread the next juice a little bit so I convince myself I'm not hungry. Oh, and probably because it is only day one..
Jonathan keeps saying he wants chips and salsa, I don't blame him.
But we are pushing through.
We made three different juices today. It is recommended you have about 32-64 oz each day depending on your body size I assume. So in total I think we've had about 48 oz. today. I don't think I could put any more in me if I had to.
I've always hated V8 juice, so i'm not sure when I decided that i'd survive these 10 days. But like I said, the documentary managed to suck me in.
We started the morning off with an all vegetable medley of cucumber, spinach, chard, parsley, cilantro, and a little lemon.
.JPG)
YIKES!!!
If I NEVER have that again I will be okay. Jonathan and I were gagging the entire time. I thought we might die. SO gross. It makes me cringe just thinking about it. And we had to keep reliving it through church...tmi?
But I am glad to report that we survived, and the next two drinks got progressively better (and by better I mean, we are on a scale of super gross to manageable).
THANK GOODNESS!
Round two was apple, pear, kale, cucumber and mint. Not too shabby...compared to the DISGUSTING drink from earlier.
And dinner was an oh so filling juice of beets, pineapple, cucumber, and lemon....
Not gonna lie, I think my favorite part of the day is going to be the pre-sleep cup of almond milk. I know it is not juice, but i'm dyin here people! It is day one and I already can't stand the look of the juicer. I glare at it every time I walk by.
Is it too much to ask for banana, fruity, smoothy goodness? I might just start making up my own happy recipes opposed to these killer all veggie ones. Yay for sugar!
And yay for surviving day 1!
Only 9 to go!
**I've gathered recipes from practically everywhere. But for these first three days we are sort of following this website. FYI.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Bottoms Up
Sometimes I'm all for fads.
I see something, it convinces me it is the greatest thing, then I jump in head first.
This last week we were up in Park City soaking up the adventure, friends, family, and FOOD. We ate SO MUCH FOOD. So this fad seems to be coming at a good time.
Jonathan and I randomly watched a documentary called "Hungry for Change" on netflix the other day. It talked about how we eat poorly and all that jazz I already know. But then they talked about juicing. I LOVE smoothies, but I've never known much about squeezing the life out of fruits and veggies until all the nutrients are in a nice little juice.
After that one documentary I was convinced.
I'm going to be a juicer.
I spent the rest of the day looking up the best juicers, how you juice, juicing cleanses, pretty much anything and everything about juicing. Including one more documentary called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." Watch it if you think i'm crazy. By the end of the show you'll join me in the juicing club I just know it.
By the end of the night, Jonathan and I had gone to Williams Sonoma (with the last of the wedding gift cards) to invest (and I mean INVEST cause those things aren't cheap!) in a juicer.
Now that our juicer arrived and we are back from vacation...LET THE JUICING BEGIN!!
For the next 10 days I am going to drink juice. And only juice. All fruits and veggies squished into this little drink. Wish me luck! I don't know what to expect, I think (from my research) it is going to be hard for the first few days, then i'll feel great. I'll get back all the energy i've been lacking and feel good. Even Jonathan is joining me for the first three days!
So here we go! I'll try to document it on here (for my sake, and maybe someone elses that's crazy enough to just drink things for 10 days!)
The fridge is stocked.
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The juicer is set up.
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And tomorrow is the day!
Bottoms up!!
I see something, it convinces me it is the greatest thing, then I jump in head first.
This last week we were up in Park City soaking up the adventure, friends, family, and FOOD. We ate SO MUCH FOOD. So this fad seems to be coming at a good time.
Jonathan and I randomly watched a documentary called "Hungry for Change" on netflix the other day. It talked about how we eat poorly and all that jazz I already know. But then they talked about juicing. I LOVE smoothies, but I've never known much about squeezing the life out of fruits and veggies until all the nutrients are in a nice little juice.
After that one documentary I was convinced.
I'm going to be a juicer.
I spent the rest of the day looking up the best juicers, how you juice, juicing cleanses, pretty much anything and everything about juicing. Including one more documentary called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." Watch it if you think i'm crazy. By the end of the show you'll join me in the juicing club I just know it.
By the end of the night, Jonathan and I had gone to Williams Sonoma (with the last of the wedding gift cards) to invest (and I mean INVEST cause those things aren't cheap!) in a juicer.
Now that our juicer arrived and we are back from vacation...LET THE JUICING BEGIN!!
For the next 10 days I am going to drink juice. And only juice. All fruits and veggies squished into this little drink. Wish me luck! I don't know what to expect, I think (from my research) it is going to be hard for the first few days, then i'll feel great. I'll get back all the energy i've been lacking and feel good. Even Jonathan is joining me for the first three days!
So here we go! I'll try to document it on here (for my sake, and maybe someone elses that's crazy enough to just drink things for 10 days!)
The fridge is stocked.
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The juicer is set up.
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And tomorrow is the day!
Bottoms up!!
Friday, June 14, 2013
We are the CHAMPIONS my friends
There is a day in the life of every BYU student that everyone dreams of.
Graduation?
Nope!
This day is even better. And felt just as good as all the hype.
And that day would be the day you get the shirt. The intramural champion shirt to be exact.
Let's be honest for a second though, I don't think any of us went into this kickball season expecting to come out champs. Our team name was "Hayley Heath" for goodness sake! (I couldn't think of a name when I bought the team, so I thought they'd name us "team 46" or something. Nope. So we got to have the other team cheer Hayley Heath after every game and us before every game. Talk about embarrassing!)
But last second we threw together a team of practically anyone that could make it and fill the roster. But boy did we get better and better every game, until we utilized a successful strategy and took the tournament by storm. No team was even close to us. It was a beautiful thing.
It ended up being such a fun team! Wouldn't trade it for anything. And now we have a shirt to show for all of our fun and successful strategy execution (and yes, there is strategy for kickball, who knew?!)
Jonathan and I have been working hard for one of these shirts long before we even knew each other existed. I think the sweet success of winning one together was worth the wait. That "we are the champions" hug as we came around the bases for the final points was a pretty great thing. Almost as great as the first hug when I scored that football touchdown that started the whole, "us" thing :)
It completely lived up to the hype I had been building up the last four years.
And who would have thought...kickball?!
Graduation?
Nope!
This day is even better. And felt just as good as all the hype.
And that day would be the day you get the shirt. The intramural champion shirt to be exact.
Let's be honest for a second though, I don't think any of us went into this kickball season expecting to come out champs. Our team name was "Hayley Heath" for goodness sake! (I couldn't think of a name when I bought the team, so I thought they'd name us "team 46" or something. Nope. So we got to have the other team cheer Hayley Heath after every game and us before every game. Talk about embarrassing!)
But last second we threw together a team of practically anyone that could make it and fill the roster. But boy did we get better and better every game, until we utilized a successful strategy and took the tournament by storm. No team was even close to us. It was a beautiful thing.
It ended up being such a fun team! Wouldn't trade it for anything. And now we have a shirt to show for all of our fun and successful strategy execution (and yes, there is strategy for kickball, who knew?!)
Jonathan and I have been working hard for one of these shirts long before we even knew each other existed. I think the sweet success of winning one together was worth the wait. That "we are the champions" hug as we came around the bases for the final points was a pretty great thing. Almost as great as the first hug when I scored that football touchdown that started the whole, "us" thing :)
It completely lived up to the hype I had been building up the last four years.
And who would have thought...kickball?!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
All I Have to Give
I've had a lot of good teachers in my life.
But my world has completely changed since I encountered my college professors. Not all of them that's for sure. But some of them, wow, some of them have changed my life.
They are good people. And I mean GOOD. They understand where they fit in this world, knowing they cannot change the world, but they can respect it. And they can learn about it and search it and love it. They are good people through and through. I've seen them give of their time and resources to me personally, as well as to the little Ugandan children on the side of the road, to the students in their class, and the minorities and the strugglers and the lonely.
These professors seem to forge paths for those who cannot seem to forge their own. Or they speak about the beauty of the often overlooked and misunderstood.
They showed me who I am and where I fit in this big world. That, like them, I cannot change the world. But I can learn about it and search it and love it and most importantly- respect it.
That is why I want to be a college professor one day.
I want to do for others what my professors have done for me.
I want to pay it forward. I NEED to pay it forward because I have been so lucky.
This semester in my class we've been focusing a lot on poverty in the US and the big income inequality that we have. I, like my students, came to college completely misunderstanding the plight of the poor. It is easy to look at the homeless on the side of the road and say- "get a job like the rest of us." I'll admit, I was all too guilty of that.
But my eyes have been opened to the structure around us, and around them. Sometimes, a job just doesn't cut it. There is so much more to it than that. They are people just like me. With struggles and triumphs, with addictions and weaknesses, with family and fears. And they are trying. This lesson i've learned, i've wanted to teach.
And I think in the last few classes there has been a break through. I just received an email from someone saying that their eyes have been opened to so many different things because of this class. I could cry I'm so happy.
I want to be the professor to others, like some of mine have been to me.
They have given me endless opportunities to study and grow and travel, and they changed my life.
And that is why I want to become a college professor.
But my world has completely changed since I encountered my college professors. Not all of them that's for sure. But some of them, wow, some of them have changed my life.
They are good people. And I mean GOOD. They understand where they fit in this world, knowing they cannot change the world, but they can respect it. And they can learn about it and search it and love it. They are good people through and through. I've seen them give of their time and resources to me personally, as well as to the little Ugandan children on the side of the road, to the students in their class, and the minorities and the strugglers and the lonely.
These professors seem to forge paths for those who cannot seem to forge their own. Or they speak about the beauty of the often overlooked and misunderstood.
They showed me who I am and where I fit in this big world. That, like them, I cannot change the world. But I can learn about it and search it and love it and most importantly- respect it.
That is why I want to be a college professor one day.
I want to do for others what my professors have done for me.
I want to pay it forward. I NEED to pay it forward because I have been so lucky.
This semester in my class we've been focusing a lot on poverty in the US and the big income inequality that we have. I, like my students, came to college completely misunderstanding the plight of the poor. It is easy to look at the homeless on the side of the road and say- "get a job like the rest of us." I'll admit, I was all too guilty of that.
But my eyes have been opened to the structure around us, and around them. Sometimes, a job just doesn't cut it. There is so much more to it than that. They are people just like me. With struggles and triumphs, with addictions and weaknesses, with family and fears. And they are trying. This lesson i've learned, i've wanted to teach.
And I think in the last few classes there has been a break through. I just received an email from someone saying that their eyes have been opened to so many different things because of this class. I could cry I'm so happy.
I want to be the professor to others, like some of mine have been to me.
They have given me endless opportunities to study and grow and travel, and they changed my life.
And that is why I want to become a college professor.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
All I Do Is Win
Today before class, someone told me that I was teaching their favorite class this term.
I can't even tell you how excited I was in that moment.
Then they told me that they were only taking two classes.
So now I know, I teach a class better than at least one person in this world.
Count it.
I can't even tell you how excited I was in that moment.
Then they told me that they were only taking two classes.
So now I know, I teach a class better than at least one person in this world.
Count it.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Details in the Fabric
I thought I was done with Europe pictures. Then I spent some time looking at the obscure ones. The ones without me and Jonathan, without Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower, the ones that were simply Europe. And I have to say, I think they are my favorite.
Here are just a few.
Perfectly detailed. And perfectly Europe.
(thanks everyone for these pictures)
Here are just a few.
(thanks everyone for these pictures)
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Edelweiss
If you ask me or Jonathan, I think we'd tell you Switzerland was our favorite. Speaking of favorite, this is our favorite picture from the whole trip!
Don't get us wrong, we LOVED it all.
But the slow, quaint atmosphere of Switzerland won us over. It was truly the perfect ending to the fast paced, site seeing whirl-wind of London and Paris.
Plus, we were able to stay with the sweetest family ever! My father-in-law lived in London with his siblings for a few years of their young lives. They had an au pair girl to help out their mom and they've kept in touch with her. So we were privileged to stay at her cozy house full of yummy chocolates, fresh bread, and endless cuckoo clocks and dolls.
And how do you not love a place with a bear pit in the middle of the town?
What a trip! Good food, good sites, good company. What more could you want?
It was an amazing experience to have with my new family, an experience I will never forget, and always be grateful for.
Don't get us wrong, we LOVED it all.
But the slow, quaint atmosphere of Switzerland won us over. It was truly the perfect ending to the fast paced, site seeing whirl-wind of London and Paris.
Plus, we were able to stay with the sweetest family ever! My father-in-law lived in London with his siblings for a few years of their young lives. They had an au pair girl to help out their mom and they've kept in touch with her. So we were privileged to stay at her cozy house full of yummy chocolates, fresh bread, and endless cuckoo clocks and dolls.
What a trip! Good food, good sites, good company. What more could you want?
It was an amazing experience to have with my new family, an experience I will never forget, and always be grateful for.
Until later Europe! All I ask is that I see you again soon. And to Switzerland, it BETTER not be cloudy next time. For all I know, Swiss Alps are a fraud...in all our time there, I never saw a speck of Alp!
All the more reason to go back I say!
Also another reason to go back?...we ran out of our chocolate stash already...
The Last Time I Saw Paris (p2)
(As a result of my inability to select my favorite photos, this is now 2 long posts, opposed to one LONG post)
Church of the Madeleine. One of my favorite moments happened here. We walked in and some amazing orchestra from Canada was playing. The beautiful church, Paris, family, and the song "What a Wonderful World" bouncing off the walls, I really could not have imagined a more perfect moment.
Beautiful buildings and churches galore
The Hall of Mirrors was more amazing than my Art History class ever said
I can't imagine a better view for lunch of baguettes and cheese
And no better company to experience it all with
And last but not least, of course, the Eiffel tower by day and by night.
Paris was magical. This does not even seem like a dent into all we saw and ate. Good thing for pictures right? Because when the memories aren't so clear anymore, I can look back at these pictures and fall right back in love with Paris
**Paris tip: They have a Paris Museum Pass that you can buy which gets you in to just about everything I talked about in this post. It saves loads of money and time in lines. Best thing we ever did!
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