Week of Smoothies

After going to the grocery store to buy some necessary ingredients (most common) for smoothie making, I decided to get busy making smoothies. I've only made four this week...but that's pretty good, I think. I will post the recipes and opinions of all the smoothies I've tried below. Enjoy!

Weight Loss Smoothie:

• 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder
• 1/2 Medium Banana
• 3/4 C Almond Milk
• 3-5 Ice Cubes

I ended up using an entire banana because it wasn't sweet enough or thick enough. It still tasted a little mediocre, but it was alright. It wasn't very sweet and it had a weird texture. The chia seeds (if you're not used to drinking things with them included) have a very weird texture. But, over all, it was alright and I finished it! 

Banana Goodness:

• 1 Banana
• 1/2 C Frozen Raspberries
• 1/4 C Other Frozen Berries
• 2 Whole Strawberries
• 1/2 C Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt
• 1/2 C Ice (crushed) 

This smoothie was sooo much better than the previous. The yogurt thickened it up and made it a better consistency. The mix of berries was really good and refreshing. Just a tip--if you use ice...get it crushed from the refrigerator instead of crushing it in the blender...not a good idea. Also, cut the strawberries up before tossing them in. Again, this was really yummy. 

The Invigorator:

• 1 tsp Lime Juice
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Handful Spinach
• 1 Apple (red or green, doesn't matter)
• 1 Pear (medium sized)
• 1 1/2 C Ginger Tea 
• Boil 2 C water. 
• Grate 1 inch of ginger root
• Add grated ginger into boiling water
• Put a lid on top and let boil for 15 minutes
• COOL it before making smoothie
• Ice (as much as you need) 

This smoothie was pretty good. It had a weird texture too, but the taste was good. It was really sweet and I liked that. You could taste the pear and apple and there wasn't an overpowering taste of spinach. I would make it again. It filled me up and I wasn't hungry for like six more hours. Good stuff. 

Breakfast in One Smoothie:

• 1/4 C Quick Cook Oats (not instant)
• 1/4 C Nuts (I used pecans)
• 1 Ripe Banana 
• 1 C Frozen Fruit ( I used Blueberries)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt
• 1 C Vanilla Almond Milk

Okay so I really did like this one, it just took a few sips to get used to the texture. The pecans made it a tad bit bitter but other than that it was pretty good. It didn't fill me up as much as the others so I made 2 eggs to go with it. Good breakfast for me! 

Of all four of these recipes, I definitely think the Raspberry Banana Goodness was the best. The Weight Loss Smoothie was the worst tasting, but it was the best for you in nutrients. Overall, I wasn't disappointed and had a good time! I would recommend that you try them, just for fun :)

Short Haired Woes

So, on my 101/1001 list, one of my biggest goals is to grow my hair out longer than I ever have. To me, long hair is to my collar bone. To girls with long hair, that's short. For my friends and family, it is not weird for me to grow my hair out and then chop it all off. To me, hair is hair and it will always grow back.

But...

I really want to grow it out. I miss all the things I could do with my hair and how if I was a lazy bum, I could just put it up in a ponytail. Most of all, I miss having my hair braided. The most I can french braid with this short bob is my bangs. Although, that's cute, it's not the same!

One tiny problem-my hair grows as fast as molasses. I do get it trimmed every couple of months so that it will grow faster, but, I need to just be patient. Obviously this virtue can be applied to all aspects of life, haha.

So this is just a boo-hoo post about how I'm sad I have short hair.
Dont' get me wrong, it takes me no time to get ready (hair wise), but I just miss the hair. Wish me luck. I can get bored of what my hair looks like in the growing phase and often chop it all off again. Hopefully, I can make it this time!

Smoothie Addiction

Jamba Juice.

I felt like that needed it's own line. A friend of mine, Allyce, told me about Jamba Juice a couple of months ago. I tried some fruity smoothie and I didn't think it was that great, so the next few times she asked if I wanted anything, I passed. Three days ago, I was driving around the shopping center I work at and decided to pull into Jamba Juice.

**You see, I have recently found my blender and decided I am most likely going to start making my own smoothies and juices (I am also getting a juicer). Not only do I want to make them because I want to be "healthier" but, it's cheaper to do it yourself than to spend money elsewhere. **


I went inside and decided I was going to try something I normally wouldn't. I tried the Apple N' Greens smoothie. Mind=blown. That smoothie was so incredibly delicious. I also got a free energy boost that has no caffeine. OH. EM. GEE. It was green. Usually, if something is a weird color, I'm not going to drink it. I took a baby sip because I was kind of afraid of what it would taste like. I found my soul mate :) (that sounds incredibly dramatic, but it was just that delicious).

I went back to Jamba Juice again that evening before work and then yesterday before bible study. I'm addicted. Therefore, I did some research and recipe searching and when I was at the grocery store today, I bought stuff to make my own smoothies because $5.72 a smoothie is TOO MUCH for this poor girl. I'm going to make a homemade smoothie in just a bit. Hopefully it's delicious. Even if it isn't, I'm going to post the recipe and pictures to prove I tried it. Without pictures, life is not validated.

Wish me luck! I'm being resourceful!
January is turning out to be pretty great so far.

New Year...

I have not blogged in almost two months. It feels a little strange finally posting something. I could write this post on all the unrealistic New Year's Resolutions I have, but that's just idiotic. But, as a start, I did change the layout and template of my blog :D

With the new year, a lot of things have changed. I will no longer be attending UTSA as a music education major. I will be going to SAC in the spring (hopefully) and then transfer to the University of Incarnate Word (fancy?) to get my bachelor's degree in Music Therapy. It's a major change and I'm kind of nervous...actually really nervous, but super excited.

Music therapy is a beautiful field and you should go look it up :)
It's not that music education isn't important, because it totally is. But, I have such a larger passion for this field than education. It's teaching in a different way. It's changing lives in a much more dynamic way. After meeting a music therapist last January, I became adamant on finding out more information.
UTSA doesn't offer the degree AND I don't want my degree to read UTSA on it. Some people love the school, I'm not one of them.
I have had issues with some aspect ever since I started back in 2008.

I will give more details when they are more solidified.

On to the resolutions and all that jazz:
I've decided to make more realistic resolutions than I normally do. I have a million to-do lists and I feel like it's time to actually finish one!

1. Write in my journal at least once a week.
2. Blog at least 4 times a month (I don't have a million followers, so just to keep it real)
3. Follow an average workout plan for at least 3 days a week. (I don't want to be like, INSANITY, because I'll do it for 5 days and then stop)
4. Say something nice to someone every day.
5. Spend time in God's word every day.
6. Be more Positive. (difficult).

So that's it folks. My resolutions are out there! I also want to continue fulfilling my 1001/101 list. I need to update that too. So, here is to 2013! *Clink*

Marathon Madness

This past Sunday was the Rock n Roll Marathon in San Antonio. A few people I knew were running in the marathon, but I didn't realize how big of a deal this marathon was until I got to work. I am a receptionist at Massage Envy, so I'm pretty used to seeing runners come in and get a massage after a race. When I got to work, there were quite a few people who had just taken part in this marathon who had thought ahead and made an appointment to get a massage. Then, the phone was ringing constantly with people who were looking for any open appointments for the same issues. I also looked on twitter and a few of my friends posted pictures of just how many people were downtown for the marathon. Woah. I thought to myself, that would be cool to take part in such an event.

The next day, I was hanging out with my mom watching TV when we decided it was the perfect time of day to take our two dogs for a walk. We both could lose a few and my dog, Samantha, is an overweight beagle--so there would be no harm done to anyone involved. :) We went around the "big block" surrounding our neighborhood and it took us about an hour. We weren't walking very quickly and it wasn't aimed at being a "brisk walk", but we got in some walking. After we got home, my mom called me into her office and told me that next year, we will be participating in the Rock n Roll marathon. At first, I was like...are you crazy?! and then I took a minute and decided that was a really good goal for us to set.

We haven't yet decided whether we will be participating in the full or half marathon. We have an entire year to train...but at the same time, we've never competed in any kind of race (except my very little amount of time invested in track back in high school), so the half may be the better choice. So, when I make the choice, I will let you know.

I told one of my friends that I was considering doing it and he told me he'd train with me, so I was pretty excited. Then, when I came to work last night, a couple more of my coworkers said that they would also train with me. So, now that I had a good amount of accountability partners, I was stoked. I haven't yet decided which training plan that I will follow, but I'm researching it now. I'm trying to find friends who really enjoy running and who could give me good and helpful tips for training. I don't want to jump into a crazy running schedule if it isn't something that's attainable, you know? So, I need someone who will give honest advice to me.

I've decided that no matter which I decide to do, half or full, that it is a commitment that I must stick with. Commitment means doing what you said you would do, long after the mood you said it in has left you. I'm hoping that since I've found a few good friends to do this with, that we can hold each other accountable.

So, for now, I'm simply researching training schedules. I'm pretty sure (since it only take 18-20 weeks to really train) I will start training to do the training schedule to then prepare me for the marathon, haha. Couch to marathon style! I am going on Friday to buy some running shoes. I am hoping that if I buy those shoes, that I will remind myself that it's worth it. Wish me luck! Feel free to check in on me and see how I'm doing. I will post about my progress. I'm excited. Nervous. But, excited.

One Day in the Dillard's Parking Lot...

Last week, I went to church for the first time in a long while. I couldn't put off going to church one more week. So, since it was daylight savings and all, I went to bed early and got up to go to the early bird service! I was pretty proud of myself.

Once I got to church, I sat about midway back. The music started to play and I was having a good time. Then, of course, the awkward church meet and greet took place. I'm already an awkward person so this made it much more awkward for me. I was ready to sit down and take notes! I did just that.

Although I believe that mission work is really important, I don't think we must go to a foreign place to do mission work. San Antonio has plenty of people to reach in the midst of our daily routines. Our purpose on earth is to do God's work in all that we do. The pastor kept asking, "what's your story?" It made me really think back to when I accepted Christ and how it happened. He also asked where we could share our stories. He wanted each of us to turn to our neighbor and tell them where our one place we knew we could share our story was...I just drew a blank. I sat there trying to figure out a place to say, but couldn't think of anything. Thankfully, no one turned to me.

Later that week, I was sitting at work (I'm a receptionist at a massage clinic) talking to a few coworkers and my story came up. I couldn't help but smile because obviously, God knew where I would be able to share my story. This is my story:

When I was a little girl, my grandparents would pick me up on the weekends and take me to church on Sundays with them. They lived 30 minutes away from my house in a small town with an even smaller baptist church. I went to Vacation Bible School every summer and loved going to church. When I was eight years old, I remember I stayed with my grandparents the entire week so I wouldn't miss VBS. Each night at worship, they'd have their invitation, but I just thought deciding that Jesus was my lord and savior would be something I'd have to ask my mother for permission for. So, I left VBS a non Christian. A short time after VBS had ended, my grandparents were going to take me home, but had to stop at the mall first, so Grandma could buy something at Dillard's.

It was pouring down rain, so Paw-Paw dropped her off at the door and we drove around and parked. He asked me what I thought of VBS. I remember telling him I thought VBS was really cool and that Jesus seemed like a cool guy. He told me more about Jesus while we waited for Grandma. I was so intrigued and so excited to hear more about him that I couldn't stop listening. When he asked me if I wanted to accept Jesus as my lord and savior, I told him I had to ask mom first. He assured me, she would be joyous about my decision. I decided he was probably right and I prayed the prayer right there with my Paw Paw while it was pouring down rain in the Dillard's parking lot.

That story seems silly, but it means so much to me. My paw-paw also had the chance to baptize me in our small baptist church, which is a really cool memory. He has been with me on this journey of faith since the beginning and to me, that's priceless. He shared his story with me 14 years ago that led me to make the best decision I've ever made. Woah.

It really made me proud to tell my story this week. I have many more stories of how my relationship with God and my faith in God have taken me to where I am today that I'm eager to share. I'm proud to be a child of God and a follower of Christ.

And if our God is for us,
then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us,
then what could stand against?

Marriage.

I've been thinking about marriage and my future a lot in the last few years, but more so in the last few months. I have not yet met "Mr. Right" and am not dating anyone, so this could, very well be a very naive and silly post. I am almost 23 years old and I am unmarried. I wish that were more common. I know so many of my close friends that are already married (some for quite some time) and I am single wondering if I'll ever meet that right man. 

Let me tell you, I do not share common thoughts with most of my friends about dating or marriage. I'm simply different. I am not a girl who has dreamed about my wedding day since I was 5. I didn't even really think about it until I was 19 or 20. I didn't know it was so common to dream up such a day at such a young age. "She's dreamed about this day ever since she was a little girl." Is that really true?! Sure, I liked dressing up and playing barbies...but I did not picture myself getting married to anyone other Ken. That may sound incredibly stupid, but, my brain didn't comprehend such a concept. Something could be wrong with me. 

Let's be real here. My parents were married twice (to each other) and divorced twice. By the time I was seven, they weren't married anymore, so for most of my life I was raised by my mother. My mom had to be both parents for a good long while. I didn't see a good example of what marriage was in my home growing up. I didn't even really see an example of love (other than a mother's love) until I was 12 when my mom met Randy. How could I dream of something I'd never knew was there? Sure, I had crushes on boys at school but, really...the kind of love I would dream about later was not anywhere in my mind. 

I grew up mainly without a father. I had father figures, but not my father. I didn't know how broken I was until I was "dating." I had built up a brick wall around my heart and all of those stories and experiences I had during my life were off limits. Those stories were saved for me, God and my best friend. There are things you don't want to share, especially when you don't have a foundation of trust. Building a wall is easy. Breaking it down is the hardest road you'll ever embark upon. I cried a lot. I was mean to a lot of people because of my own insecurities. I missed out on a lot of opportunities because of said insecurities. I dated certain boys because of what I thought I wanted. 

I made a list of what I thought I wanted. I love when you think you're in control of your own life. I love that God can change your heart and your mind in a matter of seconds. After dating a guy for almost two years because he fit what I thought I wanted for the rest of my life, God opened my eyes. I almost instantly decided it wasn't a relationship I should be in and tried to play "fix it". I thought maybe if things changed we'd work out. That made it worse. 

God knows what is best for you. Listening is the hardest part. I'm apart of a generation that wants things now. No one wants to wait, they want to know where life is headed right this instant. 

God must have a really good sense of humor and an immense amount of patience. 

I threw away the list. I know there are certain things I need in a man but I can't expect a man to look a certain way, act a certain way and just "be" a certain way. There is no way that would ever be attainable. I know I need a man who loves Jesus more than me and that has a genuine heart. I know I need a man that understands what it means to serve me and I him. 

I don't find marriage to be about attraction (although we should have a chemistry) or about how well our personalities mesh. I find marriage to be a covenant before God to serve together and follow Him. I find marriage to be a companionship. 

Only God knows.