Happy Day!

Call me crazy but I don’t mind split shifts.  At least ones that give me about 8 hours between the two shifts.

I went in early this morning to do an update and will be going back later this evening for some organizational work while the store is closed.  And in between I got to get some delicious Intelligentsia coffee (and a butterscotch blondie!) for a snack with Pradeep & Stanley, followed by some cardio + strength training at the gym.  And just in case we were wondering if there are still good people left in the world, I was reminded there are!

Over the weekend when I left the gym in quite the hurry when my body was in such severe pain, I happened to forget my iPhone arm band on the stationary bike.  I didn’t figure it out until I tried to go for a run yesterday morning and couldn’t find it and just took my phone in hand running (which in case you were wondering, is really annoying and uncomfortable).  When I went in today I asked if anyone turned one in and the lady was like “I don’t think so” but thankfully the guy behind the desk looked in the Lost and Found and handed it over.  I was so pleasantly surprised and happy!  It’s the little things, sorry! :)

The remainder of my time is being spent doing some stuff for Gigi Yogini and The Joy of YES with Gigi Yogini & Corti Cooper retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica that’s coming up in November.  I am determined to help them sell out.

I’m also working my way through Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  I’m about half-way through.  Did anyone decide to join me? I need to move the movie to #1 in my Netflx queue if it’s not already and finish watching the movie currently in my possession so that I will have the movie by the time I’m done.  I’m really having fun reading it.  Maybe it’s bringing out the kid in me? 

I have the next two days off work and I’m super excited!  Tomorrow I’m meeting a good friend from New Jersey who has joined the rest of his family out here for lunch and Thursday will probably be the boring stuff (aka back-to-back doctor appointments - at least they’re in the same building - and an oil change).

I’m off to keep enjoying my afternoon.  Happy Day! (And Happy 13th Birthday to Google!)

Happy 13th Birthday Google!

h.a.p.p.y.

I'm going to make this rather quick tonight because I just finished up my Anatomy assignment due tomorrow night and I work in the morning, but despite a lot of the struggles and hurdles I've been working hard to overcome, I'm happy.


That's it. Simple as that.  


I'm happy.


I see the positive and joy in my life.  I see my power and strength to overcome hurdles.  I see my openness to let people in and take part in new experiences.  I see optimism shining through more often than pessimism.  I see hope and a bright future.


That's it.  Simple as that.


I'm happy.

What To Know When You're 25(ish)

This is a really interesting article I ran across yesterday from December 2010; and boy does it hit home.  While I recommend reading the entire thing, especially if you feel like you’re in the same weird in-between that I’m finding myself in, below are a few of my favorite snipes from the article.  And even if you’re not in the weird in-between that I’m in but you’re 25(ish) maybe you should read it anyway.  Or maybe you should read it because you know someone (or maybe eventually know someone), who is 25(ish) and in this place / could someday be in this place.

What To Know When You’re 25(ish)

Job

Now is the time to figure out what kind of work you love to do. What are you good at? What makes you feel alive? What do you dream about? You can go back to school now, switch directions entirely. You can work for almost nothing, or live in another country, or volunteer long hours for something that moves you. There will be a time when finances and schedules make this a little trickier, so do it now. Try it, apply for it, get up and do it.

Don't get stuck

Don’t get stuck. Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. Walk away, try something new. There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming. Don’t lose yourself at happy hour, but don’t lose yourself on the corporate ladder either. Stop every once in a while and go out to coffee or climb in bed with your journal. Ask yourself some good questions like: “Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I tried this month? What have I learned about God this year? What parts of my childhood faith am I leaving behind, and what parts am I choosing to keep with me for this leg of the journey? Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?” 

And while I’m talking about this weird “in-between” and the process of finding what I want out of my life / what I want to do with it, I realized there are a few passions that I need to make sure are included:

-music

-fitness / yoga

-health / nutrition

-writing / blogging

-creating a company / business

I haven’t figured out exactly how I will incorporate each of these and I’m sure to many of you, you look at this list and see that I have incorporated most (if not all) of them.  But not necessarily the way that I want to.  And problem is, I haven’t figured out how I want to yet.  That’s part of my process, part of journey; I guess part of that thing we call life, huh?

I made this fun graphic (with my own photo)!! :-D

It's the little things

I’ve said this numerous times and I’ll say it again. It’s all about the little things.  

It’s the little things that make our days, put smiles on our faces, cheer us up when we’re feeling down.

It’s the little things that make us appreciate life, make us laugh, and fill us with happiness.

As I mentioned this morning, I had a bit of a rough start to my day but it turned around.  Here are the little things that made my day:

-yoga

-spending time with a good friend (she came with me to yoga + car ride chat time)

-a quick trip to the gym to lift a few weights and do some light cardio

-a trip to the grocery store to stock up on a lot of delicious, healthy foods

-a large juicy and delicious Fuji apple

-having the locks on my door fixed / new keys that actually work

-making a delicious and healthy stir fry dinner in 5 minutes (thank you to TJ’s pre-cut fresh Asian stir fry veggie medley)

-homemade Vegan pumpkin bread

-listening to John Mayer, relaxing on my couch, sitting with my feet up - all while I blog

-delay brew on my coffee pot

It’s the little things people.  It’s all about the little things.

Various stir fry veggies, tempeh, rice on a bed of spinach topped with a few peanuts

I’m not vegan but lately my diet has been mostly vegan.  Since I’m lactose intolerant, my diet generally lingers on the line of vegetarian vs vegan but since I still eat seafood and eggs (usually only when baked into something), I’m clearly not a vegan.  But I realized that since I’ve become obsessed with tempeh, I haven’t really been eating seafood.  And the last few times I did, I wasn’t feeling it and I felt nauseous (probably a sign my body hasn’t had it in awhile).  But since I don’t generally have eggs in my apartment and I had some pumpkin I wanted to use up, I decided a vegan pumpkin bread would be perfect.  And boy was it!  This recipe was my inspiration, though I changed a few things:

• I replaced 1/2 the regular flour with oats
• I didn’t have allspice or cloves so I didn’t include those and instead sprinkled in a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg
• I replaced the maple syrup with agave sweetener 
• I didn’t have chopped walnuts or pepitas and forgot to include almonds so there’s no nuts

Foodie For a Day x2! 

This is delicious! It tastes more like I’m eating cake than bread (that’s probably due to the oil...there’s more than I would have liked) but since there’s pumpkin, oats and whole wheat flour, I don’t feel too bad.  Plus it’s delicious and desert!

A Photo of Something That Makes You Happy - Day 21

I’ve been super sleepy lately.  Not just always tired sleepy, but more like falling asleep at 8:00 on my couch or the moment I sit down - hence, my delay in yesterday’s post. 

And instead of just one thing that makes me happy, I would like to include several because it is all of them together that truly make me happy. 

Flowers

Coffee

Wine & Candles

Yoga / Exercise

Music

Fun notes from friends