I have circumnavigated the globe, I have lived overseas, and now I'm back in America about to marry my beautiful fiance, Renee. Follow our adventures in travel, getting healthier with Plexus and starting a brand new life.
They say that if your dog is overweight, YOU need more exercise. Ain’t that the dang truth!
This morning I woke up with energy to burn! It’s July in Texas, which means nothing but scorching heat and humidity. I woke up before the sun was set in the sky, strapped the dog to the leash and put on my tennis shoes. We walked (and even ran!! What?!) down the road a mile, then turned around and came back, all while rocking out to Pandora.
Between the walking, running and dancing intervals, I’m sure I looked like a crazy lady with her little dog — but hey, at least I had fun burning those calories!
If you’ve been following, you know that I’ve gotten all my recent energy from the all-natural Plexus products. If you’re sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, message me or visit my shop to learn more!
What if this could change everything?
It already is.
Let’s talk about Slim, baby! Let’s talk about you and me!
If you’re thinking that this is just another weight loss gimmick, it’s not! Slim does way more than just aid in weight loss.
Plexus Slim is the most popular product that Plexus has, and for good reason. This little packet mixes with water and is to be consumed 15 – 30 minutes before eating. Most people like to drink it before breakfast, but you can take it any time of day.
Once consumed, this little all-natural wonder drink immediately goes to work on maintaining normal blood sugar levels, as well as healthy cholesterol and lipid levels.
*Fun fact, Slim was originally created for people with diabetes as a natural alternative to managing blood sugar.
There are many key ingredients in the packet that help with a slew of health problems. For instance: Slim contains Beet Root and Grape Skin Extract: beet root is a natural detoxifier and antioxidant that aids in maintaining healthy blood pressure and helps prevent heart disease. Grape skin extract is a powerful antioxidant that also aids in heart health and lowers blood sugar.
Chromium and Garcinia Cambogia, two other key ingredients, have also been known to lower blood sugar levels, even out blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Garcinia Cabogia helps boost serotonin, which alleviates symptoms of stress and depression.
One thing that I was shocked to see was the number of testimonies of people who have arthritis whose pain and discomfort were greatly alleviated because of the natural anti-inflammatory in the pink drink. Samples are in the mail to my mother as we speak so she can tell me first hand if it helps with her arthritis.
And, of course, when your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol are in great shape, you naturally feel better and have more energy! Because of the energy boost this drink gives, you want to move more, which burns more fat… you see where this is going. It has been the first consistent week that I’ve been dedicated to the product, and I’ve already shed a few pounds!
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get off your medication, or just want to feel more energetic, please message me for more information! Or click here to check out my Plexus office.
In December 2015, just before Christmas, Renee asked me to marry her. She had sprinkled our apartment with beautiful love notes, which led me to a gorgeous spot near a pond, through a canopy of trees. We walked hand-in-hand, and even in her pre-back-surgery state, she got down on one knee and presented me with a jaw droppingly perfect ring. I, of course, joyfully and excitedly, said yes. Hell yes.
In February, after months of escalating sciatic pain throughout her back and leg, Renee finally had back surgery on her lower back. The surgery took longer than expected, and when the neurologist came out to tell me how it went, he said that there was more damage than he had expected. He stated that she must have been in excruciating pain (yes, she was, it was almost unbearable to watch), and he didn’t know how she had lasted this long without surgery.
All is well now, but with us taking the next step towards or future, it really got us thinking about our health and financial situation. Already Renee has issues with blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, and to be honest, even though my labs came back fine, they probably won’t be in 5 years if I don’t make some changes. Not only will our health suffer, but the more we ignore the subtle warning signs in our body, the more money we’ll have to shell out for doctor visits and medication.
With two females working for nonprofits, our household income is not super awesome. When you factor in doctor bills, student loans, car notes, insurance, rent and everything else that comes with being an adult, we’re left with squat. How are we supposed to pay for our wedding, afford a house or start a family? Not only that, but we have dreams of traveling the world with our future children and being able to volunteer our time and money along the way. Dreaming is important, but putting your money where your mouth is is what brings dreams to life.
Two years ago my friend joined Plexus, and I saw how their all-natural products and vitamins literally changed her life. She no longer had legs that wanted to run a marathon when she was trying to sleep, she had way more energy than ever before, she no longer had terrible tummy issues that kept her up all night, and the terrible discomfort in her back was gone. She was able to get off all of her prescribed medications and only rely on the natural products of Plexus. WHAT?! On top of that, she is making over half of what I make in a month just through her growing side business in Plexus.
I’ve tried these products, I’ve experienced results, I’ve seen how they’ve seriously improved the lives of my friends, so why wouldn’t I want to be a part of a company I believe in?
Why am I joining Plexus?
#1 Because I know that the products work.
#2 Because I have goals and dreams that I know I can achieve through the money I make with this company.
What if this could change everything?
Click here to check out the products, and please feel free to message me!
This isn’t going to be a long post, but had to share some thoughts.
Lately, I’ve been dealing with a lot of anxiety. Without going into too many details at this moment, it has been almost crippling at times. Everyday there are many moments, and sometimes hours, of panic that runs through my body. I’m not someone who is usually anxious or fearful, and the last time I felt this way, in the end, I moved to the mountains of Arizona to a secluded ranch 7 miles off a dirt road to recuperate.
It was healing, and it was a great adventure, but I don’t want to do that again. I’m truly happy where I’m at and I want to deal with these issues here in a healthy way.
I was scrolling through my blog when I found this, something that I had written almost exactly a year ago:
How was I going to move to Texas or buy a car or make car payments or get car insurance all while paying rent and putting money towards my student loans plus all the other bills? What if I couldn’t find a job? What if I found a job and I hated it, but it paid enough money so I could pay my bills but I was miserable? And then surely my relationship would fall apart because I wouldn’t have money to do anything or support myself and I’d always be working and hate my job and it would all be miserable. And then I’d have to move back home and live with my mothers. Forever.
I read it and laughed out loud. Those were my anxieties a year ago: not being able to afford life, being stuck in a job that I hated, etc., which would all eventually lead to me dying alone. What?
A year later, and here’s the scoop: I have the money to live. It might not be pretty all the time, but I’m makin’ it. I found a job. I took on two more jobs. I ended up hating one of the jobs, so I moved on and found something that better suited me. Moral of the story — some of my fears came true; however, in the end, it didn’t result in my demise. I’m not a ruined person. My fate is not sealed.
It was good to read back on my own thoughts to help put things in perspective. For those of you who have dealt with anxiety and/or depression, how have you come out the other side?
“Inspiration doesn’t owe you anything. One you’ve found a balance between fear and creativity, you still have to do the work.” –Elizabeth GilbertIt’s been a while since I’ve written a personal post. Part of that is because my life is continuously changing and I’m not sure where to begin. The other part is fear.
Ever been in a creative rut? Of course you have. Sometimes our lives become very habitual and seemingly uneventful, so we think we have nothing interesting to write about. Other times our lives become hectic and frenzied, and we aren’t sure where to begin or what truths we want to reveal to the world.
As I said, my circumstance happens to be the latter. I moved to Texas a year ago today, and at this point in my life I have three jobs: working a day or two a week at Starbucks to keep my insurance, working full time at a Residential Treatment Center (RTC) as a Direct Care Staff member, and I also do my own contracted work as a freelance writer. The biggest change has been working at the RTC. Renee and I moved back to America to help open and run this facility, and it has definitely been hard work.
An extremely quick overview of what is an RTC: for our facility, girls in CPS ages 6 – 17 who are classified as Intense and Specialized cases (been through a lot of trauma) live at the house and get therapy. They go to school, learn how to deal with their emotional issues and triggers, and they learn how to live a healthy life so they can grow to be healthy adults.
This is important work, but it’s also really hard. I never know what I’m going to walk into that day – is it going to be calm with a few minor instances of defiance/rudeness/acting out, or am I going to walk into a knock-down-drag-out kind of day? As a result, I feel nauseous every time I get ready to go into work. After talking to people who have worked in the industry for twenty-plus years, I realized that this is quite normal. Most of them cried every single night after work for almost a year. But despite the uncomfortableness and newness of the job, I feel like I’m heading in the right direction in my life. There are so many possibilities and roads ahead of me, I can’t wait to see where it all goes and grows.
That being said, when I have some free time for myself, I’ve gotten into the habit of zoning out on TV. I’m physically and mentally exhausted after a twelve-hour day, and I just want to sit and think about nothing. I don’t write because I’m afraid that all that will come out is work stuff, and that’s the last thing I want to focus on after being immersed in it for most of the day.
Lately, though, I’ve had this gnawing feeling inside of me that has turned into a heavy burden. I want to create. Realistically, my schedule will be pretty full for a while with work, but I’m finding it necessary to carve out some time to do something creative. Instead of checking out of my life when I have any free time, I need to get in the habit of writing, reading or listening to an inspiring and insightful podcast.
Hectic schedule and changes aside, there is also the issue of fear.
What do I really have to contribute to the world? Haven’t all of the topics been covered, all of the feelings been discussed? What do I have to offer that would be of any value at all?
What if what I create isn’t good enough?
All of us as creative people have felt this at one point or another – or usually at many points in our lives. I started listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s podcasts, Magic Lessons, and some of the things she or her guests have said have helped me drag myself out of that fog. For one thing, I realized that I was holding the art of creating on a pedestal. Like, if I wasn’t creating something as good as the Sistine Chapel, why bother? It’s good to get into the nitty gritty of your craft – get yourself dirty, make some mistakes, take some wrong turns – but when you do it, be genuine in your efforts and put whatever you have out there.
Think about if your favorite books were never written because the authors felt that they had nothing valuable to say. What if they let their fears or the craziness of their lives take over, and they never formed the work of art that has so greatly influenced your life?
What if you are that artist? Don’t let the fear of imperfection or uncertainty stifle your actions to live a creative life.
Getting mail is one of my absolute favorite things. As a kid I would run to the mailbox each afternoon like I was expecting a present to be waiting for me. Even as an adult, any time a UPS or FedEx truck passes by I think, stop here! Stop here! And sometimes they do. Recently, as I was pulling up to my apartment I saw a UPS truck driver standing at my door, and I rushed to meet him.
“I wasn’t expecting anything!” I told him excitedly with a huge, stupid grin on my face.
“Looks like it’s from Publishers Clearing House. I’m guessing you got a book.”
Yesssssssss. Turns out I won a copy of April’s BirchBox book club pick of the month, The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza. Sykes has worked in the fashion world for years as a stylist, fashion editor and fashion director. She was the fashion director at Marie Claire magazine, and she is currently the fashion director for Rent the Runway. Piazza is the managing editor of Yahoo Travel, and she has written for publications such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and more.
Together they have written an extremely entertaining and funny novel about how the fashion and tech worlds have collided. Imogene, the Editor in Chief of Glossy magazine (who is pretty much the opposite of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada) comes back to work after a six month medical leave, and she barely recognizes her own magazine. Eve, the 20-something year old sociopath, fresh out of Harvard business school, has taken over and transformed/reduced the magazine into an app. Under Eve’s reign, she fired all of the “gray hairs” and brought in new hires to work in her tech sweat shop. Quality of work greatly decreases, editing goes out the window, and all the focus is on quantity of articles and social media postings. Imogene, who can’t tell Twitter from Facebook from Instagram, is completely lost in this world and has to either sink or swim.
I found myself rooting for and identifying with Imogene throughout the book, as I am pretty un-techy myself. I don’t know half of the social media out there, I have no idea what coding entails, and I am certainly not up to date with the latest in technology (seriously, I just got my first smart phone a few months ago). I don’t, however, want to get left behind as the world advances, and neither does Imogone.
This book is a great and easy read, definitely recommended for taking on vacation or for curling up at home on a rainy spring day. If you love fashion, if you’re a tech wizard, or even if you can’t figure out why your phone was working one minute and is now all in Japanese, this book is for you.
This book is all about habits and how to form healthy and fulfilling routins and break free from the bad ones. First, the book breaks down who you are as an individual in four main categories: Upholders (people who meet outer and inner expectations), Obligers (people who meet outer expectations but have a hard time fulfilling inner expectations), Questioners (resists meeting outer expectations, but easily keeps inner expectations), and Rebels (resists both inner and outer expectations). Throughout the book Rubin gives examples of how to create wanted daily habits based on these four personalities and why different solutions work best for different people. She also explores more specific personality traits like: are you a lark or an owl? Are you a marathoner, sprinter or procrastinator? An underbuyer or an overbuyer? A simplicity lover or an abundance lover? Finisher or an opener? The list goes on, and I found myself underlining which traits I identify with most (obliger, lark, procrastinator, underbuyer, abundance lover, opener). I’ve always been one to jump at the chance to take any kind of personality quiz, so this was definitely my favorite part of the book. By figuring out which categories you fall under, the author shows you how to form good haibts depending on what’s best for each individual — not an overall blanket of “one solution fits all.”
This book came at a great time in my life because lately I’ve been feeling a bit… unfocused. I moved back to America almost one year ago, and sometimes when I’m feeling a little overwhelmed or lost I think, you should be totally well adjusted now and have your shit together. In many ways I have definitely adjust to life back home, but as you all know, there have been a lot of changes along the way. I moved to Texas in August, I rented my very first apartment, I work at Starbucks, and I’m waiting to start my new job at a 24 hour youth residential treatment facility for specialized and intense youth. For a while I was working at Starbucks everyday for about eight hours, and then I would come home and do freelance writing for another three to four hours each day. Then, I started training for the facility on the weekends, so I was working about 60 hours a week. At home I was often exhaused and burnt out, so all I could do was zone out on the couch in front of the TV for the rest of the night — I was doing a lot, but I was also feeling pretty unproductive.
Currently, I have cooled it on the freelance and my training is over, so I’m just working at the coffee shop, doing some writing jobs on the side and waiting for the girls to be assigned to our facility so I can start to work there full time. I hate the feeling of being in purgatory, that waiting place for one event in your life to end and the other to start so you feel like you have a normal routine again, and recently I’ve been feeling a little disoriented. Specifically, I’ve been torn on how to manage my time betwen things that I want to do and things that I need to do. I want to read a book, but I really need to figure out my insurance plan and all of those details. I want to sit and write, but I really should get my oil changed and give my car a good wash and vaccume. The pull between what I want to do and what I must do drives me a bit nuts, and as a result I avoid both things and sit on my butt in front of the TV and watch another episode of whatever is on Hulu. (Great solution, I know.) Surprisingly though, this is a fairly common thing! Rubin breaks down how to solve these problems in a variety of different ways depending on your personality, and she gives seriously helpful habit forming tips that has really helped me already. For instance, for me, I need to write down what I want to achieve for the day, and the task doesn’t have to be that big. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the big picture that a simple task seems impossible and useless to start — I often feel defeated before I ever start. Instead of my goal being “figure out my insurance plan”, which sounds pretty intricate and all-encompasing, I break it down. First, what is covered by my medical? What tests are free and what will I be charged for? Second, what is included in my free dental exam? What is covered if I need a filling? By narrowing down specific questions I have, the task seems much more manageable. Also, schedule time to do something pleasurable. Spend 1pm – 2pm on the phone with the insurance company asking all of your questions, and then spend 2 pm – 3pm reading. I’m a pretty “go with the flow” type of person, and I find the idea of scheduling my free time kind of silly; however, I feel a lot more calm when I can see that I only need to devote one hour to this necessary but undesirable task, and then I can move on to something that I enjoy without feeling guilty.
I definitely recommend this book for those who need a little more direction, encouragement and inspiration in their life!
Like so many people out there, I dream of having hair that is basically opposite of what grows on my head. I have thin, wavy/frizzy locks with no body to speak of, so I have to hunt for products that give the illusion of having beautiful, thick, voluminous strands. When Birchbox teamed up with Curly Hair Solutions, I jumped at the chance to try both their Curl Keeper Gel as well as their Original formula.
The Curl Keeper Gel is made to reduce frizz and keep your curls light and bouncy without the crunch. I tend to shy away from gels as they leave my hair stiff and weighed down, but this formula is water-based with Panthenol, which helps keep curls in a nice “S” shape and reduces fly aways without the signature gel feel. I use this product when I get out of the shower and let my hair air-dry, which gives my hair more volume, more defined curls and less frizz.
The Original Curl Keeper is also a water-based formula, and I use it when I style my hair with a blow dryer or curling iron. This doesn’t give the same defined bouncy curls as the gel, but it definitely keeps my hair from looking like a puffy, frizzy mess. If you’re a person who can go a day or two between washes, you can easily re-active this formula by misting your hair to tame those unruly strays.
I definitely recommend these products as they are long-lasting, they doesn’t leave behind any residue, and they can really turn your kinky/wavy locks into a smooth pile of curls.
Have you heard of Plated? It’s a subscription where you choose one of seven featured meals (the chef and menu changes each week), four meals will be healthy meat and fish dishes, while the other three will be vegetarian. You set up a plan and decide how often you want the boxes delivered, and everything comes packaged neatly with ice packs to keep the food fresh. Each box comes with all of the ingredients you will need to make your meal, and everything is already portioned out so you don’t have to worry about measuring or waste. Each box comes with step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the meal of your choosing, as well as cooking tips. There was a promotion going on, so for $20 Renee and I got two different meals, two servings per box.
The first meal was Mushroom-Crusted Flatiron Steak with Cauliflower and Turnip Mash:
Looks delicious? It totally was. The steak was cooked to perfection (thanks, Renee!) and the seasoning was just the right amount. The cauliflower and turnip mash was pretty good, although definitely not my favorite. I felt like the butter didn’t absorb properly and there wasn’t a whole lot of flavor, so in the future I’d add different spices and try other recipes to make it a bit tastier. Obviously you’re not going to get the creamy potato taste we all know and love, but this is definitely healthier and worth playing around with.
The second dish we ordered was Saag Paneer with Garlic Naan:
The main focus of this dish was the cubes of paneer cheese, which does not have a strong cheesy flavor, but takes on the texture of hard tofu and absorbed the flavors you cook with. This was spiced with masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, ginger, and also included greek yogurt and yellow onion. The dish was nice and flavorful, although it was a bit runny and the naan was too hard.
Overall, Plated was a fun experience! It gives you the opportunity to try new dishes, and if you love what you made and want to do it again, you still have the recipe and instructions to go out and buy all the supplies you need. This isn’t the type of thing you’d necessarily want to order for your whole family, as it could get pricy (and not the best for picky kids!), but it’s great to do as a single person, as a couple, or even with a group of friends.
Have you tried Plated? What did you get and how was your experience?
I am a HUGE lover of fall. Although it’s not quite sweater weather here in the South, that doesn’t mean that I’m not enjoying the sunny and 75F degree days. Here are some of my fall favorites and inspirations for you:
The autumn checklist. Picture source: here.So, I am obsessed with this fall seasonal sampler by Blue Moon. Brews include: Belgian White, Rounder, Farmhouse Red, and my personal favorites: Harvest Pumpkin Ale, Caramel Apple Spiced Ale and Cinnamon Horchata. Picture source: here.When I lived in Korea I was devastated that I couldn’t find a Pumpkin Spice Latte to save my life — but now it’s here and I’m around it, I make it at work, and I love it. Picture source: here.Savory Fall Stew: Italian sausage, chicken, onions, tomatoes, carrots, butternut squash, parsnips, brussels sprouts, fresh herbs. Get. In. My. Mouth. Picture source:here.A way to put your apple picking skills to use: cinnamon apple chips. Picture source: here.The home where I grew up in Michigan is perfection. The little blue house set in the woods, the fall leaves, campfires, cookouts… so much goodness.The beautiful walk to the bus station in Geoje, South Korea.Hello, autumn.Top knot, oversized sweater, tall boots. Picture source: here.Southwest fringe. Picture source: here.Pumpkins. Picture source: here.“Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus Picture source: here.
So, my lovelies, what is your favorite thing about fall?
In December 2015, just before Christmas, Renee asked me to marry her. She had sprinkled our apartment with beautiful love notes, which led me to a gorgeous spot near a pond, through a canopy of trees. We walked hand-in-hand, and even in her pre-back-surgery state, she got down on one knee and presented me with a jaw droppingly perfect ring. I, of course, joyfully and excitedly, said yes. Hell yes.
Our Everyday Lives
Antevasin 