Before & After

Far Left Dec 2012: Middle June 2013: Far Right June 2014

My Health Journey (at least one small part of it).

Way back in December of 2012 a lot of great things were happening in my life. I had just completed my student teaching, was living with one of my best friends, and finally graduating college with two degrees. My health however was not in great shape. At this point in my life I realized that I was at the heaviest I had ever been (A year or so prior I had had another "this is the heaviest I've been moment" but that new number had surpassed that old record high considerably). I started to come to terms with how much weight I had gained and tried to take some steps to lose it. At the start I was: 191 pounds. (pictured below)

During January 2013 I started taking small steps to losing weight. I became a bit more active and started watching what I was consuming. I didn't really see many considerable changes. 

In February of that year I was in a pretty serious car accident that put me in a hospital bed for awhile and then left me recovering and relearning how to walk. I was in a wheel chair for a good amount of time and over several months eventually worked myself back into walking without assistance. 

In March 2013 while I was recovering (now living with my parents) I decided I really needed to take control of my health issues. It wasn't just that I was overweight according to the internet- it was that I didn't feel comfortable in my own skin- simple activities were harder to do, my energy level was crap. I knew I wanted to change but still wasn't quite sure how. 

My mom and I dove into this crazy rewards program we developed for ourselves. That started with a juice cleanse and worked into the 17 day diet. Honestly, this plan was really effective for me. The intense diet worked well since it focused on healthy food choices. It didn't leave room for empty calorie choices and was so drastic to my regular eating habits that I had ridiculously great results. I also wasn't able to do much physical activity at the time so it worked out better for me to focus on food choices. This wasn't the first time I had tried the 17 day diet. Both times I had a lot of success with it. The hard part is what happens after!

Aside from the dieting and the healthy changes we were making during this time I discovered Sarah Jenks. She's a blogger who started the live more weigh less movement. I started reading about emotional eating and learning about how people can use food to fill a lot of other voids. I did some soul searching and started focusing on living more. If you haven't read her stuff and have struggled with diets that don't work- you must read it! By starting to focus on the positives and loving myself just as I was at 190, I was able to really enjoy life and not feel like the diet was punishing me. Instead it was just one tool to help me get back to a healthy lifestyle.

By June 2013 I had reached about 175. However, like most normal human beings, after you come off of an intense diet it's easy to gain some weight back. (which is why so many diets don't work). So by mid July I had bumped back up to 185. I remember it was hard not to be discouraged but rather than feeling defeated I just kept plugging along. I decided to do the 17 day diet again and had some more success. I incorporated more exercise into it this time and by August I was fitting into my old skinny jeans back at 175. 

In August 2013 I started my teaching job. This rocketed a series of crazy life changes. I went from a pretty sedentary lifestyle to a full time on your feet all day job. I had the new job to get used to and in October moved to a new city closer to school. I remember trying to stay pretty healthy during the start of the year- but honestly I think all the changes helped distract me from being so focused on food that by the time November hit I had lost another 10lbs. (165) These months are proof that having a fulfilling life can really help you avoid emotional eating! 

The holidays happened and I gained some and lost some like most. Can't say no to those dang cookies! But in February 2014 I was about the same weight (167). 

When the new year hit I did a lot of searching to find inspiration about being healthy. Making better choices and having a healthier lifestyle. I was starting to feel complacent and not happy with myself, which is ridiculous right? I mean come on, I had lost over 20 pounds, I should be screaming with joy! But society has a way of making us feel really inadequate. And a lifetime of looking in the mirror and seeing all your flaws takes more than a few months to un-do. I re-read some of the Sarah Jenks material online and got re-inspired to like myself just as I was. 

I focused again on making more consistent healthy choices. I used my knowledge of nutrition and started tailoring it to what works for me. I tried incorporating elements of what the 17 day diet teaches but not depriving myself of the things I love. Last May I even tried being a vegetarian and doing daily exercise. 

During May 2014 I was down to my lowest weight I had been in ages, 153. I had lost a total of 38lbs. And honestly those last 15 pounds from February to May wasn't because of any crash diet, it was just by making consistent healthy choices and from focusing on my overall mental and emotional health! 

Since then I have slacked off a bit. The end of the school year got stressful and I totally turned to food for comfort. (bad me, I know better). Then the summer hit and I've been kinda living it up food-wise. I've been spoiling myself and indulging in maybe one too many ice cream cones. I'm back up to 167. But honestly, that's reality. When I'm eating healthy and living a healthy life style my body naturally and gradually lets go of that weight. But when I'm using food as entertainment, comfort, or some other thing I tend to over-eat and not make great choices about what I'm eating. 

So what's next?

I'm experimenting again with vegetarian dishes to help re-inspire my passion for healthy cooking. I'm purposely choosing not to do a crazy intense diet because I'm looking to make long term changes that will last. Also I'm planning on cutting myself some slack. I'm not going to get mad about gaining back a few pounds, and I won't beat myself up if my pants are a bit snug. I'm going to try and appreciate myself and my life right where I am now.

Here are things I've learned in the past year and a half about food/health/dieting that have really made a huge difference for me! 

1. Eat whole foods. (try to avoid processed foods or prepacked stuff)

2. If you want bread or chocolate or peanut butter just eat it. (The trick to this is buying great quality bread or chocolate. This way I don't have to feel like I need it every day or to binge on it because it's "not allowed". I can just enjoy great quality treats every once and awhile.)

3. Try to move daily. (walk, jog, dance, whatever works- just do something). 

4. Get excited about what you are eating. (In April I was getting super bored cooking the same chicken and veggies every night so I shifted to a no meat diet that way I'd be challenged to try new things. best. choice. ever. Cooking ended up being a fun thing to look forward to and made the meal taste that much better)

5. Make your plate look pretty. (this one may just be for me, but I swear it helps. Arranging your food really beautifully on a cute plate, or using colorful veggies on purpose can make your meal really visually appealing- not only will it be delicious and healthy but you can even instagram it.. lol #foodpic)

6. Try to address the issues in your life instead of filling them with food. (a lot of us eat when we are bored, sad, lonely, happy, celebrating, tired, etc. The trick to not over-eating is to start only using food for when you are hungry.- I still struggle with this, but take it one day at a time). Read this post on emotional eating, it's eye opening!

7. Try to not let your weight govern how you live your life. (so many of us put our lives on hold while we are dieting. We tell ourselves how fat we are and then punish our bodies with crazy restrictive diets that set us up to fail. Learn to love and accept yourself now. LMWL really helped me with this concept- and it's life changing once you grasp it. Start living the life you want right now- not after you are your goal weight. We only get one life and I'm pretty sure at the end of your days you won't care what size pants you were wearing- you'll care that you lived.)

So there it is. Lessons I've learned about health. It's only taken me 24 years to realize I don't want to spend the next 24 years in a perpetual cycle of dieting and gaining and dieting again. I'm honestly feeling happy at this weight. (Even though pretty recently I weighed less.) It's not that big of a deal. 10lbs or even 40lbs doesn't change who I am, or how happy I can be. I've had a great year and a half and I can promise you most of that happiness is because I'm trying to pour myself into living my life and not holding myself back regardless of whatever weight I happen to be. Honestly, the most dramatic change about my "after" picture isn't my pants size it's my mindset. 

I challenge you to really think about your relationship with food and with your weight. If you don't like what you find- dare to change the way you think! 

Comment below, or message me if you'd like to chat. I'd love to cheer you on in your own health journey or have a discussion about your thoughts on this post!

14 Kick-Butt Vegetarian Recipes

About 16 or so days ago I decided to try being a vegetarian for 20 days. In that time I've totally loved experimenting with new veggies and other foods I wasn't familiar with. These recipes contain a lot of standard ingredients- but also ones that stretched my comfort zone like quinoa, brussles sprouts, eggplant and more! I only have a few days left and I'm totally happy with how it's been going. I feel so much more empowered with what I can cook and the interesting combinations I've tried out. A lot of these were inspired by pinterest or my friend Danielle. Hope you enjoy!

Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients:

Quinoa

Green Onion

Red Bell Pepper

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Canned Chicken (optional)

How to Make:

Prepare quinoa according to box instructions.

Chop up any veggies you wish to add in. 

Warm up the chicken.

Add veggies, seasonings, and chicken into the mixture.

Garnish and serve! 

Quinoa Stuffed Avocado and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

Quinoa

Avocado

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

How to Make:

I like to use leftover quinoa for this one and serve the avocado and quinoa chilled. 

Mix in any desired seasonings or veggies and spoon quinoa mixture onto half of an avocado. 

Make the side:

Preheat oven to about 350.

Chop Brussels in half and slice up some onion. Place on a baking sheet and toss/spray with olive oil and add salt to taste. 

Cook until Brussels look browned at edges. 

May want to flip part way through cooking. 

Baked Egg Avocado

Ingredients:

Avocado 1/2

Egg

Salt and Pepper

Cheese of Choice

How to Make:

Preheat oven to 375.

Scoop out a bigger hole at the center of the avocado to better fit your egg. 

Crack egg and salt and pepper. 

Place on baking sheet in oven for about 25 minutes or until egg is cooked through. 

Top with cheese in the last several minutes of baking. 

Try serving with a side of fruit and peanut butter whole grain toast. 

South Western Breakfast

Ingredients:

Egg

Salt and Pepper

Black Beans

Cheese

Bread of your choice

Fruit

How to Make:

This one is pretty straight forward. 

Berry Green Salad

Ingredients:

Kale

Cabbage

Arugula

Spinach

Avocado

Blueberries

Strawberries

Pecans

Goat Cheese

How to Make:

Combine ingredients try topping with a creamy poppy seed dressing.

For added delight try toasting the pecans in a dry non stick pan for a few minutes. 

Watch closely so they do not burn!

Chipotle Inspired Quinoa

Ingredients:

Black Beans

Quinoa

Tomato

Green/White/Red Onions

Cilantro

Lemon Juice

Kosher Salt

How to Make:

Warm up beans and quinoa. 

Slice up the tomato and your choice of onions. 

If you have fresh cilantro add it to the salsa. 

Once veggies are chopped and placed in a bowl add lemon juice and kosher salt to taste.

Note: This salsa, bean, quinoa combo is to die for. 

Mini-Eggplant-"Pizza"

Ingredients:

Eggplant 

Cheese of your choice

Tomato Sauce

Salt

How to Make:

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Slice Eggplant. Make sure slices aren't too thin or too fat. 

Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt on them to draw out water. And put a litte olive oil on them before placing them on the tray.

Place on a baking sheet and top each slice with sauce and cheese.

Bake until cheese is desired amount of brown. 

Tip: if you need a little more than just eggplant try making an English muffin and placing a few of the slices on there! I did and it was super yummy!

Roasted Veggies and Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

Veggies of your choice

Mashed Potatoes

How to Make:

If you need a mashed potato recipe message me and I'll get you one. 

Take literally any veggies of your choice sprinkle with olive oil and salt and roast in the oven until they are browning. 

I like this recipe because it's super simple and a nice warm option. 

I used: Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Red Bell Pepper, Asparagus, Eggplant, Onion, and Broccoli.

Goat Cheese Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Tomato

Mushroom

Onion

Spinach

Red Pepper

Goat Cheese 

Arugula 

Olive Oil

Seasonings 

How to Make:

Follow directions for pre-made pizza crust. (I used the artisan pizza crust from pillsbury- not super healthy but it worked)

Cook up any desired veggies in a pan ahead of time. 

Spread olive oil and seasonings across the base of the pizza.

I layered my spinach next then dumped on the cooked veggies. 

I spread around the tomato slices and the goat cheese evenly.

Bake in oven until corners of crust are browning and veggies/cheese seem warm.

Top pizza with fresh arugula and eat! 

Eggplant "Burger" and Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients for Burger:

English Muffin

2 large eggplant slices

Tomato slice

Red Onion

Red Pepper

Arugula

How to Make:

Roast the eggplant, pepper and onion on a tray in the oven using salt and olive oil. (add to last half of sweet potatoes)

Toast English muffin

On English muffin stack the arugula, eggplant, tomato, onions, and red pepper.

Ingredients for Chips:

1 medium/small sweet potato

Olive Oil

Cinnamon

Kosher Salt

How to Make:

Preheat oven to 375.

Peel a sweet potato. 

Slice into very thin pieces. (The thinner they are the more chip like they will become)

Brush or spray with olive oil and lay out the slices on a baking tray. 

Sprinkle a little kosher salt and cinnamon on the top.

Bake in oven about 15 minutes or until sides are browning. 

Flip chips and resprinkle the seasonings.

Bake another 10-15 minutes. (add eggplant burger veggies here). 

Watch so the chips won't burn. Unless you like them that way like me! 

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

Left over Mashed Potatoes

Avocado

Mushroom

Onion

Red Pepper

Sour Cream

Green Onion

Egg

Parmesan Shaker Cheese

Vegetable Oil

How to Make:

Place left over mashed potatoes in bowl and mix in one egg and some shaker cheese. 

Form into several patties.

Heat up a thin layer of vegetable oil in the bottom of a frying pan. 

Place pancakes in and flip once the bottom side has browned and hardened a bit.

Potatoes are done when both sides are browned. 

Top with some grilled or fresh veggies and sour cream.

Serve with a salad! 

Veggie Pizza and Eggplant Chips

Ingredients:

English Muffin

Spinach

Green Apple

Avocado 

Strawberries

Goat Cheese 

Olive Oil

Eggplant

Salt and Pepper

How to Make:

Preheat oven to 350. 

Slice and chop up an eggplant into small thin bite-sized pieces. 

Spread out on a pan and salt and season the chips how you want them. 

Bake 10-15 minutes or until the begin to brown. 

Flip the chips over part way through.

Bake until chips are at desired level. 

Meanwhile...

Use a tiny bit of olive oil on your English muffin and spread goat cheese across tops. Add in oven toeard end of cooking chips to toast bread and warm the cheese. 

Remove from oven and top with spinach and green apple, or strawberries and avocados. The second combo is to die for! 

Quinoa "Fried Rice"

Ingredients:

Quinoa

Tomato

Red/Green Onion

Spinach

Broccoli

Garlic

Red Pepper

Olive Oil

Soy Sauce

Lemon Juice

Egg

How to Make:

Chop up any desired vegetables. 

Begin cooking in a skillet on stove top. 

Add in soy sauce and lemon juice while cooking. 

Follow directions on how to make quinoa on box. 

After quinoa is cooked don't leave it to set- add it to skillet. 

Next clear a space in the skillet and fry up a scrambled egg. 

Once egg is cooked mix it in with the rest of the veggies and quinoa in the skillet. 

Add any more soy sauce, lemon juice, or other seasonings to taste. 

Note: This was yummy and I'm not usually a fan of regular fried rice. 

Sweet Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and Couscous

Ingredients:

Brussels Sprouts

Pecans

Dried Cherries

Goat Cheese 

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Balsamic Vinegar 

Agave Nectar

How to Make:

Add a little oil to a frying pan. 

Chop Brussels Sprouts in half and remove the stems.

Begin cooking Brussels in Pan.

Chop up several pecans and 1/8 cup of dried cherries. 

Once the Brussels are browning add cherries and nuts to pan.

After cooked place the mixture into a bowl and toss with a small amount of balsamic vinegar and agave nectar. 

Top with some crumbled goat cheese.

Serve with couscous and prepare as directed on box. 

Thanks for reading and to those of you that have been putting up with all my food pics on instagram! 

Studio Apartment

Happy February break to any teachers or students. I am so happy to have this week off to relax, unwind, plan, and organize. One of my very first mid-winter break tasks was to finish getting my apartment together. I've been piecing it together bit by bit since I moved in last October. I finally am to a point where I feel really ready to share it with you. Enjoy the pictures. Click on any of the photos to get a closer look! 

First, a Panoramic shot of my living area. This is where the magic happens.

The entry way is the first space you see as you walk into my studio. It's pretty basic, a small shelf to hold my purses, scarves and boots, a shoe mat and a little coat rack. The shelf, the coat rack, the teal basket and the polka dot door mat are all from Ikea. The "Make It Happen" print is from Lara Casey's shop and the gold polka dot key tray is from Target.

I really enjoy that even though this is a studio apartment it has a separate room for the kitchen. This space is great because of the compact cooking area and the spacious eating area. I was able to bring my kitchen table that my Dad made while he was in high school. It's a great piece and the benches work perfectly in the space. I also love that I finally have a spot to hang my Warhol flowers print, and newly hung today a sweet little chalkboard and wire basket from Gabby. Lamp, ikea. Chalkboard, target. 

The bathroom is a bright little room. The largest challenge in here was finding a place to store everything. I ended up getting a wire shelf from walmart to put over the toilet to create some extra shelving. For the most part it works very well and makes everything very easy to access.

The living room is by far my favorite area of the house. It has my sitting area, my bed, my piano, and everything I really need. The walls are full of artwork and prints with sentimental meaning and things that inspire me. The very neutral pallet is calming but the vibrant blues and golds give the space some excitement.

The prints above my bed are taken by myself and my father and are framed in ikea ribba frames. It's special to me to see my photo(right) hanging next to one of his. In a way it helps me feel connected to my dad and something he was passionate about. The oil painting above the couch is a lovely piece I found at homegoods. I was so happy to find a painting with exactly the right colors and one that could take up a large portion of my blank wall above the sofa.

 The frame collage above my keyboard is another favorite of mine. There are pretty prints, inspirational quotes, and sentimental things all mixed together. The neutral colors help keep the frames united.

One of my other favorite pieces in the living area is the blue glass lamp. I bough it at target soon after moving in and I love how it looks on my thrifted side table. 

Bedding and pillows mostly ikea and homegoods. Lamp: target, sofa and chair purchased used, side table thrifted, frames either repurposed or purchased at ikea. Quote canvas and framed piece are both handmade. 

One non-pictured area of the apartment that I do love is the closet space. I have a large closet for clothing and an even larger craft/office area closet. Someday I'll share those but for today that's all. 

Hope you enjoy my happy little space. If you are ever in the area I'd love for you to swing by! 

13 things about 2013

I'm sure you are probably sick of reading nostalgic and retrospective posts about everyone's past year, but I just couldn't help myself from jumping on the band wagon. I don't always share my reflections on my year- but this year in particular has brought so many crazy, terrifying, wonderful experiences that I felt the need to reflect.

So to help me keep this post "short" I will limit myself to only share with you 13 things that happened this year.

1. I became a substitute teacher:
This was significant for me because it was my first "big girl" job after graduating college. It was the first job I had that actually used my degree and education training. While I was subbing I lived with my friend Derek in central PA and he subbed as well. It was my first taste of "adulthood" or life after college.

2. I almost was in Legally Blonde:
While living in central PA I auditioned and was cast in Legally Blonde as Kate.We spent weeks dancing and singing and learning staging. I met some amazing people and had a seriously great time- that was until a week before the show when #3 happened.

3. I was in a very serious car accident:
February 1st I was headed to work one morning and my car slid on a patch of ice, right into a tree. The accident was pretty severe and I ended up with a broken knee and hip and 2 surgeries. The accident completely annihilated my mobility and independence. For those of you that were around and there for me during this extremely trying time in my life- I can't say thank you enough.

4. I spent several months of the year relearning how to walk again:
Like I said in #3 my hip and knee were broken, I couldn't even get out of bed much less walk. I spent about a week in the hospital and then several more weeks at a rehabilitation center in PA. My roommate at the rehab center was 94 years old- as you can imagine most of the people there were much closer to 94 than 22. I worked with amazing doctors, therapists, and nurses and eventually was approved to go home. "Home" mind you, switched from being central PA with Derek to Western Massachusetts with my parents. Once I was home in Mass I started visiting a physical therapist several times a week, I moved from using a wheel chair, to a walker, to crutches, to nothing. I have an amazing amount of love and gratitude towards all the doctors and specialists that worked with me. Without their commitment and training I would not be walking today. I also could not possibly thank my parents enough for all their love, patience, encouragement, and support. It's hard to believe that less than a year ago I could literally do nothing without help from someone.

5. I started my own online greeting card business:
While I was at home recovering I was bored. Like really, really bored. You can only do so much when you are confined to sitting on the couch all day. In March I came up with an idea to start a craft business- I invested what little money I had into some supplies and began creating greeting cards and started up my own business called "Everyday Hello". I'm proud to say that after looking into my Christmas time sales I actually have made some profit off of the business- not much, but still :) To see more everyday hello pictures explore #everydayhello on Instagram- or go to the actual site!

6. I applied for countless teaching jobs all around the East coast:
Applying for jobs is one of the worst things ever. It takes so much time and effort to apply to jobs and then most of the time it ends in rejection. I applied to many jobs and interviewed for several. By the time August hit I still hadn't found a teaching job. I can't really explain how defeating it feels, but I'm sure many people can relate in today's economy.

7. I was hired for my first full time teaching job: Mid-August hit and I got called for an interview for a middle school music position in central Massachusetts. I did the interview and shortly after was offered the job. I cannot even explain my excitement and gratitude I have for this job.

8. I moved out of my parents house and got my first studio apartment in a city I've never been to:
In the beginning of the school year I lived at home with my parents and drove an hour to work everyday. That was killing my bank account, and making me lose out on a lot of sleep so I decided to move out! I found a lovely studio apartment in a city not far from my school. I'm completely in love with the apartment and I had so much fun decorating and moving out on my own. At first I was really hesitant about living by myself, but it's honestly not so bad. True, it can be lonely, true it sucks to have to do all the housework and pay all the bills, but really I quite enjoy living alone. (Well I do have a sweet kitty to keep me company- that certainly helps).

9. I was given teacher of the month my first month at school:
I was so nervous that I might fail miserably at teaching or disappoint the school. What if I wasn't what they wanted? What if I actually suck at teaching? What if I don't know enough? Well it turns out I was doing just fine. The administration noticed me and awarded me teacher of the month. I was surprised, honored, and truly grateful to receive positive recognition for what I was doing. Since then I've gotten pretty good reports from observations etc. and although teaching can be extremely challenging and hard at times it's also extremely rewarding.

10. I conducted my first chorus concert:
During my student teaching I never was able to conduct at an actual concert so the very first time I conducted was this December with my middle school chorus. The students did an amazing job and displayed their abilities well. I was really proud of them and am really looking forward to the spring.

11. I met and started dating Dan:
Making new friends and meeting people has been a challenge this year. It's hard to meet people when you live in a city where you know no one. I decided to give online dating a try and met Dan. He lives in the same city, we have a lot in common, and we hit it off really well. We've been seeing each other about 2 months now.

12. I lost and kept off about 20 lbs:
Throughout this whole year, especially spring and summer time I focused on being healthier and trying to lose some weight. I did the 17 day diet with my mom- all 4 cycles pretty diligently. We even came up with this complicated rewards system to keep us motivated. Even during the school year I managed to continue eating healthy, it wasn't until the holiday season that I really started tripping up. After the year ended I can proudly say I managed to lose and keep off 20 lbs. I am looking forward to working towards being healthier this next year too! I've already delved back into a more strict diet to recoup some of the holiday gain. After the first several weeks I am feeling great, healthy, and am looking forward to seeing continued positive and healthy changes in my body!

13. I had the opportunity to take trips, see friends, and experience a lot of great moments:
I would be remiss if I didn't mention how lucky I am to have had multiple opportunities to take trips to Lockport, Mansfield, and other places this year. I was blessed to be able to take trips with family, with friends, and to see family and friends. One of my favorite trips this year was when I went down to SC. I traveled with friends going down, and then got to see even more friends once we got there. I have many amazing memories with friends this year- even though they might be fewer and farther between than during college they still mean so much to me!





So much for "short".... at least I limited myself to only 13 things.

In conclusion I'd say that 2013 has been a year of growing up, a year of appreciating, a year of refocusing, and a year of new beginnings. I'm excited to think of what 2014 may hold! Wishing you all the best as we begin this new year.

DIY Golden Animal Ornaments

This winter I've been gearing up for the Christmas season with a bit of decorating and crafting! One of my favorite crafts of Christmas time is creating the ornaments for the annual ornament exchange several of my girlfriends do! This year I opted to try something totally different from last time. I created little wintery scenes inside a plastic globe ornament. 

What you need: 

- Small animal figurines

- Gold acrylic craft paint 

- Large plastic globe ornaments that open in half vertically

- Winter Trees (sized to fit in the globes you choose) 

- White Glitter 

- Ribbon 

- Hotglue gun 

Here is how you make them:

1. Prep your little animals by painting them gold! This may take several coats and can be done with gold spray paint or a paintbrush and acrylic paint. Beware that this step takes a little time allowing the paint to dry between coats. 

2. Heat up the hot glue gun and choose which animals will go with which tree and approximately where you want them positioned. 

3. Hot glue the bottom of the tree and animals inside the ornaments. I chose to put a tree on one half of the ornament and the animal in the other, this allowed for best placement when closed.

4. After the animals and trees are secured carefully dump some white glitter in the bottom half of what will be the back of the ornament. (My glitter ended up sticking to the sides a bit, which is why I suggest trying to aim it towards the bottom of the backside) 

5. Close the ornament by attaching the front half (side with animal). I decided to add a drop of hot glue on the bottom seem of where the two halves meet to help them stay closed! 

6. Tip it upright and watch the glitter fill the scene like snow! 

7. Add ribbon or another type of attachment to hang the ornament! 

8. Hang on the tree and admire your pretty little winter scene! 

Merry Christmas! 

New Job, New House, New Life.

Hello friends,

It's been much too long since I've updated my blog. I really am sorry for not keeping you in the loop. So much has happened from the end of summer until now. I'll just give you the highlights.

Towards the end of summer I was contacted by a school in MA for a teaching interview. The interview went very well and several days later I was offered the job! (I couldn't believe it!) God really is good.

As you can imagine getting a teaching job so close to the start of school was pretty stressful. I whipped myself into full planning mode and tried to get everything ready before the kids started showing up.

The school I work at is Northbridge Middle School. I teach general music 5th-8th grade and I also instruct a choir after school. I LOVE MY JOB! Teaching is every bit as wonderful as I had hoped it would be. It is a ton of work, and there have been MANY challenges, but I find that at the end of the day I always feel happy. Happy to have a job, happy to have the power to impact the lives of young people, and just happy.

Now, I'm not trying to paint a one-sided picture here, like I said there have been many challenges. Without getting into too much detail I'll just mention several challenges. Classroom management, creating and implementing lesson plans, developing a curriculum, figuring out where to get resources, etc. are all things that have caused lots of stress and hard work. But as I said above, even with all the stress and headaches at the end of the day it seems worth it.

I feel like I've been doing a good job so far with teaching. I'm learning so much everyday. I've gotten some very nice feedback from administration- including teacher of the month! (I know, I was shocked too!) It feels so nice to have a supportive and helpful administration!

My classroom is coming together nicely. I'll post some more pictures very soon.

When the school year began I was living with my parents near Springfield, MA and driving a little over an hour to work every morning. This was not the most pleasant as you can imagine. I started looking for apartments a bit closer and found one that I loved in Worcester. (only 15-20 minutes away).

I moved into the apartment at the start of October and I am loving it. The apartment is finally starting to look like a real home- and I'm anxiously awaiting getting all my pictures hung up and finishing up a few final touches. I really enjoy the space and for the most part living by myself (with Maggie) has been great. I do however find it quite lonely. Especially since I'm brand new to the area and haven't really made friends yet.

I'll be sure to share more apartment pictures soon.

In addition to school I am still running Everyday Hello. I've taken somewhat of a break from it since I've been really focused on lessons, but today finally found the time to finish getting Christmas cards together and posted online. Check them out on my website or buy them at Etsy.

I'll try not to let as much time pass until the next time I post, but I can't promise anything. Hope you all are having a full happy fall. God Bless!

My Provider

On this blog there are a lot of topics I generally don't discuss. I usually like to keep things happy and neutral. I focus on the hobbies I enjoy or events happening in my life, a pretty even-keel-appeal-to-everyone type of blog. Today I'm going to write about God. I know everyone in the world has a different opinion about this. I'm not trying to start any debates or make anyone feel uncomfortable- but since this is my blog- I am going to write a little bit about my faith!

So it's no secret to those of you who know me that life hasn't exactly been easy for me this year. I'm not saying that I have the worst life ever or anything like that, I just mean that I've had to deal with a lot of new challenges.

One challenge that I faced was recovering from my car accident. The physical healing process was a lot, but I think it was easier in comparison to the emotional struggles I faced. It was really hard to have my entire life ripped from me: the place I lived, my job, my friends, my extra activities, my daily routine, and even most of my physical mobility. During this time I prayed- a lot. (What else is there to do in the hospital anyway?) I can honestly say that God is the only reason I was able to make it through the first half of this year as well as I did. By God's grace I was able to have a very positive outlook on the situation. I'm not saying that I didn't have lows in my emotional journey, but considering all the stress and change I faced God really helped me get through it. He gave me people to visit me, friends to talk to, family to support me, nurses with good senses of humor, an experienced doctor, wonderful therapists to work with on recovery. He gave me strength when I needed it, lightheartedness in the face of depression, and flexibility in the face of change.

One verse that I read every single day was Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

These words of God always brought me comfort when I felt like my days were ticking away during recovery being wasted. I knew that God had promised he had a plan, and that it was meant to give me hope and a future!

I can't say exactly what he meant for the plan to be. I still am discovering God's plan for my life. But I can say that even though the situation wasn't ideal God has blessed me with some really great things since my accident. For example, had it not been for all the recovery time I may have never started Everyday Hello. I am truly grateful for this! Everyday Hello has been a huge blessing in my life since day one. I also have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my Mom, Ken, and Christopher. Even though at times this may not seem like a blessing ;P I know that I am cherishing these days I have with them. Also the accident gave me a unique chance to have some time on my hands to reconnect with friends. It may be simple, but I consider that a total blessing!

Even though the past months have been hard, God has been faithful to me! He kept his promises and was there with me every step of the way.


Another challenge I've been faced with recently is money. Post-college is never fun when it comes to money, but my accident added another layer of difficulty. Since February I haven't been able to work. I am finally now feeling up to having a part time job- but haven't found one yet. The only issue is that loan collectors don't care if you weren't able to work, or did't have a job, so bills started coming due. This month I was so stressed out about how I would be able to afford my loan payment and my car insurance. I continued praying and trusting in God for him to make a way. And thank God! He provided a way!

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all of your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Partway through this month I received my insurance bill. I knew the bill would be more than I had in my bank account. When I opened the bill I realized it was 66% lower this month! My mouth seriously gaped open as I read and reread the bill. I kept expecting to find an error. I held my breath as I logged online to pay- and there it was: the smallest car insurance bill I've ever had to pay in my life!! You could not wipe the smile off of my face that day. God is so good!

Then my loan bill came: $157.00 - I had nowhere close to this much money! (Sad but true) I prayed and prayed that somehow God would provide a way for me to make this payment. This past weekend I had a garage sale. I had hoped to make enough at the sale to cover my loan payment for this month. The day was rainy, we didn't have many big ticket items, and even a few of our signs advertising the sale had been taken down by the electric company! When I sat down at the end of the day I held my breath while counting the money. I sighed when I realized we had made at least $200. I was so thankful God had provided. But his blessings didn't stop there! Not only did we make above $200, we made above $300, and above $400- that's right we made $500! I could not believe the huge blessing that had just been bestowed on me! God is so good and he provides for our needs. Now I'll have enough money to cover next month's bills as well, while I continue to look for a more permanent job.

Thank you Lord for being my provider. Thank you for blessing me in my times of need. God is good!

I hope today all of you can share in my excitement for the wonderful things God has been doing in my life. I'm praying for all of you that he blesses you today with the things you need!

Retrospect

Today is my 23rd birthday, and it's been such a great day. Instead of recapping the events of today with some pictures I'd like to take a moment to talk about this past year for me. I realized today when chatting on the phone with my Aunt Amber, that in these past 365(6) days I've gleaned years worth of life experience. As a brief recap let me just list some of the things that have happened.

Last year June 2012 I was just finishing up my senior year of college. That summer I moved to Massachusetts and spent the summer here working at a camp and also traveling a bit with friends and family. I also participated in the World Choir Games and had my last performance as a member of the MU Concert Choir. I completed my student teaching that fall, which was an amazing life changing experience. I met so many wonderful and inspirational people and I really got a better sense of myself as a teacher and future music educator. That December I graduated with a BA in Music Education, Magna Cum Laude from Mansfield University. During this time I lived in State College, PA with one of my best friend's Derek. While in State College I got involved with some community theater and after graduation I began substitute teaching in the district. In February of this year I was in a serious car accident which resulted in: totaling my car, 2 surgeries, 7 screws and 1 plate in my body, 1 week in a hospital, 2 weeks at a rehab center, and then moving back in with my family in MA for the remainder of this year. During this past year I was in a serious relationship that ended. Also in these past few months I managed to start my own online business and even achieve some profit from it thus far. I also have had my first experiences with applying and interviewing for full time teaching jobs. (I am sure I'm missing something... )

Looking back at the year of 22- I can't believe that this was all crammed into 365/6 days! It's amazing to me. I feel like I have grown so much as a human being, in this time. I have been able to take away some life lessons from this crazy past year of my life. I am so thankful to have these experiences and to be the person I am today. I am excited for what the next year of my life holds- which right now, I haven't even the slightest clue to where God might take me. I am trusting that this next year will be just as crazy and full as the last- I hope I will keep experiencing new things that will challenge me to grow and will help me strive to be even better than I am today.

One last thing: if anything, this past year has taught me the importance of relationships in my life. I want to give a special thank you to each and every family member and friend who had been here for me this past year. It has been amazing to receive such amazing support and friendship through all of these life changes. I only hope that I can be as good of a friend/family member to all of you as you have been to me. Thanks everyone! <3 nbsp="" p="">
Alright that's enough sappiness and reflection for now. Have a good night!  

Extrinsic Motivation- (a trip to the dieting prize box)

Lately I've been posting mostly about dieting. I'm sorry to tell those of you who aren't diet and health enthusiasts that this post is also related to my diet! But never fear, today you are in luck because this method can be applied to help you reach a wide varieties of goals. Interested yet? Read on...

I have mentioned previously that before starting this intense diet program I was really worried that I wasn't going to stick with it. I did really want to lose the weight- but I knew in the past sometimes I'd choose the instant satisfaction of a hot yummy brownie over the eventual reward of weight loss and better health. I think to some extent all of us struggle with this concept. We have grown up in a society which constantly tells us to take instant gratification over long term gratification.

So somehow I needed to figure out how on earth I could break myself of this pattern of giving up my diet for an instant reward. What could I possibly tempt myself with that could help me say NO to that brownie?

Then my mind got going in teacher mode. In school, especially with younger children, getting them to learn and participate in your class is all about finding the right motivation. So you start with extrinsic motivators (motivation that comes from an external source). You offer stickers to the students whose behavior is excellent during class, you let the students who have turned in their homework all week take a trip to the prize box, or if the whole class remembers their recorders they get a class star that may eventually earn them a pizza party. --- In other words you bribe them. You find things that the students want and are interested in and you say if you do this ____ then you get this____. Child psychology tells us that extrinsic motivation does work well but that eventually as teachers we want the motivation to become intrinsic (motivation coming from the student). Instead of the student bringing their recorder to class to earn a star- they bring it to class because they want to play recorder.

So I decided all of us aren't really that much different than kids. When I diet- or do anything- I do much better with rewards along the way. So I created a plan for myself to go along with my diet and exercise program to essentially bribe myself to stay on the diet and not cheat! Just like in teaching I am hoping that after awhile my motivation for staying on the diet won't be because of prizes and rewards but because I will really be focused on being a healthier person- and eventually that will be enough to say no to a brownie- but for now? Let's be real, I need something a little more tangible to keep my eye on the prize and say no to all the yummy temptations along the way!

How did I manage to do this? Glad you asked. My mom and I developed a pretty complex rewards program to fit with our schedule on the diet! Here is what we came up with:

First we questioned what things should earn us rewards? 
Here are some of our ideas...
- Not cheating on the diet?
- Losing a set amount of weight?
- Exercising a certain number of days or a certain type of exercise?
- Drinking all of our water?

What we ended up going with: 
- Not cheating on the diet
- Exercising
(I'd recommend not setting a goal based on the # of pounds lost- because it's already frustrating enough when you don't lose weight while dieting- try to reward yourself for practicing healthier habits instead).

Next we questioned when should we receive the rewards? 

We took out a calendar and broke it down by cycle. We have both done this diet before and tried to remember which points in the diet do you start to feel extra pressure to cheat. Then from there we scheduled check points for the rewards- some only a few days apart- some a week apart or more. Our main concern was to keep these rewards frequent enough that it'd be easier to say no to the brownie because you knew that very soon you'd be earning a reward. 

The Timeline!

The days with a colored dot= A day that we would earn a reward for making it through. 

Example: on March 30th we earned a reward for making it through the first light blue dot (first 3 days).

The colored line represents which cycle you are in.

Light Green= Cleanse

Yellow= Cycle 1

Orange= Cycle 2

Pink= Cycle 3

(Cycle 4 isn't included since after cycle 3 you can repeat diet or proceed to cycle 4)

Of course then there's the dilemma of what the rewards would be...
We tried to come up with levels of rewards. Small, medium, and large. But the trick is the rewards need to be things that you really want, something you wouldn't just buy yourself in every day life, and rewards that have nothing to do with (bad) food! So we brainstormed rewards and here is what we ended coming up with:

Small Rewards ($1-$10): Examples: Craft Supplies, Makeup, Nail Polish, Summer Scarf, Sunglasses, New Jewelry, Hair Product, Movie on Demand, Thrift Store Purchase, Flip Flops, Flowers, Healthy Treat, New Small Plant, etc.

Medium Reward ($11-$20): Manicures, Summer Shirt, Magazine Subscription, New Book, New Plants, Panera Lunch, Sandals, Shoes, etc. 

Large Reward ($21-$30+): New Decor, Purse, Dress, Massage, Live Theatre Tickets, Ikea Trip, Whitening Strips, Exercise Equipment, Antique Purchase, etc. 

(Obviously we could change our minds as long as we are within the price range) 

We also designed a handy dandy small chart (to the side) to keep track of the rewards we have earned so far. Color of dot corresponds to level of reward- and color of line at top corresponds to which cycle it is earned in. 

This schedule and rewards levels covered exactly how and when we'd be rewarded for NOT CHEATING on the diet. Newt we had to factor in how we would reward ourselves for exercise! 

Here is what we decided: Each day we should be exercising at least 30 minutes. It could be at the gym, at home, outside, whatever. For every day that we exercised 30 minutes we will receive 1 "token" so to speak. You may collect the exercise tokens up until the end of one of the cycles. Then at the end you can use them to "buy" a certain level prize. 

*you have 17 days to collect tokens 

*you may only collect up to one token per day 

*1 token is earned after 30 minutes of purposeful exercise

13 tokens= A Large Reward Level

11 tokens= A Medium Reward Level

8 tokens= A Small Reward Level

6-7 tokens= 2 extra tokens for next cycle 

1-5 tokens= 1 extra token for next cycle

*Any tokens earned above 13 may be applied to the next cycle! 

*If you end up in the middle of reward levels you must opt for the smaller level. (ex. 12 tokens is still only a medium level). 

Soooo- for each cycle you actually have the opportunity to earn 2 large rewards between not cheating and exercising! 

As we were coming up with this awesome plan- we started to become concerned about what would happen if we did cheat! We didn't want to make this rewards program soooooooo intense that if you cheated once you blew it for that entire cycle! So we decided to create the "oops claus". 

Let me explain: The Oops Claus

We as previous dieters recognize that it is sometimes hard to avoid all forms of cheating while dieting. Holidays, special events, and other circumstances do occasionally arise and we want to make it possible to feel like we can be successful on this diet. 

If a cheat does occur you must rank it from a level 1-3. 

1= small cheat (ex. extra serving of carbs, specialty coffee, type of meat not allowed, etc) 

2= medium cheat (ex. that yummy brownie, other desserts, etc)

3= large cheat (ex. entire meal cheat, etc)

Since my mom and I are doing this together we both help decide how much a specific cheat is worth. 

Once you have committed the crime- in order for it to be erased from your record you have to "pay for it" with exercise tokens. 

Level 1= 1 token

Level 2= 2 tokens

Level 3= 3 tokens

Since we didn't want to let ourselves start abusing this cheat erasing feature we created some stipulations. 

*During a Cycle (17 day period) you may only use up to 5 tokens or up to 3 instances of cheating whichever comes first. 

This way if someone has a special dinner to attend they could enjoy the meal and a dessert and be able to pay it off with exercise tokens. But wouldn't be allowed to cheat anymore that cycle without disqualifying from the end of cycle reward. 

Another thing to remember is that the exercise tokens you use to pay off the cheats may not be counted towards your final exercise token count of that cycle. So, if you used 5 tokens to pay off your cheats- you could only at most earn 12 more for an exercise reward and that is if you exercise EVERY DAY of that cycle!

That pretty much sums up our entire rewards program to go along with the 17 day diet! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! 

Also I wanted to fill you in on how it's working...

We have been using this rewards program since March 27th and it's already April 25th! I can honestly say after a month of using this it is working like a freakin charm! I've managed to earn all of my rewards so far! And in the first cycle I only ended up with one cheat- a coffee at Dunkin- and I didn't feel bad because I knew I was exercising 30 minutes one day to make up for that treat. Plus I've managed to lose about 14 lbs so far! 

Since cycle 2 has started it's been a little harder to stay motivated and I've already had 2 level 1 cheats (this past weekend when I visited Mansfield). But looking back at that weekend I totally stayed on track with all of my food- I just decided to indulge in some beverages not included on the diet. And I really think, had I not been doing this program I totally would have fell prey to that whole "I'm on vacation it doesn't matter" mindset that so many of us use as an excuse to stuff our bodies with bad foods. 

I do really think this program is helping to change the way I'm dieting. I have been getting so much more exercise, I've been able to stick to my diet without serious or frequent cheating, and I'm getting some fun little things along the way!  

I can also feel myself getting stronger and developing more will power just for the sake of being healthier. I'm not saying that I'm totally ready to ditch my extrinsic motivators- but I'm thinking that I'm well on my way to being able to intrinsically motivate myself to live a healthier life! 

If you want any help in creating a program that suits you- let me know and I can help you think through all the details! And don't limit this approach just to sticking to a diet- it can really be applied to anything! Can't kick the awful habit of biting your nails? Set up a rewards system. Can't manage to force yourself to get in a practice room and practice? Set up a rewards system! Still procrastinating going through boxes in the basement? SET UP A REWARDS SYSTEM!! I'm telling you, it will work! 

Have an awesome day! I hope you can find some useable ideas for yourself in this post :) I'd love to hear your reactions to this crazy system my mom and I created! Thanks for reading! <3 p="">