26!!!

I am so stoked for 26.

Getting older sorta sucks in some ways.

For example: I know that birthdays didn't hurt this bad at 22. 

Still, I think there's something beautiful and amazing to getting older. If you make it beautiful and amazing. 

Every year is another year to chase dreams, accomplish goals, and ensure that you age like a fine wine; getting better and better. 

This year I'm going to get my Masters. 

WHAT!?!?!

It's still insane to me that I'm going to accomplish that. 

I'm certain that will result in new adventures and new opportunities. 

I'm so excited to see where this new piece of paper takes me. In certain it'll be beautiful.

I am so insanely grateful for my life. I love everyone in my life and am in constant amazement by the people surrounding me. 

Here's to another year spent with the best people! &&& Another year of incredible opportunities. 

It's gonna be a good one friends.

"Because you need more..."

As we were waiting for class to get started on Saturday, I was excitedly telling my classmates that I had ordered the Dave Ramsey debt thing. (I still don't know the name of it, and I have no desire to look it up. .Just Google it or something.)

I was pretty proud of myself. It is a very adult move after all, and the perfect birthday present to myself! I hope that it's the gift that keeps on giving!

One of my classmates scoffed at me and said something to the effect of, "Because you need more to do in your life?" And I kind of laughed it off. Then she said, "If only I could have the 10th of drive and ambition you do." I replied with, "Haha, I'll take that as a compliment." She assured me it was a compliment.

Then it got me thinking, maybe I am taking on too much?

I hear how crazy I am a lot. Anyone who knows the crazy balancing act I'm trying to pull off or hears about it, looks at me like I have 5 heads. I often also get, "Are you still doing Crossfit, too?"

I constantly waiver on being flattered by their comments, and becoming more overwhelmed because their stress and sympathy for me stresses me out.

The comment made by classmate really made me think though, and after much deliberation I've decided that I'm not doing too much.

Here's the thing. School is important. Education is important. My career is important. BUT none of that is worth the rest of my life.

When I'm done with school, what will I have? Hopefully a new job, but what else? If I give everything else up, I'll have nothing. I'll be out of shape. Feeling crappy. Broke as shit. And have dwindling relationships with the outside world.

No education is worth that.

When I graduated from undergrad there was a time where I had a serious identity crisis. My ENTIRE life my goal was to go to college and graduate. As a naive high school-er, I knew that I would find prince charming in college and marry after graduation. Then I'd live happily ever after.

So, that didn't happen. In case any of you missed that memo.

After I graduated, I wasn't quite sure what I was living for. What would I work towards? What do you do when you accomplish your life goal? How do "adult" after living for college the last 22 years for your life?

I wish someone would have told me to do more. I wish someone would have helped me set goals beyond that graduation day. I wish.

BUT they didn't.

I refuse to do that again.

I refuse to let getting my masters be the only thing I'm working towards.

Honestly, I see my masters more as a pain in the ass life requirement than as an ultimate life goal. Totally worth it, but not everything.

This semester is going to be terrible. This semester may break my soul. This semester may be the first time that I don't "pass" a class. (Passing is an 80 or above. If I get a C I have to retake the class.) This semester might do it to me. BUT I refuse to sacrifice everything in my life this semester. I'll get through it. If I have to retake a class, I retake a class. My life will go on. The things that are important to me will still be here.

So yes, I will do more. I will be actively making sure that I'm eating healthy. I will be meal prepping. I will be trying to eliminate my debt. I will still be going to Crossfit. I will also be doing a little running. I will continue to live my life as much as possible.

BECAUSE those are the things I will have in the end.

AND I have a feeling that I'm going to be alright.

That Feels Better

I know that people always say it, "You'll feel better if you eat better." 

I have even experienced it. 

I tend to be a slower learner sometimes. 

As previously mentioned, I ate like shit through December and first of January. 

Over the last week I shaped up quite nicely. 

I have had several mostly perfect days in a row! 

I have been taking my supplements, drinking my shakes, and eating clean! 

I have been preparing dinners on my late nights. 

I've been preparing snacks for class.

I'm doin' this so, so right! 

I definitely am not a super model, but I feel so good. 

I don't feel bloated. 

I feel more energetic. 

I feel so accomplished! 

I'm excited to see where this goes from here. 

Motivation can snowball just as easily as bad behavior. The more successes I have the more motivation I have to have even more successes! 

I highly recommend making some good choices friends. Just give it a shot. 

AND in case you're curious, here's what I'm using and when...

Morning: 

Ionix Supreme

IsaPro

Natural Accelerator (when I remember)

Snacks:

Anything Clean and Yummy whenever I'm hungry.

Lunch: 

IsaPro

Snacks:

Anything Clean and Yummy whenever I'm hungry.

Between Work and Class:

Ionix Supreme

Dinner:

Something yummy and clean

Before Bed: 

Cleanse for Life 

2 Flush

Cheers to Isagenix for helping me feel fabulous! 

2 Things

This post is about 2 things. Incase you missed that. 

The good or the bad news first? 

Let's go with bad... 

Bad: Turns out that I'm going to be at internship or in school at least 2 nights a week for at least 6 weeks. Why is this bad news??? That limits me to 3 times a week at Crossfit. 😢 However will I survive? I think that it will motivate me to get my food in check a little better AND it will motivate me to run a little more. BUT so sad. So, so sad. 

Good: It's almost my birthday! I love birthdays! Love them! So fun! So great! Considering all that's going on in my life it has not be the "birth-month" I've celebrated it past years. I don't even forsee a "birth-week". BUT there will be a "birth-night" dammit! I will be going to school all day and then I'm going to celebrate all night! Or at least 'til 2! &&& this celebration will take place in G-Town Down. I know that this is probably super lame for my Twin friends, and I totes get people not going to G-Town. I just don't like the bar scene in Twin. It's kind of weird. I either need a small town or a big city, and school eliminated a weekend in Boise. After much deliberation I decided it's my birthday and I do what I want, SO Gooding it is! I'm actually super stoked! I'm going to expose a few friends to G-Town, and no doubt it'll be a blasty blast! If you're in G-Town you should come say Heeeeeeeeey!

Duuuuuuuuude... I'm gonna be 26!

Pudgy

Holy Moly... I feel like my life is finally slowing down. Just in time to go back to school!

The last month has been jam packed with so many fun things! So many parties! So many dinners! So many drinks! So many food things! So many funs! So many laughs!

AND

So many calories! So many chemicals!

It was all worth it! All of it! I regret none of it!

BUT

Now, I feel pudgy. So pudgy.

This isn't where you say, "Stefani, you look great!"

A. That's a lie.

B. I don't care how I look, I care how I FEEL! And, I feel pudgy.

My brother said pudgy is a bad word. I think it's a perfect word. I don't feel "fat" I just feel pudgy...

Anyways, for the next 2.5 weeks I fully intend on getting my game face on.

Lost of shakes and even going to attempt a 48 hour cleanse.

Cleansing is hard, but I will admit that the one time I pulled it off I felt better. I just need to make sure I put my game face on when I do it. The more entertainment I have the better. I have a lot of cleaning and projects to do around the house, so that should help. I'm pretty desperate to get the shit out of my system.

THEN, in 2.5 weeks I'm going to party my face off for the big 26 birthday!

Whoop! Whoop!

Not nearly as cool as the 25th Golden Birthday on a Saturday combo of last year, but still pretty exciting.

Then back on the wagon after that!

At least until someone else has some other reason to totally indulge and celebrate. In fact, if all the people I love could just stop having those events for a few months I'd appreciate it. I have to miss out on a lot because of school and I should control myself during others. BUT my New Year's resolution is to not do things because I "should" so controlling myself would totally be breaking that. Obviously.

Actually, this pudgy feeling has made me a bit insecure. I haven't felt insecure about my body in a long time. Not fun.

I actually had this thought when going to the hotel gym, "Man, I hope they don't all think I'm just a 'Resolution-er!'" Then I got pissed at myself and the world.

Who the hell cares if they think I'm a 'Resolution-er'? And why the hell have I ever been lead to believe it is a bad thing?

The truth is, that ever fit person you see in the gym has only "Started Again" one more time than they "Quit."

Chew on that for a second.

If I had a dollar for every time I started and quit then I'd be so rich!

So, what harm is a resolution-er doing? Maybe this is their year! Maybe this is the year they stick with it!

And if they don't...

There's always next year!

I think that we should be encouraging people to be healthy and treat themselves right! Not being ass holes and throwing a fit because we don't get our equipment as quick as we want to!

One thing about Crossfit, is that there are always opportunities to make people feel welcome and encourage them. Though I know that sometimes traditional gyms are a little different, I hope people take time to smile to the new-bees. Maybe help them out when they look at equipment like , "WTF?"

Maybe your happy face will be enough to encourage them to keep going!

You should know that I actually haven't seen much of this jerk-ness this year, but I have in year pasts. It seems that people are getting nicer and more understanding. OR I only have nice friends. Either/Or I'm winning! BUT still, I know the shaming of Resolution-ers happens, and it's crap.

That was quite the progression of a blog post...

Moral of the story... I'm don't want to feel pudgy anymore and I'm going to do something about it AND I hope others decide to make a change for the better too.



Peace Out Girl Scouts!
(Oh, maybe some Boy Scouts, too. And possibly just some people who were never Scouts. Like me. I was never a Scout.)

Stef

My Resolution

Well I did it. I came up with a resolution.

It's not measurable. It's not concrete. It's not a S.M.A.R.T. goal.

It is exactly what I need.

Last night one of my friends asked if I had a resolution, and I said I didn't but needed one. She kinda laughed at me and said I worked hard and don't need one.

In an unrelated event, it was pointed out to me that I'm super organized.

In another unrelated event I was reminded to just let life be and see where it takes me.

Then I got to thinking about what is truly important in my life.

All of these events and thoughts lead to the ultimate resolution.

In 2015 I'm going to make every moment count. I'm going to be in the moment. I'm going to be grateful for the moment. I'm going to enjoy the anticipation and surprises that life has in store. I'm going to do a little less organizing and a little less analyzing. I'm going to allow myself to feel every feeling in the moment. My happy moments will be happier. My sad moments will be sadder. I'm going to work harder in moments that require hard work and I'm going to relax more in moments that allow me to relax. I'm not going to do everything I "should" and will be ok with not being perfect as a result. I'm going to plan more time with family and friends. I'm going to make sure that I'm present for every moment of 2015, and it will be magical!