Yesterday my husband and I gave talks in church, and it was kind of awesome. We were struggling with what to say in our talks and finally I got mine done saturday night and he got his done sunday morning. But what was really cool was that we didn't read each other what we were going to say. But our talks complimented each other perfectly. His wouldn't have made much sense without mine and vice versa. It's so cool to be married to someone who is truly your best friend, because even though there are disagreements and sometimes fights, since you know each other so well you tend to compliment each other well.
I just wanted to talk about something really cool. So last wednesday night I got a gym membership to planet fitness. I love this place by the way! And Thursday morning I went there weighing 158 pounds, did 12 miles on the bike and averaged about 5:16 per mile. Friday morning I did 6 miles and Saturday I also did 6 miles. Then today (Monday) I did 7 miles on the bike and averaged 4:28 per mile. Burned 174 calories and weighed in after breakfast at 154 pounds!!! **Note: I weigh myself at the same time everyday so I can get a more accurate measurement of weight.
I just feel so good too. It used to be that when I would do the bike, my heart would race and would be at almost 180. Now the highest it gets is 150. I don't breathe as hard anymore when I bike, and I feel good. My mood improves all the time. I seriously reccomend gluten and dairy free foods with emphasis on fruits and veggies and eat meat sparingly. We eat tuna about twice a month and chicken once a week. It feels so good to eat so healthy.
Anyway just wanted to share that and we'll see how this all shakes out after another 5 days of hard work and good eating. :)
Monday, August 18, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
A New Drug
This is something that is not often seen by people as being an addiction. Pornography is something that can hurt relationships and give you false ideas of how you should be or what you should look like.
Studies show that porn releases the same "pleasure chemicals" in the brain as drugs do. Crazy, right? Kinda seems unbelievable. At least, it did to me. I've learned how porn can affect a relationship/marriage. It sucks what it does to people. The worst thing is that people don't even realize it. People think that it isn't addictive and so they brush it off. Some people might actually watch porn on a regular basis without realizing how it's inadvertently warping reality.
As unbelievable as it seems, the fact is, porn kills love. Let me explain:
You've gone to the movies. Maybe you've seen the latest PG 13 movie with your friends or maybe alone. It was pretty cool with the CGI and the battle scenes. I know I like movies like that anyway. But what you don't realize is that 1 minute sex scene in the middle can have lasting effects on you. When you watch it, certain chemicals are released in the brain. These are the chemicals I talked about earlier. They help you to bond with other people and build relationships. They also make you want to do again whatever it is that is releasing the chemicals. Like if you love cheesecake, and you eat the most amazing one ever, chemicals can release into your brain that signal that you like it. It sort of rewards your brain with happiness. Kind of a weird way to put it but there you go. The end result is that you may end up wanting more cheesecake.
The same thing can happen with that 1 minute sex scene in the movie. Of course in a PG 13 movie you don't see everything. In fact, you might not see very much at all. But without you realizing it, those chemicals are released and they sort of "reward" your brain, making your brain want more.
So you go home and you might think about how awesome that movie was. Totally didn't even see the ending coming... or maybe you did, but it was still a good movie. Either way later on your brain might poke at your subconscious, seeking the "reward" it received earlier. The reward was the pleasure chemicals. So you start to think about the sex scene. Maybe by accident. This is where trouble can start. Curiosity is killer sometimes. And without realizing it, a person might go on the internet to reward the brain and run into pornography.
Eventually after viewing porn many times, you are so high and full of the pleasure chemicals that if you all of a sudden stop watching it, you feel the effects. Like quitting any drug you can experience withdrawals and difficulty seeing things as they really are.
The thing is, people might not think porn is so bad, because they've adapted to how society is. Society plasters sex everywhere. Movies, music, commercials, you name it. You see it everyday whether you mean to or not. It's a part of our culture now. But this can be dangerous for young and curious minds.
The fact is that porn culture is everywhere. Be smart about it and take the time to realize that maybe there are things that don't need to be seen except in intimate times between you and a partner in love.
Don't let yourself be under the assumption that it's okay to look at porn or accept that women are seen as sex objects.
Be better than that. Life will be so much more awesome and full when you turn down the loud noise that is porn culture. You'll be able to see things as they really are. You'll be able to see yourself as you really are.
Awesome and worth more than you know.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It's okay, if you struggle with this addiction, you really can get help. There are groups for this. Anonymous and helpful groups. Go to fightthenewdrug.org for info. It's such a helpful sight and explains things in a way everyone can understand.
Studies show that porn releases the same "pleasure chemicals" in the brain as drugs do. Crazy, right? Kinda seems unbelievable. At least, it did to me. I've learned how porn can affect a relationship/marriage. It sucks what it does to people. The worst thing is that people don't even realize it. People think that it isn't addictive and so they brush it off. Some people might actually watch porn on a regular basis without realizing how it's inadvertently warping reality.
As unbelievable as it seems, the fact is, porn kills love. Let me explain:
You've gone to the movies. Maybe you've seen the latest PG 13 movie with your friends or maybe alone. It was pretty cool with the CGI and the battle scenes. I know I like movies like that anyway. But what you don't realize is that 1 minute sex scene in the middle can have lasting effects on you. When you watch it, certain chemicals are released in the brain. These are the chemicals I talked about earlier. They help you to bond with other people and build relationships. They also make you want to do again whatever it is that is releasing the chemicals. Like if you love cheesecake, and you eat the most amazing one ever, chemicals can release into your brain that signal that you like it. It sort of rewards your brain with happiness. Kind of a weird way to put it but there you go. The end result is that you may end up wanting more cheesecake.
The same thing can happen with that 1 minute sex scene in the movie. Of course in a PG 13 movie you don't see everything. In fact, you might not see very much at all. But without you realizing it, those chemicals are released and they sort of "reward" your brain, making your brain want more.
So you go home and you might think about how awesome that movie was. Totally didn't even see the ending coming... or maybe you did, but it was still a good movie. Either way later on your brain might poke at your subconscious, seeking the "reward" it received earlier. The reward was the pleasure chemicals. So you start to think about the sex scene. Maybe by accident. This is where trouble can start. Curiosity is killer sometimes. And without realizing it, a person might go on the internet to reward the brain and run into pornography.
Eventually after viewing porn many times, you are so high and full of the pleasure chemicals that if you all of a sudden stop watching it, you feel the effects. Like quitting any drug you can experience withdrawals and difficulty seeing things as they really are.
The thing is, people might not think porn is so bad, because they've adapted to how society is. Society plasters sex everywhere. Movies, music, commercials, you name it. You see it everyday whether you mean to or not. It's a part of our culture now. But this can be dangerous for young and curious minds.
The fact is that porn culture is everywhere. Be smart about it and take the time to realize that maybe there are things that don't need to be seen except in intimate times between you and a partner in love.
Don't let yourself be under the assumption that it's okay to look at porn or accept that women are seen as sex objects.
Be better than that. Life will be so much more awesome and full when you turn down the loud noise that is porn culture. You'll be able to see things as they really are. You'll be able to see yourself as you really are.
Awesome and worth more than you know.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It's okay, if you struggle with this addiction, you really can get help. There are groups for this. Anonymous and helpful groups. Go to fightthenewdrug.org for info. It's such a helpful sight and explains things in a way everyone can understand.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
New me carries 1,000 pounds of lead in 90+ degrees
This weekend I made a lot of last minute decisions to do things to change myself and become more domestic and interesting. For example: I bough a blueberry bush at the Farmer's Market yesterday. I bought it and picked it up, knowing that my little passatt was a quarter mile away and this plant was 40 pounds... I realized all too late that after 2 minutes of carrying this thing in the 90 degree, and irritatingly high humidity through a crowded farmers market.... the little 40 pound blueberry bush would become a 1,000 pound lead bush.
Needless to say, I took breaks on the way. On the second break, I was under a shady tree, watching people scurry around and fanning myself with my nasty sweaty hand. It dawned on me then... I own a 2001 dinky little VW freaking passatt. The blueberry bush was about 5 feet tall. I would be playing an obnoxiously real game of tetris once I reached my car. And I wasn't happy about it.
Anyway, after I got to the car, I opened the back door and just looked at it for a minute. Then I picked up the blueberry anvil and put the base of it on the ground at the foot of the seat in the back. I quickly realized there was absolutely no room in my entire back seat to even lay the plant down. So, I just left it upright and let the rest of it hang out the window.
After that adventure I took it to the side of my dad's house. He just bought a gorgeous house that has an awesome yard. The sideyard though, looks like someone, at one time or another, attempted a garden. There's pretty much just dirt, dust, weeds, and some dead grass that now resembles hay. I told my dad to come out and see the little bush and he laughs and says "You know, now that I look at it, it looks like the two bushes in the side yard." Sure enough, the only living things in my dad's side yard are two blueberry bushes. But that's okay. You always want to have the blueberry bushes be big and you usually plant a few.
So the reason I took it to my dad's house is because he wants to create a little garden type area. I am actually really excited about this and asked if I could help him. He works a lot and I don't have a hobby, so it will be nice and I love gardening so this will give me some way of being productive. Now I don't have to lay around in my husband's too-big sweats and watch Netflix all day. Woo!
Tomorrow I am going over to start by pulling weeds and pulling out the dead grass and planting my blueberry bush next to the other two. I'll post before and during pics of course. I am really excited about this project. My brother in law is sort of like a starting off farmer. He's really interesting actually and it's cool to hear about the stuff he does. Right now he has several tomato plants going and I think radishes and some other stuff too. And there are blueberries on the property as well.
That's all I have today, but tomorrow will be a much more interesting post with pictures and explanations on how I did things. I am probably going to go research some stuff on gardening too.
Cheers :)
Needless to say, I took breaks on the way. On the second break, I was under a shady tree, watching people scurry around and fanning myself with my nasty sweaty hand. It dawned on me then... I own a 2001 dinky little VW freaking passatt. The blueberry bush was about 5 feet tall. I would be playing an obnoxiously real game of tetris once I reached my car. And I wasn't happy about it.
Anyway, after I got to the car, I opened the back door and just looked at it for a minute. Then I picked up the blueberry anvil and put the base of it on the ground at the foot of the seat in the back. I quickly realized there was absolutely no room in my entire back seat to even lay the plant down. So, I just left it upright and let the rest of it hang out the window.
After that adventure I took it to the side of my dad's house. He just bought a gorgeous house that has an awesome yard. The sideyard though, looks like someone, at one time or another, attempted a garden. There's pretty much just dirt, dust, weeds, and some dead grass that now resembles hay. I told my dad to come out and see the little bush and he laughs and says "You know, now that I look at it, it looks like the two bushes in the side yard." Sure enough, the only living things in my dad's side yard are two blueberry bushes. But that's okay. You always want to have the blueberry bushes be big and you usually plant a few.
So the reason I took it to my dad's house is because he wants to create a little garden type area. I am actually really excited about this and asked if I could help him. He works a lot and I don't have a hobby, so it will be nice and I love gardening so this will give me some way of being productive. Now I don't have to lay around in my husband's too-big sweats and watch Netflix all day. Woo!
Tomorrow I am going over to start by pulling weeds and pulling out the dead grass and planting my blueberry bush next to the other two. I'll post before and during pics of course. I am really excited about this project. My brother in law is sort of like a starting off farmer. He's really interesting actually and it's cool to hear about the stuff he does. Right now he has several tomato plants going and I think radishes and some other stuff too. And there are blueberries on the property as well.
That's all I have today, but tomorrow will be a much more interesting post with pictures and explanations on how I did things. I am probably going to go research some stuff on gardening too.
Cheers :)
Friday, July 18, 2014
Marriage, first of all, is awesome. I love my husband, he is my best friend and I just always feel so loved by him. He's a great guy and almost everyone he meets goes out of their way to tell me how great he is. I am so blessed.
However, my husband goes to college year round. So right now he goes to school everyday during the week all day. Then every other weekend he goes to extra classes for Qi Gong (like Tai Chi but more meditative) and to learn how to diagnose a patient by reading their pulse. He's a chinese medicine major. I actually love his major and think it's awesome. It has helped both of us with our health issues. Anyway, he is always gone. Which means it gets pretty lonely around. I started off the week feeling completely motivated. I would clean everyday and get laundry done. Which, I did. But then I would have hours and hours left in the day before my husband got home. So I read. And read. And read.
The other day it occurred to me: I don't really have any consistent hobbies. So in thinking about it, here are my mid year resolutions:
1.) I bought a book on "green cleaning" and I think just being more "organic?" in the home by taking out harsh chemicals you clean with and everything. Goal number one I think will be to read and implement.
2.) Hiking and taking walks more often, and biking. I decided that I would like to go to the library at least once a week, and the library is maybe a mile or two away. I have a bike at my dads house that I used to ride all the time. So I will get that back soon. And I love hiking and fresh air. We live in a beautiful hiking place.
3.) Cleaner eating. I like donuts. I like cheese. But I can't have either due to our gluten and dairy intolerance. But sometimes I cheat. Even though it hurts. But I am going to stop that and start eating better. Which means more homemade things hopefully.
4.) Russian studying. I served a mission in Samara Russia and my minor in college will be Russian Translation. I would like to study it everyday even before I go to college. Just to keep it in my brain.
5.) Blogging. I really do love blogging and at one point I had a blog that was fairly popular. But now I think that it would be cool if I became a consistent blogger again. I'm thinking 2-3 times a week. With recipes I tried, things I did. Maybe some DIY stuff. We'll see. But it will all be on this blog.
I like setting goals too, the above things are just a list of what I would like to start doing. Here are goals associated with them:
-ride my bike to the library once a week
-only eat junk food on one day out of the week
-drink at least two full water bottles a day (Drinking water is really important to health. And something I often forget to do)
-Blog at least twice a week.
-Study Russian for half an hour everyday
-Try one new recipe a week
-Clean something everyday
-Get in shape: to start with, take walks in the evenings with Corry. Do ab workout everyday, arms every other day and legs every other day. Start running everyday in 2 weeks.
-paint a big painting for my living room
-decorate the house, make it feel like an organized home
-attend the temple every other week
-read scriptures and pray everyday
-attend church weekly
-be more social. Go to Relief Society functions. Talk to people at church. Ask bishop about a calling. Invite the missionaries for dinner.
So there you have it. I guess thats what this blog will be all about. Me reaching my goals? Yeah. Sounds good.
Thanks for reading. I'll start with a blog post tomorrow (Saturday)
However, my husband goes to college year round. So right now he goes to school everyday during the week all day. Then every other weekend he goes to extra classes for Qi Gong (like Tai Chi but more meditative) and to learn how to diagnose a patient by reading their pulse. He's a chinese medicine major. I actually love his major and think it's awesome. It has helped both of us with our health issues. Anyway, he is always gone. Which means it gets pretty lonely around. I started off the week feeling completely motivated. I would clean everyday and get laundry done. Which, I did. But then I would have hours and hours left in the day before my husband got home. So I read. And read. And read.
The other day it occurred to me: I don't really have any consistent hobbies. So in thinking about it, here are my mid year resolutions:
1.) I bought a book on "green cleaning" and I think just being more "organic?" in the home by taking out harsh chemicals you clean with and everything. Goal number one I think will be to read and implement.
2.) Hiking and taking walks more often, and biking. I decided that I would like to go to the library at least once a week, and the library is maybe a mile or two away. I have a bike at my dads house that I used to ride all the time. So I will get that back soon. And I love hiking and fresh air. We live in a beautiful hiking place.
3.) Cleaner eating. I like donuts. I like cheese. But I can't have either due to our gluten and dairy intolerance. But sometimes I cheat. Even though it hurts. But I am going to stop that and start eating better. Which means more homemade things hopefully.
4.) Russian studying. I served a mission in Samara Russia and my minor in college will be Russian Translation. I would like to study it everyday even before I go to college. Just to keep it in my brain.
5.) Blogging. I really do love blogging and at one point I had a blog that was fairly popular. But now I think that it would be cool if I became a consistent blogger again. I'm thinking 2-3 times a week. With recipes I tried, things I did. Maybe some DIY stuff. We'll see. But it will all be on this blog.
I like setting goals too, the above things are just a list of what I would like to start doing. Here are goals associated with them:
-ride my bike to the library once a week
-only eat junk food on one day out of the week
-drink at least two full water bottles a day (Drinking water is really important to health. And something I often forget to do)
-Blog at least twice a week.
-Study Russian for half an hour everyday
-Try one new recipe a week
-Clean something everyday
-Get in shape: to start with, take walks in the evenings with Corry. Do ab workout everyday, arms every other day and legs every other day. Start running everyday in 2 weeks.
-paint a big painting for my living room
-decorate the house, make it feel like an organized home
-attend the temple every other week
-read scriptures and pray everyday
-attend church weekly
-be more social. Go to Relief Society functions. Talk to people at church. Ask bishop about a calling. Invite the missionaries for dinner.
So there you have it. I guess thats what this blog will be all about. Me reaching my goals? Yeah. Sounds good.
Thanks for reading. I'll start with a blog post tomorrow (Saturday)
Friday, June 13, 2014
New Beginnings!
Lots of new things happening for me. Tomorrow I take the ACT so I can start school in the fall or winter. As of right now my heart is set on Cello performance and something to do with Russian.
I get married in just 4 days to the love of my life.
And I turn 21 in four months.
I decided I want to make a "bucket list" of things I want to do in my life. It's always cool to have goals and aspirations. Most of mine are coming true lately so I think it's time to make new ones. One of the things I want to do is start a DIY craft/art/sewing blog. Which maybe I'll actually just do on this blog so I can keep track of one rather than two.
Anyway, I'm going to incorporate my "bucket list" into my brand new 2014 scrapbook. Then at the end of the year I'll check off all the ones I did. Of course I journal a lot so there will be those experiences written down so I can remember them and tell stories about them in the future.
There may not be a blog post for a while. But I am doing a lot of DIY stuff for my wedding so I think that will be the next few posts. Excited?? I am! :)
I get married in just 4 days to the love of my life.
And I turn 21 in four months.
I decided I want to make a "bucket list" of things I want to do in my life. It's always cool to have goals and aspirations. Most of mine are coming true lately so I think it's time to make new ones. One of the things I want to do is start a DIY craft/art/sewing blog. Which maybe I'll actually just do on this blog so I can keep track of one rather than two.
Anyway, I'm going to incorporate my "bucket list" into my brand new 2014 scrapbook. Then at the end of the year I'll check off all the ones I did. Of course I journal a lot so there will be those experiences written down so I can remember them and tell stories about them in the future.
There may not be a blog post for a while. But I am doing a lot of DIY stuff for my wedding so I think that will be the next few posts. Excited?? I am! :)
Friday, April 25, 2014
My next adventure
I am such an undedicated blogger. I hope that changes, because I really do love it.
I haven't blogged for almost 2 months and here's the reason:
February 22nd, 2014, the love of my life and I took a (freezing) day trip to the oregon coast. We spent the day making sandcastles, playing in the water, drawing in the sand, and adventuring. Then sunset came and my best friend got down on one knee on the beach and proposed to me.
To celebrate our engagement, we had an engagement party at claim jumper. Both of our families (minus a couple of his brothers) met each other. His mom ended up accidentally spilling sparkling cider on my dad. My dad gave a beautiful toast for me and my fiance. Almost had me in tears. Great food, even better company.
And here's one of our engagement pictures. Taken in the downtown of where I grew up. Kind of a cool tidbit: this is the same street where I got my High School Senior photos done 4 years ago.
So there you have it. A very unexpected, but totally joyful change in my life: A new adventure even. We are getting married in June. We have less than 2 months left until we get married (AHHH!!!!) and I am so excited and kind of nervous. I am going to have a husband, be married, and be a wife. I of course am aware of the fact that we are engaged, I just get sudden moments of extreme realization. And then I start grinning and smiling from ear to ear because I am so excited for this eternal adventure! :)
I think I wrote a post a few months ago about how suddenly life can change and you don't even know it's coming. I am so excited; but at the same time, like many engaged women, I'm sure... I feel inadequate. This man really has changed my life in the 4 short months we have been together. I've known that he's the one for most of our relationship. I am so grateful for him.
I have also started back at my old job at JCPenney. It is fantastic. I love this company and working for them is awesome. I may come home tired, but I love working for jcpenney.
As my wedding approaches (extremely fast), I am thinking a lot about how I am about to become a wife. Wow. A wife. Wow. I'm the luckiest person in the world.
Yeah not sure what else to say but I am so excited and exhausted.
I haven't blogged for almost 2 months and here's the reason:
So there you have it. A very unexpected, but totally joyful change in my life: A new adventure even. We are getting married in June. We have less than 2 months left until we get married (AHHH!!!!) and I am so excited and kind of nervous. I am going to have a husband, be married, and be a wife. I of course am aware of the fact that we are engaged, I just get sudden moments of extreme realization. And then I start grinning and smiling from ear to ear because I am so excited for this eternal adventure! :)
I think I wrote a post a few months ago about how suddenly life can change and you don't even know it's coming. I am so excited; but at the same time, like many engaged women, I'm sure... I feel inadequate. This man really has changed my life in the 4 short months we have been together. I've known that he's the one for most of our relationship. I am so grateful for him.
I have also started back at my old job at JCPenney. It is fantastic. I love this company and working for them is awesome. I may come home tired, but I love working for jcpenney.
As my wedding approaches (extremely fast), I am thinking a lot about how I am about to become a wife. Wow. A wife. Wow. I'm the luckiest person in the world.
Yeah not sure what else to say but I am so excited and exhausted.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Progress
I keep forgetting to blog.
But I didn't forget today! :D
Since I blogged last I have worked out every day except sunday. Yesterday I had a pretty dang good workout. I am still tired from it. I can already see quite a bit of result and its only been a few weeks of eating better and working out.
Here's my workout from yesterday:
Medley Monday
Legs:
-Stretches (5 minutes)
-"Fat Burner" mode on elliptical (30 mins)
-Lunges 2x15 (two sets of 15) *no weight
-Squats 3x15 *no weight
Arms:
-Stretches (5 minutes)
-One arm curls w/dumbbell 3x15 (15 lb dumbbell)
-Tricep extension w/ dumbbell 3x15 (15 lb dumbbell)
-200 pushups (throughout the day, I did about 15 push ups an hour the whole day)
Abdominals:
-2x50 crunches
-3x30 leg lifts
That's medley Monday! Pretty intense, then the rest of the week is mostly focusing on the individual groups. Tuesday is running day, except I didn't get to do that because I had a lot to do today so I am moving it to tomorrow and shifting it around a little.
I can already feel myself getting stronger. I haven't noticed a whole lot of fat loss from my body yet. I think that's because I only just recently changed my diet to drastically lower my sugar intake and also because I realized I've been subconsciously replacing sugar with carbs. I've been eating a ton of bread and potatoes. Which is good, but I eat way too much of it all.
Anyway I am very proud of this fact though: my boyfriend and I have been eating a lot healthier. We eat a lot more vegetables.
Anyway, not much else going on. Next time I post on here I will have pictures to measure my progress better. I think it's cool to see the before and after stuff :)
Well, that's about all for now. Yeah. Boring blog post.
But I didn't forget today! :D
Since I blogged last I have worked out every day except sunday. Yesterday I had a pretty dang good workout. I am still tired from it. I can already see quite a bit of result and its only been a few weeks of eating better and working out.
Here's my workout from yesterday:
Medley Monday
Legs:
-Stretches (5 minutes)
-"Fat Burner" mode on elliptical (30 mins)
-Lunges 2x15 (two sets of 15) *no weight
-Squats 3x15 *no weight
Arms:
-Stretches (5 minutes)
-One arm curls w/dumbbell 3x15 (15 lb dumbbell)
-Tricep extension w/ dumbbell 3x15 (15 lb dumbbell)
-200 pushups (throughout the day, I did about 15 push ups an hour the whole day)
Abdominals:
-2x50 crunches
-3x30 leg lifts
That's medley Monday! Pretty intense, then the rest of the week is mostly focusing on the individual groups. Tuesday is running day, except I didn't get to do that because I had a lot to do today so I am moving it to tomorrow and shifting it around a little.
I can already feel myself getting stronger. I haven't noticed a whole lot of fat loss from my body yet. I think that's because I only just recently changed my diet to drastically lower my sugar intake and also because I realized I've been subconsciously replacing sugar with carbs. I've been eating a ton of bread and potatoes. Which is good, but I eat way too much of it all.
Anyway I am very proud of this fact though: my boyfriend and I have been eating a lot healthier. We eat a lot more vegetables.
Anyway, not much else going on. Next time I post on here I will have pictures to measure my progress better. I think it's cool to see the before and after stuff :)
Well, that's about all for now. Yeah. Boring blog post.
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