Life

Positive

Posted on May 16, 2012 | 1 comment

Guys,

My cold got a lot worse and I pretty much had a horrible day at work (part-time employees don’t get sick days). I’m trying to stay positive, so I’m just gonna leave you with some of my favorite memories in pictures. Enjoy.

On Stress

Posted on May 10, 2012 | 23 comments

Sometimes, I get tired of people (and Doctors) telling me that I’m stressed. I mean, I went to school – stress is that feeling when you have a million exams and tests piled up, right? I haven’t had that school-stressed-out feeling in a while, so I just assumed that I don’t get stressed much anymore. But lately, I’ve been re-thinking that. Perhaps stress just feels different now, especially because I stress about different types of things? I think I can finally identify adult stress as that ‘worked-up’ adrenaline feeling I get when I’m rushing and doing a million things at once. I used to think that that feeling of adrenaline was good because it motivated me to push past tiredness and get more things done. But if I’m not mistaken, adrenaline was designed for real fight or flight responses back in the day, not me attempting to shave five minutes off of my morning routine or speeding to get to a spinning class before its full.

So, the point of this rant? I’m just trying to slow down. Matt’s been telling me for years that rushing is bad for my health and yet I continue to rush to try to do it all. I obviously read a lot of lifestyle blogs with topics about ‘how to squeeze in a workout when you have 20 minutes’ and ‘how save time and money at the grocery store.’ I love the internet, but it stresses me out. I’m trying NOT to feel like I have to squeeze in that 20 minute workout and take a walk instead. I do a lot of passive relaxation (aka time on the couch), but I want to do more active relaxation, like making sure I have time to wind down at night before going to bed, getting massages every once in a while, listening to more calming music on my drive to work, and taking time to breathe.

And I need to use the time I save microwaving instead of cooking dinner to eat more slowly rather than woofing things down!

How do you de-stress?

Half Pours

Posted on May 1, 2012 | 3 comments

I had plans to cook a nice dinner this evening and then life happened. Good life – drinking wine with friends over at West End!

I love to sample, so half pours are perfect for me! I got my riesling and then some cava.

So delish on a hot night! I came home and was just too tired to cook. So I ate a good old sammie with avocado + bacon – one of my favorite combinations.

It’s late and tomorrow is the start of an intense month at work. Sweet dreams friends.

Protest

Posted on Apr 12, 2012 | 16 comments

Does the monotony of everyday life ever make you feel like a boring person? I’m not very spontaneous anymore because the self discipline that comes with being an adult has taken over. I once read that self discipline is a limited resource… Since graduation I feel like, as an adult, I’m supposed to just work, exercise, eat healthy meals, and save money during the week. I think the thing I miss most about college is the feeling that the only thing I’m really supposed to be doing is learning.

Anyway, I got home from work and decided to protest being an adult. I skipped my workout, ate cookies that arrived in the mail (thanks to Matt’s mom!!), fell asleep on the couch at 5 o’clock, avoided my to-do list with five episodes of House Hunters, and ate cereal for dinner.

Sometimes, ya just want to feel like a college kid!

I called Matt and asked him to pick up a movie.

Hot Bar

Posted on Apr 10, 2012 | 5 comments

Seven hours of report writing later and Tuesday is over. Whew! That was not a fun day at work. But, the good news is that I’m all caught up with report writing for the first time since I started my job in January! Good thing I’ve got three new referrals coming next week:)

Dinner was a special treat at Whole Foods. I met new friend and fellow blogger Katie at the hot bar! I got my usual bowl, with a base of greens and all the best salads, veggies, and casseroles on top. The cold front hasn’t quite made it’s way to Durham, so we were able to sit outside and talk, eat, and relax for a good hour. It was nice to just sit and chat about life.

Thanks for your advice on the allergy meds. I tried it one more time today and confirmed that I just can’t tolerate it. I feel so frustrated because I went through all this seasonal allergy stuff two springs ago and concluded (along with the testing) that I don’t have seasonal allergies! Maybe I just have a cold? I’m feeling off and can’t distinguish between side effects of the meds, an allergy/cold, and my usual health problems. Oh well.

I’m really loving the beginning of my new book and can’t wait to get in bed and read more. After some jelly beans of course! Have a happy night.

SB – Take Two

Posted on Apr 4, 2012 | 13 comments

So what I was trying to say last night before Ecto ate my post (I pushed publish and it disappeared) is that I’m enjoying just being at home during spring break. Vacations are fun, but getting things done that have been lurking on my to-do list has also been nice. Sometimes being at home is much more relaxing than traveling to relax. Ya know?

Monday, I hung out with my mom and we went to an impromptu dinner at one of my favorite Hillsborough restaurants – The Gulf Rim. Gorgeous weather and seafood feels like vacation!

Tuesday was all about the to-do list, but I also made it to the mall to redeem a Victoria’s Secret coupon. It’s been a while since I bought new underwear and it felt extravagant for some reason.

And today, I got a hair cut and went to the doctor’s. Despite negative results on all of my allergy testing last year, my Dr. still saw evidence of fluid and congestion and thinks that’s what might be causing my headaches and tiredness these days. I’m going to give allergy meds a try, but when I’ve taken them in the past, I didn’t feel any different:(

Matt and I also trekked to Chapel Hill to hear the new-ish president of Davidson speak tonight. She was awesome! Man, I miss that place. Anyway, they actually had a great spread of food that i enjoyed with a glass of wine.

I’ve got a hike with my parents planned for tomorrow, but if this rain and my headache stick around, it’s probably not gonna happen:( I’m thinking a movie might be a good option. What’s out in theaters that’s good these days?