Family :)

This past weekend at Concordia College was a special occasion…family weekend! In case you don’t know what that means…it’s basically an excuse for your family to come up for a weekend packed with super fun activities. It’s also a great excuse for parents to come up and spend money on their college students! ;) Last year, both my mom and dad (who are divorced) decided to come up for the weekend. I was super excited especially because I was homesick, but I didn’t realize how stressful and not fun it would actually end up being. Basically it was just hard to split my time between both families so it ended up being more work than it was worth. But I learned my lesson for this year! Thankfully, my mom couldn’t come up for family weekend so I was free to spend time with my dad, step mom and brothers! I was really excited to see them after being away from home for about a month now, and I was really excited to spend some quality time with my dad. Our relationship hasn’t always been the best but it is a work in progress and I’m trying to make the best of it! My family arrived Friday around 4 and when they got here I showed them my dorm and chatted for a little bit before I had to head out to choir. After choir, I drove over to their hotel and we went out for dinner! We went to a sub shop in Fargo called Grand Junction which was pretty delicious! After dinner we headed to Scheels sporting store for some shopping and then went back to the hotel where my bothers swam and I rested after a long week!

Cooper (6) with Cobber spirit!

Love these people :)

Me and my dad!

Saturday was another busy day, jammed with lots of activities including my brother, Jonah’s birthday! We started off the day by getting breakfast and then we hit up the Cobber bookstore so my fam could purchase apparel. Man was it crowded! Literally there were people right next to you 24/7! We had more time to chill in the hotel before we had to head to the football game! Before going to the game we grabbed all of our blankets and jackets as well as a warm Starbucks coffee because last year we were freezing and didn’t want to be cold again this year! We ended up not needing any of our warm clothes though because it was a gorgeous day!! After the game we went out for an early dinner before the big showcase at Concordia. Basically it’s talent show for all the musically gifted to show off, but it’s so much fun to see all the talent Concordia has! After the show we headed straight for Tutti Frutti-YUMMM! Not going to lie, this was probably the thing I was most looking forward to!

My outfit for the football game-love the denim shirt; cute and comfy!

Overall, the weekend was super busy but so much fun! I love showing my family around campus and the Fargo/Moorhead area and this weekend was great excuse to hang out with my family! I love my family and value spending quality time with them whenever I can! I can’t wait to go home this coming weekend and see my mom, step dad and sister! So grateful for the opportunity to have two families that love me so much! Don't know what I would do without these people and can't wait for this coming weekend filled with family fun:) 

Just some pictures from this weekend :)

Grayson (8)

Cooper (6)

Jonah-Birthday Boy! (11)

Coffee Addict.

Before I got to college, I thought the norm was going to coffee shops to do homework and staying up late while drinking coffee to finish homework due the next day. As a freshman, neither of these things were true for me but I really wanted them to be. Not the whole staying up late thing but the drinking coffee all the time and going to fun coffee shops in town to work on my homework. Last year I found a coffee shop called Moxie Java in downtown Fargo that I absolutely love. This inspired me to look up what other unique coffee shops were in the Fargo/Moorhead area. I found several different coffee shops and wrote them down on a post it in my room. My goal is to go to all of them by the end of the year…let’s be honest, that won’t be hard at all. I LOVE coffee and would drink it all day, every day if I could. Unfortunately if I did that I would be absolutely broke and I probably wouldn’t accomplish much if I spent all of my time in coffee shops lounging and pretending to be studious. Unfortunately most of my friends do not share this same passion for drinking coffee and finding fun, unique coffee shops in the area so I don’t go as often as I would like but again they probably help me save a lot of money!!

Caramel Macchiato & Maple Pecan Scone
Both super yummy! 

That is one problem I have…I like the fancy coffee that costs $5! Caramel lattes from Dunn Brothers and Nonfat Caramel Macchiatos from Starbucks are two of my favorite drinks. I have started being able to drink straight up brewed coffee with sugar and milk added or flavored creamer but if a latte will always be my first choice! This weekend I am planning on sucking it up and buying a coffee maker. I have decided that I need to save money and having a coffee maker in my room means I can have coffee whenever I want, even if the campus coffee stop is closed. My goal is to cut back on lattes so that they are an occasional treat…but we’ll see how that goes! 

One final note. I am currently sitting in a Starbucks and I just love the cozy, chill environment as well as the wonderful smell of freshly brewed coffee :) I also love being up before everyone else and just enjoying the morning without feeling rushed or stressed. Wish I could start my day like this more often! 

#FashionistaStatus

I like to think that I have a good sense of style...but I enjoy comfort way and accessibility way too much to put in the extra effort. My roommate this year is the total opposite. Every outfit takes thought whether she is going to class, the gym or even bed! When I see what she has picked out for the day, I immediately feel like I gotta step it up a notch! Not only does she always look cute but she accessorizes!! Are you serious?!? I can barely manage to put a cute top and jeans together let alone add accessories into the mix! Even though I would not consider myself to be a fashionista by any means, last week I put together 2 outfits that I absolutely LOVE.

Necklace-Francesca's
Tee-Gap
Sweater-Gap
Jeans-Gap
Shoes-Target

Loved that I was rocking my new statement necklace! :)

I love this outfit for a few different reasons. First, I put it together in literally 2 minutes. This is seriously a miracle that I can look cute in such a short amount of time. Second, I LOVE that I got to wear my new necklace! I had been waiting for the perfect outfit and this necklace just added a little something to the rest of the outfit. Third, I liked how I mixed different elements that I normally would not have. I kept the top bright but simple and then added a statement piece of jewelry, I rolled my jeans and I wore a funky pattern on my shoes. Definitely using this outfit as a go-to next time I am in a need of a quick but cute outfit!

This last Sunday I went to church with a group of my friends and I wanted to look nice without feeling overdressed. The church that we go to is mostly young adults and college kids and it has a very laid back vibe. I mean it's located in a movie theater and they have their own little coffee shop where they make you FREE lattes. I mean it can't get much better than that! Anyway, I didn't really know what to wear but I was really excited because it was cold out which meant I could for sure wear pants. When I finally started trying things out and seeing what I liked, this is what I came up with...

I was pumped to be wearing my cords and denim shirt for the first time!

Close up-gold jewelry and a last minute decision to add the cardigan

I am beyond obsessed with this outfit and felt so good while wearing it. It's the best when you feel comfortable, confident and stylish while wearing one outfit! If I could wear this outfit everyday, I think I would...Because of my recent success with well put together outfits I decided to go crazy on Pinterest and save a bunch of cute outfits to my iPhone so I can hopefully try them out this fall! 

Church girls & I rocking our denim shirts :)

              "Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have."

The life of a busy college student

Now that school has begun and I have finally started figuring out my schedule, I’ve realized that I am extremely busy! I’m by 5 every weekday to get to the gym for a class. This is literally the only consistent time I have in my schedule to work out so I do it. I never want to get out of bed but it always feels really good when it’s done for the day. After my workout, my roommate and I zoom back to school so I have enough time to hop in the shower, eat breakfast and change for work. I have about 25 minutes to get that done before I have to head out for work. After work I do another quick outfit change and then Bailey and I head over to grab a coffee, check our mail and go to class. I have 2 classes each day, Monday/Wednesday/Fridays I am done at 1 and Tuesday/Thursdays I am done at 3:30. However, my life doesn’t slow down after class. Up until this last week I worked another job in the afternoons on Wednesdays and Fridays but I had to quit in order to fit my clinicals in. I am an elementary education major and I am in a class this semester that requires going to an elementary school for 15 hours this semester to help out, observe and just get experience. If I don’t have work or clinicals after class then I try and get some homework done. Then at 5:00 every day I head to choir which doesn’t get out until 6:15. After that it’s dinner and then back to my room for more homework! I also am involved in several different things during the evenings. Monday I have Remedy, a worship like service, Tuesday it’s bible study, Wednesday I have cru which is sort of like another bible study, Thursday I have meetings for a club I am involved in and Friday is my only day off from clubs and activities!

I don’t know why I decided it was a good idea to be involved in so many darn activities but having a busy schedule definitely forces me to be organized and focused in order to accomplish everything I need to. My goal was to pick out my workout outfit, work outfit and school outfit the night before but I have yet to be successful with this. I can easily pick out my workout outfit and my work outfit but I am never sure what I want to wear to class the next day or what the temperature will be like. I always say to myself, “you can just do it quick tomorrow morning”. What a mistake that is! It would be nice if I could wear the same outfit to class and work but my job requires a special uniform. I work at a Montessori school and they have a uniform; navy blue pants with navy, red or white on top. My goal for this week is to be prepared the night before so I don’t have to scramble or think about it in the morning.

work outfit-blue on blue

Couldn't believe I put this outfit together in like 2 minutes!

New necklace-I was so excited to wear it

The other day, my roommate and I did laundry and I of course didn’t have time to grab my laundry out of the dryer in between all of my commitments. I came back to the dorms after classes and saw that my awesome roommate had not only brought up my laundry but she folded it too! Seriously, love that girl! She went home this weekend and I definitely realize how lonely it is without her! Can’t wait for her to come back today J

What an awesome roomie :)

LOVE HER <3

Workout Wednesday

It’s workout Wednesday! Guess that means it’s time to document my workout for the day…It is rough getting up at 5 o’ clock in the morning just to work out but it feels SO GOOD once your workout is done before the sun has even risen! Normally my roommate and I go to a class at the Y in Fargo every single day except Sunday. We have a solid schedule down so we know exactly what we are doing for our workout each day. Mondays and Fridays we go to bodypump which is super great! It targets all of your different muscles and pushes you until you feel the burn! Tuesdays and Thursdays we do cycling for 30 minutes and then a crazy core class that literally sucks! I mean it’s a great workout but those 30 minutes are the longest of my life because I am in so much pain!! I better be building up a 6 pack from that class! Wednesdays we used to go to bodypump but then we found a 30 minute cycling class that has a 30 minute bootcamp right after. It is great to have classes that tell you what to do and push you! I know that when I would work out last year in my school’s gym it was so boring because I did the same thing every single day!! Now, it’s a change of pace and I always feel really good after the workout is over!

Although I normally go to the Y for a class, today Bailey and I decided to go for a 2 mile run. I have never been a runner but last year I really wanted to try and get into it. I started out not even being able to run a full mile without stopping…pretty pathetic right?? But I was determined to do my best and run a little bit longer each time. In November of 2012 my mom, my sister and I decided that we were going to sign up for a 5K so that meant I better get training! Literally, I never thought I could run for 30 minutes without stopping…that seemed IMPOSSIBLE. I remember how proud I was when I ran 3.1 miles for the first time…I was on top of the world! Anyway, back to my workout. Bailey and I went for a run and then came back to do some abs and legs. Since running doesn’t do much for building muscle, I like to do abs and weights to work the other parts of my body.

Happiest I've ever looked while doing pushups!

Push ups!

Hold those abs and pulse your arms!

Bicycle crunches-man they burn!!

Because I have started running and I have run two 5ks, I really want to run consistently so that I can get better and hopefully run longer! Bailey and I made a plan that we are going to fun Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday every week. It’s so great to have a partner to go with because they motivate you and push you! Both times that Bailey and I have ran together this year, I know I would’ve stopped if she wasn’t there pushing me along. It also can be a good distraction whether we talk or just run and listen to music. I also got brand new running shoes before I came to school so that should motivate me even more because I want to wear them! If you are trying to get in a regular habit of working out and eating healthy or if you just need motivation, find a friend to workout with and help you. Also, buy yourself some new workout clothes. If you buy things you like then you will want to wear them and you will hopefully look forward to going to the gym! Last thing is set goals and don’t forget to treat yourself every once in awhile. Maybe you really want a pair of new workout shoes or a really expensive clothing item. Set a goal for yourself and once you achieve it, treat yourself to that new, slightly expensive item!

Holla to this quote! Seriously, love this. It can be so hard but I really want to work on this! Love yourself and forget what others think about you. 

 I am hoping that our run on Tuesday will be 2.5 miles and each time after that we can add a little bit more distance. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens!! 

It's been awhile...

Wow, it has been a long time since the last blog! It feels like I wrote it a year ago! Not really…but actually it feels like forever. Anyway, the past week has been crazy busy! School is still just starting up and there are a lot of new activities and commitments on my plate.

 For starters, I got asked to be a bible study leader in my dorm! Say what!?!? My initial reaction was complete shock and feeling overwhelmed. I was not expecting to be chosen to lead a bible study and I was perfectly fine with that! Now I had to completely change my mindset and figure out whether or not this is something I wanted to do. It took me awhile to process the news and I really struggled with what I should do but my roommate and my sister were super helpful and encouraging! Literally my sister sent me the sweetest text that not only reassured me but made me appreciate her in a whole new way. The first bible study happened last week and it was so much fun! There were 10 girls (more than I was expecting) and they were all super great! I am really excited to see what this year holds for my bible study.

 Not only am I leading a bible study but I also found a job off campus! Since the first day I moved to school, the idea of finding a job has consumed my mind! Last year I thought I had lined up a job for this semester but because of my financial aid they couldn’t offer me the job. I still don’t really understand what the deal was but whatever! I was driving from place to place filling out several applications and I managed to get 2 interviews. I was really excited because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to actually land a job or not. I had an interview at the YMCA in the early childhood center and another interview at a Montessori school near my school. I ended up accepting the job at the Montessori school and have worked there 2 times already! I work every morning Monday-Friday from 7:30-9:45. I definitely keep myself busy with workouts, work, class, choir and on campus clubs and activities! I don’t really know how I am going to survive the whole semester! I already decided there is way too much homework and my roommate and I joke about dropping out of school and just working full time!

Although I manage to stay busy, sleep and down time are two very important things to me! However, at night I will sacrifice sleep to stay up reading a book, especially if it is really good!! I also make sure to get to bed by a decent hour so I am not dead in the morning. Usually I am not very good at this. I love reading and once I start a book I never want to stop. So I will read for a really long time and then it takes me forever to fall asleep and then I wake up and feel exhausted and need like 10 cups of coffee to survive. Literally I just need to learn to turn off the light and shut my eyes!! Last night I managed to actually do this! I was in bed by 10:00 and I think the lights went off by 10:20. Next thing I know, I was waking up to my roommate’s voice! She had left the room and I figured I would still be awake by the time she came back but I guess I was so tired that I fell asleep real quick! 

One of my favorite things; a good read and coffee :)

To end this blog I want to share a quote that I think most people can relate to. Our lives are so focused around being the best and comparing ourselves to others. We are so busy focusing on what we aren't instead of what we are. 

So true. 

Find the good in yourself and don't let anyone tell you that you don't have value or worth. Don't get so caught up in the world that you forget to value the great qualities you do have. We aren't perfect and we never will be. But a midst the craziness of life try and find who you are and be confident in that .

Healthy Changes-Do it for yourself

Last year when I started my freshman year of college, I wanted to eat healthier and exercise more. I played volleyball in high school and was pretty active up until the summer before my senior year. Being a high school student I didn't think about changing my lifestyle habits when I stopped playing sports. Unfortunately this meant I kept eating the same if not worse but I didn't exercise regularly. Over the course of my senior year I could tell that I had gained weight and I didn't like it. I felt self conscious and I didn't like the way clothes fit me. In August before I left for college, I decided that I wanted to start eating healthier and I also wanted to start running. I have never been a runner and I don’t think I ever will be but I wanted to give it a try. I found a book on sale at Barnes and Noble called Running for Mortals so I decided to look at it. It was interesting, gave a lot of tips and helped me to learn more about running. It also really encouraged me to just get out there! If you are constantly telling yourself that you can’t do something then you won’t be able to do it. It was a slow start but I kept up with running/walking 2 or so miles. I also bought new workout clothes to help motivate me and make me feel good while working out. 

Fast forward to a few months into school…Bailey and I both wanted to work out and eat better at college. We decided to do it together and keep each other accountable and help motivate and push each other. Over the course of 3-5 months I had lost 25 pounds and I felt great! I was buying smaller clothes and I had a new found confidence. I definitely wanted to keep losing weight but I also was really proud of all that I had accomplished. Unfortunately, I found out fast that you have to work hard to maintain weight loss. The last month of school, I let things gradually slip. I was skipping daily workouts and treating myself to unhealthy foods more often. I figured I would get back on track during the summer but I worked at a camp and it ended up being worse for my healthy habits. I lacked motivation and healthy foods and I felt myself losing muscle and slowly putting some of the weight back on.

Bailey and I in October

Just a few months later in February

My roommate Bailey lost a lot of weight too, however, she continued to lose weight and build muscle over the summer. I remember feeling so jealous every time I saw her because she looked so dang good! I still feel jealous of her body! But I know that it is up to me to make changes and it doesn't happen overnight. One thing I am trying to remember is not to compare myself to others. Not only does it make me feel worse about myself, but everyone is different! We were created to be different and we are all special and unique! It isn't about being the same size as your friend or even being a size 4. It’s about making healthy changes in your life that make you feel better. I am hoping to set goals for myself and to work hard so I can achieve those goals. But overall, I want to feel confident and healthy! J

Try to remember this next time you don't feel good enough. Put this on your mirror, make it your background, memorize it. Don't compare yourself to others because you'll constantly be disappointed. 

Don’t forget; no matter how slow you’re going, you’re doing way better than the people sitting on the couch! 

One busy weekend!

The first weekend on campus is always exciting and a great opportunity to hang out with friends and do fun activities. This past weekend my friends and I crammed a ton of fun activities in! Friday night my roommate and I hung out just the two of us. We had fun quality time together just lounging in our room and chatting about life. Our school had a theme dance that night but we didn’t feel like going and we wanted to get to bed because we were waking up early the next morning for a workout at the Y!

 Bailey, our friend Hannah, and I woke up and headed out to the YMCA for an 8 a.m. body pump class. Man did that class kick out butts! Then we went to another class right after called body flow. Body flow was a yoga class and let me tell you…yoga is not my thing! I was bored after 5 minutes! Not only was I bored but I felt like an idiot trying to do all the weird poses. Bailey felt the same way, but at least we got some laughs out of it! After our workout we were all feeling pretty good! You feel so accomplished after going to the gym and being done with your workout by 10:15! It was great!

After the gym we came back to our dorms, ate and got ready for the day. Bailey is super into health and fitness and she taught me that you need to eat protein within 15 minutes of working out or your body burns muscle instead of fat. I didn’t realize how important it was to fuel your body with protein especially after a workout. But she sure keeps me in line!! After we ate our protein and got dressed for the day we headed out to do some shopping. Oh boy…with us that is never a good thing! We love shopping and if the deals are good our bank accounts are in trouble!! Our first stop was Old Navy. Originally our plan was to look for navy blue pants and plain colored polos for a work uniform. I had 2 interviews last week at the YMCA in Fargo and a daycare center in Moorhead. The daycare center was ready to hire me on the spot so I needed to get an outfit that I could wear to work! We pulled up to Old Navy and immediately saw a sign in the window for 30% the WHOLE STORE. We practically sprinted into the store and got our shop on stat! Ever since I got to school a week ago I was thinking about how I lacked workout clothes. It seems like I never have enough to last me more than a few days, talk about annoying! Old Navy of course has a workout section and they had a ton of cute stuff to choose from! I didn’t want to go to crazy but the deals were just so good! I ended up buying 2 pairs of cropped workout pants and 3 workout tops! It was totally worth it though because I know I will put them to good use! The next stop on our list was Target. We both were in need of groceries and I also needed to buy art supplies for one of my classes this semester. Target was pretty busy but we weren’t on a time schedule so we perused around the clothes section and of course ended up finding more things we just had to have! Even though I just spent way too much at Old Navy the deals at Target were too good to pass up!

$9 wedges from Target. What a steal!!!

After a fun and very successful day of shopping we got back to the dorms and had to get down to business. Homework starts early on (day one of class) and I had a lot to do. I spent an hour or two doing homework while also browsing pinterest and facebook. Those sites are literally addicting and I think it’s impossible for me to not go on them while my computer is open. Oh well! It gives my mind a little break. For dinner Saturday night I met up with one of my good friends Karen for a life chat about faith and our beliefs. We met last year in choir and both were involved in some religious organizations on campus but we never really talked to each other about our faith lives or why God is such an important part of our lives. It was so much fun to chat with her…it ended up being an hour and a half conversation. It was so awesome to hear about her past and her faith journey! Fellowship with friends is so great and can be so encouraging to hear other people’s stories and faith walks.

Saturday was a very eventful and fun day but man was I tired and ready to go to sleep when bedtime came! Sunday morning Bailey and I wanted to try out a new church just down the road from our school. The service was at 9 and we wanted to get a workout in beforehand so we set our alarms for 7 a.m. When our phones went off that morning we both groaned and decided to skip it! We were way too tired to get out of bed that morning. I hit the snooze button and woke up just in time to get ready and eat a quick bite before we had to get going. The church service was a major fail! It was so boring and traditional and all we sang were hymns. Let me tell you…that is not my kind of church service! Bailey and I decided to cross that one off the list!! After church we were feeling a little more motivated and decided to go on our run. We ran down by the river and ended up going 2.5 miles! Man was it hard to keep going for the whole time but Bailey pushed me to the end and I felt accomplished that I ran the whole way. The next event of the day was a meal out for one of our friend’s birthdays. We went to Lucky 13, a super yummy pub, where I ordered a delicious chicken and apple salad. The rest of the day involved more shopping, a coffee run, more yummy food and lots of homework! I don’t know where the weekend went, but man did it fly by! I’m already looking forward to the next one J

Feeling good after our run! 

After my 2.5 mile run!

My brand new running shoes :)

yummy :)