“There is Sunshine in My Soul Today!”

Hey My Cuties!!!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post about my Chocolate SoyNut Butter. I haven’t had the chance to respond yet, but I think I may have some time tomorrow after a class gathering activity with some of the girls in my group. Thank you so much for always being there for me!

I just finished week 3 of ThisFitChick’s workout plan and I am loving every second of it. This week I upped the weights again (from rowing 10 lb. to 13 lb. each hand, from pressing 13 lb. to 17.5 lb. each hand, and from squatting 16 lb. to 20 lb., just for a few examples). I’m finding that I’m stronger than I thought I was, and I love how this program gives me the opportunity to find that out, to record my workouts, and to make future goals for certain exercises. This week I was craving some Jillian Michaels, so I did both Jillian and Kim’s cardio workouts from the Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD in place of the circuit workout this week. The workouts incorporated the same moves that the circuit did, and I just did a couple moves afterwards that the DVDs didn’t cover. One thing I have been adjusting (because of my knee) is the cardio workout on the weekend. Since many of them are based on the treadmill (and my doctor wants me to stay off the treadmill for the sake of my knee), I take a look at the workout and decide how intense it’s supposed to be and pick one of my workout DVDs to match that. So this week, instead of the Interval run, I did Jillian’s Burn Fat Boost Metabolism Workout. Worked me like a charm. Right now I’m halfway through my next week of working out – I’m super excited for what’s coming up. First 4 weeks almost done!

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Madison over at Eating 4 Balance nominated me for the Sunshine Award. Thank you so much, Madison. It really means a lot to me. If you guys get the chance, go check her out! She is absolutely amazing, is always full of smiles, and is always ready to have fun. (She’s also quite the allergy-friendly baker.)

Here are the rules…

• If you are nominated you must include the link in a blog, linking to the person/blog that nominated you.
  
• You must answer some questions and nominate 7 fellow bloggers and link their blogs in your post.
  
• Let the people you have nominated know that you have nominated them!
  

Who is your favorite philosopher?

Some of my favorites are Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Aristotle is my favorite because of his developments in Physics (since I just took Physics last year).

What is your favorite number?

3. The main reason is because I love using triples in my writing, but it’s also because my Sunbeams are 3 years old, and I want to have 3 kids when I grow up and get married (I’ll take as many as the Lord gives me, but I’d love at least 3 kids).

What is your favorite animal?

Cats. Not only does my name contain it ([Kat]hleen), but many people who know me would say I’m obsessed with cats. I go literally crazy whenever I go help out at the kitten shelter, I lionize my cat all of the time (he also has a whole folder of pictures – over a 1000 so far – and it keeps growing… Hehe.), and I have lots of cat in my room via calendar, on my wall, stuffed animals, on my bookshelves, in folders, etc. Okay. Yeah, I will admit – I may be a little obsessed. A little.

What are your Facebook and Twitter?

I actually don’t have a Facebook or Twitter. But I do have a Pinterest and Formspring.

What is your favorite time of day?

12:34pm. I look for it every single day because I simply like it so much. It makes me happy.

What was your favorite vacation?

Hmmmm. About 1 ½ years ago my family went up with our cousins to Missouri to see Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home and Museum up in Hannibal, Missouri. (One thing I learned while I was up there was that Mark Twain was just a pen-name. His real name was Samuel Clemmons!) Tom Sawyer and The Prince and the Pauper are my favorite stories from him, so I really enjoyed seeing where grew up and started his life as Mark Twain.

(We also got to spend some time seeing some church history sites while we were up there, which will be something I’ll never forget. Definitely another favorite part of the trip. )

What is your favorite physical activity?

Heavy weight lifting. It is the best thing EVER and I always look forward to my sessions. I’m now upping my weights (I pressed 40 lbs today using 2-20 lb dumbbells – I felt so amazing after that) and loving every minute. I also enjoy dancing – especially line dancing and waltz. I want to take some classes when I’m up in Idaho at college in a couple months, so hopefully I can up my skills and have even more fun at dances.

What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?

Other than water, Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk is my favorite (either the Silk, Almond Breeze, or the store-brand kind from my local grocery store).

What is your favorite flower?

These were the flowers from my Prom this year. (If you want to read all about that, I did a post on it here.)They always make me happy. White Roses. I also like Forget-Me-Nots (simply because of their name) and Petunias.

What is your passion?

And now I get to pass this award onto seven other lovely bloggers:

• Haley at Haley Eats
• Tayla at There’s Freedom In Her Eyes
• Clare at Simple Savvy Strong
• Sami at Savoring the Sweet Life
• Lexi at Fit Kitten
• Tara at Tri Sport Tara
• Lauren at Life As Lauren

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ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Smile! You are Beautiful!

Not only can it brighten up your day, but it can make a difference in the lives of others.

Your smile can really change the world!

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What is one thing that makes you smile?

Some of the things that make me smile are the sunshine, the Lord, hanging out with close friends, playing the piano, laughing, reading my scriptures, blogging, helping others, and lionizing my cat.

Do you find that crying sometimes is the best thing for you to do at the moment, like it’s the only thing that will get you through a certain situation or stress?

I have to admit that I don’t always allow myself to cry. I just hold it in, bite my lip, and keep the tears in. But sometimes, I just need to cry. I’ve found that on occasion I just needed to let the tears out. Stress and emotions are tied in with the tears, and when I hold them in it just builds and builds until it breaks. But when I allow myself to cry, the emotions and stress flow out with it. I feel better. I become more at peace. I become calm, able to settle down, and accept. It’s healing in a way. Allowing myself to cry has been a big step for me in finding that balance with myself.

Answer one of the questions above – I’d love to hear your answers!

with lots of hugs,

 

Things That Make Me Smile.

Hey My AMAZING CUTIES!

Thanks for all of your love and support these past few weeks. I’ve complete my four weeks of nannying and I’ve had such a fun time. I always love spending time with kids – you can always learn so much from them! Their sweet spirits touch my heart and I can’t wait to have kids of my own someday. My phone is fixed now! My mom took it to Sprint and it turns out that they had the piece it needed to fix it! So now my screen is back to normal and my stress about it has diminished. I’ll be more careful with it now though, as I don’t want that to happen again.

Right now I’m in the process of packing for the Family Camp my family will be attending this week with about 200 other people. At the camp we have relays, a family dance, a teen dance, canoeing, hiking, swimming, water activities, crafts, games, talent show, etc. I always have fun going and hanging out with my friends from other cities in our home-school group.

I’m also gathering up the foods I’ll be bringing for the week. Most of the menu are things I can have (they always have an amazing salad bar and fruit for snacks every afternoon, and they’re even having an oatmeal morning with lots of topping options!), so I don’t have to bring much — most is just in place of a couple things I can’t have on the menu before of my dairy intolerance/allergy. This year I’m bringing my own cooler, as the fridge at the camp has limited space and I want to let other people have a chance to use it. The things I’m bringing are: 3 cartons unsweetened almond milk, 1 can vegetarian chili, 1 jar homemade almond butter, 2 lb. bag baby carrots, gallon size baggie of celery sticks, 1 packet of Flat-out wraps, homemade bread (unpictured), 3 nectarines, 2 pears, 3 apples, 2 cans of chickpeas, 1 container of homemade hummus, 2 packets steamable brown rice, 1 box (of 5 packets) of Better Oats Pure and Simple Multigrain oatmeal packs, and small jar of cinnamon. I know this week will be delicious.

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I’ve been smiling a lot lately, which as brought me into how grateful for all the blessings in my life. My family. My friends. Chip. The Scriptures. Light. Flowers. Etc.

Before I headed up to camp, I wanted to share with you some of the things that make me smile.

Dark Chocolate. Especially EXTRA dark.

I was so excited when I found these in our local grocery store and saw that they only had 4 ingredients: chocolate liquor, sugar, soy lethicin, and vanilla extract. I always have to check the labels of dark chocolate, as not all of them are free of milk. But this one is free of it! I used to only like milk chocolate (before I found out about my dairy intolerance/allergy), but then my dad introduced me to the “dark side” of chocolate. I’ve never gone back.

Bath & Body Works.

These are the five scents I most commonly wear. (My current favorite is Dark Kiss.)

My Sunbeams (& all the fun we have in Sunday School).

We made this puppet a few weeks ago that says: “If I can say hippopotamus, I can say I’m sorry.” They kept saying hippopotamus throughout the craft and went home telling their parents and showing off their hippos.

Beatrix Potter stories.

This reminds me of when we visited the Beatrix Potter House (her Hilltop Farm near the village of Ambleside). I remember how much fun I had walking around the farm and learning all the stories she wrote there. (I also have a little figurine of the Flopsy Bunnies that I got there too.)

Sketching.

I always love sitting down and sketching a picture.

Sidewalk Chalk!

This reminds me of the time I colored the outside strip along the sidewalk around my house with different colors. (I was 6 years old and we lived in England at the time in the Military housing. I colored it from the front of the adjoining house on our left around to the side of the sidewalk near our backyard. We lived on a corner of the street, and the neighbors who drove by shared with my parents how impressed they had been with the “colored” corner of the road.)

Sunshine. Butterflies. Rainbows.

Sterling Silver Earrings. 

My ears react to anything but pure gold or sterling silver, so recently I’ve had to go through my jewelry and only keep that which was gold or sterling silver (which wasn’t much). I was really excited when I found this pack on sale at Kohls though! It was on sale, and I needed some more sterling silver to wear (and have different choices in color).

BUBBLES!

They are just so much fun. I may get a little light-headed after blowing them for an hour for my Sunbeams, but the smiles on their faces are worth it.

My Baby Doll.

I’ve had her since I was a baby (my grandma bought her for me) and I refuse to give her up.

Coloring Books.

I may be 17, but I never grew up.

Happiness. Peace. Joy.

My cat’s “French manicure.”

It makes me squeal with joy every time I see it.

But above all, I am grateful for my sister. She ALWAYS makes me smile.

Happy 15^th Birthday, Lizzie. <3

I couldn’t ask for a better sister. Thanks for always being there for me, Beautiful.

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What are some of the things that make you smile? I also love warm hugs, line dancing, loving friends, kittens, babysitting, and lighthouses.

What are some of the things you bring on a camping trip for snacks? I’m bringing hummus, almond butter, protein bars, baby carrots, apples, and nectarines.

Do you pack heavy or light when going places? I always try to pack light, but it always seems to end up heavy. >

xoxox,

A Whole Lot Of Random Stuff About Me!

Hey my Sunripened Ruby Red Cherries!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post. I have had so much fun participating in Jenn’s little party every week, and I can’t wait to do it again soon. And talking about parties, I loved hearing about your favorites songs and music to listen to. Thanks for sharing!

Jacqueline from Having Fun While I Run nominated me for the liebster blog award.

Thank you so much, Beautiful! I am really honored by your nomination.

Here’s what I have to do.

• Tell 11 random things about yourself.
  
• Answer the questions that the person who tagged you asks and create 11 new questions for the people you tag.
  
• Tag 11 blogs and link them to your post.
  
• Contact them and let them know they have been tagged.
  

Here are 11 random things about myself:

1. I love frosting and decorating cupcakes. Not so much eating them (I prefer other things for treats), but I love to help decorate them – I adore anything artsy and crafty, so frosting cupcakes (and cakes!) just makes me really happy.

I went over to one of my friend’s house to frost some cupcakes with her for a party she was attending the next day. The theme? DISNEY! So we made little Mickey Mouse Cupcakes!

And Minnie Mouses. Mickey wouldn’t be complete without Minnie.

2. I love flowers. (Not only giving them but receiving them too.)

You know the family I’ve been babysitting for the past 3 weeks? I have one more week with them, and yesterday they gave me a card and flowers. I felt so special, especially since I find going over a treat instead of a job.

3. I got a haircut!

This is what it looks like (that I described in my protein breakfast recipes post). I got a WHOLE lot more layers (including face-framing layers) and trimmed my bangs. All in all about an inch, but that inch really makes a difference for me. (And you see all the curl in my hair? That’s all natural for me. There’s no product in my hair except for a little leave in conditioner. I love how layering brings out the curl in my hair. I can just wash, scrunch, and let air-dry and I’m all set – which is perfect for this college school year for me.) I also just updated it as my new Gravatar – let me know if you can see it in the top right hand corner!

4. Apparently I’m half angel/half devil.

Cake that is. We were playing a game of Imaginiff, and there was a tie between if I were a Angel’s Food Cake and a Devil’s Food Cake. (I actually voted for devil myself. ) Haha. Which of the above do you think I am?

5. I’m a sucker for cats who love to read their scriptures.

No wonder I love him so much. (The situation was I was reading my scriptures on the couch when Chip decided to slide himself between me and the scriptures on my lap. So, he in essence wanted to read them too. )

6. I have an extra-long twin bed, and I still feel like it’s short.

Even though I’m only 5’4″.

7. I love baking TALL bread.

It’s just more fun that way. (I have all of the pictures for the re-do of my homemade bread recipe. This time I’ve taken more pictures and walk you through the ENTIRE process. I just have one question: Should I just change up the post I did back in the beginning of 2011 to do it, or should I do an entire separate post on it? The pictures are better, clearer, and I have some other tips and tricks I want to share that were not included in the first version. What do you think???)

8. I love serving at a Kitten Shelter in my local area.

This shelter goes around to humane society places and collects kittens that would just be put to sleep for lack of space. They are a non-profit organization that relies on the help of volunteers (some who stay through the night to feed the littlest kittens every two hours). I love going and helping out as often as I can. (I try to go on as many Friday evenings I can spare.)

I melt every single time I look at their cute little faces, so it’s not hard to give up a Friday evening to go help out.

9. I love doing needlework and cross stitching.

I never seem to ever have time to do it, but when I do get the chance, I love every second of it. (This is the Elephant and “Olympic” rings that I added to my Girl’s Camp Shirt. There are more rings than the normal Olympics have because we applied it to the values we have in the young women’s program in my church, with each ring and color representing one.)

Here’s what the shirt looked like after I finished.

10. I added a LIFE tab on the far right of the navigation bar at the top of the screen. Go check it out!

11. I’ve decided to change my major. I just can’t see myself in a lab mixing chemicals in a white coat all day. And I also want to do something that I could do at home if necessary, as I really want to be able to stay home with my kids (when that time comes in the future). Right now I’m going to do Health Science with a Public Health emphasis and minor in Nutrition and Fitness/Culinary. (I talk about this more below in Question#7.)

Here are my answers to the questions Jacqueline asked me (her questions are bolded):

1. Why did you start blogging? I started blogging to start my journey to finding balance with myself (see my story). I wanted to reach out to other people who were going through the same thing I did. I wanted to share my love of baking and making nutritious foods (baking or cooking, or no-cook ). I wanted to share my fascination with nutrition and health. I did it to not only inspire others, but to help myself. It’s helped me find a better balance with eating and with living, and I can’t thank all of you guys enough. I’m not perfect, but I know that’s okay. I’m doing my best, and that’s all that matters.
   
2. What’s one bad habit you want to break? Staying up late. I’m a natural night owl with the tendency to stay up late if I don’t listen to the first signs of my body getting tired. I was doing really well during the school year, but this summer it kind of went downhill. But once the online classes I’m going to take before I head up to Idaho in January start, I’ll make sure I get to bed at a decent hour – not only will I feel better by doing so, but I’ll also get more done during the day and my body will thank me.
   
3. What’s your special talent? I love public speaking. I used to be really scared of it, but my mom had me go out there and do it in church (lessons, talks, bearing my testimony, etc.), and I’m not scared of it anymore – at all. If I know what I’m going to talk about and have an idea of what I’m going to say, I can deliver.
   
4. What was your favorite TV show from when you were younger? I loved Little Bear. Especially Cat – he was my favorite character. Duck was pretty funny too.
   
5. What’s your favorite inspirational/motivational quote? “Unity starts with U.”
   
6. What’s your favorite shape of pasta? I like the spiral/swirly kind – they are just so much fun to play with!
   
7. Why did you choose the college you went to/where do you want to go and why? I’m going to BYU-Idaho to study Health Science with a focus on Public Health. I want to be able to go out and help people live in a more healthy way in all aspects of themselves – helping them find that balance with themselves. I’ll also be doing a minor in two clusters (clusters are like ½ of a minor in which you can pair two up to be your minor), which will include Nutrition (I REALLY wanted to do this one) and the other one I’m thinking about is physical training (fitness). I could also do culinary or business or finance or something. I just haven’t quite decided yet. (What are your thoughts? Which one would you pick?)
   
8. Dress or nice shirt and pants? It depends on the occasion, but I find I can move around a lot better in nice shirt in pants – skirts and dresses do limit in a way, but I still like them.
   
9. Favorite restaurant? Chipotle.
   
10. What’s your favorite Olympic event, summer or winter? I love watching the swimming – all of those guys (and girls!) have the strongest arms EVER!
    
11. What’s your favorite vegetable? Oh gosh. How can I pick ONE?! I love carrots, green beans, pumpkin, spinach, kale (usually in smoothies or as kale chips), onion, zucchini, sweet potatoes, etc.
    

Now I get to nominate 11 blogs for this award. But this post is pretty long in itself, so I NOMINATE EVERYONE WHO’S ON MY BLOGROLL! :D (If you’re not on there and you follow me, just let me know and I’d be glad to add you!  ) And since I liked the questions Jacqueline asked me, so answer those questions for your nomination!

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Which of the desserts on the Imaginiff game card would you pick to represent me? I’d love to see which one you’d pick!

Should I do an separate post for the update of instructions/pictures of my homemade bread recipe? I don’t really like going back and changing a post as entirely I will have to to update this recipe/explanation. Blogging is a type of journaling in an way, so I feel like I’m erasing my “past” to write it over again, with pictures I just took within the past weeks.

Tell me something random about yourself! Here’s another tidbit about myself: I’m double-jointed in both of my shoulders! (I also don’t like popping my knuckles or any of my joints, or hearing other people do it. I cringe every time I hear it.)

xoxox,