Frazzled and Fried

Well, hi there!

Yep...the title of this post says it all. 3 more weeks until my first year of nursing school is done. Can't wait. Took too long.

End of line.

Spring is Coming!....sort of

Wow! I can almost smell the spring air as I look over snowbanks....yeah, I guess that's Northern Maine livin'.

I can't believe I have a month and  half left of my first year of nursing school! It has been the most challenging thing I've ever faced academically. I have been challenged every step of the way, had my ups and downs, and sometimes I just wanted to throw in the towel...but I didn't! I'm just chugging along and doing the best I can, and that will have to be good enough, eh?

In the spirit of Spring coming and me always wanting to make healthier changes in my life (some are successful, others not so much, but the effort is there) I have decided to do a 6 week "Life Boosting" program through NutriBullet (from the makers of Magic Bullet). I love the product itself because it's SO easy to clean by hand. I have no dishwasher so it was intimidating to me to buy a juicer or blender because of the bulkiness and the fact that there are many (sometimes hard-to-reach) places to clean. Anyway, I saw the ad for the NutriBullet and I was like, "hey, why not?? It looks to be the size and simplicity I'm looking for!"

So at the moment (while I type this and think of things to say) I am looking at all the recipes that will need to be made ahead of time (because of my crazy nursing-school schedule) and yes, I am intimidated. But, I'm willing to give anything that sounds logical and nutritionally sound a try!

Another challenge will be finding some of the ingredients listed in the recipes as I don't think they are sold this far north of nowhere. ;)

I will try to update at least once a week.

Ciao!

In Memory Of...

Today the world has lost a great man and I have lost a dear cousin. I am sad for my cousin Shirley's loss as Noel was near and so dear to her heart as well as ours. Their love was infectious and just being around them would lift anyone's spirit.

Noel battled metastatic melanoma for a year and a half. He was strong in his mind, body, and soul. We will never forget his courageous battle or his infectious laugh.

I'll never forget the times when I and/or my sister would stop in to see our cousins and we'd talk the night away. Once it was so late that we ended up needed to stay the night! We were always welcomed with open arms and the offering of food, beverage, and a place to sleep.

I love you, Noel!

Please pray for Shirley.

RIP
Noel P. Nightingale
November 21, 1940 - March 7, 2013
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

A New Year & Almost Time to Go Back to Reality

I was basically successful with my "no meat eating" for November. I stopped at Thanksgiving when my sister came up. I messed up three times and they were all innocent mistakes! I grabbed a buffalo chicken salad and after eating it I realized that the salad had chicken...I was thinking healthy! I forgot the other two times, but eh I'd call the diet change a success. :)

I ended my first semester of nursing school with all "B's." No complaints here!

I've been down home now for two weeks. In summary, it's been great! It's been filled with friends, family, and laughter. I have also had a good dose of relaxation the past few days...part of that was due to my truck being in the shop and I had no transportation. I've been out to my favorite restaurants which has been oh so delicious. I've done lots of shopping and I still have more to do! It's bitter sweet to go back up home (down home is CT, up home is ME). I love being here, but I sorta miss my routine and independence as well as my cousins.

I'm split between being excited for school to start back up and being terrified. I'll let you know as the semester progresses. To be continued...


New Years Resolution

I am going to (once again) move towards a "healthier happier" me. I have already gained confidence (and weight) over the past four months and now I want to move in a direction of taking care of myself...which is honestly really hard while in nursing school. It might sound surprising and you might say, "You're in nursing school and you're learning about being healthy so why is it hard?" Being in this school involves countless hours of sitting, hunched over a computer, book, or notes and sitting in long classes. At the end of the day it is extremely hard for me to want to do something active and very hard to avoid the comfort food.

But, as Alison Sweeney said on The Today show, "Take it day by day! If you mess up today, try again tomorrow!"

So there you have it! My New Year update! :)
Love to my friends and family! <3

Temporary Dietary Change & New Recipes

So here we are! It's November!

And with the change in the month, I have already made a few changes of my own! I have decided to not eat meat until Thanksgiving. What's prompting this change, you ask? A few things.
1) I'm trying to cut down on my grease intake (and for me, eating meat = eating grease)
2) Trying to be more disciplined in life (in general) and I could use a challenge...because apparently nursing school isn't hard enough???
3) This is part of the continuous effort on my part to try new things all the time :)
And don't worry, I know about nutrition so I'll be sure to get my balance.

Also in November, I have tried two new recipes! 
*One of them is crock-pot mac&cheese, but without pre-cooking the macaroni! You literally just throw everything in and let it cook for 2.5 hours (the recipe said 3-4). Click HERE to check out the recipe! (Note: I also omitted the egg...not a fan of custard-type foods.)

*The second recipe is called "Creamy Avocado Pasta!" I thought it was good although I would use a bit less garlic and lemon juice...but that's just my personal taste preference. I would make it again :) Also, I felt it was healthier in a way too, there wasn't cream or anything heavy in it and it wasn't a red sauce (for those that know me, not a fan of red sauce). Click HERE to check out this recipe!

Nursing school is plugging along. I feel like time is dragging by...I wish it would pick up a bit! Usually when things are crazy and you're crazy busy, time flies, right? Not for this woman...

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the recipes! (The Mac&Cheese is SO convenient!)

Autumn Up North

It cold up here. Glad that's out of the way. With that being said, I've been adjusting to things slowly, but surly up here. I'd be lying if I said the transition from being around everyone to being around no one was easy. That's basically how it is up here. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm very much engulfed in my studies and that's what I need in order to succeed in this nursing program. However, I do miss my friends and family and I actually miss coming home to someone. I love my cat and she's great to come home too, especially because her greeting is so cute, but I miss the human interactions in the home-setting.

Alright, enough sappy stuff. My cousins found a home in town and are expecting another baby! It's so exciting and it's been great to see God bless them and their lives! :)

The foliage up here was beautiful and the weather has been decent although cold the past couple of days accompanied with a biting wind...brrrrr.

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength" -Corrie ten Boom

New Surroundings

Sorry for not posting in a while, things have been a bit crazy!

I've moved. Reason: Nursing school. I was accepted into the college in my former state and realized I didn't want to go to school there. So I applied to a school in Maine...and here I am! Semester starts soon and I can't wait.

People have asked me all along, "Will you really miss your family and friends?" I always answered "yes" and that still holds true, but I believe God has instilled in me the gift of adaptability. It helps that I have Skype and other means of communicating with people outside of the state.

I feel like I'm able to adapt to my surroundings and get used to things quickly. This was tested in Scotland last year, it was awkward being on the team at times, but I was totally fine with being away from my "normal life" at home. It has been tested since (minus moving here) with the different life-situations God has had me deal with.

We'll see how things go. I know I'm in for some adventures up here and I am so at peace knowing this is where God wants me to be (for now).