3 Mile Run

Today has been a chaotic day emotionally.  We have a lot of drama going on at home but it didn't stop me from meeting my running challenge today.  I ran three miles!! it was hot out so it was no picnic that's for sure.  I also was able to shave off a minute on my mile time, or the first mile anyway.  The last 1/2 mile was the hardest and I honestly didn't think I could do it all, but I powered through and did it.  Tomorrow the challenge is 5 miles, but we will see.  I am trying to keep positive but I have yet to get that "runner's high" people talk about, I just hate it for 30-40 minutes and then I come home and shower.  But I am setting goals and I am making it.

A new challenge coming up for me starting in April is to stop using disposable plastics.  No more plastic bags, straws, water or soda bottles.  No more take out containers either.  Plastic doesn't decompose, yes it can over hundreds if not thousands of years, but not in our life time. It gets into our waters, our oceans, it takes tons of oil to run a recycling factory so although I recycle, it still harms the environment in other ways.  I am doing this as a personal mission to take away some of my carbon footprint so join me if you want.  It will be interesting to discover new ways to live and realize how much disposable plastic I really use.

When I get back from Kansas City I also want to get back on my diet.  I am proud that I have been keeping with a fairly strict work out routine, but my diet has been not that great.  Although I am eating a majority of meals at home, there's too many carbs, too much butter and too much dairy in my diet.  So I am cutting the soda (again), switching to wine (if I drink) and cutting a bunch of the bad stuff.  I already started with seasoning and have stopped using it on the foods the little and I are eating.  I love knowing that I am healthier but so far I am not seeing the results and that's bumming me out.  I want to be at my goal weight which is 40 pounds from now, by the end of the summer and it just doesn't seem feasible when I continue to grow on the scale and have plateaued in inch loss.  I am also going to shoot for 2 home workouts (besides my ab stuff) and 2 gym days a week, at least for April and May.

Brewery Tour

Another bucket list item I have was to tour a brewery so this Weekend, along with some family members we went to Great Raft Brewing in Shreveport.  They are a local craft brewery that has a tasting room as well.  We got a tour which was great.  They were informative and entertaining and gave some information that I truly was unaware of.  We got to see where the beer is made, packaged and drank. 

After our tour we headed into the tasting room. They had 8 beers on tap so each of us picked one and then we got a flight which was only $2 per taster.  I had the Reasonably Corrupt, which is a black lager.  The beers were pretty good.  I definitely preferred their lagers to any of the others but we had such a good time testing the different beers and they even had a German food truck outside that I was able to get a brat from. 

confrontation

This week I had to learn how to deal with confrontation in an adult way.  I have always been one to avoid bringing up things that "could" start an argument.  I go through life feeling like no one that loves you intentionally tries to cause you anxiety or anger so I try to deal with those feelings on my own rather than call someone out for making me feel a certain way.  However, I have discovered that if you don't address behaviors that bother you , then you will never understand why that person is acting as such or be able to help them rectify it.  You also won't know what you are doing that could be causing said reaction.  So I addressed some issues that I have been having within my household.  They are nothing major and are usually issues I wouldn't even bother wasting anyone's time on, but I have to start sticking up for myself and voice when I am feeling taken advantage of or let down by the people in my life.  It went really well I think.  We addressed the issues, came up with a solution and I was able to see their side of things as well as discuss ways that I can make the situation easier or better for their parts as well.  It was a productive talk and though it seems like a small feat to many, for me it is a great victory.

Bucket listing

Along with my travels around Shreveport I have been trying to mark things off my bucket list and so far things are going well.  I took a trip to a Agora Borealis which was on my list of places to visit around here.  I was expecting a market type atmosphere but it ended up just being a shop with expensive crafted items.  There was some pretty cool art and it's always great to find locally made items but it wasn't what I was hoping for at all.  Then we went to Duck Pond park which was really nice.  There were plenty of ducks waddling around and the park itself had 5 different sets with different themes that my little really enjoyed playing on.

We also went to a birthday party this weekend and in true Kate fashion I was the first and most excited member of the ball pit.  It was good getting out and talking to some other grown ups and meeting new people and we all had a pretty good time.

My bucket list item this week was to shoot a gun.  I have never even held a gun before so my cousin showed me some general gun safety and how to load the gun first and then we headed down to a range to fire the pistol and the shotgun.  I was really nervous because I have never been a huge gun enthusiast in any way.  It was neat trying something new and I don't regret giving it a go but honestly I won't be doing it again.  The shotgun was terrible.  I only shot a couple but it was too loud and not fun for me at all.  The pistol was okay and the more I shot the better I felt about it, but it wouldn't go down as a "fun" experience.  It's too much power for me I think.  Just not my cup of tea but it was an experience.

I also want to give a shout out to the Relaxation Center at Pierre Mall.  They did an amazing job this week of getting me loosened up in just thirty minutes.  It was remarkable and I was able to pick up this Reflexology chart for just 5 bucks.  My "me" day consisted of a massage, a trip to the tanning salon and a bouquet of flowers.  I love treating myself.

Working on me

I did another 2 miles today.  I am hoping to make it 2.5 next week and would love to see myself at 5 miles a day by the time may rolls around and I have my 5K.  I hate it.  I'm not going to lie.  I have never achieved a runner's high.  I hate getting sweaty and my legs hurt every day.  But I know that it is what I have to do to reach my goal.  And once I've showered and rested I do feel good about myself.  I feel good that I got through the whole day eating well.  I feel accomplished that I ran two miles AND did a workout.  I am taking these steps to be a better version of myself.  My friend Lauren today said I am a whole different person and even though sometimes it feels I am exactly the same, I hope she's right.  I hope that I am becoming the person that I want to be.  The person I see when I look at my best self.  Still me but someone who accomplishes what she sets out to do.

I started planning today too.  I have been getting stressed trying to juggle everyone else's schedules and trying to figure out when to do stuff that works for everyone involved in our cogwheel.  And I have a few short weeks before I am headed home for a visit and then just another four weeks after I get back before out big move.  There is so much to think about, figure out and do before these dates arrive that I have to buckle down and do it. 
So I talked to steph about some of my frustrations which I realized helped a lot.  I realized that I wasn't really angry just stressed and confused and I realized that a lot of the pressure I feel is self inflicted.  If I hadn't talked it out with her I think I would have continued being frustrated and keep blaming her for my stress rather than handling things myself.  I want to accomplish a lot on my bucket list and my travel list so it is important to start now because the time is getting away from me quickly.  SO the next couple months will be jam packed with lots of fun activities and adventures.  I'll be sure to keep you posted.

2 miles!!

I ran a full two miles today and am incredibly proud of myself.  I was exhausted when I got back but I was still able to go on a walk with the family later in the day too.  I got quite a bit done today and started working on some more lists to prepare for the move to Germany.  We still have so much to see and do here in Louisiana and at home before we take off.  I am also planning my schedule for returning to KC in April.  There are so many people I want to catch up with so I am nervous about fitting everything and everyone in.
Shreveport is still reeling from the effects of all the water we received this past week.  The flood of 2016 has warranted the national guard being summoned.  We were fortunate in our area that the rain didn't have to much impact in this neighborhood.  We had some puddles and were pretty much forced indoors but we didn't have any flooding or damage on this side of town so that is a blessing.  My thoughts are with the families around town that weren't as lucky.  Several people have been displaced and are still trying to sort out what to do next.
I watched my cousins Mason and Taylor this weekend.  I made some extra money which was great and they were super easy.  I am taking mason with us on Tuesday to our story time at the library so that he can get out of the house and play with the little and some other kids for a bit. 
I haven't been doing as well with my water the last couple days but in my defense that is mostly because I had a stomach bug of some kind yesterday which left me in bed for most of the morning.
Tomorrow is weigh day so I am keeping my fingers crossed that either weight or inches have come off.

Rain rain go away

it has been terribly rainy here. If you have been paying attention to the weather in the south you'll know northern Louisiana got bombarded with water this week.  Luckily our area was spared flooding where I live but south of here got it pretty bad and even some of the roads around town here are washed out. 
I was able to get out of the house to go babysit which was fun and greatly needed, got me some groceries for the place as well.  I am slowing down on my reading a bit but mostly just because besides The Kite Runner, which is a favorite of mine, I haven't been interested in the books I have.  The next set of books on deck are all more interesting, they are my genre and they are books that I personally have been wanting to read. 
I got pretty crafty this week and am trying to stay on top of my organization so we shall see how it goes.  Oh, I also started meatless Monday this week which was a nice change to the menu.  It's been a pretty good week.  Back home has some stresses.  My bestie is getting married in April so that stress has been growing and her fiancé and her mom got into a battle this week which has made things even more stressful.. I hate that I can't be there to help her through it. 

My aunt Carolyn is in the hospital as well.  She's had health issues for awhile now and it's terrible to see her get sick again.  Hopefully she will be out and home soon so she can relax and not be cooped up in a darn hospital all the time.  Jessica, her daughter, has been going above and beyond making sure she's getting taken care of and going to visit and again it saddens me that I can't be there to help her out.
My mom got a new guinea pig who has been named piglet.  He's all black and mom says he is having a great time running around.  He was in the pet store she got him from for 2 years!
All in all I miss the comfort and familiarity of home.  There are so many changes happening around here all the time that sometimes it gets overwhelming.  But there are so many things to be grateful for in this journey.  This relationship with my cousins is something I never in a million years dreamed would have happened.  Steff and I have never been close because she's so much older and lives so far away, and I wasn't sure I'd ever even get to meet her daughter, let alone form such a great bond with her. I guess the biggest lesson I have learned that missing someone doesn't always have to be bad. 
When I decided to leave home, I was feeling unappreciated and alone and after a few months down here my friends have more than stepped up to let me know how loved and missed I am and it has made a huge difference in who I am as a person.

#5khereicome

I am participating in a 5K in May that I just started training for.  I am pretty excited, i'll be doing the color run and participating in a 5K is on my bucket list so I am glad that I am able to do it this year.  I started running 4 days ago.  I have been able to keep on track and do a mile run each day and then follow it with a workout.  Today I did 1.6 miles so I am glad that in a short time I have already been able to increase my distance. 
This is also a part of my whole new BETTER ME challenge I gave myself this year.  The quarter life crisis comes with some great things, like taking control of my life.  I have started trying to take control with my finances, my relationships, my organization and most importantly my health.  I went to the chiropractor yesterday which was much needed and the workouts have been going well.  We also instituted meatless Mondays in our house starting yesterday and it was pretty successful.  I have increased my water supply, I am down to less than one soda a day and I am working out on a consistent basis.  I am very proud of myself.  I just can't wait to see the results and what more is to come.

We also went to the golf range today because I have never golfed before.  It is another item that was on my bucket list and it is supposed to rain the next few days so we though it would be fun to get out before the water comes and do something fun and different and outside.  We didn't have much time to hit balls but I was able to hit three all together and I was pretty proud that I hit the ball at all.  Next time we will be getting more to practice with.

I have been experimenting a lot with my cooking this week as well.  I got Chrissy Teigen's cookbook "Cravings" and have made a few recipes already including the cheeseless cheesy eggs and the brussel sprout salad which we both amazing. 

Making Extra Money?

What are some ways you make extra money?
Working from home has been great.  I get so much time to myself and am able to really focus on what's best for me and what I want out of life but it limits how much I make.  My pay is staying put where it is.  I am a live in nanny so the possibility of a raise usually just means no money towards groceries for the month, which is great but as my savings fluxuates I start looking for other ways to make/save money.  Digit is one way (see post below)  I also started using the Walmart savings catcher app and so far have gotten 30 bucks back.  Ibotta is a coupon app I use that I have gotten 20 bucks back on as well. and I just started on Inbox dollars (http://www.inboxdollars.com/?r=ref22756817)  when you sign up you start with $5 and it doesn't pay much a day but I have slowly started building and am up to $12 is less than 2 weeks.  If you do a bit each day eventually it will amount to something.  Any ideas?

It's a good day to have a good day!

Today was just a great day all around.  The girl I nanny was in an excellent mood and the weather was gorgeous.  I kept on top of my diet and got in a couple workouts as well as a mile run in as well.  We went to see some of my family that came in for a visit as well so there was a lot of fun happening all day long.  For dinner I whipped up a lemon-garlic tilapia, a brussel sprout salad (from Cravings by Chrissie Teigen) and a berry medley with yogurt.  It was a light dinner, but delicious none the less.

Easy Way to save

I started using a savings account last year that I am in love with.  I saved $260 last year after I started using it and was able to have that money for my Caribbean cruise.  This year I have put part of my savings in and this month alone saved an extra $65 dollars.  It takes a small amount of money out of your account based on your spending habits.  That pack of gum you don't really need or the soda you CAN live without goes into the savings account instead.  They have an overdraft policy that repays you if they overdraft your account which rarely if ever happens.  You can move extra money and I have mine set up to give me daily balance alerts to keep on top of how much money I have in my accounts at all times.  It's a great way to save money in smaller increments and see how it adds up.


Check out https://digit.co/r/IDZ6_?nw and start saving!

R.W Norton Art Gallery

We went to the R. W Norton Art Gallery today. (http://rwnaf.org/)  It was a fantastic trip to make.  Their main exhibit right now is #hashtagging history.  I loved this.  They had the portraits along with an instagram post as though the subject had posted it to their personal sight.  It was a humorous way of describing the pictures and gave a light hearted to feel to the museum.  Their collections were astounding and I was able to find some artist that I hadn't heard of before and can't wait to check out more in depth.  They also had the "blue room" which has kids stuff that they can climb on which was great with my cousin with us.  She was easily engaged in that and gave us time to explore a little more than we could have.  We didn't see much of the Garden.  At this particular time there wasn't much blooming but reviews have said that it is fantastic to see and their Azalea time is coming up in April so we will be going back to see that.  Definitely recommend you check out this art gallery.  Plenty styles and artist to see, lots of sculptures and just a great trip to be had.