FAQ's: How to Meal Prep Without Prepping

I must be crazy, right? Meal prepping without prepping? Dead serious. I paid for it. I did a little research on getting freshly made meals delivered. Sounds pretentious, right? I thought so too at first. But, after having a week of rarely cooking, I no longer care how it sounds because it is SO CONVENIENT. I ordered my meals online: Freshly Website. (Super easy - they have pictures)

They came:

I ate.

The details:
Is it actually a meal?: Yes! I figured if I was going to pay someone to deliver it, I wanted a full meal - I didn't want to have to cook. I didn't want any weird diet meals and I didn't want only a protein. Real, fresh meal.

Is this part of a diet?: No. At least not that I've seen, but they are healthy meals. All natural ingredients (you can actually understand everything on the label), no added sugar and all gluten free which makes it easy for me. I don't have to look at the ingredients of each individual meal - I can just choose whatever looks good.

Are they frozen?: No. They're not supposed to be. They are however shipped with a bunch of ice packs, so although they aren't totally frozen, they can be a little frozen when you get them. I put about 4 meals in the fridge and 2 in the freezer to make sure they'll still be good by the time I get around to eating them.

How much do they cost: It varies based on how many you order. I did research ahead of time and it seemed to be the best deal I could find. They range from about $10-$12 per meal, but if you click on this link, you'll get a few free meals. I think that will bring the cost per meal down to about $8 or less - not bad to try it out. They bill on a weekly basis.

How many meals do you get?: You have the option of ordering 6, 9, 12 or 21 meals. They're delivered once a week unless you order 21 meals.. then they're delivered twice a week. I'm doing 6 meals for $69, but haven't paid the full price yet. I figured this would be good for 1 meal per day, I would meal prep for one meal (crock-pot, baby!) and breakfast is easy.

How do they taste?: So far, I've liked all the main dishes. The sides aren't all my favorite - good, but not always my favorite. When that's the case, I just mix the sides in with the main dish. The sauces are always great and for not having to do any cooking myself, I really shouldn't complain. Here are my top 3 meals so far: Pecan Pesto Chicken, Seared Pork Chop with Mustard Sauce, and Chicken Livorno.

Are they filling?: Yes, absolutely! I actually try to make sure I haven't eaten too much before I have one of these meals or I'll feel way too stuffed by the time I finish it.

Is that the only thing you ate?: No, as I said above, I also did do a little bit of meal prep. I found a recipe that required about 5 minutes or less of prep. I tossed the ingredients into a crock-pot and put it into Tupperware 8 hours later. Easy peasy. I also went out to eat a few times, which is why I figured I would only do 6 meals.

Will you keep ordering?: Yes, absolutely! As I mentioned at the beginning - it's SO CONVENIENT! The meals are filling, healthy, affordable and make life much easier for me. Meal prep without the prep? It's a no-brainer.

Ask away if you have more questions!

Thankful Thursday: Friendship

I love my family - I confide in them, I love being around them, I'll drop everything for them. But, family isn't always around. And because of that, today, I'm extremely grateful for all the good friends I've been blessed to have in my life. When family isn't around, it's nice to have friends who feel like family. Some of my friends have even become family. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many people who care about me (and who I care about). I wish I could fit everyone into a picture, but I just picked out a bunch from recent pictures I could find. So, please, don't be offended if you're not in the picture. Please know that I am sincerely grateful for each and every one of you who has ever had an impact on my life. I treasure each and every conversation, experience, dinner, movie, and bonding moment I've had with each one of you. So please know that you mean a lot to me and I'm so thankful to have you in my life.

How to Win

I FINALLY got in an early morning workout! It feels so good - it's invigorating. I feel like I'm winning. I'm still not quite back to my 5am's, but I'm sure I'll get there soon. I know what you're thinking - 5AM WORKOUT!? NO WAY. I know. It sounds a little crazy. I totally feel like an old woman when I tell my friends I want to go to bed early so I can wake up early to workout. BUT, once I started creating a habit, I realized how much I could get done if I get up early and workout. It literally feels like I have more hours in the day. As I've said before, I'm really not a morning person. It requires constant effort to get up early, BUT when I just get up, I accomplish so much more! Seriously, it's like I magically feel more confident. I'm automatically more productive and it seems like I'm so much better equipped to handle issues and stress throughout the day. It's probably because working out gets your endorphin's and adrenaline going. (At least that's what people say, right?)

So let the adrenaline kick in. It's only Wednesday. You still have so many days left in the week! Do what you can to get out of bed or off the couch. Get your workout in. And try waking up early. If you try it and hate it, you don't have to keep doing it. But give it a shot. Try it for a few weeks - maybe a month. I promise it will make a difference.  Remember - the hardest part is getting there. And once you get there, you'll be grateful. Because who ever regrets working out? Or being productive? It's a win. And we all like to win.

Here's my workout from today. If you need to adjust it - by all means!

Warm Up (3x): 

12 2 level box step ups each side

12 squats on bosu ball (ball up)

12 toe to ceiling raises 

12 sit ups w/ extended legs 

1st Set (Arms, standing on bosu ball, 3x):

2.5 lbs straight alphabet (both arms)

2.5 lbs 90* alphabet (both arms)

12 5 lbs hammer curls (last set w/ side wobble)

12 5 lbs bent over rows 

12 5 lbs biceps curls (last set standing on one leg)

2nd Set (Legs, 3x):

12 110 lbs adductors (out)

12 135 lbs leg press

12 135 lbs angled front squat machine 

12 40 lbs standing kick back machine, each leg

Who Decided Cardio Meant Running!?!

Don't get me wrong, if you like running, more power to you! But I don't. I hate running. I tell people I hate cardio, but that's not actually true. I hate the kind of "cardio" that has started becoming the norm. Running for 45 minutes? Count me out. Running for 20 minutes - I might do it on occasion. But when I run, I prefer to sprint because if I have to run, I want to get it over with as soon as possible. Stair stepper, bike, elliptical.... it's all the same. And I don't like it. That's the stuff that makes me anti-cardio.

So really, who said that cardio has to be any of these things? Although I do think cardio is overrated, I know it's important. BUT, the only way I do cardio is if I like it. My faves have become volleyball, zumba, football.. any sport really. I may not be able to play outdoors right now, but there are always people playing pick-up games and there are great Zumba classes at the Vasa Gym up on University. I got into zumba because I love dancing.

My strong opinion is that you should find things you love that can help you get fit. Play a sport, take a class, go for a swim, snowboard in the winter, wakeboard in the summer, run if you must. Whatever it is you enjoy, cardio that way.

#4: The Mental

Happy Monday! Here's the last of my 4 goals for the year. Ready for a full confession? I've noticed that I've been really negative lately. Like not just a little bit. I'm talking on edge, walk into a room assuming the worst, making everyone around me feel horrible and probably scared to say anything to me. Sounds like a person you wouldn't want to be around right? I don't either. And I especially don't want to BE that person. I want to be uplifting, vibrant, someone people want to be around - I want to be able to take a look at myself and be proud of who I am. Now don't get me wrong, I still think I'm pretty great. But I know I have my flaws. BIG ONES. This is no attempt at a "woe is me." This is just an honest look at myself. I've become negative. I don't like it. I want to change it. So my plan: do a Thankful Thursday (granted I've already started it, but I still needed to give you the background). Cheesy? Maybe so. But as we grow up, we sometimes realize that those cheesy things are actually really helpful tools. And what I've found is that it's extremely difficult to be negative when you're grateful. Want a challenge? The next time you get frustrated with someone, take a step back and try to think of 3-5 reasons you're grateful for that person. Even if it's a stretch. Just think of them. You'll be shocked at how much easier it is to all of a sudden understand and be patient with that person. So, here's to life. I am struggling so much that I need to publicly recognize the things I'm grateful for. I need to get to a positive place. This too will be a constant struggle, but I'm hoping it'll help me take a step closer to becoming that person that I really want to be. 

Friday's Full Body Workout

 

Let's be honest. It's Friday. Monday we all feel motivated, right? But Friday? Friday is supposed to be the start of our weekend. Sit back, relax, kick your feet up. By the end of the week, it always seems harder to peel yourself out of bed and get to the gym -- but my motto? The only workout you'll ever regret is the one you didn't do. I haven't quite gotten back to my 5am workouts yet, but I did get to the gym this morning. And do you see that face? That's post workout (hence the b&w). That face says it all. I always feel good after my workouts and it puts a hop in my step throughout the day.

For the sake of spreading a little motivation and because I know I like to see what others do, I thought I'd share today's workout. Hope it makes sense. (I hurt my shoulder awhile ago, so some of this was just for my rehab.):

Warm up (2x): 

5-6 scorpions 

5-6 supermans 

15 hurdler legs ea side

5x: 

10 Half circle wall ball dribbles (shoulder rehab)

15 calf raises

8 bench dips

10 back dips

10 box jumps w/ squats on ground

Straight & 90* Alphabet w/ 2.5 lbs dumbbell (shoulder rehab)

10 sit ups w/ extended legs

10,15,15,15,15 100 lbs adductors

10,15,10(diff machine),15,15 100 lbs inductors 

10 hippidty dippity's (planks where you alternate touching your hips to the ground)

Thankful for Utah Winters (did I just say that)

Last night I was driving home and the moon lit the snow on the mountains, which lit the rest of the sky. The evening was perfectly clear. Although the snow is freezing, there is something so calming about a clear winter night. It was still. I starred at those mountains on my way home and realized how truly grateful I am to live in Utah. I know I don't have my sand and ocean anymore, but you know what? I love Utah and I love living here. I never thought I'd say it, but I do. I really love it here. It's beautiful, there's always a lot to do and I love the people. I'm grateful I made that crazy move a year and a half ago when I decided to quit my job, move to Utah and live off of my savings to give myself a reboot.

Wake Up & Workout - Just Get There

This is unfiltered, right? I get to be totally honest and hope you don't judge me too bad (badly/poor/poorly.. are you judging me already?). My friend asked me what my motto is - if I have a saying that keeps me going. Kind of like Nike: Just do it. That's a great one, by the way. Honestly, for sole purpose of not stealing Nike's (and because this is what I actually tell myself on a regular basis..) it's GET THERE. SHOW UP. Either one.

In the morning? Get out of bed. Nobody (at least in my world) actually wants to get up out of their warm, comfy bed first thing in the morning. But you know what? Once you just GET UP, it's pretty natural to get started with your day.. at least that's usually how it is with me. but...Right now, the struggle is real. So, so real. But I'm working on it.

The gym? JUST GET THERE. JUST SHOW UP! As soon as you do, aren't you going to workout? Like I said yesterday, I prefer to go to the gym already knowing what my workout will be, but, even if I just show up at the gym.. even if I don't have a totally killer workout, I will still workout. And I will still feel a million times better than if I had stayed at home.

Today I didn't get to the gym in the morning, but I still made it. I didn't push myself too hard because I'm still getting back into it, but I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow and I can't wait. Seriously.

So the moral of the story today? JUST GET THERE. People struggle with motivation ALL the time. Try this week to force yourself - and believe me, I know first hand that it's forced very often - force yourself to just GET THERE. Do it because you know that getting there - showing up is truly the hardest part. You'll be grateful you forced yourself into it and the results will always be worth it.

My Health & Fitness 101

Last night, I taught a food/fitness class for the women at church. First, let me throw a disclaimer out that I am by no means a professional. BUT, this is what I do and what I like. I am ANTI-DIET. I hate salads and I hate cardio. Here's a few tid-bits I use...

Exercise: 

My goal is to exercise 3-5 times a week. (The above picture was from when I was actually in the gym on a regular basis. Sad. I'll get back there.) Am I perfect? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Recently? I've been celebrating to get to the gym 1-2 times a week. Ya, I've made my New Year's goals, but I plan on working on them the whole year, so I'm not being too hard on myself just yet. It's still January, people. When I exercise, I usually look at Pintrest to find exercises I like... then I piece them together and put my workout into Evernote.. that way I know exactly what I'm doing once I get to the gym. When I'm traveling, I like to use HASfit. All of their workouts are free and all of them are meant to do at home so you don't need any big equipment. I usually look at their YouTube Channel.

Diets: 

The only diets I'm a fan of are Weight Watchers (I mean if Oprah is doing it...) and Whole 30 because they teach you good habits. I'm not necessarily a fan of doing them all the time.. have you ever noticed that the people who go on diets are the people who are ALWAYS on diets? Something isn't right about that. But, Weight Watchers teaches you about portion control and Whole 30 teaches you about what's in your foods. For me, that was a good way to be more educated. 

Food: 

That picture is just a reminder for me that I'm about to start my healthy eating.. swap the fries for veggies and eat a more appropriate portion of meat... anyway, I'm a fan of balance and lifestyle changes. (Mine really starts tomorrow. I promise. I've just been waiting for my freshly meals to come so I could kick start things.) I eat chocolate and/or ice cream almost every day. I'm not a fan of completely cutting things out of your diet because I think that makes you crave things too much which means you eat too much in one sitting. I'm about to try out freshly (as I mentioned earlier). They deliver fresh, prepared food RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR. My first order comes tomorrow and I'm SO excited to try it! I believe their ingredients are also organic and gluten free (yay for me!) So, Moral of the story: I like balance. I like eating good foods and reasonable portions. I try to listen to my body and eat when I'm hungry (and not over eat). I like my treats every now and then and I try to make sure treats aren't my actual meals (yes, I do that sometimes. Don't judge me). I also like to meal prep, but I travel so much that my routine is often frustrated. When I travel, my rule of thumb is: 1. eat regular portions when I go out to eat (not huge portions that are usually served) 2. try to choose healthier options and 3. don't get dessert just because I'm traveling. 

#3: The Financial

Make and actually stick to a budget. I may have talked about finances earlier, but believe you me, it is a constant struggle. Seriously. I've already sat down and figured out my budget. I put the numbers in Mint and I already know that I'll have to look at my budget several times a week every month in order to stick to it. But you know what, there's an app and I believe I can be disciplined enough to it. And there's an app. On my phone that I use and look at pretty much all day long every day. I know I can squeeze a few moments in there to glance at my finances and know where I am in my budgets. My background on this is probably similar to everyone else's. I don't always stick to my budget. I like to shop. I like to give gifts. I like to help people out. I like furniture. I like traveling, makeup, pampering, massages. I like nice things. Don't we all? I think it's totally fine to like nice things, but we don't NEED them and we especially don't NEED them ALL. THE. TIME. Balance, folks. It's all about balance. I make an exception here, I spend a little more there. This year is about discipline. I think part of the reason we spend is because we get bored. Maybe we don't have anything better to do. So this year, instead of getting a rise out of shopping, I'm trying to get a rise out of saving. Out of working toward the things that I really want. We all go back and forth on this. It's a constant effort. But habits are easier to keep once they're established. So far, I'm not doing too bad. 

Thankful Thursday: Getting Lost & Loving It

Sometimes, I really like getting lost. It lets you experience things you wouldn't if you had stayed "on track." Today I'm grateful that I can get lost and love it. We never know what life will throw at us. Whether it's literal or just symbolic, sometimes it's important to just enjoy the journey - even if it's not where you thought you would be. I truly think there are lessons to learn from each experience and person we meet in our lives. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of times I FREAK OUT when there's unexpected changes, but especially when I travel, I've learned to embrace being lost. Take a deep breath. Take it in. Take it ALL in. You're about to experience something unique. I'm trying to allow this to translate into my every day life. Love getting lost. Love where you are. Learn the lessons life is trying to hand you. (Don't judge me for talking to myself. We all need a pep talk every now and then.) The every day life part -- still a work in progress. But right now, in this moment, I can take a deep breath and feel completely at peace at the thought of getting lost and loving it!

Pics & Links to the Churchy Stuff in Missouri

I got to see lots of churchy, history stuff. The nerdy side of me has been looking forward to this for quite sometime, even though I'm horrible at history. Honestly, I just tried to take it all in as I was there. It's impossible to share everything I learned, so instead, here's a few "clips." If you want more info, you can see maps, a big list of historic sites and an article about the history in Missouri.

Kansas City Temple

I already gave the spiel the other day about my stance on church history and my testimony of the gospel. If you missed out, you can read it here. I love going to the temple whenever I travel. Not only is the temple a precious place to me, but it's a nice reminder that the gospel is the same everywhere. Also, it helps keep me grounded. 

1. Independence, MO LDS Visitor's Center (the history stuff is on the lower level)

When the saints first moved to Independence, MO, there wasn't enough time to build homes for everyone before Winter started. That meant that 10 families might be sleeping in a home like this (It was about twice the size of what you can see in the picture).

An original Book of Mormon - hot off the printing press!

Now the Book of Mormon has been translated into hundreds of languages and the gospel has spread throughout the world.

2. Liberty Jail (fairly brief tour, but a POWERFUL must-see)

The Original Key to Liberty Jail

Although the jail itself is a replica, the stone floor (look at the bottom of the rope) is the original floor of the jail. Same floor. The jail is in the exact same location. 

These walls were 4 feet thick in all directions. 5 men, including Joseph Smith were imprisoned here for 4 months during a hard winter in Missouri. Though their circumstances were horrible, they were far more concerned about the welfare of the other saints. 

#2: The Physical

Happy Monday! As a review, I'm giving you a little background on my 2016 goals every Monday. The Physical. Where do I even start with this one? In January 2015, I decided to do Whole 30 with a group of my friends. It's this super strict diet where you have to eat only whole foods and you can basically only eat fruit, vegetables and meat - and seasonings. It's not actually as bad as it sounds. It just requires a lot of cooking. And I mean A LOT. I felt like the only thing I did that month was cook. Not really, but kind of. It was a great eye opening experience. I had to read all my labels. Did you know that almost EVERYTHING has sugar added to it? I shopped on the edge of the grocery store because it meant not reading labels and in many ways was just easier, not to mention the fact that that's where the bulk of your food had to be found. I felt great. I ate a ton. I was working out at the same time. I really did it for a cleanse, but I ended up losing 5 lbs total and 10 lbs of fat (according to the body fat thing at the gym that may not actually be completely accurate). And honestly, the best part was that after Whole 30, my stomach was the FLATTEST that it's ever been. Who doesn't like that!? 

My goal last year was to get down to 16%-18% body fat and you know what? I did it in January. January. 1 month. What now? I was totally motivated, hit my goal - which I thought was pretty lofty - and now? Now I was dumbfounded. So you know what I did? Slowly but surely, I started eating dark chocolate every day. I kid you not - I was buying 1 to 2 lbs of chocolate per week. PER WEEK! And if you're a chocolate lover like me, you know that isn't cheap.  Anyway, throughout the year, I moved from chocolate to ice cream.. Then back to chocolate. (which I've now celebrated by buying dark chocolate in Kansas City - yay me! LOL) I realized how much weight I was gaining from the ice cream. I've never been a diet person. In fact, I'm anti-diet. I think a change of lifestyle and balance is the only way to go. And I'm also anti-depriving yourself of anything. In addition to all my sweets last year, I also started to eat out a TON. Like almost every day. Almost every meal. Unless my roommates happened to cook something and shared it with me. Pathetic. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the person who blew up and gained 100 pounds, or even 50.. But I don't feel good. I don't know if I actually look very different, but I don't feel good. I don't feel healthy or energetic. I feel tired. My stomach seems to hurt a lot and it's probably because I'm just not eating very well anymore. So my goal for 2016: be healthy. I need sleep, I need good food and I need exercise. In other words, I need to be healthy. 

Jesus is my homeboy

Jesus is my home boy. I mean that with no disrespect. He knows us each better than we know ourselves and He is willing and waiting to pick us up when we've fallen, when we're weak, when we're lost, etc. I've grown up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS/Mormon). Both of my parents were converts to the church. I love this gospel. I don't know where I would be without it. It provides a guide for my life, as well as strength, understanding and several other attributes because it has given me the confidence that God is actually my loving Heavenly Father, that Jesus Christ is His Son and My Savior. I believe that Christ died for our sins and that we can all live again in God's presence, with our families.

Now, did my testimony start because of Joseph Smith? Because of the Book of Mormon? No and no. Do I believe they're true? Absolutely. For me, because I had faith in my Savior, I believed in the words of the Book of Mormon. I felt the Spirit of God when I read that book, and if that was the case, I knew that Joseph Smith must be a prophet. So for me, church history was never a strong point, but definitely something I've been interested to learn more about. I'm getting a fair dose of church history in Missouri and I'll be sharing more with you soon! Sorry for the late post.

A Few Museums in Kansas City

When I first googled "things to do in Kansas City," I was shocked by how many things popped up. The play-off game was in Houston today, so a Chief's game was out of the question (but they did win and the whole town is excited which should make for good night life!) So here's a few museums I've visited so far. There's still plenty more on my list, with the WWI Museum being at the top.

1. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art I'm a sucker for a good art museum. I spent about 2.5 hours here today and easily could have stayed longer. I want to go back. The museum is free, has 3 levels of artwork, plus an additional modern building, meaning there are 5 main "levels" of art, plus an outdoor sculpture area. There are several countries and several hundreds of years represented in the museum. My fav's were Egyptian, Roman, Asian and Sculptures. If only you could tell how big the statue below was.

I made a VERY brief trip outside. Loved "The Thinker" (in the middle) and the unique statues right outside the entrance. I really wished I could have walked around the 22 acre sculpture park. Unfortunately, it was freezing and VERY windy, so about 5 minutes was all I spent outside.

2. American Jazz Museum This was fun because it was filled with hands-on stuff to do. Much more interactive than your average museum. I got to listen to old Jazz music, see albums, try my hand at harmonizing and see clips of old black and white shows and movies. I loved how much sound there was. There is still a Jazz Club: The Blue Room, located within the museum that I'm sure would be a blast to enjoy! Looked like there's live entertainment every weekend. If there weren't so many things on the agenda, I would've spent time down there tonight. Although this was interesting and worth the time, it was rather small. You could easily walk through the entire place in 30-60 minutes. Admission was $10 for one, $15 for both this and the next.

3. Negro Leauges Baseball Museum This was in the same building as the Jazz Museum. I loved the set-up of this museum. There was a baseball field in the middle that you could actually walk on (or slide into home base). Memorabilia, actual stadium seats, educational videos and a mock locker room with actual jerseys from different teams lined the perimeter of the field. There were also several - and I mean SEVERAL signed baseballs, which was awesome to see! There was even one in it's own case, signed by Jackie Robinson (and a few others). I was pretty excited about that. You can again walk through this in about n30-45 minutes. Admission is $10 by itself, $15 for both this and the Jazz museum.

The Truth About Working Remotely

In my first post, I promised this would be unfiltered. So here's the truth: as much as I L.O.V.E. traveling, working and traveling does actually involve WORK. And discipline. And balance. And a lot of understanding from the people you travel with. Several times when I work remotely, I revel in the views like the one above as I sit in my hotel or friend's house and work ALL.DAY.LONG. It's definitely still worth it. At the end of my day, just as I would if I were home, I put my computer away and get to go explore a new city. And if I stay over a weekend, I explore the WHOLE weekend. I do however find that I'm more committed to making the most of my time when I'm away. Just wanted to bring a little reality to this whole working remotely thing. I feel like most people picture very little actual work, but let me assure you, I still work. A lot. Working remotely doesn't mean I'm on vacation all day every day. If you're thinking about working remotely, just keep that in mind. It involves a lot of discipline and efficiency. My relief comes because my view changes and at the end of the day, I get to try new foods in new places and explore new cities. Just didn't want to paint a fairy tale for you. So maybe I didn't leave the hotel room all day today (stop judging), but tonight, I'm exploring Kansas City!

Thankful Thursday: Flexibility

It's funny how gratitude works. Last night I was driving home from the gym and it just hit me. I'm grateful for flexibility. Like really grateful! About 4 years ago, I started traveling for work. I learned to work quickly whenever I had time and I learned to be a little flexible with my time. Now, my personal life is my #1 priority. God first. Family second. Friends next. Long story, but once I left LA (about a year and a half ago), I decided that I would never let a job become more important than the people who are most important in my life. That isn't always easy to accomplish, but I was determined. And when I get determined, there is NO changing my mind. I was lucky enough to have a good friend reach out to me and recommend me for a job she thought I was a perfect fit for. I work from home the majority of the time and I truly love my job. I love the people I work with - my co-workers and my clients. Does that mean it's perfect? Absolutely not. Let's be honest - nothing is. But all in all, I'm grateful for my situation, my company, my flexibility.

I wanted flexibility. I needed flexibility. I got addicted to traveling. It became necessary for me to be able to take off and go anywhere, anytime (that might be a slight exaggeration, but you get the point). I don't say this because I want to shirk my responsibilities. Because I had started traveling so much for work, I learned how to work remotely. I traveled so much that it felt like I was always working remotely. I got used to it and I learned to love it. Seeing new places. Trying new restaurants. Reaching that Gold status ;). It started to become part of who I am. And I love it. I love that I can work from my house, at my parents' house, in a hotel, at Starbuck's. There are many ways in which I know I'm not the most flexible person, but this is not one of them. Seriously. Want to go on a trip tomorrow? Let's make it happen. I feel like I'm being set free when I travel. I love new experiences. I love learning about new places. Even though the majority of my travel has currently taken me around the U.S., I'm loving it. The more I think about it, even in this very moment as I'm writing this, the more I love it. So today, I'm thankful for flexibility.

All You Need Is Chocolate & A Hot Bath

I feel like recently I've been really frustrated, really frequently. I don't know what it is. It's like I got wound so tight that no matter how hard I try, I can't shake my triggers. Think of your breathing. Get more sleep. Exercise. Try to clear your mind. Everyone has a different solution. But you know what? All of those things are temporary fixes. They might work for 5 minutes or 5 days. But the real key to letting go? HA. I'd be LYING if I told you I had the answer. Which is why I've made the New Years goals that I have. A full 360 shift - striving to be positive, grateful, charitable. I'm convinced that there's no quick fix, but that it takes A LOT of concentrated effort.

Yet regardless of how much effort it takes, sometimes those quick fixes are essential. We all need to relax every now and then. R&R. It's good for the soul. Treat yo-self. It's good for you. Tonight, on my way home from work, I started getting worked up. Not necessarily for any specific reason, I just started thinking WAY too much about a lot of little details that really don't matter. And I got stressed. So you know what I did? I came home, cleaned the big bathtub that I haven't used in a year and I drew a nice, HOT bath. Cliche? I feel like lots of women talk about it. I'm not that person. I rarely take a bath. But you know what? It was really nice. I locked my door, turned down my lights, brought in Netflix and topped it off with chocolate. That's right - my weakness. Dark Chocolate. Specifically See's (although there's several good brands). I vegged out for awhile and escaped from the world. Escaped from my mind. It's exactly what I needed.

Then, my friend started texting me and convinced me to GET OUT OF THE BATHTUB AND GO TO THE GYM. Since I had been in the bath for over an hour (no joke), I succeeded. And you know what? I had a fantastic night! I got that cleanse I needed for both my body and my mind. I think a reset is necessary at times. And you know what else? I'm on cloud 9.

Packing Essentials

First and foremost, we all know I met Gold, right?! eek! So excited! Anyway, I'm getting ready for my first trip of the year. I've learned to pack in 30 minutes or less and almost NEVER check a bag. So I thought I'd share a few tips.

1. GET A BIG PURSE. I bought my travel purse at Target a few years ago and love it! Get a big purse. Pack it with these things: phone, tablet/laptop (that's right - get a bag that's big enough to hold this), chargers (if anything happens to your flight, you'll want to keep as much battery power as you can), snacks, an empty water bottle (crucial or you'll just have to dump it out at security), one book (for me, I ONLY read when I fly, so more is just unnecessary), wallet (ID/money, duh.), noise cancelling headphones if you have them (these are still on my wishlist, so I just take normal ones for now), sunglasses (I hate when I forget them and I almost ALWAYS want them as soon as I land). I also keep typical "purse things" and a sweatshirt/scarf in my purse if I need it. I know what you're thinking and you're right. That's a lot of stuff in my purse! Seriously, my purse is usually pretty heavy when I travel. But I like to have this stuff easily available and it saves room in my carry-on.

2. PRE-PACK TOILETRIES. This can vary depending on how often you travel, but I always have my toiletries packed in my carry-on. They live there. In the outside, upper pocket. Easy to take in/out of my luggage at security and it's one less thing I have to worry about. I've spent a long time finding the same travel size brands as the brands I use every day, but that's because half the time I feel like I live out of that little carry-on. I try not to take the things I really don't need - like shaving cream. I can make do with hotel shampoo. Also, I no longer worry about forgetting things. If I happen to be out of something, the hotel will typically have it. Did you know that? Most hotels have all kinds of toiletries at the front desk and they'll give them to you FOR FREE. It's sweet. And if not, you can always buy them. One less thing to stress about. And toiletries aren't expensive.

3. 3 PAIRS OF SHOES. If you saw my closet, you would find it hard to believe that I could travel for a week with only 3 pairs of shoes. Sometimes I cheat. Sometimes I pack 3 and wear a 4th. But the gist: keep it simple. Typically I'll take one pair of work/dress shoes (heels), one pair of sneakers for the gym and one pair of flats or sandals. Also, I usually take shoes that are all the same neutral color - typically black or nude/tan.

4. WARDROBE V. OUTFITS. Instead of laying out several outfits for each day, I choose clothes that can be mixed and matched - all in the same color family.

Goal #1: The Spiritual

I want to give you a little background on my New Years goals, but it would honestly be way too much for one post. So instead, I'm going to split it up into 4 posts. I'll do one every Monday in January. New year, new week. Seems to make sense. 

So the first: my Spiritual goal. Be charitable. 

I've become very good at focusing on my goals when I want to focus on them. I say that because although I definitely consider myself an extremely goal oriented and motivated person, there are absolutely times when I'm not. Like when I stay up too late and wake up too late and just want to stay in bed all day. I told you. I'm no master of these things I enjoy. I have several times when I neglect my goals because I want to watch a Netflix marathon, eat a tub of ice cream just because or simply just want to stay in bed. It's nice. It's comfortable. I'm human. But I'm straying. Back to my goal. I've realized that I can get so focused on my individual goals that it makes it hard for me to focus outside of myself. Let's be honest. We all know we're part of the "me" "now" generation - sometimes with those two going together and sometimes just on their own. So I want to be a better person. I want to focus on the people around me. I need to get outside of myself. The best way I can think to do that is to strive to be more Christ-like. When I think of Him, I think the attribute that best encapsulates who He is, is charity. I won't even pretend that I can be as charitable as the Savior, but I'm definitely going to try to be better than I currently am. I really think being involved and sincerely caring about the people around you goes a long way. I need to care. I need to listen. I need to love people. I need to be charitable. See the bigger picture.

Crock-Pots To The Rescue

To start off the New Year, I'm meal prepping. Trying to make good on the goals I set. Meal prepping takes so much effort. To try to make it just a little bit easier, I'm doing two things: meal prepping with friends (it makes it fun and spreads out the responsibility) and USING A CROCK-POT. For this first week, I'm prepping lunches and snacks. And for lunch, I'm doing a healthy crock-pot soup. I like crock-pots because they're simple. Also, I'm not always a big fan of warming up my left-overs. It just doesn't taste the same. The struggle is so real. Meal prepping is worth it. I thought soup might be one of the things that would warm up well. I found this week's recipe here. I don't like mushrooms so I left those out. It took about 30 minutes of prep time and now all I have to do is sit back and wait. Chop. Saute. Crock-pot. Watch TV. Tupperware. Fridge. Eat. It's easy to find simple, healthy meals if you just look for them. I have lots of others pinned here here and others here.

The deets (yes I just wrote deets)

So yesterday I mentioned my general goals, but I never gave you the specifics. So here they are for January. Yay for accountability.

1. Spiritual: Be charitable: Better participate in my ward (church) and better fulfill my responsibilities in church, or as we in the LDS church like to call it: magnify my callings. 

2. Physical: Be Healthy: There are several things I want to focus on, but I told myself I would only really emphasize 1 or 2 per category. So this month: getting myself back in the gym regularly and meal prepping. It goes a long way toward healthy eating. 

3. Financial: Be Disciplined: Make and actually stick to a budget. Although this will be a year long (and probably life long) effort, I really want to focus on it this month. It'll honestly probably take A LOT of conscious effort the entire first quarter, if not longer. 

4. Be Grateful: Thankful Thursday. Seriously. Every Thursday, I want to tell you something, or maybe even several things I'm grateful for. I've learned that it's difficult to be angry or negative when you're grateful. 

Big Picture/Small Picture

Happy New Year!! Would it really be New Year's Day without a post about goals? 

Small Picture:

I always make New Year's goals and I call them goals, not resolutions. Does the word actually matter? I don't know, but I do think we can both train and trick (in a way) our brains. To me, every time someone says "New Year's Resolution," I think of some lofty ideal that a person says they want to work on, with NO actual intent of reaching said ideal. So I make goals. I make clear, specific goals that I can measure and work on throughout the year. And, for better or worse, I set different goals for different categories: spiritual, physical, financial and mental. I try to set goals that are realistic but also make me stretch.

For example, as a financial goal, I might say that I want to have X number of dollars in my Savings account by the end of the year. Then I take it a step further and make a plan as to how I'll accomplish my goal. So for example, to meet my financial goal X, I would have to save X divided by 12 every month. I actually get paid twice a month, so I would take that total, split it in half and set up an automated payment to go from my checking to savings account every pay day. Done and done. It's planned, it's scheduled and in all honesty, I don't even have to touch it the rest of the year. Anal, right? It is a little, but I'm convinced that very specific goals with specific plans are the way to reach goals. 

Big Picture:

Buuuut here's the thing: specific goals without a big picture goal doesn't always get you where you want to be. Sometimes I feel like I lose sight of the bigger picture. I'm doing things, but what am I learning? How am I growing? In 2015, I set a goal to say sincere daily prayers as part of my spiritual goals. I know that's a good thing, but really, the bigger goal I was trying to work on was to get closer to God. In my opinion, that's a pretty important thing not to lose sight of. So. This year, 2016, I've decided to make more general goals and then sit down each month and decide on a specific way I'll work toward the general. Don't get me wrong, I was very hesitant to do this - I know it will require a lot more work. But you know what, I want the big picture. The big picture is important to me. And I think this is going to be the best way for me to do it. Big picture first, specifics as I go. You're welcome to help keep me accountable. 

So here goes:

Be charitable 

Be healthy

Be disciplined 

Be positive & grateful