Amazing New Book

Last night I began reading the book, "Women, Food, and God" by Geneen Roth. I read only about 30 pages but I am already hooked! This book is so insightful and empowering! I have always had a difficult relationship with food and can now call myself a food addict. As hard as it is to write those words, I know it is the truth. I have always treated food as a way to comfort and sooth myself instead of using it for its purpose, which is to nourish my body. This book is helping me gain the insight and understanding into why I eat and why I use food for almost every emotion under the sun. I look forward to reading this book over and over again and I will post more updates as I continue reading this amazing book!

The 80/20 Rule

I know many people have heard of the 80/20 Rule when it comes to many things in life, but I am referring to this rule when it comes to dieting. The 80/20 Rule means that if you can follow your diet and exercise 80% of the time, then you can slip up on your diet or not exercise 20% of the time. The theory behind this rule is that you are following your plan 80% of the time, which is far more realistic than 100% of the time. We all know that when we are trying to lose weight, there will be slip-ups, bad days, and stretches of time we find ourselves in a rut. We have to allow ourselves to have the 20% of the time to not be perfect and to make mistakes. Dieting and Exercise are both very challenging for me to stay on track and committed to... so therefore I am focusing more on the 80/20 Rule and following my plan most of the time!

Craft Swap Party

On Saturday, June 5th, I am hosting a craft swap for all of my crafting friends. The idea behind a craft swap is that everyone brings their unwanted craft supplies (paper, embellishments, tools, stamps, ribbon, etc) and then you swap supplies with the other ladies. It gives everyone a chance to get rid of their old or unwanted craft supplies and pick up some new supplies to use when crafting. I am planning on about 5-7 ladies joining us for the party and I plan on serving refreshments and having a great time swapping craft supplies!

Never Feels Like Enough

I have always been a frugal person and a super saver. I was able to save over $15,000 before the age of 22 and purchased our first home at the age of 23.... all things I am proud of! I also started saving for retirement at age 18 and have consistently been contributing to retirement since then. Even though I have over $8,000 saved in retirement, it never feels like enough! I set a very high goal of $15,000 saved in retirement before the age of 25, and I feel like that goal may be out of reach. I plan on continuing my savings plan but I also have a small amount of debt to pay off and an emergency savings fund to fully fund to a year of expenses. Even though I never feel like there will be enough money saved in retirement, I just have to keep trucking away at meeting my savings goals!

Thrill of a Lifetime

Just under 24 hours ago, I jumped out of a plane at about 10,000 feet above the ground... and it was the most amazing and thrilling adventure I have ever been on! It was a beautiful day in Moab and the view was amazing. The plane ride up took about 20 minutes and the scenery was breathtaking. Then they open the door of the plan and all of my nerves shot through the roof and I realized that we were jumping out of this plane in about 10 seconds. The most exciting part of the whole adventure is the first 10-20 seconds that you are leaving the plane and beginning the free-fall to ground. The 30 seconds of free-fall felt like it went by so fast but also lasted forever all at the same time! Then the shoot opened and we experienced about 5-7 minutes of breathtaking beauty as we descended to the ground. Then came the landing, which I not so gracefully landed on my butt, but all in all it was a safe and successful landing. 

What an experience to have! I can't believe I actually went skydiving and the feelings afterward are so empowering and make you feel like you can tackle anything!

So Nervous!

In less than 24 hours, I will be headed to Moab, Utah to experience my very first skydive! I am so nervous I could pee my pants! :) I am hoping for a thrill of a lifetime and of course a safe skydive! Wish me luck and I will be sure to post tomorrow once I get home!

5 Days Till Skydiving!

This Saturday at approximately 9:30am, I will be jumping out of an airplane over the skies of Moab, Utah and I could not be more excited! I will be jumping with my great girlfriend Krista and we are counting down the days till the most exciting and crazy thing we have ever done! Now that the day is booked, my nerves are building and I will be in countdown mode this week. Saturday will be here before I know it!

Complete Bliss!

Yesterday, my spa day was complete bliss! My massage was wonderful and my manicure and pedicure turned out great. The day of pampering was just what I needed and I was so relaxed afterwards! I enjoyed my day of bliss and hope to have many more spa days in the future!

Raspberry Fool

Since we were entertaining last night, I also made dessert in addition to a delicious dinner. This recipe is great for anyone that loves raspberries! The only changes I made, were to leave the cookies out and just have the raspberry fool. It was easy to make and beautiful to present in little dishes for our guests. I hope you try making this for your friends and family!

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

Last night I cooked the most amazing dinner and this recipe is to die for! It was much easier to make than expected and our dinner guests loved it! There was even enough for leftovers which will be delicious for lunch today! If you love pasta, you will love this recipe! Hope you try it!

Picked Up My Framed College Diploma

I just picked up my custom framed college diploma and it turned out great! The black and gold frame with the double mats really makes the diploma stand out. I am so excited to hang this beautiful frame in my office and display my accomplishment of a college degree!

I Did It!

This morning I completed a 31.9 mile bike race in just under 2 hours and 45 minutes ride time! I am so excited and yet so exhausted at the same time. The course was great but the weather was cold and windy with a little bit of rain. This road bike race was both my first race and the longest stretch of road that I have rode in a single ride. I am excited that I finished this race under my goal time of 3 hours and I am looking forward to an afternoon of relaxation and resting my legs. For more information about this ride and the charity it supported, please click here.

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes

Tonight I cooked a delicious pasta recipe from Real Simple magazine. You can find the complete recipe here. The only changes I made to this recipe was I added chicken breast and sliced mushrooms. The extra ingredients really made this dish fantastic! Hope you cook this for your family and enjoy!