Hey There Girlfriend!

Yesterday was absolutely amazing.  I got to reunite with my bestie from the dorms.  We only live like half hour drive away from each other, however without either of us having cars, we barely get to hang out.  You never realize how much you miss someone until you see them after a long time.  We seriously talked the entire time. Ultimate girl talk!  Except for the few times she explained how things were going with her boyfriend we didn't talk about guys... just girl talk: nails, clothes, bras, shoes, jewelry, Hunger Games, make-up, soaps, perfume, everything and anything girly that you'd find in a mall.

This girl here despite the fact we rarely see each other is definitely still one of my best friends and hopefully will be for years to come.  She's the one who got me into the Hunger Games (in spring 2011), into blogging, into magazines.... She brought out my girly side.  My sister from another mister.... and mom lol

There are so many special women in my life right now... I doubt I could mention everyone without forgetting someone.  But it's made me realize how vital girlfriends are in our lives.  They just understand us in ways a guy never can and never will be able to.  Whether it comes to our strange obsessions with looking cute or why we get so crabby once a month or how going to the mall is actually healthy for us girls  :)

Plus I don't know if you've ever gotten fitted for your bra size...  interesting stuff.  It's definitely incredible what you find out.  Most of us actually wear the wrong size and wonder why we never get the support we need. 

Well anyways, after six hours of exploring the mall with my girlfriend I realized, that in this past year I've definitely developed a better fashion sense, and one that's more age-appropriate. No more dressing like an elementary student. And it makes me really wanna write fashion posts again.  So what if I'm not an expert? I enjoy it, and I hope you do too! :)  Practice makes perfect, anyways.... right?  And if you're ever bored.... feel free to check out my new tumblr: http://lifelaughterandsmiles.tumblr.com/

I wish this were my closet..... one of those things guys will never get

and if time ever stood still...

I can assure you, it would happen in that split moment when your heart reaches the maximum adrenaline, the rain beating against your face, fresh air rushing into your lungs, and life's song blasting in your ear.

* * *

Maybe it's the fact that spring break and summer are coming up. Or that it helps me sleep better at night.  Perhaps it's cause for a brief moment life pauses, and winning the race again time seems possible.  Then again, it's probably just because I can.  

But I've started running.  I've never been a runner.  In fact, I've never been able to run before.  Last semester I'd barely last two minutes before I'd be out of breath.  However, this week has been different.  I've really pushed myself to do something new, and I slowly started building up my stamina till yesterday I successfully ran for an entire hour. 

I usually despise the rain, however the other day, my friend and I decided to run outside despite the weather since neither of the treadmills in the workout room were running.  Wow.  Incredible.  It was just the picture I needed to know it's possible to survive the storms in life, in fact, it's possible to thrive despite them.  It's what inspired my song.  God's been teaching me how to see the beauty in trials.  The silver lining in a cloudy day.  Today I actually rushed out flip-flops, shorts, hair undone, no jacket into the hailstorm outside.  Beauty in pain.  So refreshing.  I felt so alive.  Just twirling, feet splashing in icy water, singing out, "and I will dance in the rain."  With a head lifted to heaven, smile shining into the rainy day, arms outstretched, I let the hail beat against my skin. 

Anyways.  Running feels amazing.  Yes, I've been running indoors... but it still feels great.  The endorphins released when working out are sooo addicting!  Lol.  You know, when people say running isn't about what you physically can do but what you put your head to.  They're right. 

Well have a great day, I think I'm gonna go for another run ;)

LOVE ALWAYS!

 

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..." 

(Hebrews 12:1b)

Head Under Water... Literally

Rainy days always seem to have an overly powerful affect on my emotions.  I'm not sure why...  today it hit me really hard. I actually seriously considered throwing on shorts and a tank top and just standing outside in the cold rain. Maybe it's cause my teardrops really wanted to hang out with their cousins the raindrops.  But with the type of wind we get here there was no way I would be able to chill in the rain without getting sick and I didn't really feel like taking a third shower today.  Thus the hot tub and pool were ruled out with that too.  

Chocolate, however, really is an amazing gift from God.  I know I've been working out a ton and trying to develop healthier habits and such but every once in a while we need to be allowed to indulge in these great gifts.  Coffee, gummy warms, chocolate, hot chocolate, piano, girlfriends, Sara Bareilles.  Is there any better way to spend a tearfilled day?  I don't think there really is. 

The other day I found this anonymous letter in my school mailbox.  I honestly had no clue how to react.  Half of me felt extremely touched, the other part was wondering how the heck whoever it was knew what I was thinking, and then slightly angry at whoever would play such a torturous trick on someone really struggling with something so serious.  Then I realized they had been placed in all the mailboxes and it kind of lost its magic but I guess I couldn't be angry at anyone lol.  I'm convinced though that Papa God put it there at that exact moment cause it was what I really needed to hear. 

Today's been difficult, thankfully God always manages to bring just the right people in my life when I need them.  You can never have too many close girlfriends.

Sometimes it's really difficult to stay strong. The problem with pouring everything into a person is you become deeply attached.  Life seems dull and purposeless when they're not involved.  Even though most of my day has been comprised of trying to spoil and care for me, myself, and I; I keep finding myself trying to find an excuse to hangout in the lobby, by the pool, or the workout room, and I know myself well enough to know it's cause I'm looking for him.   I'm not passing by his suite, texting him, or anything like that, but he's just become such a big part of my life it feels empty when he's not around.  Maybe it's cause I really am empty, from pouring too much of myself out for him.

So I really wanna start pouring into my relationship with God but I honestly don't know where to start, I feel like I always start reading my Bible in Esther. heehee.  What girl doesn't love a story with an inspirational heroine?  Plus there's a beauty contest in it! Biblical version of the Bachelor lol. 

Anyways a girl will never be able to develop a healthy relationship with a guy if they don't have a good relationship with their father (that includes God!) so I think it's time I spend some well needed time with Papa God, we'll probably just have a date downstairs where I can just munch on candies, watch the rain, and drink endless amounts of FREE hot chocolate and milk <3   I will probably call my actual daddy later too. I miss him a lot.

May God Bless You and Give You the Strength To Pull Through One Day At A Time,

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Psalms 147:3

Born For Broadway!

THIS PAST WEEKEND WAS AMAZING!!

Our school had it's very first musical production ever, and I got to be in it!!

We performed "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown"

I played the part of Lucy :)

It's days like these that make me wonder why I never pursued dance or theatre.  I LOVE the stage!  It just gives me that extra boost, that extra glow, sparkle, ENERGY!

There's definitely nothing like performing on a stage, but there's nothing like being a trail-blazer for others in the future.

Our brand-new drama club "Stage Warriors" hopes to have set the bar for new Fine Arts to be introduced to our school and hopefully one day a Drama Department!

Our cast of 7 students worked for months to pull together this amazing musical, and everything that could possibly go wrong, DID.  Our pianist quit two days before the performance, our Charlie Brown (who's severely allergic to poison oak) got it on his face the week of, and a few glitches with the sound booth left us singing "Happiness" accapella on our closing night.

Nonetheless, our cast blew the audience away! 

I don't think I could ever be more proud of a cast.  Every person was picked out perfectly for each role.  This experience brought everyone out of their bubbles and pulled out the best in each of us.  Through all the difficulties and long rehearsals, we all grew super close.  I can say by far that these guys are my best friends.

Happiness is getting to perform with such an amazing group!
  Thanks God for bringing us all together!

40 Days of Lent

So what exactly is lent?  

"Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter." 

During this time, people are challenged to fast from something important to them 

so they can spend more time in the word and focusing on their Christian walk.

I've actually never given anything up for lent before.   

But this year, I've decided along with my roommates 

and several other friends to give up Facebook. 

Yep.  No Facebook for 40 days.  

 That's over a month!!  Kill me now! Jk. but seriously, it's going to be difficult. Whenever I touch a keyboard my fingers automatically start typing... F...A...C........  I'm a Facebook addict!  Thus, I'm deactivating it, so I don't accidentally end up online. lol

Lately, I've realized that it's impossible to be close friends with everyone.  There's just not enough time to be close with everyone.  You really have to choose who are important to keep close to and dedicate time to cultivate a deep relationship. Honestly, Facebook has been a huge distraction for me, proclaiming I have all these "friends" that I can never keep up with.  And that's part of the reason why I've decided to give up Facebook for lent.  Not only do I want to focus on my real friends but actually dedicate time to my relationship with Christ.  I've spent so much energy on a Facebook doing nothing and completely neglecting the one always there for me.

I shouldn't need a tragedy to occur to notice that God's still around, and I have a feeling, God's going to do so much more in mine and everyone's lives these next few weeks.

So Goodbye Facebook, Hello Friends!

Best wishes to all of you who are fasting for lent.  Remember if it's not easy, that's okay, that's why it's called "giving up."  We're sacrificing something important to us, for something even more important.  I'll try to keep you updated! 

God Bless You!

Love,

 

Metamorphosis

My dorm wall my first semester at college.

A fat caterpillar

Carefree and young

Trapped in a chrysalis of time

And change.

If I grow wings

I’ll have to fly.

But I do not wish to bloom like a flower

For petals wilt and I am afraid to die.

Nicole Adams - age 17. 

__________________________________________________________________________

I must say, I've had one of the most amazing college experiences.  

It hasn't always been an easy journey, but I don't think I'd trade any of my memories for someone else's. Through the tough times and the good ones I've changed, grown, and become a new person--myself. 

During these past four semesters I've probably gone through some of the hardest trials in my life, and unfortunately mommy couldn't always be there to hug and hold me.  I had to learn how to survive on my own.  But because of this I've become an even stronger person than before, learned what true friendships really are, and have matured in my relationship with Christ.

Fall 2010 - 16 yrs old

Spring 2011 - 17 yrs old

Fall 2011 - 18 yrs old

During this time I couldn't help but undergo a lot of changes, one of the most obvious being my hair. lol  But I also have lived in three completely different housing situations: dorms, on-campus apartments, and two hotel suites.   

Within 2 years, I've had six roommates and have lived with at least twenty-four girls!  CRAZY!!! 

And I've changed my major twice.... first from English to Music and then back to English lol

Growing up has been a difficult process.  Sometimes I don't even know who I am.  Who I am is definitely not who I thought I'd be... but it is most certainly better than I dreamed of.  And even through all the times I've wanted to give up, or just run away from hardships, when I've felt alone, I've been able to pull through, and the most amazing thing about it all is that I've never really been alone through anything.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

May God's Blessings Be With You As You Venture Life As Well!

Love Always,

Nicole Alejandra

Life is Full of Surprises

So this Valentines Day has been soooo different from my past experiences.  And it wasn't because I had a Valentine..... although I got two of my good guy-friends to take me to the movies.  ;)   After a not too long day at school I got back to the hotel where I'd been living for the past month ready to head on over to the lobby for an appetizer and then to my apartment for possibly some roommate-bonding time with my girls.   Instead my RA asked how'd I feel about switching rooming spots with her. Long story short:  Less than an hour later I was being moved into my new room with two girls I had just recently met.   I always wondered what would happen next school year. It never occurred to me that my perfect housing situation would change barely a month into the new semester. 

Well, being the spontaneous person I am, I've decided to make the best of this and take this opportunity as a way to make new friends!

 This year my friend Theresa and I decided to spice up our Valentines by wearing these cute little headbands we got at DollarTree a few weeks ago.  I'm pretty sure we'll probably do this for every single holiday here on out.  It was just so much fun!  If I don't have a date to go on, might as well make the most of it with my girlfriends.  :) 

Well I hope you all had an amazing Valentines/Single's Awareness Day!  Feliz Dia del Amor y de la Amistad!!!

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

This has got to be the most stressful finals week I've ever had, and it's not because of the finals, but the papers and having to switch rooms this week too. 

Well, Christmas has taken a little longer to set into my mind this year, but with my first Christmas present for the year and finals almost being over, I think it's time to start celebrating!

I was writing my huge essay for my Women's Literature class in the library earlier today, when I found my girlfriend making the cutest Christmas gifts.  They're pretty simple to make, are very pretty, make great gifts, and keep the holiday spirit going.  


It's a tiny box of chocolate that comes with a ribbon, pencil, a special note, and a blank piece of paper.  So the way this gift works is.  As you eat the sweet chocolate, you use the pencil and paper to write a sweet note to someone else, then you tie the ribbon around the note and pass it on.  It's the gift that keeps on giving!  You could choose to get them chocolate as well if you want. 


Well anyways, I have to go, continue typing up papers, helping my roommate pack and move into her new apartment, studying for my last final, and packing my own stuff, so I can move out.  May God Bless You as you continue working through finals and begin to enjoy your Christmas Break.


With Much Love,
Nicole Alejandra

Everything's hilarious when I'm exhausted.... I'm going delusional O.o

So I definitely know I'm not the only one stressing out about finals week.  This probably would've been an easy week had I kept up on my papers and worked on some of my assignments earlier.  My eyes are sore, and I'm tired and cold.  Unfortunately we are now in "crunch" time and with 24 pages needed for my womens lit class, and 3 essays for other classes; there's no time for sleep.  

It's funny though that as stressed as I am I find myself packing, just listening to music, and writing songs.... I guess it's my way of coping/de-stressing. lol 

So my suggestions for you guys this week is:

• Sleep tons.  Your brain works so much better. 
• Assign certain amounts of time for specific subjects.   I can spend all day working on my creative writing hw, but then I'll never finish that paper for American Lit.
• Take breaks.  You can take breaks, but I'd suggest it by studying or working on a different subject or by napping. hehe
• Work Out!  So I feel like dropping dead right now, and as tired as I am working out always helps, it makes me feel better, gives me more energy and is actually a great way to release stresss, especially stretching.
• Don't procrastinate.  I keep thinking of how little homework I would have it I didn't have any late assignments.  Get them in, asap, so you can relax. You don't want to fail your tests.
• Pray.  It's amazing how much better you'll feel after spending just a few minutes with God.  He'll provide you with the peace and rest you need to get through the day and week.
• Keep warm and drink tea and eat tons of Vitamin C.  When you're super exhausted probably not sleeping as much as usual and are stressed your even more likely to get sick.  You don't need a sickness to add on top of all the other worries you have. So keep healthy and strong.

Only SIX more days till the semester's over! You can do this!!

The Sun Rises in the East and Sets in the West

So I'll admit, I don't live on the prettiest college campus.  There aren't too many trees and we're kind of set in the middle of nowhere with these random acres and acres of yellow grass fields.  But we definitely get the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  

I couldn't help to just sit on one of the huge rocks by the parking lot the other day and admire the sunset.  Isn't it gorgeous??

Though we may not have many plants on campus, from our classrooms or the dorms you can look over the town and enjoy the colorful trees.   Fall colors are so beautiful!

I took this picture last semester when walking back to the dorms from our cafeteria.  Imagine seeing these sunsets... every. single. day.  I'm so glad I get to live here :)

 

Probably one of the things I miss most about living in the dorms is waking up to the sunrise.  We had a huge window going all the way across one of the walls.  We could just look over the entire city and see the sun.  Majestic.

It looked even cooler on cloudy/foggy mornings. 

Well anyways, I know Thanksgiving already passed a few days ago, but this is one of things I'm thankful for.  God has blessed us with a beautiful world.  Thanks.

  "And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good."

Genesis 1:15-18

Can We Just Celebrate One Holiday At A Time?

I still don't understand why stores are so convinced to start celebrating Christmas so soon.  I LOVE Christmas. But seriously, it's still mid-November.  We haven't even had Thanksgiving yet, and I need my Thanksgiving break, I'm not ready for finals yet. lol   I think we need to just take some time to slow down and enjoy life day by day rather than rushing through it.  I've spent so many years rushing through life rather and I've finally decided to slow down.  I wanna just enjoy the slightly cooler weather, the yummy foods, and time with my friends.    

So much has been going on lately.  There was that huge "Breaking Dawn" premiere.  Thanksgiving Break is coming up.  And Starbucks and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts were having super awesome sales! 

Our school just had it's Preview Day last Friday for prosepective students. I got the amazing opportunity to host a high-schooler (which I actually knew from camp).  She, like me, is also a songwriter.  Watching her play piano and sing, definitely inspired me to practice more piano.  Thus I'm  trying to learn how to play "River Flows In You" by Yiruma.   Little did I realize that the song is also "Bella's Lullaby" My roommate says that this therefore makes me a Twilight fan. lol   I've actually never read the series, I'm pretty sure I will over break just cause I'm super curious of how the books are, plus I really wanna read a good novel/series. 

Over the weekend, Starbucks was having a "buy one get on free" on all their Holiday drinks, and yesterday Krispy Kreme Doughnuts was giving away free doughnuts if you could guess the year the first Krispy Kreme was opened.   Well, as starving college students we couldn't pass up the wonderful opportunity.  There's probably no better way to pass the time and do homework than over a nice hot cup of coffee with fresh doughnuts and fabulous friends.  I got so much done!  My goal for this Thanksgiving is not to have a stress-free break but a guilt-free one, gotta make sure I have no late assignments being forgotten. lol

Well we only have a few more days till Thanksgiving.  I get to go home tomorrow!! :)  So make sure to think of everything your thankful for, and I'll hopefully post more later.

I Got A Feeling That Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night

So I've kind of been really busy lately, thus I've been MIA.  It's actually really fun.  Like the days I accidentally forget my cell in my apt, when we go to the gym.  I get no phone calls, less stress! lol   Well anyways, school's been awesome these past few weeks. I've gone dancing for FREE 4 weekends in a row, made some sweet friends, been getting in shape, learning tons, etc.  Anyways life is just amazing!

Yesterday, our school had it's very first non-instructional dance.  It was a Christian Rave! We had glowsticks, crowd-surfing, snacks, strobe lights, DJ, and over 240 students show up. It was pretty bomb.

Anyways I thought I'd do a quick recap of how life's been this past month.

There was obviously halloween weekend. Which included having a movie marathon, eating junk food and candy, visiting the Dorm's "Haunted House" and midnight shopping for snacks :)

Then there was the harvest festival on campus, where we all got to dress up in our costumes.

We also got to play "Bigger or Better." My group started with a paper clip and after a few hours ended up with these nice chairs.

Then there's always the weekends hanging out with our friends, either doing homework, having movie nights, playing in the arcades or just chilling.  It's pretty awesome.

And then one of my other favorite things to do is go to church on Sundays, eat lunch in the cafeteria, and then form a study group afterwards.

Then on Monday, our new choir "Master Works Chorale" had our very first concert ever.  It was so good, we got to sing Eric Whitacre's "Lux Arumque" and portions of Haydn's Creation and several other pieces. It was outstanding.

I praise God every single day for the tremendous amounts of blessings He has given me.  This doesn't mean life isn't difficult but He's always there and always provides a way to be joyful throughout life's trials.

So now I have to get back to HW and all the stress that develops towards the end of the semester, cause we only have a few more weeks left. CRAZY!

God Bless You All!

Shall We Dance?

So if you know me, you'll know there's nothing I love more than dancing, especially salsa dancing.  My mom taught my brothers and I how to salsa growing up, so it comes very naturally.  This is fine, but because of that I have to be extra careful.  I'm usually pretty good at letting guys know my boundaries and not letting them cross them, but sometimes I can accidentally give off the wrong impression.  Especially since salsa dancing is naturally a more seductive/spicy style of dance.

Anyways I went salsa dancing with a group of friends from school yesterday, which considering that we go to a Christian school should hopefully make the group a little safer than just random colleagues. But guys will be guys whether Christian or not.  "Self-control" is definitely one of the items I'm adding to the list of characteristics I want in my husband.  Dancing was fine and everything, but I think I need to be more careful when I salsa dance, because one of the guys from our group told me later that I was such a good dancer, he couldn't keep his eyes off me.  Which is kind of a compliment but not really the type of compliment I want to be receiving.  As much I (just like any other girl) love attention, it's not the type I want anyway.  I would much rather not be noticed by many guys for my body but be noticed by one guy for who I really am. When a guy says things like that it says a lot about the person.  It shows that he is someone physically driven and prolly not just by you, not a characteristic I want in a man. 

However this makes me wonder what I could do to be more careful and not seem like that type of girl.  I may have been dancing a little "spicy" but that's because it's salsa and to me it's just dancing. But when trying to present myself as a Woman of God I need to realize that sometimes some of the movements can attract the guy's eye I little too much.  I need to ask God to give me the strength to stand strong even when it's difficult.

God Works In Mysterious Ways

I must say there is probably nothing more nerve-wrecking than being asked to sing the National Anthem half hour before you need to be performing it.  Well, that happened to me on Friday.  My friend, Dalton, was unable to sing at the Volleyball game and was asked to find someone else who could sing instead, so he asked me. Wow! Was I honored!  Very last minute, but definitely a blessing.  

God is so good. All the time.  Even when it seems like life is going wrong in every possible way, He's there, working through every small detail.  Last school year was an extremely rough year for me.  I struggled academically, physically, and emotionally.  I even thought of not coming back again.  But I am so blessed I did.  I have the best roommate ever.  She's a sparkling example of what it means to be a Woman of God and a really good friend.   However our story of how we became roommates is so totally random.  I had filled out all my housing papers for this school year, without a roommate or any apartment mates.  My only hope was that God would bring the right people in my life.  So I showed up for room-draw, hoping to at least be able to choose an apartment with people I knew I didn't dislike, and while I was standing in line, I saw my classmate, Alison.  So being the friendly and talkative person I am I approached her and asked her what was her plan. Surprise, surprise.  She didn't have a roommate or apartment mates either.  Perfect Match!  

She has honestly been a blessing from God, we barely knew each other and now she's one of my closest friends. Unfortunately we only get to room together this semester cause she's graduating and marrying in December! But I'm still excited for her. :) Her fiance is another remarkable person and I absolutely enjoy seeing how in love and how God-centered their relationship.  God knows I struggle with waiting for the right person when there seem to be no good guys out there. But seeing the two of them is a great reminder that out there somewhere, God has the perfect match for me.

Whether it's through people or opportunities God presents in our lives, He's always there, blessing us.  When I see the bad, I try to not see it as punishment but as a trial that we must overcome.   Who would want a life without any hardships? Because of hardships we can see the blessings, they also make us stronger and better people.  Even when we seem to make decisions for the wrong reasons, it does not always mean it's the wrong decisions, sometimes God uses totally unrelated circumstances to reroute our direction in life, He sure did it for me.  I praise God for working in mysterious ways, if not I probably would not listen. lol

Making Your Side Vegetable into Your Main Meal

I think there's probably nothing more depressing than seeing your food go rotten.  It was happening all last week, first my bread, then my tomatoes and cucumbers.  Why? Honestly, cause on my own I don't eat have as much and don't go through all the food in a week.  So I realized that what I needed to learn was not how to cook with different ingredients but how to make different meals with the same ingredients. 

One of my favorite vegetables to eat is cactus, aka nopalez.  However when I cooked them I realized that it would take me at least a week to finish them on my own, the way I usually eat them, so I asked my friend, Kee, if she wanted to join me for dinner ;)   Thanks to her I now know how to make my cactus the main part of my meal.  Rather than cook them with onions and put them on the side, I can turn them into a cactus salad by adding lemon juice, pepper, and salt.  Immediately I could finish 1-2 big bowls of this no problem.  Helps when I don't have a lot of meat or have to eat a lot of vegetables before they go bad.

Cooking Tips for College-Students

So during these past few weeks I've done everything from cook my own veggies and meat, to being smart and buying tons of Pasta-Roni boxes on discount at the Safeway back home ;)  I must say cooking on your own can be quite convenient but also a pain.  Like when I run out of milk. I can no longer cook oatmeal, eat cereal, etc.  Or when all the pots and pans are in the sink, and you can't wash them cause the dish rack is completely full, bleh. but other than that it's pretty good.

Every once in a while I like to make the joke that I gonna become a vegetarian. Which will never happen, however sometimes I have to opt out of eating meat cause I completely forget to defrost the meat beforehand :(  but thankfully with plenty of carbs and vegetables, it's not too noticeable.

1. Freeze Your Meat.  So I noticed for me, it's a lot cheaper if I buy several separate bags of meat already marinated and cut.  I like to buy them in packages of one pound. My favorite so far is the "Al Pastor Chicken," I get at the Mexican store.  All I have to do is defrost it, then throw it in the skillet and cook till it's well done.

2. Defrost Your Meat and Bagels Beforehand. So I have learned that the best way to keep my food from going bad is by freezing it, however it's always important to have some bread and meat defrosted so when you're hungry you have something you can actually cook. lol

3. Cook Ahead of Time.  I honestly prefer to cook the night before than the day of. Why?  Well I'm usually in classes all morning, and by the time I get back I'm starving.   If I wait till I'm out of classes then I won't have anything to eat for an hour or more after I'm done. Thus I'll cook beforehand and then just pop in the microwave when I'm ready to eat.

Good luck cooking, more meals and tips to Come!

Hungry for Knowledge... and Chicken!

Alas, I finally cooked a complete meal!  I had been eating plenty of veggies, but it's a huge relief to know that I finally would be eating meat :)   I didn't realize how many calories your brain burns until I sat all day in really interesting classes and didn't have a full meal plan for the caf.  Part of the reason for my hunger though may have been that I forgot to defrost some meat to cook.    However I like what one of my FB friends put on my status about being hungry, stating "You're Hungry for Knowledge!"  

Believe it or not. I think she's right!  I remember last year trying to short-cut out of as much hw as possible, using sparknotes, just not reading assignments, or procrastinating (my worst enemy).  But this year something different happened.  I've so far read about 80 of literature without the slightest thought of using Spark Notes, and it clicked!  With my new comprehension skills (or so they seem new) I feel like I'm on top of the world and ready to nail the other 30 pages for tomorrow's classes!  And the more I read, the less work it seems to be. :)  

The Life of an English Major....

 

So as I mentioned the semester before I switched from Music to English: Creative Writing.  However because I did not take any lit classes yet, I am now taking 3 lit classes and creative writing all in one semester! eek!  But so far it's been pretty good. I finished all my reading for my Monday class and am 30 something pages into the reading for my Tuesday class (unfortunately there are two lol).  

So during this week I've been doing my best to "understand/comprehend" what I've been reading, cook, attend classes, maintain a social life (by going to the Week of Welcome events), and get a good amount of sleep. So far I've been keeping up.  and it's awesome!!! Though I know that as the semester goes on I will eventually prolly be overcome by extraneous amounts of reading lol. 

So as school starts and life becomes hectic again, just remember it's all about prioritizing and time management.   So if you start tackling all those assignments as soon as possible you can spend the rest of your time having fun and meeting new friends.   God Bless You All on Your First Week of School and Enjoy It!!!

Apartment Living

Hey so I am back at college, and I'm LOVING it!!!!   I have officially moved into my new apartment on campus with 7 other pretty chill girls.  And in the pic below you can see my roommate for this semester, she is amazing.

Anyways, school's back in session and I've been so busy trying to keep up with all my reading assignments and the school events ;)  On top of that, I've also had to learn how to fend for myself when it comes to eating. lol.  No more full-meal plan in the caf.  however this also means no more freshmen-15, which thanks to my mama's good cooking I was able to lose over the summer! 

So school's definitely off to a way better start than last year, though I've been feeling kind of down due to a totally different issue.  So if you guys could pray for me, that I'll just have the energy to push through and not get depressed that would be great! though I must say God has helped me a lot already by sending miraculous friends to support me during this rough time in life. 

I also ran across this verse the other day and it's helped me so much as I've encountered some very important decisions I had to make.  Hope it can help you too. :)

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord directs his steps." 

Proverbs 16:9

Medford, Oregon

Hey Everyone, it feels like it's been forever since my last post.  First there was finals, then choir tour, and since gotten home for summer, I've barely even touched my computer.  I've been up to a lot.  So anyhow here are some pics from our Choir Tour in Oregon.

While on our way there, we got to stop for lunch in front of Lake Shasta.

 Our first concert was at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Medford, Oregon!

It had some of the prettiest plants ever. I loved their gardens.

 

The host home three of my girlfriends and I got to stay at was gorgeous as well.

More pics to come soon!