Meet B-Girl, Terra

                

This little lady is pretty rad. 

Little Boy Learns Where Meat Comes From

This adorable boy talks with his mother about why he doesn't want to eat octopus. His logic makes complete sense to me. And another vegetarian is born.  :)

                

You can see the article HERE.

Lynnwood CrossFit

My CrossFit gym, Lynnwood CrossFit, just released this awesome video. I think the video does a great job of describing CrossFit, and how it's different than the mainstream club gyms. I never thought a gym could change the way I see fitness, or even better...the way I view my body.

Check it out:

An Adorable Proposal

Our Story in Letters - Mike and Dave's Engagement from TorontoDave on Vimeo.


With only the written word, and a lot of planning ... this boyfriend proposed in the most adorable way. I wish I knew them so I could say "Congrats!!" 

Fake It 'Til You Become It

Throughout life we are confronted with situations that challenge our confidence.  Whether it is a middle school boy trying-out for the baseball team, or a twenty-six year old preparing for an interview… the way we feel about ourselves impacts our performance.

At an early age I developed some form of adaptive coping when I was feeling …well, inadequate. I contribute it to being a military brat and having to change schools a lot. Often times being the new girl in town, I had become accustomed to getting attention and putting myself out there to make friends. I wasn’t confident, really; I just pretended to be.  I faked it.

This continued into college when I took leaderships roles on campus. I always had doubts about myself and my ability, but I figured… I must be doing something right. When I interviewed for my first big-girl-job sincerely having not a clue what I was doing, my only option was to figure it out. I needed a job! Then… the biggest one hit me: Getting into graduate school. Doubt flooded over me and I thought for sure I was going to be discovered as an imposter; I didn’t belong there. I’m not smart enough. I am going to fail. Alas, just like every other anxiety-provoking, confident-sucking situation (e.g., roller derby, CrossFit)… I put on my “I’m a badass face” and faked it ‘til I made it.

A friend of mine shared this video with me and it introduced a new idea: Fake it ‘til you become it. Amy Cuddy is absolutely right. In my experiences I held my head high despite of self-doubts, and never paused to realize I wasn’t faking it anymore. I’m seventy days away (who’s counting) from graduation, and I still haven’t given myself credit for accomplishing this perceived impossible degree. I am smart enough.  Holy crap.

We have the power to influence our own confidence levels just by changing the way we present ourselves to the world. There’s risk involved, of course. But the reward is great. My mama was right all along (imagine that)… “Believe in yourself first, and you can do anything.”  

One Question

This beautiful video asks one simple question...

“What do you regret in life?”

At first, people stand there and ponder…probably skimming through the millions of choices they’ve made throughout their lives. Were there missed opportunities? Should they have taken that job? Should they have not dated that girl? Gone back to school?

Regardless of age... 20 or 78…. Most people had a response.While the concept of regret has a depressive undertone, this video offers some insight to wisdom. Just listen to the responses…

Many said they would have done something sooner. Some regret they didn’t move to a different country sooner, or marrying someone sooner. One woman wished she would have started “living for joy sooner”.

“Not taking enough deep breaths and enjoying the moment.”

“Not living my life to the fullest.”

Some said they don’t regret anything, and to… “Take life as it comes.”

There’s a lesson here… if you choose to see it. I personally try not to regret the choices I have made and instead try to learn from them.  While watching these strangers contemplate their regrets, here are a few I can come up with, and what I learned from them:

I regret not telling my brother that I love him.             
Say “I love you” more.

I should have studied abroad.                                       
Make time (and money) to travel.

I regret some hurtful things I’ve said.                          
Choose your words wisely.

I wish I would have spent less time wanting to grow up, and more time enjoying my youthful freedom.

Be present. Enjoy the time, moment, and breath you have while you are in it.

Do you have regrets... or things you wish you would have done differently? What have you learned from them? 

Vegetarian Humor

I love JT.

Express Yourself

Super Suck Sunday

SUCKS

1. Job searching. I am getting overwhelmed and very anxious with the thought of finding my “next chapter” and the idea of interviewing. This is something I have been anticipating for over a year, and now that it has come.... I'm struggling.
2. Choosing the wrong jacket. On a day where it was pissing rain with 60 mph winds I chose to wear a down jacket without a hood. I ran all around Seattle looking like a drowned cat, and my ears nearly froze off. I'm not even being dramatic; It was miserable.
3. I will admit... I am addicted to Pinterest, and I must say: I get super annoyed when the “Fetching Pins” thing takes forever....
4. Forgetting where you put your keys. Every day this week....
5. Theo destroying another pair of shoes. BAD DOG! See his past destructions here.

SUPER

1. One more class session to go. One. More.
2. Receiving recognition for a job well done. I don't always need it, but getting a “You did great.” feels pretty damn good.
3. Having a boyfriend who will let me be a fat kid. Earlier this week I chose to have waffles smothered in Nutella for dinner. Noah looked at me and with nothing but love in his eyes said, “You know, inside that hot body of yours is a fat kid crying to get out.” Thanks, love.
4. Purging your closet. I have a garbage bag stuffed with clothes to give away, and it feels great!
5. At the risk of being a jerk for finding this utterly hilarious, this poor girl's video made me laugh.
   
   
   
   

Bob Dylan - Duquesne Whistle

I don't care how old he is... Dylan is sexy.

On Repeat: The Heist

So there's this guy...His name is Macklemore.... You may or may not have heard of him. He's a pretty big deal in my book. Not only does he openly support marriage equality, but he's from Seattle. His new album, The Heist, is laced with Emerald City references, which is pretty cool to listen to.

My favorite song right now is Thrift Shop. I don't want to brag or anything, but I can rap (yes, rap) the entire song word-for-word. The boy thinks it's pretty hilarious.

Check it out...

These guys are awesome.

Derby Gangnam Style

Too funny...

                                                                Makes me really miss derby...

A Tuesday Obsession

I want to be this kid's friend.

You Are Not A Number

Change your thoughts. 

The number on the scale does not define who you are. 

Pay attention to what your body is telling you. 

How do you feel? 

Do your clothes fit? 

Do you have energy?

Stop comparing. 

Your worth is not determined by the size of your jeans. 

Commit to loving yourself. 

Believe in health. 

Strive for strength, not skinny. 

Breathe and FILDI

Fuck It Let's Do It

Lifestyle Change

Warning: This post is a bit personal.

Over the past few weeks or so I have felt pretty down on myself. With derby season being over (no required work-outs) I've felt like a gross slob. Through some self-refection, I've realized this is a cycle I tend to fall into. I will become really active for awhile, and then eventually an excuse comes up and my health takes a backseat.

I'm fed up with that cycle.

I have an ideal image of what my health should look like. For the first time, I feel really motivated to obtain it. So… with that said….

I have made two new lifestyle changes.

1) I am eating Paleo… with the necessary vegetarian twist. WHAT'S PALEO?

A Paleo diet, also known as paleolithic diet or caveman diet, is all about natural foods. The human body evolved for more than 2 million years with the food found in nature: game meat, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs and nuts. The human race was thriving on this diet high in animal fat and proteins and low in carbohydrates, but things changed when we introduced unnatural foods to our bodies.     (Paleo Diet Lifestyle) 

Because I am vegetarian, I have to make changes to the normal Paleo plan. This just means I still eat beans, quinoa, and lentils. I have also incorporated a few vegetarian-protien supplements (happy, mom?) To help with all of this, I have turned to the No Meat Athlete website. Finally, I found MY people!!

My second change:

2) I've hopped on the Crossfit bandwagon. Noah started it about 7 months back, and I have watched him fall in love with it. I started a week ago. It's grueling, hard, sweaty, and blissfully painful… but at the end of the workout… you feel like a complete badass.

Don't know what crossfit is? Check it out:

So far, I am feeling pretty good. Planning meals is essential, I've never eaten so many eggs in my life….and sometimes I want nothing but a big bagel… but, I'm determined to end this cycle. 

Words to Ponder

Girl Crush: Lana Del Rey

In My Head

Also on my mind.... my bangs have grown out a bit. I could either commit to growing them out, or run and get them trimmed. What to do, what to do?

I Like You

How adorable are they?