I’ve been in a weird mood lately

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Sunset

Hey guys, sorry I haven’t been posting much. I’ve been busy with school, and I’ve been in a bit of a funk. I’ve just been in a weird mood for a while, couple months actually. I guess you could say it started last July. I had a falling out with a friend that I haven’t really gotten over. The problem didn’t even start with her. It started with this third party, someone who I barely know being a bully. The problem evolved into me really needing my friend to just acknowledge what was going on, but instead I got silence. All I wanted was for her to tell me that I didn’t deserve to be treated like that and that I wasn’t crazy for being upset. I just needed to know she was there. I don’t even care that she didn’t stand up for me to this third party bully. He is just a self-centered, manipulative, A-hole who will someday realize that he has burned all of his relationships and that the people he thinks are his friends are really just there because they are scared of him.

I’ve been really upset about this. I want to talk to her about it, but every time I think about it, I talk myself out of it. I feel like if she had cared about our friendship like I thought she had, then she would have at least tried to talk to me. Her silence says to me that our friendship really wasn’t that important to her. I already feel so exposed, I don’t want to open myself up to being hurt more by attempting to be friends again.

I don’t know. I’m just stuck. I really want to move past this.

Recap of My Week

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I survived my first week of school with SCAD eLearning! Man has it been a big adjustment. Not only am I adjusting to going to school online (which is overwhelming by itself) but I’m also transitioning from a school that does 16-week semesters to a school that does 10-week quarters. Whew! I hit the ground running last week and I’m still playing catch-up. I’m hoping by the end of this week I’ll have the online aspect under my belt, and can then focus on the quality of the work I’m submitting. So far I like my classes. I looooove that I don’t have to actually go to a class, I can sit in my pjs on the couch and work around my own schedule.

I’ve also been working on my weight-loss goals. Last week I worked out 4 days, and I cooked at home for every meal except Friday night. I do wish we hadn’t eaten fast food that night. It’s been a long time since we’ve had fast food, and my body did not take it well. My stomach hurt and I had a huge headache. I know it’s from the crap I ate. It just reminded me of why I’m getting serious about my health and why I need to be more careful about what I put in my body. I haven’t weighed myself since last week, and I don’t intend to for a while. I don’t want my focus to be on what the scale says. Right now I just want to focus on making sure I work out everyday, and that I eat good food. In a few weeks I’ll pull the scale out and check my progress, but right now I just don’t need that pressure.

Speaking of working out, I’m registering for my very first 5K tomorrow! I’ve never done a 5K and I’m really excited! I figure it would be a good goal, and it will motivate me to keep working out everyday. I find that I accomplish so much more when I have to compete for it. It’s the Color Me Rad 5K, it’s here in Mobile at the fair grounds on April 20th. It’s a little over 13 weeks away. My goal is to be able to run the whole distance without stopping. I don’t care how fast I go, I’m not trying to run it within a certain time. I just want to be able to run the whole distance. I’ve been doing the couch to 5K plan, and I feel really good about it. I actually found the first two weeks to be really easy.

Ok, changing the topic.

Did you guys watch the Golden Globes on sunday? Jeff and I always watch the awards shows together, and we compete to see who can guess the winners for each catagory.

Can we just stop for a sec and talk about how great Claire Danes looked! She just had a baby last month and she looked hot! She rocked that dress, not to mention winning for best actress in a tv series.

Screen Shot 2013-01-15 at 11.55.51 AM

Anyway, moving on.

I changed my hair Friday, I’m a red head now! Well, I’ve always had some red in my hair, just now it’s more noticeable. I also got it cut, but don’t worry it’s still pretty long, despite her cutting off 3-4in. It’s been over 2 years since my last real haircut, so it was time.

new hair

So yeah, that was my week. How was yours? How was your weekend?

5 Tips on Staying Healthy This Winter {How to Avoid Getting Sick}

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I hate getting sick, and I’m sure you do too. So I’ve put together some tips that will hopefully help keep you from getting sick this winter. Some of them I’m sure you’ve heard before, but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate them.

1. WASH YOUR HANDS. Over and over and over. Wash your hands at work, school, shopping, at home. There are people out there who don’t wash their hands (eww) and then they touch doors, handles, tables, chairs, staplers. They spread their germs on everything. And then you go and touch those same things and now have their germs.

Which brings me to:

2. Keep your hands away from your face and mouth. Those germs that you just picked up from that stranger are now on your hands, and if you put your hands near your face, like say if you go to chew on your nails, you’ve just made it that much easier for those germs to get inside your body and make you sick.

3. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamins. Vitamins C & D are your best friends. Vitamin C helps fight off colds, and vitamin D (aka. the sun) helps your body absorb vitamin C. You don’t get as much sun in the winter like you would in the summer, so you probably aren’t getting enough vitamin D. If you happen to live in a place that doesn’t get too cold, and still gets lots of sun, then you are probably ok. But for those of you who hibernate during the winter, you want to take a supplement to help make sure you’re getting enough D. You also want to make sure that you’re eating lots of fruits and veggies. If you give your body the tools it needs to stay healthy, then you’ll be able to fight off those germs you come in contact with everyday.

Take advantage of those sunny days. If you get one of those rare sunny days, take advantage of it! Eat your lunch outside, take a quick 10min walk, or read a book by a window.

4. Exercise. I know it’s tempting to hibernate in front of the tv on those cold, dark winter days, but make yourself exercise. Even if it’s just 30min a day, you’ll feel better, have more energy, and your body will be strong and able to fight off germs. BONUS: you’ll be swimsuit ready that much quicker once summer comes.

5. Sleep. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Try to get at least 6hrs a night. If you don’t give your body time to recharge, then you won’t have the energy to fight off a cold.

Welcoming in a New Year {I can’t believe it’s already 2013!}

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I love the beginning of a new year. It’s nice to wipe the slate clean and get a fresh start. You can look back on the past year, enjoy the good memories, and learn from the mistakes. I like making New Years resolutions too. I think it’s a good idea to always have goals for myself. Making a list of what I want to accomplish over the next year helps me stay organized and focused.

Now I know this sounds cliche, but my biggest resolution for 2013 is to get healthy and lose some weight. The last 2 years have been a huge whirlwind for us. I’m about 30lbs heavier than what I’d like to be.

My weight has yoyo’d up and down for the last 5 years. I first started gaining weight after my first marriage (nesting). Then moving away from my family brought me to my heaviest weight ever (I’m an emotional eater). When I started working as a cashier at Sam’s Club, the constant exercise I was getting helped me lose a lot of the weight. Then I started working at MCI, continued staying busy, got divorced, finally got happy and lost most of the extra weight.

Then I met Jeff, we started eating out a lot, I blame him spoiling me for a lot of the weight gain;) (jk). I quit my job and started going to school full-time. I wasn’t getting the constant exercise everyday that I used to get at my job, and I wasn’t used to having to schedule in exercise so within 1 year I’d gained back 30lbs. Then I was planning a wedding and going to school full-time, we continued eating out because it was just easier. By the time we both got home at the end of the day, we weren’t in the mood to exercise, and it was just easier to watch tv and relax. So between school, stress, getting married, settling down, traveling, and new jobs, we both have neglected our health.

This past September I was determined to lose this extra weight, and I lost about 5lbs the first couple of weeks, but then I went to visit my family and the traveling threw me off track. I haven’t gained back those 5lbs, but I haven’t lost any more either. Then with the holidays and more traveling, it’s been hard to get back on track. But now it’s a new year. The holidays are over. We don’t have any travel plans. Now it’s time to get down to business.

I hate talking about my weight. I hate when people who knew me back when I was skinny see the weight I’ve gained. It’s embarrassing. I’m hoping that by sharing this with you, you all will keep me accountable. I’m asking you to be my support system. I know I can lose this weight. I just need help getting past the starting point. I’m good at finding excuses for not working out, and for not eating healthy, and really 99% of it is just plain laziness.

So here’s the goal: To lose 30lbs, and to develop a permanent healthier lifestyle. I’m setting a “deadline” of June 1st. I’m trying to be realistic about my goal, and I think giving myself about 6 months to lose 30lbs is pretty realistic. I’ve already setup a meal plan and exercise routines that I want to start doing. I’ve cleaned out my fridge and pantry. I’m ready to do this.

Today is day 1.

December Blogger of the Month: Megan from & Such: Adventures in Life, Design, and Code

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I’m so excited to introduce to you the December blogger of the month, Megan! She blogs over at & Such: Adventures in Life, Design, and Code. So without further adieu, here’s Megan! 

Greetings Sworley Thoughts readers! I’m Megan and I recently launched my blog, & Such, a few months ago.

I was beyond excited when Sarah asked me to be blogger of the month for December. It made my day/week/month!

I started & Such to share bits and pieces of my life and interests. I’ve had various online projects ever since my family got our first computer when I was in middle school (so long ago!). I’ve watched blogging shift into something that was once just referred to as “thoughts” or “diaries” to a huge community held together by common interests and a passion to share and connect. And that inspires me.

Visiting the Louvre in Paris, France.

Taken while visiting the Louvre in Paris, France.

Outside of blogging, I would say art, design, photography, technology, nature & typography (ampersands!) all inspire me and hold a special place in my heart. I work as a web designer & developer which means I get to be a part of both the planning and designing of a website along with the building out of the design to create fully functional online worlds. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to work in such a interesting and creative industry and because of that I’ve been sharing web tips and tricks on my blog.

I currently reside in the Washington, D.C. area with my beau, Drew, and our tiny lion friend, Leo. We adopted Leo from a shelter last year and its been so great to watch him grow up (and to watch him find new ways of getting into things he shouldn’t).

Leo

Tiny lion, Leo.

I am also passionate about travel and I love taking photos while exploring new places. I recently posted about one of my favorite places, Savannah, Georgia. I also had quite the adventure this summer while searching for nesting turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica.

As for upcoming travel adventures, we’re planning on traveling to the Nashville, TN area to spend time with Drew’s family this New Year’s. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season & thanks for reading!

My top 5 favorite Christmas movies

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I cant believe it’s December 1st already. It’s Christmas time! And that means Christmas movies! Here are my top 5 favorite movies to watch:

What are your favorite Christmas movies to watch?

Photo Shoot for Our 1st Wedding Anniversary

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To commemorate our 1st wedding anniversary, we had our friend and fellow photographer Jackie Ward take some pictures. The last time we had nice pictures taken of us was on our wedding day, so I figure it’s time for an update. Plus, now we have nice pictures to put on our Christmas cards.

Thanksgiving Weekend and Celebrating Our 1st Wedding Anniversary in Atlanta

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Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did. Jeff and I cooked and his Dad came over and ate with us. I was busy cooking so I didn’t get as many photos as I wanted, but I did manage to get a few of the centerpiece I made and the table settings.

{Buffet Style}

{Table Settings}

{Pumpkin Centerpiece}

I’m really proud of that centerpiece! It’s one of the biggest arrangements I’ve made. Of course I got the idea to use the pumpkin from Pinterest.

On Friday we drove up to Atlanta to celebrate our first wedding anniversary! We love Atlanta and we honeymooned there, so it was only fitting that we celebrated there. Last month I purchased a Living Social coupon for 60% percent off a hotel stay, and it worked out that we were able to use it this weekend.

{Sunrise at the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel in downtown Atlanta}

{Appetizers at Der Biergarten}

{Porter Beer Bar}

{Jalapeño Charlie’s}

{Piedmont Park}

{Jeff}

{chilly night, leaving Der Biergarten and checking out the Christmas lights}

{West Egg Cafe}

{West Egg Cafe, Love their menu}

{Eggs Benedict, West Egg Cafe}

{Enjoying my cappuccino at West Egg Cafe. They have the best brunch}

We put our tree up Thursday, and we are going to decorate it tonight. I’m hoping we will be able to put lights up outside tomorrow night.

{The beginnings of our Christmas tree}

How did your Thanksgiving go? Have you started putting up your Christmas decorations?

Thanksgiving Prep and the Anticipation of Christmas

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Pumpkin Thanksgiving banner

Thanksgiving is in 8 days! I’m so excited. I’ve spent the past week planning out our menu, trying new recipes, and figuring out what kind of centerpiece we should have.  Here are a few of the recipes that I plan … Continue reading →