Confessional Friday

Today is a special Friday, because today my favorite guy turns 22! Its hard to believe that we have been dating since he was a teenager. Anyways, today I'm confessing five things I love about this incredible man!

I confess... I love how kind his soul is! Josh will literally do anything for anyone. He will literally stay up until 3AM trying to get school work done because he takes an hour or two break to talk to me before I go to bed! 

I confess... I love how hard working he is! This man has no limits when it comes to perseverance! To all of the employers out there seeking a hard worker please check out this guy! He will endlessly impress you just like he endlessly impresses me. 

I confess... I love how amazing he looks in my power color: navy blue! Seriously though since he has met me his wardrobe has made significant changes in the navy blue department. 

I confess... I love how he is endlessly supportive. Seriously though, whether it comes to this little blog of mine or my academic freak outs he is always here to support me. 

I confess... I love how at the end of the day he is all I want to talk to and every adventure I go on he is the only guy I want next to me! I'm so very grateful for my adventure buddy. I love sharing this life with him and I'm so blessed to have someone who loves milkshakes, pizza, movies, family time, and traditions as much as me!

Happy 22nd Birthday, Josh! I'm so proud of all of your accomplishments and I can't wait to see where you go next! Hope you all have a happy Friday friends :)

Work Life Balance

Over the next few weeks (well, basically month) I will be working non-stop! I'll have the occasional day off to relax and spend quality time with Josh and hopefully family... but, for the most part I will be working A LOT. Throughout my graduate program, I have to have three internships (called Practicums & Fields). For my first Practicum, I will be working with New Student Orientation. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity to learn how a crucial aspect of retention in Higher Education is created and managed. 

Lately, I've been putting on my self awareness hat and trying to do some reflection and exploration. The field of Student Affairs is HUGE and there are just so many different opportunities. The vast majority of my new professional career has been spent in Housing and Residence Life. Although I love my Res. Life roots I think it will be fun for me to see how different departments do things. 

So, I'll be starting this transition with New Student Orientation. I know it will be a lot of hours (10-15+ a day) and long days. But, the amount of learning and responsibilities I will have is really exciting. My supervisor and I have met to discuss expectations and it sounds like I will have a lot of autonomy and opportunity!

I've been really happy with my job! This weekend marks the official one year mark since I became a Residence Director. It is crazy to me that I have been doing this job for a year now. I learned so much this past year (I'll save that for another post)! Being an RD is very different from what I expected, but I have grown to love this position so much.

I continuously tell people that you create happiness wherever you go! Well, that has continued to hold true for me as I completed my first year of graduate school and RD life. There were weeks where I was emotionally and physically exhausted. There were students that kept making the same mistakes over and over again! There were staff members who continued to challenge me time and time again. But, the challenges and difficulties of this position only have made it so much more enjoyable!

I hope you all work or find jobs that allow you to use your gifts and that bring you meaning. If you find that your jobs don't bring you meaning than I pray that you use some positive psychology and find meaning (if possible wherever you are at)!

Solo Eating Tips & Tricks

I have lived on my own for almost a year now and have slowly started mastering the art of eating on my own. It's a lot harder than you think! Some days I wish Josh lived with my so I had someone to finish my leftovers and or allow me to get all of the good deals when you purchase in bulk. 

I swear grocery stores do not try to save folks who live by themselves money. I literally have three packages of sausages in my freezer because it was actually cheaper to do the buy two get two free deal than to just buy one! I recognize that it is an incredible privilege to have access to all of this food! I don't believe in wasting food either, so I have been working to master the art of eating for one. 

Grocery Shopping: 

(1) Only shop with a basket -- if you get a cart, you will fill it with unnecessary food, which will cause unnecessary spending. 

(2) Set a spending limit, and stick to it-- I go grocery shopping every two weeks and I spend about $40-$60 every trip depending on how much food I need to get or if I'm hosting Josh! I usually set the spending limit so I can get gas points and I stick to my budget. 

(3) Buy what you will eat -- Don't buy six bananas unless you'll eat six bananas! With fresh produce it can be really tempting to fill your cart with a bunch of delicious and healthy options. But, remember these items go bad usually within a week or two! 

(4) Inspect your items and expiration dates -- When you eat on your own you need to know how to purchase unripened items and items that don't expire for awhile. It is literally the worst when you have to throw out moldy food that you never ate! 

Cooking for One: 

(1) Meal prep & portions -- I portion out everything and I'm not afraid to use tupperware containers! Every meal has a balanced portion of protein, carbs, and veggies. 

(2) Spices can change the same meals -- this might be my favorite trick! I'll usually buy the same either a package of thin chicken breasts, rice, and spinach or veggies. I've learned how to change al of these into different flavors to make my mind think I'm eating something new every night. Here are two examples: 

a. grilled chicken breasts with a balsamic glaze, garlic rice, and sautéed spinach and arugula. 

b. breaded chicken, risotto, and spinach arugula salad  

My Usual Purchases: 

- Red Baron Deep Crust Pizzas

- Simply Lemonade {Blueberry}

- Orange & pineapple juice

- Coffee creamer

- Spinach and Arugula salad (or mixed greens)

- Balsamic or oil based dressing

- Rice or a healthy starch for the week 

- Loaf of bread (I love oatmeal bread)

- Fruit (bananas, strawberries, or apples)

- Some form of dessert (ice-cream usually)

I still have a lot to learn about cooking on my own. Sometimes, I make too large or portions or too small of portions. Sometimes, I don't eat all of the food before it goes bad! I love cooking and eating in because it is so much cheaper and almost always is healthier. 

Happy eating friends!