Woa, this is weird.

It is weird to be blogging...but, now that the semester is over, I feel like I can blog for fun because there aren't other, more productive things I should be doing. In fact, this is one of the more productive choices I have right now...
Another semester under my belt, and I am slowly remembering what being (relatively) stress-free feels like. All I have on my plate for the next week is 1) one more shift at work, where I smile and point people in the direction they are supposed to go 2) figure out if want to pack all leggings for Utah, or if I'm going to be fancy and throw in a pair of jeans or something 3) travel to Utah and 4) have fun with family and friends for 7 whole days.

Some pretty fun and exciting things have happened since my last post. They all don't merit their own post (though, some probably do), so here's the "reader's digest" version of life lately...

First and foremost, Chris got into chiropractic school! To be honest, I think this is still sinking in. I am so incredibly proud of my husband and all of his hard work. I am also so psyched that we are one step closer to a big goal, and that I will be--in about 4 short years--a chiropractor's wife! So, in late July we will be packing up all of our stuff and heading to Spartanburg, SC. I know, that's really far away...and kinda scary, but Chris and I visited over the summer and we both fell in love with the area. Its beautiful and green and there are a lot of fun things to do close(ish) by. We will be about 3 hours from the beach, 2 hours from Chris' family's lake house, and about an hour away from Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC. FYI the airport in Charlotte is one of the cheapest airports to fly into/out of in the US...I expect lots of visitors.

My mad panorama skills...This is Sherman College of Chiropractic. Beautiful.

Secondly, but very exciting, I will be interning with the ACT team next semester! This will be my first of two internships, and I couldn't be happier. I ended up at my #1 choice and I will have the opportunity to work with some pretty incredible people. I am also looking forward to getting a taste of what "real" social work will be like. For those of you who don't know, ACT stands for Assertive Community Treatment team. The team is multidisciplinary, meaning that we have lots of professionals who specialize in various areas...giving the clients all the resources they need to be successful. Our clients are individuals with severe mental illnesses, primarily thought disorders (think schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, Bipolar, etc.). A few of our goals are to help our clients recover through rehabilitation and community treatment, achieve reduction in psychotic symptoms, acquire and maintain a job, maintain a substance-free lifestyle, and meet additional individualized goals. I will get to experience all aspects of the ACT team (closely supervised of course). I am most excited to (possibly) get to run my own substance abuse support group!

Thirdly, less exciting for everyone but me, I was hired as a TA and the Social Work department writing tutor! These have been my dream jobs ever since I started the social work program. I think its totally awesome that I'll get to learn from an amazing professor, help my program-mates, become a better writer, AND get paid all at the same time. It works perfectly with my internship as well, because I get to choose my own hours. Needless to say, I am stoked for next semester.

Chris also got a sweet (paid) internship! Next semester, Chris will be helping with BYU-I's the Biggest Winner program. It is a weight loss program that almost exactly resembles NBC's The Biggest Loser. Chris & I love watching TBL together, so its super cool that he gets to live it! I know Chris will be a great trainer!

While Chris and I love school, it is also exciting to see graduation looming on the horizon. Chris graduates in April and I graduate in July. We have both worked very hard for our degrees and are looking forward to a new chapter in our life together.

Less significant, but still fun...
It is really, really cold in Rexburg. I'm sorry, but when I see my Utah friends and family complaining about 10 degrees, or even 0, I think: You guys are all a bunch of whiners. This morning, as I was scraping the inch of ice off my car, standing in two feet of snow, it was -9...which feels like -25 with the wind chill. Love you all, but it isn't that cold in Utah. However, I don't completely despise the cold because it gives me good reasons to stay in on weekend nights, light a candle, crank up my electric blanket, drink some herbal tea, and watch too much Netflix.

Also, on the plus side. This is what Spartanburg looks like in the dead of winter: Not too shabby... :)

My sweet husband bought me an iPhone 5s. In gold. I am a sucker for all apple products, but this phone takes the cake. Gold? Thumb print reader? Are you kidding! Anyway, my 4s had taken some unfortunate falls (aka I dropped it) and the screen and front-facing camera (sad, I know...one less person taking selfies) were broken. Chris saved up his commission and bought it for me as a surprise. I know, I don't deserve him. And yes, I know this is a completely shallow and materialistic thing making me happy.

It was actually a stretch to find a way to take a photo of my phone because my phone also functions as my camera. Haha

 I've discovered haircuts for curly-haired people. It has seriously changed my life! My hair is much more manageable and I actually like my hair. The stylist cuts your hair while its dry, so it's cut with your natural curl pattern...not just hacking it off wherever the stylist feels like. For those of you who are interested, here is the website with the products I like to use and a stylist finder to search for certified stylists in your area. I seriously have nothing bad to say about the products or the haircuts!

This book is awesome. I started reading it last night while I was killing time in Barnes & Noble, waiting for Chris to get off work. I got about halfway through the book, and decided I wanted to finish it bad enough to buy it. It's a good read, especially if you're a fan of Mindy and/or The Office...there is some language in it, though, so be aware of that.

 Anywho, that's basically us for the time being. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Rumbi Rice Bowls

I am happy to report that I have crossed one thing off my seven week break (hereon referred to as SWB) bucket list.

Try a new recipe.

I am also happy to report that my new recipe attempt was successful. In Chris' own words: "It's a keeper." Here's the recipe if y'all wanna try it. If you end up trying it out, let me know how you like it!

Credit

 

 

Rumbi Rice:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 (14oz) can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups; I used light coconut milk)
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1 (15oz) can red beans, drained and rinsed

Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce:

• 3/4 cups Mr. Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce (found in the grocery store by the BBQ sauces; I actually used Kikkoman Original Teriyaki Sauce.)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp chili garlic sauce (in the Asian section of the grocery store; I used the one in the clear plastic jar with the green lid.)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp of brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch (if needed)
• 2 Tbsp COLD water (if needed)

Vegetables & Chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts (about 2 cups, cubed)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Tbsp canola oil (I subbed for organic, unrefined coconut oil and it was tasty!)
• 4 carrots, peeled and grated (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 celery stalks, washed and sliced (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets (approximately 1/2-3/4 large head of broccoli)

1. FOR THE RICE: Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker. Gently stir it all together so the beans are all mixed. Place the lid on and start the rice cooker. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.  [If you don’t have a rice cooker: Combine water, coconut milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in rice and beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender.]
2. FOR THE TERIYAKI SAUCE:  Combine teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. If needed for thickening, combine cornstarch and water and SLOWLY add to sauce. You want it to be slightly thicker than the jarred teriyaki sauce. Allow to simmer for about a minute. Cool to room temperature and serve with your rice bowls. (I didn't use any cornstarch or water and it was perfect for us.)
3. FOR THE VEGETABLES & CHICKEN: Season chicken with salt & pepper & grill for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.  Allow chicken to rest before cutting into cubes; you can let the chicken rest while you cook the vegetables (it will help keep the juices inside.)  Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli (about equal amounts.) Saute ONLY until vegetables are crisp tender. About 1-2 minutes tops.  Serve over Rumbi rice and top with chicken. Serve with Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce on the side (about 3 Tbsp per bowl.) 
   

7-Week Break 2013

Another semester has come and gone and the 7-week break is here! That's right, I need to cram a whole summer's worth of fun in between now and September 16th. I'm pretty excited to have more than a week off of school and have a whole slew of things I want to do in the next seven weeks...you know, things that are fun but productive enough to make sure that I don't spend the entire 7 weeks watching Friends on my couch.

If I can make all seven things happen, I will consider my break a success. Happy summer!

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Tutorials

This weekend my hubby has been away...so I've filled my Saturday with beauty tutorials. I've found some gems, so I just had to share...

If you want killer eyebrows...see kandeejohnson

If you want the classic "no make-up makeup"...see dulcecandy87

Anywho, my husband is home now and I've emerged from my hermit-hole of beauty tutorials. :)

Men in Labor

I love this. It is awesome. Watch it. Tell me what you think.

May Day

Unfortunately, I started May off on a terrible note. I have been grumpy and irritable all day. My thoughts have been a constant stream of self-pity and negativity. But, thanks to all of you bloggers that I stalk, I have started to snap out of it. Life is hard for everyone, we all have to do or deal with undesirable things/people/situations etc. etc. etc.
It's time to get back to the basics, to be grateful for the things that I do have instead of wishing for things that I don't. I need to appreciate the people in my life, the people who love me enough to put up with my drama, my vices, and my shortcomings.
It's time to enjoy life in the now. Looking ahead is great, but I'm never going to get this time of my life back. School is an amazing opportunity and privilege; I am so lucky to be in a position where I can put my heart and soul into my education.
It's time to be kind to myself. Worth is not determined by perfect hair, a certain weight, makeup application skills, or the number of my Instagram followers/comments/likes. Focusing too much on the superficial is not a productive use of my time.

So maybe this post is just for me...but if I've learned one thing in my first week and a half of "Social Worker School" it is the importance of taking care of yourself, because-if you take care of yourself-you will be in perfect shape to help take care of others. This means...

-Bubble Baths

-Grey's Anatomy

-Date Night(s)

-Music Therapy

-Naps

-Belgian Waffles for Dinner

-etc. etc. etc.