A few exciting things!

So I move back to Texas in almost exactly 4 months! I'm very very excited to finally be back there and to have my husband home!! Kendall has been doing pretty well. He has been rather homesick lately, which is hard. And I have been missing him more and more each day. However, Some really neat things have happened lately for him, which is very exciting!

A few months ago I did a post of how Kendall received "Soldier of the Month." Well after that he also received "Soldier of the Quarter." I am so proud of him!! That is very cool and he will hopefully be promoted in the next month or so!

This past week, Kendall got the chance to meet the Secretary of Defense as well as Katie Couric! Very cool!


Not too much more has been happening with Kendall recently...

I am still doing school, going to graduate at the end of the summer. I am also still working at Bed Bath and Beyond and hoping to transfer to the store in Texas after my move. :)

Overall things are going really well right now. It's really hard feeling like we are just waiting to get our lives back, but I fight that everyday and try to make the most of the time! I very much enjoy getting this chance to be home with my family again! I will miss everyone so much when I leave!

Well have a great night, sorry for such a short post.

Erica

Things I'm absolutely loving right now.

There are a few things that I have been almost completely obsessed with/loving lately! I wanted to share those with you today :)


#1. My newest pair of TOMS shoes.

If you don't know about TOMS check out their website HERE. For every pair of TOMS you purchase, they donate a pair to a child who needs shoes. :) They are incredibly comfortable and they have several different styles of shoes depending on your need! I pretty much live in mine lately, they are definitely a favorite!


#2. Mumford & Sons!

I seriously listen to them almost every day. I absolutely love them!


#3. Hot Tea and TeaGschwender

TeaGschwender is a German tea retailer located mostly in other countries but they have stores in Chicago, New York, and Ann Arbor Michigan. You can also shop online HERE However, if you are in the Chicago area (or any other location) definitely stop in! It's an experience of it's own. You just need to be there and experience the smells and tastes!


#4. StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon is a website that can keep my interested for hours! You put in your interests which range from art to sciences to architecture to travel and much much more! Then you simply click the STUMBLE button and they find websites within your interests! It's amazing the things I have find on the internet that are inspiring and so creative! Definitely check it out HERE.


#5. Yoga

Now this isn't a new interest for me, as I have loved yoga for a long time, however I am just now starting to get back into it. Not only is it incredibly relaxing, but it has so many benefits for the body as well! I did an entire post on it a few months back. Check it out HERE!

#6. Running

When I started running it was such a chore! But lately it has really become so much more than that! I feel so alive when I'm outside simply running. It has been great as my body as gotten stronger and I can run farther and farther. If you can't run, just walk or be outside, not only is great exercise but it's also amazing just to get outside and be surrounded by our beautiful world!

There are so many more, but i'll save those for another post :)

Have a great day!
Erica

3 minutes to 3 miles!

About 8 months ago I began running. When i began i could run about 3 minutes (and THAT was pushing it!) I would do about 20 minutes on the treadmill and I would run 3 minutes then walk 5, then run 1 minutes, and walk another 5, etc... for between 20-30 minutes. That was such a hard thing for me to do. I dreaded getting on that treadmill because i felt like i wasn't successful. It continued that way for several months. By about month 3 I could only run about 5 minutes.

But I kept pushing! and thank the Lord I did :) Just this week, about 7 months later, I ran 3 miles. It took me about 30 minutes, which is a steady 10 minute mile (at the beginning I was running a 12-ish minutes mile). It felt incredible being able to run so far and so long!

I know so many people feel like they can't run, and at first maybe they can't, but it truly is worth the wait and effort! Every week or so I tried to push myself a little more. Once I ran so far/long I would always make sure to run that far again. So when I could run a mile, I would always run a mile after that.

At first I got really bored when running. about 5 minutes would go by and I would just want to quit. But i have pushed through that and now 30 minutes doesn't feel too bad.

I can honestly say it is so worth it! The way I feel after a run is incredible. I feel happier and more energetic. I feel like my body simply works better.

So what are you waiting for! Even if you can only run for 30 seconds, Who knows what 30 seconds could become!

Erica

Honey Whole Wheat Bread and Cookies :)

Yesterday was a really good day! I am now on Spring break from school. It's crazy that I'm already halfway done with this semester! It feels like it shouldn't even be close to there!! But i won't complain :) I am going to spend most of my spring break trying to get ahead in a few of my online classes. Some of my teachers have posted lessons and such ahead of time, so i will take full advantage of that!

So yesterday I decided that I wanted to bake something. Baking is an absolutely love of mine! So first I decided to make some peanut butter cookies for the boys. They turned out great! One of my favorite things to use when making several batches of cookies are my Wilton Stackable Cooling Racks (You can find those HERE) They are really nice when you have several cookies and you don't want to take up too much counter space.




I also made some Homemade Honey Whole Wheat Bread, which tasted fantastic! My family devoured a huge loaf in less than 24 hours!

To make it you need to make sure you have these ingredient in your home:

1 1/2 teaspoons: Highly Active Yeast
1 can: Evaporated milk
1/4 cup: Shortening
1/4 cup: Honey
2 teaspoons: Salt
2 cups: Whole Wheat Flour
3 cups: Bread Flour
Butter

1. Take the Yeast and place it in 1/2 Cup of warm water. You will want to mix this until the yeast begins to dissolve.
2. Melt the Shortening
3. In a bowl, combine milk, 1/4 Cup of water, melted shortening, Honey, salt, and wheat flour. (You can also do this in a food processor if you have one)
4. Add in Yeast mixture and let rest for 15 minutes.




5. Add Bread flour to the mixture. Mix this until a ball forms
6. Knead the bread for 10 minutes (or 80 seconds in the processor) or until the bread becomes a cohesive ball
7. Get out a bowl and spread butter around the inside of the bowl. Place your ball of dough in the bowl and roll the ball around the edges of the bowl to lightly coat it with butter.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour or until the ball of dough has about doubled in size.



9. After the dough has risen for about an hour, gently push on the ball of dough to release any extra gasses (You don't want to flatten the dough, So keep the shape of the ball just add pressure around it).
10. Place on baking stone or baking sheet (Depending on what you use) and spread a little melted butter over the top of the bread (This keeps the outside of the bread softer)
11. Gently cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise another hour. You want the bread to almost double in size again.



12. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
13. Cut an X in the top of the dough with a serrated knife to allow gas to escape while cooking.
14. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.*





*For a Harder Crust: Spritz the sides of the oven with water occasionally throughout cooking

My family absolutely loved my bread! I didn't let mine rise quite long enough (I adjusted the rising time in the recipe to what it should be) and mine was a little soft in the middle, but i like doughy bread so it didn't bother me a bit!

I hope you enjoy this bread recipe as much as we did! I will definitely be making this one again!

Erica

A day of beginnings

So today I learned a few things about myself and how to be successful over the next few weeks. This morning I woke up around 8 (set my alarm for 7:30... hit snooze for 30 minutes. OOPS) As I was enjoying my morning off work I began realizing how tired my body was from yesterday's workouts. Yesterday I ran 2 miles in the morning and took a kick boxing class at night, busy day! I so badly wanted to just stay in bed and NOT run today. Some things that went through my head were:

'I can always run tomorrow.' 'I had a great workout yesterday, no need to do it again today.' 'But i'm le tired.' 'No one will ever know if I don't run today.'

All of those were words from the Devil trying to push me away from what I am working on. That's one of the hardest things about this journey... He is always trying to discourage me and distract me. I need to listen to the Lord's truths that I can do this and he will always be with me. One of my favorite verses (Joshua 1:9) says, "This is my command- Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS! do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you WHEREVER you go."

I absolutely love the truth in that verse. For me, sometimes that is a physical location. We move a lot with the Army, so something I need to remember he is with me in Illinois and in Georgia and in Texas. But sometimes I think that is also a journey you go on. Right now I am on this journey to finding new beginnings, new habits, and new truths. He is holding my hand through the entire thing.

This morning I ran for 20 minutes. My body was exhausted from yesterday and all I wanted to do the entire time was walk, but i didn't! Yes, I only jogged today, but that slower pace is what allowed me to be able to do this in the first place. Sometimes it's not about how quickly you do something, or how you do it in general, it's just that you do it! I'm not going to always run this slow pace, but for today it was all I had. And that is okay!

Today I begin reading Made to Crave, which I am very excited about! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

OH! and i forgot one item on my list from yesterday:
9. Get into the Word daily.
You can see how much a habit that one is.... I didn't even remember to put it on the list! :-/


What are some habits that you want to begin working towards?

Erica

21 days make a habit

So it's been a little over a week since I posted, sorry about that! It's been crazy lately. A few weeks ago I chose to switch two of my classes to online. It was already 4 weeks into the classes so I have had tons of homework to catch up on! However, I am almost completely caught up! All I have left is 1 paper in my English class. so after this weekend I will be totally caught up! I can't wait! :)

Have any of you heard that it takes 21 days to make a habit? Research has shown that it typically takes 21 days to create a new habit. So starting tomorrow I am going to put that into action. Here is my plan:

1. Run 5 days a week adding 5-10 minutes to my run each week
2. Do toning workouts 2-3 days a week such as situps, crunches, and lunges
3. Keep calories around 1200 each day and try to avoid processed foods when possible
4. Put make up on each day and do my hair
5. Read "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst
6. Do yoga each day
7. Do homework each day
8. Pick up my room daily

The entire goal of this is for me to make new habits and begin taking even better care of myself. If anyone would like to join me you are welcome to! You can change everything to fit your lifestyle and needs. Hopefully, I can begin to really make some changes towards a better lifestyle!

What are some simple changes you make towards a healthier lifestyle?

Erica

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga.

So one of my favorite things to do during my "me" time is yoga. Not only does it help your flexibility, but also your balance, focus, and relaxation.

Flexibility: Yoga helps you begin to stretch your body. Each pose can stretch a different part of your body from your legs to your arms, to your back. Not only does stretching like this feel amazing, but it will also help your body move more easily throughout the day.

Balance: Yoga is amazing for your balance. At first, it may be really hard to hold a pose more than a few seconds, however, the more you do it you will be able to hold each pose longer without needed to use something to balance. This will help you feel more centered throughout the day.

Focus: It takes a lot of focus to do yoga. When balancing, you need to use your focus to be able to hold the pose. It also causes you to focus on your body as you do the poses. This will help you be able to focus better during the day.

Relaxation: Yoga is very relaxing in nature. It gives you a chance to focus on yourself and your body. The longer you do it, the more relaxing each pose can become. You begin to find new ways to calm your body and relax your mind.

Here are a few realistic, everyday examples of where yoga can be beneficial:

1. If you work at a job that requires you to be on your feet all day, try this pose:



Find a area of the wall with nothing on it. Lay on your back with your butt as close to the wall as possible and your legs tucked into your body. begin to straighten your legs up against the wall so that your body creates an "L" shape against the wall. Scoot your butt as close to wall and lay back and allow your legs to rest against the wall.

How this helps: By putting your legs up against the wall, you allow the blood to flow from your feet throughout your body. When standing on your feet all day it's harder for your body to circulate the blood that flows down to your feet. This pose will help take some of the pressure off your feet and ease some pain and discomfort you may experience.

Add a little challenge: You can add a bit of a challenge to this pose by adding a blanket under your lower back.


2. Here is a pose that not only helps with balance, but is also a great stretch for your thighs:



Stand with your legs together and put your arms our parallel to the floor, hands facing down. step your right foot forward so that your legs create a "V" shape and face your right leg. Point your right food towards the front. While remaining standing flat on your left foot, begin to slowly turn your foot so your toes point between 90 and 45 degrees of the front. (you want to turn your foot inward towards your body to avoid injury, however, it may take a few times to get used to this foot positioning). Once your feet are in place, begin to lean into your right leg working towards making your thigh parallel with the floor (don't be alarmed if you can't get there right away, you will with time). Point your right arm towards your right foot and your left arm towards your left foot. Hold then repeat with the left leg.

How this helps: This pose not only help with balance, but it also helps stretch and strengthen the ankles and provides support for your back. It is also a great stretch for sore thigh and calf muscles.

Add a little challenge: You can make this pose more challenging my raising your arms above your head holding them next to your ears parallel to eachother.

3. The Final pose is a little more tricky but it's great if you want a bit of a challenge and you want more balance (one of my favorites poses):



Begin by standing with your legs together and your hands to your side. Take a few deep breaths and try to really focus your mind. If you need to find an item in front of you to focus on. Bring your right foot up near left knee. Place the bottom of your foot on the side of your knee. Bring your palms together near your heart. Focus on the item in front of you, take a deep breath and (if you can) begin to slowly raise your hands above your head. Repeat with left leg. Don't be alarmed if you can't do this pose right away. It took me several tries to be able to hold this pose.

How this helps: This a great pose to help create more balance in your body. It also helps with focus because you have to focus inward to find the balance.

Add a little challenge: If you feel you can do this pose easily, begin to pull your leg up each time you do it, holding it closer to your thigh. Eventually you will be able to immediately pull your foot and rest it on your thigh rather than your knee.

These are a few of my favorite poses. :) Let me know what you think or if you have some other poses you enjoy or would like to try!

Take some time for yourself tonight.
Erica