Competition Recap

It has been just shy of a week since my first competition took place! It’s been a whirlwind of emotions but I thought I’d take a few moments to share my thoughts and experience.

How I Got Started

I’ve been asked several times how I got started or interested in bodybuilding, so I thought it may be time to just create a post about it! So, if you were curious…here are the answers!

Give a Gift That Transforms Lives!

The Christmas season has officially begun! This weekend was Black Friday and there were a million and one people out there shopping for gifts for themselves and others. We really do spend a lot of money during the Christmas season, it’s kind of ridiculous! But this year, instead of giving gifts that will just get returned to the store, stuck on a shelf, or forgotten, how about giving a gift that makes a difference? Why not give the gift of life to someone in a developing country!

Christian Veterinary Mission is an organization based here in Seattle, that encourages and equips veterinarians to use their skills to benefit others. They work here in the USA, and also overseas in developing nations. In those countries, they work to provide education and training to livestock-based cultures, so that they can take better care of the animals that provide for their source of income and are vital to their survival. They are taught how to vaccinate, de-worm, and other various techniques that will help keep their animals alive and well. This education drastically changes their future and living conditions. Often the successful care of a pig, cow, chicken etc will result in their children being able to attend school, sharing their knowledge with neighbors, more time to spend taking care of other aspects of their lives, and a hopeful future. A healthy animal and the knowledge of how to successfully care for it results in transformed lives! (We live in a non-livestock based culture, so it’s a little hard to understand how an animal can completely change your life! But in cultures where they use their cow for milk to feed their kids, to plow their fields, or sell milk to their neighbors, if that cow dies, their entire source of income and reliable nutrition disappears! This is a huge devastation!)

This Christmas, I encourage you to pay it forward. Give someone you know, (or simply give because you want to see lives transformed,) a gift that does more than just sits on a shelf! Give someone a gift that will make an impact on lives around the world. Christian Veterinary Mission has a Gift Guide that will allow you to purchase an animal (varying in price,) that will change the future of someone’s life. Check out this video and see how you can change the life of someone in a developing country!

Thankfulness Thursday // Week 3

This post is a day late…whoops!!! I started it a few days ago but I was extremely tired and was falling asleep while writing it!! So here it is now: This week I am thankful for my little family. I have an amazing fiance, who works hard, loves to laugh, is extremely caring and thoughtful, and he is so understanding and easy-going. I have an adorable Jack Russel Terrier named Ozzy, and a super cute Himalayan kitten (well, I guess she’s not a kitten anymore….) named Mila. I love that I get to spend so much time with my little family on a regular basis and just how great they are.

I am excited to be getting married in 8 weeks!!! (Can you believe that?! 8 WEEKS!) And I am excited to be able to go to spend every day with my fiance and furries. I am so blessed to have such a cute little family, and love them all so much. My fiance has had Ozzy for about 5 years now, and I’ve known Ozzy for 2. Mila was a birthday gift to me last year from Nathon, and I was SO EXCITED!!! I got to pick her out and name her, and she totally stole my heart. Both animals get along great, (though Ozzy doesn’t quite return her affection as much as she would like……though I have caught him occasionally suffering through a few ear lickings haha!) Anyway, that is what I am thankful for today! My cute little family :)

Thankfulness Thursday // Week 2

This week, I am thankful for my job! I know right now a lot of you are probably facing the hard reality that great jobs…let alone any jobs….are hard to come by right now. I spent a year after graduating looking for a job. I can honestly say I worked my butt off! I applied to probably on average 5 jobs a day, had 2 interviews a week, and was constantly networking and trying to improve. There was a season, around this time last year actually, where I hit an all-time low of depression. I am such a go-getter person, where I have a goal and I do everything I can to reach it, and when I don’t see the results I am looking for, it’s really disappointing. I think being around the holidays made it hard. Then of course I got swept up in DIY projects for Christmas, which kept me busy, and then as soon as it was over…depression again. I cannot even begin to express how much I LOVE my job, and am so blessed to work in a great environment with an amazing team!

High Five for Friday!

1. This past weekend, my mom, sister and I went to go see Wicked! Pretty much my favorite Broadway! We saw it a few years ago while we were visting Europe, and since we decided not to sight see in London (we did that the last time we were there,) we decided to take the tube and go see Wicked! Each time we have seen it it has been amazing! A little different, as the actors play the characters slightly different, but still so incredible! If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend you do! Find out when it’s touring near you!

Thankfulness Thursday // Week 1

For the month of November, I am going to do a “Thankfulness Thursday” post, to remind myself, and you, what we have to be thankful for. I love thanksgiving and always intend to spend time in reflection of what I have to be thankful for, and to give and/or serve others who are struggling in one way or another. However, with how busy life can be- I can often get swept up in my daily tasks that I forget to take the time to think about it. (Bad, I know!) So this year, I intend to spend time in reflection of what I am grateful for.

High Five for Friday!

This week absolutely FLEW by! It was Monday and then all of a sudden it was Thursday?! Crazy fast!

Some awesome things that went on this past week…..

 

1. I made mini pumpkin pies from scratch! I’m talking full on, cut the entire pumpkin, roast it, mash it, puree it, make the filling, make the crust kind of homemade pumpkin pies. It took forever, but it was really satisfying to know that I made it completely from scratch. And to be 100% honest, it REALLY DOES taste better not from a can!!! I totally encourage you to try it, but be prepared to have it take an entire day! (Next time, I’m making a whole pie, not minis!)

Work Day Fuel // tunes

Thought I would share with you all some of my favorite albums to listen to during the work week as I am plugging away at designing. I sometimes forget that I can put my headphones in and instead accidentally sit in silence. As soon as I remember, I get excited, open up my Pandora and end up tapping my foot away to some awesome tunes. So here are some albums I recommend when you are being creative or just in general!

Autumn Art: Background

I decided to ring in fall by creating these two simple autumn backgrounds for your computer!! You can download them by clicking the links below. Each is a collage made with photos I have taken as the leaves change.

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

 

 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE