21 Day Fix

I somehow got roped into this diet lifestyle change that is starting today. I'm only kidding- I'm a willing participant. It was about time I got back to the healthy living way of things. It's been entirely too long since I've intentionally eaten healthy and made it a point to workout on a regular basis. That's where the 21 day fix comes in. It is more so a way to create healthy eating and portion control habits than a diet- or so I'm told.

Casey and I spent most of yesterday menu planning and grocery shopping so we are completely prepared. Preparation is the key to success, right? I hope so. We also did our before photos, measurements, and weight. Oh boy, was this a wake up call that this is absolutely something I should be doing right now!

[based on our calorie intake range, we are allowed a certain number of each colored containers- as written at the top]

The menu planning was a little overwhelming and challenging to decide on at first, but I think it will get easier as the time goes on. It will definitely help to have each meal and snack planned out so there is no guesswork. Also our workouts are planned. (This thing seems foolproof!) Let me add that I'm not being lazy on the days that don't have a workout written in. Those are they days I work, meaning I'm gone for 14 hours straight. Who has the energy to workout after that? Not this girl.

Anyway, stick around if you want to see how this turns out; I plan on giving updates throughout the challenge. But please excuse me if I get a little hangry at times!

And because we all need a little Monday inspiration, here's a picture from my weekend!

Xoxo- April

Transparency

For most of the blog life here, I've kept things lighthearted, focusing mostly on what Ive been doing. Moving to Albany, trips to new places, visiting with friends and family. But I want this space to be more than that. I want this to be a place I can be transparent and share what's on my heart, as well as my camera roll.

Truth is, I'm just not good at sharing my feelings. I know, I know- that's part of this whole blog thing right? But I know it's something I should be better at. That's why I plan on stepping out of my comfort zone… starting tomorrow. Kidding. I'll start now. 

I think one of the reasons I've had trouble posting my feelings on here is because there are too many "real life" people reading it. Not that I don't want them to know what's going on, but sometimes I'm a little too good at putting on a "life is great" show. So let's start with a few facts I've been sugar coating.

• The fact that I still think about him too much.
• The fact that I don't love the new job, but I do love living in Albany.
• The fact that I don't love nursing in general lately.
• The fact that I miss Texas way more than I imagined.
• The fact that I am anxious about where I'll go after New York.
• The fact that I am questioning if travel nursing is for me.
• The fact that I would regret it I moved back home to my old life so soon.
• The fact that I am struggling to give 100% control to God lately.
• The fact that I have been extra lazy this week since I'll be starting a "lifestyle change" on Monday.
• The fact that I reconnected with an old friend and am smiling more because of it.
• The fact that I feel distant (and not in mileage) from people I didn't expect.

So there it is. Those are my thoughts and feelings as of late. Thanks for being my therapist today. Next time I'll try not to unload everything in one sitting!

Xoxo,

April

Hiking the Adirondacks

Last week brought another northeast first for me. A few friends and I hiked Crane Mountain in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. When they asked if I wanted to go hiking, I thought "oh yea, that sounds fun!" I've hiked a few times before, all in Colorado, so I thought that would be a pretty good background for me. 

If you look up Crane Mountain stats, most websites will say it's an easy hike. It must be true since it's on the internet, right? Wrong. These websites fail to tell you that "hiking" here includes rock climbing and scaling the side of the mountain! That might be a little over exaggerated, but still, it was not easy.

[this is a mild incline compared to some of the others!]

My initial thoughts: what the hell did I get myself into?! I know I'm not in the best shape of my life but I seriously thought I might die at times. (I didn't, thankfully!) This hike definitely wasn't like the places I had hiked before. That just makes it more exciting, right?

Then there was a ladder. To get to the summit, you have to climb this ladder. I'm sure you have a few questions you're wanting to ask. Probably the same ones I had before climbing up.

Where does it end? --On a little ledge. Way up there.

How is the ladder held up? --Just a wire rope thing on one side at the top. 

And I would have to add that there are stacks of small rocks under each side (just waiting to fly out) that are keeping it "steady".  Against my better judgement I hopped on the ladder, and thankfully, it turned out not to be all that bad. (Getting down was another story!)

Once we got to the top, I was speechless. The views were absolutely incredible and made me forget all my worries. How can you have anything else on your mind while you're staring at this?

As we were enjoying our mountaintop picnic, a thick fog started surrounding us from all sides and it felt like the already chilly temperature dropped about 10 degrees! It was little creepy, and all I could think was dementors! (Any Harry Potter fans out there?!) 

It was an amazing experience! The hike challenged me more than I imagined but it was definitely worth every moment. We are hoping to get in another hike before it gets too cold. Looks like I just might have to invest in some actual hiking boots!!

XOXO,

April

ps-- some of the pictures were taken  by Casey or Becca (links to their amazing blogs on the picture!)

City Adventures

Please excuse my absence from these parts lately, I've been a little busy. If I'm not working, I'm off exploring as much of the northeast as I can before it turns into the North Pole!

Remember when I said that my mom was coming to New York soon and I would get to spend some time with her? Well that was last weekend. And let me tell you, it was much needed but definitely not long enough!

My mom was in NYC with a few other friends for a trip that was planned before I ever decided to move to Albany. As soon as I knew I would be so close I warned her I would be crashing their trip, not that they minded! So Friday night after work I hopped on the megabus headed straight for the city and got to spend some quality time with my favorite person!

I just have to brag on my momma for a minute. She is an amazing woman. She is strong, selfless, caring, and loves God with all her heart. Any day spent with her is one that I cherish. I'm so glad that the 17-year-old me realized that she really could be my best friend! 

Back to the city… we planned to cram in as many touristy things we could in the day we had together, but the rain put a damper on things. We did get to go to the top of the Empire State Building before the rain started, which was great since I've never done that before this trip!

Anddd because my phone died I have hardly any other pictures to document the trip! 

Overall it was a great quick trip and I'm so glad I got to see my sweet momma! Counting down the days until I get to see her again!

Friday Favorites

Just wanted to share a few of my favorite things lately.

One// New York Capital Building. It's an incredible building, and I haven't even been inside yet! I cannot get over the detailed architecture of this. Why can't buildings look like this now days??

Two// All things Kendra Scott. These are my favorite pieces at the moment, but I've always got my eye on something else!

Three// Baby Air Plant. How cute is it?! And I think it needs a name. Let's just hope I can keep this one alive unlike my last air plant. Rumor is: they are pretty hard to kill. Oops!

Four// DIY canvas. I made this for my sister. A little "it's senior year-you can do it-you rock" encouragement if you will. I'm thinking I need a black and gold DIY for myself too!

Five// French Toast Latte. YUM! 

And for a bonus: 

getting to jam to T-Swift "Shake It Off" on a daily basis with this babe by far takes the cake! 

Happy Friday, y'all!

Xoxo, 

April

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Fall

Okay, maybe not a lot  like fall, but enough for me start getting excited! In places that actually have all four seasons, fall starts right after Labor Day so I'm fully embracing it while I can! Here are a few things I'm excited about for the upcoming season!

1. Fall Itself

Let me explain. Texas doesn't have a real fall. Sure, the weather cools off, usually around November. (Although occasionally it's warm enough for shorts around Christmastime- insert crying emoji here!) But there are no pretty leaves changing colors like I'm already seeing here. Texas just goes from dead & brown from the heat, to dead and brown 'cause it's "winter". So I'm looking forward to all things fall!

2. Fall Outfits

Oh the sweaters, flannel shirts, boots, and scarfs! I can't get enough! It's not quite cool enough yet, but you better believe I'm just waiting to pull those goodies out of my closet! I'm no fashion blogger but maybe I'll try to show off some of my faves. We shall see!

3. Apple Picking

I've picked apples before. Off the few apple trees at my dad's farm. In the Texas heat. (Not fun.) But apple picking seems to be the ONE thing people recommend I do while I'm here. Trust me, it's already on my to do list! 

4. Hot Apple Cider

Hot apple cider is my favorite drink when it's cold out. Yes, even more than a pumpkin spice latte! But let's be honest here- I'm just ready for all things apple. I hope to try making some apple crisp, obviously from the apples I pick. Caramel apples. Maybe some apple butter. I even found a recipe for cinnamon apple rings- yum! I'm currently accepting all apple recipes, thanks!

5. Football

This girl is excited that it's football season again! Even in a world filled with Giants and Jets fans here, I'll be cheering on the Cowboys every week (win or lose)! And I can't leave out my Texas Longhorns either, although I'll probably never be able to actually watch them play this year. I'll always be a Texas girl at heart!

What are your favorite things about fall, y'all? 

I officially dislike the postal service

Not long after I started decorating sugar cookies, a friend asked if I would be willing to make some for her sister's bachelorette party. My immediate response was of course yes! At the time, I didn't expect to living in a different state, but once I moved I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to do something I love. 

So last week I got to baking and icing and decorating. Oh how I love this part! The cookies turned out so cute, if I do say so myself! And pretty tasty as well. 

Saturday morning I found my way to the post office to ship these pretty babies to Texas. I had them packaged nice and cute in lots of bubble wrap for safe travels. I made sure the the post office man knew it was FRAGILE! I covered all my bases for a safe arrival to Texas… or so I thought.

On Tuesday, I get a text message from my friend that she received the cookies. I was so excited and couldn't wait to hear what she thought! Then came the news… they were smashed. Not just a couple broken cookies (which I prepared for and sent a few extras). The entire box was squished, like a pesky little bug or something. How does this even happen?? 

So that is the story of why I dislike the postal service. And the tragic ending to these poor cookies. I'm still mad about this! Hopefully the crumbs still tasted good…

xoxo- April

September Currently

Currently I am…

Writing: DIY project and sugar cookie posts. Can't wait to share the latest things I've been working on!

Anticipating: my new job! I had orientation yesterday and will be working on the unit all weekend! I know things will very different from working in Texas but I'm excited to get going. Apparently, advances in the medical field start on the west coast and move to the east coast, so surprisingly Texas is a little more ahead of New York. It will definitely be an interesting change, to say the least!

Wearing: my go to outfit- workout shorts and t-shirts. Although I am looking forward to a tiny bit of cooler weather so I can wear all my new Old Navy finds! 

Craving: chips and hot sauce and queso. I'm used to eating it daily weekly and that has definitely stopped lately. Anyone know a good tex-mex place around Albany? Let a girl know! (And no, Chipotle/Moe's/etc. does not count!) Luckily my roommate made some delish chicken enchiladas for dinner last night to hold me over!

Missing: my family and friends. It's only been two weeks since I left Texas but I'm already missing them so much! Luckily, I get to see my momma next weekend! And a couple of other visitors are planning trips too! In the meantime, texting and snapchat are my favorite things.

What are you currently doing? Come join the link up with Jenna and Anne!