Blog Archives
Happy Healthy Home
My two years of shared-bedrooms are over and gone. (Sharing isn’t natural for us only-children!) Over the summer, I took to Pinterest to plan out my own room in my new apartment. I hopped on the Chevron bandwagon and got some sunflowers & picture frames to brighten up the place. I wasn’t expecting so much space and white walls to fill though! My 4″x6″ pictures take up barely any space on the walls! So I plan on replacing them with some 8″x10″ pictures and adding these little frames to my nightstands. :) 
At the beginning of the week, I didn’t look forward to returning to my apartment. It was empty and quiet, it didn’t feel like mine, and I missed my home. Living by myself is not something that appeals to me, so even just a temporary few days was hard. Slowly over the week I got more comfortable, especially knowing that my roommates were coming soon and my parents would be back with the rest of my stuff.
Your living situation can affect your mood. If you come home to a place with bare walls, a dirty floor, dark lighting or no reminders of home then you can become sad and detached. Oppositely, a room that fills you with energy, reflects your personality and has a homey-quality with the addition of some personal accents can brighten your mood and make you feel more comfortable.
My room is reflective of the mood I want to be in: bright and happy. After a day of classes, cross country workouts and studying I want to be able to relax and feel comfortable. This apartment is an anti-stress zone: Sunflowers are gorgeous and candles smell amazing. Music is relaxing. We’ve got plenty of fruit, fresh air, good views of the pine trees, friends right next door. And Ellie, my stuffed elephant since 1993. :)
Third time around, we are professional at the whole moving-in process, and my room was set up pretty smoothly. Thanks to rubber-maid bins, 3M tape and command hooks :) Yesterday the student-athletes of our school worked 4-hour shifts at the freshman residence halls to unload cars and help any first-timer parents figure out how on-campus living works. Adding to the chaos was some on-and-off rain. Thanks Mama Nature!
After the madness of Freshman Move In Day my teammates and I got together to cook dinner and check out the Welcome Back concert on one of the grassy lawns on campus.
I really only cared about seeing The Maine. I’ve seen them three times now…once in 2009 when they opened for Cobra Starship and Boys Like Girls. Then again last summer at a show they headlined in SoCal. Fun fact! The singer John’s little brother moved into our school yesterday!
The Maine Concert, 2012
It’s currently raining, has been since I woke up. I love it. We run rain or shine, so at 7am I threw on my white running hat and embraced the weather for our team long run. We headed out on some trails for a 12-miler, jumping over plenty of puddles until our shoes were so drenched we just ran through them.
Fortunately my new “happy healthy” home had a coffee pot waiting for me post-run. ;)
Back To School Round-up
Back to School Fever has struck! If you’re like me, the fast-approaching school year has you anxiously making lists, weeding out the closet and spending way too much time in the accessories section at Target.
Back to school fever: the unavoidable desire to buy all new clothes, shoes and school supplies to go with the start of a new school year. Symptoms include drastic hair change, makeover, newly-bronzed skin and compulsory purchases of way too many post-its and puppy folders.
This Back to School Round-up includes past (and perhaps forgotten) blog posts of recipes, workouts and college tips that you might find useful as you prep for school!
1.) Homemade Granola Bars:
Make these for you and your roommates….instant friends :) Or send this recipe to your Mom for a future *hint hint* care-package idea.
Butterscotch Pumpkin Granola Bars:
If you’re a fan of Nature Valley granola bars, you’ll adore these homemade version that take the processed out of the breakfast or snack. Pumpkin + Butterscotch = magic. We made them for a hiking trip to The Bridge to Nowhere but agreed they are best with a hot cup of coffee for breakfast or dessert :)
2.) Healthy Alternatives to Favorite Snacks:
When you’re stocking your fridge, look out for healthy swaps around the grocery store. Lots of your favorites like trail mix, peanut butter and chips can be replaced with something just as yummy but with at least half the sodium/trans-fat/sugar/calories.
No rule says that just because you’re in college you must sacrifice good food for Top Ramen ;) And if you’re going to be shopping for food & snacks to keep in your dorm/apartment, you might want to check out the College Girls’ Grocery Guides:
College Girl Grocery Guide (the original)
College Girl Grocery Guide 2.0 – Apartment Edition
3. Stress Busters
When classes start you might feel a little stressed out. Not sure what to expect if it’s your first year on campus; not ready to go back if it’s your third or fourth. Stress is the ultimate compromiser of your health; it has all kinds of icky side effects. I let stress get to me more often then I should, and have to remind myself to RELAX!
4. Study Snacks
And as any good student, you should be doing lots of STUDYING! I love when studying turns social and groups of friends organize a study group either in the library, the union, or their dorm. Sometimes our schedules are so busy that we don’t get to hang out every day, so combining studying & friends = best of both worlds (as long as you can stay out of Pinterest and Snap Chat!). But with social studying there are usually two things: Coffee & Snacks.
Here’s the Healthy Study Snack List!
A new school year, a new start – you want to look your best & feel your best. I personally am stoked for this school year! So many great things to look forward to. :)
