kid thoughts

Bear Print via Animal Print Shop

You know that moment when you're a kid and all you want in the world is to be an adult so badly. You crave the responsibilities, the control, the money, and the ensuing adult life choices. 

And when you tell an adult about your big rush to get to their spot, they tell you to settle down and take your time, you're only a kid once. 

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I rush through life, it's not my most redeeming quality, but I'm impatient. I've set goals for myself since I was a little kid. I only lived in the "next step" phase and never in the "present." This also attributed to my successes - kick ass internships across the United States, winning scholarships, and many leadership positions. All these were stepping stones to eventually achieving adulthood. 

I recently turned 26. 

When did that happen?? I was just a youthful 20-something. Now my bones are weakening, my skin is wrinkling, I enjoy red wines, got hitched, and just bought a house. 

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Since before we got engaged, Ben and I have been excited to start a family (you can breathe, I'm not pregnant). We both love kids, big families, and cute little things. And there have been serious times when we say "yea, let's do this!" However, we just don't feel like it's the right time for us, which is really frustrating because we can't pinpoint anything except that we still feel like college kids.

A few weeks I stumbled onto this cute blog: WhereMyHeartResides and her great idea for a baby bucket list. So part of our college kid mentality isn't that we think we're immature, we just don't think we're smart or cultured enough to raise a kid to be the absolute perfect kid in the entire world.  And that's why we're going to do a baby bucket list... things to do, see, & experience before a little one arrives and makes us parents forever. 

Suggestions?

Science EXPO day

Part one of two for our SWE-PNW booth at the Science EXPO Day, June 2nd

Part two of two for our SWE-PNW booth at the Science EXPO Day, June 2nd 

UPDATE:

This post seems to be getting a lot of traffic --- if you do perform any of these activities for an outreach event, please post a link in the comments to the event - I'd love to see how it's used or modified!

March

because parks and recreation & amy poehler are my favorite.

Since getting back from a FABULOUS Hawaiian vacation, it's been back to the non-stop lifestyle for me!

Fitness

I restarted my weekly Beginner Ballet and Conditioning class this month and scheduled in a weekly TRX (30-40 minutes) class too. That's along with the every Monday hypnosis I'm doing too. Making fitness a priority has always been a favorite. 

I also started a photo food log blog - I take a picture of what I'm eating and upload it to a personal, off the radar blog. It's been much more effective than trying to write everything down in a notebook.

               PS - check out some of my favorite fitness-tumblrs: http://arthlete.tumblr.com/, http://curvygirllove.tumblr.com/, http://cloudlesssmile.tumblr.com/.

               So many women in the same rut I'm in, and making huge progress!

Life

I am going to be MIA for a while until July -- After I wrap up my SWE term and take the GRE's in June. 

Money

Hubs and I met with a Realtor this past month - very exciting! We are still saving money for a down payment and aren't ready to make the leap to home ownership yet, but it was exciting to learn about the ins and out and the how-tos of the business. Cheers to saving money and big life decisions!

Best of Luck in April, 

Dana

talking to food

http://fytinafey.tumblr.com

How I'm Feeling
via Tina Fey / 30 rock

February's Folly

You know what's hard? 

                    quitting habits.

I relapsed on my resolution. I bought clothes. It was a rush. I had an excuse. I'm not happy about it, but I'm trying to refocus my efforts. 

This past week we traveled to Oahu for our (6-month delayed) honeymoon. As the vacation drew nearer, I felt the urge to buy beach things - it's been years since I visiting a warm beach and the need to update my wardrobe was overwhelming. At first I was resistant... I have a pretty healthy selection of dresses, swimsuits, some shorts and skirts.  Then I convinced myself I needed a new cover up because I couldn't think of anything that I own that would work. Luckily I wasn't going to spend more than $60 so all the incredibly amazing cover-ups at shopbop.com made it easy to say no. 

Then I found a rashguard, something I wanted for our Snuba adventure, and otherwise as a cover up in the water -- AND COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT.  So, I bought it. -- and I'm glad I did, it was really nice to wear and worked well for me.

But, like any relapse, it trips the wire - knowing that I could break this resolution. I bought something else "for the beach".... two tube tops and a long skirt from American Eagle were justified. I even caught myself visiting my old "members-only" sites daily (eek!).

I don't hate these purchases, and I actually wore them a lot during the vacation. I didn't need them though, and I didn't put quality over consumption. That is what bothers me.

I'm going to try to work on conquering the rush I get from buying things. I have way too many, more important things (student loans, car payment, food, fun) to be spending money on clothes right now.

PS - reading this book right now about breaking habits.