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10 Facts You (probably) Don’t Know About Me

Okay, this definitely wasn’t a post I thought I would be putting on my blog. I assumed everyone who would be taking the time to visit my blog would be friends, family, and people who knew me, however; I am excited that that’s not the case. Every day I have people who are viewing my blog from all over the world- China, the UK, Russia, Costa Rica, etc.
For those of you who already know me, this may not be very exciting & even for those of you who don’t know me… this might not be exciting. HA! But, for whatever reason, I feel obligated to introduce myself to those of you who don’t know me and somehow (thankfully) stumbled upon this blog 🙂

  1. I was a D-1 Collegiate Cheerleader. Some of my best life experiences happened because of being an NIU cheerleader. I remember the day I randomly decided “Hey I am going to cheer in college!” and putting that plan to action. I worked out 6 days a week prior to tryouts (including days with a family friend who was a wrestling coach & kicked my ass). I was on ESPN a few times, got to take multiple trips to Florida, compete in NCA Nationals, meet sooo many amazing people, cheer on Ford Field (home of the Detroit Lions), and be involved with the University & community. If I hadn’t had that experience I am certain I would not be the same person.
  2. I can not give blood without fainting, vomiting, or becoming dizzy. Seriously. I honestly wish I could because I have the universal blood type, but I. just. can’t. I had a seriously terrible experience when I was 15 where I completely passed out and vomited and have not been okay to give blood ever since. I always warn the nurses beforehand and everyone thinks I am over exaggerating… I am not & they learn that quickly when my face become sheet white. Sorry!
  3. Beer is my favorite alcoholic beverage. I know, I know girls will typically ask for a vodka soda, wine, margarita or really anything else as long as it is not beer. Not me. And I do not discriminate- I love me some craft beer, but I will never turn away my trusty Bud Light.
  4. I am constantly twirling my hair. Alright, if you have ever seen me in person, you already knew this- even if it was only a 5 minute interaction. I don’t know how or when or why this started- I just know I’ve been doing it as long as I can remember. I know it’s unprofessional & frankly not very “adult”, but I don’t care. It is a habit that happens so involuntarily that I often don’t even recognize I’m doing it until someone makes a comment about it. Since I am a catering manager and around food A LOT, I usually wear my hair up so I am not even tempted. It just is what it is… I am trying, ok?
  5. I once burned a hole in my throat from a pill. When I was 19 I was taking prescribed medication for acne. One night I took my medication as I always do and laid down to go to sleep, well the next morning I woke up to feeling like something was stuck in my throat. I kept making this comment to everyone all day and of course, everyone thought I was being dramatic. A few days later, I had woken up and thrown up blood. Mmmk… that is definitely not normal. I went to my doctor and he suggested I get an endoscopy to check out what was going on. What had happened was my pill had a soft coating that became sticky when it was wet. Well when I had laid down so quickly after taking my pill the pill literally got stuck in my throat!! It was so painful for a week- I could not eat anything because everything hurt- even with this coating medication they gave me. It was absolutely rough. Now I definitely stay upright for a bit while taking medication 🙂
  6. I sleep with one pillow between my legs and one between my arms. (And of course one under my head). I have always, always, always slept like this. Ask my brother Brady, he remembers thinking I was such a weirdo, but now he does it. So am I really that weird? It’s seriously so hard for me to fall asleep if I don’t at least have an extra pillow for in between my legs. High maintenance? Maybe.
  7. I am super self motivated. When I decide that I have a goal- I make a plan and figure out what I need in order to attain the goal. Period.
  8. I’ve only gotten stitches once and have only broken one bone. I am extremely clumsy so the fact that I have only ever had stitches once & have broken one bone is amazing. Prime example of my clumsiness, I tripped over a bucket and that’s how I got my first and only set of stitches. The broken bone happened my sophomore year of high school at cheerleading practice. We were practicing our competition routine and I was flying (for one of the first times). When we were dismounting I stepped on my base’s foot and ended up breaking my own. What? Who does that?? Me. Clumsy me.
  9. I have been changing my hair color on a regular basis since I was in the 6th grade. I got it from my mama. Her hair changed allll the time when I was younger and that’s obviously where I thought that changing your hair color with the seasons was normal. HA! I’ve had icy blonde hair, black, brown, ombre, and even auburn/red once in 8th grade. It’s hair- you can always change it and it’s fun to try new looks.
  10. I cry when I am pissed, upset, frustrated, happy… crying is just my reaction to every emotion. Seriously. This is one of my characteristics I could do without. In moments when I want to be taken seriously & I am fuming with anger, I am crying. I hate it, but it’s just who I am and I have been dealing with that attribute of mine… begrudgingly. LOL
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The Podcasts You Need to Be Streaming Right Now

I feel like one of the most frequent Facebook posts I see is “What are your favorite podcasts!?” Podcasts have been growing in popularity to fit right in with our busy, fast paced lives. There is a podcast for virtually every subject and the formatting makes it easy for us to gain knowledge in a short time. Instead of watching an hour long documentary, you could listen to a podcast that delivers the same amount of information in half the time. Most of my podcast listening is for leisure and to have something to listen to while driving to work every day. I also enjoy them for longer drives when we go back to Illinois and when I am doing something mundane at work like setting up for an event or counting inventory. I think the podcast world is still relatively new for a lot of people so I have listed the podcasts that when I started listening to them, I could not stop. These are some favorites that deserve a listen.

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
This podcast is my all-time favorite and one that I recommend to EVERYONE!! I’ve loved Dax Shepard ever since I was in 4th grade watching Without A Paddle for the first time. (I have now seen that movie at least 30 times.) He has such a compelling life story that he shares with guests varying from Will Ferrell to Johnny Knoxville to Norah Jones while also learning all about what has paved the way for their success. Often he will have a guest on that I did not know much about to begin with, but end up ending the episode wanting to learn even more about them! He approaches interviewing people in a way that makes them feel so comfortable that you can feel it through your speakers. Often stories are shared on this podcast that guests have never told anywhere else. If you think about it, is pretty remarkable considering most guests he has on are seasoned pros when it comes to interviews. His co-host, Monica Padman, started as his wife, Kristen Bell’s, right hand woman and is now his go to when it comes to his Podcast that is produced in his attic. I enjoy their banter back and forth and they tend to balance each other out. The final segment, the fact check, is my favorite. This is where Monica goes through all of Dax’s blanket statements and “expert” advice and backs them up or proves Dax wrong with her extensive research. I just really love this podcast and it makes our long car rides home go by so fast.
Favorite Episodes- Katie Couric, Mae Whitman, Dax’s Mom, Ted Danson, Sophia Bush, Jay Leno

Crime Junkie
Okay. I just started listening to this one a couple weeks ago and have finished all 84 episodes in that time. (I am a little ashamed to admit that, but I promise once you listen to one episode you will completely understand). Honestly, I’ve never been super obsessed with crime shows- of course I have binged SVU and Criminal Minds, but who hasn’t?! I never would have thought that this would have been a binge-worthy podcast for myself, but I was so so wrong. Ashley Flowers and Brit are the hosts of this podcast and they do such an amazing job. The stories they tell flow easily and Ashley’s voice is so calming- a murder podcast somehow became part of my relaxation time. LOL. They really try hard to tell the stories of people who have gone missing, have been murdered, or kidnapped that have not gotten the media attention they deserve. So often they have links and stories of where and how you can help locate missing people. Being two females, they give a lot of key information about how to stay safe out there. One of their catch-phrases is “Be Rude. Be Weird. Stay Alive.” I love that they put little reminders out there for women to remember that it is more important to be safe than to be nice. Now that I know I enjoy this genre of podcasts, I have tried to find another podcast to get my true crime fix in before the next CJ episode airs every Monday… but I have had no such luck! These women do such an incredible job producing this episode and it is absolutely worth a listen.
Favorite Episodes- 76: MURDERED: Jerry Michael Williams, 71: MISSING: Amy Lynn Bradley, 53: MURDERED: The Camm Family, 47: MURDERED: The Powell Family, 8: MISSING: Bryce Laspisa

Meditation Station by Stin Hansen
This is also another newer podcast that I just started utilizing. I have never been one to meditate or practice yoga. But, this past couple years have been so stressful for me and the stress was beginning to to take a toll on me physically. I began changing small daily habits and took up the idea of meditation before sleeping so I could sleep more soundly and wake less throughout the night. That is when I stumbled across Meditation Station. The speaker’s voice is very soothing which is obviously pretty vital for a meditation podcast. My whole body is completely relaxed just 5 minutes in. I have found that I need to be in complete silence, with only the pocast playing, and completely alone. If Kevin barges into the bedroom ready to start his bedtime routine and I have not yet finished my meditation, my relation is completely lost. So find yourself a quiet space where you can be alone for 10-30 minutes. If you have a stressful life (k, who doesn’t?), I definietely reccommend giving this podcast a try!
Favorite Episodes- End a Panic Attack, Faster Better Sleep, ZZZZZZ…

Guys We F****d
Alright, I really debated putting this podcast into my top, only because it is quite vulgar as you can gather from the title, but the two girls who produce this podcast are AMAZING. Corrinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson are comediennes who reside in New York City. They are feminists who believe that women, do in fact, run the world. They take something that is supposed to be shameful for women- sexuality- and turn it into empowerment. The premise of their podcast started on interviewing the different men that they had slept with (LOL) and has turned into a format for them to interview some interesting people that I would not have otherwise heard of. A typical episode begins with a newsletter that relates to women empowerment, feminism, and equality, followed by answering an email from a listener, and finally ending with an interview. Both of their personalities are so different, but at their core they have the same ideals- which also seem to align (most of the time) with my own ideals. Their differing personalities really play off of each other and it’s great for the listeners because you get (often times) two completely different approaches to the same problem. This podcast is for all the women out there who don’t need a man to own their power.
Favorite Episodes: Are You Afraid To Be With Someone Who’s Not Broken, How Do You Clean Your Asshole In The Best Way?, You Might Be More Gay Than You Anticipated?

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Healthy Buffalo Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Zucchini Bowls

Okay, so bare with me. This is my first cooking/ food related post and although I enjoy cooking and am honestly pretty good at it… I don’t usually follow recipes. So creating this post with a recipe for others to follow is not the easiest thing for me to do. I rely heavily on tasting my food and instinct- so hopefully this will end up making sense! Sounds promising… ha!

I plan every meal for my lunch and every dinner for my boyfriend and myself before each week starts. My goal is to have a variety of meals that are easy, healthy-ish (most of the time), and cost effective. This meal is one I ALWAYS come back to. It’s super easy and relatively healthy. I hate reading blogs that give you 10 pages before their recipe- so I promise not to do that 🙂

This recipe will typically yield enough for 3 lunches for myself. All the ingredients together- excluding olive oil & seasonings, because these are things I always have on hand- cost $12.10. I don’t know about you, but on the rare occasion I eat out during the work week, I can easily spend $12 on one meal. With this recipe, you’ll be making 3 meals for about $4. Because I know it will be asked, this meal is about 320 calories.

Ingredients:

1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Large Zucchini
1 Package of Ground Chicken
Your Favorite Buffalo Sauce
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

  1. The first step in any recipe I will share with you will always be to get your “mise en place” in order… or for those that don’t live in the food and beverage field or binge The Food Network- get all of your ingredients prepared and ready to be cooked!
    In this step I dice up my sweet potatoes into bite-sized cubes: peeling the skin off, dicing the potato into 1/2 inch circles, cutting those circles into 3-4 strips, and cutting those 3-4 strips into 3-4 bite-sized pieces. You want to be sure your cuts are even as possible so everything cooks evenly.


While still in the first step, I will also cut the zucchini into bite-sized cubes as well. Start by cutting the zucchini into 1/4 inch circles and then cutting those circles into 4 pieces.

2. Next, I will spread the sweet potato on a baking sheet, coat with a bit of olive oil, and sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder evenly over the cubes. Once they’re seasoned, I pop them in the oven at 375 degrees alone first because the sweet potatoes need a little extra time than the zucchini. The sweet potatoes will be in there for 50 minutes total. While the sweet potato begins roasting, I will remove the ground chicken from its packaging and get ready to cook it on the stove top.

3. Once the sweet potato has been in the oven for 20 minutes, I will remove the baking sheet and move the sweet potatoes to one side to make room for the zucchini. (You could just use another baking sheet, but…dishes.) I then spread the zucchini out and add the same seasoning combination. These will go into the oven for 30 minutes. After putting the baking sheet back into the oven, you can begin cooking the ground chicken on the stove top.

4. I coat a medium-sized cooking pan with Pam and begin sauteing the chicken similarly to ground beef. I use a wooden spatula to break the chicken into smaller pieces, cooking over medium heat. Cook until there are no longer pink pieces- about 10-15 minutes.

5. Once the ground chicken is completely cooked, I coat the chicken with buffalo sauce- I prefer Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Sauce- it’s not too thick or thin & doesn’t pack too much heat. You’ll use about 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce, but you can coat according to your preference.

6. Once the zucchini and sweet potato have been in the oven for an additional 30 minutes and are beginning to brown you can remove and get ready to begin placing into your Tupperware. Place 1/3 of the sweet potato and zucchini that you made into each dish. For the chicken, I usually put about 1/4 of what I made into each. This will leave you with some leftover, but often I just add these to my eggs in the morning for a little extra protein and no wasted ingredients 🙂

There ya go! You just meal prepped 3 meals for lunch for the week and it took one hour! I usually meal prep another meal at the same time as this, so usually I get 5-6 meals done in an hour, but I’ll start with this for now. If you are vegan or vegetarian I have made this recipe with roasted chick peas instead of the ground chicken and it was just as amazing. I hope this becomes a staple lunch in your house as it has in mine!

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5 Things to Know When Making a Big Move

About nine months ago, my boyfriend of four years and our rescue cat made the move from Illinois to Omaha, Nebraska. I know that moving to a new state can be overwhelming and daunting, but these tips and realities definitely helped me stay (mostly) sane!

The outside of our new apartment in Omaha, NE on the day I moved in!
  1. There will be a wrench thrown into your plans. I can almost guarantee everything will not go entirely as planned. Be prepared to make small changes along the way- be flexible! Before we moved to Nebraska from Illinois, I had already seen the apartment we were going to move into, put down our deposit, discussed move-in dates, and 5 days before I was supposed to move in… The rental property rejected us because of our lease we still had in Illinois. I was so bummed because I LOVED this place and had already discussed the other lease we still had in Illinois with them, but for whatever reason after weeks of discussing, they decided to reject us FIVE DAYS before our big move. Talk about stress. I ended up fidning a place the very next day without ever seeing it (also stressful!), but we ended up loving where we are. It certainly seemed like the end of the world at the time, but if you just continue rolling with the punches, everything will eventually work itself out.
  2. Do as much research as possible- about everything!!! This one is an absolute MUST. If you are relocating for a new job, research what the average salary is in the area for someone with your experience and in your career field. Research different neighborhoods and what attractions are near you. There is only so much research you can do from your computer or phone, but it was important to us to be in a safe neighborhood with nearby bars and restaurants so we made sure the area we would be moving to would have these wants. If the weather is going to be completely different than where you are from, that is important information for you to know before packing up all of your belongings. We stayed in the Midwest so it hasn’t been too different, however; for the four weeks before we moved I added Omaha, Nebraska as one of my locations in my Weather Channel app. This app also tells you how humid it is, the pollen in the area, and the air quality. The pollen tracker was super helpful, because I was moving in the midst of my allergy season. Basically, research everything that affects your daily life. Commutes, air quality, neighborhoods, attractions, bars and restaurants, outdoor activities, demographic of the area, average wages , etc. Research about Omaha, Nebraska consumed my life for a month- and it definitely paid off!
  3. Know what you are willing to compromise on and what are necessities. Unless your budget is limitless, you are more than likely not going to get every. single. thing. on your wish list. Because of this, it’s a great idea to determine what your musts are! We were coming from a completely outdated 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment with no dishwasher, laundry completely off-site, no central A/C, base boards for heat, no private outdoor area, no fireplace, no bathtub… so we were ready for some upgrades to say the least! HA! We really wanted to have laundry in the unit itself, but we ended up having to compromise and have it be a communal laundry room on the floor below us. We knew going in that that may be something we would have to adjust our expectations for. Honestly, it has not been that big of a deal- it’s an upgrade from having to walk across the complex (especially in the winter). Just be prepared for what is really needed for your day-to-day.
  4. Try not to overwhelm yourself. Moving (especially to a new state) makes it quite easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t let it! Stay organized and prepared and the move will end up being a much easier transition. Learn your immediate surroundings first and then try to adventure out. Don’t feel like you need to learn the entire city in a month. If you tackle small decorating and organizing projects daily, the house will eventually become exactly how you want it without getting yourself too overwhelmed. I think it took us about half a year to get the apartment feeling like home and how we wanted it.
  5. Get involved. When we moved out here I started volunteering at Girls Inc. of Omaha and have loved every minute of it. This gave me the opportunity to meet some really great people and see a side of the city that I probably wouldn’t normally have ventured to. Being involved in your community really makes a new place feel more like home. You don’t necessarily have to volunteer your time somewhere- you can join a new gym with classes, attend local events, subscribe to local Facebook groups, attend church, join a sports team (we joined an indoor adult volleyball league!), and shop locally.
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5 Products Every Woman Should Have In Her Daily Beauty Routine

1. Halo Beauty Hair Skin and Nails Supplement- $39.95

This product is amazing!!!!! Beauty YouTuber, Tati Westbrook, launched her beauty brand and focused with beauty from the inside. I love watching her videos and am obsessed with her amazing skin and gorgeous hair, so I of course had to give them a try and quickly became OBSESSED. When taking this, my face is clear and less red, my nails are super strong, my hair has less breakage, and my skin in general just feels so much softer and suppler. This is created to fight against wrinkles, gray hair, breakouts, hydrates your skin, and protects collagen and elastin. I am on my eighth bottle and don’t see myself ever not using this product! She also has another product that is specifically for skin, so if you don’t want/ need your hair to grow– there is another great option!

https://halobeauty.com/

2. Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash- $23.50

I have combo, acne-prone skin so this face wash is ideal! It’s meant to balance the dry and oily places on the face. It’s created with Bergamot, Spearmint, and Lavender so it feels super cooling and refreshing. My face never feels tight or “over-cleaned.” This is my first bottle and I haven’t run out yet in almost 2 months! I bought this bottle from my local Ulta!

https://www.ulta.com/checks-balances-frothy-face-wash?productId=xlsImpprod15071293

3. Batiste Large Dry Shampoo- $13.99

I wash my hair only twice a week so this product is an absolute GOD SEND!! I just use the original scent and considering I don’t wash my hair often, I buy the larger bottle- 13.46 fluid ounces- and usually have one or two for back up 🙂 I also like that this dry shampoo comes in a dark color as well for when my hair is darker. Even on days when I do wash my hair I’ll spritz a little bit right in my roots to give them a boost. I’ll purchase this from Target, TJ Maxx, Wal-Mart, or Ulta.

https://www.ulta.com/hint-of-color-dry-shampoo?productId=xlsImpprod3560065

4. Equate Make-up Remover Wipes with the Closable Lid 80 ct.-  $5.97

I use these every day to remove my make-up. I’ve used plenty of different other brands and these are my favorite- they’re inexpensive, don’t break me out, and aren’t too oily feeling. I just buy these from Wal-Mart

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Beauty-Makeup-Remover-Cleansing-Towelettes-80-Count-2-Pack/38294506

5. It’s A 10 Miracle Leave-in Product- $37.03

Considering I don’t wash my hair every day, this isn’t technically a daily beauty product, but I have been using this product religiously for a couple years now. I spray this just below my roots, all throughout my wet hair. This is super helpful in reducing breakage, frizz, and protects my hair when using heat products. I buy the larger size- 10 fluid ounces- from Ulta because this will last me about 6 months.

https://www.ulta.com/miracle-leave-in-product?productId=xlsImpprod6481230