Exhausted, but content.
Busy, but so thankful.
Overworked, but beyond blessed.
God is doing some big things. It just took some time for me to realize it.
Bisous, SLR
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Clean Eating. Nom.
I am fairly healthy compared to the average American: I don't drink carbonated drinks, I rarely dive into a bag of Cheetos, I walk to work every day, I run at least once a week, and I don't consume an obnoxious amount of fast food (or even Starbucks drinks). My problem is I'm not quite sure what exactly I am eating. I am quite confident, however, whatever it is it includes a lot of sugar and isn't the best for my body. I'm certainly not even close to being overweight, but I would love to get away from processed and chemical-loaded foods.
I want to be extremely comfortable with my body knowing what I am putting in it are things that will help it and give it nutrients. It goes along with the simplicity I am trying to achieve; be healthy... get moving... and quit putting all that junk and unnecessary stuff in my diet. A quote that you may hear often keeps sticking in my head: If you eat garbage, your body will show it. I decided last week that it was time to get back to eating clean and trying to be a bit more active.
What is clean eating?
There are a few definitions out there. For me, eating "clean" means consuming tons of fresh veggies and fruits, eliminating all processed foods/preservatives/additives and refined sugars, eating five to six small meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two to three snacks in between meals), and enjoying lean meats and whole grains.
Click here for a deeper explanation from The Gracious Pantry. I like her explanation :)
So... what do you eat?
Food. Sorry, had to throw in a little smarty pants comment there. Really though, here is a menu plan for what I ate this week {from what I could remember}.
Snack - banana
Lunch - ??
Snack - almond butter
Dinner - Leftover Thanksgiving food... don't remember, and I feel like I shouldn't.
Snack - banana, almond butter
Lunch - dressing, sweet potatoe casserole
Snack - N/A
Dinner - Cup of Royal Wedding tea.
Snack - SPARK
Lunch - Protein bar, banana
Snack - N/A
Dinner - Salad with spring greens, spinach, tomatoes, turkey, lemon juice, olive oil, carrots.
Snack - SPARK. Go Lean cereal (dry, no milk).
Lunch - Apple slices and almond butter.
Snack - leftover dressing (1 cup), leftover mac & cheese (1 cup) - yay for cleaning out the fridge!
Dinner - green beans (seasoned with mrs. dash table blend), cubed sweet potatoes (seasoned with olive oil, nutmeg, mrs. dash italian blend, garlic power), and slice of ezekial bread.
Snack - celery sticks, banana
Lunch - protein bar
Snack - gluten-free cinnamon cupcake | leftover sweet potatoes from last night.
Dinner - salad with spring greens, spinach, turkey, cherry tomatoes, carrots, orange bell pepper, cranberries, lemon juice, and olive oil. Glass of red wine.
Snack - N/A
Lunch - Turkey and mustard sandwich on ezekial bread
Snack - Protein Bar
Dinner - Tuna with some weird sauce that I don't remember, hehe.
Snack - Protein Bar
Lunch - Celery sticks, cucumber slices
Snack - Uh... let's just say it was a cheat meal.
Dinner - buffalo chicken sandwich w/ tomatoes, lettuce, spicy mustard. {Best. Sandwich. Ever}
Remembering to pack food and eat it work seems to be the hardest part of sticking to clean eating. I work around carb-loaded pastries all day. Its hard to say no to those Pain au Chocolates... especially with the ten-hour shifts I have at times.
The past week was decent. I am finding that with healthy eating and clean eating it really is alright to have a little splurge every once in a while. As my boyfriend puts it, enjoying the once a week cheat meal makes the rest of the week more enjoyable.
Grocery List
Sunday morning I went grocery shopping. Here is what $75 got me:
Oatmeal, old fashioned rolled oats
Stalk of celery
Almond milk
Almond butter
garlic powder
bell peppers - three pack of red, yellow, and orange
carrots
cherry tomatoes
spring greens 1/2 spinach 1/2
tuna
tilapia
mustard
lemon juice
detergent, 2
egg white blend
green beans
cucumbers
Kashi Go Lean
bananas
apples
sweet potatoes
onion
cantaloupe
bag of frozen mixed berries
Mostly all of the above was organic. I feel like I could have spent much less if I didn't get organic, but in trying to avoid the chemicals I just picked up the 'ganic. The above list should be able to last me at least two weeks. Over the next few weeks its my goal to be able to spend less than $30 to buy groceries for a single week.
And there are my thoughts for the night. Now go eat some oatmeal.
{PS - Will expand upon my work out schedule and running plan later this week!}
I want to be extremely comfortable with my body knowing what I am putting in it are things that will help it and give it nutrients. It goes along with the simplicity I am trying to achieve; be healthy... get moving... and quit putting all that junk and unnecessary stuff in my diet. A quote that you may hear often keeps sticking in my head: If you eat garbage, your body will show it. I decided last week that it was time to get back to eating clean and trying to be a bit more active.
What is clean eating?
There are a few definitions out there. For me, eating "clean" means consuming tons of fresh veggies and fruits, eliminating all processed foods/preservatives/additives and refined sugars, eating five to six small meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two to three snacks in between meals), and enjoying lean meats and whole grains.
Click here for a deeper explanation from The Gracious Pantry. I like her explanation :)
So... what do you eat?
Food. Sorry, had to throw in a little smarty pants comment there. Really though, here is a menu plan for what I ate this week {from what I could remember}.
Sunday
Breakfast - Steel cut oatmeal, single serving.Snack - banana
Lunch - ??
Snack - almond butter
Dinner - Leftover Thanksgiving food... don't remember, and I feel like I shouldn't.
Monday: Finally, a day off.
Breakfast - Missed, slept in :)Snack - banana, almond butter
Lunch - dressing, sweet potatoe casserole
Snack - N/A
Dinner - Cup of Royal Wedding tea.
Tuesday
Breakfast - skippedSnack - SPARK
Lunch - Protein bar, banana
Snack - N/A
Dinner - Salad with spring greens, spinach, tomatoes, turkey, lemon juice, olive oil, carrots.
Wednesday
Breakfast - Banana. Rushed to work without eating breakfast. Fail.Snack - SPARK. Go Lean cereal (dry, no milk).
Lunch - Apple slices and almond butter.
Snack - leftover dressing (1 cup), leftover mac & cheese (1 cup) - yay for cleaning out the fridge!
Dinner - green beans (seasoned with mrs. dash table blend), cubed sweet potatoes (seasoned with olive oil, nutmeg, mrs. dash italian blend, garlic power), and slice of ezekial bread.
Thursday
Breakfast -Advocare meal replacement shake (chocolate), made with almond milkSnack - celery sticks, banana
Lunch - protein bar
Snack - gluten-free cinnamon cupcake | leftover sweet potatoes from last night.
Dinner - salad with spring greens, spinach, turkey, cherry tomatoes, carrots, orange bell pepper, cranberries, lemon juice, and olive oil. Glass of red wine.
Friday
Breakfast - Egg white omelet with spinach and tomatoesSnack - N/A
Lunch - Turkey and mustard sandwich on ezekial bread
Snack - Protein Bar
Dinner - Tuna with some weird sauce that I don't remember, hehe.
Saturday
Breakfast - Egg white omelet with spinach and tomatoes, hot tea (white), cantaloupeSnack - Protein Bar
Lunch - Celery sticks, cucumber slices
Snack - Uh... let's just say it was a cheat meal.
Dinner - buffalo chicken sandwich w/ tomatoes, lettuce, spicy mustard. {Best. Sandwich. Ever}
Remembering to pack food and eat it work seems to be the hardest part of sticking to clean eating. I work around carb-loaded pastries all day. Its hard to say no to those Pain au Chocolates... especially with the ten-hour shifts I have at times.
The past week was decent. I am finding that with healthy eating and clean eating it really is alright to have a little splurge every once in a while. As my boyfriend puts it, enjoying the once a week cheat meal makes the rest of the week more enjoyable.
Grocery List
Sunday morning I went grocery shopping. Here is what $75 got me:
Oatmeal, old fashioned rolled oats
Stalk of celery
Almond milk
Almond butter
garlic powder
bell peppers - three pack of red, yellow, and orange
carrots
cherry tomatoes
spring greens 1/2 spinach 1/2
tuna
tilapia
mustard
lemon juice
detergent, 2
egg white blend
green beans
cucumbers
Kashi Go Lean
bananas
apples
sweet potatoes
onion
cantaloupe
bag of frozen mixed berries
Mostly all of the above was organic. I feel like I could have spent much less if I didn't get organic, but in trying to avoid the chemicals I just picked up the 'ganic. The above list should be able to last me at least two weeks. Over the next few weeks its my goal to be able to spend less than $30 to buy groceries for a single week.
And there are my thoughts for the night. Now go eat some oatmeal.
{PS - Will expand upon my work out schedule and running plan later this week!}
Monday, November 11, 2013
Sacrifice.
Happy Veterans Day!!
Remembering our fallen heroes, those we have served, and those currently serving. Because of your honor, commitment, and service, I am forever grateful to live in the land of the free. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for all you have done to ensure this country's safety.
Especially thankful for my granddad, my surrogate granddad, my big brother, both of my brother in laws, and my sister in law. I appreciate you each so much and pray God blesses you in astounding ways for all you have done (and for some of you, what you are still doing) for our country.
Also, thank you to the families of our military veterans and current service men and women. Without you on the home front offering support, love, and strength for those fighting, they would have not gotten through. I have an extra special appreciation for military families after last year.
Blessings,
Xoxo, Shelby
Remembering our fallen heroes, those we have served, and those currently serving. Because of your honor, commitment, and service, I am forever grateful to live in the land of the free. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for all you have done to ensure this country's safety.
Especially thankful for my granddad, my surrogate granddad, my big brother, both of my brother in laws, and my sister in law. I appreciate you each so much and pray God blesses you in astounding ways for all you have done (and for some of you, what you are still doing) for our country.
Also, thank you to the families of our military veterans and current service men and women. Without you on the home front offering support, love, and strength for those fighting, they would have not gotten through. I have an extra special appreciation for military families after last year.
Blessings,
Xoxo, Shelby
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Close Enough
In case you do not know me well enough to already know this, I love France. I love learning and speaking French, I love Paris, I love french food, I love the culture, I adore the architecture, their style is perfect, the french accent gets me every time, everything. {Sidenote: I certainly think God will have me over there eventually, possibly for missions} Anyways, I say this to say; recently, God made things fall into place to where I now work at a French/European market in Atlanta. asgdksgbalgbasfg. While you're asking yourself why this is so grand and why I am this excited about it, let me remind you again... I. Love. France. And now I work in a french shop with real french individuals, with french music playing, with french foods, and working on my french. Thank you, Jesus. I about cried when I was offered the job. So excusez-moi while I get giddy about God leading me and taking me on new adventures... even if I cannot be in France, this is close enough :-)
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Since its Wednesday...
..... here are my unashamed #wcw woman crushes:
Jennifer Lawrence
Let's be honest, she is perfect. I love that she is a "curvy" woman in a "straight" Hollywood culture. She is so goofy and weird. Also, the fact that she kicks booty and plays Katniss gives her so many points.
Blake Lively
She is so naturally gorgeous. AND she is married to my man crush, Ryan Reynolds. Plus, I get that I am her brunette twin all the time. I think its the smile ;)
Bekah Stewart
Grateful for Tumblr that allowed me to find her and let us meet. Such a strong yet simply beautiful woman who I greatly admire. If my future boys could be as cool as hers I would be ever so thankful.
October Recap
New Beginnings:
I am officially an Atlanta resident!! Besides one dresser needing to be brought up, I am completely moved into my new Atlanta home. Yay! Finally, I can call this city my home. A bit surreal honestly, but thrilled to say it now. It took a while for all the plans to happen. I've been rather frustrated since September about the transition needing to happen. And as of October 31st, I am here to stay.
While the house is new to me, its definitely an older home in need of a lot of TLC. Good for my crafty side and Pinterest boards, not so good for my wallet and this whole simple mindset I'm trying to have. Eh, we shall see what happens there.
Biggest Lessons:
Patience. Trust. Trusting in God's direction, being patient for what He has in store. Two big things that never seem to go away and that I am always learning.
"Anxiety happens when the Lord is not present in future plans." Boom. How's that for a reminder? Not sure about you, but that one was a big-whoppin' sucker punch. Thank you, God, for the beautiful reminder, even if it is hard to accept at times.
Four things I told myself at the beginning of the month that I would change:
1. Cut back on the amount of time I spend on all social media and technology.
2. Find Motivation for all areas of my life.
3. Get out of bed when your alarm goes off in the morning. Not just to turn it off... get up.
4. Always be five minutes early.
Grade I give myself since then: B-.
I am still trying to work on each one (specifically #1 it seems here recently). However, all in all, I'd say we made a little progress. There is always room for improvement and I need to revisit these often.
Favorite Moment(s):
Speaking to a group of girls at an Atlanta school and being reminded at the beauty of why God has me as Miss Atlanta. Each girl I come in contact with has a different story and different up-bringing, but we have a common bond: we deal with or have dealt with low self confidence at some point. Seeing how high school girls are mentoring middle school girls to stand up against bullying gives me chill bumps.
Going to the GA National Fair with my family and a best friend. Always one of my favorite things to do that officially marks the fall season for us. I saw pigs cuddling, got sick off rides, ate carb-loaded fair food (Yuuuuuummy), drooled over the crafts people made, and enjoyed more fair goodness.
Random Goodies:
The fall colors have started popping out.
I pulled out sweaters, scarves, and boots. The fact that cool weather is here makes me giddy.
My personal library is growing by the day... suggestions on how to organize these boogers would be appreciated.
In love with Chris Tomlin's newest CD {Burning Lights} as well as Matt Redman's newest {Your Grace Finds Me}.
~
I am so grateful for the beauty God shows in dirtiness. I am grateful that a midst my crazy days and life, God still has His hands on everything. Even tonight, I was reminded that HE is in control, I need not fret. Such a simple thought but it is so constantly forgotten.
Blessings,
Xoxo, Shelby
I am officially an Atlanta resident!! Besides one dresser needing to be brought up, I am completely moved into my new Atlanta home. Yay! Finally, I can call this city my home. A bit surreal honestly, but thrilled to say it now. It took a while for all the plans to happen. I've been rather frustrated since September about the transition needing to happen. And as of October 31st, I am here to stay.
While the house is new to me, its definitely an older home in need of a lot of TLC. Good for my crafty side and Pinterest boards, not so good for my wallet and this whole simple mindset I'm trying to have. Eh, we shall see what happens there.
Biggest Lessons:
Patience. Trust. Trusting in God's direction, being patient for what He has in store. Two big things that never seem to go away and that I am always learning.
"Anxiety happens when the Lord is not present in future plans." Boom. How's that for a reminder? Not sure about you, but that one was a big-whoppin' sucker punch. Thank you, God, for the beautiful reminder, even if it is hard to accept at times.
Four things I told myself at the beginning of the month that I would change:
1. Cut back on the amount of time I spend on all social media and technology.
2. Find Motivation for all areas of my life.
3. Get out of bed when your alarm goes off in the morning. Not just to turn it off... get up.
4. Always be five minutes early.
Grade I give myself since then: B-.
I am still trying to work on each one (specifically #1 it seems here recently). However, all in all, I'd say we made a little progress. There is always room for improvement and I need to revisit these often.
Favorite Moment(s):
Speaking to a group of girls at an Atlanta school and being reminded at the beauty of why God has me as Miss Atlanta. Each girl I come in contact with has a different story and different up-bringing, but we have a common bond: we deal with or have dealt with low self confidence at some point. Seeing how high school girls are mentoring middle school girls to stand up against bullying gives me chill bumps.
Going to the GA National Fair with my family and a best friend. Always one of my favorite things to do that officially marks the fall season for us. I saw pigs cuddling, got sick off rides, ate carb-loaded fair food (Yuuuuuummy), drooled over the crafts people made, and enjoyed more fair goodness.
Random Goodies:
The fall colors have started popping out.
I pulled out sweaters, scarves, and boots. The fact that cool weather is here makes me giddy.
My personal library is growing by the day... suggestions on how to organize these boogers would be appreciated.
In love with Chris Tomlin's newest CD {Burning Lights} as well as Matt Redman's newest {Your Grace Finds Me}.
~
I am so grateful for the beauty God shows in dirtiness. I am grateful that a midst my crazy days and life, God still has His hands on everything. Even tonight, I was reminded that HE is in control, I need not fret. Such a simple thought but it is so constantly forgotten.
Blessings,
Xoxo, Shelby
Monday, October 14, 2013
A blessed closet. That is what I have to remind myself that I have every day. I do have clothes to wear. Maybe not compared to some people, but more than plenty compared to the rest of the world. I don't understand why it has become such a chore for me {as it has for most women I know} to find something to wear. I find myself constantly taking far too long putting on one outfit then changing to another, then another, and before I know it it has been at least forty-five minutes, my entire closet is on my bed, and I will be late for a meeting. The absurdity has got to stop.
I suppose a quick fix would be to go to the nearest shopping mall or picking up the latest Anthropolgie catalog and starting all over again; throw out everything I currently own and buy an entirely new wardrobe. That option, however, completely ruins the whole "simple lifestyle" that I am trying to achieve. Also, I am a broke college student who just moved to Atlanta... I don't have the funds to spend who-knows-how-much on a new wardrobe. So then, what shall one do?
Well, to start, I am going to clean out my entire wardrobe. Not going through and completely dumping everything I own and starting over, but taking things out I do not wear much anymore and updating the pieces I already have. After that, I want to see about getting a few basic pieces that I will be able to wear with just about anything. I'm talking white tees {they are my favorite anyways}, a great pair of jeans, a good pair of boots, basic cardigans {no fluffy stuff here}, and the like. I am more of a classic gal than a "cutsey" one so it is not super hard for me to say no when wanting to buy things from boutiques {although, I did work in one at one point and certainly love the unique clothes they carried}.
Third, for something to make it on to my wish list, it is going to have to go through the spin cycle. Do I honestly need it? Can I afford it? If I can afford it, is it worth the money I spend on it or would that money be best spent elsewhere? Can I use it with at least three outfits? Is it good quality? Do I need to wait? You get the point.
Lastly, I'm just going to strive to stop focusing on what I need, what I want, etc., and focus on my Jesus. Clothes are not bad. I am not saying that at all nor hinting at it. What is "bad" is when my entire day shifts around what to wear, how to look more cute, adding 150 things to what I want to buy, spending an hour to decide what I want to wear, I need to stop focusing on what I do or do not have. The constant thought of "I want this" or "this is going on my Wish List Pinterest board" needs to end.
There we go. My rant of the day and first step towards minimizing materialism.
I suppose a quick fix would be to go to the nearest shopping mall or picking up the latest Anthropolgie catalog and starting all over again; throw out everything I currently own and buy an entirely new wardrobe. That option, however, completely ruins the whole "simple lifestyle" that I am trying to achieve. Also, I am a broke college student who just moved to Atlanta... I don't have the funds to spend who-knows-how-much on a new wardrobe. So then, what shall one do?
Well, to start, I am going to clean out my entire wardrobe. Not going through and completely dumping everything I own and starting over, but taking things out I do not wear much anymore and updating the pieces I already have. After that, I want to see about getting a few basic pieces that I will be able to wear with just about anything. I'm talking white tees {they are my favorite anyways}, a great pair of jeans, a good pair of boots, basic cardigans {no fluffy stuff here}, and the like. I am more of a classic gal than a "cutsey" one so it is not super hard for me to say no when wanting to buy things from boutiques {although, I did work in one at one point and certainly love the unique clothes they carried}.
Third, for something to make it on to my wish list, it is going to have to go through the spin cycle. Do I honestly need it? Can I afford it? If I can afford it, is it worth the money I spend on it or would that money be best spent elsewhere? Can I use it with at least three outfits? Is it good quality? Do I need to wait? You get the point.
Lastly, I'm just going to strive to stop focusing on what I need, what I want, etc., and focus on my Jesus. Clothes are not bad. I am not saying that at all nor hinting at it. What is "bad" is when my entire day shifts around what to wear, how to look more cute, adding 150 things to what I want to buy, spending an hour to decide what I want to wear, I need to stop focusing on what I do or do not have. The constant thought of "I want this" or "this is going on my Wish List Pinterest board" needs to end.
There we go. My rant of the day and first step towards minimizing materialism.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
A year and a half later....
I'm back. Trying to balance too many blogs {each one having different reasons of existence}, on top of my social media, has left this poor blog unattended. But after spending the last few days cutting back on the number of accounts and blogs I have, I think I have managed being able to combine them into a total of two. Which lead me to renaming and refocusing this one.
It took some time trying to decide what the main theme of this blog should be {I am quite a visual person... you should see all my brainstorming scratch papers}. There were so many ideas coming to me and plenty of thoughts but nothing seemed to fit for what I wanted the main purpose to be. Driving around the city today it suddenly hit me: balance and simplicity. Ah. Light bulb. The two can go hand in hand. In this situation they do.
I feel as if my life is crazy. Well, actually it is. I am always trying to find the perfect balance; how to balance work, school, and relationships; how to balance giving my time to one project while giving it to five other; balancing family relationships and strengthening my {long distance} relationship with my dear man; making time to eat healthy, while being on the go all the time, while sticking to a good running and training schedule, while making appearances to schools and events, while managing all the above; the list goes on. But along with balancing life I am learning how to be simple and simplify my life; enough multiple blogs and social media outlets {who am I kidding thinking I can run five blogs, two twitters, an instagram, a facebook profile, and two facebook pages on top of everything else I have?!}; enough going through my blessed closet and thinking I have "nothing to wear"; enough of this running around and being out of breath all the time; enough not seeing the beauty in the simplest of things; enough seeking how I can have more, more, more.
Through blogging of my adventures in the balance acts of life and the simplifying of materialistic thoughts, I hope to find that balance of placing God at the center of my life and to learn to seek less, not more, and finding my all in Him alone.
Here goes nothing.
Xoxo, Shelby.
I'm back. Trying to balance too many blogs {each one having different reasons of existence}, on top of my social media, has left this poor blog unattended. But after spending the last few days cutting back on the number of accounts and blogs I have, I think I have managed being able to combine them into a total of two. Which lead me to renaming and refocusing this one.
It took some time trying to decide what the main theme of this blog should be {I am quite a visual person... you should see all my brainstorming scratch papers}. There were so many ideas coming to me and plenty of thoughts but nothing seemed to fit for what I wanted the main purpose to be. Driving around the city today it suddenly hit me: balance and simplicity. Ah. Light bulb. The two can go hand in hand. In this situation they do.
I feel as if my life is crazy. Well, actually it is. I am always trying to find the perfect balance; how to balance work, school, and relationships; how to balance giving my time to one project while giving it to five other; balancing family relationships and strengthening my {long distance} relationship with my dear man; making time to eat healthy, while being on the go all the time, while sticking to a good running and training schedule, while making appearances to schools and events, while managing all the above; the list goes on. But along with balancing life I am learning how to be simple and simplify my life; enough multiple blogs and social media outlets {who am I kidding thinking I can run five blogs, two twitters, an instagram, a facebook profile, and two facebook pages on top of everything else I have?!}; enough going through my blessed closet and thinking I have "nothing to wear"; enough of this running around and being out of breath all the time; enough not seeing the beauty in the simplest of things; enough seeking how I can have more, more, more.
Through blogging of my adventures in the balance acts of life and the simplifying of materialistic thoughts, I hope to find that balance of placing God at the center of my life and to learn to seek less, not more, and finding my all in Him alone.
Here goes nothing.
Xoxo, Shelby.
Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
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