So, click on over to instagram and follow newbalancenicole. Because until life slows down and gets a bit more in order (like, in the fall hopefully) I will most likely be “blogging” through instagram. But don’t go to far, I promise to be back soon. I love my readers.

See you soon,

@newbalancenicole

Please take five minutes out of your day to watch this short clip. 

After crying throughout pretty much the entire clip, I couldn’t help but wonder…will we ever be content with who we are? Will we ever be able to accept a complement about our beauty? Will we ever stop comparing ourselves to models and actresses? Will that number on the scale ever stop determining our happiness? Will exercise ever be something fun or simply a chore we burden ourselves with every day?

When will we stop believing the lies our culture feeds us?

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25

We stayed at a resort right at the base of the mountain and were able to literally walk outside and get on a ski lift. It was awesome and super convenient.

The resort condo had plenty of room, a huge kitchen table, two fire places, a balcony, and extremely comfy beds.

We skied two full days. The mountain had so many different trails so I stuck to greens and blues. The views were breathtaking.

I didn’t take many food pictures at all but managed to grab a picture of a cheesecake ball (WHAT? Cheesecake ball? I know. We had about five.) The last day, we went into town to grab breakfast and went to the cutest local cafe. Now that is what I call a veggie omelet (avocado on top) and a fresh fruit cup.

One night we ate at a Mexican restaurant in town and the other nights we cooked dinner at the condo and had a great time socializing over spaghetti and chili.

Needless to say, it was an awesome trip and I still managed to have about three days home with my family with was great. Definitely a spring break for the books.

I currently just finished unpacking everything from spring break back into my dorm room and am getting ready for the week ahead.

Next week is the spring musical so this week is going to be insane. And so much fun. We have practice everyday this week and then all day Saturday and half of Sunday. Here goes!

What did you do for spring break? Any fun plans for Easter weekend? 

I really encourage you to try this recipe as store bought hot chocolate “powders” are loaded with sugars, chemicals, and ingredients that no one can pronounce and have no business putting in their body.

Please just take a look at the ingredients in Swiss Miss hot chocolate:

Ingredients: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), HYDROGENATED COCONUT OIL, NONFAT MILK, SALT, LESS THAN 2% OF: DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, DEXTROSE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, ACESULFAME POTATSSIUM, CARRAGEENAN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SUCRALOSE. 

The first two ingredients are corn syrup and sugar. Then comes the cocoa but it is processed with alkali which strips the chocolate of most of its antioxidants, anyways. Followed by  hydrogenated (saturated fat) coconut oil and then a bunch of ingredients that I don’t have the first clue of what they are.

Hot Chocolate

1/2 teaspoon Unsweetened Cocoa

1 teaspoon Pure Maple Syrup

Stir ingredients in a hot cup of milk (steamed milk will help add some sweetness, but microwaved milk still tastes excellent).

Enjoy putting wholesome ingredients in your body.

I don’t know how, but the maple syrup perfectly sweetens the cocoa for a dark, rich flavor.

Happy Hot Cocoa Drinking. 

Anyways, I love running at night and have been wanting to sign up for a race and just see physically where I was at. So we decided to just have fun since we didn’t train (not that you need to for a 5k, unless you are trying for a specific time). Our goal was to come in under 35 minutes, although I secretly wanted under 30 minutes.

Before:

The course was downtown and everyone was decked out in glow sticks and neon. It was a pretty easy course with not much incline, although the lighting was not so great. I’m used to running at night so I didn’t think it was too bad but I heard a few people saying they couldn’t see. There was a lot of great energy though and I felt good the whole time. (I really wanted to sprint at the end but my friend was having a little trouble breathing, so we took it easy.)

After:

Our final time was 29.19! It may not seem fast to many, but we were pretty excited! (When I had been running on my own, I usually ran 3.2 miles in about 33-35 minutes so now I know I can push myself harder.) Also, our goal was to keep up with a girl from school who is really athletic (and one of our spring musical directors) and we ended up beating her! I think we were almost more excited about that then about coming in under 30 minutes.

We still had spring sing practice that night from 9:00-11:00 so after the race we grabbed some fro-yo since we had a little time to kill. And because refueling is very important. And because exercise should make you strong, not thin.

I went with vanilla bean and Reese’s- calcium and protein, for the win.

Overall, I had a blast and definitely want to run another race soon! Right now I’m just going to focus on running for fun because I don’t want to get to obsessed with numbers and what-not. Maybe someday I’ll try to set some personal records, but right now, I’m focusing on enjoying where I am in life right now, and competitions just aren’t on the agenda.

Happy Running!

Anyways, enough of that first year freshmen giddiness (I’m hoping I still feel this way senior year…), and on to some “what I’ve been up to” photos:

1. The first function of the semester for my club was “Painting with a Twist.” Aka, a really artsy person tried to guide us through the steps of painting a perfect sunset…it never turns out like they do it but it was still a lot of fun!

2. My club jersey finally came in! Now every Friday I can proudly show my love for  Chi Omega Pi.

3. This sticky note is right above my bed and I read it every single day. It is God’s constant reminder to me and my tendency toward anxiety. I love seeing such a precious promise every time I go to sleep and wake up. #Jesuscalling

4. Sometimes when we have spring sing practice at 9:00 AM on a Saturday mornings, we reward ourselves with IHop and a trip to Wal-Mart afterwards. I love my friends.

5. I didn’t think I would get anything for Valentines Day (except from my Dad because he always remembers his girls!) and I ended the day with some very sweet gifts. Needless to say, even without the gifts, this was hands down the best Valentines Day yet. Not to mention we had a chocolate and She’s the Man movie night. (In case the picture didn’t answer your question, my favorite candy is Reeses.)

6. My verse for the semester. My mom reminded me of that verse over break and I didn’t think much of it till I got back to school and realized how serious it is. It too is on a sticky note by my bed and has been a great reminder and comfort to always, always guard my heart.

My only complaint of this semester? I am so. so. so. so. so. sick of cafeteria food. It gets progressively worse everyday. Instead of craving sweets like normal, I just crave a real meal- like an identifiable piece of meat, or something without the word “fried’ in it, or just something healthy other than salad with crappy dressing on it. I pretty much eat baked or mashed potatoes at every meal and milk and whatever odd piece of protein I can find…and veggies if they aren’t labeled “mixed greens” and resemble cow throw up. If I could, I would just make a sandwich everyday but they don’t have gluten free bread.

Ok, I digress. 

Happy Thursday!!!

What fun facts do you have about your week?

I know there is a more formal way of completing the project (like, with a sewing machine) but all I did was cut off the sleeves.

I started with an old sweater from my freshmen year of high school. Then I simply cut the sleeves off, right below the arm pits.

And there you go, leg warmers- just in time for Sunday church.

With the leftover sweater, I cut it up a bit more and made an “infinity” [circle] scarf.

So, whenever you are in need of a Saturday night homework procrastinating project, look no further.

Also, since tomorrow is Monday and this week does not look to promising, I have two short videos you MUST watch to start your week.

This little girls “interview” completely melted my heart. And I have watched it at least five times.

Secondly, this little boy might just give you enough energy to skip the morning cup of coffee. Just watch and see…

What is your trick to a happy Monday?

On the bright side, for Martin Luther King Day, I managed to plan a hiking trip and eighteen people came! It was a lot of fun and I wanted to sit at the top for hours (or forever). Afterwards, we went to went to Buffalo Wild Wings and refueled from the trek.

It’s been quite chilly here so I have been wearing my new blue coat (from Christmas) quite often. I snapped this picture today in class as I realized I was wearing a blue coat, carrying a blue purse, and eating a blue breakfast.

Tonight I made myself skip out on the usual Friday festivities (read: movie night) and camp out at Starbucks. This week I have:

Four tests.

Three musical practices.

Two hours of observing at an elementary school.

One paper due.

(And a partridge in a pear treeeeee)

I just finished writing my five-page paper so I rewarded myself with a long over due blog post. The paper was my educational autobiography so I actually enjoyed writing it. Plus, anything is better than working on 350 biology review questions.

I am slightly unsure of which test to start studying for since they all promise to be difficult. I’m not trying to rush life, but I really think I will be glad for this week to be over. My club has a painting function on Friday that I’m going to (with a blind date…what have I got myself into?) so that is my reward for the end of the week!

Have a Fabulous First week of February.

For all you other organizer junkies:

This is my organization wall. AKA I forgot to complete a math assignment, got a zero, freaked out, and created a reminder wall that will never let me forget to turn in an assignment again.

I’m off to spring musical practice till midnight….

My latest from Start: Mediterranean Quinoa bowl with sweet potato tots on the side.

It’s probably a good thing I do not live in close driving distance to this restaurant, or else I would want to go every day of break.

My sister recently introduced us to a new yogurt place that *gasp* I hadn’t been to yet.

I got vanilla and chocolate frozen yogurt with peanut butter cups and homemade whipped cream on top. Yum.

They must know people like us will eat there just because they have cute monsters on the cup.

Today marks one week left of break. It has definitely gone fast, however, I am not dreading heading back to school. I’m dreading the school-work part, but not the being able to see my friends part and starting my second semester.

Anyone have any fun plans for the weekend?

College was great. My first semester was awesome. My anxiety was much less than it ever was in high school. I socialized more than I ever have. I didn’t dread Mondays because it meant another week of classes with my friends. Friday nights almost always consisted of movie night with whoever could come. Some of my funnest memories involve eating in the cafeteria with a table full of people and laughter. Walking to class on such a beautiful campus was never dreaded. Watching Say Yes to the Dress and eating dove dark chocolate with friends cures any bad day. Christmas time had never been so special; spent with friends I’ve grown to love in just a short few months. Choir introduced me to forty other girls who encouraged me every practice. Chi Omega Pi gave me 120 new “sisters.”

College did have some struggles, like any new transition has. Roommates didn’t quite turn out like expected. Finding time to exercise was quite difficult. Cleaning the bathroom just plain stinks (thank you mom for cleaning my bathroom for 18 years). Cafeteria food gets really old. Late night snacking is inevitable. Going to bed before midnight is a miracle. “Refreshments” at a meeting/party means junk food, not fresh food like fruits or vegetables that you are craving. Announcements at 2:00 AM that pumpkins are not allowed in dorm are just annoying. Never schedule an 8:00 AM class again.

The main struggle I dealt with was food. Not surprising coming from a past of disordered eating; however, I managed to remember all I learned and tried to not let it take complete control again. I started out the semester ready to conquer the cafeteria, and for a few weeks, I did well. I tried to eat three balanced meals, two-ish snacks and make sure I was fueling my body correctly. And then, late night studying and snacking happened. And Friday movie night turned into “bring all your candy and junk food to eat” night. And the daily cake in the cafeteria kept sneaking on my plate. And exercise didn’t happen.

And yes, I realize it’s college- four years of fun, so if I gain a little weight, it’s not permanent so it’s not worth obsessing over because college is a once in lifetime experience. But that doesn’t mean I plan on throwing all my nutrition knowledge and healthy habits out the window. It’s still four years of your life and you only have one body.

So, I decided to start counting calories. I downloaded the myfitnesspal app and started tracking my food and exercise intake. I didn’t plan on counting calories for long but I wanted to get my eating back to normal and also make sure I was getting the right amount of carbs, protein, fat, and potassium…etc. So, for about two months, I diligently tracked my eating habits. I don’t regret counting calories or feel like I got too obsessive. I pretty much learned what I already knew. Some days, I would eat more than my calorie intake and other days, I ate less. Hence, it’s all about balance, on the outside AND inside. It all goes back to the fact that your body balances everything out in a couple of days. Eat too many cookies one night? Don’t fret because your body works it all out for you. That is how God designed us. Your metabolism is quite effective. (A dozen cookies every night may not be the best idea though.)

Another way I knew my body balances it out is that some days, I didn’t eat my required amount. Which is one reason I didn’t like counting because when I saw “the number” of calories I still had left, it immediately triggered me to want to eat something, even when I knew I was perfectly full. On the other hand, some days I reached my limit and was still hungry. But you know what? Most of the time I still ate something because food=fuel and apparently my body needed some extra energy that day.

I will admit that at times I got a bit obsessive and, looking at how many calories I went over immediately made me hate on myself. That’s when I knew it was time to stop counting and move on from this little experiment. Overall, I was getting the nutrients I needed. I usually always ate more fat than needed each day  (which is ironic) but, it was most likely from all the nuts, nut butters, and cheese I eat. However, my protein and carb intake was usually right on target.

So what did I do when I stopped counting calories? I started simply shaping each meal according to the food pyramid, not by numbers. I also started drinking a glass of milk with lunch and dinner to help get some extra protein to stay full and get my daily intake of calcium. I have been trying to eat larger meals (Protein, Starch, Veggie, Fruit, and Dairy) and do less snacking which I have noticed to be effective in helping me stay full and less focused on food throughout the day. I will still enjoy dessert, just not every single night. This is the plan I hope to continue through next semester as it is going to be much more busy than this past semester and I will need a sturdy plan.

As for exercise, I am going to try for three workouts a week. And, I am counting walks as workouts. I know exercise is important, but right now, I don’t think I will obsess over it or make it a major priority. I find eating healthy affects me and my attitude way more than exercise. I like exercise, but I don’t love it. I still plan to be active, but I don’t plan on having a strict regimen. You know what they say, “Abs are made in the kitchen” I just have to remind myself that just because you aren’t exercising, it doesn’t mean you are going to gain weight. It really doesn’t. You just have to tell yourself that and move on. Some days I will spend the whole day battling with myself about needing to exercise when I don’t want to, and I’m not doing that anymore. If I have extra time one day, sure I will workout, but I’m not going to plan my life around it. I’m going to enjoy life.

Wow. If you made it through this post, you deserve a cookie. (So maybe go make some and send me one?)

Thank you for listening to my long speech that could be even longer, but I will spare you.

Here’s to good food, active days, and enjoying this very short life.