Joy.

Like everyone else in the country, I've been glued to my TV/Laptop/Twitter account this week watching, listening and reading the coverage of Pope Francis' Inaugural visit to the U.S. I think I've talked to every person I could possibly know about Pope Francis in the coming months, and I reached a point where I couldn't keep my cool when talking about him, even at work.

Quote form Evangelii Gaudium Chapter One

"More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules that make us harsh judges, within habits with make us feel safe, while at our door people are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us: 'Give them something to eat' (Mark 6:37) "

Pope Francis

Time to step outside our comfort zone.

Asparagus, Bacon, Corn and Sweet Potato Skillet

I love when beautiful things come about by piecing together pre-existing parts you never thought belonged together. I realized on Thursday that I had a half a bunch of asparagus and a sweet potato that I needed to cook before they went bad, so to Pinterest I flew! I did a quick search for asparagus and sweet potato and found this amazing recipe off of Barefeet in the Kitchen! It is super quick, super simple and so delicious! I was amazed by how much flavor was in this simple dish! Enjoy!

Friday Favorites

Oy with the poodles already. Summer has just flown by. While I haven't traveled too much this summer, this summer was busy between actually working all summer (missing that teacher life...), trying to do ALL the Philly summer things and...whomp whomp, studying for the GRE. BUT, I finally took the GRE last week and the next step of the application for graduate school can begin! I'm giving myself a challenge of actually trying to post more regularly on here, so we'll see how that goes. Working on some upcoming things, but as for now, here are some Friday Favorites!

Cyberbully

It was a typical Monday night and the roommates and I were sitting down for our weekly viewing of The Bachelorette. I completely admit that the franchise is my biggest guilty pleasure. Even though the vehicle is unorthodox and doesn't necessarily work a lot of the time, watching someone chase after love is intriguing. No, I don't think the show promotes the best morals in terms of how we go about looking for love, but I love it nevertheless. This season has been one of "the most dramatic seasons of the Bachelorette ever"....as it always is (Chris Harrison I am buying you a thesaurus to up your adjective game) and tonight aired the "Men Tell All" episode. Always drama, always people accusing others or defending why they did something, always the heartfelt last words of the last gent sent home (<3 Ben H. <3) to Kaitlyn. All very typical MTA episode stuff. 

Kaitlyn made many choices on the show, some of which I agree with some of which I don't. She owned up to her choices and mistakes. The backlash of cyber harassment that followed her during the airing of the show was atrocious. Whether or not you agree with her, bullying someone for any reason is NOT okay. 

This is a topic very close to my heart. I work on a psychology research team that studies relational aggression and cyber bullying and works to create programs to help kids deal with aggression, bullying and friendship problems in healthy ways. It is disheartening to see adults take to social media outlets to bully and harass other individuals who they "know" through a TV program. 

There is a difference between expressing an opinion and harrassment. It is fine to disagree with any one person's choices and lifestyle and to defend your beliefs and morals. It is okay to feel a certain way about a person, a TV show and those who participated. In one of my programs, we teach our kids that "all emotions are okay but all actions are not okay". That's where the choice comes in. That is where you decide how to take what you are feeling and deal with it. 

A lot of bullying has to deal with power and I think with cyberbullying in particular, people who may not feel powerful in their everyday lives take to a space where they can remain anonymous to exert power over another person. Making fun of someone for their choices or appearance and using derogatory terms, which not only hurt the intended victim but normalizes the use of such language to make it seem okay to demoralize one another with that language, not only hurts that person and those in their life, but it also makes hatred socially acceptable. By attacking someone else to defend our beliefs we show others, especially those who learn from us, that the only way to stand up for your beliefs is to knock others down. We become less loving role models and become more stereotypes of religious judgement.

Our God is a God of love, not of hatred. Does that mean God endorses or wants His beloved children to disobey him? No, but that God also doesn't want His children spreading hatred and judgement as a way to try and get others to see His Message. Jesus didn't die for us and continue to offer Himself in the Eucharist to us  so that we may demoralized and judge our fellow brothers and sisters when they fall. He called us "to love our neighbor as ourselves" (Mark 12:31) and His future follower, St. Francis of Assisi calls us to "preach the Gospel at all time, if necessary use words." We don't change the hearts of others and help lead them towards Jesus by shaming them with hatred. We don't impact the next generation by dismissing someone as a role model by calling them derogatory names. We don't become more powerful leaders for Christ by making others less powerful. 

"Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth"

1 John 3:18 

As of lately...

I think I am really going to get back to writing more regularly soon, but as for now...

Eating-- Vegetarian Chili from the Healthy Grocery Girl Nutrition Plan. This is not the exact recipe, but it is a twist on the original. Even though it is crazy hot, this was super easy to make and made a TON of food!

Listening-- Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness (Previously of Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate). Jack's Mannequin is one of my all time favorite bands and their song "Swim" is pretty much my anthem.

Drinking-- Water, water and more water. Have I mentioned it is hot here?

Thinking-- About cyberbullying and how it doesn't necessarily get better once you become an adult (more to come on that later)

Wasting-- time watching "Royal Pains" on Netflix #obsessed

Dreaming-- Weird dreams that somehow take place at the Louvre and Disney World at the same time #lifegoals #wanderlust #happiestplaceonearth

Eyeing-- Tory Burch Riding Boots from Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Laughing-- At my coworkers and their ridiculous stories. They keep me sane :D

Reading-- Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman. I just started it so I haven't formulated an opinion/review of the book. The topic, though, hits right on point.

Wishing-- I had air conditioning or a tropical beach. But at least it isn't winter....

As of lately

This spring has flown by.

I think the combination of being happy that it is no longer winter (#praiseHim), being so busy at work and traveling so much has made this time go fast. It has been incredibly full and here is a little round-up:

Easter trip to California to visit my best friend and her husband! Spent the day in Santa Monica

We surprised one of my co-workers and  took her to sky zone for her birthday!

My college friend is leaving the area to start PA school, so we went to Painting with a Twist to celebrate!

My brother graduated college in Boston over Mothwr's Day weekend. Naturally, a photo shoot ensued.

Gurlz weekend celebrating a wedding in NC.

Being a super tourist

Happy Easter from Beverly Hills

Quick weekend trip to NYC with the parents to see a few shows and visit the WTC memorial 

Hiking in the NC mountains for Memorial Day weekend!

Work is winding down a bit and my extensive travels will be calming for a bit over the summer, so hopefully blogging will get back on my radar!

Quote of the day

 “Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”--Mark Twain

#adventureisoutthere #wanderlust

A Future Not My Own

God slow me down

I'm like a river running

Pressed to the ground

I feel it overcoming

I'm on my knees

I'm incomplete

This is a great unknown

Love is a long and narrow road

Come chase this heart of stone

I need a future not my own

Your spirit groans

Where all my words are ceasing

Can't do this alone

Lord help my unbelieving

My poverty

I'm incomplete 

This is a great unknown

Love is a long and narrow road

Come chase this heart of stone

I need a future not my own

Not my own

We see the start but You see the end

We see in part but Your love sees everything

We plant the seeds but You make them grow

We're building a house, You're building a home

This is the great unknown

Love is a long and narrow road

Come chase this heart of stone

I need a future not my own

This world is not my home

I still have miles and miles to go

Come break this heart of stone

I need a future not my own

For the love of a watch

In college I was never a big watch person. I figured, I have my phone, I'll just check the time on that. A nice watch seemed too "adult". Real people with real jobs have nice watches! Well fast forward to a year after college and oh hey! I'm a real person with a real job! I decided I wanted to invest in a classic time piece. I spent time doing my research, finding a look I liked, figuring out a price point and keeping up with sale sites like Rue La La for any deals.

I finally invested in a beautiful Michael Kors Tortoise Shell and Gold Watch as my "back-to-school" gift to myself. I finally got it sized (after having it for four months....) and it has never left my wrist!  Unless I am at the gym, sleeping or in the shower, it goes with every outfit and makes me feel just a little more dressed up. I never thought I would spend a lot of money on something like that, but discovered that something I wear as much as a watch needs to be good quality, so I am willing to invest a little more.

Does anyone have a statement piece of their wardrobe that they bought as an investment?

It's burning in my soul

I've been trying to feed my spiritual life more lately.
The closet church to where I live is the Basilica for our Archdiocese, so I tend to walk there on Sunday mornings for an early mass. The walk there is not that interesting, so I try to listen to music.

For the past few weeks, the first song I instinctively played as I start walking is "Burning in my Soul"by Matt Maher. Now. I. Love. Matt. Maher. (but more on that later)
The song leaves me with a desire for more, to have a passion reignited in my soul for Christ and His Church. I love listening to this song on my way to Mass, because it almost "pumps me up" for Mass, gets me excited to spend time in the celebration, gets me ready to "hear the sound from heaven, a mighty rushing wind" through the Word and to be nourished by His Body.

I love this song because it reminds me of the beginning of this year, when I started to thirst more for a deeper relationship with our Lord

I got to see Matt Maher perform in October at a music festival called Abbey Fest at the Daylesford Abbey in Paoli, Pa. 

He played as adoration began, in a field under the stars and I full on lost it.

I have always loved spending time in adoration and God has led me to some powerful experiences in adoration but I guess this time felt a little different.

I think I had been starving myself spiritually. I was so preoccupied with everything else going on in my life that I was not nourishing my soul. In that moment when Adoration began, I fully submitted to God. I didn't know what to say, to think, to pray for, so I just tried to be present in the moment of adoring a loving God.

The song has a line that says "we are calling for revival, God let your fire fall again, " and while that could be looked on as a greater metaphor for our generation calling for revival, I also take it as a personal call for me. A cry for something deeper and something more. I want my desire for Christ to be "burning in my soul" but that doesn't happen if I don't nourish and feed the soul where my desire needs to grow from. I too often want the big revelation without taking the small steps to work towards a meaningful relationship with God, and I know that I need to recommit to those small steps now in preparation for something more.

Room Inspiration

My room has a lot of blank wall space (cue Taylor Swift) that I have been trying to figure out how to decorate.  I have pictures, posters and some cute signs up, but couldn't figure out what to hang on the wall behind my bed. I was going through my closet last night (took all the clothes out....only to put all the clothes back in) and was going through my scarfs. 

I have a beautiful scarf that I bought in Barcelona that I never wear because the ends keep fraying and getting caught in jacket zippers. I was looking at it and thinking how much I love the colors and how it was such a big scarf and it hit me! I was the perfect thing to hang behind my bed and make a statement. My bedding is white and gray, as is my accent lamp, and my pillows are turquoise and coral. I was so excited and #impressed by my burst of "creativity". I think all that time looking a Pinterest has finally paid off!

NAS: But first....Let me take a Selfie

Link up with Jen and Morgan for this great series!

Do you support the selfie trend? Do you think it promotes self absorption, vanity and narcissism? Is there a way to incorporate selfies into the Church's teachings of modesty, authentic beauty, humility?Thanks to Hannah!

Not gonna lie, not a fan of the "selfie", Whether it is the song "but first....lemme take a selfie" or the never-ending parade of pictures on Instagram. 

I love pictures. Many a turned-around camera self picture has been taken in the hopes of not missing out on a memory, usually to capture who I was with or what I was witnessing around me.

Selfie overlooking the Copenhagen skyline

Back in the day, the "selfie" was when you turned the camera around in order to get everyone in a picture but there was no extra person to take it. It's purpose was to include everyone and make a memory. Even the occasional solitary self-taken picture was to savor a moment in which no one else was able to take the picture.  I'm all for documenting memories to live on. 

I'm not a big fan of the selfie just for the sake of having a picture of yourself, especially when posted on social media. I believe in the importance of feeling confident yourself and how you look, but the I see the posting of "selfies" of just yourself comes from the need for approval from others regarding our looks and our lifestyles. 

Selfie while walking El Camino de Santiago

Now, I completely fall prey to pruning my social media accounts to display my ideal self. I don't think anyone wants to feel like they look "bad" in their pictures, but I've realized there is a line between deciding what you want displayed and what you think should be displayed. The thought process of this picture makes me look this way or if I post this picture then it looks like I am fulfilled in this area of my life can trap us into hiding who we truly are, of hiding a true beauty. 

We don't need the others to assure us of that beauty. 

Page through the Bible, especially Song of Songs and discover gems like this one:

"You are beautiful in every way, my friend, there is no flaw in you!"

Song of Songs 4:7

We need to use the selfie to capture more memories, more joy. Memories with friends, an experience of a lifetime, a moment of bliss. If we could use selfies to promote the joy of living  full lives with Christ instead of using them to promote living lives full of ourselves. 

I'm challenging myself to re-evaluate the selfie, will you?

Hope

NAS: Children

Whoops, I had all intentions of writing a post for last week's link up with Jen and Morgan, but I completely forgot!

But jumping back into things this week because I LOVE the topic!

Do you have children in your life? What is your relationship with them like? Do you have godchildren, and how do you form a relationship with them? Does having children in (or not in) your day-to-day life make you feel happy, wistful, or wary (of having your own someday)? Thanks to Lindsay! 

I'd have to say that there are a good amount of kids in my life. Let me break it down: Family-wise I am the oldest of three siblings, the oldest of 13 cousins on my Dad's side and one of 19 cousins on my mom's side, most of whom have kids (so about 13 first-cousins once removed). So I grew up around A LOT of kids. And my career has also taken me down a path of working with a lot of children. From babysitting and teaching CCD in high school, to studying to be in a career working with children in college, to two-years of teaching 6th graders and now working on initiatives in Child and Adolescent Psychology, my career goals have always been to help better the lives of children.

My Godson!

I have a godson, who is actually my godmother's son, and he is the cutest stinking kid in the entire world. I don't see him enough and I want to learn to be a better role model to him through being his Godmother, but I'm just continuing to love the little goober and his silliness for now. 

Confirmation 201

I am also blessed to have been the confirmation sponsor of two of my cousins in the past two years, and I have been able to see them develop into such strong young men, a privilege that my geography has granted me recently.  I've learned a lot from how they view the world and am ever-blessed by their humor.

Confirmation 2013

I feel like I have a good relationship with most of the kids in my life, though my little cousins have told me on more than one occasion to stop acting like their teacher #canthelpit. Although spending all day teaching wasn't the best fit for me, the part I miss most about full-time teaching is my kids. Not my students, my kids. I realized very early on in my teaching career  how quickly I began to care for my students when I started calling them "my kids", and still refer to them that way when I talk about them (which tends to confuse some people who didn't know I was a teacher.....). I loved the times when we could just talk, where I could just hear them reflect upon their life and their hopes and dreams. While I enjoyed teaching my math and science lessons, one of the most fruitful moments in teaching came from an hour and a half long conversation I had with my class the day after Pope Francis was elected. It was fascinating, in a Catholic school that serve mostly non-Catholic students, to hear their perspective on the event (side-note: All kids think the Popemobile is cool).

I think because I come from a teaching background that I am sometimes to strict with the kids in my life, but I think it is because I've see so much potential and future hope in kids and I want them to have every opportunity to use the gifts that God has bestowed upon them. The children in my life bring me the most amount of happiness in my days, especially when they blow my mind answering questions so simply. Their unbiased innocence lends itself to that, and they show me an insight into the world and the human experience that is closer to what God intends us to see than what we necessarily see when we view the world. I see myself working with kids for as long as I can, either directly in their care or in advocacy for their rights and needs. While I don't know when it may happen, if He chooses to bless me with them, I can't wait to have kids of my own one day, in whatever way God grants them to me. 

The greatest thing that teaching has taught me is that we have a lot we can learn from them while we hope they may learn something from us.

"At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me"

Matthew 18:1-5

joy

While I was in Mass this evening, I was reflecting on the difference between joy and happiness after receiving communion. I am happy with my life now. I really like my job and find a great deal of fulfillment with my work. I like where I live, the trips I get to take, the friends I get to see. My family is healthy and I get to visit and communicate with them often. I really have nothing to complain about. However when I was in Mass, kneeling after receiving His Body and Blood, I couldn't think of the last time I was truly joyful, truly filled with a sense of wonder and awe. I realized that the last long stretch of time that I truly felt joyful was in college when I was extremely involved with my college campus ministry group. Sure, I was crazy stressed at certain points and I may not have been happy with everything that came my way, but I experienced true moments of Joy brought by God, whether in a Bible study, on a retreat, in Adoration or teaching at Sunday school. There have been fleeting times since, but I think I lost track of joy and what joy truly was to cultivate and appreciate it. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and as this super reliable website says, " The "fruit" is the product of the Holy Spirit's cultivation of character in a heart." Joy doesn't come from worldly things, from accomplishments, achievements and the things we acquire. Joy is a gift that comes from cultivating something within our hearts. Joy comes from God within ourselves, not from outside sources. Over the past few weeks, I'm been realizing more and more of my need and desire to come back to the heart of it all, to the heart of worship, to the heart of Jesus, and it is then, when I come back to Him, that I will find my joy.

Fall in Love

"Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything,

It will decide what will get you out of the bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything."

---Pedro Arrupe, S.J.

Recipe: Sauteed Shrimp over Lemon Quinoa

January Goal Progress for Nutrition!

I made myself plan out meals for the week in a very real and structured way. I know that I never have time for breakfast and that some days I have to pack a lunch that doesn't need to be refridgerated, so I made sure I planned specific meals for that.

 

I also picked a new recipe to try (thank you Pinterest!) I love seafood, so this shrimp recipe is light and packed with flavor, lots of veggies and yummy quinoa! I used frozen, pre-cooked shrimp instead of uncooked to save on time and roma tomatoes instead of sundried. I added a litttttlllee too much lemon juice (whoops...didn't measure) so it was very lemony, but still delicious!

 

 

The recipe is from The Kitchn

 

Saucy Sautéed Shrimp over Lemon Quinoa

Serves 2 to 4

1 cup golden quinoa ( I just used whatever quinoa I had at home)
Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup full-bodied white wine, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley leaves, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small red onion or 2 large shallots, minced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, finely sliced (I used roma tomatoes!)
1 pound fresh small pink shrimp (I used frozen, pre-cooked shrimp!)
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under running water. In a 2-quart (or larger) saucepan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the drained quinoa and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the salt, the lemon juice (about 3 tablespoons), 1/4 cup white wine, and 1 1/2 cups water.
Bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat. Simmer for covered for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa. Stir in the lemon zest and half of the minced parsley.
While the quinoa is cooking, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat in a deep heavy skillet. Add the garlic, red onion or shallot, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the garlic and tomatoes are soft and fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn or get crispy; let it cook slowly in the butter. Turn the heat to medium and add the second tablespoon of butter and the remaining 2/3 cup white wine. Whisk constantly and bring the wine to a simmer. Cook until slightly reduced and shiny. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and keep the sauce warm while you cook the shrimp.
Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. In a separate large skillet or wok, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter over high heat and sear the shrimp quickly until cooked — about 1 to 2 minutes. Add to the pan with the vegetables and sauce and toss with the remaining parsley. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve immediate, topping the lemon quinoa with shrimp and its sauce.

Happy Eats!

Not Alone Series: A Day in the Life

I've always loved reading this series hosted by Jen and Morgan but up until now I have never been a contributor! With new goals this year of posting on my blog more regularly, I really want to commit to this series and the wonderful ladies who contribute!

Let's get back in the swing by sharing what our typical day is like! Tell us however you like, minute by minute or a blurb about your day! Be sure to answer these questions: 

- What is your favorite part of your day?

- What is your least favorite part of your day?

- Are you making any changes to your daily routine now that the new year has begun?

Morning:

My typical morning happens really fast, mostly because I would rather avoid city traffic and get to work early than enjoy a leisurely morning. I usually am up between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. unless I need to be at a school extra early. The colder it gets, the more difficult it gets to get out of bed, mainly because my room is FREEZING. Our house is about 100 years old, so it doesn't heat particularly well, plus my room is rather large and doesn't heat as fast as other spaces in the house. Once I make it out of bed, its dress, make-up/hair, make tea, pack lunch, grab breakfast, bundle up (for now) and head out the door to figure out where I parked my car (yay city living!). Even though I live and work in the city, I still drive to work because I spend a lot of my time visiting different schools around town. Luckily, my commute to my office is only about 15 minutes, so I am usually in the office between 8:00 and 8:30. Once I'm in, I check emails, read the news and drink my tea to start off the day!

Day:

I work as a research assistant in the Department of Children and Adolescent Psychology at a children's hospital, so my job entails a variety of tasks. When I'm not in the office working with data and documents, I am out at a couple of different schools working on two projects implementing mental health initiatives in urban public schools. It takes about 10 minutes in person to describe my projects, so that is a post for another day!

Afternoon/Evening:

Once I leave work, I'm usually home by 5 p.m. I typically don't run errands during the week because I park my car (street parking) around 5 p.m. and I don't want to lose my spot! So evenings have typically been spent at home with my 5 roommates (yep, 5), watching TV, cooking, sometimes going to the gym and just hanging out. There are a few young adult events in my area that I want to join, but haven't gotten around to yet, so hopefully that will change soon! Occasionally we venture into the city for fun city things, but typically week nights are pretty chill. Shower, dinner, TV, read and then off to bed by 10:30/11:00 p.m.!

What is your favorite part of your day?

I really love the people I work with, so my favorite part of my day is usually mid-morning coffee or lunch where we can all catch up and exchange ideas! The same goes for at home. Anytime all the roommates get together to do something (aka hang out in the kitchen or watch a movie) is always the best.

 What is your least favorite part of your day?

Getting out of bed. It. Is. So. Cold.

 Are you making any changes to your daily routine now that the new year has begun?

I am trying to more consistently read a daily devotional in the morning and hit the gym/exercise after work. Also, like Jen said in her post, I'm trying to eliminate screen time before bed (main culprit: Netflix....)

I'm so excited to really dive into this series and get to know more people in this wonderful community!

January Goals

Every year I make New Year's Resolutions and every year I feel like I just end up trying for a bit and then forgetting about them. Overall, I'd like 25 to be a healthier year, so I've decided to break down my resolutions to monthly goals.

My January focus is a Physical goal: re-vamping my diet.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I have not been to great about every sticking with a certain style of eating. Throughout college, graduate school and now post-grad life, I've had a lot of anxiety around food. I tend to avoid food when I get stressed out in order to have an area I can control. If the kitchen is too crowded and I don't have room to cook, I'll just grab something I don't need to cook. If there isn't enough room in the refrigerator, I tend to not grocery shop or get anxious about what to eat. I have a peanut allergy that has recently gotten worse, which really cuts peanuts out of my diet as opposed to me just selectively eating peanuts. I had a period of time where I had a lot of medical testing to see if I had any other food allergies or if I had developed a gluten intolerance. While nothing has come up in the past, at different points I have cut out dairy, selectively been gluten free but have not fully embraced a holistic way of eating. I have the biggest sweet tooth which leads to me to choose sweet treats (aka chocolate) most of the time over other options. Even though I believe in healthy eating, I have never been able to fully grasp onto that lifestyle.

My big goal for the year is to get a strong grasp on my health in a holistic way. I have chosen to start with what will be fueling my body. I've recently joined The Healthy Grocery Girl Nutrition Plan as a way of trying to commit (slowly) to a whole food plant based diet. It is a program that slowly breaks down transitioning to a holistic way of looking at food, and I'm sure that I'll be reviewing it on here, so here it goes!

As for the rest of my physical goal, I want to increase my cardio by trying to do some in house workouts 2-3 times a week for a start.

Spiritual Goal: Finish reading "My Sisters the Saints" by Colleen Carroll Campbell and post a book review

     Dedicate 5 morning minutes to prayer daily

Mental Goal: Dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to writing, whether for blog or for personal thoughts

   No screen time (phone, iPad, Computer) in bed (hopefully this will help with sleep!)

The Power of Vulnerability

If you look up the definition of vulnerable, it isn't very pretty. Oxford English Dictionary defines vulnerable as "susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm," coming from the Latin vulnerare which means "to wound." When thinking about vulnerability, it always is a word that makes me feels like squirming around in my chair. It is difficult because it exposes us, scrapes away our perfection shells and exposes the hidden scars.

It makes us uncomfortable.

It makes me uncomfortable.

I fully place myself into the category of perfectionist. I also place myself in the category of being guarded and difficult to get to know. I am fully aware that the two work hand in hand to beat back vulnerability. I'm difficult to get to know because I am a perfectionist who only wants certain pre-approved bits of knowledge to get out. I'm a perfectionist because I even if I want people to get to know me I am desperately afraid of them getting to know me.

Dr. Brene Brown talks about vulnerability and how those who she found lived the most "whole-hearted" life embraced vulnerability and realized that what made them vulnerable made them beautiful. These people shared the traits of courage, compassion and connection as well: The courage to tell the story of who they truly are with their whole hearts, the compassion to be kind to yourself first and then to others and a level of connection with others that was a result of authenticity. The lived from who they truly were even though they risk the unknown and the uncontrollable.

As a society, we numb vulnerability and push away things that may cause us pain. We drink, we eat for the sake of eating, we engage in meaningless sex and we binge watch Netflix for hours to avoid and distract us from the reality in front of us. We try to make the uncertain certain in order to control outcomes. We prefect in order to disguise. We pretend that what we do doesn't have an effect on the people around us. We don't realize that by protecting ourselves we end up hurting other people.

Vulnerability entails a lot of trust. Trust that we can let ourselves be seen and handle whatever may come of that. Trust that if we love with our whole hearts and end up heartbroken, that we can bounce back. Trust that we are enough.

I'm taking on vulnerability as my word of 2015. It is the year I turn 25 and is the year I was to discover who I am and let that be known to the world.

It's so not going to be easy. It's so not going to be pretty.

But I'm betting it will be one heck of a journey.

I found Dr. Brene Brown through a guest post by Maxie McCoy on my favorite blog, The College Prepster, called "A perfectionist's Guide to the Holidays".  Below is Dr. Brown's Ted Talk: The Power of Vulnerability 

PINteresting Projects to try in 2015

There is no doubt that I'm addicted to {Pinterest} and I could (and have) literally pinned things for hours. The problem with Pinterest is that it becomes a pretty board to look at, and I never end up making any of the projects. I've tried a few recipes and use the party planning tips (hot chocolate bar for Christmas Party? check done!), but some of the craft projects need to be tried!

A few to look forward to in 2015:

A simple beginner skirt from Shrimp, Salad, Circus

If I had my way,  I would wear skirts and dresses every day of the year. However, Northeastern winters and a budget make that a bit tricky! I am a novice sewer, so I would love to up my skirt collection with some of my own creations!

DIY Plush Headboard from She Said

I still don't have a headboard for my bed and have been saying I would make one for a while now....I should get on that.

Shutterfly Photobooks

While not technically a Pinterest project, I am WAY behind on my phonebook collections! I still need one from my summer hike through Spain, my graduate school program, not to mention my study abroad semester!

I'll start with those three and see how they go!