#100HappyDays: Days 1-10

I have a great friend, Kirsten, who I email with multiple times a week. She and her husband, Doug, are in the Peace Corps in Rwanda, you can read all about them, here: https://midwestpcvs.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/st-louis-couples-love-for-art-english-fuels-projects-in-peace-corps-rwanda/

Anyway, through the course of our emails it became apparent that I always had something to complain about. I am not proud to admit this, but I am someone who has every reason to be happy, yet, I let my summary of my day be filled with the tiny gripes in life instead of the tiny celebrations. Anyway, Kirsten recommended that I check out http://100happydays.com/

Essentially, it is a challenge to take a picture daily of something that makes you happy. To switch your focus from the things that are bad or negative, which is human nature, to the things that are positive.

I have actually been loving this project! I am sharing on Instagram under “sasharoundtheclock” (so feel free to follow me!)

Well, a few of my close friends (Kirsten included!) have told me that they don’t have instagram but want to keep up with my project. So I have decided to do some weekly recaps here on this blog, where the forum is better for story telling and giving you a deeper glimpse into what is going on behind these photos.

Now, I am on day 22, so clearly I am behind on that! So I am going to do weekly 10-photo recaps until we get caught up!

Here were my first 10 days, starting on March 6th.

sasharoundtheclock

3 weeks ago

Watching tv from bed… Wonderful end to the work week and so relaxing! #100happydays

I decided to start my posting on the very day that Kirsten recommended it. So while this might not be the most inspiring tale of what makes me happy, I think a lot of people can appreciate that glorious feeling of snuggling into a couch or bed and watching tv or reading a book at the end of a long work day.

sasharoundtheclock

3 weeks ago

Drinking wine with my dear friend! #100happydays

I got to spend almost an entire day with my dear friend, Nancy! We had a rocky start to our day – we had planned facials together and then one of the estheticians called in sick and my appointment was cancelled. Never fear, though, we saved the day! Nancy got her facial, and then I met her at the salon and we explored downtown St. Charles, wandering in and out of little shops together. I also came back over for dinner and to craft, but we ended up having great conversations over an amazing bottle of wine (Stag’s Leap FAY) that Nancy was kind enough to share with me. I love this amazing, fun friend!

sasharoundtheclock

3 weeks ago

The weather was nice enough that I got to wear my flip flops! Looks like it might be pedicure time though…#100happydays

I absolutely love letting my feet be free! I went to the University of South Carolina for undergrad, where flip slops were a MUST. I always love when the weather gets nice enough to bust out my Old Navy flops!

sasharoundtheclock

3 weeks ago

Had fun making this one-sie for a friend! I love having time to be crafty! #100happydays #embroidery

You may or may not know, but I got a sweet sewing machine for my birthday from my parents and my husband. And then I got an awesome cabinet of embroidery thread from my mother in law for Christmas, and some accessories from my sister (which you’ll see featured in part in a minute). So embroidery is my new hobby! I was so excited to be commissioned to make this for my coworker’s daughter’s first birthday! I have an extra, too, that I haven’t been able to sell so I guess I’ll have to wait for someone’s kid to turn one…haha.

sasharoundtheclock

3 weeks ago

Great appointment at my dentist- my only long term care provider (other than my dad). Dr. Lambert and his staff are great and I had a cavity free appointment!#100happydays #dentist

Here’s a plug for my dentist. I’ve been seeing him for 5 years and he and his staff are just GREAT. I had an awesome, cavity free appointment. Whoo hoo!

sasharoundtheclock

2 weeks ago

Practicing my embroidery by making a present for my dad’s bday! Shh it’s a secret!! #100happydays #embroidery #family

More adventures in embroidery! If you can’t read it, that says “Karachi Doc” and I made it as a birthday present for my dad. My dad is an amazing man. He is a child neurologist and he grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. He is a true testament to the idea that you can achieve  your dreams if you work hard and persevere. Love this man!

sasharoundtheclock

2 weeks ago

Seeing these cute giraffe themed gifts daily reminds me of my sister and makes my heart happy!!! They certainly make my craft room more stylish!!@sparkle__ninja #100happydays

My baby sister (she’s 25 but will always be my baby sister) is so thoughtful and my desire to be crafty is rubbing off on her! She made the mason jar pin-cushion pictured. Yes, the lid of that mason jar is a PIN CUSHION that she made, and then I can keep the loose pins INSIDE the jar. I love it! She gave me a ton of accessories to get my sewing hobby off of the ground. When I see things like this in my house, it makes my heart really happy and reminds me how loved I am!

sasharoundtheclock

2 weeks ago

Early start to daddy’s birthday weekend!#100happydays #roadtrip

You saw, above, that I made a hat for my dad’s birthday. Well, I also drove to Warm and Cheerful (that’s Centerville, if you don’t know) to celebrate my Dad’s birthday! The picture is really pointing out that it was 3:43, so I was getting a head start on my drive! Good thing I did, because the weather and rain meant that I got in pretty late! It would have been so much later if I had worked until 5!

sasharoundtheclock

2 weeks ago

Got my dad to do a birthday selfie with me!!! Love my daddy and happy to celebrate him today!!#100happydays #family

Got my dad to take a selfie with me on his birthday! I am not the best selfie taker. I guess I need practice. 🙂

sasharoundtheclock

2 weeks ago

Made it to my home at the end of our#bestieroadtrip!!!!! Excited to spend the week with@sparkle__ninja !! #100happydays #sisterweek#sistersinstl

The best long drives are long drives you get to share with a friend!  This amazing girl decided to spend an entire week with me before embarking in employment. We had so much fun, and you’re going to see that in the next ten that I post. 🙂

Existential Questions

I signed up for Blogging 101 on The Daily Post. I am hoping that this course will help me get back into blogging and have a little bit more focus both with this blog and with my writing style.

The first assignment is to write about who I am, and why I am here. I felt like I should share this background because I have had this blog for a long time, so a random post about myself and this blog might seem odd.

I really feel like I need one of those surveys that we used to do on our livejournals when I was a teenager that asks a whole bunch of random questions and you just answer them. Who am I? Why am I here?

I am Sasha. I have a lot of interests. I am a trier of things though master of few. I don’t have one THING that I do that I want to blog about. That’s why this site seems to lack focus, I think.

But I also think that that’s who I am. I am easily distracted and easily entertained. I love trying crafts but I rarely stick with any one thing long enough to get good at it.

I live in St. Louis, I work full time. I love my family, my friends, my pet rabbit.

I like to blog about DIY crafts, cooking, beauty, healthy living, travel, reviews of things I’ve tried, and any adventure that I encounter!  I want this blog to be a place where I can connect with friends and family who are far away, as well as anyone who is also interested in the things I like to blog about and can share ideas, advice, or even just try out my recipes or crafts.

This might have not been the most eloquent of posts, but I think it’s a start. 🙂

I am open to any feedback, and I hope this course helps me blog smarter instead of harder!

28 Days of Clean Eating

I haven’t written in awhile, but Jonathan and I are challenging ourselves to healthy eating for 28 days, so I thought it was a good topic to start a blog series about for the month of June. We’ll be doing weekly weigh ins, before and after measurements, commentary on how it’s going, and sharing recipes. So here goes, the first post of this blog series! I hope you’ll follow along and cheer us on for the next 28 days!

DAY ONE 

Jonathan and I are committing to 28 days of clean eating. We are using the Fast Metabolism Diet (which has a handy app) as our road map for our meals, but we really believe that the key to its success is healthy, fresh, natural foods.

We “test drove” this diet for two weeks in April and had awesome results: increased energy, weight loss, clothes fitting better. And we weren’t being 100% serious about it either. So now we are going to give it a real go. The Fast Metabolism Diet asks you to give it 28 solid days, so that is what we are doing.

We’re going to blog about how it’s going as a way to stay accountable and to share how our habits and lives are changing as a result of being organized, disciplined, and simple about our meals and eating.

Today is Day 1, so I wanted to start with our BEFORE stats…

It’s taking us both a lot of courage to be share, but I HOPE that by the end of the month we’ll have something less embarrassing to show for it. So without further ado, here goes:

June 2nd, 2014

	Sasha	Jonathan
Weight	167.6	184.8
Waist	40	36.5
Hips	39.5	38.5
Upper Arm	12	12.5
Shoulders	43.5	44
Thigh	24	24.5

 

As a disclaimer, I am not really trying to “sell” this diet to anyone.. I’m not getting paid and I don’t benefit at all if anyone feels like giving it a try. I firmly believe that every body reacts to food, exercise, and the combination thereof differently, and so I don’t believe any specific diet or meal plan or eating plan will work for everyone. You have to find something that works for your body, for your lifestyle, for your preferences, etc.  For example, I can think of lots of eating plans that I for sure would lose weight on, but I’d end up not eating at all because I hate everything on it. That is not a healthy result.

That being said, we have tried so many different diets and methods for being healthier and losing weight. This one worked really well for us when we test drove it because the app made meal planning simple, I felt free from calorie counting, and we got results in a way that seemed relatively sustainable over the long term. I never felt sick from hunger and after the first 4 or 5 days I stopped having intense sugar and junk food cravings. So all in all, that was a win. So if you stick with us on this journey, and this specific food plan appeals to you, feel free to check out http://www.hayliepomroy.com/diet/, since that is the plan we are working with. Or ask me more about it and I’m glad to share.

Or if you want to join us in our fitness journey, feel free to commit to SOMETHING for 28 days and put it in the comments!  We’d love to see some more people commit to being healthy in some small way in the month of June. 🙂

 

Mid-Study Update

So, in preparation for the bar, I made Jonathan change my fb password. So no facebook until August, basically! It’s so hard! haha.

Anyway, that means my break time is sort of wide open, and I felt like blogging, so I am.

The pressure is really on! I really, really hope I pass!

Jonathan was awarded Associate of the Month for his crazy hard work lately. I’m super proud of him!

I really like organizing things. I’ve been using my free time to organize things lately.

Alot of fun things are happening once I take the bar, in that nebulous time between sitting for the bar and finding out if I passed. I’m going to visit Alysha in her new place in Kentucky!!! I think I’ve mentioned that she is starting GRAD SCHOOL in the fall! I am excited to get to be there to help her settle in and explore! I love exploring new places, and I love one on one time with my sis!
And I am going to go with my parents to Boston to see Saira (haven’t been there since Jan. of 08 for her wedding, so that will be fun!) I will also get a LOT of quality time with my parents on the drive there and back. I’m looking forward to it!

In September, we’ve got trips to Chicago, Lake of the Ozarks, and camping. And Nancy and I will also be throwing our friend Laurel a baby shower. We also have wine tasting and are signing up for a 10 K in October! So much fun planned!

I am trying to not worry about finding a job, because worrying at this stage will only make me… well.. worried.

I am also trying to not worry about friends feeling irritated at me for emailing them about camping so early!

I am also trying really hard to not worry about not passing the bar. Because that will not help at all. I feel like I am starting to worry about trivial things in order to help not worry about the big thing that I am worried about!

Okay, break time over. I guess I should get back to studying.

Childhood memories

So we’re going to an international holiday party Friday evening and I was trying to decide what I was going to make for it. I recalled a German dish my mom used to make for us when we were little, so I texted my mom and asked if she could send me her recipe.

The item is called Spaetzle and is a very basic egg pasta/dough that is traditionally boiled and then sauteed in butter/onions or topped with some gravy. (You can also fry it and then sprinkle a little powdered sugar on it….similar to funnel cake)

Other than being kind of a pain to get into the water (remembering how easy the gadget my parents own makes it) they came out just how I remember them.
I pan fried a large steak and then made a gravy with the fond, some caramelized onions, sherry/water, and cornstarch….I simmered the steak in it for a few minutes to help tenderize it and then we poured the gravy over it and the spaetzle.
It came out quite good and I actually had everything I needed for it, hehehe.

Yay for childhood memories turning into a simple yet yummy dinner!!

Way behind on blogging!

I leave for Sweden today! I am super excited to be visiting my little sister and seeing a new country! This past month has flown by! I have pictures and stories from Halloween, so once I get back from Sweden, I will blog about Halloween, Sweden, and hopefully coerce Jonathan into blogging about his Thanksgiving in St. Louis with his family!

I have also been busy blogging about health and healthy eating, at cucumbersandgrapes.wordpress.com. I made a seperate blog for that since it is sort of a separate and independent hobby. I wanted to keep mine and Jonathan’s family blog separate from my hobby blog! Anyway, if you’ve been missing my posts or are interested in health and wellness issues, check it out!

And look for an update with photos from me early next week!

Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels to all!

Reunions!

Last week, my friend from college and former bridesmaid, the fabulous Shannon Feeney, came to St. Louis to visit! We had an awesome time enjoying St. Louis cuisine, hanging out, meeting up with friends, and doing St. Louis-y things like going to the zoo and the AB Brewery! She also cheered me on as I ran my first 10k (which Jonathan already blogged about! Thanks, hon!)!

It was amazing to be able to hang out with a friend from college, and still feel like we’re best friends even though we only see each other approximately once a year.

It also made me so nostalgic for USC and spending time with the best friends a girl could ask for!
At the same time, it’s awesome to see my fave ladies growing up and becoming real adults who have jobs and are doing amazing things. Wow, have we come a long way!
Anyway, I’ll stop reminiscing for now…

Sasha’s First 10k

So last Saturday my awesome wife attempted to run her first 10k. She ran her first 5k last year and had been looking forward to getting to try a 10k. She convinced a friend to run it with her and they began training together.
While training they never ran further than the 5k distance. Sasha’s goal was to be able to run the first 5k and then run as much of the rest as she could, walking when needed.

Starting the race!

Apparently the costumes people wore as part of the Halloween 10k were useful for more than just a good laugh. They also provided Sasha a nice distraction from the rigors of running, and she proudly crossed the finish line having ran the entire race.

Successful completion

Having now doubled the furthest distance she has ever run, Sasha is beginning training for a half marathon. I have never run that far either, so this will be a challenge for us to overcome together.

Congratulations Sasha and Kendra!!

Winner's Circle

The Best Laid Plans

It seems that story after story of marriage includes things going wrong. You save for that big vacation and then the air condition goes out. You plan a fancy date, and then your husband has to work late. Etc, etc.

Here is ours: We planned a nice anniversary date. We were going to go listen to a Frank Sinatra cover concert in the park, and then go to our favorite Italian restaurant. It was going to be sweet and romantic.

Then, I got sick. I spent all day puking my guts up. There goes any chance of a romantic anniversary date. Not only did I miss an amazing opportunity at work, but I also ruined our two-year anniversary.

That’s when Jonathan saved the day. He knew I was not only feeling bad because I was sick, but that I was incredibly disappointed about work and about our date. He came home at lunch, and worked from home so he could spend time with me. He brought me a beautiful flower bouquet with an anniversary balloon. And we spent our anniversary doing what should be done on anniversaries. Spending time together and sharing our love with each other.

Anniversaries aren’t about fancy dates. Anniversaries are about celebrating making the decision to love each other, to stay beside each other, and to care for and about each other. Being sick didn’t ruin our anniversary, it just gave my adorable husband the chance to remind me what being married is really about.

So, here’s to two years of being married to my best friend. And hopefully next time, our anniversary won’t involve puking.

Let the summer of fun commence!

First, thanks, Jonathan, for posting those car pictures! I was very busy studying for exams and finishing up school projects.

I finished my last exam Thursday night around 8 p.m., and came home to a very messy house, a very sweet husband, and a very relaxing feeling. Jonathan took me over to Applebee’s for a celebratory “You-finished!” dinner. It was great.

We’ve got some really busy weekends coming up. Next weekend, Shannon, a friend of mine from USC, is coming to visit! I’m incredibly excited as I haven’t seen her in two years! I can’t wait to show her around St. Louis and hang out! The weekend after that, my parents are visiting, and the weekend after that I am either going to South Carolina to see my grandmother, or to Oklahoma to see Jonathan’s sisters and their families.

And I start my job in a little over a week, so that is exciting as well.

We have a lot of fun events to look forward to this summer, too. We’ve got tickets to see Wicked in July, an anniversary coming up, a trip to West Virginia/Ohio in June, a girl’s night at a jewelry-making class in June, and hopefully some camping or a lake trip at some point as well!

I’ve taken this next week off. No school and no work, so I can just relax a bit! I want to get our house back in order, and start sorting out stuff that we don’t need any longer to see in the city-wide garage sale.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to this summer!