Predicaments of Life

When is it that life became so unbearable. Where one is transfixed in success and meeting those goals. Was I created and brought into this world to meet those needs? Was I undeniably left at the mercy of a culture of go-go-go. Yes, I happen to have had the fortunate opportunity to be educated, but does that necessarily mean that I want to lose myself? Does that mean that I want to go for something just for the monetary supplements? Is it worth the stress and pain to please the world that I so desperately want to escape?

My conclusion is still far reaching. At this point, I can only state that I am at a loss of words. Hope seems to be a googolplex away. I hope to. until then, find comfort that I still have my sanity. And my soul.

Thanks!
Cindy

Que Sera Sera!

My My! It has been a while, hasn’t it.

No excuses. I must be honest.

My absence has not been from being ridiculously busy (I am working and whatnot, but still peruse the social networking sites).

My absence has not been due to any lapse in “smart choice” eating. No, that is silly folks, I love me some REAL FOOD.

No. My absence has , been from my own avoidance of reality. I will probably explain at a later date. But keeping up with a blog literally means detailing life. But as of the past month, I too have been perplexed by the very concept of life. What does life entail? How do I go about “living.” Like a droid-robot, instead of taking steps to be a social citizen, I have quitely (and for the worse) escaped into my own bubble, hiding from my own fears (pertaining to my future) and hesistant to see the next steps of my life.

Like Dr.Ross stated, there are 5 steps to acceptance of grief.

Today.. I am at that point of acceptance. I will do my best (and explain later) to reconquer society, tackle my future, and come to terms with facing my fears.

And like the motto chimes “Whatever will be will be.”

Tata for now!
Cindy

Recalculating

::Recalculating.. turn right on the next signal::

Sometimes, I feel as if my life is just like my GPS. One minute things are going smoothly, directions are becoming reality one step at a time, and then all of a sudden..::recalculating::.

I realize I have been away for a bit  (over 20 days… yikes) but I have been quite busy. Quite busy with my work schedule, new family routine (now that I am back home.. yay for graduating from the University of Florida!), and my reevaluation of my life schedule. Ah yes friends, this is my recalculating mode. Maybe I think too much? Maybe I have high expectations for myself? Or maybe, I just need to take a chill pill and relax? I honestly love the third idea.

::recalculating.. please slow down Cindy, enjoy your life, you only live once. Do this for yourself, for if you want to live to be 100 (of course I do!), you need to tone down the stress and anxiety and live in the moment.::

My final words of caution for this morning.. oh wait there is none, for I should be in contentment for what I do have and not over think my future.

See you tomorrow (I hope =) )

xoxo

Cindy

Laryngitis

Heat Pad: Check!

Copious amounts of HOT lemon/honey water: Check!

Cough Drops: Check!

Writing Pad: Check!

Hi folks! After quite a long hiatus, I am back (with a vengeance lol). Currently unable to produce a normal vocal sound. I literally have no voice =(.

Until then, here are some eats ( only a few due to graduation/packing/holidays/work/packing some more /traveling/ unpacking) as well as a glimpse of what I plan on posting tomorrow.

 

With NyQuil in me, and Westside Story tunes singing in my head, I am sure to have an eventful night’s dream.

 

Good Night Ya’ll!

Cindy

Oh Yes.

Oh yes my friends, I have returned after a long slumber away. Thankfully classes are wrapping up and I have extra time on my hands.

Oh yes, I ate ramen noodles Friday night. The first time in possibly 2 years. I added veggies to compensate for the msg/sodium 😉 .

Oh yes, I enjoyed a lovely meal at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse with 3 friends (2 declined on the photos).

Oh yes, I ate a delicious Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wrap.

Oh yes, I split the pizookie mini trio 4 ways with said 3 friends. Peanut Butter, Cookies and Cream, Triple Chocolate with Ghiradelli. Each bite was so decadently delicious!

Oh yes, I FINALLY watched Eclipse last night. I read the books 4 years ago, loved them, but never truly fell on the movie mania bandwagon. But I must admit, I loved this movie more than the first two.

(And as a side note, Taylor Lautner has some nice abs!)

Oh yes, I added Puffins Cinnamon Cereal to my steel-cut oatmeal this morning. Puffins is delicious! It’s the first time I have tried them!!

Oh yes, I am now off to the gym. Oh yes!

xoxo,
Cindy

Bliss?

What is Bliss? What can I say and do that will personally bring me bliss.

Right now, it seems that Stress > Bliss. I am tired, frustrated, and scared about my impending future post Undergraduate Education.

After much reflection and much moping on my part, I must remember to Live for today, for tomorrow will always be a slew of uncertainty. Live in the now, for it is the most important thing to concern yourself over.

That is all!

(I will be posting more frequently after EXAMS)

xoxo,

Cindy

GRE, Sickness, and a Gift Card!

One of these things is not like the other… Hmm.. I wonder which lol.

I’ll start off by saying that this has been a trying week! I have been experiencing a combination of sinus infection, nausea, fever, and lethargy. Maybe it has to do with all the stress I am under (One Month Exactly until I graduate from UF!)

Or maybe the stress is due to this little old thing called the GRE Subjects Test. Yes folks, I think we have discussed my future before. But this is the one thing I need to do. It is Psychology specific. And it is this Saturday at 5:00 PM. Wish me luck?

Last but not least, I am beyond thrilled to have been randomly selected the winner of Stefanie’s CSN Giveaway. It has literally made my week (Trust me, it has been an unpleasant week). Thanks so much Stefanie!

Well, back to a combination of Rest and Studying. I will update on the foods I have actually been able to consume tomorrow/Sunday (Post GRE).

xoxo,
Cindy

Working Out

I hope you thoroughly enjoyed browsing My Smart Choices. Another My Smart Choice that I want to mention is Working Out. Yes friends, its important to get your body moving (I want to live to be 100!!) So you might be asking, what does a gal like you (Miss MySmartChoice) do to workout? And why do you workout? Are you trying to lose weight (because that is a common assumption as to why people workout)?

Well friends here are a few things I do to “work-out”:

1. Hit the gym! I would LOVE to go daily and stay for about an hour. But with a time crunched schedule, I tend to go 5-6 days per week. Sometimes I stay for an hour, other times (like this morning at 6:00AM, I stay for 40 minutes). I typically do cardio when i am at the gym (aka elliptical or treadmill). Here is a picture of the one I use

Source

2. Walk! Yes, walking is a great way to stay fit. It means you are keeping active. My grandmother has walked approximately 4 miles everyday and she is as fit as a fiddle! Even after having major hip surgery, she is still walking! It is not too strenuous and does get the heart a-pumping!

3. Utilize household weights. I have 2 sets of hand weights that I make sure to use as often as possible. I have 1 set of 5 lb weights and 1 set of 3 lb weights. Both sets are used to work on my arms, legs (yes I said legs) and to overall strength train my body.

4. Workout DVDs.

Whenever I am in a serious time crunch, too busy to hit the gym, and its raining outside, I have a go-to workout routine called Jillian Michael’s 30 Day shred. Its 20-25 min (yay for quick workouts!) of circuit training. It get me sweating and feeling prestine. Its a great total body workout. I highly recommend it. What’s also great is that there are 3 levels. I initially started off with level 1. However, I have worked my way up to level 2. Hopefully, I will soon be brave enough for level 3. The first 2 levels aren’t overly difficult (just difficult enough to make you sweat). Its great if you want something quick. If you’d like to longate the workout, it would also be recommended to do two workout sessions (for ex. level 1 and level2). But, that is if you are still energetic enough! 😉

Overall, in my opinion there is no reason to not workout. It makes me feel great (those endorphins really lighten my day) and gets me pumped up! I personally do not work out as a weight loss tool. If you spoke to me 2 years ago, I would have said the complete opposite in saying that weight loss was the reason I worked out. But personally, life is too short to stress over one’s weight (ESPECIALLY if it is at a healthy weight to begin with). I’ve realized vanity is just not my thing (as much as society seems to disagree). I would rather be healthy and take care of myself, rather than worry about the decrease in the number on the scale. But that my friends, is another post for another time.

Hope you are making working out a fitness-yes please part of your life!

xoxo,
Cindy

In Tangles

Sometimes it feels like bits of my life are in tangles. Take for example, my laptop/ipod/camera cords.

Yessir, all in tangles.

Other times, I find that things in my room are all in tangles.

Yikes a bee!

So what does a girl like me do to untangle such tangles?

(#1) EAT WELL, today was quite a vegetable and fruit kind of day. Yes friends, I understand that 5 servings is the recommendation, but too much nutritious food never hurt anybody (or at least not anybody I know!) I don’t know why, but I have been having these cravings for colorful foods. So what is a gal to do? Oblige of course! Spinach, tomatoes, carrots, apples, grapes, mangos, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower.. quite a nutritious group I’ve accumulated thus far! (And definitely plenty of greens and orange.. hopefully I didn’t overdose on Vitamin A)

Getting back into the swing of things (why I initially started My Smart Choices), here is a delicious look at how I have EATEN WELL:

Oatmeal with Strawberry Preserves and Peanut Butter

Hummus and Spinach on Whole Wheat Sandwich

Apples, Grape Tomatoes, Carrots

Organic Cheese Curls!!! Michael Season's Baked =) (Probably 1.5 Servings)

Stuffed Chicken, Veggie Mix, and Sweet Potatoes

I love frozen grapes ( I had about 1/4 of this container)

 

What else do I do to detangle such mess?

(#2) CLEANING, well of course!

I clean the Kitchen

I Get to clean the Living Room

I clean the kitchen nook/dining table

I clean my bathroom =)

 

And last but certainly not least, I clean the place that started it all!

 

So what is a gal to do now that I have untangled the tangled?

Take ridiculous self-absorbed pictures in your now clean bathroom, of course!

 

Oh Geez! Got to get back to some more work!

Go Gators!

xoxo,

Cindy

Hello Friday, Nice to see you again!

Is it just me, or didn’t Wednesday feel like a Friday? Or was it that yesterday felt like a Saturday, due to my University’s Veteran’s Day Holiday. Might I comment ( and I hope you don’t mind) but who in their right mind would place a holiday midweek. I for one did not thoroughly enjoy it knowing that I’d be back to school the next day. Oh well, all was not lost. If anything, it was a nice break from  my Monday/ Tuesday/ Wednesday exams.

To celebrate the fact that it is a Friday, here is a funny comic quite a resemblance to my feelings about the GRE

Oh so humorous!

xoxo,
Cindy