Reflections & Ponderings

If there is one thing I have learned more than anything this weekend, it is the power of God's unconditional love.

This past weekend, I was blessed enough to attend my final Discipleship Weekend with the Navigators. Although I only attended two of the past four, it has always been, by far, my favorite retreat the Navigators puts together. Fall Conference is wonderful and it is always exciting to compete against other campuses in the Navs Olympics, but Discipleship Weekend has a special place in my heart. Let me tell you why.

I joined Navigators at the very end of my freshman year in college. I didn't really do much with them, but I knew I wanted to be more involved the next year. As a sophomore, I was asked to do the comedic announcements at NavNite with Nikhil, a man who has now become one of my closest brothers in Christ. This minor involvement led to me becoming extremely involved and, at the end of the fall semester, I was asked to go through New Leader Training to become a small group leader the following fall. The selected few were asked to come to a secret meeting, where we were given roses and letters upon arrival by the two current leaders (Stephanie and Cristin) and the Navs staff member, Mark Bruner. The whole thing was beautiful. That night, I left NavNite in tears. I was filled with joy, and I knew God had chosen this path for me for a reason.

Discipleship Weekend (Key Laborers) 2011

In the midst of training, I attended my first Discipleship Weekend retreat (which was then called the Key Laborers Conference). We are paired up with another member from our group, and that is our "spiritual buddy" for the weekend. This retreat, my buddies were Miranda Gerber and Elizabeth Krach (I was in a triple because Elizabeth had to leave for part of the retreat). This was the beginning of getting to know each other very well, and both of them have proceeded to become two more of my closest friends and sisters in Christ.

Discipleship Weekend 2013 - look how much we've grown!

The reason I came to love this retreat was the reflection portion at the end of the weekend. This is a Navigators tradition, where everyone meets with their school and all reflect on their experience over the weekend. This is usually everyone's favorite part of the weekend. However, this session was especially intense for me because I had just gone through a rather large emotional struggle with my now ex-boyfriend. I broke down in tears. This was followed by one of the leaders, Cristin, breaking down about law school school applications and her struggles. Everyone in our community pulled together to comfort one another, share tissues, and hand out hugs. The reflection was ended with some hilarious comments by Nikhil to lighten the mood ("Nikhil, what would you do if your wife was on her period and needed tampons?" "I'd give her cotton balls and sticks."). Later, I had a hysterical breakdown in the car with Liz Bruner, the wife of Mark (Navs Staff). This breakdown was the beginning of a very long (few year) road to recovery from brokenheartedness (for reasons I won't get into). Although emotionally challenging, this retreat showed me the love and community that Navigators brings to its members, and I felt the love of God shining in my life.

Save me from the walls that I build

From the broken heart inside of me

That just will not heal

Save me, when it's hard to believe

And the faith I need

Is so far from the world that I see

Won't you save me from myself

"Save Me," Nate Sallie

Fast forward two years, and I'm now a senior on that same retreat. This time, the retreat takes place at my own church, Faith Church. I'm surrounded by a community I have spent the past 3+ years with, with new friendships and new experiences. I am a leader of a women's Bible study with some pretty amazing women. Watching how much Navigators has grown over the past few years has been such a blessing. I'm preparing for graduation, terrified and unsure of what I should be doing with my life. My best friends are still the people I met in Navs my sophomore year - Sean, Jack, Nikhil, Miranda, & Elizabeth - and we are all on the retreat again (minus Elizabeth). It's clear the weekend is emotionally charged for everyone and many of us are going through some big personal struggles. The seniors - myself, Becki, Jamie, and Alex - are graduating soon. Jack is transferring to Cincinnati State//eventually UC to become a biomedical engineer, so this is his last retreat. Many members are struggling to overcome broken relationships from highschool and college. Others are struggling with intimacy and self-esteem issues, and others have broken relationships with their parents. Some of us fit into all of those categories. Whatever the problem, this retreat is needed for the entire Xavier Navigators community.

The four of us - me (top), Nikhil (middle right), and Jack and Sean (bottom left and middle) in 2011

A few things happened on this retreat that simply blew my mind. First, I was given incredible amounts of hope and blown away by the manifestation of God's love in some of the members of our community. On the first night of retreat, while the men were having fun wrestling each other in their free time, Mark dislocated his shoulder and was rushed to the hospital. Of course, when we all heard the news we prayed for him and hoped he would get better. I thought that was as far as things would go, but I was wrong.

The four of us at Discipleship Weekend in 2013

The next day, we are called together for a meeting by Nikhil and Reid, a sophomore Navs leader whom I was fortunate to watch grow as one of the leaders of his freshmen Bible study last year. The two announced that we would be heading into a time of worship and prayer for Mark, and they would be collecting donations from everyone to help pay for Mark's medical bills. Because Mark has been such an influence in all of our lives, especially the lives of the leaders, we felt compelled to help him and surround him with love and care in his time of need. No one was required to donate, and many of us still have yet to decide on an amount to donate. All donations are anonymous. I discovered later that the total raised in that half hour alone was huge. I won't share the exact amount, but it was enough to leave me standing in awe. I am speechless. This impromptu meeting really showed me a glimpse of God's unconditional love for all of us. This community of college Christians was willing to sacrifice a significant amount of money, that we could be saving or using to pay for school, to help ease the burden of the man so many of us admire. This left me speechless and thankful that I have been blessed as a member of this community.

All around

Hope is springing up from this old ground

Out of chaos life is being found in you

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

"Beautiful Things," Gungor

I also appreciated getting to know Kathleen, my former resident (I was her RA last year in Husman Hall), a lot better. She was my spiritual buddy this weekend, and we had some conversations I never expected to have this weekend (but really enjoyed!). She helped me begin to process through one of my current struggles, and she opened up to me about her personal struggles. It was a blessing to talk with her.

During my person time of listening prayer, God confronted me about some issues I don't want to face.

I am currently considering applying for EdgeCorps, which is essentially a one to two year internship with the Navigators. I would most likely return to Xavier in the fall and work as a staff member to help lead and further student's relationships with God. The thing that worries me is fundraising - I'm not allowed to work, and I have to fundraise my entire salary for the year before returning to campus. 75% of this needs to be fundraised over the summer, or I won't be allowed to come on staff. 75% of my salary is around $27,000.
This is an outrageous number, and it worries me. However, I still want to take that leap of faith, trust God, and apply for the position.

Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands

To stand up when they can't

Don't want to leave them hungry for love

Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight

And give them the best of my life

So we can call this our home

Lead me 'cause I can't do this alone

"Lead Me," Sanctus Real 

During listening prayer, God urged me to tell my story to certain people before I go around fundraising. This makes me nervous, because I don't want to tell my story to them. However, I know that doing so will give me peace. Yet there are so many reason why I don't want to share, and fear is only the beginning. How can I tell someone when I'm too afraid I'll be rejected?

God also brought to my mind the idea of taking a six-month break from dating anyone to simply pursue Him. A girl in my small group, Daniela, is doing this and is currently at the halfway mark. I bought the book she suggested and have begun to read it, and so far, I am enjoying it. But, really? Take a six-month break from thinking about guys, having a crush, or pursing someone? This is challenging for me because I've always wanted to date someone (not anyone specifically, just in general) from Xavier and within Navigators - someone who loves my school and God as much as I do. With only a few months left at Xavier, that doesn't exactly put me in a place to go on a six-month dating hiatus. However, it's been on my heart the past few days, and I think it could be good for me. It's something I have to pray about a lot more, but I'm starting to grow into the idea.

Finally, we reach reflection time - something always extremely touching and powerful for me. As usual, the girls are clutching toilet paper, ready for the massive amounts of crying that is about to happen. Landen makes his usual speech - he doesn't talk much, except for at reflection times, when what he says is always profound and has some deeper meaning we all love to hear. Some of the men share about their personal struggles, and the seniors reflect on how much they will miss NAVs when we all graduate. One of my closest friends this year, a freshman named Tyler, and I cried on each others shoulders. Without sharing too much of what people revealed, I will simply say that it was a reflection that left me contemplative and very sad about my impending departure from the Navigators community.

So, there you go - a really, really wordy story about why I love Discipleship Weekend. Thank you to everyone who made it so memorable - I love you more than you know. I pray God will be able to use me in your lives throughout the rest of this semester. Thank you for always being there for me!

Beauty Beneath It All

Today, I will be sharing the essay I submitted as part of my application to Xavier University, now almost 4 years ago. To this day, I am still proud of this essay - and the memory is as vivid in my mind as it was so many years ago. 

b

Snap. Snap. Snap. My camera flashed constantly, capturing every beam of light that flickered through the worn out windows and onto the bare, uneven floor. The closet next to the crumpled heap of what used to be a fireplace was left slightly ajar, revealing a sole hanger sitting on the rusty rod suspended inside. Snap. I soon discovered a red, leather, rocking chair sitting in the middle of a deserted attic; it was torn, and the padding inside was falling all over the floor. Snap. My fingers raced across the border of a broken window. The roof was within my reach, so I climbed outside to grace the cool, red metal with my presence. Snap. It was peaceful here, despite the cobwebs and miscellaneous families of spiders that seemed to hide in the most unlikely of places. I closed my eyes, trying to soak in the serenity of this old, dilapidated place, but I knew there was more to be seen. A surprise was waiting for me.

The Victorian farmhouse that my friend and I had discovered seemed to possess a certain presence about it. I could feel the family who once lived there; I could envision them walking about and doing their daily chores in my mind. As I entered the basement, an old television, an open refrigerator, and a rusty medical gurney welcomed me. To the left, there was a room filled with crushed Mason jars that gleamed with light from more broken windows. Snap. The house was a collection of ordinary hidden treasures, yet I still felt that there was something more. I wanted to find something that would relate in my life; something that would give me a sense of purpose. I glanced once again at the medical gurney on my right. I wonder what happened here? I thought. A family member must have been ill not long before the house became deserted. Did they believe in life after death? Heaven? God? I could feel a presence in the house…but where was it coming from?

I trudged along behind my friend Megan, still intent on finding some unexpected surprise. I carefully set my foot on a rotten step, making sure it wouldn’t give out on me, and began the journey back upstairs. No sooner had I begun climbing when Megan exclaimed, “It’s a cross made out of sticks!” I looked down at the step and saw two small sticks creating a cross. Snap. This was exactly what I had been looking for, and it was where I felt the “presence” was coming from. I stared at the figure before me for a short moment, and then looked up at Megan and smiled.

On the way back to our car, I glanced once more at the broken house. It was then I realized that God exists everywhere, and that even when everything is falling apart, a glimmer of truth can still be discovered underneath the rotting soil. All I have to do is look for Him.

Recent Life Lessons

Hello, friends.

It has been entirely too long since I have updated. That seems to be a trend for me recently, doesn't it? I'll try to close the gap between posts. I miss it (and hopefully you miss me!).

Let's see, what's new with me...well, I've been successfully keeping up with reading for my English senior seminar, which is an accomplishment in itself. Usually by now I've Sparknoted nearly everything we are reading, because I simply don't have the time to do the reading. However, I've been really good about it this semester. That might have something to do with the fact that the novels are all post-apocalyptic fiction, which I love reading. For some reason, books set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian, or utopian world are my favorite. I find them absolutely fascinating. I'm currently reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, which I love. I highly recommend this book, as well was Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, if you need something to read. They are fabulous books.

My internship with Cincinnati Magazine has also been going extremely well. I can't believe I've been there for a month already, and that my boss is leaving within the next couple weeks. That will be rough when we lose Jonah. Such a great guy, and such a great boss.

I've also learned a couple things recently.

Number one: there is power in prayer. I don't know what it is, but I've been praying a lot more, and I feel a lot happier and relaxed. I woke up today feeling amazing and everything just seemed beautiful and peaceful. Life was great. Is great, I mean. Life is great.

Number two: God will bring the right guy into my life in His timing. I'm really impatient, and it doesn't help that I also really like someone right now. But I know better than to rush and make the first move. I just have to wait and enjoy the single life until the right now. Because, to quote a friend's Twitter, "The greatest relationships are the ones you never expected to be in. The ones that swept you off your feet." Couldn't agree more. 

Number three: I love the fall. Summer used to be my favorite season, so this change is kind of funny to me. But I absolutely love fall and everything that goes with it - sweaters, jackets, boots, scarves, blankets, hay ride, pumpkin patches, hot apple cider, pie.... it's all wonderful. I can't wait until Halloween, either - my friend is having a Halloween party, and it's the talk of my friend group. We are all pretty stoked about it. 

Number four: People come into your life for a reason, and when they are out of your life, it is not something to be sad about. You have to be happy and realize that you learned something while they were in your life, appreciate what you learned, and move on. It's not easy, but it's manageable. Too often I think about how I wish multiple people were still in my life, but it's just not possible. The friends who have stuck with me over the years are the friends that matter. 

Anyways, that's all I have for you today. I missed posting the Daring Bakers challenge for this month (it was empanadas - I made them, I didn't like them, I forgot to post about them. Oops). I also missed posting about my Foodie Pen Pal box, but the box was amazing and I absolutely loved it.

Keep me posted on your lives. Let me know what you want to see next from me <3

Much love,

Product Review: Journey Bars

Hey guys! Just as a reminder, the following people need to contact me because they won the Hot Pants giveaway! AWESOME!!

Zagorra Hot Pants Winners

Moonsword

Tweetyscute

Times for updates on life. Have I been working out? Nope, definitely not. So far I have actually read everything I'm supposed to have read (shocker - I'm usually on Sparknotes by now), I've had a beer at Currito while listening to a live band on the greenspace at school, made a modified version of this banana bread (yum!), slept a lot, ate a lot, published the student newspaper, and watched The Hunger Games with the boyfriend (Stuart). Overall, a pretty good week - especially since my Cincinnati Magazine internship hasn't started yet, so I have nothing to do on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Awesome, right? I also made a bucket list of things to accomplish in my final year of college. 

I will be auditioning for Hairspray the musical at school next week! Pretty excited. I'm interested to see what part I get!

Okay. Again, I am crazy behind on product reviews. When is this new to anyone?! Let's learn about Journey Bars today!

Journey Bars are my new favorite protein bars. Let's be real - all protein bars on the market are sweet! Right? What if you want something savory? 

Well then, you're in luck, because Journey Bars are a line of all savory protein & nutrition bars. They have five awesome flavors: Pizza Marinara, Coconut Curry, Hickory Barbecue, Rosemary, and Parmesan Romano. 

All of the bars are made with an organic whole grain blend of oats, millet, flax, amaranth and buckwheat. That's a crazy amount of goodness! Texture-wise, they all sort of remind me of cornbread. I loved them. My all-time favorite was the Coconut Curry flavor! 

Curry flavored anything is automatically a win in my book. This tasted like curry cornbread. It was amazing and I loved every single moment of it. I wish I had another one to chow down on! 

The other great thing about these bars are that they taste exactly like the flavors. Pizza Marinara tasted just like a pizza, the curry tasted like curry, and so on. My least favorite was the Hickory Barbecue, but that's only because I have to be in the mood for bbq to begin with. These are also soy-free and GMO-free. Seriously the greatest bars ever. Search for them in your local natural foods market and try them for yourself!

Much love, 

UPDATES & KLUTCHClub Review!

Hey guys! 

It's been a week since my last post. A while, right? I've been swamped recently with stuff for school - I go back in two weeks, but the Newswire (our student paper) publishes its first issue next week for the freshmen who move in early. Crazy, right? So I have been really busy trying to get everything organized for that issue, like making sure we have a publisher, advertisements, stories, etc. Nuts! 

That being said, I haven't had much time to blog. Even now, I'm feeling a little pressed! I'm nervous about my Cincy Magazine internship, starting in September - and I feel like I will be turning down the opportunity because of the lack of time I will have in the school year. I really don't want to turn down this opportunity, but I feel like Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be the only time I have to do homework (all of my classes are on Tues/Thurs, which means a lot of homework on those days). With the internship, I wouldn't be able to actually do much on those days until around 4:30pm, and on Wednesdays, I have a night class. Which means less time. What should I do?

I've also been down and out with something called Parotitis - basically, swollen spit glands. It sucked because I couldn't chew anything and it was really painful. How did this happen? From this stuff:

Don't use it!!!! Seriously. If you read the reviews on Amazon, other people have become sick from using this mouthwash. It's terrible. I don't understand why they don't take it off the market - it's from one of the ingredients in it, called CPC. Gross. Avoid at all costs. I had to take Amoxicillin for 10 days because of it. Thankfully, as soon as I stopped using it, I felt better. 

I've also been trying to get back into my faith. I tend to get fired up about it, and then let that fire die down - now it's time to re-kindle my love for God. Stuart and I are both working on it together - even since he went on a Catholic family retreat and heard a speaker named Justin Fatica, he has been more enthusiastic about what he believes. He's Catholic, and I'm Protestant - so we have differing beliefs, but I'm trying to be more open to learning about his. We are both starting a read through the Bible in one year program, plus I bought some Bible studies for me. I'm hoping Stuart and I can find a study to do together as a couple.

This weekend was also a little crazy. I went with Stuart to Columbus for the weekend for his little sister's 4th birthday, which was a lot of fun! I took them some pretty little sugar cookies (I used this recipe). Aren't they pretty? Princess crowns, glass slippers, diamond rings and Tiffany tea pots! I had a lot of fun making them! Lydia (his sister) loved the cookies - she also got cute little bike for her birthday. Her brother (Simon - 2 years old) loved the cookies too! 

I will say this - I wasn't watching what I ate this weekend. Bad me. But now I'm back on track, counting calories and trying to eat healthier. Working out is escaping me, mostly because I don't have the time right now to dedicate to anything except my massive Newswire and back-to-school to do list. 

This lack of time means I'm quite a bit behind on product reviews. Whoops! That means I'll have quite a few coming your way this week. Let's start with another review of KLUTCHClub! You may have read my earlier review of this company. Well, they loved it so much that they sent me another box to review! How great is that?! Love this company!

What is KLUTCHclub? Well, its a monthly subscription service that provides subscribers with a box each month. That box contains over $50 worth of fitness, health, and wellness products like DVDs, workouts, snacks, makeup, and more. And you only pay $18 a month (or less)! You can subscribe for one month of one year, you choose. This is geared especially towards women. 

The above box is what I was sent this time - June's KLUTCHClub box. 

This box had quite a few things in it. One of my favorite discoveries was the Journey Bar (which I will also be reviewing shortly!). Journey Bars are basically savory nutrition bars, which are so cool since everything currently on the market is sweet. I absolutely love these. They use amaranth inside, which little round superfood seeds. Yum. The flavor sent in the box was coconut curry - and let me tell you - it was DIVINE. It tasted kinda like curry corn bread. I absolutely loved it. Try to find these sold in a store around you!

There was also a small bar of soap from Savy Boheme. It was an African Black Soap - fair trade and organic, like everything else this company sells. It was okay - I don't like bar soaps because they always make me feel really squeaky. However, if you like bar soap, you'll like this. 

There was also Japanese moisturizer from Yu-Be.  This is apparently the #1 selling medicated moisturizer in Japan. Who knew? I tried it on my hands, and I thought it was a little greasy. However, the packaging says it is also good to use on your lips and face for dry, cracked skin. It is a glycerin based lotion with added vitamins E, C, B2 and camphor. This kinda reminds me of Aquaphor or Vaseline. I think I'll try it on my heels, since they are so dry!

Next, Crum Creek Mills (I am also working with them on a review) sent one of their most popular items - Soy Nut Mix. If you like soy nuts, go for it. It's a decent snack mix - it has raisin, chocolate chips, soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. However, it baffles me as to why it was featured on Dr. Oz and Oprah magazine. Hm. I think I just don't have a thing for soy nuts. I didn't really like this, but like I said, if you like soy nuts....give it a try! 

Finally, there were coupons - a free month subscription to My Barre3, $25 to Body Language Sportsware, and $30 off an OG Sack. I tried to My Barre3 workout, and I thought it was a challenging toning workout, but not for cardio. I'm more of a cardio person. My Barre 3 combines pilates and the ballet barre to get in a nice workout that will tone you and make you lean. Sadie, the creator, is a very fun person and I liked her personality a lot. If you are looking for a new workout, this is a good one to try! I haven't used the Body Language Sportsware gift certificate yet, because I really need to stop spending money, but all of their products look great. The coupon doesn't expire until September 15, so I'll definitely use it before then! And the OG Sack - well, I don't do enough yoga to utilize this, so I probably will not be using this coupon. The bags look cool though, and they have a special strap for carrying your yoga mat - check it out! 

Whew. There was your June KLUTCHClub! Are you inspired to buy your first box yet? If so, just click here to get started! 

Thanks again to the people at KLUTCHClub for being so patient with me. Look what I made from their box: 

Isn't it cute? I'm using it to hold books on my dresser in my room! And it's a great way to recycle instead of throwing the box away! Do you think I could win KLUTCHClub's Reduce, Reuse, ReKLUTCH contest? VOTE FOR ME PLEASE!!!

That's all for now, guys. Thanks for reading all of this, and enjoy your summers! 

Much love, 

The Dreaded Weigh In

Today was the first of my dreaded weigh ins on my 30 Days to 130lbs. plan I made up. I knew the number wouldn't be good, but I thought it would be a little lower than it was. 

149.6 pounds. The number staring me blatantly in the face. 

Am I happy? No. Obviously not. I don't know if I lost any weight in the past week from working out and trying to eat less, but I'm guessing I didn't lose that much. 

This is a huge wake up call for me. I need to be really serious about this and take the next week to a level of high intensity. I need to start being serious about my health and the foods I am eating. 

The first thing I did was toss almost all of the sweets and chocolates in my food stash. This was really hard. I did keep a couple things for when I go back to school, but I stuffed them in a box underneath my bed to keep them hidden. Out of sight, out of mind - right? 

The next thing I need to do is be strict about my calorie intake. No more than 1200 calories a day. Period. I also need to make sure what I am eating is low in fat and very healthy. 

Working out is also extremely important. I have been doing really well with this the past week, and I need to now kick this up to the next level. It's really hard not having an elliptical at home - I really don't really like driving all the way to Xavier, parking a mile away, and then walking to the school gym every day. Honestly, it's a waste of gas. However, I don't feel like I'm burning enough calories with my Jillian Michael's DVDs at home. What do you guys recommend? Right now, my plan is to continue doing Jillian's Ripped in 30 DVD, Extreme Shed & Shred, and spending an hour on the elliptical at Xavier's gym. Not all at once, of course. At least with elliptical I can monitor how many calories I've burned. 

The summer I lost my most weight I was a member of a gym about five minutes from my house. Now that the gym no longer offers student summer memberships, finding an inexpensive summer gym membership is a challenge. Sigh. 

What suggestions do you guys have for me? 

I'm really feeling upset with myself for letting myself gain 10 pounds. A couple summers ago, I was down to 140. Actually, there was a time when I was 135. It's crazy thinking back to that now. I can't even imagine what that looked like. My end goal is ideally 125 pounds, but I'd be very, very happy with 130 :)

Sorry for that little rant. Quick switch over. Let's talk Chobani. Have you tried their new Chobani Champions?

Talk about scrumptious! Cho sent me a huge box of their Champions line to review, and of course, I Was more than happy to review them! They sent four flavors: Orange Vanilla, Verry Berry, Vanilla Chocolate Chunk, and Honey Nana.

As you can probably tell from the packaging, Chobani Champions are geared towards younger kids. The vibrant packaging and the kid-friendly flavors make that obvious. However, I think these are perfect for grown ups as well! Out of all four flavors, my favorite was the Honey Nana. This surprised me because I don't usually like banana flavored things. However, the banana did not taste artificial at all! It actually tasted sort of like a banana cream pie. A banana cream pie that is only 100 calories, of course. What a great substitute for a sweet tooth!

Surprisingly, my least favorite was the Vanilla Chocolate Chunk - a flavor that I thought would be my favorite. I found the vanilla to be a bit too strong for me. It overpowered my taste buds. Don't get me wrong - I love vanilla. And I think this is a good flavor - kids will probably love it. It is just a little too strong for my taste. As far as the two other flavors go - how can you go wrong with citrus and berries? They were both delicious.

Thanks, Cho, for the chance to review this line - I don't think you've ever let me down. Long live Chobani! :)

The Daisy Scale

4/5 daisies

Thanks again for listening to my little rant - any thoughts you have would be super helpful! Thanks loves and talk to you soon!

Much love, 

WIAW #25 {it's a good week}

Hello dear WIAW friends! I've missed you all!

A lot has been going on this week. First of all, it has definitely been another week of unhealthy eats. I've done way too much overeating and snack on too much desserts and sweet treats (although the pictures I took don't show that)...I'm getting frustrated with myself. I also still haven't been able to run, thanks to homework, again. That is also frustrating... my 5k is approaching and I'm worried I won't be ready!

On the bright side: I was chosen as Xavier University's next Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper! I'm so excited! Honestly, I never thought I would be picked. You know what they told me part of the reason was that they hired me?

I had lots of experience with online blogging. Thanks to my blog, I got the job! How awesome is that?

I also got an A- on a paper (unexpected), a white iPhone (my new form of constant distraction), and tomorrow is the official start of my Easter break. What could be better?

I can't wait to try Jenn's challenge this month - eat an extra serving of veggies every day! I definitely need to do that, as well as cut back on my portion sizes. I'm a much better snacker than regular meal eater, I've discovered.

Some eats this week: {peach soy yogurt, veggie lasagna, brown rice with gardein buffalo wings, bread with lentil dip, and tangerine creamsicle thinkthin bar}

And not to mention...

{Frozen yogurt!}

These were all delicious - I loved every bite of them. And I've been on an intense lasagna kick recently. I crave it all the time! It's terrible! I had it twice this week - two different variations - and I still want more. So, so good. 

This week, I'm looking for some tips on how to restrain yourself from overeating/snacking/etc. What do you do? Does it work? 

Thanks, loves! See you seen and keep the WIAW party going strong! 

Much love,