Before I start, I want to thank everyone who commented on and emailed me about my last post. I really appreciate all the feedback you gave me about my “no added sugar” plan, and I’m working towards being more flexible with my eating and not letting food become an obsessive thing in my life. Especially around the holidays, when I’m already stressed as it is, and sometimes a girl just needs a Hail Merry miracle tart (which I’ll be treating myself to at the end of finals week).
1. There are just over 2 weeks left til the big day…graduation!
I feel like I’ve been waiting for this day for forever. Okay, maybe not, but it’s been a source of excitement and fear in my life since at least last year. I think getting the opportunity to graduate a semester early, and start my ‘real’ life will be the best Christmas present I get this year–and it just so happens to be right around Christmas. I’ve just got to get through one more week of classes, 2 real finals, 1 take home test and an online final and then I’m there! I know the next two weeks are going to fly by, but I hope I can enjoy them to the fullest. My time in college has been so much more than I could have ever imagined, so in a way, I’m going to miss it. At the same time, I’m ready to be done with school!
2. I’m obsessed with balls.
Nope, not those ones 😉 I’ve been whipping up some Larabar knock-offs in ball form and eating them for snacks, at breakfast/lunch, you name it. My latest creations are PB&J (my favorites, and literally just raisins+no salt/sugar PB), protein peppermint mocha (recipe below!) and cookie dough (almond meal+dates+stevia chocolate chips+vanilla extract). Let’s just say that my Ninja has been getting a lot of love lately!
Some of my ‘balls’.
Protein Peppermint Mocha Balls (vegan, gluten free, grain free, raw, no added sugar)
1 scoop Garden of Life RAW Marley coffee protein powder (can sub any coffee-flavored protein powder, or just chocolate and add a little instant coffee)
1 tbsp cacao powder or dark cocoa powder
8-10 pitted dates, soaked 2 hours
3-4 tbsp pumpkin seeds, soaked 2 hours
dash peppermint extract, to taste
In a food processor/high speed blender, process all ingredients until they start to come together. Roll into balls or flatten into bars and enjoy.
3. I am seriously looking into moving to California. Or somewhere else warm.
Not that I wasn’t already, but after this week, I’m considering it even more. Not only did we get 6 inches of snow (not too unusual, and it made it feel more like Christmas, but it made the roads horrible) but we’ve been having Arctic-like temperatures since Tuesday, and they will be continuing until this coming Tuesday. I’m talking daytime highs of 10 degrees at the most, and overnight lows in the negatives. That just doesn’t happen here more than a random day or two, usually in February. The strange thing about Colorado is that we still get plenty of sunshine on these frigid days, so it’s like the weather is taunting us by looking warm but feeling beyond cold. This awful weather has made me just want to stay in and watch Christmas movies #noshame.
This sums it up, basically.
As does this tweet.
4. Some random search terms for your enjoyment.
I haven’t looked at my search terms in awhile, so I knew there was bound to be some, erm, interesting ones. Here are some of the weirdest!
- drinking olive oil with salt to jump start my period: I would suggest putting that olive oil and salt to better use as a dip for some fancy bread…
- cappuccino float: I’m not even sure how that would work, but coffee+ice cream is always a winner.
- how did i spend my thanksgiving holiday for middle school: I haven’t been in middle school for 8 years, so I can’t remember that far back what I was doing for Thanksgiving!
- selfies gone wrong: If they’re referring to my car selfies, they couldn’t be more wrong!
- slang saying yaaasss: I personally love slang words, so go for it.
5. My apartment is sufficiently Christmas-ified.
It’s hard being away from home during the holidays. I really struggled with this during my freshman year of college–it was my first time away from home, and I was dealing with all the typical finals-time stress, along with a not-so-great roommate. What’s made my holiday seasons since then a little better (besides living in an apartment on my own!) is having Christmas decorations up and listening to Christmas music as much as possible. My lovely mom was nice enough to decorate my place while I was at class when she dropped me off after break on Monday, and now my apartment is looking pretty festive. Having all that snow helps too (though, lets be honest, I’m sick of it already) and even though I won’t be going home for good (aka until I find a job) until the 23rd because that’s when I’m moving out of my apartment, I can still enjoy this holiday season, while looking forward to the time that I’ll get to be home with my family again. T-minus 17 days until I’m home for Christmas 😀
Do you like to decorate your home/apartment/dorm for the holidays? What’s the weather like where you are–I need some hope that warmer temps will return soon!
almostveggirlie 
Hooray for being so close to being done! One of my coworkers is graduating at the end of this quarter, too. He’s excited and also terrified. I want to move to California really bad, and we probably will since the Actor has a bunch of schools there he’s looking into. It just sucks because they have income and sales tax. Yikes! But it’s so nice there… It’s currently cold as F here, too.
Plus gas prices are always a lot higher there too! I guess you get what you pay for, because it’s so gorgeous and has great weather.
It’s funny you say you want to move to Cali for the weather…since it’s pretty much an artic zone here right now too! The sun is out shining and bright, yet it is ridiculously freezing!
I think the place to be right now is Florida (80 degree temps!!) haha.
That’s exactly what it’s been like here lately–sunny but so cold! You’d think I’d be used to it living in Colorado most of my life, but usually we don’t get it this cold. Florida is definitely looking good right about now!
You’re so close to being done! Yeee!
and COME TO CALIFORNIA! You would love it. (:
I realllllllly really want to. A lot of the jobs I’m looking into are out there, it just depends on what happens with the job search and if I can find a way to afford it. But if not now, I know I will be moving to California at some point!