Surprising to no one, it turns out that 25 year old Courtney had a different focus than current Courtney (28, also known as baller-ass Courtney) (ok, maybe that isn’t an official nickname, or like, a nickname at all, but still, I’m pretty proud of the Courtney I am today, so baller-ass it is!)
Sorry. Tangent.
My point is, as I look at my 30 before 30 list, I see many that I just don’t care about. I feel like as each year adds on to my earthly experience, I grow more comfortable with my mercurial way of life. I used to berate myself for changing interests and focus so often. “Why aren’t I like SO GOOD at running?” OR “Why don’t I buckle down and obsess over crocheting until I am THE BEST EVER!?”
The fact is, I am a very curious person and I like that about myself. That means that I have many interests. I love trying new things and as time goes by, I am less and less intimidated to do so. So yes, sometimes I walk away from certain activities that I have started (ahem, crossfit, crocheting, clubs), BUT I know that the things I continue to do and continue to participate in, I LOVE (yoga, writing, acupuncture, cashew butter….)
And in the mean time, I get to explore this beautiful, diverse world and dip my toes into the waters of new experiences.
So yeah, I have a lot in my hobby graveyard, but I also am confident that I am open-minded. I am getting more comfortable saying yes and trying stuff out. Someone’s got to put the adventure in CourtneyLand, right?
Getting back to my 30 before 30. Well, I’m going to edit that sucker! Yep, and I’m not going to feel bad about it.
If you have any ideas of stuff to tack on there, I am open to suggestions!
A few weeks ago, my friend Jenna and I went on a walk. She is a nurse as well, so after many hours spent within the hospital walls, we needed some sunshine and fresh air. Couldn’t everyone benefit from more of that?
So we wandered about our town and came upon a little autumn sanctuary. A grove of trees, fallen logs, crisp air, and fall hues surrounded us. It was an autumn lovers dream.
Sometimes (all the time) it a good idea to step away from screens and savor nature. We listened to the crunch of leaves under our feet, felt the breeze fly by our cheeks, and enjoyed the moment we were in.
Did any of you read the Little House on the Prairie series? I grew up on those books. This scene brings me back to ‘On the Banks of Plum Creek’.
I used to dream about living out in nature, in a little home burrowed into a knoll, like the Wilders. While today I am glad my home isn’t subterranean, it is nice to know of a place where I can go to be transported back to that childhood feeling of wistfulness and wonderment. Like sunshine and fresh air, I think we could all use more of those things as well.
A couple of years ago, I had a year where I cried just about 2-3 times per week. I would cry over gratitude, joy, sadness, frustration, ANYTHING.
I remember having a friend who cried a lot during that time too. We could just look at each other sometimes and have a good cry.
If this sounds crazy, then obviously you are not a crier. But if you relate, then Welcome! My fellow crying people!!!
see? i’ve always been a crier.
Anyways, during the time, my life wasn’t particularly tragic, I just needed to cry. Looking back, I think there were a lot of changes going on in my life and the crying was a way that my body and soul processed it all. I got to feel all of the emotions that were stirring about during that time and work through them.
It was refreshing, it was healing.
And it is happening again. How do I know? I saw Grown Ups 2 last night and cried for a LONG TIME. I was moved by the storyline. It started with the mention of a soldier in Afghanistan (I am crying just remembering it) and how much a father loves his son and how another father could relate. Phew. It was great.
It makes sense as well. I finished my nursing program and am moving forward in life. I start my new job in August and am so excited. My sister is getting married in a week!!! ❤ ❤ ❤ (holy moly, every time I edit my speech, I lose it). I am moving out of my house. There is a lot of change.
Though the changes that are going on are beautiful and joyful, I still need to cry. I cry over how grateful and happy I am. I cry over the joy I feel for my sister. I cry over the amazing opportunities I have and the signs of God’s will in my life. I cry over the sadness that I won’t see my nursing school classmates so much. I cry over changes that make me scared, but need to happen. I cry over it all. And Hallmark commercials. I cry over every single freakin’ one. Damn it, Hallmark!? You know what you’re doing and I resent you for it (while I’m crying).
Phew again.
So, it is crying season. I am stocking up on soft tissues, tea, and embracing it.
And since I am achey and stuck on the sofa (or my bed or maaaybe my cozy desk chair), I thought I would blog about my sick routine.
When I am sick, I REST. I think this is the most important part of healing for me. When I get sick, it is really predictable. Personally, I find it comes after a really busy and stressful time. I don’t sleep as much as I should, I am stressed out with this and that, I don’t work out regularly, and my meals are not balanced. This all ends up in a big cold.
I also use the Neti-Pot, at least twice a day. This is a must for me. I usually just get the common cold – the Rhinovirus – so I feel congested and my sinuses feel super swollen. This clears it out and helps me breath – aaah oxygen!
Showering and cleaning happen too. I find that if I am cleaned up, it is easier for me to not feel down in the dumps. The steam from the shower helps soothe my achey airways and I feel like I am priming my system for healing! Plus, no one wants to sleep in sheets that you’ve just coughed / sneezed all over. Gross.
I love coffee. I love coffee every day. But I especially love it when I am sick. I find that the hot acidity of it really soothes an itchy / uncomfortable throat. If I drink enough to make my blood feel electric, it distracts me away from the muscle aches. I also drink a lot of OJ and a lot of water. I live in a desert, hydration is a MUST!
A habit I got from my mom is getting in the sunshine. She told me once that when she was a kiddo, she would try to get some sunshine on her face when she didn’t feel well. I do the same thing today. That usually just means sitting in my backyard for ten minutes at a time. Soaking in the sunshine makes my body, mind, and soul feel better, holistically healing 😉 . PS Florence Nightingale felt the same way!
I also tend to avoid any cough suppressants. Most common products (any -quils out there) just make me feel drugged up and prolong whatever cold I have. No good. I favor expectorants like Mucinex to get stuff up and OUT, vitamins, and that sweet menthol-scented Vick’s Vapo-Rub.
Now of course, if you are sick, the best thing you should do is take care of yourself and see your doctor when needed – none of the stuff I have mentioned above is professional opinion AT ALL! These are just simple things that help me feel better faster. And since I am stuck on the couch, I thought I would share it 🙂
I hope you feel well, have a beautiful day, and enjoy some sunshine.
Good morning! Or afternoon! Or night! Whenever you happen to be reading this.
I mention gratitude pretty frequently here, mainly because it has become critical part of my day to day life.
Gratitude is a powerful force, it is able to pull me out of pity and reveal to me that I do, in fact, love my life. We are all human, (unless you are a primate, participating – probably unwillingly – in some internet training experiment, in which case, welcome friend. And thank you for your contribution to science). Anyways, we are all (most likely) human, and sometimes life gets stressful.
Personally, when I am in a period of stress and strife, my perspective is tunnel-visioned on the negative. I see what is wrong, what I need to do, what other people are doing wrong (oy – I’m eye rolling myself on this)…all in all, it is a very skewed vision of my life and of reality.
Taking a moment to take inventory of some things I am grateful for, helps open my eyes to my actual reality. And nearly 100% of the time, I feel revived and my time spent in the pity pot is cut short.
So, when I made my 30 before 30 list, I knew gratitude had a place on it.
I wanted a gratitude journal. I had heard of this before by some very wise friends of mine. It is a small journal, where I can randomly jot down things I am grateful for. During a difficult day, I can look back and read some of my entries. It sounded like a pretty wonderful thing to have.
Awhile back, I won a prize package from one of my favorite artists, Leigh Standley of Curly Girl Design. She creates her pieces by hand, then works with production and distribution companies to have them translated into products like cards, journals, wall hangings, etc.
One of the journals included in my happy little prize was just the ticket!
I have mainly kept it on my nightstand. I usually update it a few times during the week, writing in a couple of entries at a time before hitting the sack.
They are mainly simple things like, “The smell of summer coming,” and, “Clean water.”
Many of them are about the people in my life, about the little things they do that I love and appreciate. Great hugs, play with Zo, give encouragement, singing to Wilson Phillips. It is filled with love.
I am sure that many of this little blips of memories would be washed out of my mind had I not written them down. It is nice to read back and remember the small moments that bring me so much joy.
The last Whole30 I did was in September and October. I talked a bit about it in this post, but I never came back to talk about how I felt when it finished.
And I did finish, I did 30 days with all of those restrictions – no dairy / legumes / grains / sugar / sweeteners / corn / processed foods / etc. I was super proud of myself! I love dairy and grains and sugar, especially when they are all wrapped up in the delicious package of a bowl of cereal.
do you hear the angels singing?
So, as much as I loved these things, I kind of knew I needed to let them go. Around that time, I had awful abdominal pain, energy spikes and crashes, and fluctuating hormone levels. Although not all of these issues are purely food-related, I believe that quality food and nutrition would help. And they did.
A couple of days into the process, my abdominal pain went away. Two weeks in, my energy lifted out of its fog, and maintained. I was able to feel clear-headed and awake throughout the day, without snacking or reaching for another coffee.
Because the Whole30 is so restrictive, I was able to re-introduce certain foods into my diet after I finished and clearly see what reactions my body had to them. Most dairy gave me horrible pain, but on occasion, organic whole milk is fine. As is whole milk greek yogurt with bacteria (or “probiotics”) present. I found that when I had skim, 2%, or cream – my abdominal pain came back. Anytime the milk was in its whole form, it was pretty okay. And for some reason, unknown to me, the organic milk rarely gave me any issues, where regular milk would.
Another fun finding was that processed sugar would make me feel like a crazy person. I kid you not, my instructors would give out fun-sized candy – I would eat one – 20 minutes later I would feel more agitated, irritable, and emotional. Also, it should be noted that my instructors would give out this candy when teaching about things like Diabetic Ketoacidosis or Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Syndrome… Kind of mixed messages there.
It should be mentioned, that none of these reactions prevented me from gorging myself during the holidays… Oh yeah, I ate a whole lotta cookies!
Yeaaaah, maybe I over did it.Mmm, even the memory of them is delicious.
And fudge…and beef stroganoff…and more cookies, but a different kind…and chocolates….andandand…well, I ate a lot. But it was okay, because if I was gassy it was around family so…. and if I got emotional, I just blamed it on those Hallmark Christmas commercials. Seriously though, those aren’t even fair. They don’t even give you a chance NOT to cry. Just try!
I love that commercial so much!!!!!
Phew, okay. I’ve composed myself. Turns out, it triggers the same reaction even without sugar.
Anyways, so after my season of sugar, I decided that another Whole30 was in order. I wanted to tame my sweet tooth, and reintroduce my body to fruit and vegetables.
Today, I am on day 17 – I started January 1st. I feel great. My energy is sustained throughout the day, I am sleeping better, my head feels clearer, and tummy feels better.
I have been cooking a whole bunch! This time around, I set a goal for myself to try new and different foods and recipes. I have made salmon, Kalua pork, brined moroccan chicken, and rutabaga hash. I even barbecued during a snowstorm (I was determined to get grill marks, however the below freezing temp fought me on that one…)
I have even survived a trip to all-you-can-eat sushi with friends! It went great, I ordered a sashimi plate for myself, extra salmon – less hamachi, and look what came out!
Beautiful! It was amazing! It was way cheaper than the all-you-can-eat price, then I didn’t have to eat my body weight in rice. I enjoyed the fish, and didn’t feel disgustingly stuffed afterwards (like I normally do after getting sushi). To avoid soy sauce (no legumes, no soybeans), I recommend using coconut aminos (found in the vinegar / oil section of Whole Foods). It costs less than 5$ and will last a long time. The wasabi should be Whole30 compliant as well.
So today I continue. I just pulled some chicken breasts out of my CrockPot (which I am in love with). I put them in their frozen last night with leftover moroccan spice mix, chicken stock, and coconut milk (canned, not the milk alternative) – now they are delicious!
When I am done with this Whole30, I would like to experiment with Paleo baking. The Whole30 puts the cabbash on Paleo-fying non-paleo foods (pancakes, pizza, desserts, etc). But when I am done, I would like to try out some recipes for waffles and desserts. Most of them utilize very little coconut or almond flour and only minimal amounts of natural sugars like honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar. If I find anything good, I will share it here!
I hope you have a great rest of your day, I am off to study, eat, get a haircut, and savor the rest of my day off, without added sugar of course.
It has been oh, a MONTH, since I last posted. A lot has been going on. Well, mainly a lot of holiday baking and sugar-eating (which lead me to do my second Whole30 throughout January! But more about that later).
Right now, I am sitting at my desk, trying to avoid eye contact with my TO DO list. It is menacing right now. It is filled with tasks that seem small, but really have great big consequences. I am graduating nursing school in May, so this winter break I am trying to get prepared. I am taking an ACLS course, updating my resume, collecting letters of recommendation, and meeting with friends and coworkers gathering information and tips.
Don’t get me wrong, it has been great so far, but each time I look at that list to find my next task…I feel dread. I begin to fear what kind of nurse I will be. I start to question my knowledge and my abilities. I start to drum up memories as evidence backing the idea of how incapable I am. In general, I really freak out.
So what is behind this? Here is what I have come up with…Fear, obviously. Particularly about change.
My life is about to, yet again, get flipped (turned upside down – holla back Fresh Prince). And that kinda freaks me out. I will have a new schedule, I will learn new things, I will be around new people. My priorities, responsibilities, and routines will change. AH!
That is pretty intimidating. But here is the thing, as I type it all, I find myself also excited. I know that I am doing what I am meant to. I know that I have worked hard and will do fine. I know that I will struggle for a while at first, but also that period will pass and eventually things will smooth out again.
I know that this is worth it, that I am worth it. I am worth trudging forward through this scary bit. My future will be better because of it. I will be stronger and smarter because of it.
And all of those memories I am dwelling on that make me think I can’t do this? Psch. Bananas. If I stop and piece them apart, they aren’t accurate. They are false evidence. (False Evidence Appearing Real) So one time a patient of mine threw up? I did not cause that, their body caused that. I gave appropriate care before, during, and after the whole shebang. One patient getting sick does not equate to me being a terrible future healthcare professional. (my fearful mind can be very overdramatic…)
Writing (typing) this all out, feeling this all out has lightened my mind and my heart. I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. Also, I am surrounded by loving and supportive people, and that fact will not change, regardless of my employment status 🙂
As for all of the things that will change, I have a feeling they will turn out just fine. They did for this guy.
I am parked on my sofa, sipping my coffee, and watching the tail end of Finding Nemo. Holy moly, am I filled with gratitude.
These past couple of days have been filled to the brim with family and loved ones. After spending time with these wonderful people, I wake up with a light heart and a smile.
Here are a few of the things I am oh-so-grateful for today:
Friends and Family! I have gotten to spend time with some friends lately who I hadn’t previously seen in months-years! It has been so good. I forgot how seriously funny, smart, and entertaining these particular women are. After an evening with them, my voice is hoarse from laughing so much. AND we get to dust off the good ‘ole sorority pose when we take a group photo:
Pixar movies: Pixar recently came out with their short films, version 2. If you want to watch some well-made, heartwarming cartoons, download / pick it up pronto! The BF and I watched a few before hitting the sack last night. They are so good!
A warm home and food to eat. These cold nights remind me how blessed I am to have a roof over my head. I am in school, have regular income, and have a promising, upcoming job search. That is a big deal these days and I am so thankful for these opportunities.
I hope you have a great Sunday. Mine will be stuffed with studying, groceries, tutoring, and cooking. Pretty awesome.
Here in Reno, NV the weather is a-changin’ and it is chilly! All I want to do is stay in bed until 11AM, get up for coffee, then watch TV all day while eating hot soup. I have simple needs.
In order to make one of my dreams come true, I have been making homemade soups like crazy! I always thought it was much more difficult, but in reality making homemade soup is the easiest form of cooking on the planet. AND the result is delicious. AND you know what ingredients are in it. AND you have a tasty meal ready for you throughout the busy week. How awesome is that?!
I adapted the recipe from HERE. The original looks great, but I altered it so it would be appropriate as a hearty main course.
I apologize for the lack of photos, but I was more focused on eating than keeping a record – but gimme a break! This is my first food post!
Ingredients:
5 pounds chicken – I used “leg quarters” – tasty meat and the pack cost be less than 5$ (!!!)
Oil – I used coconut oil and olive oil, but really it is oil, who cares? Use any type you want.
Shakes (to taste) of the following: Paprika / Garlic Salt / Cayenne Pepper / CUMIN – if you don’t own Cumin, then go buy some, taste it, and enjoy the higher quality of life you will now have.
1 white onion
2-3 Tablespoons minced garlic (we have a but ol’ tub from Costco of the stuff. If you have fresh cloves, I would just mince up a whole head.
1 jalapeño pepper
3 bell peppers – I had yellow / orange / red
2 quarts / big rectangular packages of chicken stock – I recommend shelling out the extra forty cents on the ‘better’ brands. The canned chicken stock really tastes like water / oil / “chicken seasoning #22387R”
2 – 14 oz cans of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes
3 limes
Avocados to top it off
NO CILANTRO! For cilantro is evil and if you eat it you will surely die because it is so disgusting. Don’t taint a wonderful soup with this horrendous leafy death. CILANTRO HATER 4 LIFE!
Makin’ the soup:
Unwrap the chicken and give it a quick rinse. You are doing this mainly because raw chicken smells like farts and rinsing it off reduces the stink. (that and it gets all of the goo off) (fart goo more like it)
Spread the chicken in a baking dish. I used a simple 9″-13″-1″ glass pan.
Drizzle the chicken with some oil, just enough to make it all glossy
Coat those chicken pieces with some shakes of seasoning! No need to season if you are cooking chicken with the skin on, but have plans to remove the skin before poppin’ it in the soup. I wasted a lot of good cumin here… (tear).
Cook the chicken in 375* F for 45m-60m. I did 45m and my chicken had some pink parts in the very center (it got cooked during the boiling process, but if it is thoroughly cooked in the oven, it will be easier to pick apart when you put it in the broth).
Take an hour break! I recommend playing with a beloved pet or napping!
So the chicken is still cooking away, so you might as well prep the rest of the veggies!
Chop the bell peppers to your liking, I used 1″ strips
Dice the onion into little pieces
Dice the jalapeño into even leeeeettler pieces. Discard the seeds and DONT TOUCH YOUR FACE. Wash your hands, wash everything, then wash your hands again. Then don’t touch your face. Or your dog’s face, that would just be cruel. But you all probably know this, I think you are a very wise bunch.
Put a big pot on the stove, I used an 8 quart pot. This held the soup and gave me a couple of inches at the top to prevent it from boiling over.
On medium-high heat, sauté the onions / garlic / peppers / jalapeño in roughly 2-3 T of oil; stir them while cooking over the next 4-5 minutes; you just want to get the onions softer and little more translucent.
Pour in the chicken stock and tomatoes and keep on low heat
Once the chicken is done, let it cool. Just chill out, Chicken! Let’s not get crazy here!
I took off the chicken skin then just tore the meat off the bones with my hands. I found it easiest to rip apart the joints and take the bones out, then just pieced out the remaining meat. This was simple to do and ripping bones apart helped me connect with my inner survivalist.
Drop all of the yummy chicken meat into the pot with all of the other goodies.
Bring to boil on High heat, then keep it with a low boil (probably a Medium heat)
Leave the pot simmer/boiling there from 20-45 minutes; this time is really up to you. I wanted mine to boil longer to get it to reduce. I wanted a slightly thicker soup with a strong broth, but taste it and decide for yourself. If your chicken wasn’t completely done, let it boil for at least 20 minutes to ensure food safety. No one likes diarrhea!
Taste the broth and decide what it needs. Experiment with spices! I used a TON of cumin, some paprika, LOTS of garlic salt, and a decent amount of cayenne. I added more salt then the juice of 3 limes. Just taste as you go and you can’t go wrong.
When it is all done, slice up the avocado and put it on top of a steaming bowl of your homemade chicken (no) tortilla soup!
Here is my only (dark and grainy) photo of the end product. Delicious!
Oooh CrossFit. How great you make me feel, but how awful you make my shins look. Today was a deadlift day and my shins look like I used my legs as billy clubs while taking Coumadin…they are bruised!
So, Crossfit – I dedicate this song to you. You make me do silly things like handstands and give me bruises. But you also make me feel strong and give me muscles to throw sweet Zo Hiiiigh up in the air.
(Note: disregard that creepy man voice in the song…I have never been so grossed out by strawberries in my life.)
—
Speaking of song dedications, this one goes out to FOOD. I love you baby, never change!
(Note: I have no clue what this song is about. It is just appropriate because if something is delicious, my body tells me no, but I WONT QUIT!!!)
—
And finally, this one’s for my roommates. They are awesome! I am so glad I live with each of those boys. They make delicious food, which we have already established that I love, then share it! They are also great listeners and are super understanding about my immense need for quiet and rest (or else something happens and I morph into a rage-filled snarling monster…) Finally, a hip hop song with a message I can really get behind.
(Note: I don’t know what Chris Brown is talking about…”I don’t want to fall/fall/fall asleep” that is hogwash, just let me sleep. PS the video sucks.)
That’s it for Courtney’s Cool Jamzzz Radio Session! Keep right on the flip side and have a snazzy Monday you rockin’ snails, you!
courtneyland 