How To Keep Moving Forward

October 30, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Since we have moved to Chicago and Adam started working at Aon, I haven’t had a “real” job. It was a conscious decision on both our parts and it is working well for the moment. I knew with all this new found free time, I would need to make sure that I had things to keep me occupied and moving forward on my goals and dreams. It could have been so easy to just waste the day away and not do much at all, but I didn’t want to be complacent.

I think that the idea of moving forward and reaching goals can be applied to pretty much any area of life. Whether it be losing weight, completing a home project, getting a promotion at work, or getting into the college of your choice. I don’t have all the answers on how to achieve those goals but I do have a few tips on how to keep moving towards those goals. These are some things that I have used to help from keeping me sitting on the couch all day eating bon bons. Does anyone actually eat bon-bons all day?

Create a vision board

Have you ever heard of Pinterest? If you haven’t, it’s like a giant cork board on the internet You can save all the recipes, workouts, outfits, etc you find on the internet in one place. You can create different boards to sort all your pins. Having a visual representation is a great way to keep your goals at the front of your mind. You don’t have to use Pinterest (even though it’s awesome) you can just use a regular pinboard. Find images that embody your goal and hang them where you can see them everyday. You can add or subtract as you reach your goals or they change.

Tell someone

Share your goals with another person, preferably someone that you trust. It’s really helpful to have another person know exactly what you want to accomplish. That way you have someone that can support you and keep you accountable. Ask them to check in with you every once and awhile to see your progress. While you might think you’re really independent and can do everything on your own, it’s really important to have someone there to support your dreams. You will be much more likely to reach those goals with that little extra oomph.

Do something everyday

It doesn’t have to be a huge or monumental task but do something everyday to propel you towards your goal. If you want to lose weight, try keeping a food journal each day to see where you can make changes. If you want to write a book, try writing a chapter or paragraph everyday. Little steps like this will get you closer to your goal and before you know it you’ll be there. Also little steps can lead to bigger steps and you can reach your goal even faster. This is also another great way to keep yourself from stalling. If you actually do something you’ll feel more motivated to keep working hard.

Be kind to yourself

This one is tough for me. I often get down on myself for not reaching my goals sooner or I keep beating myself up for not doing more. Don’t worry if you aren’t going at the rate you think you should be. You will reach your goals at your own pace. Don’t compare yourself to others or give up because it isn’t happening as soon as you want. As long as you are continually working towards something, you don’t need to beat yourself up. Be kind and keep going.

Like I said, I don’t have all the answers and maybe these tips will not help you in any way at all, but give them a try. They might be a good starting point if you are at the beginning of your journey. No matter what you decide to do, start making decisions and steps to accomplish your dreams.

Just A Thought

October 27, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I had a great weekend spending time with my in-laws, watching marching bands, and celebrating my upcoming birthday. It was nice to relax with my family and spend time together.

With all of my relaxing this weekend (there may have been a few glasses of wine), I don’t have a very long post for you today but I do have a thought. I have noticed that with all the social media out there, we have become people who are constantly comparing. I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until I would find myself looking at pictures on Instagram and comparing my life to them. I didn’t just compare my health or body or food but my clothes, my apartment, essentially my life. Somehow there was always someone who had something bigger or better or seemingly more perfect. My life just didn’t seem to meet their standards and it was making me grumpy. I took a step back and realized how silly it is to want my life to meet OTHER people’s standards.

How often do you try and compare yourself to others, fall short, and then feel inadequate? Probably more than you know. It’s impossible to totally isolate yourself from social media, but even if you could there are still opportunities to compare. There will always be other people who seem to have everything in life and you wish you could be just like them, but that will never make you happy. You will end up always reaching for things and never have time to enjoy all the great things you already have. I stopped caring what my life looked like next to the person standing next to me and what do you know, I’m a lot happier. My life is amazing and it’s my life so the only person that needs to set the standard is me. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing, as long as I’m achieving my goals and satisfied with things, it’s all good. Take one day to stop comparing and see how much better your life and all the things you do really are. Because you are a very awesome person.

Have a great Monday!

Friday Favorites

October 17, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Hello everyone! I thought it would be a good day to update you on some of my favorite things lately, mostly because I don’t have a new recipe for you this Friday. But don’t you worry, I have plenty of new and delicious fall meals coming your way! Now onto things that I’m enjoying because I know you’re all dying to find out.

Fall-Flavored Tea

Yes, this is the season of Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Everyone goes gaga over them this time of year, and while I do enjoy a good pumpkin drink just like the rest of the country, I also like the tea that comes out this time of year. The change of seasons from warm to cold is generally also the time to change from cold drinks to warm drinks and I love sipping tea on chilly drizzly fall days. Right now my two teas of choice are Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Rooibos and Teekanne’s Cinnamon Apple Spice tea. Both have that fall spice blend going on and they make me think of crunchy leaves and other fall things. Plus the pumpkin tea comes in this awesome tin that will forever smell like pumpkin spice and what could be better than that?

All the Squash

I mentioned in my post on Wednesday that a great way to enjoy fall was to eat squash. Obviously that means I’m gorging myself on all the squash. I think that my two favorites are butternut and delicata, but I am no squash snob and I will gladly eat any squash put in front of me. The best way to eat them in my humble opinion is to roast them. Preheat your oven to 425, peel, deseed, and dice whatever squash you choose, then toss with some oil (I like to use coconut oil), sprinkle with your favorite seasoning (I like to go savory with garlic and chili powder or smoked paprika) and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the squash starts to get golden on the edges. Then eat as is, put on top of salads, or puree for soup or a mashed potato substitute.

Fitness Blender

While running will always be my first fitness love, I do also like to lift weights. It’s important to cross-train to prevent injuries and to add some variety to your workout routine. For the past few months I have been doing the workouts provided by the couple behind Fitness Blender. There are a ton of different workouts to choose from, whether you want to tone, strengthen, do cardio or HIIT. They have yoga and pilates and tabata style workouts. Pretty much anything your heart desires fitness wise, they provide. Their videos are simple to follow and they make sure to teach you how to properly do each exercise so you don’t hurt yourself. Plus they’re workouts are free! What could be better than free fitness? Go check them out at fitnessblender.com and do one of their videos. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Pretending to be a Model

I don’t look awkward at all….

So, I’m pretty much a professional model now don’t ya know? A few weeks back, I was asked if I wanted to start writing a health column for a local magazine. I said, uhhhh YES and I am really excited to be contributing and reaching a bigger audience. The first issue that I’ll be writing in is their Nov/Dec issue, and along with the article I included two holiday recipes. They also had me come out so they could get a headshot for the magazine and thus I am now a professional model. But not really because I had to have my sister help me pick out my clothes and do my makeup since I really have no fashion sense at all. Good thing I have her around so I don’t look like a two year old playing dress up!

Those are the things captivating my attention these days. Sometimes it’s really the simple things in life that make me happy, like tea and squash. I hope you all are having a fabulous Friday and that your weekend is awesome! I’ll see you back here on Monday!

How To Enjoy Fall

October 15, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Fall is the best. I don’t just think that because my birthday is in the fall or I got married in the fall or one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving, is in the fall. Sure, all those things further my love of fall but they aren’t the main reasons. There is a change in the air and the scenery and it inspires change in daily life too, at least for me. While many people think of spring as the time of renewal and things coming to life, I feel like fall is the same way. The leaves turn to beautiful shades of gold, orange, and red, there is a certain crispness to the air, and the seasonal offerings at the market are warm and hearty. It’s just a great time of year and I think we should all take some time to enjoy it! These are some of my favorite things to do come fall time.

Apple Picking

My family has always gone apple picking during the fall. Whether it was on a school field trip or a day off on our own, I have many memories of picking apples. This Monday, I got the chance to go apple picking with my parents and my sister and her fiance. I haven’t been apple picking with my family in a few years and it was great to relive some fond memories of my childhood. There is nothing better than walking up and down row after row of apple trees, sampling as many apples as your stomach can hold, and loading up bags with your favorites. Anyone who has been apple picking can tell you, fresh picked apples are just better. And tons of apples can only lead to good things like apple pie, apple crisp, apple sauce, and apple butter. Plus, what would apple picking be without a stop at the country store for fresh apple donuts and homemade fudge? Go find an orchard near you and enjoy this fall favorite activity.

Pumpkins

You know I love pumpkins and it’s no secret that the rest of the population goes pumpkin crazy this time of year. I like eating them, baking with them, decorating with them, picking them, and just being around them. Pumpkins are great and when I see the first few pumpkins hit the stands, I know fall is pretty much here.

Squash in General

I like zucchini and summer squash just as much as the next person, but there is something so satisfying about winter squashes. They’re creamy, filling, versatile, and so tasty. There are so many varieties out there, butternut, kabocha, delicata, acorn, kuri…. The list goes on and on. You can eat them in pretty much every dish during the fall. Add them to soups, salads, stuff them full of delicious things, bake with them, or my personal favorite, roast them. You can make them sweet, savory, or spicy. They might look intimidating, but once you know how to handle them you’ll be eating them all the time. Go get some from your local farmer’s market and enjoy immediately!

The Scenery

I can’t begin to tell you how beautiful I think fall is. I feel like the leaves change from day to day providing new and even more gorgeous scenery than the day before. And the smell of fallen leaves, raked leaves, and burning leaves are some of the best scents I can think of. I also love fall weather. It’s usually fairly mild, chilly in the mornings and evenings but with that golden sunshine the afternoons are pleasantly warm. This is the best time of the year to get outside with your workouts before the harsh weather of winter comes. I love running in the brisk weather in the morning and then taking a long stroll in the afternoon, crunching leaves underfoot along the way. Fall is when I soak up that last bit of sunshine before I’m stuck indoors during the winter. Find a way to get outside during this time of year. Whether it’s for a workout, a walk a football game, or just sitting out in your backyard, enjoy that fall air.

I could keep writing on and on about all the things I love during the fall. Watching football games, band competitions, being around family and food at Thanksgiving, celebrating my anniversary with my husband, sipping warm tea and reading while it’s raining outside, smelling my mom’s hot apple cider simmering on the stove are all things that I love about this season. While you might not be as passionate about fall as I am, you can definitely find something to enjoy about this time of year. Get out there and make the most of fall!

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Happy Fall!!

How To Rest

October 1, 2014 / ktbuchs87

How many of you feel like you are constantly on the go? From work to deadlines to extracurricular activities to whatever else you have going on in your life, it can sometimes feel like you never stop. All that action without pause can tire you out and start to wear down your body as well as your health. In the fitness realm, rest days are just as important as working out. Rest days allow the muscles you’ve worked to heal and recover so that you can become stronger and better. I think that is a great concept that needs to carry over into regular life. If you never take time to stop and recover, you won’t have as much energy to give to other aspects of your day. It can be tough to slow down if you’re always used to moving fast, so here are a few ways that you can help yourself rest.

Unplug

This is one of the biggest, and toughest, ways to rest. If you’re anything like me, you are constantly plugged into your phone/computer/tablet/whatever electronic at all times. Your email is only a click away, people know they can call you whenever because your phone is always nearby, you’re constantly updating your status/tweets/photo, you even have gotten rid of your alarm clock because it’s all on your phone. While it’s great that you can do all these things from the palm of your hand, it can be draining to always be on. I know we can’t totally give up social media, we can try to lessen time spent on it. I’ve started to limit my phone/computer use on the weekends. At first it was a little tough, but after a few weekends without always being on my iphone, I realized how recharged I felt. Try giving yourself a one hour break from all social media/electronic devices. Enjoy some face to face time with your friends or read a book (a real one, with pages and everything). Your emails, tweets, and Instagram will all be there when you get back.

Pencil It In

Actually schedule some rest time into your day. Maybe you have a few extra minutes in the morning that you can spend alone preparing for your day. Or take some time right before bed to relax and unwind. It doesn’t have to be hours and hours of time, even a 10 minute chunk of time can be enough to help you feel rested. If you make the effort to really schedule some down time into your day, you are more likely to stick to it.

Do What You Like

When you do have a little time to rest, do things that you enjoy and find relaxing. Not everyone wants to sit down and read a good book for a half an hour. You might like to light candles and do yoga while others find it calming to go for a walk around their neighborhood. There is no wrong way to take a break as long as you actually take a break. Try different things like bubble baths, meditation, listening to music, or just sitting by yourself. Find what works for you and helps you to feel recharged.

Don’t Feel Guilty

This was and still is a tough one for me. I always felt guilty whenever I would take a little break. I felt like I needed to be doing something productive or else I was just wasting time and being lazy. I would rather run around all day checking off my to do list than take some me time for just five minutes. Then I started to think of taking a break as being productive rather than lazy. If I took just a little time each day to recharge then I was more able to tackle my to do list. Don’t feel bad for having a little bit of me time each day. In the end it is better to take a little rest than run yourself ragged.

If you find yourself exhausted and ready to drop by the end of each day, try taking just a few minutes to rest. I know it may seem silly and like a waste of time, but trust me, it’s worth it. Giving your body and mind a short break can help your overall health and that is always a good thing!