Dawson Update

April 8, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Sorry for the lack of regular posts here on the blog. It has been a busy past few weeks and the blog has been pushed to the side for the time being. But don’t worry, once the craziness of our move and Adam’s new job has died down I will have plenty of time to devote to writing posts and giving you guys recipes!

I thought that I would drop in today and give you a quick update on what’s going on here in the Dawson house. If you recall my husband, Adam, was offered a job at Aon Benfield in Chicago. Once we found out and talked about it, we decided to make the move to Chicago and thus begun our search for a new apartment. Luckily it didn’t take that long and we found a great place in the Lakeview area of Chicago. We both fell in love with the area and the variety of things that are available to us there. It’s also a short commute for Adam which is pretty much one of the main reasons we were moving. We signed the lease and will be moving towards the end of May.

Now, I’m not sure how familiar many of you are with downtown living, but it tends to be a little bit of a smaller space. Our new apartment is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, with a living room/dining room and kitchen. While it is not super tiny, it is a lot smaller than our 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, home here in Sycamore. So we have been slowly going through our things and downsizing to only the essentials. At times, I look around and start to panic and think, “There is no way that we will be able to fit into this new space!” But I know that once we actually make the move and get everything organized, it will all work just fine. It’s also nice to get down to the bare essentials, sometimes we get so bogged down with “stuff” that we think we need but we really don’t. While I may hate moving, it does help to keep us from becoming pack rats because who wants to move a bunch of useless things? Not I.

Stuff we really don’t need…

I have also been feeling my way into the health and nutrition arena of the world to see where I can fit in and start my own career. There are numerous programs to become certified in a variety of things, so I’m not worried about finding the right fit. I am finding that I am most passionate about the food/nutrition side of things and have been leaning towards continuing my education in that sense. While I have nothing definite yet, it is exciting to plan my own future and think about what I really want to do. After the move I will be able to devote 100% of my time to pursuing that and I can’t wait!

That’s pretty much all the excitement that is going on in my little corner of the world. Thankfully it seems that the weather is slowly turning to spring here in the midwest and it has been a little warmer. I really do love this time of year when I go outside and can actually smell things like trees and grass and flowers. It’s also nice to not have to put on 6 thousand layers just to walk to the car and not freeze to death. Hopefully it stays this way and we can finally enjoy spring! I hope that you all have a great week and I will talk to you soon!

Beautiful morning for a spring time run!

Changes; They are a-coming

March 11, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 3 Comments

I know this post is a day late, I’m sorry. But as you are about to learn, it has been a busy weekend for us and things are about to get busier.

My husband, Adam, has been searching for a job since about last November. He has applied to any and everything that is within his skill set and all over the US. All of that searching finally paid off and he was offered a job with Aon Benfield as a Catastrophe Risk Analyst. He happily accepted and will start with them in June. Now the changes start happening. His new job is in downtown Chicago, he will literally work right across the street from Millenium Park. From where we are now, the commute would be over 2 hours each way. Not really the ideal situation, so after much talking and debating we decided that it would be best for us to move closer to his job. What would spring be without the Dawson’s looking for and moving to a new place? While the idea of moving is not the most appealing to me (I’ve moved every single year for the past 5 years), we are both excited to start this next chapter of our lives.

Yes I made my husband take a picture in front of his new building. Isn’t he cute?

Needless to say, I have had many emotions about this whole situation. I am so happy and proud of Adam for getting an amazing job that will both challenge him and allow him to excel. I am excited to move to the more “adult” phase of life, complete with “real” jobs (will we ever really feel like adults or qualify our jobs as real people jobs? Eh, maybe). I’m also scared to leave the comfort of our town and routine. We have lived in this area for 7+ years. I know everything here, I’m familiar with it’s rhythms and motions. I like it here, this area has been so good to us. I’m sad to leave my job. While I knew going in that it wasn’t a long term job, they have become like a second family. Sure there have been days when dealing with a 2 year old and a 9 month old have been challenging and tiring, but it has been fun to see those two grow up. I’m also nervous about pursuing my passions, specifically in the health realm. I have so many doubts about myself and I’m worried about failure, yet I know that it is time to go after what I want to do. As you can see, I have run the full gamut of emotions, and I am sure that there will be more to come as we get closer to the move and Adam’s start date.

But the most important thing is that even though I might be scared or nervous or stressed or anxious, I know that we can do this. I know that I can do this. So often in the past I have fought and resisted change and it has only caused more hardship. While I can’t promise that I will full embrace all the change that is about to happen or not occasionally have a breakdown, I can say that I am going to do my best to be flexible and understanding with this process. I’m not afraid to ask for help or communicate when I have too much on my plate anymore. I have such an amazing support system, with Adam as well as with my family and friends. I know they will offer as much help as they can and in any way they can. I am blessed to have all of them in my life.

So please forgive me in advance if I’m not posting as regularly. We have a lot to get done in these next few months and I’ll be putting most of my energy into that. I’ll keep you all updated as much as I can along the way! On another note, any of you who live in Chicago have any advice about where to live there? If you have any tips, advice, or info PLEASE send it my way! Have a great week everyone!

Love this man!

You’re a Bully

February 17, 2014February 17, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Battle the bulge. Fight flab. Annihilate your arms. Crush your core. These are all fairly common phrases when looking at articles and websites on how to lose weight or exercise your body. You’ve heard or read these numerous times whether you realized it or not. You probably don’t pay much attention to them, but could they be affecting you anyway?

In the past few weeks and months, I have been working hard on learning to love my body. I have shared before some of my insecurities and past issues with my self image. It’s tough to try to retrain your brain to actually see what’s in the mirror and not what you think you see. It has taken me a lot of practice to be proud of what my body can do, rather than trying to change my body into what I think it needs to look like. Amongst all this working on my self image, I have come across a lot of tips, articles, workouts, and diets that use words and phrases like those above. At first, I really didn’t think much of it. As I kept seeing these things and kept working on my own issues, I felt like maybe these things were affecting me more than I realized. I have a tendency to be very harsh and critical of my body. I know that many other people struggle with this as well. We all think that we can be better, we can do more, and we believe, for whatever reason, we aren’t good enough or think we look the way we should. To be blunt, we’re bullies. We’re bullies to our own bodies.

That may sound kind of ridiculous. I mean, you aren’t knocking your own books out of your hand and demanding lunch money from yourself. But think about your inner monologue when it comes to your body. Would you say those words out loud to someone else? Would you want to hear those things coming from your friends or family members? Is what you’re telling yourself helping you achieve anything positive? For me, I can tell you it wasn’t true.

Wednesday’s I have my long run day. Lately, I have been getting in a little over 10 miles, which is really exciting for me because I have never run in the double digits before. A few weeks ago, I had just finished my run and was about to get in the shower and I started to do my normal nitpicking of all the body parts and areas that I didn’t like. Is my lower stomach as flat as I think it should be, is my butt a little too big from all my kettlebell work, are my arms as defined as they were two weeks ago…. then I stopped mid-thought. My body, the one I was bashing with negative thoughts, had just finished carrying me over TEN MILES. It had just done a 7 minute plank workout. It had popped up into a headstand with ease (and might I boast a little grace) and held it for over a minute. And here I was beating it up and telling it that it wasn’t good enough. It dawned on me how crazy I was acting. As weird as it may sound, I apologized (out loud) and thanked my body for all it had done just that morning. That day was my a-ha moment, and it really helped me turn a corner in truly appreciating my body and all that it does for me.

Do I think that the people who use phrases and words like “battle the bulge” or “fight flab” are deliberately trying to be mean? Not at all. They want to motivate their audience and give you the power to change your health and your life. I am all for motivating everyone to make the healthiest decisions possible, but I am also for being kind to our bodies. How much better and easier would getting healthier be if we all loved ourselves just a little bit more? Instead of fighting our bodies, let’s work with them and listen to what they need to live healthier. When you really start to think about all the things you ask your body to do day in and day out, it’s amazing. As cheesy or silly as it may seem, I’m going to ask you to talk to your body just a little bit nicer than normal. Thank your body for carrying you through this life and give yourself props for making choices and taking steps to be healthier each and every day. That little extra kindness can stretch a long way and give you the tools to see how truly awesome you really are!

Fear

February 3, 2014 / ktbuchs87

On my new Jillian Michaels yoga DVD, she gives a little pep talk at the end of the work out while you’re lying there in a pool of your own sweat. She is pretty much just motivating you and telling you that you can do this. Most of the time I am not really listening, I know I can do it, I just finished the workout didn’t I? There is one thing she says though that always catches my attention. She says, “I never expect you to be fearless, but I do expect you to live without regret as much as possible.”

The first part of that line got me thinking about fear. I’m of two minds on this one. On one hand, I totally agree with Jillian. It isn’t realistic to never have any fear. In fact, sometimes fear is a good thing. It can motivate you or keep you safe. On the other hand, we know that fear can be debilitating. It can keep us from being great and doing amazing things. It can also keep us from being healthy.

When it comes to health, the good side of fear can be motivation. Maybe you are afraid of disease or illness that can come with bad health, so your fear motivates you to fight that outcome. But the fear of bad health can be a double-edged sword and can even cause you to be unhealthy despite your best efforts. This is the kind of fear I want to talk about today because it is the kind of fear I have.

I am scared that everything I have worked so hard to accomplish health wise will somehow go away. I know that this is an unrealistic fear because I won’t just suddenly gain all of my weight back overnight. I know that barring an injury, I won’t be able to run 10 miles anymore or be unable to do a forearm stand. Those things typically just don’t go away instantly, but I have this fear nagging in the back of my mind that they will. This fear doesn’t motivate me to do my best like it used to, but rather feels like it is keeping me back from being truly great. I tend to over analyze decisions when it comes to my health, because what if this one choice will be the undoing to my good health? That is no way to live a healthy or happy life.

I don’t expect all of you to totally understand this fear, but I know that for some of you this is an all too real scenario. You live in this constant fear of being your former unhealthy self. It doesn’t seem that long ago that you were eating cheetos on the couch instead of doing a new challenging workout or making a delicious healthy meal. What if that former self starts clawing it’s way back into your life? What if you can’t fight it this time? Will you always have to struggle? Will it always have to feel this hard?

No, you won’t always have to struggle. I have decided that I won’t let this fear rule my life or choices any longer. I am going to start trusting myself. I have maintained a healthy lifestyle for over three years now. I have made such amazing strides in my physical abilities. I have done things that I never thought I would do. I have made goals that I will never be able to reach if I keep living in fear of failing and going back to my former self. You can make that decision too. Fear does not have to rule your life or make you miserable. Whether you are just starting out on your healthy journey, in the middle, or have been at this for a long time don’t let your fear sideline you. Believe in yourself and your abilities. I know that you can do this and I bet that deep down inside you know it too. Like Jillian says, I don’t expect you to be fearless. It’s ok to have a little fear, but don’t let that fear consume you. Instead take control of that fear and show it that you mean business and you can overcome what ever may come your way.

My Likes of the Moment

January 27, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Hello from the frozen tundra of Illinois! We are once again in a “polar vortex” with wind chills reaching 30 below zero. Tomorrow is suppose to be even colder. Hooray… Anywho, rather than dwelling on the frigid temps, I thought I would do a fun post today to lift everyone’s spirits! Not every post has to be super serious, sometimes it’s nice to do something a little bit more fun! So without further ado, here are my current likes of the moment!

FOOD-

Goji berries- I know that I am a little late jumping on the goji berry superfood wagon, but better late than never right? My grocery store started selling this in their bulk section so it is a lot less expensive than buying the small 4 oz bag for $7. These berries are more along the lines of cranberries in taste, more tart than sweet. I love the tartness and I have been adding them to my breakfast oatmeal every morning. Plus they are nutritional powerhouses (hence the superfood title) so it’s a win-win situation!
Leafy greens- I have become obsessed with dark leafy greens, mainly collard greens. My favorite way to enjoy them is to rinse them off, chop them up, and saute them with garlic, pepper and lemon juice until they are wilted. So easy, but so good! I have never had a problem with eating my vegetables, but I wanted to start trying new and different kinds. Leafy greens like spinach, collard or turnip greens, and kale are cheap and super healthy. Both of those things are right up my alley!
Any hot tea- With all this cold, I am pretty much living in a mug of tea at all moments. Tea is a great way to warm up quickly and there are so many different kinds! My favorites right now are mountain chai and lemon ginger.
If I could, I would crawl into this mug of tea just to stay warm…

EXERCISE-

Jillian Michaels Yoga Inferno- My husband, Adam, got me some new yoga DVD’s for Christmas and this was one of them. I love it! This is a great workout and by the end of the routine I am literally dripping in sweat. There are two workouts and she gives advanced and beginner versions of each move, so you can build up your strength and endurance. This isn’t your typical yoga flow, so if that is what your looking for read the next bullet point. But if you want a good strength and cardio workout while doing some fun yoga poses, check out this DVD!
Yoga Flow with Shiva Rea- This is the other yoga DVD I got for Christmas. I was getting a little bored of my normal yoga routines so I wanted to try something new. This DVD features seven 20 minute yoga flows as well as a short core flow, forward bends and meditations. It also uses a customizable yoga matrix so you can pick and choose the flows you want to do. It’s great because you can choose the length of the practice you would like as well as the type of flow. There are a bunch of new to me poses that I am going to start working to perfect, so that should keep me busy for awhile!

ENTERTAINMENT-

Once Upon A Time- Yes, I know that once again I’m late to the party on this one. Adam and I started watching this on Netflix and I really like it! It is so fun to see all the different fairy tale characters and find out how their story weaves into the main theme. Plus it’s fun for me because Jennifer Morrison was my high school band director’s daughter, so it’s pretty much like I’m besties with a famous celebrity…. yeah not at all. Oh well, check this show out I promise you’ll have fun!
The Fault in Our Stars- I just finished this book by John Green this weekend. It was a really great book and I had a hard time putting it down. Normally books where the main characters have cancer can be kind of a downer, but Green manages to make them as normal as possible. They laugh, they make jokes, they live life, and yes there are sad and depressing moments, but life isn’t always positive whether you have cancer or not. They are making a movie of this book this year I believe, so I urge you to go out and read this book before that!

HOBBIES-

Cross-stitching- I know. Your 75 year old Nana cross-stitches. Well so does this 26 year old. It is a great way to relax at the end of the day and in the end you get to make some pretty cool things. You can buy patterns to follow or you can make up your own pattern to stitch. Just make sure you don’t go to far with it….
Maybe too far… ?

Those are the things that are filling my time and belly this winter. What are some of the things that are keeping you sane and entertained during this cold weather?

Have a great week everyone!