Monday, November 21, 2011

Thinking and thanking

Thinking:   I wish it was Christmas break, I'm going to the beach on Wednesday, I'm nervous about tomorrow morning, eat one helping at Thanksgiving dinner, buy pumpkin, workout class kicked my butt today, need to do laundry, nervous about tomorrow STILL, Christmas party, gingerbread, peppermint bark, want to eat nutella stuffed french toast (via the Pin ), need to make a christmas list, I need to pack, and can i really do this?

Thanking:    I have family to visit over the weekend at the BEEEACH, good health, true friends,  my family, OT school, my bed, for such a great Mom, and rolling with the punches.

Side note- I just noticed it took me a considerably longer amount of time to think of things I'm thankful for than for my worrisome thoughts/cravings in the thinking section.

This means it's time for a makeover in my way of thinking, and what a better week than THANKSgiving.

Why is it so hard for us to think of the good things we have already been blessed with?

Sunday, November 13, 2011

I'm back!

Bonjour!

I have been such a bad blogger, and have not written in months, my apologies, I was out living my life you know. Updates are always fun though, and I 'm a girl who loves a list. So here we go!

1.) I went on my first FW 1 for school at a pediatric setting. I was suprised at how much I enjoyed the pediatric setting! I like kids, but have NEVER been interested in working with them. The setting was structured completely different than settings I have seen before. Mainly though, that play is the primary form of therapy (duh right?). No, this was like creativity on crack! Kids require so much creativity in their interventions, and the need to be stimulated in order to learn. I saw a TON of sensory integration (SI), handwriting skills (I was introduced to the Handwriting Without Tears program), scooter board exercises, fine motor skill interventions, and language barriers. I have never been in an OT pediatric setting and was completely out of my element while at the facility. Everything I saw was brand new to me, well mainly the SI tools and interventions, but the diagnoses as well. My CI recommended the book "The Out of Sync Child" by Carol Kranowitz, to learn more about SI and the various types of sensory processing disorders. Upon returning to NO,  I ordered the book on Amazon and have been obsessed. I highly recommend it!! 

2.) My FW also gave me the opportunity to learn my strengths and weaknesses my social skills as a hope-to-be therapist. I realized sometimes I have trouble and tend to be uncomfortable interacting with very low functioning clients. It's something I need to work on, but at least now I am aware of it! I shall improve!

3.) We have now moved into a new house, and my family has seemed to take well to the house. It's so cute and yellow! The only one who isn't is our cat Wanda who is constantly hiding under the couch. Scaredy cat

4.) I ran in the Race for the Cure in October (5k). Such a fun race, lots of pink, boas, wings, wigs, crazy outfits, and so much support for breast cancer awareness. It was so fun! Also, that is my 3rd race of the year! (FYI my new year's resolution was to run in a race, and I've already ran in 3, go me!)

5.) I have joined Pinterest. I jumped on the bandwagon about a month ago and have found so many amazing OT resources. There are tons of ideas for activities and information websites on Pinterest. There are also millions of dessert recipes, outfits, hairstyles, and cool pictures to look at to, not that I do....ok all the time. There are also really good motivational quotes, pictures, and general wellness tips I have found helpful.


                                                                    via the Pin

6.) I'm getting contact lenses!!!!!!!!


And that my friends, has been my life. Thanksgiving break is coming up and I am bringing my Californian roomate home with me for the holiday. The more the merrier! And speaking of merry, I love Christmas, I really do, but poor Thanksgiving gets no limelight in the commercial world. The day after Halloween began the Christmas holiday, Pillsbury, Walmart lay away, cookie commercials, etc. So, unlike the media world, don't forget to be thankful for everything you have. Now that has been sufficiently heart warming, and I'm going to do homework.


p.s. I have a mental health activity bag due this week! Any cool ideas? It has to be simple, and small enough to fit in a gallon zip lock

Monday, July 25, 2011

Bling-Bling

Everyone knows I love a good Monday! Don't hate me, because I like time to get things done. Mainly today running errands here and there, organizing, and studying. This weekend was a blur of procrastination with a little studying. So today I  have to suck it up and get back to the books just for this last week! One week. It will be the longest week of my life.


Jealous betch?

In other happenings, I was in one of the grumpiest moods EVER last week, partly due to minor annoyances that had begun to build up, pressure with school, and maybe even a little homesick? Anyways, on my worst, moodiest, rudest day this weekend a friend of mine sent me a package that completely turned my week around. It was from an old friend I have literally not seen in over 5 years. The past few Valentine's days we have sent each other gifts because, well, truthfully we never have a Valentine, and who better to be your Valentine than your best friend right? No awkward dates even necessary! Recently an on going joke between the two of us has been that if we turn 30, and are still single we can just marry each other. That way we won't have to worry about feeling like a loser or dealing with nosy family and friends that keep asking "why we can't find a nice girl/boy". A quick fix, brilliant idea right? So back to my bitchy-full day, I received a package from him and he sent me a dozen huge plastic diamond rings and ring pops, along with an engagement card (with Cinderella on the front!) and the sweetest note I have ever gotten. And you know, it was one of the most genuine best things anyone has ever given me. Plus I'm a sucker for snail mail, always will be. I'm a really lucky girl, I mean fiance

Till next time, happy Monday!      -E

Monday, July 11, 2011

The final countdown

 I apologize for the sketchy behavior and absence of updates on here. I have just not had the UMPH for it. To begin I completed my 5k with a friend on the 4th, and in a reasonable time! It was my first race, and although it started out feeling like a stampede, think Lion King, it was almost addictive running with so many people. My biggest shock was that ipods are discouraged in races. Dur! Right? Huge problem for me and my trainer Lil Wayne, seeing as I have not run once this year without bringing my precious ipod. So, maybe I need to work on cutting the cord, just in case some races won't allow them at all (THE HORROR!). I know....it's for safety...blah blah blah.

Other worthy things in my life include: running almost daily, spin class, power pump is starting to get a little (I mean very littttle) bit easier, I bought a delish red wine by Cupcake that is my new guilty pleasure, and only 3 weeks left in anatomy! Ahh music to my ears. Things are starting to come together in my life, but they aren't finished, so I can't stop now. Gotta keep going and get through all this. If I can endure Power Pump each week, I CAN pass anatomy.

My goal for the week: To really dedicate my time to learning anatomy, seeing as I have a test next Monday and all.

Keep cool!   -E

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Just another Tuesday

 I am running in a 5k on the 4th of July with a friend of mine. I am pretty excited to be in my first race! I've been taking spin, power pump (Dewayne's death trap), and running pretty regularly the past few weeks. I'm updating my workout list for the race though. It's only 2 weeks away!!!  


Also, after re-reading my last depressing post, I just want to use that as proof of what stress, lack of sleep, crappy eating, and limited exercise can do to you! Some of the sentences I wrote didn't even make sense, hell I didn't even finish one of the sentences. To top off my 'little crappy feelings' I had, which I blame on anatomy, I got a migraine Saturday. Just a little FYI for those of you that don't know me, but I suffer, yes SUFFER, from cluster headaches.  Look them up! They are different from migraines and I used to have one almost every month, then I lost weight, started eating and exercising regularly and was on a 6 month spree of no headaches! That is until Saturday, the day of a fun girls trip and I get hit with a cluster headache right before we left.

 So my words of wisdom: take care of yourself, or you'll feel like crap.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Emo-ish post

I am in a funky mood. Meaning I am getting a little weird and possibly not making sense on this post. So be prepared for a possibly boring and confusing post.

Still interested?

Ok here it goes.

 So to begin my 'diet' has sucked so bad it's embarassing. I'm not on an ACTUAL diet persay but my eating habits. I have have noticed myself eating CRAP people, I mean food with no nutritional value or that even tastes that good it just feeeels good. Anatomy has made me the revert to my old ways of diet coke addiction and grazing on food just because it is within my reach.

Next I'm feeling down because I've been stressed to the max with school and have been slowly figuring out some personal issues I have with myself and in relationships with others. You don't really know someone or yourself until you are running on empty with no sleep and THEN your brain starts throwing out the confusing crap about "your meaning in life". Anyways, I'm tired,  to say in the least.

But the little energy left in me will NOT let this post be a complete whiny post. I am running today, it will help me clear my mind. It always does. Then maybe I can get 8 hours of sleep and not wake up contemplating my place in life, or contemplating eating pizza for breakfast.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Let anatomy begin...

Long time no see bloggies. Wanna know whyyy? Because gross anatomy is a black hole and you can never get out!!!!! It sounds terrible but it's really not, it's just time consuming and incredibly detailed, yet extremely important and obviously pertains to OT so I want to actually understand everything. So in in general I reek of phemaldehyde (lovely) but overall the class is AWESOME. I am learning so much about the human body. But mainly that every body is different. I know, duh, everyone is different, but I mean literally the difference even in smells, colors, and thickness of structures is different. It's crazy and important and I actually like studying for the class. Let's hope I can hang with the class and make an A! ok lets be realistic and pray for a B, (m optimistic but not dellusional)

In other news I am taking a high intensity aerobics class on Wednesday, you could call it bootcamp. There have been several occasions I thought I would fall over and die in that class. But I have not given up and will prove myself to my large intimidating teacher, Dewayne. I will beat Dewayne!

Ok back to my extremely busy, boring, and sleep deprived life of anatomy, adios