29 on the 29th

Today, I'm 29! I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be excited about that or not. When I was younger, I thought I'd be married with kids by now, but that hasn't been the case. Apparently that's just not God's plan for me quite yet. It's a little weird approaching my 30s, but I do think it'll be a great decade!

As I look forward to what the next year will bring, I thought it would be fun to reflect on some of the things I remember most about the past year.

August 29: Last year on my 28th birthday, I was off work because I was supposed to be on vacation in Austin, TX. But due to a tropical storm that was churning in the Gulf, I wasn't able to go, so I had a staycation instead. I spent the morning of my birthday at the pool, and since it was a Wednesday, I had the entire pool area to myself! It was so nice and relaxing! My mom and I had lunch at my favorite Chinese restaurant, and then she cooked some of my favorite foods for dinner. It was a great day!

December 3: I left for my very first trip to NYC! I was there for 4 days and had a blast! I'd go back in a heart beat! 

The weeks of Christmas and New Year's: My former job was working for a college, and I would get the week of Christmas and the week of New Year's off because we were closed. I absolutely loved having this time off! Christmas is my favorite time of year, and being able to fully enjoy the holiday season was amazing! I could go do last-minute shopping and the stores wouldn't be packed, I'd bake or cook, wrap presents... it was pure bliss! I will really miss that this year.

May 29: I flew to Dallas to meet my brother and head out for our trip to Hawaii! I was gone for a full week (even though I just spent 4 days in Hawaii) and enjoyed every minute of it! 

July 2: This was my last day at my former job. I had been there 3 and a half years, so it became very comfortable to me, and it was bittersweet leaving some of the friends I had made. And then I started my new job on July 8. 

I know there have been many more highlights, both ups and down, that have happened over the past year. Those are just the things that stand out in my mind the most right now. I am very thankful for my loving family, friends, and health. It's hard to complain when you have all of that! :)

Goodbye, Unwanted Hair

Well, I finally did it. I decided to try laser hair removal. Last Thursday I went for a free consultation, and after it was confirmed that I'd be a good candidate, I took the plunge. I'll have treatments every few weeks for about the next year and a half. 

I'm really excited about it and hoping for good results! I did my research for quite a while before I even decided to make an appointment. I checked into the type of machines used and the feedback received.

If you wait until the hair turns gray, it can't be treated. Also, if your hair is blond or red it won't work. 

I can't wait for the day that I'll no longer have to use cream bleaches, tweezers, wax, etc! I also have to stay out of sun during treatments. If I do go to the pool or anything like that, it's fine as long as I really lather on the sunscreen and keep myself covered. 

Well, here's hoping for the best, and hoping to be free on the unwanted hair in about a year and a half!

Packing in the Protein

Lately I've been wondering if, as a vegetarian, I'm getting enough protein. I always assumed I did, but now I'm just not so sure. I haven't had a great deal of energy lately, and that could be attributed to a lot of things... the heat, learning a new job, or worst of all... my metabolism could be slowing down as I approach my 30s! So, I've been trying to be more cautious of how much protein I'm consuming each day. I've been adding protein powder to my smoothies, and it bumps me up to more than 50 grams along with the Greek yogurt and milk I add. 

Along with the protein powder, I've been drinking the Kellogg's protein breakfast shakes, eating lots of hummus and Greek yogurt (which I've always done), eating protein bars, like the Kind brand bars, and I recently discovered how great quinoa can be. 

I'm up for trying any other tasty and nutritious protein-packed products! Please feel free to offer suggestions if you've had great experiences with anything.

Hello, Delaware!

Well, it's finally official. My brother is moving again. Two and a half years ago, he moved from our hometown in Florida to Dallas, Texas. I thought it was going to be awful not having our family all living in the same town anymore, but luckily with his job, he was able to come home quite often. It didn't take me long to get used to the new arrangement, and I actually enjoyed the two trips I made out to Dallas to visit. In fact, I'm pretty sad that he's leaving the area. It was always a fun place to check out, and there was still so much more I wanted to do there!

But alas, he's moving on, and this time he won't be able to come home very often. When I found out a couple weeks ago that his new job was in Delaware, I thought that sounded so depressing! Isn't that like the least popular state in the country?! I mean, who goes to Delaware, much less moves there? 

But I think maybe I could've made a quick judgment. Every state has something cool to offer, right? I'm definitely planning to make a trip up to visit in the next few months once he gets settled in. And let's face it, if there's not much to do in Delaware, New York City is only a short train ride away! 

America's #1 Kettlecorn

I wouldn't consider myself a big popcorn eater, much less a kettlecorn eater. I like both, but it's just not something I typically buy... until now. The other night I was browsing the snack aisle at the grocery store and noticed this new product I hadn't seen before. It had a sale sign on it, and since there were only 2 bags left (I had to reach all the way to the back of the shelf), I figured it must not be that bad! (And yes, I am one of those people who judges how good something must be based on how few are left on the shelf. Hey, it always seems accurate!)

Via

I present to you... America's #1 Kettlecorn from Popcorn, Indiana. Apparently, Popcorn, Indiana is the brand and an actual place. Who knew?! The best part about this stuff, besides the amazing taste, is that it's all natural and gluten free. 

At my grocery store, they also carried a white cheddar variety, but they were all out of it. That flavor must really be good!! But when I checked out the Popcorn Indiana website, I noticed that they have tons of other flavors!! There's a store locator on their website, so you can pop in (pun intended) your zip code and find out where the products are sold. I highly recommend this stuff. It's a great snack by itself, and I'm sure it would make the perfect side for a sandwich at lunch time. Buy it now, thank me later!