Things I learned this week: dreams, wheat, and set-ups.

I'm a little late on this post. Eh, it's still the start of the week.

So this week I learned....

....I am really really stupid and gullible when I first wake up in the morning. I'm serious. I've been fabricated these elaborate dreams in my head which incorporate my alarm and some reason I need to shut it off or hit snooze 500 times.. My favorites? Dream A: It is quiet hours for finals, and that includes all alarms and other loud noises over a certain decibel level. Alarms aren't allowed to go off from 11:00 pm until 7:00 am.. so my 6:00 am wake up time needs to be delayed in order to avoid getting into trouble. Problem? Not even finals week. ...and quiet hours are usually instated to deter loud/drunken/obnoxious people rather than those that are getting up early to study...    Dream B: My alarm is secretly linked to the lasercutter, and every time it goes off it's just signalling that my file is cut; hitting snooze starts cutting the next file. Yeah, pathetic archie dreams, I know. But I believe them. Wholeheartedly (at 6:00 am).

...the Ultimate NPR Workout Mix exists. It's hilarious and amazing. I've heard everything from 80s grunge pop to Prince to Eminem (yeah...that happened) to current indie pop. It probably would be a great workout mix if I were running right now,.. but as is, it's serving as entertainment and an attempt to keep me upbeat and awake :)

....wheat might not be that great for you? Blew my mind.  I read this book called Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Way Back to Health. Actually, I'm half lying. I read the first two and a half chapters (what was free online) ..but I'm thinking of getting the actual book. What he says actually makes some sense... Wheat is the common denominator in a lot of things. So, for the next few weeks (or days.. or however long it lasts..) I'm going to try to eliminate most wheat from my diet. Obviously I won't be going cold turkey right away, but it's an experiment. No, I'm not exactly looking to lose weight (I don't have much to lose....) but he wrote about how it increases energy and helps eliminate that sluggish sleepy feeling, and also helps athletes and runners. Also it improves digestion and keeps your insulin levels steady (no more drastic energy swings and crashes throughout the day). Eh, I figured it was enough to try. So here goes day 1...I'll get back to you on all that....

....thanks to my friend Greg, I am officially hooked on almond milk lattes. There is nothing better than sipping that sweet, amazing coffee-infused foam off the top of my mug at home. Instant happy.

....even though I go to a very young church (read: everyone either in college or recently out of college, kids all under the age of 15..most much younger than that), there is still the possibility of getting set up with someone's son out of the blue. Yep... I'll get back to you on all that later... Life is an adventure, I tell ya.

... the weather seems to be completely bipolar. Freezing last week, warm this week? I've gone back and forth between my winter coat/scarf/warm boots and crops/t-shirt/flats in rapid speed.

...coffee with a mentor can do wonders for your weekend. Also, being a regular at said coffee shop just makes my life better. Scratch that... I've become a regular/known-by-name at all three main coffee shops downtown. Life is good.. .and caffeinated apparently.

...I am incredibly good at making myself homesick. Lisa can probably attest to that. I neeeed to stay away from The Current, The Vita.mn and the Star Tribune while I'm away... but I can't. Guess I'll just have to head home soon then .... ;)

...more learning to come this week. Lessons of patience and humility seem to be tailor-made for me lately. But God is good and faithful. And that's all I need.

Love from the east coast,

- Angie

bring it finals.. there is a purpose in this

"I can no longer remember the books I have read than the meals I have eaten, but they have made me". -Gordon B Hinckley

Read more: http://spirituallythinking.blogspot.com/search/label/Education#ixzz1t0IReXEy

Pre-Finals Happy List

Hey there girls!
I'm  posting twice - twice! - in a row. That's pretty exciting. Actually, studying for material for the driest class on earth is not exciting, which is precisely why I am posting. I decided that what I really really needed to do at this very moment was share some videos and songs that just make me abundantly happy and semi-motivated. ...Which stems from me a) not wanting to do work at the moment, b) really loving these songs, and c) really desiring to get re-motivated as I have a test tomorrow.....

So here they are, generally starting from pretty and peaceful to let's-get-dancing. I'll keep it short. But please enjoy these happy songs :)






Much love from the East Coast,
Angie

first installment: things I learned this week

Hey there amazing sisters,
I decided that I need something to get me motivated to blog semi-regularly. So I decided to have a series I'll title "Things I learned this week." And it will be just that... everything from the random, to the (hopefully) insightful, to the funny... etc. Hopefully it will be fun. And hopefully we will learn something. And most of all, hopefully I will post at decent intervals. Plus... I am much more apt to post something of bullet-point style rather than paragraphs. Because sometimes my randomness really is not cohesive...and at the end of the week I have difficulties being poignant. But we shall hope :)

So, things I learned this week: 

• Coconut milk does not froth well for lattes and cappuccinos. Don't get me wrong, it is absolutely delicious, and Silk did a good job creating it... but my cappuccino was un-frothy and sad today. Delicious, but sad. Lesson learned: buy skim, almond or soy milk, and all is happy and frothy again. 

• When baking cookies (from an amazing Levain Bakery copy-cat recipe) and intending to post about them on an blog you share with amazing sisters, take pictures of them BEFORE you even start eating them. Otherwise they will be devoured by your-chocolate-craving-self everyone in your apartment and studio before you can clickety-click with your camera. But no worries, those cookies will be made again. They were epicly good. And that's saying something. I have recipe ADD... I'm always looking for a different one. Making the same one twice (unless it's Grandma's recipe) is a rarity.

• A strong Christian community is one of the best and strongest bonds you can have. Find one, make it yours, develop it deeply, and it will shock you with strength and love at the most random lovely times and the hardest times. Amazing. 

• You can make your own dry shampoo pretty easily. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks pretty fantastic. And dry shampoo is such a life-saver.  http://hookabledesigns.blogspot.com/2011/11/diy-dry-shampoo-spray.html

• Pride and Prejudice is always good. Especially on rainy days when you are permanently chilled to the bone and have a couple hours to sit, "work" on your project, wrap yourself in a giant comforter and drink tea. Need a pick-me-up? I'd recommend that. 

• Lavender soda is delicious. It sounds crazy, but it's superb. 

• My favorite feel-inspired-be-happy blog of the week is designlovefest. She's darling, a great graphic designer, and all-around cute person.   

• Of Monsters and Men just makes me happy. Case in point. 

• Throwing hot water, spices, spinach, chickpeas, and cous cous into a tupperware container before you run out the door provides a great lunch in the middle of the day when you have no moolah and you just want fresh yumminess. Thank you cheap, quick, college food. 

• Biking up all the hills of Troy in a little one-speed bike is a great way to get tired really quick attempt to get into shape quickly. But hey, at least my bike still looks cute at the top of the hill to make up for me looking sweaty and exhausted :) 

• Minnesota does thunderstorms better. 

That is all! Happy Sunday! 

- Angie

*****

Rachel's blog is an education. Thanks to her constant postings on life lessons I am now a professional rock climber, writer, and Patagonia advocate.

Much enjoyed.

Hey Hey!

I'm officially here!
Soo, I really love this.  And I'm really excited to be a part of it!  You gals are all so very wonderful.

And "I shall try to be worthy of [your] post[s]." :)

National Siblings Day

HAPPY SIBLINGS DAY! I was attempting to get organized and was writing in my planner today. I noticed that on April 10th, it said "NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY". I thought that it would be appropriate that I post this since we are practically related ;) Anyways, it is a good day to be a sibling and have siblings, cause this day is for all of us. I miss you all dearly and I hope that you girls are having a good week!
-Rach

food for thought pertaining to blogs: part 2

Hey girls!
So I've basically been MIA for a couple weeks now, as my life begins to get crazier than it has ever been, and I struggle to rely on God's grace and provision even more. Life is chaos. Beautiful, but utterly chaotic.

I found this, and I immediately thought of the last post. I thought it was a really eloquent way of describing the situation and environment of a blog.

“There’s something sacred about reading a blog post on someone else’s site. It’s like visiting a friend’s house for a quick meal ’round the breakfast table. It’s personal — you’re in their space, and the environment is uniquely suited for idea exchange and uninterrupted conversation. In many ways, we should be treating our blogs like our breakfast tables. Be welcoming & gracious when you host, and kind & respectful when visiting.” 
– Trent Walton

I think it's really important that we set up what we want our blog to be, how we want to communicate to the world in our little corner of the internet, and how we want to honor one another, God, our community and beyond by what we post. it's easy to shrug off responsibility of a blog when there seem to be billions out there, few which ever get read often. But it is important all the more. When someone does read or look, it is essential they are reading or looking at something that we can be proud of.

(And welcome Rach and Kierlyn! I'm super excited both of you get to share this with us! Love you both to pieces!)