Plates

In recent years, health experts and even our own government has put out how our "plates" should look for each meal.

It is a good visual to help remind us how we should be having balanced meals, and what not to over do.

Yet many of us, while perhaps being careful with our physical plates laid before us, are not taking care of our personal plates.  Our mind, body and soul have plates that we need to keep balanced and healthy as well!

Too often we pile up on "empty" things. We over-commit and take on more than we can handle. Our plates more than not lack the fruits of life that our soul needs to be balanced.

Look at your personal plate right now - what would you see?

Do you see it balanced with life, love and happiness?  Work not overflowing onto your other areas ... family being as full as your leafy greens should be on your dinner plate ... constant running around doing errands as small as the butter on your roll ...

Our personal plates will never be perfect - life does happen.

Just remember not to fill up on the crap (toxic relationships, dead end jobs, no physical activity) and go for seconds on what makes your soul smile (more family nights, date nights, get together with friends).

Our personal plates are just as important as our physical plates.  <3


Thanks for reading,

Nichole
*Be The Thermostat - Not The Thermometer*

Journey

We are all on our own journeys.

Everyone's paths are shaped differently. Some roads are smooth. Some oceans are vast.

No vessel is built the same. Some are small, and others are large. Over time your mode of travel may break down. It will get a new paint job. It may just outright be traded in for a better fit in where you're headed.

The passengers and crew on your journey may remain constant. They could change as your environment does. Some will have many. Some will have none.

Your journey is your own, and it shapes who you will become. No ones journey is set, and the course can always be changed.

However, so many of us allow someone else to take our wheel. We allow this new captain to steer our thoughts and energy in a direction that we had not intended. They may make changes to your ship ... To your crew ... You may not even recognize it right away.

Don't let anyone take your wheel. Toxic or not, it is not their wheel to turn. It is not their journey to chart. It is not their story to write.

Own your journey. Take it back if another force has robbed you from it.

Take the wheel and look ahead at what is yet to come.

With every storm, your sails grow stronger. With every sunny day, your soul grows warmer.

One day your journey will end.  Embrace it. Own it. Live it.

The Nikki Fu Expriment: Goals

Hello my awesome readers!

Tomorrow I begin ... again!  I am pushing the reset button (1 week before a biggest loser competition begins).  Since I am making this apart of a blog series, I wanted to list out the first series of "goals" I have for myself. 

It's all apart of the experiment!

I hope to take popular tips, etc. and apply them to my program.  I'll report back on what's working and not working.  Hopefully I'll learn some new things, and help show to others what can work (and what doesn't!)

I am breaking it down by daily, weekly and monthly.
Just a couple under each bracket.  The daily I'll keep for a week, weekly I'll keep for two weeks and then the monthly I'll review on a monthly basis.

I look forward to seeing what works for me, what may work for you, and what doesn't work (for any of us!)

Here is the first set:

Daily

1)  Drink my weight in water.  (I already aim to drink 8 glasses of day ... but I have seen a tip that whatever you weigh, you should drink that amount in ounces.  I know there is a risk for drinking too much water - but that's if you hold it, never pee, drink all at once, etc.  So I plan on drinking it over the course of the entire day.  And peeing often!)

2)  Eat in this order: King, Queen, Pauper.  (The idea behind this, is that you eat your biggest meal for Breakfast, a moderate meal for Lunch, and a smallish meal for Dinner.  I can understand the logic behind this, because you burn more calories when you're awake.  It may prove to be difficult with my family, but I am hoping to stick it out a week to see how it goes!)

3)  Have one cup of green tea a day.  (The green tea is supposed to help boost my metabolism.  I'm hoping by having a cup a day, aka the afternoon pick up, it will help me wean off of soda as well!).

Weekly

1)  Do 30 minutes of cardio, 5 times a week PLUS 2 days of weight lifting/resistance training.  (This shouldn't be super terrible - but I'm slacking as of late.  So this may be the kick in the butt I need to get moving again!)

2)  Have a meatless dinner once a week.  (My husband is NOT thrilled with this one.  He loves meat ... steak, chicken, whatever.  Yet I have read so many tips and posts about going meatless one day is not only good for your body - but good for the environment!  So I am hoping to win him over with some bean dishes, or quinoa!)

3)  Read from a non-school related book 3x a week.  (This falls under the "make me" category.  I am going to be swimming hard with school, Relay, work, and life in general.  This does not mean I should stay up until midnight reading books, and sacrificing sleep.  But it means that maybe I call it quits early one night from school, and spend that last hour reading more smut from E L James!)

Monthly

1)  Get to the doctors for a wellness check up.  (This one may be more difficult if we run into hiccups under Josh's medical.  Yet from what we've gathered, we're all good.  So the goal is to see a doctor for a general wellness check up, along with a dentist *which I know won't be good report, ha ha* and a dermatologist *having my best friend as a melanoma survivor, this is UBER important that I get checked*  I know that while I'm trying to improve my body on my own, I need to have a doctor check me out too.)

 2)  Get a date night in.  (Being healthy is more than just a "me" thing.  It's more than getting physical exercise ... or seeing a doctor ... or drinking a crap ton of water.  It's about having healthy relationships.  My marriage needs to be healthy, especially during these crazy times.  I must remember that us time is just as important as me time.  One date night per month, per some advice read, is perfect to help keep sanity in the marriage.)

So there it is!

My goals for the next month.  I look forward reporting back a week from today on how the daily ones went, and how I'm doing on my other ones.

Do you have any tips that you've heard?  Leave them in the comments below!  Maybe I'll add them in my next round.



Thanks for reading, and keep your eyes peeled for updates!

Nichole
Be The Thermostat - Not The Thermometer

Finding your passion

No - not this kind of Passions!

 

It's important to be passionate about something.

 

Whether it's a cause ... a hobby ... or a goal.

 

Some people are passionate about their family.  Their spouse.  Their job.

 

I attended my first Relay For Life committee meeting last night, as co-event chair.  It was exciting to be in a room with people who are just as passionate about the cause as I am.  There was hugs, and laughter.  We're more than just volunteers for this great cause.  We're even more than friends.  We're a Relay Family.

I wanted to share with my readers my passion.
My passion for a great cause, which is Relay For Life.  My passion for my kids.  My education.  And my fitness.  As cheesy as it sounds, I wanted to share the passion I have for my husband.

I know - "gag me".  Ha, ha, ha!

 

I think it's important to have a passion for something.  For me, it personally helps motivate and drive me.  I'm an emotional person (deep down), which can sometimes derail me on my path towards the ultimate goal.  People's words and actions cut me deeper than they know.  It is my passion that saves me, and puts me back on track.  Which is why I think I have such a passion for my kids and husband.  They help me pick up the pieces and get back on track.  This includes Relay and my Education.

 

My passion, from what I've been told, is infectious.  Like my smile (yes, I take pride in my "eye disappearing" smile), most people get inspired hearing me talk about my ambitious goals.

 

For example, this years Relay, I have my initial personal goal set at $750 - but I'm striving to be a Grand Club member this year ($1000).

As a Co-Event Chair for my relay, I also have big goals for my event.  I want to bring in as many vendors as possible to make our event fun and inviting ... thus turning into a successful event!  

 

I also am excited for my school year.  Hopefully, I will be done with my AA by the end of the summer ... of course, this may push from being a full summer quarter, into a full fall quarter.  I am meeting with my counselor at the end of this quarter to look into what needs to be finalized for my application to Washington State, but it is my passion to continue my education that is helping me move forward.

 

I have actually begun looking at new goals for what I can do to combine both of my passions - raising money for a great cause, and providing for my family.  I hope to look into non-profits after receiving my 4 year degree to see how I can combine my passions.  Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the company I work for.  I am just not passionate about my current job.  It's nice, pays the bills.  I strive for more, though.

 

I also want to provide the best life I can for my husband and children.  Providing the best life isn't necessarily marked by how much I bring home financially.  Instead, I want my children to laugh a lot.  I want them to be able to express their feelings without feeling scared or ashamed.  I want them to treat others as they want to be treated.  I want to provide them the life that I was given - a life that isn't always easy, but it's worth it.  I also want them to explore their own passions (which will change multiple times as they grow older and learn new things, which is okay).  I also want them to know that as their mother, I am always here for them.  And as their father, Josh will also be there for them.  As individuals, and as a unit - we strive to be the best parents we can be.

 

To be the best parents we can be, that also means being passionate in our marriage.  Before having kids, we made a promise to ourselves not to put our relationship on the back burner.  To ensure our marriage is also healthy, we go on date nights.  We hug often.  We kiss often.  We talk through our feelings, though some days its easier said than done.  Josh and I also laugh together, a lot.  Laughter is sometimes the only way we can get through some things. Thank goodness for laughter.  I am grateful that I have a partner in life that is passionate and supportive.  Josh and I believe in each other, and I think that is why our marriage has been successful (considering how long we have been married, and how young we were when we got together).

Now it's your turn!
What is your passion?  Is it for a cause, or your own goals?  Or maybe just as something a little as "passionate about getting a walk in every day".

Whatever your passion may be, please share!

Thanks for reading!

Nichole
Be The Thermostat - Not The Thermometer

P.S. - if you would like to check out my relay page, please click here!

Vacation Hangover!

Do you ever feel like you need a vacation after your vacation has already ended?

Yup.
You are suffering from a vacation hangover.

Sure, part of the want for another vacation so quickly is going back to work ... responsibilities ... life in general ...

But lets face it.  Your vacation flew by, and here you are.  Back on the plane, to return to your regular life.

This is where I'm at today.

My vacation was fantastic.  Filled with shows ... pool side lounging ... and of course, drinking.  We were in Vegas, after all.

Can I go back, please?

Yet, here I am.  Drained.

 

I relaxed.

I didn't rush things.

Why am I so drained??

I'm hungover.  From my vacation.

 

That's all it really boils down to.  It's not a terrible thing.  Smells and certain songs immediately transport me back to the gambling floor of the MGM, or into the Flamingo Restaurant where we frequented for Breakfast.

 

I'm glad to be home.  I'm glad to have my kids ... my friends ... my family ... my life.  Even work - kind of.

 

Okay, maybe not true about work.  My co-workers, though, is what I'm glad to be back to.

   

Vegas is my escape.  An escape that I crave and look forward to every couple of years.  In a city nicknamed "Sin City", I find peace and a calm there that I forget about here at home.

 

I think this "vacation hangover" is a reminder that I need to balance my life a little better, so I don't overdo it when the big vacations do come around.  Maybe cook a little more elaborate meals ... or have a glass of wine with dinner more often ... something to break the "norm".

I'd say take more baths.  But I have kids.  Toddlers.  Me taking a bath won't happen for another 18 years.

 

I promise myself that I will indulge a little more in my daily life.  Even the smallest of things will make a great impact.  I may not be returning to Vegas anytime soon, but it doesn't mean my vacation high has to fully go away.

I may need to remind myself of this many times, especially as life is about to get a little crazier ...

Thanks for reading.

Nikki
Be The Thermostat - Not The Thermometer

  

Back To Reality

For the long weekend, we packed up both kids and met up with my Aunt & Uncle for a long weekend at the Ocean.

Needless to say, it was amazing.

A "head clearing, releaxing, intoxicating, silly, loving, awesome" kind of amazing.

The weather was perfect ... the company was fantastic.

I never wanted to leave this fantasy world.

Alas, life crept up to me too soon and pulled me back in.  While I am not thrilled with confronting the bills, arrangments for Josh's layoff and more ... having this break on the coast was an unexpected necessity.

Leaving was hard, but I walked away with a clear head and a rejuvenated spirit.
I felt like I could take on the world again.  Something I feel we lose from time to time.  Especially as life gets busier and harder.  In the next upcoming weeks, I need to remember this feeling of calm and peace as I face new and bigger obstacles.

Co-Chair for my local Relay For Life.
Working Full Time.
School Full Time.
Family.
Husband.
Life.

I knew it was never going to be easy - but it will be worth it.

Next week we leave to go to Vegas ... if I feel 1/2 as great coming home from it as I did from the Ocean, I think I'm going to do all right in the next few months.

XO -
Nikki
"Be The Thermostat - Not The Thermometer"

Introductions: "Third times a charm!"

As I sit here on this humid Sunday evening, I find myself wondering how to begin this blog.

For most people, starting a blog usually includes an introduction post.  Bringing its readers up to speed on their past and current life situations.  The author may even indulge on what they'd like to see in the future.

Truth is - this is my 3rd stab at (personal) blogging.  I feel like I'm a broken record by doing the proper introduction.  Sure, it's not fair to my readers now that aren't my friends (or weren't following me in the past).  I just feel almost like I didn't accomplish or follow through on my previous goals by seeing out the life of my blogs.

I also have to remind myself - that each time I let a blog ride of into the sunset, a chapter of my life was beginning.

My first personal blog was well done.  I was still trying to find what direction to head in with it, but I was happy with it.  I had my baby girl ... my loving husband ... and my little life.  My last post was even about me falling off the band wagon, and losing weight.  I probably would have followed through on it, being that in January I got a fresh fire lit under my toosh.  Then, on January 17th 2012 during a huge snow storm that kept me home for a week ...

It came as a surprise.  My husband and I were wanting to have kids 2 to 2 1/2 years apart.  It took us about 6 months to conceive my daughter.  So it only made sense I go off my birth control in December.  Being the fact I was induced at 39 weeks on September 24th ... that would mean baby's due date would have been early October.  You do the math ...

Brown Chicken Brown Cowwwwwwwww

 

The next 9 months was about changing life plans and preparing for a full house.  Of course now, I wouldn't want my life any other way!  However, my little blog was push to the back burner (along with any major physical transformation) and it fizzled.  When I was ready to begin blogging again, I created my second blog.  Same idea as the first one, but I focused a lot more on articles I wanted to share regarding home spa ideas and losing weight.  The idea was great, but I think since it wasn't as personal to me as I wanted my blog to be, it feel to the wayside of priorities.  That, and these two beautiful children of mine needed extra love and attention as we all learned how to balance life with each other.

My daughter & son, March 2013

So here I am.

Same goals.  Same challenges.

New life.  New family.

 

And most importantly, new outlook.

 

I almost feel like this blog was meant to be.  That the first two were stepping stones for where I'm at now.

 

I want you to come along with me as I try to continuously figure out this thing called life!  I have a very full, but fulfilling life.  Filled with work, school, family, fitness, friends, Relay and more.

 

My goals for this blog is to let you into some of those moments I think we all have.  The moments where you want to quit and break down.  The moments where you are so flipping excited, and want to high five everyone you see.

 

Moments when you want to cry ... laugh ... or just have a drink in silence.

Or a few drinks ... then silence!

 

And if I can touch just one person in any way ... that they read a post and go "yes, YES, that is exactly how I feel.  Thank GOD I'm not alone" ... I feel that this blog has accomplished it's mission.

 

I will also be very "Nikki" and share my favorite blogs ... articles ... workouts ... and more!  My blog will resemble life - it won't always be Sunshine and Rainbows.  I do, however, promise a good read.

 

Spoiler Alert: My Daughter loves Sesame Street.  Expect a lot of S.S. references.

 

I look forward to sharing more with you - but alas, my bed calls my name.  And I will answer the call! 

 

Thanks for checking my blog out.

 

 

 

Nikki

"Be the Thermostat - Not the Thermometer"