Tag: back to college

21 in 2021

Published on by Alicia2 Comments

As part of my Happiness Project [more to come on that soon], part of the first task was to make a list of 21 things to do in the year 2021. I’ve done these before but normally they were huge goals. This year, I’m making a list of 21 things that I would like to accomplish [big or small]. I’ll check back on this list at the end of 2021 or earlier if I happen to finish them before then. Here goes my 21 things to accomplish in 2021.

Physical Health

  1. Complete a workout program [any length, any kind, just complete it. Start to finish]
  2. Figure out what is wrong with my stomach and get It fixed [remove a food, try a new diet, etc.]
  3. Find a Workout class I enjoy
  4. Cook one new recipe a month
  5. Get the COVID vaccine
  6. Eat less ‘added’ sugar
  7. Stay sober
  8. Complete Yoga with Adriene’s 30 day Breathe Yoga Journey

Mental Health

  1. Read 20 books
  2. Practice self-care daily [workout, reading, face mask, cooking, etc.]
  3. Keep my social media hiatus until June [or longer]

Spiritual Health

  1. Meditate or do yoga for one hour per week

Work

  1. Figure out my next move- Grad school, Peace Corps, teaching in America, teaching abroad – who knows?
  2. If I choose working… Get a job for the 2021-2022 school year.
  3. Blog 50 times
  4. Write 20,000 words in my novel

Play

  1. Take a week-long vacation with my sister
  2. Visit one new country [COVID pending]
  3. Learn something new – Calligraphy, Crochet, How to Play piano – who knows?

Other

  1. Pick my one-word theme for the year
  2. Replace an item with something that makes more ‘sense’ at the time

I like the last one the most. My goals might change over the year and that’s okay!!! So, if that happens, I get a freebie change to use however I see most fit. I’m also hoping to blog about each of these as they are completed and I will add a new tab on my blog called “Happiness Project” soon for all posts related to my happiness project.

❤ Alicia

2020 year in review

Published on by Alicia2 Comments

Hi all. While 2020 wasn’t anything like we’d expected [myself the least I think], I do think 2020 overall was a good year. While a lot of crap happened this year, a lot of good things happened as well. Of course, most of these from the comfort of my 8ft x 10ft bedroom, but good things, nonetheless.

I started off the year with a few of my best friends from high school, my first-time celebrating NYE at a bar… oh how I took that evening for granted. I also went on my first ever real date [sorry for ghosting you Adam but you only ever communicated over snapchat… big red flag for me] just before heading off to another country for another semester.

I spent my last semester of college completing my student teaching in Greece. Visiting other countries like Bulgaria, The Netherlands, and Belgium. I met some amazing people, Greek, American, Spanish, etc. while I was there. It was one of the best [and most eye-opening] experiences of my life. That of course got cut to an abrupt stop on a Thursday in March and I was then shipped back home after sobbing in the Thessaloniki airport when I thought there were no more flights back to America.  Nonetheless, I made it back home, in one piece, and subsequently, I spent the next 9 months quarantining…

March, April, and May were spent by moping around, walking my dog, beating every video game I own, cleaning my room, graduating college [oh ou, oh yeah I forgot about this], and spending far too many hours scrolling through tik tok.

June and July were the first time I’ve seen real people since March [outside of my immediate family]. I celebrated my 23rd birthday with my parents and my sister at my favorite restaurant [thank god for it being on a corner and having outdoor seating] and then in July I visited some friends in Ohio and spent a week in Wisconsin at my cousin’s new home. July is also the last time I’ve had alcohol [and hopefully ever will].

August and September were a whirlwind of shipping my sister off to college, waiting for my visa for Spain to get approved, it finally getting approved, packing my life into a suitcase, duffle bag and my backpack until I finally left for Spain.

As we all know, October left me returning home from Spain for a multitude of personal reasons, which as much as I hate to admit, it was the best decision I could have made. October also consisted of me starting therapy and getting my first ever big girl job [Spanish Teacher at a K-12 school in Chicago]. I also deleted my social media which I still don’t use [and TikTok got the boot too].

November and December have been about getting into a routine of a 40 hour a week job while still taking time for myself and my growth. And now, here I am, sitting on my bed during my first vacation as a working adult, writing my first blog post in months.

2020 has been a year of personal growth, setting boundaries [for myself and others], and enjoying all of the little things.

I am hoping that 2021 is full of life, love, happiness, and goal achieving, no matter how big or small any of these are for me and for you.

See you all in 2021.

❤ Alicia

Orgain Protein Review

Published on by AliciaLeave a comment 
Disclosure: some of  the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no  additional cost to you, 
I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Over the past few months, I’ve been trying to treat my body as best as I can because I’m trying to love myself and part of loving yourself comes from treating your body right. I’ve been trying to eat a balanced amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. However, as a vegan, it can be a little harder to get in all of my protein daily, so, I usually have a protein shake or smoothie after my workout each day. I’m also trying to eat less processed foods which, unfortunately, a lot of vegan meats are high in chemicals and words I don’t know so, I was stuck in a rut with my diet for quite a bit.

I’ve used quite a few vegan proteins in my day however, there were none that I ever loved [either the price or the flavor] until this summer. While scrolling through vegan protein recommendations on a blog I was reading in April, I discovered Orgain Protein. Orgain protein is very plant-heavy and doesn’t have the chemicals that other proteins I’ve had have.

I’ve been using this protein for about five months and have loved every product I’ve tried. From their protein shakes, powders, and bars, everything is good!

My biggest thing when it comes to protein is taste. A lot of proteins don’t taste good and it can still be tasted when added to food. I’ve put the powders in smoothies and oatmeal and to my surprise, it tastes good!!! Depending on what flavor I use [PB or chocolate fudge are the powders I’ve tried and keep coming back to] it adds to the food I put it in and you can taste the chocolate or peanut butter in the food I’m eating. I also enjoy drinking their protein shakes plain or in a fruit smoothie with granola after a workout.

My favorite thing about Orgain protein is that there are tons of flavors and options for products. I love their creamy chocolate protein shake and their peanut butter chocolate vegan protein powder. The biggest thing I love about these is that they are soy-free [my stomach does not tolerate soy which is why I’m opting to eat less soy in my diet].

Overall, if you’re looking for a protein, in whatever form, I would recommend Orgain.

I loved them enough to become an ambassador. If you decide to give Orgain a shot, you can use my code: LIVINGOFFLEESH30 for 30% off your first order [they even had nonvegan protein and collagen]

Much love,
Alicia

Why mental and spiritual health are just as important as physical health

Published on by AliciaLeave a comment

I’ve become an absolute podcast fiend. I love having background noise in my life when doing mundane tasks like the dishes, cleaning, walking my dog, etc. and normally I would just play the TV. However, before I went to Spain, I started listening to podcasts regularly. I’ve learned so much from every episode and they’re so fun to listen to because it literally feels like you’re having a chat with the people on the podcast.

I’m a huge fan of The Health Code [Sarah’s Day and Kurt Tilse], A Whole Lotta BS [Brittney Saunders] and Let’s Do Life [Autumn Calabrese]. I also listened to part of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone [read aloud by some of the cast including Tom Felton and Daniel Radcliffe!] but that’s not what this post is about.

In one of the podcast episodes [I can’t remember which because this was a BS-before Spain- podcast I listened to] they discussed that people often focus too much on physical health, or too much on spiritual health or emotional health and neglect the other two. You can’t have one without the others. This is why people who go really hard in the gym but have terrible mental health [me] aren’t quite content with the results they get. However, when you focus equal time and energy to all three, they all work together and you yourself come together in a more wholesome form than when you just focused on one. I have always advocated for all three [to my friends not to myself] and I realized that I mostly only focus on one, which always differs depending on what season of life I’m in.

My goal for the rest of the year is to pour an equal amount of time, effort, and energy into my physical, mental, and emotional health so that I can be more whole.

  • In terms of physical health: filling my body with whole foods that make my body feel good [which unfortunately might mean cutting out soy partially because it doesn’t agree with my stomach], taking vitamins, and moving my body every day.
  • As for mental health: my social media detox, therapy, reading, writing, and getting a job [to have something occupying my time] top this list.
  • Finally, my spiritual health. I will be meditating, doing yoga, and journaling [manifesting]. I will also be more active in learning about my spiritual health. I recently have discovered that I’m more of a spiritual person. I always knew I wasn’t religious, but I think the universe plays a big role in everyone’s lives and I want to learn how to work with the universe not against it [something I’ve been doing for a while I think].

Please send me any and all podcast recommendations! I have a long way to go with the TBB podcast [there are over 200 episodes with each being roughly one hour long] but once I finish, I’m looking for some! I like more health and wellness focused podcasts but would be down for lifestyle, vegan, etc. As long as I learn at least one fun thing per episode that’s all I’m asking for.

Much love,

Alicia ❤

Making oat milk

Published on by Alicia3 Comments

Happy Monday, as most of you know, I’ve been very much into sustainable living and all that jazz. One of the things that can help you be more sustainable is by making household products yourself. I’ve made soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc. but I wanted to take a more foody approach this time so I made oat milk! You can make milk from anything these days but one of the most sustainable kinds of milk to drink is oat milk [it uses the least amount of water to make] and I had yet to find a brand or type I’ve enjoyed, so instead, I made my own. I scoured the internet for recipes and didn’t find one I particularly liked so in true Alicia fashion, I wung It and made my own recipe.

I wanted to share that this experience was far from the many photos I see on Instagram of people holding one of those antique milk jugs filled with oat milk and sipping away.

First and foremost, I would like to say that I would not recommend using a food processor. You HAVE to use a blender. I swear by my food processor and use it to make ice cream, smoothies, protein bars, etc. However, when it comes to blending liquid, do NOT use the food processor. I turned that bad boy on and there was oaty water all over the place. While my food processor is bigger than my blender, I should have just made multiple small batches in the blender rather than one big batch in my food processor because I wasted over half of it as it spewed all around my kitchen [and onto me].

Nevertheless, it did taste good and I’d make it again just in my blender because then hopefully the oats would grind up and mix in with the water a bit more than they did as well to make thicker and creamier oat milk [I want to put it in my coffee] which is what I was going for.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of oats [use more if you want it thick and creamy]
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2-3 pitted dates [depending on desired sweetness]
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla [I prefer my dairy-free milk to be vanilla flavored. If you don’t, you can omit this or add another flavor]
  • Shirt or cheesecloth [I used a both in my process and found an old -but clean- shirt can be much more useful because no oats get through the shirt whereas when I used the cheesecloth, a little did get through]
  • Jar [I used a quart ball jar]

Directions:

  1. Place all food ingredients in the blender and blend until white.
  2. Add more oats or more water until you reach your desired consistency
  3. Place shirt or cheesecloth over the jar and slowly add milk onto the cheesecloth/shirt until there is no more liquid in your blender.
  4. Enjoy!

It’s quite simple [when you know what you’re doing] so I went through the troubles of being an idiot so you all don’t have to!

Have you ever made dairy-free milk? How did it go?
❤ Alicia

Why I’m taking a social media break

Published on by Alicia6 Comments

I’m officially back in America and readjusting to everything I just left. I’m unpacking, spending much needed time with my dog [I always forget how much of a de-stressor she is until I am so stressed out that I’m in tears] and I’m slowly getting into a routine.

Something that I think is so toxic to me at this point in my life is social media. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again and I’m a very black and white person so I’m either on social media for 1912912 hours a day or none at all. While I do enjoy Instagram for keeping up with my friends’ lives and Twitter is great for the news and a good laugh, I really can’t take it right now. I spend hours upon hours scrolling through social media and I really can’t stand it because it’s the biggest waste of time [I’m looking at you TikTok].

I’ve decided to take a bit of a social media hiatus [I’m keeping Snapchat for the time being because I don’t look at stories, I just send a picture or two to the same seven people every day and get on with my life but that might change… who knows? I’ll also keep TikTok because to me that’s not social media and I just watch Draco Malfoy, Harry Styles, and Robert Pattinson compilations so how bad is that? Both of these apps will be getting a screen time limit and the password will be chosen by my sister because it is far too easy to enter that screen time password and keep watching TikToks for hours upon hours not that I’m speaking from personal knowledge 😉 ]

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter will be gone for a while. I did it almost four years ago for a whole summer and I think it was beneficial for my mental health. I also read and wrote a lot more, worked out more, was present, etc. I don’t think social media is the worst thing in the world by any means BUT I do think a hiatus can be an amazing thing every so often.

And of course, I’ll still be blogging as much as I can. I’m hoping therapy can spark a bit more motivation in me than what I’ve had.

Have you ever done a social media detox/hiatus? How’d it go?
❤ Alicia

Beginnings and Endings

Published on by Alicia1 Comment

Hi all. If you remember me talking about my BIG move to Spain to teach at a university here, well… it happened. I’m currently sitting in my Airbnb in Ciudad Real, Spain as I type this. I’ve been here for one week, and I’ve fallen in love with this city.

I’m not typing this post as means of a WOOHOO I’m in Spain… quite the latter. Unfortunately, I will be heading home. I don’t really want to get into why because I’ve been stressing for the past few days about it. I’m heading home and my life in Spain will have gone just as quickly as it came.

Although I’m very disheartened that this journey of mine is coming to a rather abrupt halt, I’m seeing the good in this whole situation and there are actually a lot of upsides to this situation I’ve found out.

  • I get to see my dog on WEDNESDAY. She is going to be so confused as to why I cried about leaving her for over an hour [I spent almost every waking minute with her since I started quarantining on March 18th… give me a break] and now I’m home so quick.
  • I get to see my aunt’s dog on Wednesday as well. My aunt got surgery and is going to be in rehab for about a month so until then, TWO dogs.
  • I get to make more money than I would have while in Spain. No matter what I do, I’ll be making more money in America per paycheck than per month in Spain [not that I cared about that, I wanted this experience more than any amount of money].
  • ~Hopefully~, I get to take a trip to Europe with my sister next summer. She’s always wanted to go to Paris, and I have a hankering to go to London and all of the UK, so hopefully, we’ll be able to head over there for a few weeks. We can take the HARRY POTTER tour, go to Harry Styles’ bakery, and see the Louvre. Also, she’s my personal photographer so the Instagram content from that trip would be AMAZING.
  • I get to VOTE. I left for Spain before early voting started in my county and I was unsure if my mail-in ballot would make it to Spain and back to America in time once I got my address. However, when I get home, I’ll head straight to the early voting polls and get to ~hopefully~ vote out 45.
  • I am going to be able to focus on me. I probably won’t be able to get a full-time teaching job [since the semester is halfway over] nor do I want one in the condition America is in right now as to not risk getting COVID in a room with 25 germ spreaders. I’ll probably find something part-time [retail, babysitting /e-learning help, substitute teaching, etc.] and I will have plenty of time to take care of myself. I will be going to therapy [probably twice per week to start], exercising, eating right, reading, writing, and doing everything that I love.
  • I might write a novel! I have always wanted to participate in NaNoWriMo and because COVID will most likely still be terrorizing America next month, I should have enough time to do it. I also have a great idea [or at least I think I do] so once I create some characters, figure out the rest of the plot, etc. NaNoWriMo here I come.


Finally, while talking to my sister last night [amidst my mental breakdown from this hectic week I’ve had] and she said I looked sad and emotionally drained. Honestly, I am. I don’t think it’s just from this week but from everything built up that I’m finally starting to recognize. It’s very easy to put your mental health off in college because it’s “cute and quirky” to be depressed and to be anxious and to be so stressed you cry. When you’ve graduated… girl, go to therapy. Also, this past week I’ve been alone most of the time. COVID is preventing me from going out and meeting people and every ‘tourist’ activity I want to do is also closed so I’ve been spending a lot of time in my hotel room, pent up with just my thoughts. And let me tell you, my brain needs a lot of help at the moment. I love traveling but my sister told me that I use traveling to put off getting mental help. It’s true [I hate it when little siblings are correct]. I live off that travel high long after I return and when I get back into my head aging, away I go on a new trip. So, while I wish I could have been living in Spain and working on me, I think for myself [present and future] I’m going to benefit the most from being home for the foreseeable future.

I think I’m meant to live in Spain for an extended period… I do. However, this year just isn’t it. I will return one day to Spain but it might not be this year or even next year. Whether I return to Spain as a tourist or to teach again, I know I’ll be back one day. J

España, te quiero mucho y regresaré un día.
❤ Alicia

My flight essentials

Published on by Alicia1 Comment

Happy Tuesday. Now I know most of us aren’t doing much [if any] travel these days, so keep this bad boy saved for when you’re flying next. I, however, will be making another trip to Spain in the coming weeks. I was originally supposed to leave in six days, however, my visa has still yet to be approved so I’ll be heading there before the end of the month if plan B goes smoothly.

Something I’ve become quite good at is flying. I’ve loved flying ever since I was little, however, when I first started solo traveling [flying to and from San Diego when this blog was just a baby] I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I would bring so much stuff in my carry on “just in case” that I never ended up using // needing. After 20 or more [ I have no idea if I’m being honest] solo flights around the US, South America, and Europe, I’ve come to know what things are essential for your flight and what can stay at home or in your checked baggage. Here are my top 5 carry on flight essentials.

  1. Snacks – This will forever and always be my #1 flight essential. I’m going to count gum in this category too because I cannot and will not fly without a pack of gum for take-off and landing. For super long overseas flights or for flights with layovers, bringing snacks from home is always the better and cheaper option. Food and drinks in airports are EXPENSIVE and depending on the country’s exchange rate, just not even worth it. Because of this, I always bring an empty water bottle [to fill up after security] and a few snacks [some sweet, some savory] such as dried fruit, nuts, crackers, etc. anything to fill me up and get me to where I’m going. I find that when you have dietary restrictions such as myself, it’s even more important that you bring these on flight snacks. Just because they offer a vegan or gluten free or whatever meal option, does, BY NO MEANS, mean it will be a good one.
  2. Chargers – My favorite thing about longer flights is that they normally have a charging port on the seat back in front of you. My flight to Greece was 11 hours and I’m stupid and forgot to check in 24 hours in advance which meant a middle seat for me. It was miserable and I couldn’t get comfortable enough to take a nap. Therefore, I spent the 11 hours watching 6 movies, playing games on my phone, listening to music etc. When I switched my time to watching movies, I plugged in my phone so that it wouldn’t die during my layover or before I got to my new apartment.
  3. A book // E-reader – Not everyone loves reading on airplanes, but I personally do. I try to grab my computer and write on flights normally but not all planes have enough room to have a laptop out and elbows jabbing when you’re typing. I always carry a book in my bag for those tight spaces on airplanes and when you can’t get Wi-Fi at your layover airport [or if you have a 4-hour layover and only are allowed 1 hour of Wi-Fi … thanks Istanbul]
  4. Headphones – A lot of longer flights will gives you headphones to watch movies, listen to music, etc. They almost always suck. I always bring two pairs of headphones [my AirPods for my phone and a pair that works for the traditional headphone jack] so that I can enjoy movies on the plane and have headphones that I can actually hear out of both sides.
  5. A ‘just in case’ bag – this is 100% the most important in my opinion. The last thing you want to happen is for your luggage to get lost and you’re without a toothbrush, underwear, or deodorant. In my carry on, I always carry a bag of miscellaneous items I might need on the flight or after if my luggage is lost. This usually consists of: a hairbrush, bobby pins, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, travel shampoo + conditioner, tissues, soap, lotion, hair ties, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, etc. I then have an extra outfit [usually just bra, underwear, socks, t shirt and leggings] in case something happens to the clothes I’m wearing, or my luggage gets misplaced.

Obviously, each person’s carry on will depend on you and your interests, but I have to think that these items are pretty much universal, and anyone can and will need one or all of these at some point while travelling.

❤ Alicia

If we were having coffee

Published on by AliciaLeave a comment

Long time no write – my favorite phrase. It’s been about two and a half months since I’ve sat at my computer and written. My laptop crapped out on me in February amidst my hardest assignment I’ve ever had to complete in order to graduate college and get my teaching license. The keyboard stopped working [I realized right after purchasing my new one that I needed a new battery] and I had to connect a mouse and keyboard to get the computer to work so basically it was just a desktop computer. Nothing wrong with a desktop, however, my favorite blogging spot is at the corner of the couch with a cup of coffee on the table next to me and a movie on the TV for background noise. That was difficult with my previous set up. Now, I’ve got my brand new computer and I’m ready to get back into writing. So, grab your cup of coffee and let’s chat about my summer.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you about how I’m still [hopefully] headed to Spain. I’ve submitted everything necessary for my visa application and now it’s just a waiting game. As long as everything goes as planned and my visa gets approved, I’ll be heading to Ciudad Real, Spain on September 14th to teach !!!!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you how my sister went away to college! We moved her in about two and a half weeks ago at Southern Illinois University and then I got to visit her this past Friday! She’s doing so well there and college was just what she needed.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve still been quarantining for the most part. I’ve seen a few friends but I’m keeping my circle small and not risking a thing because I know [and no one else seems to] that there is still a pandemic going on.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I visited my friends in Ohio for my friend Grace’s 21st birthday. We went back to my college town and kept to ourselves, spending much of our time in our hotel rooms, playing cards, and just enjoying everyone’s company. It was great to see them all but that drive wasn’t fun.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my family and I spent a week in northern Wisconsin at my cousin’s home. Every year we used to go to Kentucky for a week of fishing, swimming, card playing, sun burning, and just to spend time with each other. Because of COVID, we had to adjust and spent the week at my cousin’s home. We got to celebrate the graduation of my sister from high school, me and my cousin from college, and my cousin’s husband from his surgical residency! It was tons of fun to get some sun, read, check out a new little town, and get in some much-needed baby and dog time!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve been consistently working out and eating right pretty much all summer. I’m feeling really great and this little bit of consistency in my life has made these uncertainties of quarantine and COVID a little easier. I also recently downloaded Nike Run Club and I’m going to try and get into running! If any of you runners have any tips for beginners, please let me know!

What has happened during your summer?

Much love

❤ Alicia

My Fitness Pal and other diet apps ruined a whole generation

Published on by Alicia3 Comments

I’ve recently rediscovered my love for health and fitness and have been working out pretty consistently for the past month or so. I’m eating good food, treating my body right, and I haven’t felt this good about my body for a long time ever.

Before I had this blog, I had a fitness blog in my sophomore and junior years of high school [if I remember correctly] where I basically just blogged about the current workout I was doing [30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels was my fave], what I was eating, and how school and life were going.

When I was in high school, Tumblr was super popular and I had a few thousand followers where I posted the same things like my blog as well as reblogged gifs and photos of workouts, tips, and the ‘ideal’ body that every girl lusted after.

I had an addiction to MyFitnessPal [MFP]. Now, MFP has a minimum daily calorie intake of 1200 calories. Back when I used it, there was no minimum. If you went below 1000, they showed a little message that that wasn’t necessarily healthy and that you should be eating more, however, you could still eat as low as you wanted. I deprived my body of the food it so desperately needed for years because an app said if I kept at it I’d lose weight in no time.

Everyone I knew had [or still has] My Fitness Pal. A lot of my college friends have told me they used MFP in middle school and high school as well. My Fitness Pal not only destroyed me, my relationship with food, my relationship with my body, and my ability to love myself, but it also did the same to a whole generation of boys and girls.

The internet tells you to hate the way you look from day one based on ads, skinny teas, weight loss programs, etc. but apps like My Fitness Pal, Livestrong, LoseIt! and more give you the tools to go to any means necessary to get you to ‘love yourself’ and get that ideal body. What 12 or 13-year-old won’t jump on the ‘opportunity of a lifetime?’

For those of you lucky enough to not know what My Fitness Pal is, it’s a diet app where you input your food, water, and exercise throughout the day. At the end of every day, you submit your net calories for the day. The app then tells you “if you eat like this every day you should weigh ____ pounds in 5 weeks.”  I can be 10 [or more] pounds closer to the ‘ideal’ body in FIVE weeks???? Sign me UP. On my blog, I bragged about eating 1000 or fewer calories a day and to this day I know the calories of the foods I ate most often for when I was away from my phone or after I deleted the app.

My teenage years were full of weight loss and weight gain and using My Fitness Pal and Livestrong [as part of a class grade on multiple occasions !!] and having calorie journals. My teenage years were also full of eating 300 calories during the day and binging on hundreds and thousands of calories late at night alone. My teenage years were full of torturing my body by over-exercising and undereating but thinking I was doing great things for it because I was getting compliments on my body and I was getting closer to the societal ideal body type.

There are thousands of people in their teens and twenties who don’t have good relationships with food and their bodies and who are going to spend years unlearning what we learned on diet apps like My Fitness Pal and I’m one of them.

I no longer use the app, however, as I mentioned before, I know most of the calories of the foods I eat daily. I sit and tally up my calories for the day after each meal mindlessly. I’m more of a numbers person in general which is why it’s been so hard to unlearn all of the numbers, grams, calories, etc. It’s something I have to actively think about, not counting calories and not reading food labels [other than to make sure something is vegan] and to just focus on putting good foods in my body. It’s a slow process, of course, but I’m confident that one day all of the people affected by diet apps will be able to take back their relationships with food and their bodies by storm.

To all the young people: Never ever download a diet app and don’t base your worth off of how your body looks.

To everyone: Never comment on someone’s weight even if you think it’s a compliment because you NEVER know what they’re dealing with.

All bodies are good bodies.

Much love,

Alicia ❤

Why understanding personality types is so important

Published on by Alicia1 Comment

Myer Briggs, Enneagram, Love languages… you name it, these personality indicators have boomed all over social media. Recently, I’ve taken a closer look into my enneagram type, my Myer Briggs personality type, as well as what my love languages are and I’ve really found out a lot about myself.  I’ve also learned so much about my friends. By knowing their types, I can learn more about what kinds of friends they are and how to be a better friend based on their personality. Even just dipping a toe into the world of personality tests can make a world of change not only in your life but the lives of those around you as well.

Myer Briggs

The most popular of the personality tests, the Myer Briggs test has been around for years. I took it for the first time in high school for a class that required a lot of group work. We were paired together with people with compatible personality types. There are 16 different personality types. Once you take a test to find out what your type is, you’ll be shown pages of information about your type such as strengths, weaknesses, how they are in relationships [romantic and platonic], how they’ll be as parents, what careers they’d be good in, celebrities that have the same personality type as you, and more! Personally, I am an INTJ-T. A career that would be fitting for me is a writer [fitting] and Michelle Obama is also an INTJ. The Myer Briggs test is so beneficial for groups because there is a lot of information you can learn about others’ personalities which is always useful when working with new people.

Love Language

To me, a person’s love language is SO important. What is a love language you may be wondering? It’s how people like to be shown love, whether platonically or romantically. There are 5 types: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Quality Time, and Receiving Gifts. By heading to the Love Languages website and taking a quick quiz you can find out what your love language is [or are if you have multiple]. My love languages are Words of Affirmation and Acts of Service. To me, there is nothing like getting told “I’m proud of you, you’re doing great” or having someone do a chore I didn’t want to do. Do either of these things and you’ll have my heart forever. I scored the lowest in physical touch, so please, please never give me a pat on the back. Consensual hugs are the only thing I’ll do haha. By knowing your love language as well as the love language of your friends // significant others you can really show how much you love them by loving them through their love language whether that be by spending an afternoon with them, buying them a coffee, etc. It’s always nice to feel loved.

Enneagram

The enneagram has become quite popular as of late and artists all over Instagram [my two faves are Cathartic Word and Chalk and Leaves] are using the nine different enneagrams as inspiration for graphic art which tons of people [me and ALL my friends included] are loving. There are nine different Enneagram types, as I mentioned, and while you have to pay for the ~official~ quiz, there are tons of other quizzes online that you can do for free with just a simple “enneagram test free” google search. I did quite a few of them and ended up finding out I’m a type 3 enneagram. Threes are known for being charming, ambitious, driven, but can also be concerned about the image they portray to others. This is me to a T. Within your Enneagram type, you can also have ‘wings.’ Wings are defined as an Enneagram on either side of your type [since my type is a three, my wings could be either a two or a four] that you lean towards more. I happen to be a 3w4; an Enneagram type three with a four-wing. I’ve noticed a lot of my friends are type 2s, aka the helper. I’ve learned so much about myself based off of my enneagram from why I feel so defeated after trying something once and not being great at it to how I can help cope with stress and anxiety in ways that will be good for MY personality type, not just for the general public. This is also a great one to learn about with a partner or with colleagues because you can learn how each type works, deals with stress, things they love, etc. And honestly, I LOVE just learning about Type Threes. Who knew a website knew more about me than I knew about me?

What is your favorite personality quiz?

❤ Alicia

Mahalo Purse Review

Published on by AliciaLeave a comment

Alicia here with another review of something quarantine + Instagram made me buy!

Ever since my purse got stolen last summer in Spain [RIP to the Goodwill crossbody bag… you were a real one] I have been on the lookout for a purse as good as that one. It was big enough to fit a large water bottle for long days of walking as well as everything else I needed and I haven’t’ been able to find anything quite like it. While I still haven’t been able to find the perfect purse, I’ve come across a few bags in the past year that I’ve added to my collection that get the job done as they should. I have a couple larger bags [my teacher bag that can fit my whole life into it, a pretty big brown shoulder bag, a smaller grey cross body bag, etc.] but I have never had a small purse before. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized there are some times when you really just need a small bag. Going out with friends, grocery shopping, etc. all really don’t require a large bag but that’s really all I have.

While scrolling through my Instagram saves [one titled ‘Things to Buy] folders and eliminating ones I don’t need anymore, I came across an ad I had saved for Mahalo cases… Mahalo Casessell phone cases and wallet duos. Ok, a matching wallet and phone case… who cares? The phone cases are magnetic and attach on the inside of the wallet. You can’t lose your phone when it’s literally attached to the purse you’re wearing. The best part about it? The chain from the purse can be removed and replaced with a wristlet strap for when you don’t want to carry a whole purse. Or, if you want it to double as your wallet in your super big purse which I’ll definitely be doing whilst teaching.

I bought the RFID blocking quilted crossbody wallet phone case in black. It’s the perfect size for a purse or as a large wallet. There are two sides both with ample card slots as well as a spot for change and cash not to forget the spot in the back of the case where the phone attaches. The wallet itself is very well made and I can fit almost everything I need in there even though it is quite small. I’m very glad about the purchase and think the whole idea is genius because I’ll have the perfect spot for my phone in my purse and won’t lose it.

As far as the phone case goes, it’s a pretty basic black phone case. I definitely don’t think it’s the cutest case however if I only use it when I use the wallet I don’t have a problem with it. I love the wallet design because I don’t like big patterned accessories, however, when I get a new phone I’ll probs get a new phone case that’s prettier than this one. I would love it if you could mix and match purses and cases!!

IMG_9082

Overall, I can’t wait to actually get to using the purse and wallet duo when the country opens back up. Until then, I’ll keep walking around my room with it. J

Much love,

Alicia

Things that are keeping me happy during these times

Published on by Alicia6 Comments

2020 has been a crazy time filled with disease, riots, natural disasters, etc. I am fortunate enough that I can take a break from these things [Black people never get a break from fighting for their rights, sick people don’t get a break from being sick, etc.]. When life is too hectic or the news is too upsetting to watch, I need something to keep my spirits high in these times of uncertainty.

I’ve been baking bread, gardening, reading, writing, drawing, whatever I can to take up my time, and not just watch TV and scroll through TikTok. I’ve been trying to find things to keep my spirits up and to keep me busy. Here are some of my favorite things! Let me know yours in the comments below.

  1. Drawing – I’ve recently started drawing and while I’m next to terrible at it right now, it’s something I find to be really fun. I’m working on drawing animals [elephants are easiest for me], RedBubble sticker themed drawings [iykyk], and the human body. Like I said, I’m not great, but it’s something for me to do.
  2. Baking – I’ve been doing an awful lot of baking recently. From bread [oh yes] to dog treats, I’ve made it all. It keeps me busy and it gives me something to look forward to once all the work is done!

  3. Walking – Getting outside other than when walking my dog is HARD. I have a huge backyard which I love to spend time in, however, my neighbor’s house is undergoing construction and there are a plethora of middle-aged men in the yard next to me five days a week making it hard to enjoy being out there. I’ve been trying to go on walks during the week, sometimes bringing my sister with, just to get out of the house!IMG_9052
  4. Gardening – I have my own garden this summer! I built a raised garden bed and I planted everything over the past few weeks. This will give me something to be accountable for [weeding, watering, harvesting, etc.] and I can’t wait to grow my own food!
  5. Writing – I’ve been writing a bit lately. I want to write a book so I’m doing a bit more of fictional work than blogging but it’s still something J

What has been keeping everyone happy recently?

❤ Alicia

23 things I’ve learned in 23 years

Published on by Alicia4 Comments

Happy Friday! It’s June 12th which means it’s my 23rd birthday! This has been by far the craziest year of my life and there were a few times I didn’t know if I’d make it through. Despite all this, I’ve learned the most in these past 365 days and I wanted to share that with everyone.

  1. Go with the flow – If this year has taught me anything, it’s that I have to go with the flow. From my purse getting stolen in Spain to the coronavirus canceling my Greece trip to not having graduation, and everything in between, just take a deep breath, let it all out, and move on. Obviously, you can be angry that not everything works out, but it’s a part of life. Everything will work out in the end.
  2. Ditching people based on their pollical views is totally fine – Black Lives Matter has been prevalent for years [however, now a lot more people are using their voice either for or against the movement], and either you believe that Black Lives Matter or you’re racist. There’s no neutral, no grey area, etc. I’m not friends with people that don’t believe in basic human rights. Not sorry.
  3. Friends that can’t communicate aren’t friends you want – I’ve had my own troubles with communicating in the past but I’m too grown to have to question if someone wants to be your friend if someone is mad at you etc. If you can’t be real with a friend why are you even friends?
  4. Splurge on things you love – Not everyday of course, but it’s okay to treat yourself to things you love every once in a while
  5. Getting into a routine is the best thing you can do or yourself – Because of quarantine, I was in a rut. I forced myself to get into a healthy routine and it’s been the best thing I ever could have done for myself. I feel better and more accomplished with what I get done in a day.
  6. Absorb everything – There are so many opinions, sides of stories, etc. out there. Absorb as much as you can and figure out your opinion that way. Don’t read or watch one thing and think you know everything. It doesn’t work that way.
  7. Live life with no regrets
  8. Be yourself – Do what you want, make decisions based on what you want not others and watch how your life changes
  9. Try new things – Try baking, give drawing a go. Even if you aren’t inherently good at something doesn’t mean you won’t find something you like in the process.
  10. You have to learn to love yourself – This is something I’m still working on but it’s the best journey I’ve ever been on.
  11. Travel – I’ve learned more from traveling than I ever have in a classroom.
  12. Crying in public is okay – Reference #1. I’ve cried on a train from Madrid to Toledo, I’ve cried in bars in Athens, and the Thessaloniki airport. It’s okay. No one cares.
  13. There’s a lot of hate in this world
  14. There’s a lot of love in this world too
  15. I deserve to live – there’s nothing like living out your dreams, graduating college, and getting ready to live out more dreams that really get you to know your worth
  16. I’m stronger than I know
  17. Losing a pet can be harder than losing a person – My gecko got murdered [rip] by my roommate’s gecko while I was in Greece and I was devastated
  18. Everyone needs to know how to cook
  19. I’m okay on my own – Living alone and being single [haha] isn’t always so fun. However, I’m fully capable of doing both
  20. I have no idea what my future holds – there are so many options and I’d be happy with any of them, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see
  21. I want to do everything
  22. I learn more from my students than they learn from me – All of my time in Greece taught me just how much I have to learn and how much they can teach me
  23. I have so much to learn

Have a happy Friday and a great weekend!

So so so so much love,

Alicia ❤

Coconut Bowl Review

Published on by AliciaLeave a comment 
Disclosure: some of  the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you,
I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Hi all, I hope social distancing is going well for everyone! During this whole crazy time, I’ve been doing a bit of online shopping, like many others. Instagram ads really are getting the best of me [three of my recent purchases have been because of an Instagram ad haha] and I wanted to share some of my thoughts on what I’ve been buying because reviews are IMMENSELY important to me before making a purchase, especially to ensure that I’m not being scammed by random sites!

One of my most recent purchases has been a Coconut Bowl. Coconut bowls are handcrafted coconuts turned into bowls based out of Australia. Coconut everything has been all the rage [coconut candy, oil, milk, etc.] but the outside of the coconut often goes unnoticed and is discarded. Coconut Bowls offer a sustainable use for the shell of the coconut and have turned them into bowls and candles made completely of coconut. They also sell cookbooks, bamboo straws, reusable bags, and wooden silverware to eat from your bowl with.

IMG_8406

I honestly just wanted the cookbook, because I can always use a new recipe or two, but with how cute the bowl was, I had to get one to show off my creations in.

I ordered a set of one bowl + one spoon as well as the vegan cookbook. The bowl and spoon came within 2 days of ordering which I was pleasantly surprised by. My cookbook is a PDF because I prefer to view recipes from my device rather than have them out in a book.

The bowl was wrapped up, along with my spoon, accompanied by a thank you card saying to follow on social media and a discount on my next purchase. Everything came in one piece and the packaging was safe and secure!

The bowl is great as is the spoon. I use them both all the time although, I did hear a crack in my bowl after I put really hot food in it [I can’t see a crack so I’m not sure where it is]. The cookbook is phenomenal. There are all sorts of recipes [all that can go in a bowl] ranging from breakfasts to desserts and everything in between. My favorite so far is the sweet potato mac and cheese because it combines my favorite things in one I’ve been using the cookbook whenever I’m feeling something new and modifying when I need to go grocery shopping. If I lived on my own, I’d definitely go with their eco starter set [or 2 of them] because that comes with two bowls, two forks, two spoons, and two bamboo straws. However, since it was my first purchase, I wanted to make a small purchase in case I wasn’t a fan. If you choose to make a purchase, use code: Alicia-10 for 10% off your order!

Even if you don’t decide to purchase from Coconut Bowls, give them a follow on Instagram. Their whole feed makes you feel like you’re in Hawaii on a beach, not stuck in your house quarantining.

What are your favorite sustainable household items?

Alicia ❤