New Year's Resolutions 2013!

Hello my loves!

It's that time  of year again... time to wipe the slate clean and start fresh! A chance to improve yourself. Time for some new resolutions!!

A side note, I did really well on my 2012 resolutions. There were  a few things I could have done better on, but hey. I give myself a B+ :p  I have been thinking long and hard, so here are my 2013 Resolutions!!!!!! :

1. To be a more positive person. As I mentioned in my Perfect Imperfections post, I am a very overly sensitive person. While this is a good trait in some aspects, it is also annoying because I can be very negative at times. I take things to heart and think everyone is  judging me or doesn't like me, or my instant reaction to many situations is often the negative side of things. I want to really focus on being more positive, and not taking every little comment or action of others to heart!

2.  To be more creative, and experiment with fashion. I know this was a resolution last year, and it was the area I lacked in the most. Partially because I didn't have much inspiration, and partially because I had next to zero budget. But I have a steady stream of disposable income now, and loads and loads of inspiration! I want to make 2013 my most fashionable year yet!


3. To start a Youtube channel. This has been on my mind for over a year now, but I just haven't gotten around to doing it. No excuses this year! I am going to give it an honest go, and put all of my effort forth!

4. To exercise more regularly. Yep, the most generic resolution of all! I am really bad with making fitness a part of my lifestyle though. I will go through phases where I workout faithfully for weeks or even months, then phases where I do absolutely nothing. This year, I would like to make an honest effort to truly make fitness apart of my life

5.  To save more money. Again, such a generic resolution, but one I am horrible with. I have made a goal to save a set amount each month. I find this easier to accomplish with an end goal- and this year, we are headed back to America, so there's the motivation! I will need spending cash ;)

6. To have more patience. I have almost no patience. This is a virtue that I would very much like to have.

7. To set aside one night per week for a date night with my husband. I have always loved the idea of a set date night, but sometimes it can be hard. We would really like to make this a priority!

There you have it, my New Year's resolutions for 2013!

Blogidays- What Disney Means to Me

Hello, Hello!

Since last week would have been Walt Disney's birthday, and Saturday marks the anniversary of his passing, I wanted to do a special post in his memory, and explain to you all what Disney means to me, and how, without ever knowing it, Mr. Disney affected my life.


Who doesn't love Disney, right? I mean, what's not to love? The movies are timeless, the theme parks are amazing, it's a pretty awesome company! Most people like Disney. Alot of people love Disney. But Disney is so much more than a love for me. Disney is one of my passions in life. Disney, for me, goes so much deeper than loving the movies, etc. Disney is part of who I am. Disney represents all of the times in my life I have been the happiest, and Disney is my biggest source of inspiration in life.


I could try to put into words how Disney has forever changed my life, but I would never be able to capture just how much. I was always fascinated with Disney. As a child, the films were my favorites. When I grew a little older, Disney became my life. I studied Walt and the company. I became inspired by all that Walt Disney was and believed. I was inspired in every way, shape and form, and it changed my outlook on life.

I have such an emotional attachment to Disneyland, and all other aspects of Disney. The feeling of magic I experience upon entering the Disneyland Park is immeasurable. My dream is to someday, in someway, be apart of the magical company that is the Disney Company.

Walt, you have been the biggest inspiration of my life. You have taught me to have faith in my dreams, and that if I can dream it, I can most certainly do it. Thank you for the magic, and the lifelong memories. You have forever changed my life, and who I am, and for that I would never be able to thank you enough.

Walter Elias Disney
December 5, 1901- December 15, 1966

How much do you all love Disney? What would you say to Walt if given the chance? Comment below!

X's and O's,
Amanda

I'm Not Dead!

Hello Lovlies!

I know it's been a long time, a week to be exact. I have really missed blogging! I want to take some time to update you all about the past week.

For those of you who are unaware, I just got married last Friday! I will be doing a "Wedding Re-Cap" post when I gather more pictures together, but I can tell you all that it was a fairytale dream come true, and my husband and I are overwhelmed with happiness and joy. We were showered with so much love and kindness on our special day. As you can imagine, it was hectic! I did alot of baking for our guests that would be at our house throughout the day, as well as baking for the boquet toss! Huh? Okay, I didn't want to throw my bouquet, so I baked cupcakes, and inserted a ring into one. The single ladies dug in, and whoever found the ring is the next to get married! Our friends and family had a blast, and it was a storybook wedding to remember!

A less than flttering photo from the wedding where I am getting flowers out of my dress.
So if getting married wasn't a big enough change, I  also started a job this week! I am just doing some part-time work at our local grocery store as a cashier. I was nervous to start- not because of the job, but because of the language! So far, I understand my co-workers and customers pretty well. It is suprisingly nice to have a place to be during the week. I missed working! Going to work is a double bonus for me because not only am I meeting new people and earning money, but I am learning more and more German everyday!

Recently, I have been so excited about my current life siutation, so I wanted to share.

I haven't been unhappy by any means, but moving to a new country, well, that brings on so many emotions. There have been so many changes in my life in just 7 months. I have had to adjust to being thousands of miles away from any family or friends, had to adjust to living with my husband, adjusting to a brand-new financial situation, being a housewife, getting engaged, learning a new language, getting married, starting a new job, the list goes on. I have defintely experienced ups and downs living here. When I first moved here, it was euphoria- I was finally with Andre physically again, and not for a limited amout of time. But then fear set in. I realized I wasn't on vacation this time- I actually had to learn a new language and become a fully functioning adult in a foreign land. I doubted myself so much; I spent SO much time doubting my abilities to learn to live here. I kept telling myself how bad my German was, or that I couldn't understand. Or that when I started working, I would get fired for sure, because I wouldn't know anything or be fluent enough. Funny thing is, My boss and customers DO understand me for the most part, and I was able to complete my training and understand my job. I have also spent so much time stressing out about the future. Would Andre and I earn enough to move back to the states in 3 years? When could we afford this, that , or the other? What was I going to make of myself? But recently, something clicked; I spent so much time planning on how we could leave here, that I haven't really let myself enjoy living here. Will we move back to the USA? If so, how soon? I can't  say what the future holds. I just know that I am going to continue to live life to the fullest and not dwell on the past or future!

As far as what to make of myself, I feel alot of pressure. I am soon going to be 21, and I have not yet attended college, or decided a "career path", etc. Most of my friends will graduate college soon. But I have been thinking alot, and maybe what "i'm supposed to do" isn't a real career. I truly believe that my purpose in life is to just be happy, maybe I will never have a "career". And that's fine with me, as long as I remain happy.

I will be resuming with my normal posts this week! If you have any requests, leave a comment! :)
X's and O's,
Amanda

Diary:Food for Thought

Hey Everyone!

This week was a big week for me, and the next coming days will be even bigger because I am getting married in 3 days! I was inspired by so much last week, so I wanted to make a post sort of rambling:)

The first thing that inspired me this week was two different quotes. The first quote is "You can have whatever you're willing to struggle for" and "You can have it all, just not all at once." These quotes really hit home with me. You see, I have had all of these really high expectations of myself and my fiance. I expected to get married, we'll both start making great money, afford this fabulous trip to the US next summer, have our other wedding in the states, re-do our apartment, and afford whatever we want. With some recent large purchases (and the wedding), I realized that all of that was, well,  a little unrealistic. At first when I realized we were going to have to work really hard to save for everything, and it would take awhile, I immediately became discouraged. I felt like everything was falling apart, nothing was going as planned. But then I came across those two quotes and thought "we may have to make small sacrifices here and there, but we will eventually get there."

No matter what your goals are, nothing in life is free. You won't acheive your goals without at least a little sacrifice. If you're not willing to sacrifice, you don't want it bad enough!

In the spirit of my wedding, I will be making alot of wedding things posts this week. I will also do a diary entry for each remaining day to the wedding (what we have to do, etc) I hope you are all enjoying my Wedding Things series, I plan to continue it through the summer! All other normal blog features will resume next week!

X's and O's,
Amanda

Healthy Living: My Diet and Exercise Routine

Happy Monday Everyone!!!

I get alot of questions on my social sites asking me about my diet and exercise. Today I thought I would share my routine! Disclaimer: this is what works for me. This may or may not work for you, and before you make and major changes to your routine, you should always talk to a doctor!


My Diet:

Actually, I hate the word "diet". But I use it to describe what I eat, I don't go on "diets". I eat several small meals throughout the day, normally five or six. I never, ever skip breakfast! For breakfast, I eat oatmeal and a piece of fruit most mornings. A few hours later, I might have a yogurt and granola bar. Then lunch. Lunch is whatever my mother in law makes. She usually cooks pretty healthy, but if she happens to make something that isn't the healthiest, I just eat a smaller portion and add some salad. If I get hungry in the afternoon, I will usually eat veggies with a piece of cheese. Germans don't really eat dinner, so if I happen to get hungry again, I will eat fruit, veggies, any healthy snack. I stick with water as my beverage of choice, and occasionally I will have milk. I drink ice tea sometimes, but I try to avoid too much because of the sugar. When I lived in the States, I drank more milk. But in America, my mom purchased lower fat milk. Here, The milk our family buys is 3.8% fat. This tastes a little thick for my liking. I do drink alcohol on occasion, but never more than a glass or 2 of wine. I have alcohol less than once weekly ( don't worry guys, i'm legal!. Here are some more tips and tricks I have found helpful with food :

~Don't deprive yourself. I know you have probably heard this, but it is so true. If you deprive yourself of a certain food or a larger portion, you will end up caving at some point, and you will probably overeat. If you want a piece of cake, eat it. Just make sure not to eat it on a daily basis.

~Drink lots of water! Water keeps you hydrated, and full. If you tend to overeat at meals, drink a glass or more of water before you eat. This will make you feel full, and you probably won't eat as much.

~ Don't skip breakfast, ever. Even if you don't feel hungry, eat something small anyways. Your metabloism is likely to be quicker when you give yourself some fuel to start the day.

~ Eat as soon as you feel hungry. When you feel the first pangs of hunger, eat a small, healthy snack. If you wait til your next meal, etc., you will likely eat alot more, and when you're starving, your body is going to crave a high-fat, high-calorie meal. What's worse? Your body is likely to store the food you eat as fat, in fear of you depriving it again.

My Exercise Routine:

I exercise 4 times a week minimum. Other than the physical appearence of my body, I workout for several reasons: I sleep better, I feel more relaxed, I feel better about my body, I don't feel as much post-injury pain, the list goes on. The benefits of exercise are endless. For cardio, I ride a statinoary bike, and add resistance. As far as time, it varies. If i'm really low on time or energy, I might only ride the bike for 20 minutes. Normally I try to do 30 minutes minimum. I like to vary the time and resistance frequently. It's good to keep your body guessing, so that it has to work! Typically, I will do cardio Monday through Friday, doing strength training some of those days as well. On the weekends, I might do cardio, or just go for a walk with my fiancee, etc. I like to do something fun on the weekends. If I miss a workout during the week, I make it up over the weekend. I try to always go 6 miles minimum when I do cardio. I have been pretty faithful with my workouts, and I feel so much better. Here are some additional tips I have found helpful with exercise:

~ Stop making excuses. The most famous excuse for not working out is "I don't have time". Really? You don't spend any time surfing the web or watching tv? You don't seriously have 10 minutes, even if it isn't consecutive? Contrary to popular belief, your workout doesn't have to last an hour, and it doesn't have to be consecutive. Use absolutely any time you have. Watching tv? Do toning moves and short bursts of cardio on the commercial breaks. Got a break at work? Walk around the building several times. If you prioritize your time, you WILL have time for exercise, even if it's not a lot. Something is better than nothing!

~ Find the RIGHT inspiration. Photos of super fit celebs may inspire you to get started, but you'll end up discouraged. Here's the thing: you will never look like someone else. Your body is different, and you may not ever be able to attain certain assets. Work with what you have. Make YOUR body type look the best it can. Also, don't just focus on appearences. Focus on the other benefits of exercise to help keep you motivated. And don't give up! Alot of people think missing a day (or week!) means you should just throw the towel in. You will have more success if you just keep going. Missed an entire week of exercise? Don't dwell on it, start fresh this week.

~ Push yourself. It's easy to settle into a routine. But if you do the exact same exercise on the exact same days for too long, you'll stop seeing results. When your body knows what to expect, it won't work very hard. Increase time, reps, resistance, weights, vary the type of exercise, workout on a normal "day off", etc. I recommend switiching things up every 2 weeks.

So there you have it, my basic eating and exercise routine. Let me know if you have any other questions. I really hoped this helped some of you! What is your routine? Leave it in the comments, I 'd love to hear!

X's and O's,
Amanda

Lazy Sunday: Random Ramblings

Hello Sunshine Babies!
So today is Sunday, and what better way to spend a Sunday than being completely lazy? My apartment is a total disaster, and while I find it nearly impossible to relax amidst a mess, I promised myself today was a day free  of cleaning. This post is going to be totally random today. I have a lot of different things on my mind, and so I thought today could be a chill post where you can catch a glimpse of what is going through my oh so random head :p

Sadly, today is the last day of Andre's vacation, as classes resume tomorrow. BOO! I really enjoyed having him around all day for the past 2 weeks. We have gotten to spend alot of quality time together, and I have been so thankful. We got to sleep in everyday, play games, shop, go for walks, spend time with family and friends, relax, and get wedding stuff done. We had a blast, and the quality time was defintely needed! The past 2 weeks have reminded me why Andre is my very best friend in the entire world. Although classes resume tomorrow, there is also a very exciting event: Andre will get his contract with the IT company tomorrow night! This is a huge accomplishment for him, and I couldn't be prouder! I know he will achieve great things with this company.

In other cheery news, Andre and I had the opportunity to finish shopping for all of my wedding day essentials, and new makeup! Being as passionate about makeup as I am, getting new makeup is the best feeling in the world. All of Andre's accessories were purchased, as well as my shoes, etc. I opted for white ballerina flats. I figured, if I want to enjoy dancing the night away on my wedding day, I had better be comfortable. Plus, I can wear white ballerinas all summer!  I will do a haul post sometime this week!

I feel like my German is improving, and I am excited to hopefully get a job soon. Andre and I look forward to saving more money for our trip to America next winter. Being in Germany has brought so many changes, but I feel so blessed to be here with the love of my life, learning a new language, and having a new lifestyle. But along with being amazing, living here has made me really appreciate and miss my family, friends, and America in general. I really do miss my siblings, parents, and of course, Phil the dog. Despite my missing them, I am excited to be here with Andre, ready to take the next step forward in our lives. The past year with Andre has been the biggest blessing I have ever recieved. We have grown together, overcome huge obstacles, succeeded, and our love and friendship has grown so much. I am overwhelmed with gratefulness.

Another big thing that's been on my mind is body issues. I have never been 100% happy with my body (has anyone?), but recently  I have been in the doldrums wishing I was thinner, prettier, the list goes on. I literally couldn't look in the mirror or at a photo of myself without feeling hatred towards myself. It was so destructive. I would spend hours getting dressed to try to find the perfect outfit to conceal my imperfections. I wasn't wearing what I wanted at the risk of not looking thin. Friends and family wanted photos, and I would cringe and hide. But then I was getting dressed one morning, and I asked Andre how the top I had chosen looked. The top was pretty, but I thought that it made my hips look too big. I asked Andre, and he said " Amanda, you have wide hips. It's your bone structure, so you can't change it. But why would you want to hide it? You're beautiful." For some reason, that really stuck with me. I have been looking at myself so harshly. Over Andre's vacation, we took more walks and that teeny bit of exercise completely changed my outlook. So a small amount of walking and Andre's loving words made the biggest difference. Last night, I looked at some photos of Andre and I in Paris last fall. Last time I looked at those photos, I wanted to delete them all and hide in a corner because they were so awful. But last night, they didn't seem so bad. Some of them were actually pretty good! I have been wearing clothes I usually wouldn't have, and trying to take more photos. I hope that if anyone is struggling with these things, you can take this little bit of advice: be nicer to yourself. If you take a moment and look at those flaws with a nicer attitude, they won't be so bad.

So enough of my random nonsense. Can you believe we are in the middle of April already?!? The time is flying! I hope everyone is enjoying their spring! I have a lot of posts planned for this week, so stay tuned!
X's and O's,
Amanda