Author: Ariana Peters

Christian, homeschool mom, runner of 6 half marathons, PR 2:57 so far. Yes I am a slow runner. Small scale homesteading.

First week of classes

by Ariana Peters, posted in food, school/studying

Well my first week of classes is over, here is how it went:

I spend a good amount of time at the train station waiting

Overall: I think it is going to be a good quarter, busy, definitely but good. As long as I keep on top of things and continue to work ahead when I can I think two more A’s are within my grasp.

Bio for health sciences: really excited about this class. Since I took basic bio last quarter I have a good foundation and this teacher gears this class toward anatomy and physiology so it is the perfect step in between basic bio and A&P which I will be taking next quarter. I am so excited to start really studying the body! I think that means this will also be more difficult because it has a lot more of A&P in it which is no joke.

Bio lab for health sciences: I think this is going to be good, first lab was pretty easy. We will have weekly quizzes and I think one lab report so shouldn’t be too difficult. I just need to remember the quizzes and study, though I think they are just quick quizzes to make sure you have read the lab beforehand and are prepared.

Psych 101 make that Chemistry for health sciences: originally I was going to take psych but this college’s psych 101 is a joke, so nope! I was able to scramble and get into a chem class. I haven’t taken chem since high school and I think it might have just been half a semester…..so basically I am starting from scratch on this and I haven’t taken a math class in about 4-5 years so I will need to do some major brushing up.

Chemistry lab for health sciences: so far the first lab was super easy!! We will see how this progresses, there are no quizzes or hw or tests and I don’t think there are any lab reports so this should just be re-enforcing what we are learning in class. I will keep you posted.

Yep I went from one class last quarter and no job to basically 4 classes and a full time job this quarter, fun stuff huh?

Monday was crazy! I went to bio class then ran some errands and headed home, by the time I got home I had 30 minutes to cook and eat lunch, let the dogs out, make my dinner to take to work, get everything ready for work and run out the door to make it to chem class on time. Then I rushed to get to the train in time to be at work and worked the rest of the night. I made the train by literally about 5 seconds.

Tuesday was nice, no classes in the morning and of course no major school work yet so I got to relax and clean the house a bit. I took Artemis for a 30 min walk then got ready for work and headed out.

Delicious lunch: Apple, onion, and cheddar grilled cheese on sourdough

I had class and worked on my birthday but my boyfriend picked me up and stayed for the night, I had bio lab Thursday morning then he took me to get a sports massage for my birthday and we went and saw beauty and the beast and went out to dinner.

Friday I had chem lab in the morning and then the bf and I cleaned and organized the house and my room, this may not sound very romantic but it was part of my birthday request, that he would help me clean and organize cause he is sort of a neat freak and I am not. Because my schedule is now so full and hectic I need a clean work space and a clean room to come home to. Add in that 3 humans and 3 dogs live in less than 700sqft and I could easily go crazy with my work load, so I wanted to get everything organized before the school work really set in. And it looks great!! I will post pictures soon.

I did not get a single workout in this week, well I ran 1 mile with the dog last Saturday so I guess I got 1 very small one in. Annnd it is supposed to rain and be cold today so nothing there…….BUT the forecast says tomorrow is supposed to be nicer and I get off work at 330, with travel time and getting ready I could be home, changed, have the dog and be out the door by about 5pm so fingers crossed that we can get out and get a few miles in.

Talk to you soon!!!

How do you cope with stress?

Monday Motivation**April 3rd, 2017

by Ariana Peters, posted in healthy lifestyle, school/studying, training

Happy Monday!!!

(Image from google)

It is back to school for me! Today is the first day of my new quarter. Last quarter I took basic Bio 101, this quarter I am taking Biology for Health Sciences and chemistry for health sciences. I am excited to see what they are both like!

So I have been slacking the last month on my workouts so my goal this week is 3 workouts……in any form; run, bike, swim, dance, whatever I can get myself to do.

My other goal for myself this week is to figure out a sleep schedule for myself for the next 3 months (basically this quarter). 2 days a week I have to get up at 5am, 3 days a week I won’t get home until after midnight, 3 days a week I have class at 9am and for the next month I will probably be working on my only “full” day off at the tulip festival. Whew! I can do this, I can come up with a viable sleep schedule to fit all that in. Supposedly it is best for you if you go to sleep and get up at the same time every day……I will not be doing that because I do not plan on getting up at 5am if I do not have to. But I think I might be able to convince myself to do 7am every other morning, or about that.

What are your goals for the week?

I got to see my mommy!!!!

by Ariana Peters, posted in food, healthy lifestyle

Yes I sound like a five year old and I am ok with that. I love when I get to see my mom. SI worked yesterday at the tulip festival for 7 hours then rushed home to tidy up a bit before my mom got in. She stayed overnight with me to break up her trip, today she continued on toward Reno where we used to live.

We got to relax and talk while we waited for my roommate to get home then we all went out to dinner at sweet tomato.

(image from Google)


Love this place, buffets make me happy. I always start off with a huge plate of salad so I can only do tastes of the less healthy things…..of course no one does salad like my mom who’s first trip consisted of two plates of salad hahaha.


After dinner we just relaxed at home again, chatted, watched an episode of Charmed

 

(image from Google)

(hahahaha) then were in bed with the lights out by about 10pm.

We got up at 5am because I had to be at work at 7am and she was continuing on for another 8-9 hours of driving. We drove to Starbucks, had breakfast and headed our separate ways. Sad face, I will see her in a week though on her way back.

Today I am working in the morning then the boyfriend comes over! I am so excited that regular paychecks are going to start rolling in soon!!! I can actually pay my bills again!

It looks like the rain may end just before I get off work tomorrow, if so my goal is to get outside and take the dog for a 4 mile run! If not I think I’ll hit the gym at 8 for a 3-4 mile run while watching that show, time after time, I think that is what it is called about Jack the ripper and H.G. Wells time traveling.

Runner Safety Tip #2

by Ariana Peters, posted in healthy lifestyle, training

(Image from google)

Be seen!!!!! This is one we hear all the time but maybe we hear it so much it doesn’t really sink in. When we are a pedestrian or runner we think everyone sees us, how could they not? But there have been many times I have been driving in my car and been in a rush or just not paying great attention and after the fact I think, did I check that cross walk?

There has also been many times recently as I have started taking public transportation into my new job and have to walk about 1/4-1/3 of a mile when I look down at my clothes and realize I am in all dark clothing……Not the best way to be seen.

It has gotten me to think about my running clothes, most of my clothes came from Fabletics or the clearance bin at Target so they are pretty bright and I can be hard to miss, which is perfect! But there are a LOT of dark colored workout clothes out there so think about that the next time you pick out a new workout outfit…..do you want to be seen by that car or not? Especially here in the pacific northwest where it is overcast and rainy so often.

Believe me, in a gym or on the street I do not love to draw attention to the weight I still have to lose or the form fitting clothing I am wearing but I would rather be a little embarrassed (of course once I get into the groove of running that feeling goes away because I am focusing on something else) but I will take the embarrassment over broken body parts.

(Image from google)

Pick out bright colors!!!!!

What do the majority of your workout clothes look like?

Motivation

by Ariana Peters, posted in food, healthy lifestyle, school/studying, training

Motivation?

(Image from google)

Do you ever feel lacking in motivation? I do, all the time. It is so weird too, some days I have so much motivation and will to get things done and I am so productive, then bam! Other days I have no steam and no drive. If only I could figure out what I do on the motivation days vs. what I do on the non-motivation days I could rule the world.

I think that is going to be one of my goals over the next quarter in school, see if I can figure out what is different about the two types of days. I need to cut down on my lack of motivation days if I want to survive school with A’s while working full time.

On the note of school, grades were just posted for winter………I got an A!!!!!! woohoo!!!!

I am now super pumped for this next quarter but also a little nervous, I now need to pull off the same with significantly less time in my week for studying and I am increased my course load by 1/3. I CAN DO IT!!!!

(Image from google)

You might see some pictures of lots of coffee or even energy drinks while I get the new schedule figured out.

Motivation is also going to be huge for me with meal prep, if one day I don’t feel like prepping a meal or going grocery shopping I am going to be so constantly on the go or studying that it will be way to easy to make bad food choices, not only will this not work because I need to lose weight but it will kill me financially.

Workouts are obviously a huge subject for motivation, once again due to limited time, if I lack motivation or lolly gag there goes my workout time and probably some study time. Life is about to get very interesting time wise. On the flip side some of the interestingness should settle down money wise now that I will have steady paychecks coming back in so yay!

 

Monday Motivation**March 27, 2017

by Ariana Peters, posted in healthy lifestyle, school/studying, training

Happy Monday!!!! 

Though as far as my work week goes it’s my Wednesday. 

I am trying to clean and organize as much as I can this week along with enjoying my downtime. Next week my schedule grows by like 3x. Next quarter of classes which starts next Monday I am taking 2 classes and a lab as well as possibly transitioning into a full time job. It’s going to be interesting. Thankfully I only work 3-4 days next week so I can ease into it. 
How is your week going? 

Book Review**Andromeda Strain

by Ariana Peters, posted in books

 (image from Internet)

I had seen this book a few times and of course the word andromeda is used in a lot of science fiction so i have heard it a lot. The book was definitely not what I thought it was going to be, I was expecting a thriller and fast paced I did not find it. I wasn’t bored, it is a short book after all, but it didn’t grip me. 

It is an easy book to get through but not necessarily one I would recommend, not because it was bad but because there are so many books I have enjoyed more that I would recommend to someone. 

Organics to you!!

by Ariana Peters, posted in food, healthy lifestyle, school/studying

Got my next organics to you box today!

Here is what i got

Watercress 

Swiss chard

Bananas, they will need a few days to ripen though

Cucumber!!

Tomatoes 

Carrots

Another GIANT onion

Grapefruit 

Avocados 

Apples

And lots of baby potatoes! 

I made a gourmet grilled cheese for lunch

Sourdough bread with Provalone cheese 

Cheddar cheese

Watercress 

Onion

Apple

And a little extra flavor

It fell apart a little while cooking but was delicious!!!!!

I had some potato and roasted leek soup on the side. 

Artemis got a clean bill of health from the vet, she had her yearly checkup. 

And i took my biology final today, i feel good about it so fingers crossed. 

And now its time for me to wind down because i need to be up at the crack of dawn. Goodnight!

Week catch-up 

by Ariana Peters, posted in food, healthy lifestyle, school/studying, training

Monday I had 4 miles on my schedule but my IT band was still so tight even after rolling it twice so I got 1 miles done then switched to the elliptical machine for the last 3. More foam rolling needs to happen. 

My roommates dog joined me for a little studying and I got 2 letters written and in the mailbox to friends. 

I have used this torture device about 4 times so far this past week. It is definitely helping but I haven’t completely released the muscle. A few more rolls and I should be good. 

Got my organics2you box!!! There was so much stuff in it!

These blood oranges have been awesome because of course I got sick!!! Ugh. Th3 cold finally got me. 

This onion is huge!!! It’s the size of like 3 normal ones!!

Red cabbage, really nice and crisp 

Dill

Celery root

Watercress 

Bananas

Lettuce

Fuji apples

Carrots

Green onions

Beautiful yukon gold potatoes

Then I kept finding more and more potatoes at the bottom of the box.

So far I have made veggie pasta (it is a recipe from alicia Silverstone’s cookbook called rustic pasta) and veggie stir-fry with yakisoba noodles. 

Tonight I’m making veggie fried rice. 

How was your week?