Category: school/studying

Lasagna…….soup!!!!!

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

I was looking on Pinterest for some slow cooker meal prep and came across this, it sounded amazing. Here is the recipe I used from familyfreshmeals.com:

I used veggie crumbles and veggie broth, I also used store bought spaghetti sauce I had in the cupboard to replace the tomato sauce and the v8 juice. I wanted to make the meal as inexpensive as possible so I used everything I already had, all I bought was a can of diced tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese to put on top afterwards. I followed the directions and put everything in the slow cooker accept the pasta and cheese and turned it on high. It says to let it cool for 4-5 hours but since my meat is veggie I put the noodles in after about 3 hours then let it cool an additional 45min.

My adorable little crockpot, perfect when meal prepping or cooking for two.

Yum!!!!

The finished product

It is a little blander than I would like but pretty good. I am excited to keep working on it, I know with a few tweaks it’s gonna be awesome!!!!

 

After taking this to work and reheating it, I ended up throwing most of it away, the noodles were sooo mushy when sitting for a few days and reheating them. And instead of the flavor improving it got more bland or something. IDK, it did not work for me, I will stick to making real lasagna because that keeps very well for meal prep.

Monday Motivation**April 17, 2017

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

Good Morning!!!!

(Image from google)

Today is going to be a busy day, I am heading out the door to bio, then back home to let the dog out and get ready for work, then back to chemistry class, then rush to the train to work. Then I will be rushing to catch the last train back out at 11:16pm to get home and head to sleep.

My goal this week is 3 workouts. I managed 2 last week.

Week 3 of school and working full time. I still got this! But I will admit I am so tired come Tuesday/Wednesday that my “weekend” aka the two days I don’t work and only have labs in the morning are spent just resting. I need to figure something out because I feel like I am constantly dragging, and am drinking way too many energy drinks. Maybe I will start napping Thursday afternoons before the BF gets here so I am a little more rested so that we can get out and do things instead of just watch TV/movies because I am so tired. I will keep you posted.

What are your goals for the week?

Tidbits from the week

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

Well week two of spring semester is over and here is how it went:

 

I had all my HW for the beginning of the week done by Saturday morning! Score!! Sunday morning I spent a little time studying for the quiz I had on Monday and did a quick refresher Sunday night! Sunday morning I may have forgot to hit the snooze button and instead just turned my alarm off resulting in  an extra 40 minutes of sleep and waking up to the alarm telling me to head out the door, whoops!!!! Normally I make the 6:14am train but I thought there was a 6:29am train that would let me make it JUST in time…….except its the weekend so the next train wasn’t until 6:49! That would not work so I drove to work and parked on the street, meter parking sucks as does driving in Portland and running late meant I had no breakfast and no coffee. I ran down the street to get some coffee on my break and somehow paid more than I would have paid at Starbucks. But I got coffee and that is all that mattered!

Here is what I am currently listening to on my train rides and any walks with the dog. For running it will be this or something a little faster paced, like a murder mystery or thriller.

I got some meals prepped Sunday night but that was my dinner to eat at work, I didn’t get any lunch prepped to scarf down between classes, insert Subway.

I got an 80 on my first bio quiz, not horrible but not great. Just let’s me know what I need to work on.

I have company in the kitchen when packing my dinner for work, she likes to sit on the rug right under my feet, it has led to me tripping many times hahahaha

I have my dad’s old thermos that he used when he was a cop and man this baby is awesome! I fill it with hot coffee before I leave for class, around noon and I get hot coffee at 3, still at 5, still at 8 and it is even still warm the next morning!! It’s amazing!

All loaded up for work. I take my school work with me along with my suit jacket and heels to change into at work and my lunch. I think this thing gets heavier every week.

My one big adventure this week was my relief not showing up on time one night and I missed my train! Which is of course the last train of the night………thanks to data on my phone I was able to pull up the transit system website and plan my trip back to my car on a late bus, of course the bus didn’t arrive for 40 minutes so I got to sit at night at a bus stop for 40 minutes alone. Then I was so tired by the time the bus got there that I was a little in and out of it and dozed on the bus only to miss my stop!!!!! Thankfully someone pulled the stop in front of mine, I woke up and got off. I was home an hour later than normal but I got home safe and that is what matters.


First assignment due next Wednesday that deals with anatomy!!! Love it! But man is this complicated stuff! And its only the basics, but I got it hahahaha.

Hope you had a great week!!!!!

Monday Motivation**April 10, 2017

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

How is your Monday going so far??

(Image from google)

I am about to run out the door to Bio class then head home and let the dog out and pack everything for work tonight, then back to school for chemistry class then rush to my car to try and get to the train as early as possible to get to work on time! Woohoo!

It is week 2 of classes and so far so good. It is my 2nd week of school and working full time and I am easing into the schedule.

My goal for working out is to actually work out 3 times , in any form.

I have been looking at the weather and it looks like Tuesday morning it might not be raining and it doesn’t look like it will be freezing! If this holds true the pup and I will be out running!!!

Saturday looks like the afternoon might even have a little sun, we are running again!!

Every other day has rain, but if I can get the pup out 2 days this week for a run I will feel a little better about getting myself to the gym one day without her. Maybe Thursday after lab. Because I am gone so much now with work and school I feel bad leaving her to go to the gym. Which also means if this keeps up I might cancel my gym membership, no point in paying if I end up not going. I’ll keep you posed on that idea.

My sleep schedule is going good, it still needs refinement but I managed to keep most days pretty consistent……mostly.

Tidbits

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

Does anyone use It Works! stuff? A friend/coworker started selling it a few months ago and my roommate jumped on board and has been slowly having me try things…..let me tell you samples are how you get me hahahaha!!!! I have been taking their probiotics off and on and TMI warning! It definitely helps get my but back to regular when I have been eating poorly. I tried and now just ordered their Thermofit which speeds up the metabolism and gives you extra energy, which is something I am in desperate need of. I had 3 energy drinks last week, ewwww!!!! I am really excited to get that. And today that friend and coworker dropped off a few samples for me to try.

Below is their much more natural energy drink. The taste is pretty good, it is not as sickly sweet as say Monster and so far I feel good, not jittery or anything like that just like, hmm what else can I get done? Which is exactly what I want and need, nothing crazy just enough energy to keep going until everything I need to do is done.

Below that is the Greens chew, you take two chews a day and it gives you a bunch of fruit and veggie stuff and antioxidants and a prebiotic. Take a look at their website. (I am not being paid to say this, all thoughts are my own)

 

OOOOh I found this at Safeway and am in LOVE with them!!!! They are sooooo tastey! I have limited myself to only packing 3-4 clusters a day and mixing them with a trail mix otherwise the bag would be gone already.

 

We have tulips!!!!! We have several tulips starting to bloom around our house that we planted last fall, so much color, I love it!!!!

Yesterday the power was out at our house from around 7am to 11pm. We had about an hour where the power came back on then nothing. We hit the dollar store and bought lots of cheap candles to light and give off heat….and now the wind and rain just started so hopefully I get home to power today.

That’s all for now!!! Talk to you soon!

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?

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? 

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!