So things have been a bit busy! I haven't much felt like blogging.
Last week was crazy after Wednesday. I went to some Jays games, including the last one of the season, met some co-workers for drinks, did some studying, and went to an AMAZING wedding for my friends Maggie & Cam!
Sunday was a recovery day, and Monday was errands and studying. The same for Tuesday. Today, I woke up with a brutal cold (it literally came out of nowhere - I got a headache, started sniffling (which usually goes hand in hand), and then couldn't stop sneezing! So today I spent the whole day in bed trying to recover.
On Saturday, I tried to make a smoothie for breakfast but sadly my Magic Bullet died. I could tell a while ago that it was on its last legs, but it finally went. I posted about it on facebook, and my mom had offered to help me out to get me a new magic bullet (I tend to drink smoothies a LOT for breakfast). And then on Monday, my wonderful, lovely, and hilarious Uncle Brett texted me about it. I thought he was looking for blender recommendations, but he actually gifted me a new blender which was SO sweet of him & so unnecessary! I ended up getting the NutriBullet - and tonight, I made myself a super healthy smoothie (spinach, banana, mango, greek yogurt) to help combat the cold. It was AMAZING and I can't believe how well it blended it - it was sooo smooth & delish. So THANK YOU Uncle Brett for the lovely new blender, and thank you Mom for offering to replace mine :-) You're both too kind, and I promise to make good use of it!
Tomorrow I'm hoping I feel well enough to head out to Starbucks for a study session, and then spend the later afternoon/evening cleaning. I will try to post more often!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Days Four & Five
One important thing I've realized as of day four: Just because I'm not working doesn't mean my headaches are going to miraculously disappear & allow me to function at 100%.
Day four was spent not moving from my bed. Literally. I had plans to meet a friend to work on some stuff, then go to the baseball game. I didn't get out of bed until 5PM because I was in so much pain. I took a painkiller then so I could get through the ball game (I can only take 1 per day, and they usually only help for 3-4 hours). I felt a bit better that evening, but even so, I went right to bed when I got home.
The Blue Jays dominated, which was awesome! So it was a good evening, but the day was a write off.
Today, I got up earlier - 10AM. I did a "Good Morning - positivity & energy" guided meditation. It was almost identical to the "energy booster" guided meditation I did the other day, but I enjoyed it.
I made a delicious omelette & toast for brunch, then made my way to Starbucks for study time.
I got through the second chapter of the PMBOK - only 11 more to go! I'm hoping I'll be able to write my exam in or around January 2015.
Now I'm off to run a few errands - mailing things, a few groceries, etc. then to another Blue Jays game for my friend Janet's birthday! Looking forward to it... suffice it to say, today was a LOT better than yesterday!
Keep on keeping on!
Devin
Day four was spent not moving from my bed. Literally. I had plans to meet a friend to work on some stuff, then go to the baseball game. I didn't get out of bed until 5PM because I was in so much pain. I took a painkiller then so I could get through the ball game (I can only take 1 per day, and they usually only help for 3-4 hours). I felt a bit better that evening, but even so, I went right to bed when I got home.
The Blue Jays dominated, which was awesome! So it was a good evening, but the day was a write off.
Today, I got up earlier - 10AM. I did a "Good Morning - positivity & energy" guided meditation. It was almost identical to the "energy booster" guided meditation I did the other day, but I enjoyed it.
I made a delicious omelette & toast for brunch, then made my way to Starbucks for study time.
I got through the second chapter of the PMBOK - only 11 more to go! I'm hoping I'll be able to write my exam in or around January 2015.
Now I'm off to run a few errands - mailing things, a few groceries, etc. then to another Blue Jays game for my friend Janet's birthday! Looking forward to it... suffice it to say, today was a LOT better than yesterday!
Keep on keeping on!
Devin
Monday, September 22, 2014
Day Two & Three
So day two was a bit rough.
Mom was still here, so we got up & met Jade at Cora's for breakfast, as is our tradition. It was delish as usual! Afterwards, we headed home to relax a bit before I was going to drive Mom to the airport. My head started to hurt on & off, so I pretty much laid around. Finally, I got Zach to drive her because my head got bad again, and I went to sleep for a few hours. Then I got up, read, watched some TV and did not much of anything until bedtime.
Day three is slightly better - mild headaches on & off. I slept too late - oops. But when I woke up, I did a ten minute "Energy Booster" meditation, then I made a garlic, onion, red pepper & parmesan omelette, then went for a run. Only 2.3KM, and it was slow going, but better than nothing. I need to map out a course in my neighbourhood that doesn't have so much uphill terrain. It's super hard on the shins running uphill!
When I got home, I took a shower, put in some laundry, then sat down & studied for 1.5 hours. Got through the first chapter, which isn't too bad.
Mom was still here, so we got up & met Jade at Cora's for breakfast, as is our tradition. It was delish as usual! Afterwards, we headed home to relax a bit before I was going to drive Mom to the airport. My head started to hurt on & off, so I pretty much laid around. Finally, I got Zach to drive her because my head got bad again, and I went to sleep for a few hours. Then I got up, read, watched some TV and did not much of anything until bedtime.
Day three is slightly better - mild headaches on & off. I slept too late - oops. But when I woke up, I did a ten minute "Energy Booster" meditation, then I made a garlic, onion, red pepper & parmesan omelette, then went for a run. Only 2.3KM, and it was slow going, but better than nothing. I need to map out a course in my neighbourhood that doesn't have so much uphill terrain. It's super hard on the shins running uphill!
When I got home, I took a shower, put in some laundry, then sat down & studied for 1.5 hours. Got through the first chapter, which isn't too bad.
I made a smoothie halfway through - fat free greek vanilla yogurt, spinach, black cherries, and skim milk. Now I'm going to finish some laundry, make dinner ("melts" with white bean hummus, tomato and cheese), and then make this Vegetable Chickpea Ragout for lunch tomorrow & the rest of the week.
I found a great playlist - Acoustic Versions of Pop Songs - on Songza that was great for studying. I went from my usual tunes (too distracting) to instrumental (not distracting enough), before I found this happy medium. It had some really great songs - I think it will be my study go-to.
Tomorrow has some work with my friend Scott & a Blue Jays game on tap, so I'll update on how it all goes!
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Day ONE
Today was day one! I woke up at 9 and found that my work email has gotten the kibosh. Which is good - I won't be able to get pulled into something there (I wouldn't be able to resist checking).
I read & then went back to sleep with a headache. Ended up getting up pretty late, having lunch at BOOM Breakfast with Mom, then going to see "This is Where I Leave You", which was awesome & funny. We had sundaes at Pickle Barrel & walked around a bit afterwards.
The evening was good - I took a nap, then made dinner. I made a really delicious white bean pizza with tomato, parmesan & arugala on a pita for Mom & I. They were delicious and super healthy. You can check out the recipe here!
It went great with white wine, which I've enjoyed as well. Watched "Draft Day" & swooned over Kevin Costner (yep), and now watching "Liberal Arts".
Overall, a pretty great day! Onto day 2, which includes plans for going to Cora's! :-)
Oh, and I found this article and I really like it! It has a dumb title ("How to lose 10 lbs without even trying"), but it should be called "Gratitude Walking". It's really smart & something to ponder. I may do it once in a while!
I read & then went back to sleep with a headache. Ended up getting up pretty late, having lunch at BOOM Breakfast with Mom, then going to see "This is Where I Leave You", which was awesome & funny. We had sundaes at Pickle Barrel & walked around a bit afterwards.
The evening was good - I took a nap, then made dinner. I made a really delicious white bean pizza with tomato, parmesan & arugala on a pita for Mom & I. They were delicious and super healthy. You can check out the recipe here!
It went great with white wine, which I've enjoyed as well. Watched "Draft Day" & swooned over Kevin Costner (yep), and now watching "Liberal Arts".
Overall, a pretty great day! Onto day 2, which includes plans for going to Cora's! :-)
Oh, and I found this article and I really like it! It has a dumb title ("How to lose 10 lbs without even trying"), but it should be called "Gratitude Walking". It's really smart & something to ponder. I may do it once in a while!
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Countdown to 65... and some Meditation
Hey everyone - I've gotten a GREAT response to this blog so far! It's only two more full work days before my 65 days begins.
My mom will be in town for the first weekend, so that will be more fun than productive, but that's okay - it's all a part of the grand plan! Also, I am going to like 8000 baseball games the first week (not even on purpose, it just worked out that way).
Anyways, in the meantime, I've been doing some preliminary research. The other night, I did my first meditation and holy crap! It's so crazy that sitting quietly for 10 minutes and focusing on breathing can pretty much change your life. I did it before bed, and I slept amazingly!
Ever since, I've set my alarm an extra 10 minutes early to get up & meditate before work. Which resulted in me pressing snooze an extra time and not meditating at all. So I may not be a morning meditate-er. I will keep trying though. And i'll tack on an evening session for good measure.
I did a guided meditation from the Chopra centre - "Awaken Your Perfect Health".
And I came across this link that I thought was great... How 7 Busy Women Make Time to Meditate
It's hard to fit in a lot of stuff when we're always on the go, but after only doing it once, I can already tell it will make a huge difference in stress levels in my life! Go forth & meditate!
Live well,
Devin
My mom will be in town for the first weekend, so that will be more fun than productive, but that's okay - it's all a part of the grand plan! Also, I am going to like 8000 baseball games the first week (not even on purpose, it just worked out that way).
Anyways, in the meantime, I've been doing some preliminary research. The other night, I did my first meditation and holy crap! It's so crazy that sitting quietly for 10 minutes and focusing on breathing can pretty much change your life. I did it before bed, and I slept amazingly!
Ever since, I've set my alarm an extra 10 minutes early to get up & meditate before work. Which resulted in me pressing snooze an extra time and not meditating at all. So I may not be a morning meditate-er. I will keep trying though. And i'll tack on an evening session for good measure.
I did a guided meditation from the Chopra centre - "Awaken Your Perfect Health".
And I came across this link that I thought was great... How 7 Busy Women Make Time to Meditate
It's hard to fit in a lot of stuff when we're always on the go, but after only doing it once, I can already tell it will make a huge difference in stress levels in my life! Go forth & meditate!
Live well,
Devin
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Countdown to 65 Days for ME
65 Days For ME
This is a challenge. But it's more than that - it's a cleansing. And I need it. I'm going to set the stage for you:
27 year old female. Living in Toronto for 7.5 years. Graduated high school at 17. Interned at 19. Graduated college at 20. Started working full time at age 20.
I began my work in the music industry in digital content. For me, it was a starting point. I worked hard - I advanced. I was always ambitious, and I made that clear to those I worked for & those I worked with. If you aren't clear about what you want in life, you risk not getting it because you're overlooked.
When I felt I had advanced about as far as I wanted to, I left the company and joined a television company in their digital business division. My role turned into an admin assistant role, and I quickly made it clear that it was NOT what I had been hired to do - and not what I wanted to be doing. My boss (for a very short spell - but I owe him a lot) sat me down & asked me what I had an interest in doing. He told me he felt my talents were being wasted. I told him Project Management interested me. About two weeks later, my title was changed, and I joined the Project Management team full time.
I was thrown in the deep end. I got a major project to start, and I ran with it. I loved it, but there were some things I did not love. I'm not big on office politics, or people that sling mud. Fast forward 4 years, many projects of all sizes, plenty of project team members, and here I am.
Although that's not the WHOLE story. While at my first job, I felt I needed to nurse my creativity. So I started a company that specialized in event solutions. I planned events, staffed bartenders & servers, and built up a loyal client-base. I still have these clients. I stopped advertising long ago - I couldn't keep up with it AND doing my full-time job.
About 2.5 years ago, I started to get these incredibly debilitating migraines. There was a constant pain above my right eye. At times, it is bearable. Other times, I cannot move. My quality of life has spiralled endlessly. I've gone to MANY specialists, I've missed tons of work & activities outside of work. I've gained 40+ pounds. I've experienced crippling pain, crippling depression, and crippling anxiety. Finally, I reached my breaking point. I submitted a request for leave from my job for 2 months. It was a complicated process, but I've gotten approval, and my leave begins on Sept 20th (that's the Saturday morning after my last day).
I won't be bringing in any money from my job - I am not going on disability. I am planning to spend the entire 65 days taking care of MYSELF. I am going to be purposely selfish.
I have a few advantages in that I have no dependents. I've saved enough money to pay my bills for those two months. I have support from family & friends. I've started this blog to document what I hope will be my transformation. I haven't been happy - truly happy - in too long. I need to rediscover what I want to do without the pressures of what I have to do.
So, without further ado, here are some of the most important items on my to-do list:
This is a challenge. But it's more than that - it's a cleansing. And I need it. I'm going to set the stage for you:
27 year old female. Living in Toronto for 7.5 years. Graduated high school at 17. Interned at 19. Graduated college at 20. Started working full time at age 20.
I began my work in the music industry in digital content. For me, it was a starting point. I worked hard - I advanced. I was always ambitious, and I made that clear to those I worked for & those I worked with. If you aren't clear about what you want in life, you risk not getting it because you're overlooked.
When I felt I had advanced about as far as I wanted to, I left the company and joined a television company in their digital business division. My role turned into an admin assistant role, and I quickly made it clear that it was NOT what I had been hired to do - and not what I wanted to be doing. My boss (for a very short spell - but I owe him a lot) sat me down & asked me what I had an interest in doing. He told me he felt my talents were being wasted. I told him Project Management interested me. About two weeks later, my title was changed, and I joined the Project Management team full time.
I was thrown in the deep end. I got a major project to start, and I ran with it. I loved it, but there were some things I did not love. I'm not big on office politics, or people that sling mud. Fast forward 4 years, many projects of all sizes, plenty of project team members, and here I am.
Although that's not the WHOLE story. While at my first job, I felt I needed to nurse my creativity. So I started a company that specialized in event solutions. I planned events, staffed bartenders & servers, and built up a loyal client-base. I still have these clients. I stopped advertising long ago - I couldn't keep up with it AND doing my full-time job.
About 2.5 years ago, I started to get these incredibly debilitating migraines. There was a constant pain above my right eye. At times, it is bearable. Other times, I cannot move. My quality of life has spiralled endlessly. I've gone to MANY specialists, I've missed tons of work & activities outside of work. I've gained 40+ pounds. I've experienced crippling pain, crippling depression, and crippling anxiety. Finally, I reached my breaking point. I submitted a request for leave from my job for 2 months. It was a complicated process, but I've gotten approval, and my leave begins on Sept 20th (that's the Saturday morning after my last day).
I won't be bringing in any money from my job - I am not going on disability. I am planning to spend the entire 65 days taking care of MYSELF. I am going to be purposely selfish.
I have a few advantages in that I have no dependents. I've saved enough money to pay my bills for those two months. I have support from family & friends. I've started this blog to document what I hope will be my transformation. I haven't been happy - truly happy - in too long. I need to rediscover what I want to do without the pressures of what I have to do.
So, without further ado, here are some of the most important items on my to-do list:
- Develop a new routine. It would be far too easy for me to sleep until noon every day. I am vowing to not let that happen.
- Meditate. I need to spend more time getting out of my head, and relaxing thoughtfully.
- Run. I've ceased running since my headaches started, but I love it. Even if I'm only able to do a short jaunt every day, I will get out of the house with my sneakers on.
- Study. It's important to keep learning. I plan to spend a chunk of each day studying for my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam.
- Eat. With free time, it will be much easier to cook healthy meals for myself. I plan to eat to live, not live to eat.
- Indulge. With the above point, I am planning not to deprive myself either. I will focus on everything in moderation.
- Relax. I am going to take a week long vacation on a beach with a good friend who I know will help me achieve all of the above in our own way. This week is meant for eating, drinking & relaxing - likely all in excess. I am also vowing not to feel bad about it.
- Purge. I need to simplify my life. An easy step in this is planning to get a large chunk of junk out of my house - things I don't need, no longer use, etc. Whether I sell or donate, it's gotta go.
- Reflect. Particularly through the use of this blog, I am planning on figuring out what I really want out of life. What makes me happy, and what negativity I can purge from my life. I am going to document as many days as I can - what went well, what didn't and what tomorrow looks like.
- Work. Contrary to how it sounds, I am planning to work on two business ventures - one of my own (my event planning) and one with a friend (who I've talked about working with for a long time). But note that work is lower on the priority list - because my health & happiness are more important right now.
To anyone that will follow me through this journey: I hope, if nothing else, it inspires you to take a step back & look at your life. Whether you reflect on all you're thankful for, find negative things to cut out, or decide to go on a similar journey yourself, it is always worthwhile to look around & audit our happiness. You are always worth making changes for - whether they be internal or external - to live your best life.
Onwards, and upwards...
Devin
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