Determined, Fresh and Easy Love and Being Resourceful

Everyone always tells me "Oh my gosh, how do you work 3 jobs / sleep only 4-5 hours a night / stay skinny / always be happy / etc" and it always comes back to one thing. You could say it's my attitude and my positive outlook on life, but I think on an even deeper level it is determination.

I am determined each day for different things. If I am determined to do something I will do it. Isn't that how life works? Some people claim not to have the drive or determination, when really it is just that they don't care about that one thing they are doing. It's not wrong, it's just why they don't have that drive.

I've been trying to eat healthy but by trying I mean I've been talking about doing it, eating healthy maybe once a week, exercising once a week and calling it a day.

This is my determined face earlier today. And my weird arm. 

But suddenly I am determined. Maybe it's because I am back to working one job (mostly, I am working at Bdubs sometimes, too). Maybe it's for some unrelated reason but I'm doing it!

Having a set schedule makes it easier. When I never knew what I was doing I would not be planning ahead for food, exercise, etc. But now I have a set schedule.

Drinking water like a person who drinks water (note, that person is not usually me)

Mon: Leave for work by 545, work 8-4, chiropractor at 6 and then go home. This week I've been asleep by 11, but I know that I will probably start falling asleep earlier.

At school, I have to stay for lunch, forcing me to pack food. If you know me you know I don't like to cook and I don't like to prep (unless I am super motivated) because I never know what I am going to want to eat, it takes too much time, wah wah wah.

Then there came Fresh and Easy. If you don't have a Fresh and Easy, I am actually sad for you. You don't know what you're missing out on. Also, Fresh and Easy is not paying me for a post like this, I am just obsessed. It is like the song, Effin Easy!

It's been my favorite grocery store for awhile, and often I will stop by on my way home from the chiro and pick something up to pop into the oven when I get home. Oh yeah, did I mention it is all preprepped stuff!! Most of it isn't cooked but it is prepared in seasoning/sauces, etc and all you have to do is put it in a cooking vestibule, set a timer and cook! I particularly love their stuffed salmon...2 pieces prepared for 8 bucks.

From the F&E website

I'm in.

On Sunday, I went determined to get some food to prep. Then I found the lunch section. I knew it was there, but I thought it was like most places and you could only get lunch specials at lunch time. Heck no! Fresh and Easy is EASY so you can get it for anytime and stock up.

I did and then some. I got dinners for the week, drinks, etc. I spent about 60 bucks but so far it has way been worth it.

Monday: Mom packed me a lunch cause she's cute, but I sent Iman to work with a wrap and some snacks. I cooked BBQ pork (F&E) and Smokey Corn on the Cob (F&E). I added in Velveeta Mac and Cheese but for the day that was about $15. Dinner fed 4 of us btw, even though it said serving for 2.

Tuesday: I packed Iman and I each a lunch special. One salad, one side, a drink. I added in some extra fruit for me and hummus for Iman. For dinner we had Herb Chix (F&E), green vegetable medly (F&E) and mashed potatoes. Once again, it said serving for 2, but we had enough for 4. My brother had school so I get to take a portion today for lunch. Total: $20

Wednesday: I packed us each lunch specials again. Iman bowls so he will eat something at the bowling alley. I got stuck in LA so I stole internet from Ihop and ate an omelette. Our total is still only probably around $30. Considering it would usually be more and Iman doesn't usually eat at work...this is a total plus!

Today: My lunch is leftovers from Tuesday and Iman has the day off. He is going to a friend's graduation so he will probably eat with him. Dinner is going to be salmon burgers (F&E) and some side dish.

Friday: I have the day off so I will probably bring Iman some lunch and maybe we will go out for dinner.

Saturday: We will probably eat out.

Sunday: Football food, my mom will probably have something amazing cooked that we will eat Sunday night.

It's not all healthy all day, but hey! It's something. My sweet intake has gone down too. WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?

Anyway, in addition to being in love with F&E, I also am excited about taking a Vanpool. I have decided to pay to ride in one of these because it will be cheaper than the 80 miles a day driving JUST to work and home equaling 4 or so hours in traffic. Vanpool time = 2.5 hours. I love the carpool lane.

As if that wasn't cool enough, it drops off about 2 miles from my work 45 minutes before work. Early morning cardio? Heck yes! Look at me being all active. Then I'd just take a 20 minute bus ride back to the drop off stop.

I am so resourceful.

Also, got a totally awesome notebook to make a lesson plan folder. Can't wait to show you!

How is your Thursday?



P.s. Sorry for the almost 1000 word ramble, I just LOVE this place. lol

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Do All With Gratitude

Oh hey Warrior Queens!

I'm excited it's Thursday, are you? I'm also excited about this post on gratitude. A lot of little things are coming together and I am just so forever grateful.

A couple of blogging friends and I are going to start a Monday link-up about being positive in a few weeks and I hope you're ready to join us! We're super excited and I'm trying to be creative and come up with a little button.

In the meantime, I've got Danielle from @ A Writer in Love here to tell us about her gratitude journal! Do you have one of those? They're fantastic!!

I graduated college last December and I couldn’t have been more excited about it.  I was graduating a semester early thanks to Advanced Placement class credit from high school, and I was thrilled about getting a head-start in the grown-up world.  I had a shiny new Bachelor of Arts degree in creative writing, and I wanted to flaunt it!

Then January came around and I realized that being a grown-up was not working out how I had hoped.  I had a bad experience at an internship I’d thought would’ve been perfect for me, and I missed my friends and my campus.  I felt heartbroken whenever I imagined the cozy basement of the school library, where I would read and write and drink too much coffee.  I pined for another Friday evening of drinks and movies in my friends’ apartment.  What was I supposed to look forward to?

I’ve kept a journal for as long as I could remember, but I realized that so much of what I was writing was negative and very sad.  Certainly, a journal is a proper place to write about the things that are bothering you, but getting stuck in all that pessimism can really affect the rest of your life.  So, I remembered something my grandma talked about doing, and I wanted to give it a try.

Keeping a “Gratitude Journal.”

It’s simple, really: take a notebook, or a Word document, or open up the “notepad” app on your smart phone.  Think about the things you are thankful for on that particular day.  Some people choose to keep a bulleted list, where others (like myself) choose to write in paragraphs.  You can be thankful for something big, like your good health, or something small, like the sandwich you ate for lunch.  The idea is just this: focus on writing down the good things.  Even on the worst of days, I guarantee you can find SOMETHING to be happy about.

Yes, I still keep my regular journal.  But as time goes on I spend more time writing positive things in my gratitude journal than lamenting all of the icky, negative things that I used to spend time writing about.  Try it out!

What are you thankful for recently?  

Have a wonderful day,


Check out one of our featured Warrior Queens:

The Gratitude List

I'm going to try this blogging from my phone thing. Please excuse any typos from this grammar nazi! It isn't even that this technology is so advanced. It is just that I hate touch screens. My mind moves at a very fast pace (seeing as I have an incredibly high wpm and my brain is still thinking faster than that). Which means my fingers son't always hit the touch screen letters or I move too fast for my phone to put them in or something.

Anyway, I have felt a lot better emotionally since I decided to make this more personal and excited to write but still faced with the dilemma of when. Lol. I always do my best blogging at 2am and as an adult (ew I can't believe I have finally embraced a normal sleep cycle) I am asleep at 2am.

I think everyone at work views me as a grandma. When did I become the old one? I guess it is the curse of working at a restaurant after graduating college. But I am still on the hunt for a full time job, and convinced it will happen soon.

Making this more personal means for awhile this might be a dump of random things. That is how my mind works (read my beginning posts in the archives! Hahaha) so today I wanted to make a list. (DUH)

My Gratitude List (in no particular order)

1. Iman treats me so right. That kid. He is seriously just fantastic for me. Like every part that I'm missing and then everything in between.

2. Southern California drives. NOT my commute time or freeway time but my drives through the canyon or by the beach or even down the toll road. SERENE. I love when Iman and I carpool home and take the canyon over the traffic.

3. My momma! This lady. She always knows exactly what to say when I am having a breakdown. Even if it's her bday and we don't even see each other.

4. Daddy! Even when he's being a butthead and trying to push my buttons, he always has my interest at heart and love love loves me!! Oh and he and Iman hang out and love each other  sooo what more could a daughter want?

5. All of the comfort things that I have. I.e. anything beyond food, shelter and water. I need to appreciate my comforts MORE. Aka, take care of my things ans living space. And donate those that I am not using!

6. Health insurance, a place to live, all of my jobs, the choice of food available to me...all of my 1st world privileges!! Oh thank you for this.

7. Postive reinforcement and love. I. Can. Not. Live. Without. It. Seriously. To this I owe my friends and family.

8. My freedom from any addictions or true ailments.

9. My empathy. I am forever and ever grateful for this.

10. My new blog family. Thanks to Kaitlyn at Wifessionals, I have made two new blogging friends that I hope to keep (Amanda at Pixies and Periwinkles and Laura at Simply Me, As I See It). They inspire me to write! I am so excited to be getting to know Shannon at The Life of Poole for Bigs and Littles as well. I can't wait to truly connect with more people.

I thought some gratitude was in order after everything going on last week and this week (in the US, world, and just my family life.)

What are you thankful for?

P.s. I'm also thankful for my little bother, we can fight about the stupidest things but when I'm sick or sad he always knows how to take care of me