15 Ways to Procrastinate

I don't know who decided that the week before finals should be called "dead week," but this past week has been anything but dead. With four papers, two projects, a speech, end of the year Gryphon Circle events, and finals looming over my head, this week has been more alive and busy than any other week of the semester; and I know the whole school is in the same boat. However, despite all of the stress associated with the last two weeks of school, I have made plenty of time for procrastination.

1. Play iPhone games.
2. Read the news.
3. Start reading a new novel. (Freedom by Johnathan Franzen)
4. Stalk people on Facebook.
5. Search for recipes to try this summer.
6. Search the internet for interesting and artistic pins for Pintrest.
7. Read blogs. (My two favs= Ordinary Courage by Brene Brown and Shauna Niequist)
8. Write blogs.
9. Skype with friends.
10. Call my mom.
11. Read magazines. (National Geographic and Marie Claire)
12. Make a summer reading list.
13. Write in my journal.
14. Watch TED talks.
15. Read Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson, Ph.D, which my mom so relevantly sent me for my bday:)

Normally, I would curse at myself in my head and get worked up and more stressed because I spent so much time wasting precious study hours away. However, this is the first time in my academic career that I am going into finals week calm and level headed without adding unnecessary pressure on myself. Why? Because of procrastination technique #15.

This cute little pastel green hardcover book that my mom sent me (I'm beginning to think she's a prophet), has opened up a world of wisdom about stress and anxiety for me. I am the type of person who holds myself to unattainable standards and believes that I can do everything my world is offering me at the same time while staying sane and true to my character. However, I can't; no one can. One of the chapters in this book titled, "Wish Wonder Woman Good-bye," even told me I can't; but that's ok.

There is only so much a person can handle without losing control and there is only so much a person can control. It's ok to say "no." In fact, it's healthy to say "no." Today I had to say "no" to a bonfire at the beach so that I can study, but I feel great! I am way less stressed knowing that I actually have time planned out to crack some textbooks. However, I can't plan out everything. Ultimately, my the grades I receive on papers and projects are up to my Professors and there is no need worrying about them after I turn them in.

I am letting go, doing my best, and trusting God that everything will turn out ok, because it will. In the book, Richard Carlson suggests asking yourself if what you're stressed about will be important in a year from now. Will my grades matter? Ya maybe, but I'm not in risk of failing, so there's no need to worry!

So good luck everyone with finals and don't stress yourselves out. Enjoy these next few days because in two months, none of this will matter:)

It's My Birthday and I'll Eat if I Want To

This is the first year I've been away from home for my birthday and it's a little bit strange. In high school, people would bring their friends cookies and brownies and cakes on their birthdays so you would get an excessive amount of homemade treats on your special day. This year, I have the opposite problem...I have no homemade treats:( So in my wallowing I've been on Pintrest and recipe sites and blogs to dream about the treats I could be eating;)

YUM YUM YUM!!





















To see the recipes visit my Pintrest! http://pinterest.com/allisoncroley/food/

Brand New Recipe Lover

I've never been much of a cook. In fact, my parents used to make cook one night a week in high school and I hated it. I would always try to make the easiest possible meals with the least amount of thought and effort. Now that I will be living in an apartment next year, I'm getting really excited about cooking for myself and my roommates. I am finding myself constantly reading food blogs and websites. I came across this on bonapetit.com and it looks a little involved, but I REALLY want to try it! It is definitely going on the list of recipes to try this summer.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes

Filling

• 2 red bell peppers
• 11 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" cubes
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1 small red-skinned sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• special equipment

  A 10"-diameter glass or ceramic pie dish

Preparation

Pastry

• Preheat oven to 350°. Pulse 2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add butter; pulse until coarse meal with pea-size lumps forms. Drizzle 3 Tbsp. ice water over mixture. Pulse until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by 1/2-tablespoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13" round. Transfer to pie dish; press onto bottom and up sides of dish. Trim dough, leaving 1/2" overhang. Fold overhang under; crimp edges. Freeze for 10 minutes.
• Line dough with foil or parchment paper; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Return to oven and bake until crust is light golden brown, 25–30 minutes longer. Let crust cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Filling

• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450°. Using a small paring knife, cut around stems of bell peppers. Lift out stems with seeds and discard. Transfer whole peppers to a small baking dish; drizzle with 2 Tbsp. oil. Roast on upper rack, turning peppers occasionally, until tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer peppers to a small bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let stand for 15 minutes. Peel peppers, then tear into strips. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, toss eggplant with 4 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast on lower rack for 10 minutes. Add sweet potato to eggplant and mix gently. Continue roasting until eggplant and sweet potato are tender, 20–25 minutes longer. Set vegetables aside.
• Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss tomatoes with vinegar, 1 Tbsp. oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Arrange tomatoes, skin side down, on prepared sheet. Roast on lower rack until tomatoes are beginning to brown and are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 4 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and fennel; cook, stirring frequently, until parts of vegetables are slightly softened and others still crisp, 5–6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. DO AHEAD: Vegetables can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.
• Preheat oven to 350°. Scatter onion-fennel mixture over bottom of tart crust. Top with eggplant-sweet potato mixture and roasted peppers. Scatter 1 tsp. thyme over. Top with goat cheese and tomatoes.
• Whisk eggs and cream in a small bowl; season lightly with salt and pepper. Slowly pour egg mixture over vegetables. Scatter remaining 1 tsp. thyme on top.
• Bake tart until filling is set and pastry is golden brown, 50–60 minutes. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/01/roasted-vegetable-tart#ixzz1sk41UCqA



If anyone gets to try this before I do, let me know what you think!

A Beautiful Ending

It's done. I performed for the very last time....ever....tonight.  My dance career has been a long one, filled with ups and downs, laughter and tears, sweat and blood, and it will always be part of who I am. However, I am completely confident in my decision to change paths. My passion has morphed and I no longer feel the emotion movement used to bring me; it's time to move on.

With that said, tonight was beautiful. Warming up as a collective group on stage for the last time, hearing people encourage each other backstage for the last time, hugging the people in my cast for the last time, feeling the lights begin to glow on my face for the last time, listening to the audience quiet and invested in the piece's movement for the last time, making eye contact with my friends on stage for the last time, feeling the audience's pleasure and intrigue while they applaud for the last time, and being told "you were beautiful" for the last time, were all moments I will never forget. The cast of "Wavefront" was a truly incredible cast that made my last concert so stunningly memorable.

With all the emotion of performing for the last time and ending an extremely stressful and overwhelming week, my favorite part of the night was not the ending, when it was all said and finished, when a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I could finally say I was headed in a new direction. My favorite part of the night was embracing a friend battling with evil. Laying my head on her shoulder and letting her cry on mine. Praying for her inner strength. Telling her how wonderful and amazing she is. A truly talented and artistic young women with a pure soul. Feeling her energy connected with mine, building up strength in both of us, exchanging very different yet very real emotions, and being utterly honest with each other was absolutely beautiful. This was one of those rare moments, so fragile, so delicate, that will resonate with me forever.

I am so thankful for the incredible support I have from my friends and family, because with their support, I have the strength to support the people that I love and care about. I feel Christ so presently in my life and I can only hope that it is through raw moments like these that others can also feel Christ's love for them.

Thank you to my parents, thank you to my friends in Cat's piece, thank you to Cat, thank you to my gorgeous running buddy, and thank you to the Lord for His perfect timing and grace.

Keep Calm and Carry On

I hate trends. One of my biggest pet peeves is ignorance and I really hate when people act passionate about something they know very little about just because it is the trendy thing to do. For example, the Invisible Children "make Kony famous" campaign drove me insane. People around campus were wearing IC shirts, posting Kony 2012 campaign posters, talking about Uganda, and promoting social activism for weeks. This is all great, but very few of these people had never heard of IC before, had never heard or cared about the name Joseph Kony, or had never even looked Uganda up on a map. So. Frustrating. Anyway, trends in general tend to annoy me.

Now, you may think it a little weird that the title of this post is "Keep Calm and Carry On," especially because it is a very recent, over used trend. I'll admit, I winced a little when I found myself repeating this phrase over and over again in my head, but this little phrase carries so much!

This week is registration week for freshmen at my school--meaning the very last week of registration--and  everyone has been stressed and panicked about getting the classes they need to take. I, being the stress-free and collected girl that I am, frantically checked the schedule of classes online every hour praying that the classes I wanted hadn't filled up. Of course, most of the classes I wanted filled up on Monday, and my registration time was 4 p.m. yesterday (Thursday). You can imagine what a whirlwind this threw me into. I do not like my plans to be disrupted and I like to overreact when they are. So I pretty much spent the past three days on the phone with my mom complaining about the unfairness of the system and being dramatic about not finishing school in four years.

I ended up getting classes at the right times, but I had to sacrifice some classes for others. Which is fine. I don't always need things to go my way. In fact, it is healthy to face a little adversity because it teaches you to relax. Keep calm, and carry on. It's a perfect little phrase for those high stress moments. Life goes on whether you planned it that way or not.

At the end of the day God is in control and no matter what, everything will work out perfectly. I even found out today that I got off the wait list and into the journalism class I really wanted to take!

So when life seems to be throwing curve balls....Keep Calm and Carry On. Everything will be just fine:)

I did it!

I did it! I am finally over my sickness and back on my training plan for the half marathon I'm running in four weeks. Normally I don't run on Mondays (I usually strength train) but I was feeling antsy this morning and decided to go for a short, slow three miler.

I expected to be exhausted after a whole week of no running, but I surprisingly made it through with energy to spare. Since then I have been smiling and energized, ready to tackle whatever the day throws at me; which is exactly why I love running. Getting fresh air (well sort of, LA has a bit of a smog problem), your blood flowing, and your heart pumping all at the same time is refreshing and invigorating. Whether it be a short 3 miler or a long 10 miler, running always lightens my mood and burns unnecessary stress.

I won't lie, I was really bummed I couldn't run last week. With only five weeks left, I should have been racking up my miles and starting speed drills. This was added stress I didn't need. In my despair, I read a lot of Runner's World training articles....and I mean a LOT....I read a lot of good tips about tapering, injury prevention, beginner's training, and mid-training slumps, and was able to focus myself and plan out my training for the next month.

All of this being pro active really helped me center myself and stop feeling sorry for myself for being sick. The three miler this morning and the TRX circuit training class I'm about to take will be the perfect starters for four weeks of intense training. BRING IT ON!

P.s. Here are some of the Runner's World articles I enjoyed:

http://askcoachjenny.runnersworld.com/2010/09/10-tips-for-first-time-half-and-full-marathoners.html

http://www.womens-running.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-301--10200-0,00.html

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-520-492-14282-0,00.html

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-520-492-13660-0,00.html

We can do this!

I don't know one female who hasn't had some sort of body image issues in their life. Personally, I have struggled with my body image ever since elementary school and it seems as if no matter how much I exercise, diet, or don't eat I am never fully satisfied. Sound familiar? I have plenty of friends with the same problem, and the sad part is, most of us are perfectly healthy and don't need to be worried about our bodies.

I have been training for a half marathon this semester and after a stress fracture scare, failed diets, over training, and joint pains, I have learned that balance is the key to loving yourself and keeping yourself motivated.

Here are some of the things I have learned that have helped me:

1. It is ok to splurge. I have an enormous sweet tooth and depriving myself of sweets was actually making me a little depressed (I know, I'm a little pathetic; but hey, I need my sweets).

These are some of my favorite indulgences:)

Chocolate chip cookies:))) Homemade and freshly baked--definitely my favorite comfort food.

One thing I learned from reading Runner's World nutrition articles is that dark chocolate is good for you! I especially like this Theo chocolate because it is organic and fair trade.

IHop pancakes are a gift from God. My friends and I like to study at the 24 hour IHop down the street, and midnight pancakes are a perfect mid-study pick-me-up.

2. Wear clothes that make you feel pretty. Whenever I wear clothes that are too tight, don't fit right, or don't correspond with my mood, I don't feel confident. These are some of my favorite styles to wear.

I love fun and interesting hoodies. They're comfy and cute! Can't beat that.

I really like to wear flowy dresses. They are really flattering and make me feel pretty.

I practically live in vintage T's and faded jeans. I'm kind of into the grunge look and love feeling trendy and comfortable.

3. Schedule in quiet time. In the past, I have filled the little free time I have had with appointments, coffee dates with friends, and extra studying, but I have recently found that a little me time every now and then can energize me.

My me time usually consists of my Bible and a couple of devotionals. Here are my two favorites.

4. Talk with a good friend. Relationships are an essential part of human life and finding someone you can share your struggles with is extremely important. Whenever I am having a difficult day, I know I can count on my best friend Katelyn to cheer me up:)

This is a picture of us at the Santa Monica Pier for Katelyn's birthday.

5. Do something spontaneous! Doing something out of the blue is a really good way to break out of daily routines. My favorite spontaneous adventure was a trip to Half Moon Bay with a few friends.

Mmmm...

For those that don't know, I am a complete health nut. Not only do I love how fresh, whole foods make me feel, I actually really like the taste of healthy foods better that sugary, processed foods. I am constantly reading nutrition articles and looking up new recipes, so you can imagine how excited I was to find people who post delicious, organic foods on Pintrest.

This is a picture of organic vanilla buck wheat granola topped with cranberries and nonfat yogurt....yummm!

Here is the recipe:

VANILLA BUCKWHEAT GRANOLA

(Print Recipe)

2 cups of roasted buckwheat groats (kasha)

1/4 cup uncooked millet

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons honey, maple or agave syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Yields ca. 20 servings

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Preheat oven to 160C/360F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine kasha, millet, quinoa almonds, sesame and sunflower seeds. Set aside.

In a small pot, gently heat all wet ingredients. Take off the heat and let the flavors merge for a few minutes. Pour wet over dry ingredients and stir until well coated. Transfer mixture onto baking sheet and spread out in single layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until millet and quinoa seeds have turned golden. Let cool completely before storing in airtight container.
If the granola still feels a little wet, let cool. Then bake in the oven at lowest temperature for another 5-10 minutes.


This recipe is from http://www.anjasfood4thought.com/

This past summer I begged and pleaded with my parents (actually I gave them no choice) and went skydiving!! Talk about an incredible experience. The thrill of jumping out of an airplane 14,000 feet in the air attached to some guy you met twenty minutes prior is the thrill of a LIFETIME. 

I remember opening my eyes after jumping out of the plane and realizing that I was free falling face first, traveling at about 120 mph towards the ground. I know the normal response to this reality would be to start freaking out--screaming, crying, praying for all the people who will be at your funeral--but this was the first time in my life I felt absolutely, 100% free.

I know, I'm crazy, but try to imagine this for a moment. You are 14,000 feet in the air with nothing but a jumpsuit and a guide strapped to your back. You can see for miles and miles. In my case, I could see the ocean, the bay, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, the Livermore hills, Mt. Diablo, and even estimated where my house was. You are falling so quickly that the air around you seems to be embracing you and your body feels so light that you forget that you have one. With all of this beauty, you have two options--you live or you die--so why not live in the moment.

During that minute of free falling and realizing there was nothing I could do to be in the slightest bit of control was absolutely liberating. At that moment, everything was in God's hands (and my guide's) and my only job was to enjoy the ride.

This is how life can be and is supposed to be!! It is so easy to stress about things you have no control over and freak yourself out for no good reason. Taking a moment to close my eyes and reflect back to the freedom I felt in the air can turn my day from stressful to peaceful.

Who would have thought skydiving could teach me a lesson about peace? God works in fabulous ways:)

I am finding this to be true: the older you get, the more stressed you become. Beginning college and starting a new life on my own has brought many new challenges, fears, stresses, and anxieties as well as joys, rewards, epiphanies, and accomplishments.

Throughout the past two semesters I have had the opportunity to do things I never thought possible--like perform a solo en pointe for my school's faculty dance concert. On the other hand, I have had the opportunity to learn things less desirable about myself. For example, I have a tendency to binge eat under stress. Good or bad, I have learned an incredible amount about myself during these past nine months and have realized how important it is to live a balanced, healthy life.

As a millennial, I am inclined to want to be super girl and go to school, train for a half marathon, write for the school newspaper, blog, work, volunteer, and save the world all at the same time, but unfortunately, I am only human and need time for me.

It is amazing what a little intentional personal time and care can do, and I am excited to plunge into a new phase of everlasting PeAcE, intentional balance, and raw energy.