Workout Wednesdays: 1000 Calories and Cool Workout Charts!

First off...I'm alive! LoL yesterday my coach encouraged  told me to burn 1000 calories doing cardio 0_o. I had never even heard of any such behavior! The craziest part? That was only half the workout! I had to do arms yesterday too! I Thought I'd be dead and gone by now lol but I actually feel pretty accomplished!

It was a little timely though..It took me about an hour and a 40 minutes. I got on the treadmill for 500 calories, got on the bike for 100 and ended up having to get back on the tread because my knee wasn't working out with the bike.

I have to was encouraged (lol) to burn another 1000 again today.


I've befriended Recipes for Gals in Figure and Bodybuilding on Facebook and biweekly they post these nifty little workout charts that I find interesting and thought you'd all enjoy as well!

Will post more as they come along!

Tasty Tuesdays: My breakfast was so much better than yours!

Forgive the fact that it's unside down :/ just turn your head lol! Because of the competition my restrictions have gotten a bit tighter. I've had to give up cream cheese *long sigh* but it's forced my to explore other options. My coach says I am allowed to have fat-free cottage cheese (which I realized I actually liked last Thursday). I topped it off which a little apricot jam and ooooh man! It was soooo good with my peaches and plums (And yes I got them from the farmer's market)!

Happy eatings!

Please check this out!

This is a promotion for my latest internship! Please check out the video and please check out the website!

Thanks guys! Details about Fit By You Apparel!

Scholarly Sundays: Black History.."Slave Songs of the U.S."

One of the classes I am taking this summer is African-American Music. During the next 6 weeks (Well...four now...) we will be cruising through the different eras of music pertaining to the history of African-Americans. 

We started with slave songs, spirituals, and code songs and are now moving into ragtime, blues and jazz. In class, we watched this short documentary and I had to share. I feel like knowing OUR history is so important, especially because in most cases it gets swept under the rug. I am so grateful for my experience at an HBCU (historically black college/ university) because unfortunately at PWC (predominately white colleges) I feel like the history of blacks aren't catered to enough...

Even since elementary school I don't feel like we weren't taught the depths of slavery and thus couldn't understand the HUGE impact it has had on us. Before I got to college, my lessons on black history was very general. White people took Africans people who they basically thought we're heathens, stuffed them on a boat, and brought them to America. Slavery was bad. People got hung. KKK. Harriet Tubman. 

I was until I finally got to college that I learned in Africa we weren't wild, caveman like "heathens". We were kings and queens. We were the originators of so many things that accredited to other nationalities. It wasn't until I got to college that I saw EXTREMELY graphic pictures and documentaries of the brutalities that enslaved Africans faced. smh...

I say all this to say..do YOUR research. Know YOUR history. Appreciate where we have come. Grow. But most importantly, share... 

Please...

***If you are looking for scholarships/ internships I am waiting on you! When I get your request then I will post! Otherwise, I have no clue which to post :( Don't sleep on this free money! Remember all you have to do is reply to this post (or any post for that matter) saying what your major is! THAT'S IT!!!

Spontaneous Saturdays: Me and "Baby"

Sooo I've been trying to come up with a clever name for my new bestie (aka my bike) but I've been terribly unsuccessful =/... Naturally I've been referring to it as Baby (ie Me and Baby went to the farmer's market this morning) lol. It's kinda sticking to me!

Fashionista Fridays: Random Goodies :)

An updo I attempted but wasn't sure was a success. This is the result of a painfully lazy twist out gone wrong.

 

My fancy new lip color I picked up from Walgreens :). It's buy one of my fav cheapy brands, Wet and Wild.  

The color is 514A. It's deliciously a rich, vibrant red but must be worn with chap under or gloss on top...

I believe I saw this on heyfranhey's blog not too long ago, but I thought it was pure awesomeness and had to share! Who was it that said fros weren't sexy? 'Cause this girl is killin it!

Thriller Thursdays: I got a bike :)

Yaaaay! Soooo excited! Yes, I got a bike! I have one back at home at my mom's house but it never seemed to make it's way up here. It's HORRIBLE not having a car :( but with gas prices constantly on the rise (and all the issues I see my friends having with their cars) I would rather not have a car right now anyways. At times it can be EXTREMELY inconvenient but I take the bad with the good...

Lucy for me, the city I live in is very eco-friendly. There's literally tree huggers, nature freaks, and health nuts everywhere and go figure..I just so happen to be on of them. Biking seems to be the thing here as well. I'm sure it not only has to do with all the mother earthy people but also the fact that this is a college town.

I've been trying to figure out how to jump on the bandwagon! On Monday we discussed the power of having a strong support circle (in turn, a strong network) the same girl I had lunch with not only hosted the photoshoot I was in, gave me that huge tub of protein powder, AND told me about this new biking club on our campus!

The club is a leadership club that is suppose to encourage more students to be more active. So get this. They provide the bike which means it's free (I was sold right there! Seriously! lol). Then you get to write in a journal (that they provide $free) about your biking trips. THEN, you get paid monthly!?!?!? Where the heck have I been?!

I'm too excited to share my new adventures with you! I'm gonna look so cute riding from the Farmer's Market with all my groceries :) lol

Thriller Thursdays: Finding Hotels for the Low

I've been recently looking for a hotel for an upcoming trip and let me tell you, for a college student that's trying to stay somewhere decent (ie safe and sanitary) these prices are a liiiiittle outrageous! However, with websites like Priceline.com, Expedia.com, and Travelocity.com booking has been a breeze. There prices are a lot more reasonable and you can still book at quality hotels where you can sleep in peace! Besides...most of their commercials are pretty hilarious! I mean the gnome? CLASSIC!

Have any of you ever booked through any online travel companies? How was your experience?

If you want to make a girl happy...

Don't buy her flowers. Don't even buy her a diamond ring. Buy her a huge, 10lb tub of protein! Dear D.Key...I am eternally grateful! *muah*

 

Workout Wednesdays: Mapmywalk.com

My trainer recently told me about this EXCELLENT tool for figuring out how long you walk/ ran! It's super easy and best of all, IT'S FREE! Woohoo! Definitely check it out if your like me and are always wondering aimlessly when you do your morning jog! Click here to visit mapmywalk.com!

By the way..Did you know by walking a moderate speed for 30 minutes you burn on average 100 calories!?

Go ahead..walk.it.out :)

Tasty Tuesday: OxygenMag's Clean Sweet n' Sour Chicken

Last month oxygen featured this recipe in their Magazine. Of course I heard it from Theresa first lol! As you can see the original recipe uses a red bell pepper. Can you believe Walmart AND Winndixie had the audacity not to have any? I bought a yellow pepper instead (which worked out great) and anticipated buying red peppers to last me for the week from the farmer's market. Go figure, they didn't have any either! (only rainbow peppers...no no). 

While I was at the farmer's market I bought two HUGE bundles of broccoli ( $1 a each!!!!) and decided I would try that with some carrots instead. The results? Nothing less than delicious!

 

Motivational Mondays: Support Circles

With in the last week I can not tell you how many people I have met that have made me feel important, inspired and motivated! Surrounding your self with positive people and especially like-minded people is soooo important and can benefit you in sooo many ways.

My experiences with in the last week:

Last Monday was the first meeting of my internship for Fit By You [sports apparel...more info coming soon]. This was initially when I found out that Brian had experience training fitness models and in turn would help me prep for competition.

The following day when I went to the gym Brian was there training to other girls. They all invited me to do cardio at the stadium Saturday morning. As a result, I found out that they too were not only interested in competing, but also enjoyed going to the same local healthy/organic/vegan restaurants and grocery stores that I do! Yaay! Shopping/ lunch buddies other then my bumish friends who refuse to set a foot in these places!

Thursday I did a photo shoot for an upcoming natural hair t-shirt line. I had met these wonderful women through a group that I am in on Facebook. Between snapping pix and chatting about hair of course other topics came up about health and eating and just like that I had a lunch date with someone else with similar interests.

So how can you build your support circle and find like-minded people? 

• Follow your instinct. If there's something that you love to do, DO IT! Don't worry about whether it's necessarily acceptable to the people you hang out with. 
• Put yourself out there! By going to events that cater to your hobbies or interest (even if you have to go alone) your bound to run into someone just like you.
• Share! Facebook it, twit pic it, blog it, do what ever you have to do to make people aware of what you're into. Not only will this increase the likely hood of running into people who you didn't even know were interested in the same thing, you may peak someone else's interest and inspire them. 

Scholarly Sundays: Social Work

Scholarships:
https://www.mycollegeoptions.org/62/0/Social-WorkHuman-Services/search-results-scholarship-search-by-major.aspx


Harry and Esther Kovenock Award
Undergraduate — Amount: $1,000
Senior social work student
3.2 or higher gpa
Financial need

National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (N.O.B.L.E.)
Undergraduate — Amount varies
Member of underrepresented racial minority group with preference for African Americans
Junior or senior standing
2.5 or better gpa
Financial need
Intent to pursue career related to correctional or criminal justice agencies


Alumni/Yolanda-Vega Will Scholarship
Undergraduate and Graduate — Amount: $1,000
Student enrolled in social work or criminal justice program
Academic achievement
Student who works full-time and/or
Has significant family demands and/or
Has made sacrifices of time and personal finances to pursue a degree

Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors Youth Foundation Scholarship (G.M.A.R.)
Graduate and Undergraduate — Amount: $1,000
Graduate or undergraduate student
Social work or criminal justice major
Demonstrated interest in career working with youth
Academic achievement
Financial need
Evidence of innovative approaches to the problems of youth

Don and Helen Banta Scholarship
Graduate — Amount: $500
Graduate student in social work
3.0 or higher gpa
Interest in clinical social work
Renewable for one semester

Scholarly Sundays:History Majors

Scholarships from the Daughters of the American Revolution

• The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution awards a number of scholarships to students majoring in history at accredited colleges or universities in the United States.

• The Dr. Aura-Lee A. and James Hobbs Pittenger American History Scholarship is given to a high school senior who will pursue a degree in American history and government. The scholarship is worth $2,000 per year and renewable for up to four years if the recipient is making suitable academic progress.

• The Enid Hall Griswold Memorial Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship given to a junior or senior undergraduate history, political science, government, or economics major.

• The J.E. Caldwell Centennial Scholarship is awarded to a student who plans to pursue a graduate degree in the field of historic preservation. The scholarship is a one-time award of $2,000.

• Contrary to popular belief, the DAR scholarship committee does not give preference to female applicants. All scholarships are awarded based on the applicant's record of academic achievement, professional promise, and financial need. Factors such as gender, race, and religion are not considered.  Applications for DAR scholarships must be sponsored by a local chapter of the organization. 

To learn more about application procedures, visit the scholarship section of the Daughters of the American Revolution website.

U.S. Institute of Peace National Peace Essay Contest

High school students planning to major in history can earn money for college by competing in the U.S. Institute of Peace National Peace Essay Contest. Students must submit a well-researched essay of 1,500 words or less on the U.S. response to conflict around the world.

First place winners from each state will receive college scholarships of $1,000 and advance to the national competition. They will receive an all expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to visit various historical landmarks, visit with political figures from around the world, and attend seminars taught by some of the nation's leading history scholars. The top three national competition winners will receive scholarships of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500.

To learn more about competing in the U.S. Institute of Peace National Peace Essay Contest,visit the organization's website.



Phi Alpha Theta Scholarships

Phi Alpha Theta, an honor society for history majors, offers a number of scholarships for outstanding undergraduate and graduate student members.

The Graydon A. Tunstall, Jr. Scholarship is a $1,000 award for junior members studying Modern European history. The scholarship is based on both academic achievement and financial need.

Phi Alpha Theta and the Western Front Association award a prize of $1,000 for an essay about the American experience in World War I. This competition is only open to undergraduate members.

The Phi Alpha Theta/World History Association Paper Prize is a $400 scholarship given to the writer of an outstanding research papers on a topic related to the study of world history. Students who receive this scholarship may be eligible to have their papers published in the World History Association or Phi Alpha Theta academic journals.

To learn more about these scholarship opportunities, visit the Phi Alpha Theta website.

Spontaneous Saturdays: Major updates...

Let the countdown begin...

Day 35

Where have I been? This time..I actually can't blame DELLvin. With in the last week a LOT has been going on...For starters, I finally found my personal trainer for my fitness competition! Yay! Funny part is..He was right there all along! I knew Brian at the Nutritionist for our on campus gym and also because he's one of the instructors for the rock climbing club. This man is literally all over the place!

Recently I was offered my second internship with an upcoming clothing line and guess who just so happens to be the co-founder? The conversation had sparked up after I asked him if he knew anyone in the area who specialized in competition training. I've been training to the extreme since then (Monday). Tomorrow is suppose to be my day of rest but I think I'm still at least going to go walking. Today we attached FSU's stadium running up and down the bleachers from top to bottom and then followed up with some laps. Yes, I'm pooped! But super excited that I found a coach that pushes me, motivates me, and takes me seriously.

Other than training school has kicked back in. As far as the first part of the summer I only have one class which is great since I really need a good amount of time to workout. (Literally...I've been doing two a days and even yesterday I was in the gym for 2.5 hrs non-stop!)

march 2012

may 2012

If I don't feel the soreness today, I'm more than sure it will hit me tomorrow and the day after that, and the day after that! By the way..did I mention that Brian declared today the last day to cheat?!...Things are about to get really serious!

Stay tuned yall! And please bare with me!

Don't forget to request scholarships/ internships for tomorrow!

J

Tasty Tuesdays: Coffee--the fat burner

I confess. I am slightly addicted to coffee. Let's face it...it gives me the buzz..the exact pick me up I need to carry me through those especially rough days.

While I'd like to say this obsession started after I was hired at a place that does 24 hour Starbuck (ugh! the devil!), I've been drinking coffee since I was about 5 years old. Never-the-less..this is not a life story.

I usually drink coffee when I'm trying to get through the night shift at work or when I need to...ahem..detox...but who would've thought it could actually be beneficial to my fitness training as well!?

Bodybuilding.com  says:

"While caffeine does torch calories, it's main benefit is that it binds to the receptors on your fat cells. This is particularly effective when caffeine is taken before workouts, as several studies have confirmed.

Take 200-400mg of caffeine between meals two to three times per day; take one dosage 30-60 minutes prior to training-day workouts."

I've seen other fitness gurus discuss the benefits of coffee as well and there for I've increased my intake. (Rather than just having it when I go to work 2 to 3 days out of the week, I have started drinking 1-2 cups daily). I can't say I've noticed a difference in appearance (or at least I can't say it's because of the coffee since I've also started taking Tone). However, I do notice a boost in energy and as a result I'm more energized to push through work outs!

Tasty Motivation!

Tasty Tuesdays: Spinach, Tuna and Artichoke Salad

Another clean eating recipe that I managed to snatch from Theresa. There were many variations for this recipe so depending on what you may already have in the kitchen you can mix things up a bit :).

Here's what was in miiiiiine :)

-1 small can of tuna (low sodium)
-2 cup of cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
-1 cup whole wheat pasta (original recipe had rotini pasta..my kitchen had penne)
-1 can of diced artichoke
-8oz of spinach

1.Cook pasta
2. When pasta is tender drain and add remainder of ingredients.

Those were the very basic original steps. Yes..ORIGINALLY the recipe was very easy..but I felt some kind of way about eating the tuna straight out of the can so the only thing I did differently was lightly sautee it in olive oil...It made me feel a lot better! Also..rather than mixing the spinach in with the whole dish, I added the spinach each time I made the dish so the spinach wouldn't get soggy.

Over all it was..clean! It was an acquired taste at first. You all know I prefer fresh food rather than canned. I plan on making this recipe again but next time I will separate the artichokes better so I'm not overwhelmed after biting into a huge piece.

Give it a go!

Motivational Mondays: The Power of Good Karma

I got home from work last night at about 11:30p but probably didn't go to bed until almost 1:00a. One of my friends (who knows I am NOT a late owl) asked me what I was up to so late and it really surprised him when I told him I was up filling out cards to send out for mother's day.

He stressed the cards because I guess since I only have one mom I'm expected to only send out one card? Wrong LoL. My mailing list has extended out to about 4 moms, a birthday card, and a letter to my best friend who's also my pen pal.

 I can under stand why some people feel like I over do it. Until last night I finally discovered my motive for going above and beyond when it comes to giving back or acknowledging people. The simple answer is that I believe in [good] karma. You can not be a selfish person and expect people to do nice things for you. It's that simple. People remember sweet little things that you do for them, especially when it's unexpected!

I've noticed another reason for why I have a generous heart is because I know what it feels like to feel unappreciated or even left out. Not fun! Very rarely do people do simple things for me like send me flowers, or a card with a sweet little hand written note--and if it's not a special occasion, forget it! But I know when I do get a gift (even the smallest of them) and it's completely unexpected, it makes me feel so good! Just knowing alone that someone was thinking about me enough to do something nice for me means so much!

Don't be overwhelmed! Producing good karma doesn't mean you have to put out expensive gifts! Like I stated before, simplicity (at least for me is key). Be creative and go outside the box! Seriously, think about the last time you received a hand written love note? 

The most important thing to remember is that even though you want blessings to be returned to you, don't let that be your whole purpose for giving. Unfortunately, when it all comes down, it doesn't work like that. A true giver gives from the heart--no strings attached. 

#Motivation

Scholarly Sundays: Show me the money!

Hey guys! What's going on? I haven't been getting any requests for scholarships and internships! Come on! We have to take advantage of this free money and opportunities!

If you's like to see scholarships and internships that cater to your major, all you have to do is reply to this post saying what your major is! That's it!

Be blessed!

Jasmin

Teen Drinking Hand Sanitizer!?

This story is about a week old but it keeps burning in my mind -___-. Like...seriously? Why? What would motivate kids to do this? Pretty soon spray paint won't be the only thing you'll have to be 18 years old to purchase...

Guess that Celeb...

New game anyone? Guess who...

What a friggin' cutie!! Our babies are going to be delicious! LoL

Spontaneous Saturdays: Buenos Cinco de Mayo!

To be honest...I'm not sure what the significance of this holiday is lol! However! I DO know that people use this as a opportunity to OD on Mexican food (guacamole yuuum!) and drink excessively. While I for one was highly anticipating joining in on the festivities I unfortunately will have to go to work today *lowers head* 3-11(pm) shift...bummer. You all will have to have all the fun for me! Save me some tequila! 

Fashionista Fridays: a Diva's Braid-out

Hey girlies and CURLIE's :) I've been saving this braid-out tutorial for you all all week! I hope you enjoy!

R2N

BTW this is my 100th post! Woooo-Hoooo!!

Thriller Thursdays: Dunns River Fall

This is from when I went to Dunns River Fall in Ocho Rio, Jamaica in Spring 2011. It was beautiful! My most vivid memory was that the water was FREEZING! When I first heard of the fall, I thought it would be...well like a water fall (ie water shooting parallel to the ground from a 90 degree angle). WRONG. It's really like a very large, rocky, calm, steep stream. The water is fresh so there wasn't the "salt-in-the-eye" fear. It was awesome! And I got to go with some pretty awesome people too--classmates!

The Fall

W.o.W: Summer Workouts and Dietary Supplements

My workouts have taking yet another turn this week. My campus is closed until summer classes start-- in other words..my gym is closed as well :( so for the next 2 weeks I will be hitting the track/ outdoor stairs and doing in door workouts (a variation of squats, sit-ups and push-ups). It's actually been going really good for the past week. For the last three days I've been pretty soar so I'm excited that I'm working muscles that weren't getting as much attention in the gym.

In other news I've started a supplement called Tone which is purchased at Complete Nutrition. The ONLY reason I went there was because my roommate gave me her gift card (She's not really into the whole fitness thing). If you all don't know by now I'm a very loyal Vitamin Shoppe customer lol so I wasn't excited about going there but hey...give me a gift card and I'll check it out.

I wanted to at least like it...The products...COMPLETELY over priced! I'm sitting here complaining about how syntha six has gone up from $25 to $40 at Vitamin Shoppe; the same 2lb jar costs $49.99 at CN!? No. Ma'am.

While I was hoping to not spend anymore than a gift certificate, what I wanted cost $49.99 as well -____-. So I ended up spending $30 *double womp* -___-. Can't make any promises that I'll be going back there. I just dont have it in me. If Tone turns up to be as hyped up as the sales associate said it is then I may consider. But there are other options! Cheaper options!

Tomorrow will make a week that I've been on it and I will say that I do see a little bit of a change. My abs are poppin! But Idk If I can give all the credit to the supplement because of my change in workouts. We'll see where I'm at in a month!

Tasty Tuesdays: The Farmer's Market

Click here to watch on Youtube!