15 Ways to Get Out of a Funk

I often find myself in a rut. Sometimes it lasts an hour or two, and sometimes it lasts a week or two. If you find yourself down in the dumps, just remember that it will pass. Here are some of the things that I do to help cheer me up and lift my spirits.

1. Have a nice bath before bed. And crawl into clean sheets. It's the best feeling! And you just feel so relaxed.

2. Get dressed up. I'm not saying put on a ball gown here. But do your make up or your hair, put on something other than sweat pants. It'll make you feel like doing more than sitting on the couch all day.

3. Call up a friend! Hang out with someone that you can have fun with. This is probably the best way to make yourself feel better.

4. Write. Get out your journal or, start a journal, and write what you're feeling. It is a great way to release some tension.

5. Have an early night. Go to bed early and get a solid nights sleep! You will feel so much better in the morning.

6. Listen to music. Get out your mp3 player and turn on your favourite song, and dance too!

7. Exercise! This is probably the hardest thing to do when you're feeling down, but one of the most important. Even if it's just a 15 minute walk, it will help.

8. Clean. It's amazing how our environment effects our mood. If you are sitting in a mess of a room than you are not going to be very motivated to do anything. Take 10 or 15 minutes and to a quick tidy. You'll feel a lot better.

9. Read some inspirational quotes. These always help me, here are some of my favourites.

10. Meditate. You'd be amazed at how much meditation can help. Give it a try!

11. Try something new. A change in routine might be exactly what you need to get you out of this rut.

12. Take it one day at a time. Realize that, chances are, nothing is going to come along and magically make you feel better. You have to get yourself out of this one.

13. Stay positive! I know it can be difficult to stay positive in these situations, but if you let yourself become pessimistic you will become even more destructive.

14. Focus on the present. Don't obsess over what you did or didn't do yesterday and don't put things off until tomorrow. There's no time like the present.

15. Laugh! Laughter truly is the best medicine. Start laughing and will feel better in no time!

A Clockwork Orange

A friend of mine told me that his favourite book ever was A Clockwork Orange written by Anthony Burgess, so I decided to give it a shot. I finished it a few weeks ago and I've thought about it a lot. And I still can't decide what I think about it.

It is a dystopian novel, set in future London. It follows the story of a boy, Alex, in three parts. The first part is about him and his "droogs" basically beating people up and what not. He then gets caught by the police. The second part follow his time in jail two year later. Where he finds out about a new therapy that turns felons into good people. He then goes through the extremely unethical therapy and turns "good." The third part is after he has been released into the world a changed man. He ends up running into some old "friends" and things don't go so well for him.

What I liked most about the book was the last chapter. Which, if you've seen the movie, you won't know anything about because they cut it out. But he really does change and grows up.

I really don't know what else to say, it was a very thought provoking book. It makes you think about how important ethics really are.

I would definitely recommend this book. The character of Alex is a very interesting one. Although, the language can be difficult to understand at first, the author uses a lot of slang. However, you do get the hang of it after a while.

Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps

I am absolutely obsessed with Caroline Smith and The Night Sleeps, I'm in love with them right now.

I highly recommend you check them out. Their music is on iTunes, or you can check it out on YouTube. My favourite songs are:
-Tying My Shoes
-She Ain't Got It
-Calliope
-Strong Shoulders

They are a Indie/Folk band from Minneapolis. Here is their Website and MySpace page.

I've been teaching myself how to play Tying My Shoes on today, which what inspired me to write this post.

Undead and Unwed - Mary Janice Davidson

I recently finished a fantasy/romance book by Mary Janice Davidson called Undead and Unwed. It is the first of the Queen Betsy series.

It is about a young woman who was recently attacked by a bunch of people. Month later she loses her job, and is hit by a car. Which kills her. Unfortunately, the car didn't quite get the job done. Her death just doesn't seem to want to stick. She wakes up in the morgue only to realize no matter how hard she tries, she just can't die! She has become a vampire.

The story goes on, she as sex with a few people and to be frank. I just did not find it interesting at all. I didn't realize going into it that it was supposed to be a romance. Well, I knew that there was romance in it, but I thought it would be more in the background. Needless to say, I was wrong.

Personally, I do not find this kind of book interesting. I stuck it out until the end, and now I can say, without a doubt, that I did not like it. I will most definitely not be continuing on with this series.

On the other hand, I can see how people would like this book, it does try to be funny, and succeeds some of the time, but I have higher standards than that. This book would definitely be a guilty pleasure read. Although to me there would be no pleasure, and a lot of guilt!

Suffice to say I do not recommend this book.

New Blog!

I have started a new blog called My 180 Project. It is all about me turning my life around in a positive way. Check it out here.

If you have any comments or thoughts about my new blog please comment on it! I love the feedback!

10 Uses for Wood Pallets - Upcycling!

Pallet

The term "Upcycle" is totally new to me. In fact, I only just discovered what upcycling was about an hour ago. I've always known how to upcycle and been very fond of it, but I didn't know it had it's own term, I would have just called it recycling.

Anyways, for those of you who are unaware - as I was an hour ago - upcycling is taking some kind of material that is junk or something deemed useless and turning it into something awesome!

So here is 10 different ideas to upcycle and help out the planet, while having an awesome and interesting piece of furniture.

Enjoy!

1) Coffee Table 

    

  

2) Garden

3) Chair 

    

4) Coat Rack

5) Shelves

 

6) Sofa

7) Bed

8) Cabinet

9)Shed/Fort

10) Swing

I worked so hard to get all the pictures to align and all be the same size, but for some reason when I publish it to blogger it gets all messed up. So I apologize for that! 

Amazing Little Guitarists!

I'm just a beginner guitar player (I started 3 months ago, with no lessons, so progress is slow). I love going online and finding videos of songs that I can hopefully one day play! It gives me inspiration. And then, I came across this video... It is absolutely insane, and absolutely adorable. These kids are so young and play flawlessly!

Check it out:

Magic Morning Muffins

Today, I made these delicious healthy muffins and thought I should share the recipe. 

No butter. No oil. And oh so moist and scrumptious!

Delicious healthy muffins

2 cups - Whole Wheat Flour (You can use all purpose if you want but WW is healthier!)

1 1/2 cup - Sugar
2 Tsp - Baking Soda

2 Tsp - Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp - Salt
1/2 Cup Raisins (I also add chopped up dried date, and/or appricots, use whatever dried fruit you like best)
1/2 Cup - Chopped Nuts/Seeds (I use sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, and chopped pecans, use whatever nuts/seeds you like best)
1/2 Cup - Coconut

2 Cups - Grated Carrot
1 Apple, peeled and grated
(I haven't tried it yet, because my sister doesn't like banana, but I thought banana would also be really tasty.)

3 Eggs
2/3 Cup - Apple Sauce
1 1/2 Tsp - Vanilla

Inside of the amazingly delicious healthy muffins!

• Mix all of the first bunch of ingredients together (from the flour to the coconut), stir. 
• Add the carrot and apple. Stir until it's all mixed together really well. 
• Beat Eggs, apple sauce, and vanilla in separate bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. 

Bake at 375 F for 20 - 25 minutes. (Until top springs back when touched.)

Recipe makes 12 - 18 muffins

Enjoy!

Dazzling Dancing Dog!

Came across this video tonight, thought I would share it. This is one seriously talented dancing dog!! I want to train my dog to dance like this... although, he may be a little too short.

Enjoy!

20 ways to Sneak in Daily Exercise!

Just a few ways that I have come up with to sneak in a little exercise throughout the day!

 

Dance like no one's watching, chances are,
they aren't!

1) When you're studying/writing/reading/doing any kind of work where you just kind of sit there, every 10 minutes or so get up and dance around/do jumping jacks etc. for 30 seconds -1 minute. (Or put on your favourite song and dance for the whole song!)

Bonus: It gets the blood pumping so if you are studying or writing or whatever, it will help you stay focused and you'll be able to work for longer. 

2) When you're brushing your teeth, stand on one leg. Alternate.

3)  When you're watching TV, during the commercials do sit ups, push ups, squats, lunges, etc. Do a different exercise every commercial break.

4) While I'm waiting for my beanie to warm up in the microwave at night, i like to some calf raises. I usually do it for about a minute.

5) I like to park farther away from the store, gym, or school etc. That way I get in extra steps.

Bonus: Save on gas! Every one else is driving around looking for a spot as close as possible, in the long run, by taking that first spot you see you'll probably save time! 

Stairwell

6) This one is so important! Take the stairs!!!! I can't stress it enough, I mean, if it's 10 floors I understand taking the elevator, but I say 5th floor or less the stairs shouldn't be a problem. (And if it is, then I think this list might be especially important to you.) Suggestion: If you are going to the 10th floor, you could get off at the 7th (or whatever you're comfortable with) and walk the rest.

7) Waiting for the bus? If the bus is going to be a while, you could walk to the next stop. Or just take a 10 minute walk around.

8) Walk up the escalator. You could just stand there and let it do all the work, or you could walk up it, and save a little time.

9) Fidget. Tap those fingers, move around in your chair. Re-position yourself, whatever you can think of. I remember reading somewhere, years ago, that if you fidget throughout the day you could burn up to 600 calories. I think 600 calories from fidgeting would be an extreme and unlikely, but I'm sure it's possible to burn a few hundred. (That's like a small workout at the gym!)

10) On the phone? Pace! Don't just sit there, walk around!

11) Ladies... Don't forget your kegel exercises! Whether you're waiting in line at the grocery store or waiting for that red light to change to green.

12) Sit on an exercise ball rather than a computer chair. It's better for your core!

13) Skip! If you're just walking around the house, put a little bounce in that step! You'll burn extra calories!

Just Dance!

14) Just Dance. Ever played it? It's for Nintendo Wii, Playstation Move, and Xbox Kinect. It is so much fun, and a pretty good workout if you really get into it. I'm not telling you to go out and buy a new game console, but I bet one of your friends has one, and I think the game is fairly inexpensive. Go over and play! You can play with up to 4 people and the more people the more fun! I'm not going to lie, you will look silly, but who cares! It's a blast! Trust me on this one guys.

15) Practice proper posture. So important! It uses muscles throughout the body, therefore you are burning more calories.

16) While you're standing waiting for something somewhere, contract your butt muscles, hold for 2-4 seconds, release, repeat. Work those butt muscles!

17) Got to run an errand nearby? Walk or bike!

Playing Tug of war

18) Play with your dog! Tell him to sit and stay, then you go run and hide and call out to him. Make him find you. Give him a treat when he succeeds. Do this 5 or 6 times. And your dog will absolutely love it! (I do this with my dog and he goes crazy, he loves a good game of hide and seek!)
You could also play Tug-of-war, or take him for a run or walk.




19) If you're stuck sitting at a desk, slowly raise one foot 3-4 inches off the ground, hold for 15-20 seconds, slowly drop it back down. Repeat with the other leg. Then do both. It really works your thighs!

20) Laugh. Laughing is so important in life, it will give you a complete boost and work your abs! So laugh as much as possible.

What are some ways that you fit in a little work out here and there throughout your day?

New Hunger Games Clip!

So here's the latest clip from The Hunger Games movie! (Here is the link to the full length trailer.) It's when Katniss is in with the game makers before the games start to show them her skill. Unfortunately, they seem a little distracted, guess she better get their attention!

I love that even in this short 30 second clip they have stayed very true to the book. It looks promising. Can't wait! Less than a month left! 

Storm8 IDs

Ever played any of those Storm8 games on your cellphone? Well here's a link that has lots of codes to update your team/clan/army.

http://storm8id.blogspot.com/

Friends Face Swap

Found this picture on the internet and just had to post it on here! Too funny! Pheobe's face with Ross's hair/body looks like it could actually be legit!

All the characters of the TV show friends switched faces! 

Zombie Survival Guide

From the TV series The Walking Dead

So I've been reading a lot of zombie books and watching zombie movies lately. Not really sure why, but that's what I've been doing. And I happen to think that I am extremely prepared for the inevitable zombie apocalypse that is to come.

So I came up with the brilliant idea to share the knowledge of that will be needed in order to survive the zombie takeover.

First the zombie assumptions:

1. They eat humans and only humans. Not animals.
2. They are fairly slow. Taking on one of them wouldn't be too big of a deal, you could definitely outrun it, but more than a few and you're in trouble!
3. In order to kill them you need to smash their heads in. 

The Survival List:

• Food

• Start by getting a lot of canned food, and I mean a lot! You're going to need it. 
• But canned food just isn't going to cut it, you're going to want some kind of plant that grows easily and doesn't take a lot of maintenance. Just to stay on the healthy side of things I would recommend getting some wheat grass seeds. Once they sprout the grass is ready to eat in a matter of days and it just keeps on growing! Tip: I think a greenhouse might come in handy. 
• I think getting a chicken or a few would also be a good plan. They can lay some eggs and then if you're desperate you can eat them for meat. 
• Water, water, and more water. 

• Land/Location.  

• You are going to need somewhere to live. As tempting as it is to stay in your own house, that could be dangerous. Unless you live somewhere remote, and with a lot of land. You need to live somewhere where there's wild life. 
• This location also needs to be somewhere close to running water, possibly a river or stream? Bonus: If fish live in the water you can eat them! 

• Mode of transportation. 

• Cars are awesome, yes.  But let's be honest, do you really want to get stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing but an empty tank while zombies are coming at you from all angles? Didn't think so. I'd say it's best to invest in a good bike. Maybe grab some extra tires and what not while you're at it. 
• I also recommend getting an RV. That's what you are going to want to live in once you find your new living location.

• Weapons.

Pickaxe

• Now I know guns are awesome and easy. But let's face it, guns are dangerous, they run out of bullets, and accidents happen - some people can be a little trigger happy. Not good. 
• Knives are the way to go. Big ones. And you really can't have too many. Just make you separate your cooking knives from your killing knives. You don't want to go getting yourself infected now. Wouldn't you feel silly?
• Bats and clubs are also handy.
• My choice weapon: Pickaxe. Second runner up: Shovel.

• Defense.

• In order to properly protect yourself there is a few things that you are going to need. First, fencing. Once you've found that piece of that land that you are about to call your own, you are going to want to build a big fence around it. And i mean big. A tall, thick, and sturdy one. You don't want those zombies getting through now do you?
• Second, gloves and goggles. Possibly even a face mask of some kind? If you're bashing in those zombie skulls you don't want the blood to come back at you and have it get in your eyes. All that hard work will have been for nothing, because you are headed for zombie life. Gloves will be good since little cuts on your hands are likely to occur.

Matches. Bonus: They're waterproof!

• Supplies.  

• Hope you are ready to do some work around the house! Things are going to break down and need fixing. So I sure hope you brought your toolbox and are a quick learner! 
• It's going to get cold during those winter months! So you better prepare yourself and bring some extra blankets and towels. Pens, pencils, and paper would also come in handy. 
• Think of anything you use on a daily basis. Can't live without it? Bring it along. I just hope it's not your cellphone. 
• Matches and/or lighter. I really don't think this one needs an explanation.
• Medical supplies. Expect injuries. 

• Books.  

• Now as much as I love reading, and I would love to spend my days reading cheesy teen girl novels that's not really what I mean by bring books. I mean educational books. Gardening books - maybe a book on edible wild plants in you area. Books about building stuff. Anything that you can think of that might come in handy. 

• Power.  

• Now this one is a little tricky, but if you've got any solar panels or something maybe a little wind turbine, I suggest you bring it if you can, because chances are a little electricity is really going to help. 
• It would be really helpful if one of those books that you decided to bring was about alternate sources of energy, then you'd be golden.
  
  

Hope you enjoyed my survival guide. And I hope that one day, it will save your life!
Got anything to add? Post your suggestions in the comment box! 

Still from The Walking Dead

Healthy Protein Bars!

Hey guys! So I've got a really really delicious recipe for protein bars. And you don't have to cook them, just mix 'em up, stick them in the fridge for an hour, flip them over, and put them back in for another hour. Super easy!

So here it is:

Here they are! So delicious!

-1 cup oats

-2-3 scoops protein powder (I use vanilla, but I'm sure chocolate or peanut butter would be good too)

-1 1/2 cup chopped nuts and seeds (I use walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds)

-1/3 cup apple sauce

-1-2 tbsp honey (Start with just one and add more later if you need it, but you probably won't)

-1/4 cup chocolate chips (I use the little chippets, because then they're more spread out)   

To be perfectly honest, these measurements are not exact. I think I used actual measurement the first time I made them and now I just eye-ball it all. That way they always turn out a little different! I've never had a bad batch!

Enjoy!!

One for the Money The Movie

So I went to go see the One for the Money movie the other day with my sisters. First of all, I can't believe that it is only playing in 6 theatres in all of Vancouver! That's not a lot at all!!

So anyways... I went into the movie expecting nothing, I mean nothing! I really love the books and lets be honest. Usually, when books are made into movies they really just don't do the books justice. But, I was pleasantly surprised the other day.

If you go into the movie expecting a masterpiece then you will be severely disappointed, but if you go in just looking for a good time and not expecting to be amazed then you will have a good time! The movie was definitely cut short, but still enjoyable. And  Katherine Heigl  did a pretty good job and Stephanie Plum. I didn't think I would like her, but I definitely did.

I really liked the guy they picked to play Ranger, his name is Daniel Sunjata, he did a really good job. Although, he wasn't in the movie as much as I had hoped.

Ranger taking Steph to the gun range! 

I read the first book years ago, so I don't remember every little detail, which I think helped me to enjoy it more and not pick it to pieces. I'm still on the fence about the actor who played  Jason O'Mara . Sometimes I loved him and other times I was just like, you are way too old to play this part.

If you have read the books and loved them, which, if you have read them it's impossible not to love them! I would definitely recommend going to see the movie! And go see it in theatres, support the film!

I don't think it will happen, but I would absolutely love for there to be a sequel! A sequel would be absolutely fantastic. So go see the movie!

And if you haven't seen the trailer yet then here it is: 

Something Borrowed

Around Christmas time I read a book called Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin. The only reason I read this book was because I heard the movie was really good and wanted to read the  book before I watched the movie. Funny thing is that I finished the book almost a month ago and still haven't watched the movie.

So the book is about a girl named Rachel, she is 30 years old and single living in New York. Her best friend, Darcy, is getting married to her really good friend from college, Dex. On the night of Rachel's 30th birthday Darcy throws her a big party, gets too drunk, and has to leave early. Rachel and Dex end up hooking up that night and throughout the book continue to have an affair. The book follows Rachel as she has to decide to keep the affair going behind Darcy's back or to end it.

Personally, I didn't really like this book. I think I would give it a 2.5 out of 5. I just found there to be no suspense at all. I some little action in my books to keep me interested. I found it to be the same when I read The Choice by Nicholas Sparks.

Forest of Hands and Teeth

I read Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan a while ago. Like a month ago. Sorry it took me so long to get a review up! I've been so distracted lately.

First of all this book takes place after the zombie apocalypse. Zombies are called the unconsecrated. The story follows a young woman named Mary, the lives in a small village that is surrounded by a big fence to keep the people of the town safe from the unconsecrated. The book starts of with her being torn between two brothers. One that she loves and one that loves her. She ends up spending time at the church with the sisterhood (the women who basically run the town) when an unexpected guest appears. Someone from out of town. The whole village had been lead to believe however that there was nothing past their fences. Soon after the mysterious woman appears the fence is breached and Mary must run. Along with a few other members of the town.

The book follows her while she tries to survive and find somewhere safe as well as decide between the two men that she loves.

I wasn't the biggest fan of this book. I would probably give it a 3 out of 5. Although, after reading this book and watching The Walking Dead TV series I do feel extra prepared for a zombie apocalypse should it ever happen!

Protein Pancake Recipe #2

So I found a new really good recipe for pancakes! They are really good and really easy to make!
Enjoy!

2 egg whites (approx 1/4 cup)
1/2 - 1 scoop protein powder
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp flax seed
1 tbsp oats
2 tbsp milk (preferably skim or almond milk)
1 mashed banana

Mix everything together except the banana, then mash the banana separately and add it to the mix. Put it in a pan on medium heat. Flip it once it starts to bubble.

If you don't have protein powder that's fine, but they will be really wet and won't flip very well, the protein powder thickens it up and makes it all stick together better. I've found that it's a bit dry if i add a full scoop of protein powder, I don't know if it's just the type that I have been using or not though.

Hope you enjoy the recipe! Let me know how it goes! I'll add pictures next time I make them!