I swear, I'll post soon!

So, yeah.

I guess this is what happens whens you're one of those "responsible college kids". Homework and junk. But! I finished my big projects that I had due, so I am going to be posting something soon!

No really, I swear!

Well, I mean "promise". Cause swearing is bad.

Don't swear.

Anyways! Yeah....  I'm just gonna stop now. Love y'all!

Soda Cupcakes

Have you seen this recipe online yet? Cause it's way cool!

It's cupcakes with only two ingredients: A can of soda and a box of cake mix!

Yeah! That's it! Super simple and very moist. Here's the directions:

Mix.

Spoon in tin.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. While they bake, try figuring out a website on a Mac, like my family did.

Done.

Super simple right!
It's gonna seem like a lot of liquid at first, but use the whole can. They turn out really fluffy. Depending on the cake mix, it may not always taste perfectly like the soda, but they always taste good!

Experiment with different flavors! Dr. Pepper and yellow cake, Cherry Cola and chocolate cake, or even Orange Soda and white cake mix!

(ah orange soda. Ken loves orange soda. lol.)

Let me know what combos you try and if they work well!

Enjoy!

Back to the Snow

Now that I live most of the year in a snowy state, it's lost some of it's appeal.  I mean, as a kid living in a dessert, going up to grandma's house in with the snow was amazing! But walking 20 minutes to school in it...

Not as much fun.

But this was our long weekend at college, so my parents came up and we all went to my grandma's house again. Which meant: snow!

And my dad and I decided to embrace our fleeting childhoods (well, mine's fleeting. He tells me he never had one...) and do all the classic snow day stuff!

We started with a snowball fight (obviously)

 Dad won that round...

Then we did sledding. I won that :)

And we finished it off with a good old fashioned snow fort making!

 Not that big looking from the outside, I know, but take a look from the inside angle.

Yeah, pretty epic :) It was an amazing snow day. We went back inside happy. And tired. And soaked.
But it was worth it.

Oh! Also, my grandma (who's 81 years old) made her first snow angel EVER this weekend.

We're so proud of her.

Happy winter everybody!

Caramel Cookie Bars

Are you ready for some chocolate, caramel, gooey goodness???

I've been told these are a fantastic dessert (and breakfast... Blake decided this was better than cereal I guess)

So hey, try making them for your Valentine (happy lovers day, btw) dessert. Or next party. Or any random evening. Or morning.

Caramel Cookie Bars

ingredients:

2 1/8 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup light brown sugar 
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
and

6 tablespoons caramel sauce (I used Hershey's caramel syrup, cause that's what I had on hand. We college kids use what we've got laying around)

Oh! And, of course, Chocolate Chips!!! (1 and 1/4 cups)

Herewego!

Preheat the oven to 325 
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

In a second bowl, combine the butter and sugars.

Once those are combined, add the egg, the yolk, and the vanilla.

Now we add the dry mix to the wet mix. Folding the dry stuff in tends to work best.

The batter is gonna be kind of think and very sticky. 

Now we add the chocolate chips!

Transfer half of the batter to an 8x8 pan that's been lined with aluminum foil and greased. Be sure to leave some foil hanging over the sides so you can lift the bars out after they're done.
As you can see, I made it into two pans. This is gonna give you thinner cookies. It's your preference.

Even out the layer in the pan, then add the caramel sauce.

Use a small spoon to dollop the rest of the cookie dough over the caramel and press it down gently.  It's ok if the caramel isn't completely covered, the dough will spread as you bake.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

At which point, it became time for me to clean up my mess.

Worst part. I need to hire a personal assistant when I'm older. Just for this job.

Let cool and enjoy!

The Beast Runs Into a Problem

I have a nice little story today. This actually happened yesterday, but it's still fun.

So my roommate, Steph, has this car. And by car, I mean beast.

No joke. A giant, black excursion that is a monster. And she knows how to handle it too. I am always shocked at how well she can get that thing to turn and park (she backs in almost every time).

It's a beast of a car. Like, if we had to go to war against some college villain, this would be our tank. And ram. And entire front line. No exaggeration.

Ok, maybe a little exaggeration.

Anyways! So Steph drove to church yesterday, but she got there kind of later (she came from another ward) so she parked in the back. But Steph doesn't just park. Oh no. She saw a snow bank and thought, "yeah, I'm a beast, lets park on this bank." So she parked with her front half of the car on the snow bank.

All would have been fine (as I said, her car is a beast) except some sweet spirit decided to park right behind her. Yep. So her beast was stuck between a car and a snow bank. This was hilarious. We actually had to leave the car at the church parking lot. It was a sad sight to see as we drove away, all squished in the back of someone else's car.

She eventually got it back home (after having to get it unstuck with the help of a parent because it had frozen in the snow bank) and all is well. But maybe next time she'll think twice before epically parking in snow.



Haha just kidding she's gonna ram snow again. Hey, if you've got a beast, might as well flaunt it, right?

Craving Crashers

I'm gonna say this again. (and lets be honest, probably a few more times after this. or a lot more imps. or for the rest of my life)

I am not a fitness or health guru.

But! I am willing to share some things that help me! So i figured I'd start doing some posts of tricks that have helped me, in the hopes that, well, they will help you too!

Herewego!


This one's all about cravings! These are the worst! I am such a sucker when it comes to resisting cravings. But here are some things that have helped me:

First,
I guess it would be good to learn how to tell between a craving out of emotion or boredom and actual hungry. Here's a good question to ask yourself. Find a fruit or vegetable you like: tomatoes, apple, etc
Next time you get a craving for something, ask yourself: "Will an apple handle my hungry right now?"
    If you are really hungry, even if an apple is not your ideal choice, it will seem like a welcome option.
    If you're NOT really hungry, you will turn your nose up at it.
(how dare you insult my pallet with an apple when I crave the flavor of a burger!)

Second,
Don't keep treats and junk around the house.

It's sooo much easier to forget about that sudden BBQ chip craving if there are none sitting in your cupboard.
(cause then you'd have to drive to the store and then chose the right brand and then wait in line and then give away some of your precious money and then drive home.... yep I'm tired already. not worth it)

Third,
Count your age.
If you start to get hit with a craving, count up to your age and start to go do something. I, for example, will try counting to my current age while walking into my room looking for a piece of paper to draw on. Distracting yourself from the craving will help it go away.

Fourth,
Try different scents.

Did you know it has actually been proven tat the smell of vanilla can actually crush sweet cravings?? And mint suppresses appetite.
So put on vanilla lotion or brush your teeth, and you will be a lot less likely to keep snacking.
Or try adding cinnamon or red pepper to your meal, that also helps give a feeling of full while stopping yearnings for sweet treats.

(also, brushing your teeth actually sends a message to your brain that it is time to stop eating)

For a Good Laugh :)

I'm sure most everyone has seen this before, but hey, I think it's the most hilarious thing ever. This will cheer up almost any bad day. At least for a minute and fifty-one seconds.

P.S. Will Smith improved this scene. So much love.

Some fun workouts

Ok so one thing that has always stopped me from doing a workout is when it's something I don't like to do. For example, until a few months ago, I loathed running (now I just tolerate it), but I would love to go to do dance workouts.

Dance = fun.
Running = evil.

So for those of you who are looking for workouts you find fun, I'm gonna post a few suggestions.

(You can do all these from wherever you can find a computer, so perfect for staying at home)

Blogilates:

This girl is so happy during all of her workouts. I'm not sure how it's physically possible, but she is. I really like her workouts to pop songs, but there are some other fun ones in here too. I'll put the link for her youtube channel and for one of her pop song ones. You'll have to explore her channel when you get a free moment. (or if you're really curious, let me know what you're looking for and I can give suggestions)

Blogialtes youtube channel
Drive By Inner Thighs challenge

** word to the wise, she is insanely smiley about life. Just a heads up.

Zumba:

I found a really cool Zumba video on youtube. Tried it today actually. A full 50 minute class. Dancing for a workout. Cute British guy as the instructor. Are you dying to try it now? You should be.

Zumba Dance Class

BeFit:

I've only done one workout from this lady (the link I'm posting), but it was pretty good. Not too high-intensity, so that's good, but it will still get your heart rate up!

Denise Austin Cardio Workout

Quick Insanity:

I discovered this when my love of Dr. Oz first hit. This workout is only 15 minutes, but it is intense! It's not what I'd classify as "fun", but I like it a lot more than most workouts and it defiantly gives you a hard core feeling when you're done. Plus, it's good for college time constraints.

Shaun T's Miracle 15-Minute Workout

Realistic Rules of Fitness

Like I've said before, I am no fitness genius. But I am trying, and have done a lot of research on the matter.

So here, I'm gonna list 6 rules that I have been using to start losing weight and getting fit.

#1

This is the first, and most important rule to remember. This is not a diet. This is a life style.

This rule is important for a few reasons. For one, it means that when you reach your goal weight, after all the pounds are gone, you can't go back to eating crap. You have to stick with your new life of exercise and good foods.

But this also means that you shouldn't go crazy with your diet or exercise. You can back off a little with the Insanity workouts or super clean diets once you get down to your initial weight, but you have to stay on track. So don't make your new food plan crazy, make it something you want to do for the rest of your life!

#2

Make goals.

Then make them again. And again.

When you set goals, you should make them small and measurable. Start with "this many pounds by this date" or something like that. When you make a goal that you can easily measure (instead of something like "I want to be fit" or "I want to be smaller") then you are more likely to achieve it.

And once you achieve it, you make a new goal. Maybe 2 more pounds this month. Keep setting goals!

If you've reached your goal weight, try making some goals just about being healthy. For example: this month, I want to eat an apple a day.

As a rule, I like to make things into a 21 day challenge. (21 days is about how long it takes to start a new habit with eating, without making you go crazy) for example, try 21 days of drinking eight water glasses a day. Or 21 days of no pizza. Get creative! 

And try making them public. If not on Facebook, then to some of your close friends. Making them public helps you to keep them. Next time you reach for that doughnut, you have that reminder of if it's worth it the moment when your friend asks "How's that weight loss going?". Yeah. Awkward.

#3

Calories.

When it comes down to it, this is the simple math of weight loss. You have to eat less then you burn. But be careful! Women should generally never go below 1200 calories a day (men 1500). Once you go below there, your body goes into starvation mode.  This means it's gonna try harder to keep what calories and fat you do eat (as if it were stuck in the dessert and trying to survive).

That's bad.

Obviously.

#4

Moderation, not deprivation.

If you try and go of sweets all together at first, you're gonna fail. Trust me.

Unless you have the will power of a donkey (or is that just stubbornness? huh), you can't just quit all at once. And who wants to live their life without a cookie every once in a while?!? Crazy people, that's who.

So just eat in moderation. You can still enjoy food, just keep in mind the calories. If you're eating bad, eat less.

There's a blog I love call thelondoner.me, and she talks about a great idea. It's called the 80/20 rule. This means 80% of what you eat should be good for you. Not just low calorie, but full of nutrients and good stuff. Like apples. Apples are good.

The other 20% can be food you indulge on. Like brownies or that frosty.

Along those lines, there is another good rule to follow.

#5

Plan your cheats.

My mom likes to do this thing where she only eat sweets on the weekend. This is an awesome idea. Here's why:

It keeps you on track. If you know that at on Saturday you are allowed to have that blizzard (that's her favorite) then you can more easily say no to the sugar cookie you are offered on Wednesday.

But you should always plan when that cheat is going to happen. Otherwise, your will power is never as strong. If it's open in your head as "I can have one treat anytime this week", it'll be really hard to resist once friday comes and you already had your cake on tuesday.

Also, start with a cheat day (or two), but try and work your way down to a cheat meal. IT helps to not blow your in tire weeks with of work!

#6

This one is really important.

Aim for fun.

Studies have shown that those who were trying to both lose weight AND be more happy lost more weight that those trying to lose weight alone.

This makes sense. Stress is bad for health. And freaking out about counting calories all the time is more likely to make you give up on the whole thing. 

So eat healthy, but try to have fun! This is a good rule in workouts as well. If you don't like your workout (lunges are pure evil) then you won't do them. Making excuses is easy. If you like what you do (zumba!) then you are sooo much more willing to pull out those running shoes and do it!

That's a good rule for life, too. And something I have been working on my entire life. (Yeah, I'm a negative person)

But smile! You were only given one life here, so hey, enjoy! :)

Those are my 6 rules! I have other tips and tricks and rules, but I'll post those on another day. These are the 6 main things that I try to remember. Like I said, I'm learning too!

A Girl and Her Blog

First post! so... here we go:

Let's be honest. I never wanted to start a blog. I use to make fun of bloggers. I always wondered, why would you make journal public? Unless you're sharing some crazy story, who cares?

So I guess you're question now is, "why start a blog?"

Good question.

Here's a not-so-good answer:

I'm not sure.

I guess there are a few reasons, but basically, I am doing it for fun. Not really a deep reason, just cause.

So what's the protocol now? Is this where my life story comes in? Do blogs have rules?

Alright let's describe me. Briefly.

I'm the youngest of three kids, and I am the only girl. Yep, two older brothers and me. That's where the name came for the blog came from actually. When we were younger we had this awesome white van (man I loved that thing!) and it had seven seats: the driver, passenger, the two in the middle and the long three seater in the back. If you got the back bench, you could lay down and sleep wherever you went. (Yay for jacked up seat belts!) We all had "assigned" seating on long trips, and my seat was the back!

Guess it was my parent's way of making up for making me both the youngest and the only daughter.

Anyways, the back seat was heaven. And after a while, it became my spot. No matter where we'd go, I would call the back seat. It was a comfort zone: out of reach from my brothers. I could (and quite frequently did) create my own world back there. So I figure it's a pretty fitting blog name. This is my little space in the world.

I'm not sure what else to say. I'm just a kid. I mean, in college, but still, just a kid. I'm a film major. I love cooking, baking, soccer, fitness, friends.

Oh, and I'm sarcastic. But you'll realize that soon enough. Or at least, you should. Seriously. Just keep reading.

I think that's about it! Here I go, off on a blogging adventure!

Enjoy!!!