5 Ways to De-Stress in 10 Minutes!

I have had an incredibly stressful week. I'm exhausted, but have a long weekend ahead of me. I know I'm not the only one out there who's stressed out, so here are 5 ways to de-stress in 10 minutes or less!

1. Prioritize. Make yourself a list of everything you have to do today. Make a list of everything you have to do in the next week. Number the items in the order of most important to least important. Oh--and then do them. ;-)
2. Take frequent small breaks. If you're like me, you enjoy working for 30 hours straight to finish something...but then you crash! I get obsessive about what I work on, but it's not healthy to do that! If you take a five (or so) minute break every 30 minutes, it'll help your focus.
3. Hydrate. I know it sounds silly, but water helps every part of your body work better; including your brain! If you have enough water in your system, your brain function improves.
4. Endorphin yourself! Yep, "endorphin" has just been turned into a verb by yours truly. :-) Do 10 jumping jacks, 9 pushups, 8 jumping jacks, 7 pushups, 6 jumping jacks, 5 pushups, 4 jumping jacks, 3 pushups, 2 jumping jacks, and 1 minute of high knees. You have just been "endorphined." ;-)
5. Laugh. Go to Youtube and type in something that makes you laugh: baby kittens, puppies, baby laughs, silly dances, etc. Laugh for at least a minute! By the end of that minute, I'm betting you'll want to keep laughing--and laughing is good for you! 

With the wedding coming up, making my wedding dress, some personal situations, and financial stress, I'm really stressed. I really do try to do all of these things on a daily basis and they help. I wish you all a very relaxed, stress-free--well, I know it won't be stress-free, so I'll say "less-stressed"--weekend! 

And if your teams are playing in the Final Four like mine are (Louisville's men's and women's basketball teams made it to both Final Fours!!!), I hope they do you proud! I'm not going to say that I hope they win, because if you're anything but a Cards fan, no offense, but I don't want your team to win. ;-) Happy Weekend!

Win for Ware! Go Cards!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Louisville Cardinals: A True CardNation

One of my friends and me in the
Cardinal Marching Band--in 2007!

I am a HUGE Louisville Cardinals fan! I'm a UofL alum and I watch all of our football and men's basketball games (I don't watch ALL of the women's games, but our women's basketball team beat #1 BAYLOR last night!!!). Our men's basketball team is currently the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament. We played Duke in the Elite Eight yesterday.

With about six and a half minutes left in the first half, Kevin Ware suffered the worst sports injury I've ever seen. He had jumped up to block a shot and when he came down, the lower part of his right leg just shattered. The entire UofL bench (in front of whom the injury happened) turned away in horror. Siva, Behanan, and Blackshear were just sitting on the court, sickened after having seen the injury. Half the team and Coach Petino were in tears. And Ware, with a bone sticking out of his leg, was yelling to the team huddled on the court that he wanted to talk to them. He told them over and over, "I'll be okay, just win the game." And they did. By 22 points.

I have never seen a team pull together the way the Cardinals did. The visceral reaction to Ware's injury and the 17-2 run they had in the second half to pull away from Duke showed that this group of young men is special. They are so much more than just a basketball team. The love and commitment those guys showed for each other was absolutely phenomenal.

I am amazed at the strides medical technology has had! Joe Theismann had a just-as-horrifying injury that ended his career back in 1985 (he said that he was watching the game yesterday and felt a "shiver" when Ware had his injury). Michael Bush suffered a very similar injury while he was playing at Louisville and two years later, made his NFL debut (Bush tweeted yesterday after Ware's injury, "I just cried."). Kevin Ware had surgery last night and is expected to be back in a year. He'll probably redshirt for the 2013-2014 season and be back better than ever in 2014-2015.

I think the takeaway from yesterday's game is that bad things happen but if you have taken care to surround yourself with the right people in your life, everyone can get through the hardship. It wasn't just the team, either. CardNation came together on Twitter and Facebook--within minutes of the injury, #KevinWare, #Ware, and #WinForWare were trending globally. That means a lot. Made me a very proud alum.

And I'm not going to jinx my team by making crazy predictions or anything, but even though we didn't cut down the nets yesterday (we are waiting until only one team can cut down the nets, not four teams), I think getting Ware back home to Atlanta has made it possible for us to cut a net down for Ware at some point in the future. ;-)

You're on notice, Wichita State.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

March Madness: Crochet Edition

At the beginning of the NCAA Tournament I always make sure I watch all the games closely and research every team's stats when I'm not watching the games. I want to make sure that I know as much about the teams who I've picked to win in my bracket, so I can have an informed perspective on all the games. But, after last night's upsets, my bracket is all sorts of screwed up--March Madness has truly arrived! So I'm still watching all the games, but not as closely as I had been, and I'm not doing as much research as I had been doing before last night. 

I love messing around with yarn. I learned how to crochet a month or so ago and have figured out how to make things without patterns. I knit, crochet, or sew a lot while I watch TV. Since I still have somewhere around...45 games left in the NCAA Tournament, I came up with a fun idea: crocheted team logos!

Notre Dame, Louisville, and Cincinnati.

I am a University of Louisville alumnus, so my first try at making something had to be a CardinalBird! I think if I did it again, I would do the beak differently and change the "eyebrow" a little bit because it doesn't look angry enough. 

Louisville Cardinals

I know I've got a lot of people up here in Northern Kentucky and Ohio who are University of Cincinnati fans and, while Louisville fans don't generally like UC, I thought I'd indulge the Bearcat fans a little bit! Also, I'm aware that the claws are off a little bit--if I ever do this again, I'll shift them to the left.

Cincinnati Bearcats

Finally, I needed another team's logo to try, because I didn't want to only post two logos (seemed a little bit pointless) so I thought back to one of the most memorable games of the season: the 5 overtime Louisville vs. Notre Dame game. We lost. Then I thought back to one of the games that felt amazing to win: the Louisville vs. Notre Dame Big East Tournament semi-final. We won! Notre Dame seemed fitting. I like this shamrock--it's cute!

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

If you want to see what your team's logo looks like when it's crocheted, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Also, if anyone wants any of these, please contact me. I can do whatever you want to them to turn them into something useful--I don't want these other logos in my Cardinal household after the Tournament. ;-) 

Hope your team is doing well and you are celebrating in creative ways--like crocheting!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

12/12/12 Time Capsule

Yesterday, I spent the whole day working on a time capsule honoring "12/12/12" to be opened on January 1, 2101 (01/01/01). I love numbers, so I thought it would be fitting to celebrate the last triple number of this century by doing something fun!

First, I thought about what I wish I could see from 90 years ago. Next I went around my house looking for little things I think are "iconic" from 2012. Then I went to Target and picked up glow sticks. I really went out to look for Twinkies. I thought they would be the perfect thing to put in the time capsule because 1) they went out of business in 2012 after being iconic for "childhoods" for years and 2) they would last for 90 years! But, after a grocery store, three gas stations, and, finally, Target, I gave up my search for the elusive Twinkie.

Here's a list of everything in the 12/12/12 Time Capsule along with its description that I put in the letter:

1. "The Joy of Pi" by David Slatner - I guess the most obvious place to start is the book, “The Joy of Pi” that is in the capsule. I love numbers! The number π is somewhat in vogue right now. I have always found it interesting. When I was in high school I memorized π to 279 digits. I hope that’s more common when you read this than when I did it. I was considered a “nerd” when I did that. But I continued loving π through college. I bought this book for fun once and read it a few times. Today’s society is very interested in numerology and it’s a fun book for a rainy afternoon. The last time I read it was on a trip to Wisconsin this last summer. It took us about nine hours to drive from Kentucky to Wisconsin and I took a few books with me. This was one of them!
2. Sue Grafton bookmark -  Following along the lines of books, I’ve included a bookmark from the Boone County Public Library in Kentucky and my library card from Louisville, KY. One of my favorite authors is Sue Grafton. She wrote the “Alphabet Mysteries” (A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, etc.). The main character’s name is Kinsey Millhone and she is a detective. I love her! Also, Sue Grafton went to Atherton High School in Louisville, KY, which is where I went for the last couple of years of high school! Janet Evanovich (the author on the other side of the bookmark) writes mysteries that are a little too gory and graphic for me. She is also, however, a best-selling author. 
3. Library card from Louisville - My library card is just for fun. I assume you don’t have to carry library cards anymore, so I thought it would be silly to see one. Ignore my signature—terrible handwriting! 
4. Harry Potter "Golden Snitch" - Harry Potter has been part of our culture now for over a decade and I've been with it every step of the way. J.K. Rowling had her first book since the Harry Potter series come out in 2012: “The Casual Vacancy.” I haven’t read it yet—the library has a waiting list of 93 people and it’s still too expensive for me to buy. For the record, if Harry Potter is not popular for some reason and you have no idea what a “snitch” is, bring it back! Hunt it down in the alcoves of the library or the Internet or whatever you have right now, and make it popular again. 
5. Legolas action figure - "The Hobbit" comes out this December, building on an empire of epic stories from the last decade. Hopefully this, too, will still be part of common literature. As with Harry Potter, if you don’t know what this series is, go find it. I should be clear: read Harry Potter first, then watch the movies. With “The Lord of the Rings,” unless you absolutely love reading about every blade of grass that they pass on their journey, watch the movies first, and then if you’re intrigued, read them. Reading-wise I only made it through “The Fellowship of the Ring” and half of “The Two Towers.” Never even touched “The Return of the King.” Brilliant stories, though! 
6. A mini Battleship game - Wouldn't it be cool if you don't even know what a "battleship" is?
7. Purple cornflower seeds - I love gardening! Do you have room for recreational gardens?
8. A pin from the Bureau of Land Management in its "Made in China" package - 3 reasons for this one: my grandfather worked for the BLM starting in the 1950s, I got the pin on Josh's and my engagement trip at Pompeii's Pillar in Montana, and the package for a pin for one of our national programs says so obviously "Made in China." We make a lot of our stuff in China right now. There is a push being made to get some of our jobs back to the USA, but it’s much cheaper to have jobs overseas because other countries don’t have the same laws we do when it comes to how much we have to pay their citizens. It’s not right, but it’s how it is right now. I really hope that has changed.
9. Campaign paraphernalia - There is a lot of stuff in here from the Obama-Biden campaign. One of the biggest things that happened in 2012 was Barack Obama getting re-elected President of the United States. I volunteered for the campaign for the last two months of it in Cincinnati, Ohio. I got to see both Barack and Michelle give speeches. I do have my tickets from those events, but I’m not including them because I want to put them in a scrapbook (which, if you’re my family, you hopefully still have!). The blue bumper sticker is the same kind I have on my car. I wore both of the campaign buttons on my coat through October. The blue stickers are from a roll of them. And the white one was handed out at the event we saw Barack Obama speak at. Working on that campaign was a fantastic experience and I hope that you still talk about President Barack Obama.
10. One each of a quarter, dime, nickel, and penny - I wanted to include it because it’s what we as a society still use on a daily basis. The only time I use it is when I have to do laundry, which is at a coin-operated laundromat in the apartment complex we live in. If I were a betting woman, I would say you probably aren’t still having to carry this around. 
11. Patriots and Packers polar fleece helmets - I love sports! I so hope you all still do, too! I have a feeling that there will be arguments about American football and its safety until the end of time. Josh and I watch football every weekend! I am a huge New England Patriots fan and Josh is a huge Green Bay Packers fan. The Patriots were in the Super Bowl in February 2012, but lost (again) to the New York Giants. The Patriots are currently 10-3 and the Packers are 9-4 with three games left in the season. I’m desperately hoping the Pats make it back to the Super Bowl next year! The polar fleece helmets are what the Patriots and Packers helmets look like right now.
12. Louisville Final Four 2012 t-shirt - Not only are we football fans, we are also basketball fans! Josh and I both graduated from the University of Louisville in May 2012 (Josh with his masters, me with my bachelors). During “March Madness” the UofL Cardinals made it to the Final Four. That’s what the T-shirt is from. Josh’s parents actually got to attend our Final Four game. Unfortunately, we lost to our rivals (University of Kentucky Wildcats), who went on to win the National Championship. Wow, that still hurts to have to write that. We hate UK. A lot. But in a good way. Nothing crazy. I really hope they’re still rivals. If you don’t live in Kentucky (which I really hope you don’t!), look it up and find out! 
13. Un-popped microwave popcorn - If there is a food that is not a Twinkie that will make it sitting in a box for the next 90 years, it's microwave popcorn! Our society is also crazed about food. We know that there are foods that are bad for us, but we still eat them. I am including one of those favorites: microwave popcorn. It still has trans fat in it. Please, please don’t eat it! I’m sure it’s terrible for you in about 15 new ways you’ve found out since 2012. It’s actually amazing: in 2012, there was a man who got “popcorn lung” and successfully sued the company for millions of dollars. I hope so badly that you have gotten over the fad of suing everything that moves just for the fun of it. I also hope that your media is reporting stories that have a little bit more substance than now.
14. Used StarbucksCard - Fast food restaurants are incredibly popular right now, too. I don’t eat it (I haven’t in years), so the closest I could come to sharing anything from the fast food industry is the used StarbucksCard. I wish I’d left you money on it (maybe it could gain interest?!), but I love coffee enough that I’m not that nice. I expect Starbucks to finally take over the world. 
15. Pages from the Elle Fall 2012 Fashion Edition - I wanted to fit the whole magazine in, but it wouldn't fit. I took out some of the most iconic ads of 2012 fashion and included them: Michael Kors, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta...I'm sure there were others, but those are the ones I remember off the top of my head. 
16. The New York & Company Fall 2012 Catalogue - It has the prices as well as "current" fashion. Could be fun to look back at. I hope with everything I have that if only one thing in fashion changes between 2012 and 2101, it’s that you’re using real-sized women for women’s clothing, not little stick-figure girls. It’s killing our young girls, expecting them to be tiny all the time. Anorexia and bulimia are running rampant through our schools. Girls as young as five are starting to think about the way they look instead of just playing in the sandbox like we used to. It’s crazy.
17. "White" by Vera Wang Spring 2012 Collection catalogue - Definitely looked at this while I was thinking about the style of my wedding dress.
18. Pages from the David's Bridal Fall 2012 Bride Book and Wedding Party Book - Again, wanted to put the whole thing in, but I couldn't, so I put in some of my favorite dresses and the style of bridesmaid dress my bridesmaids are going to wear this summer.
19. Unopened Louis Vuitton (inspired) mints - Mints in a baby briefcase.
20. Michael Kors tag off a shirt I bought - He is one of the biggest "household name" American designers of 2012.
21. Travel-sized "Noir Tease" from Victoria's Secret - "This is what 2012 smelled like." Well, kind of? I wonder if it will still smell "good"...
22. Neon pink nail polish - How many times will the 1980s have "made a comeback" by 2101? I don't even want to think about that.
23. Glow sticks - I haven't ever thought these weren't cool. I really hope they're still around!
24. Wireless USB Microsoft mouse - I’ve also included a mouse that wirelessly connects to the USB found on the bottom. It says “Microsoft” on it, which is one of the biggest computer companies right now. The other big company is “Macintosh.” I use almost everything Mac: computer, iPhone, iPod touch, iPod nano, and iPad. I am almost 90% sure that you have no idea what those are, but they are the latest technology right now. Well, not the latest because I have the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 5 came out in October 2012. The iPhone 4S came out right after Steve Jobs (its co-founder) died. Anyway, this mouse is one I used during college for gaming.
25. Unopened waterproof disposable camera - I am pretty sure that you won’t have the ability to use the item contained in the silver package, but I thought it would be fun for you to see. It’s a waterproof disposable camera. They’re obsolete now, so I’m sure they don’t exist in this capacity when you read this. They were always fun to use, though, if you went on vacation and wanted to take really terrible-quality photos!
26. Empty black printer cartridge - If you're not laughing by this point, you will be now...!
27. A shell from the beach in Vanuatu - The last few things are personal. I put in a shell from when I lived in Vanuatu. It’s in a bag just in case it contains any sort of anything that could be considered a disease or bad or whatever. It shouldn’t, because it’s been in the U.S. in open air for almost eight years, but I just wanted to, again, let you know. I lived in Vanuatu for about five years when I was younger. We always went to the beach and collected shells. I hope it’s still around. The ocean levels are rising drastically right now, and parts of Kiribati are already underwater. With Vanuatu being an island nation, it’s only natural to worry about it being underwater in 90 years…
28. A Hallmark card - The card is from my parents to Josh and me for our housewarming (apartment warming, really) party. It was on Labor Day, 2012. We had my family and Josh’s family up for the day and it was great! I just thought it was nice since it’s our first apartment together.
29. A flower I made with my Cricut Expression 2 - This is the best technology there is when it comes to "papercrafting." What do you have now?!
30. Some photos of Josh and me (engagement), Emily and me at Obama campaign events, and Mom and me with the scarves and hats we sent to victims of Sandy.

I think that's a pretty exhaustive list of 2012. I worked all day making video clips that I was going to put on a USB drive...and then somehow in transferring it to my video editing software it deleted itself. So in the letter I wrote I asked if they still had fun little glitches like that with technology. I'm bummed out about that, though, because I thought it would be fun to have a little "time capsule within a time capsule."

I'm so sorry it took me a whole day to write this up, but I got really into it. I think it's going to be the best New Year's present ever! Maybe I'll still be around to see it...I'll only be 112. 

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi