2013 | SPOILED ME

This past year was a full one, looking back over it I can't help but smile at all the fun adventures I had and all the opportunities I was given to grow and change. Like so many others in the blogosphere, I too am taking the time to reminisce and recap all the treasures that I will be taking away from 2013.

What I Learned

I learned a lot this year, but the one thing that sticks out most to me is, grasping on a deeper level, that finding joy and contentment in life is greatly impacted by how I look at my life. I've said it before and I will probably say it again... it is easy to compare your life, your circumstances, to all those around you and in doing that it is easy to fall into a mindset of "I'm not where I should be, or who I should be." I know I am not the only one that has battled with the comparison monster. I think we all do in one way or another. Being that I turned 30 this year, I definitely had more battles with that beast than my norm. I was hit with the "What the heck, why do my friends this age have husbands, children, houses, etc. and I am still single, waiting, wishing, hoping?"  It's not that I am impatient for those chapters to start, more it is feeling like because they haven't started yet you are behind and it's because of something you've done. Going through these battles has really pushed me to recognize the blessings and experiences I have. I may not have a husband or children yet but I have an amazing group of people around me that I love and cherish and that I have the privilege to share life with. I may not have my own place yet, but I have the opportunity to save and get out a debt while living with some of my best friends. I may not have the job of my dreams, but I have a job that I enjoy, I'm meeting new people and I am learning new things. Changing the way I looked at these things has helped me truly feel happy about where I am at this moment. I am in no way satisfied, I still want more and I will continue to dream... but I am content and happy and those are two things I will not take for granted.

What I Discovered

This year I discovered YouTube. I know what you are thinking, "where have you been, under a rock?" No, it isn't that I never watched YouTube before, I had definitely seen my fair share of videos before this year, but this year I discovered professional YouTubers that upload weekly and put inspiring content out on the regular. Whether they be beauty bloggers, world travelers, videographers or musicians there is an arsenal of talent and inspiration on YouTube that I have just begun to tap into. To be honest, I don't really watch much TV any more. I have YouTube channels that fill my subscription box and when I have down time I watch them and learn new things and on many occasion laugh my face off.

What I Experienced

This year I had a few new experiences, one of them that sticks out is going back to work in a corporate setting. For the last two years I worked from home, so going back into the work force was definitely a major change. To be honest, it is recent and I am still adjusting but it is something that has pushed me to grow in many ways. One of those ways is to get back on a normal sleeping scheduling. That may sound silly, but when you are single and working from home you can pretty much set any schedule you like. I would work throughout the day but it didn't have to be back to back hours. There were times when I would work through the night and then sleep until 11am. It was like being back in college, on the days I didn't have class I would stay up insanely late and then sleep all day. Why, because I could and I also had the insane notion that I was more creative at night. So that being said, the new job has reintroduced me to 5am. I can't say I am a fan, but it is getting easier. The job has also given me the opportunity to meet new people and just interact with others. When you work alone from home, it can be easy to turn into a hermit. I've really enjoyed having co-workers again and I am hoping to make some new friends and branch out of the comfortable shell that I've been living in.

What I Loved 

I love that fact that this year I was able to spend time with my family and every single one of my best girl friends. It may not sound like a big deal but it is quite a feat because they all live in different States, have full time jobs and the majority of them have growing families. It is honestly something that has never happened in years past and I don't know if it will ever happen again. Being able to connect with all of them has made me feel so lucky. Not only am I blessed to have so many amazing women in my life, but I got to have fun adventures with every single one of them. I was able to make memories that I will cherish forever. This year was full of things to look back on and love, but exploring Epcot with Ashley and her family, rocking out to Taylor Swift with Erin, hitting up Universal Studios with Gerri and her two boys (along with many mini-dates on my trips home,) having sleep overs and dancing around the living room with Jess and her girls, lunch dates with Amanda, talking for hours over coffee with Rachel, exploring Knoxville with Courtney and her family, having daily adventures with Tab and her brood and of course watching my Baby Bro get married to the love of his life and getting to spend Christmas with all of my fam in Florida... all of these experiences take the 2013 cake for me.

This year has been an amazing one, while there were challenging times and scary times there were also times filled with love and joy. I am happy with where I am and who I am at the end of this year, and I am looking forward to what 2014 has in store.

I hope you all have an AMAZING NEW YEARS EVE celebrating with the ones you love.

See you in 2014!

Lately... in iPhone Photos

Most of these photos were originally posted on Instagram. If you want to connect, my name is BrionySkerjance and I'd love to "meet" you! 

This past week was a full one. I was in Michigan up until Saturday spending time with family and friends. While home I made it a point to go to Uncle Rays in Fenton because they have my favorite sweet delight, chocolate mocha pecan yogurt. It was yummy. Saturday I was back on the road, on my way to Knoxville TN to celebrate Courtney's 27th bday. The evening I got in we went to an amazing Italian restaurant, after dinner we went downtown to the Sun Sphere to ring in Courts bday right. After the Sun Sphere we headed over to a bar called Barleys where we played Buck Hunter and lastly we got Bubble Tea around 12:30pm. Sunday morning we met Momma and Pappa Leedy for church at Court's church, Faith Promise, then we met the rest of the Leedy clan for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. After lunch we headed out for a game of put-put and some go-carting. The last couple of days have been spent hanging with Court and Meredith. I head back on the road to Florida Wednesday. 

My friend Tabitha started this fun way of recapping our week, make sure you go check her out.

Lately... in iPhone Photos

Most of these photos were originally posted on Instagram. If you want to connect, my name is BrionySkerjance and I'd love to "meet" you! 

As you can see from my Instagram pics, this past week was 100% about my baby bro's wedding. All the time and effort was definitely worth it, their day was just as beautiful as the two of them. 

My friend Tabitha started this fun way of recapping our week, make sure you go check her out.

Lately... in iPhone Photos

Most of these photos were originally posted on Instagram. If you want to connect, my name is BrionySkerjance and I'd love to "meet" you!

This past week was full of a lot of time on the road and a lot of awesome faces and I haven't seen in awhile. I drove 21hrs from Florida to Michigan. The trip was full of traffic jams and rain storms. Since making it home it's been go go go... Kendall's bachelorette party, wedding projects and prep, time with family and friends. This next week is going to be just as busy if not more. My baby brother is getting married Saturday!  It's definitely going to make next week even more epic than this past week.

My friend Tabitha started this fun way of recapping our week, make sure you go check her out.

Lately... in iPhone Photos

Most of these photos were originally posted on Instagram. If you want to connect, my name is BrionySkerjance and I'd love to "meet" you! 

I'm a little late with this one, but I figure better late than never. I am heading to Michigan early in the morning and I had a lot to get done this week before leaving. Last week was full of playing in the waves, swimming in a gorgeous blue river, filling our tummies with lots of delicious food and 

being experimental with makeup and finding a new love for the color orange.

My friend Tabitha started this fun way of recapping our week, make sure you go check her out.

Lately... in iPhone Photos

Most of these photos were originally posted on Instagram. If you want to connect, my name is BrionySkerjance and I'd love to "meet" you!


This past week was a full one. I was able to explore new places with amazing people, as well as be a part of one of my dear friends Big Day. It was jammed packed with awesome people, lots of laughs, beautiful places and a handful of new experiences. It was the kind of week I wouldn't mind having all the time.

My friend Tabitha started this fun way of recapping our week, make sure you go check her out.

love is in the air

Today is my friends Debbie and Charles wedding day! I love them dearly and I know God has amazing things in store for them. I'm so excited for them and for the silly dancing that is to come at the reception. Wedding receptions are one of the few places where it is ok to bust out the oldies, you know what I'm talkin about... moves such as the sprinkler, bus driver, shopping cart and fisherman....  I am so pumped!

BootCamp: Fight Day

Bootcamp is constantly challenging me, it is the first workout that I both enjoy and am a little scared of. Every single class has pushed me to exhaustion. When I reach the end there is always a mixture of feelings flooding me... one being that i'm usually unable to catch my breath and the other being that I have a burst of energy running through my system. I never knew you could feel completely exhausted and full of energy at the same time, but that is what it's like.

Todays class was Fight Day and it was insane. I hadn't been to one of those before and I have to say I both enjoyed it and hated it. However, I can say that while I'm not ready to step into a boxing ring any times soon I am a little closer to being able to protect myself if a bad situation ever arises.  Not a bad skill to takeaway from a workout program, if you ask me.

It's been a while since I posted about this part of my life, one because I don't always do what I am suppose to and two because writing after each class was too big of a commitment for me. So, that being said from here on out I'll try and post once a week about my weight loss and my experience with bootcamp. I personally would like a way to look back on this part of my life and if reading these posts encourages someone else to start making changes... well that would be a major plus.

Lately... in iPhone Photos

Most of these photos were originally posted on Instagram.  If you want to connect, my name is BrionySkerjance and I'd love to "meet" you!

So, I didn't take nearly as many as I normally do, I will be better this next week. This week was full of mid afternoon rain storms, those lovely orange cones we all love to see when we are driving, sunset drives with my windows down and the biggest thing was my dear friend Debbie's bachelorette party. We went out to dinner and celebrated her and then got a hotel suite and had a girls night full of sweets, good conversation and some giggle inducing entertainment. Not too shabby :)

My friend Tabitha started this fun way of recapping our week, make sure you go check her out.

I'm an "Auntie" again...

This photo was originally posted on Instagram.  If you want to connect, my name is BrionySkerjance and I'd love to "meet" you!

There is something about a beautiful baby saying hello to the world for the first time that gives you a little perspective on the preciousness of life. I am so blessed. 

xoxo

Looking Up

These photos were originally posted on Instagram.  If you want to connect, my name is BrionySkerjance and I'd love to "meet" you!

There is just something about birds... 

They have the ability to make me feel like a kid again. My imagination goes a little crazy, daydreams come and I get lost in a world where floating in the air is possible for everyone. I can literally watch them for hours and be filled with such a child like wonder. 

I'm sure it has something to do with their ability to surf the wind. The magic of flying is something, I think, every person on the planet would love to experience if they could. The closest I ever got to experiencing what the birds do, was when I went sky diving. It was incredible... the feeling of floating and being so high above everything. The wind directing you one way or another. But it was also absolutely frightening at the same time. Of course, that might be because flapping my arms up and down didn't keep me from getting closer to the ground... it just made me look silly. (I have the pictures and video to prove it.) 

After going through my Instagram, I noticed I had a lot of pictures of birds and that got me thinking about how I always use to make fun of my parents for being bird watchers. They would come home from work and pour a glass of wine or wake up on the weekends and pour a cup of coffee then head out onto the back porch with their binoculars and bird books in hand.  The older I get, the more I think I understand this. I'm not there yet, but I'm not teasing them about it anymore either.

When I think about it, I'm sure the children in my life are baffled by the things that fascinate me too... they'll get it one day.

One of those days.

Today was one of those days where I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. I felt a little broken and I began to question myself and all the decisions I've made thus far in my life that have brought me to this point of utter loss of control. Yes, I realize I let my emotions spiral to a pretty dramatic place. But haven't you ever had one of those days? The kind of day that seems to have more and more go wrong the longer it goes on. The kind of day where you wish you would have just stayed in bed. It was one of those. Needless to say, I hit a low point. I couldn't reasonably contain the amount of emotions that were hitting me so I shut myself in my closet and let myself cry it out. During this display of emotion, I knew that I was being overly dramatic. Logically I knew that I didn't have it nearly as bad as others out there, but I was upset with my situation and the choices I made that put me in the position I was in and I just wanted to cry.

To be honest, this isn't a normal occurrence for me. I think part of it was because I was exhausted, since my massive sun burn has not allowed me a full nights sleep the last three nights and part of it was complete frustration. I am one of those... I cry when I am frustrated. So anyway, after I cried it out I took a few deep breaths. Had a conversation with God. Evaluated my situation. Talked to my dad and made plans to face one of the bigger issues tomorrow morning.

It isn't healthy to allow our emotions to take the drivers seat. They are too easily swayed, misleading and often effected by false information. However, it is OK to express them just don't dwell on them. Take a step back and figure out the truth of your situation. There is always a way to turn something around, there is always a change you can make to insert good into your life. Say a prayer, talk to someone you trust and make a plan. Don't just allow yourself to steep in the despair, take action.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Day Five & Six: Fit Body Bootcamp Recap

To start I have a little confession: My least favorite exercises are Mountain Climbers, Jumping Jacks and Planks. All three of these exercises make me feel like my heart is going to explode. I know with time I will get better at them but for now I LOATHE them :)

Day Five: Last night was Detox Monday and we did everything you see in the above picture two times through. I gotta tell you, my whole body was feeling it big time. BIG TIME. Because I had gone all last  week I walked into class with a little bit of false confidence. I thought I had a good idea of what Bryan and Denise had in store for us and then they brought out the list. My nerves came flying back in through the window and made me start sweating before we even started. No joke. Haha.

I was sure to take a picture of what we did because this workout is something that any of you could do at home. The key is to take as little breaks as you can. Keep your heart rate up. During a set if you need a break you should take 5 seconds. In between exercises if you need a break take 20seconds. Depending on where you are health wise you will have to push yourself at times, just be conscious of your body.

Day Six: So instead of going to the evening class tonight (because I have worship practice) I went to the 9am class. Today we did abs and arms, and boy oh boy Denise worked us good. When I got in the shower after class and started washing my hair I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to finish because I could barely hold my arms up. I upped my weights today.... maybe a little too soon. I'm not sure if my arms knew what was happening to them hahah.

As always, JUST KEEP MOVING!

What's for Breakfast: Cinnamon Raisin Toast w/ Honey Walnut Spread

 Ingredients: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread, Chopped Walnuts, Plain Greek Yogurt, Honey, 1 Peach

 Combine the toasted walnuts in a bowl with the greek yogurt and honey.


 Mix all of the ingredients together.

Makes 2 Servings 

Serving Size: 2 Pieces

Calories 250

1/4 Cup of Walnut Pieces

1/4 Cup Plain Greek-Style NonFat Yogurt

1 Teaspoon of Honey

4 Slices of Cinnamon Raisin Bread

1 Peach (or apple or pear) pitted or cored

When ready to serve, toast your bread and cut your peaches (or fruit of choice) into 1/4" slices. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the walnut spread onto each piece of bread. Top each piece with a few slices of fruit... eat immediately. I have to say, this was a delicious and easy to make treat. Definitely a nice way to mix things up in the morning. Bon Appetit!
Recipe is from Ellie Krieger's So Easy Cookbook. 

A Change in Your New Routine

So... one of the biggest challenges to modifying your eating habits and altering your lifestyle is when your routine is suddenly changed. This change can come from life situations, natural disasters, vacations, etc. You name it, if it causes you to stop doing what you've been doing... it can be a stick in your weight-loss bikes spoke. 

Changing your lifestyle is all about breaking bad habits and making new and better habits. Doing so, takes time and commitment. So when something comes along that challenges that commitment, especially something fun... it is a test of will. For me, when I'm on vacation I tend to fall back into bad habits. I don't feel like I am alone in this. I am saying all this because last week I had a few days of so called vacation and they messed with my routine in a big way. That being said, I am not regretting those vacation days. I had a blast, I ate some great food and some not so great food. What I am not thrilled about is how hard it is to break back into the routine I had been in. It feels as though there are all these obstacles, be them big - be them small, but obstacles none the less that keep deterring me. The biggest obstacle is my laziness. I hate grocery shopping. I don't like planning meals for the week, I don't like figuring out what I need to get and what I already have and I don't like walking up and down the aisles trying to find what I wrote down. Not a minute of the process is enjoyable to me. So I haven't done it. I've been home since Tuesday and I haven't gone shopping which means that I've been surviving on Eggo Waffles, Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup. None of these things are bad, but they aren't filled with nutrients either. 

Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Easter. I am going to make something for dinner... I just don't know what yet. I am going to overcome my laziness and make a grocery list, I am going to go shopping here in a few and I am going to get back into my routine. There are definitely things you can do on vacations to keep up your routine, I wish this post was about that... but I am not that person yet. I am the kind of person that wants to try a little delicacy from every nation represented at Epcot, I am the kind of person that will pull through McDonald's on a 15hr drive to DC. If I keep things up maybe in May when I drive to MI I'll be the kind of person that packs a cooler... we shall see.

Here are some pics from Epcot. 

Here is our menu from the day:

In England we shared Fish n Chips (Delicious)

In France I had a Chocolate Crepe (Not as good as in real Paris but it was yummy)

In Japan we all shared California Rolls (I had 2 they were actually really good)

In Germany we shared a Bratwurst (I took one bite... it isn't my thing) 

In Italy Ali had Italian Ice (I didn't have any but I wanted some)

In China we shared Orange Chicken (Very good... almost as good as Cheesecake Factory's)

In America (we ate dinner) I had a side of Mac n Cheese and a Burger

I am happy to report that even though we ate food in most of the countries I only went over my daily calories by 437... which means for that day I was at 1637. Not as bad as it could of been. I say all that because in all the countries but two we shared everything between the four of us. It saved us money and it made our portions much smaller. I guess that is one tip I have for when you are on vacation - - - SHARE EVERYTHING!

What's for Dinner: Turkey Lettuce Wraps

One of the big things I've always struggled with is finding foods that I think taste good and that I can actually make. Today I decided to make Turkey Lettuce Wraps for dinner. I found the recipe on Canyoustayfordinner.com. I made a few modifications, like cutting out the Ginger and the Onions since I am not really a fan of either, using Garlic Powder instead of cloves because it is easier haha and I decided to go with Hearts of Romaine instead of IceBerg lettuce. Each serving came out to about 355 calories of deliciousness. I was very happy with the end result... I was able to make it quick and it was delicious. Definitely something I am going to make a weekly ritual.

(All the Ingredients... not too many.)
(2 Cups Chopped White Mushrooms)
(Cook Lean Turkey for 5min on Medium Heat)
(Add Mushrooms and Cook for an Additional 3min - Stir Frequently)
(Dice up Water Chestnuts)
(Mix the Hoisin Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Salt and Brown Sugar Together)
(Stir in the Sauce and Let it Thicken for 3min)
(Add Carrots and Water Chestnuts. Stir the Mixture and Take Off of Heat.)
(6 Leaves of Romaine Hearts + 1 Serving of Delicious Stir Fry = A Happy Full Tummy)

Ingredients:

Olive Oil - 2 Teaspoons

Hoison Sauce - 1/4 Cup

Soy Sauce - 2 Tablespoons

Sesame Oil - 2 Teaspoons

Brown Sugar - 1 Tablespoon

Salt - 1/2 Teaspoon

Garlic Powder - 1 Teaspoon

Chili Powder - 1-1/2 Teaspoons

Water Chestnuts - 1 (8oz) Can drained and chopped

Grated Carrots - 1-1/2 Cups

White Mushrooms - 2 Cups Chopped

Hearts of Romaine - 1 Bag

93% Lean Ground Turkey - 1 pound

In a bowl, whisk the sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, hoison sauce, salt, garlic powder and chili powder. Once its all mixed up set it to the side.

Put a little olive oil into a large skillet and turn it on medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook for 5 minutes, break up meat with wooden spoon. Add the chopped up mushrooms and cook for 3minutes, make sure you stir it frequently. Watch and make sure all the pink is cooked out of the Turkey and that the mushrooms have started to get soft. Now its time to stir in your sauce mixture. Cook it for about 3minutes until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Finally, add the carrots and water chestnuts into the mixture, give it a nice stir and then remove it from the heat. 

This mixture will serve 4 people and it comes out to about 355 calories which includes 6 Hearts of Romaine Leaves. I hope you all try this and let me know what you think.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

(Image from Adventures in LuLuLand) 

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? Would you change your skin type, your crooked or stained teeth, your eye color or height? For me, I would change my weight. I've been heavy for more than half my life, I don't even remember what it's like to be normal sized. The thing about wanting to change something about yourself, like your weight for example, is that a lot of times it is possible... that wish is something that you can make a reality. Now there are a few things I mentioned above that may take a bit of creative thinking to change, like changing your height or eye color... heels and contacts are the solutions that come to mind for me. Hahah With the other things I mentioned it takes a lot of time and discipline, but they are possible. The problem is that it is a process. In this instant world anything that takes more than 5min doesn't satisfy us. But there isn't a magical wish, where poof, I am a healthier me and your a blemish free you. The process is the important part and it is also where I always find myself floundering. I've made choices in the past and started different diet plans but none of them lasted because I wasn't disciplined. Even though I said I wanted to be healthier, skinnier. My actions were working against my so called desires. I lost sight of my goal because I was focused on the sacrifice. It is in the process where we create new habits and break old ones. It is in the process where we see the benefit of sticking with something and pushing through obstacles. Yes, we have to give things up but what you get in return is always better.

I'm in the beginning stages of my process. At the beginning of February I started to cut back my daily calories, down to 1200 a day. I started keeping a food journal with an app called, My Fitness Pal. I started replacing my diet soda and Starbucks coffee with water and cutting out most fast food and replacing it with meals made at home. All of these actions weren't easy for me, but as I made them I kept reminding myself why I was making them. Reminding myself what I wanted for myself, a healthier life. One without limits because of my weight or the width of my hips. So far I am 14LBS down. It is a step in the right direction and the choices I started making in February that were hard for me are now coming easier to me in March.

I've reached my first plateau, I've held firm at 14LBS down for the last 2weeks. I know this means two things... I need to stay focused and push through and I need to stir up my routine. So, this is my first step to stir things up. I've decided to start writing about my weight-loss. Not because I think my journey is special but because I know there are so many others out there in the same boat as me and I know accountability and encouragement are lifeblood when it comes to facing trials. My second step was to add more activity into my every day. Today for example I took a 30min walk with the pup and I did 30min of Zumba. Last week I was keeping steady at 20min of activity a day.

In February my church did a series called Bod4God, we were challenged as the body of Christ to check ourselves and our hearts on whether or not we were a true reflection of God. As a christian it is important to recognize that your life is not your own, you've given it to a higher purpose. The term christian means to be Christ-like. That applies to how you talk, what you do and how you live. I don't want my physical body to limit what the Lord can do with me here on earth. At the beginning of March we started a 12week Bod4God small group that meets every week. We are going through the Bod4God book and then discussing our personal journeys to living a healthier, Godlier life. This group has been such an encouragement to me. Our Pastor, has personally lost over 30lbs in the last two months and he has been an amazing example to us. I feel like the online world has the ability to be a support group like this small group. I know I'm coming back to blogging at a time where it has reached its peak and I am excited because that means there are lots of you out there.

This is my journey through the process.