Honest. {Day 1}

I've really been struggling with how I look for about the last month. I've been working out, and eating healthy but I still feel sad with how I look. I'm going to be using this space as a daily happy log for about the next month. It will probably be superficial and narcissistic about how I look, but I want to feel happy with myself again. So here goes Day 1.



1. I'm having a great hair day. My hair is falling like Jennifer Anniston's on her final season of Friends. And I love my color. It's faded to a super warm and pretty auburn.

Today, I feel happy to have pretty hair.

Sometimes words make me feel okay.

You do not have to be good. 
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves. 
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. 
Meanwhile the world goes on.   
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain   
are moving across the landscapes,   
over the prairies and the deep trees,   
the mountains and the rivers.   
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, 
are heading home again.   
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, 
the world offers itself to your imagination, 
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place 
in the family of things.

-Mary Oliver

And by the way sweetcheeks, I'm real too.

10 points to whoever can name where that quote is from!!

But in all seriousness I wanted to discuss something that has been bothering me recently. I've seen it on several blogs, and it's getting my goat. (Ha! See what I did there?)

Girls are so MEAN to each other. SO mean. There are a few specific things that have been really hurtful to me recently that need to be talked about. So without further ado, here is a list of things we have to stop saying to each other.

***

She is so fake/I hate fake people. I'm sorry. Are they made of plastic or vinyl? Last time I checked, all of us have skin, organs, brains, and most importantly feelings. Just because someone doesn't feel comfortable "being real" with you, or would rather talk about cosmetics than emotional traumas doesn't make them fake.

 I am guilty of calling other girls and women fake. A lot of the time, it's because I'm jealous of a quality they have. They are beautiful, have a perfect body (according to me), understand how to take the perfect instagram picture and have a big following. I was recently accused of being fake, and it hurt. Really bad actually. But I'm in a different place now. I don't feel comfortable exposing my vulnerabilities to everyone, and light topics like exercise and hobbies are much easier to carry.


You don't breastfeed? You probably aren't trying hard enough. I'm going to start by saying that I don't have children, and therefore don't have much of an opinion on breastfeeding/formula feeding. I just think as long as you are feeding your child and keeping them healthy, that's what matters. I've had several friends who tried so hard to breastfeed. But they had babies in the NICU, were in school full time, or the baby simply couldn't latch, and had to formula feed.

First of all, formula is insanely expensive. I know a lot of women that wish they could breastfeed for budget reasons alone. Not only that, but I've had friend approached in the grocery store while buying formula, and told that their baby was going to be stupid or not as healthy. Or that they were selfish. Why is this socially acceptable? Why are Mama's not looking out for each other? It's insane to me.


Body Shaming/Having a "real" body. Body shaming makes me crazy. CRAZY. Some people are naturally skinny. And that's okay. Some people like working out and being muscle-y. That's okay. Some people love their fat curvy bodies. That's okay.

 Stop telling skinny girls to eat hamburgers. Stop telling fit girls they are working out too much and going to get injured (they know what they are doing a hell of a lot more than you do.) Stop telling fat curvy girls that they are lazy and unmotivated. Stop making the word fat derogatory.


***

Love each other. Be kind to one another. (:




All my love,


Alex


XOXO

Silver Linings.

Silver Linings Playbook is debatably in my top 5 favorite movies. I love the characters of Patrick (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) and the normalcy of craziness that the movie creates. (Because let's face it. Everybody is a little crazy.) There is a quote in the movie that continues to stick with me. "This is what I learned at the hospital. You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining."

I've had a weirdly hard week. I haven't had anything in particular that has been extra hard, I've just felt depressed, anxious, and so frustrated. And I don't even know why. I don't really have a good reason. Jealousy has been a feeling I've been struggling with recently. I don't know if I'm craving change, or if I fear it. It's easy to live vicariously through others with social media, and it's been fueling some negativity for me recently. So I'm going back to basics. I'm writing on my blog today, like I used to write on my old one. Where I'm honest, raw, and just myself. (I've been myself up to this point, but I avoid negative topics as much as possible.)  And right now, I just need a few reasons to be happy TODAY. I need a shot a silver lining. So I'm making one of those stupid lists. Things I'm grateful for. Things I want to accomplish. The whole bit.


I have:

-The greatest husband who is always striving to be a better person, and is so unconditional with me, that I get to love forever
-A little puppy dog named Moose who always knows when I'm sad, and snuggles me, makes me laugh, and is getting smarter each day
-My dream home. Honestly. It's every thing I've ever wanted, and then some
-A wonderful mother who is always there for me. She is my confidante, and my dearest friend
-An incredible daddy who calls me on layovers, just to see how I'm doing, and always knows a great read
-Siblings I can count on. Three of them. PJ-the best, wisest, wittiest, nicest older brother. Sara-the kindest, most sincere, funniest, prettiest, smartest older sister. And Sophie-the sweetest, most hilarious, goofy, beautiful, genuine-ist baby sister
-Suzi Crist- best friends since 4, making retarded jokes since 14
-Sariah Saili- Sweet, consistent, hilarious, beautiful, and someone that will talk to me for 3 hours just because.
-My health: It was such a struggle in 2013/early 2014. I'm getting close to celebrating a year of great health. And it feels so good
-My wonderful in-laws- we always have so much fun together
-My bed who has given me many hours of delightful sleep
-Tv-most importantly Netfix. Hours and hours of entertainment
-God. Even though I struggle, and I'm not perfect, He loves me. And that's always enough

I want to:

-Be able to climb a V4-V5 handily by April
-Lose 20-25 pounds (3 dress sizes) by April (for those of you concerned, that's 5 pounds a month, or a pound a week. Totally healthy weight loss.)
-Run a 10K
-Learn how to lead climb
-Climb outside. Lots.
-Play around in Moab with PJ and Toots
-Finish setting up my art studio, and actually start painting
-Dye my hair red, or just like Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook (I'm OBSESSED with her hair in that movie.)
-Pierce my nose or get a new tattoo
-Take my modeling to the next level. Maybe even sign with an agency
-Learn how to code, and make a bitchin' blog
-Take Dave to Seattle and through the Redwood Forest
-Visit Portland, OR
-Go to Las Vegas for my 21st Birthday
-Go to NC, see Suzanna for the first time in 2.5 years, and see her graduate from UNCW (and also meet her boyfriend Kevin)
-Disneyland annual passes...again.
-Go to Disneyworld
-Travel Europe-Specifically: Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Greece (Santorini), and Romania


This is making me feel a little better. Especially when I look at my goals. There is a lot I want to accomplish, and I think I'm going to add a bucket list to this blog. Give myself regular things to look forward to. The beginning of the year is always a crappy time for me, I just get bluesy and blah. So I'm ready to start looking for my silver linings.

All my love,

Alex


XOXO

Dave sent me this:
Moosie sleeping in the yard with his favorite toys...the hose, and a giant plank of wood. Hahaha.

Dog named Moose.

Name: Moose
Occupation: Dog/Brittany Spaniel
Humans: Dave and Alex
Hobbies and interest: Going for runs with Dave, snuggles, treats, playing with Jack, sleeping in awkward positions, drinking obscene amounts of water, playing with (destroying) my Tauntaun squeaky toy
Dislikes: Crate time, being alone, the grumpy bulldog on the other side of the fence

The day we picked up Moose!!!



Bringing Moose Home!!

I have been meaning to post about this for ages now. (Well, about a week to be honest.) WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DOG!! His name is Moose. And he gets me. He is perfect for our little family in every single way, and I truly believe it was fate that we got him when we did.

Dave and I have always known we were going to get a dog. We're both dog people. I'm that person that approaches every dog that passes me, and wants to take it home. I've grown up with dogs my entire life. I knew I wanted to raise my children around dogs. We were going to wait until spring to get a puppy. We wanted a black lab puppy, and we wanted a teeny tiny 8 week old baby to raise ourselves.


And then I met Moose.

I was driving back through Spanish Fork after finishing a root canal procedure (yuck!). I was driving down a long road, when I saw a little puppy dart across the road, narrowly missing getting hit. He was little, skinny, and sniffing around. I knew he was completely lost. I pulled over, and called him over. He would approach me, and then take off in the other direction. We played this cat/mouse game for about five minutes until he hung out by a chain link fence, looking down into the water canal. He let me approach him and pet him. He loved being pet. And he was so soft.

"You're little and lost. You're coming with me buddy!" I told him,  and scooped him into my arms, and placed him in my car. He hung out on my front seat just looking at me. I pet him, and let him know that I would be bringing him home as soon as I could. He fell asleep on the seat. I was completely in love.

With a heavy heart, I took him to the South Utah Valley Animal Shelter. I knew that if he were mine, I would come looking for him. So if he had a family, they were probably worried and would call the shelter. I filled out his intake form...and an adoption form. "If his family doesn't come for him, he is coming home with me." I told the receptionist over and over. A woman came to take Moose back to isolation. I gave him a quick pet and a kiss, and he was gone.

Later that night, I told Dave about my adventures.

"Babe, don't get attached. We're not getting that dog."

"Yes, we are." I replied.

(It's worth mentioning that he was looking up info about Moose's breed later that night.)

Dave rolled over the following morning, and asked me.

"But what if he doesn't like Burr-burr?" (Burr is our rabbit.)

I knew we were getting that dog
.







































Over the next few days I was telling everyone I knew about this little guy that I loved. I was also compulsively checking the website, to make sure he was still listed. I called the animal shelter every day to check on him, and make sure he was alright. He had to be in the animal shelter for 5 business days to allow the owners enough time to claim him.

In that five days Dave finished our fence, and closed off the back yard.

The night before we got to bring Moose home, we went out to buy food, a pillow, leash, harness, car seat cover, collar, and his little name tag. We knew his name was going to be Moose.


December 3, 2014 we finally got to bring Moose home! He was ours. And he was so happy. We filled out a ton of paperwork, and the brought him forward to meet us. He remembered me! He crawled into my arms, and insisted on belly rubs, and non stop loving!

We've only had Moose for a few weeks but he is already my baby. And Dave's baby. We love him so much! Moose has been our missing puzzle piece. And he's so smart! He is already potty trained, and he didn't have any accidents in the house. (Except for one little tinkle at my Mom's...) He learned his name in 1 day. And he is starting to sit on command. We're still working on that one. Be prepared to hear about Moose lots. He's my favorite furry guy!!!

All my love,

Alex

XOXO

Moose LOVES Uncle Jack

Just a little Conehead

He's a selfie EXPERT!

Just my Sleepy Dude

My dead Flower Blog

I'm trying to update. I really am. I have about five different posts that I'm working at simultaneously. When I've been getting home from work, I've been so exhausted. Between that, and DESPISING my computer with my whole heart (see you in hell, windows 8...) blogging only gets done when I'm feeling REAAAALLLLLLLY motivated to work past the glitchy stupid mess that is windows 8 and my laptop.


Anyway. I promise I'll get some entertaining posts up soon. You can follow me on instagram, if you really wanna stay up to date on my life.

@alexkadishuey


All my love,

Alex


XOXO

Cooking ALL THE THINGS.

*I started this post about a month ago.*

Hi. My name is Alex. I am a fast food and restaurant addict. It has been 2 days since I last ate out. Which may not seem like a big deal. But it is for me. Because I'm FINALLY cooking, and I'm actually doing it quite successfully.

It's just Dave and I right now. We don't have kids. We don't even have a dog. It's been really easy, convenient, simple, and expensive for us to eat out all the time. In the time that we lived in our apartment I probably cooked for us less than 10 times...in a year and a half!!! Why am I being so brutally honest? I'm really sick of eating out, to be honest. It isn't special and fun anymore, it's just a place to go get food. I decided that I was done. My body can't handle any more of that kind of food. Even if the stuff I make isn't necessarily low calorie, I have a little more control of what goes into it. We still maintain a date night every week, because I think it's important to keep that special. Even if it's on a Tuesday! (:

 I was at work and decided to make a menu for the week. I scoured the internet for recipes that would fit my fancy. By far, my favorite food blog is damndelicious.net. She creates delicious recipes, that ANYONE can make.

Ingredients for the Chicken and Potato Chowder!!!

Here is my menu for the week 1:

Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings
Dave loved it. I liked it okay. I cooked the chicken in the crockpot too long. I hated the texture of the meat.

Wednesday: Chicken and Potato Chowder
This was good! A nice variation of chicken noodle soup.

Thursday: Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
We've made these before. They are our favorite.

Friday: Butter Chicken
I had to look all across Utah Valley to find Garum Masala, but I did find it! At the Asian Market on 500 W and Center St. in Provo! They are the greatest store ever. They have everything. This recipe was delicious. Dave and I prepared the sauce in the morning, and our house smelled like Indian the whole day. I LOVE Indian food!!!

Saturday: DATE NIGHT!!!
Chili's!!!!

Sunday: Family Dinner (Shuey Family. Cindy cooks a wonderful meal for us each sunday night.)


Week 2:
Monday: Herb Crusted Cod

I actively searched for this recipe. I had made it for my mom and me a while back when I had found it on pinterest. It was SO GOOD. (Especially if you are a fish fan like Dave and me)

Tuesday: DATE NIGHT
Chili's!!!

 

Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Cornbread Pie

This has been debatably Dave's favorite thing I have made. I LOVED it too. The cornbread is TO DIE FOR!! I licked out the bowl! Of cornbread!!! Add more cheese to the top than the recipe calls for. I promise, you won't regret it.

Thursday: Coconut Chicken Tenders

These were somewhat of a failure. I haven't done much frying in oil. The coconut wouldn't stick. Everything got dark and messy really fast. But I'm quick on my feet. The chicken was cooked to perfection, just the breading tasted funky. So I found the simplest recipe for orange chicken sauce I could, and made orange chicken and rice instead. It was awesome!!

I used the Pioneer Woman's orange chicken sauce. It was simple, and delicious.

 

Friday: Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

This sauce melted in my mouth! It was creamy and delicious. And the shrimp was cooked to perfection. We used thin spaghetti noodles. Next time we're going to use angel hair!

Saturday: Pot Roast Sliders

Roast

Six Sisters Stuff Cook Book - page 46-
I used a different roast recipe because this roast is moist and flavorful, which is ideal for delightful sliders. I personally didn't like the horsey sauce that went with it, but I hate spices that add heat. I put a little ranch on mine, and they were great.


This week:

Monday: Honey Walnut Shrimp
These. Were. AMAZING. Holy smokes! I love honey walnut everything at Chinese restaurants, it was even better making it myself! Dave and I enjoyed the evening cooking together. Helpful hint: Don't take the walnuts out until the sugar crystalizes all over the walnuts. They are SOOOO much better that way. I also made a

Tuesday: DATE NIGHT

Chili's! We're addicted. Stop judging us!!!!

Wednesdsay: Chicken Alfredo BakeYou know those yummy chicken bakes at Costco? They are crap compared to these! And these little rolls actually refrigerate really well, and make great lunches!!! The recipe calls for 1 can of the crescent rolls. You need 2. Trust me.

 Thursday: Slow Cooker Enchiladas

I threw this all in the crocky during my lunch. It was super easy, and it smells so good. I'm excited to see how it turns out.

Friday: White Chicken Chili

I don't love chili. When I worked at Café Zupas, I loved the Chicken Tortilla Soup. It was a simple brothy soup that had a slightly spicy flavor. I'm really hoping this is similar.

Saturday: Chicken Parmesan/Marinara

I'm really excited to make this. It's super healthy! Quinoa breading!! Whaaa? PLUS homemade marinara sauce!!! I'll let you know how this goes!!!

 

 

 

That's all my recipes for now!!

 

 

All my love,

 

Alex Shuey

XOXO