weekend whatevers

1. My sister, Tamaron, had her first baby! A little boy. Ok, not too little…8.8 lbs! Named Conrad. The 8th grandkid for my parents. He is just too too cute…

and it kills me that they are in Arizona, so I probably won’t see him until maybe this summer…

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2. Lesson learned: Sometimes expensive is often cheaper. AKA: Buy once and buy GOOD!   …quality that won’t break the pocketbook too much or need to be replaced soon or ever.

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3. Other lesson learned: If you give your children everything they want, they will grow up always wanting.

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4. My LESS-STRESS thinking lately:

i hate school, but i’ve decided to learn to learn, not to pass a test. it’s helping me enjoy classes more and not worry so much about the perfect A.

let things go. forgive. i know of no one who is perfect, especially myself, so why point fingers or criticize? no matter our age, we are all still making mistakes just like the next. talk about a stress reliever//burden lifter …let your grudges GO!

again…NO ONE is perfect or has it all together. stop comparing. stop judging.

my stress and frustration only mean i need to quit thinking about it. i need a breather from myself! so… think of someone else, do something thoughtful or nice for them. pay a visit. make a phone call. listen. be a friend.

don’t be blind. open my eyes to the world around me. family. friends. other people have feelings and needs too. not just me.

money doesn’t grow on trees, i know…BUT, as one of my “Guatemalteca” mission companions once told me, “if you’re always worried about money, you’ll never have enough!”  …think about it.

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5.

…and make your dreams happen!

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6.

i’m hating utah snow right now. can i please have a mini greenhouse?!

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7. i love my husband. everyday i realize just how lucky i am for someone SO patient with me and SO forgiving of my quirks and crankiness and SO affectionate.

……look! …it’s us and kitty. …atop our future house in the country?

love, whit

the WORST foods you can eat

i had a three hour layover in Denver the other day. what did i do?

i spent it reading health food magazines. ha!

which is a good thing, because it rekindled my “i’m going to be a healthy eater” drive.

ok, i’m not really a terribly unhealthy eater. in fact, i blow more money on fresh produce and healthier options than i can afford. but, there ARE some things now that i’m going to avoid even more so…and need to cut out! say “NO!” to processed crap!

what are they?

the WORST foods you can eat (some very OBVI):

1. margarine -  stick with butter…the REAL thing

2. soda – (even ASPARTAME – which is basically in all artificial sweeteners, is very bad for you – aka – DIET/ZERO sodas)

3. potato chips – said to be one of the main foods that people tend to overeat. and horrible for you. (well duh! but ugh! no more flaming hot cheetos or pringles?! james can attest to my latest pringle addiction)

4. doughnuts – yes, whitney, that includes maple bars.

5. low-fat foods -  cookies, snacks, salad dressings, yogurt, and other processed foods with the “low-fat” label use substitutes that are worse than choosing to buy the real/natural/unprocessed food option.

6. processed meats /hotdogs – packed with sodium and unhealthy who-knows-what. (J-DAWGS!!! – nooooo!!!)

7. frozen meals – just stay away from them! even low-fat ones are heavily processed and loaded with sodium and preservatives.

8. processed cheeses/dips – like cheez whiz – gross. don’t eat it.

9. french fries! - go for the homemade/baked ones

10. microwave popcorn = NOT your healthy snack alternative. trans fat and sodium! unless it’s plain/you add your own flavors or you carefully read the label first.

other things to note…

- avoid processed bacon. and be wary of how much bacon you eat when you do. (oh, i LOVE my bacon!)

- blended coffee drinks – SO bad for you! i don’t have a problem with these. but someone who reads this might and should reconsider : )

- high fructose corn syrup….

- AGAVE NECTAR! who knew?! it’s supposedly the “healthy” all-natural sweetener. but it has the highest amount of fructose!

- artificial coloring, sodium nitrate/nitrite, MSG, and refined oils.….check your food labels for them = BAD FOR YOU!

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i could eat like this and be WAY happy….

anyway… this is my resolve to eat better.

of course, we all deserve a treat now and again. but really…if you stick to healthy REAL foods…those are what become the “treats” and you don’t crave the other stuff. true story.

i talk like i’m profesh at this, and i’m not. but i know it happens. and i’ve learned to prefer the real stuff more. i just need to get better at it.

….starting..now!…

love, whit

that time i tried to go on a diet

 

 HAVE YOU EVER GONE ON A DIET??? i haven’t. ever. i like eating way too much. i’m rather food obsessed actually, and i love cooking. especially since the invention of pinterest and my discovering foodgawker.com. what GREAT time wasters! though healthy eating is big for me, so it’s not like i’m overweight or anything. i have just never really been able to restrict myself from eating something i want. ha! i just make sure i exercise so i can…which is how it should be, right?

WELL…i decided to do this diet i found. it claims to make you lose 10 lbs in a week! dream come true! it seems healthy…fruits, veggies, that kind of thing: READ ABOUT IT HERE.

thus it happened: the non-dieting whitney went extra-fruit-and-veggie shopping, stocked the fridge, and decided to give it a go.

UGH is all i can say. disaster.

i am just NOT the diet type of person. the first day: all fruit, nothing else. i had a whole carton of strawberries..papaya…red grapefruit…grapes…and yet i felt so empty all day. just making endless trips to the bathroom. it was like i had nothing inside of me. ick. you know how in movies or commercials the food will start talking to people and calling their name – just INTICING you to eat them? OH EM GEE that happens! i can now say i’ve experienced it first hand. my dove chocolates and fruit snack stash at work were staring at me with their big Pixar puppy eyes. horrible feeling. so i ended up going home and eating myself a big bowl of cooked cabbage. yes, a healthy choice still. but it filled me up which is what i wanted. and… i ruined the “all fruit” day. whatever. not that bad of a cheat, right?

day two: a baked potato for breakfast (i was allowed one “pat” of butter…and i may or may not have exaggerated how big a “pat” is) and then only all veggies all day. let me tell you that baked potato tasted like a gift from the gods! i was feeling good. i steamed a mother load of fresh broccoli and cauliflower for lunch. and even had some zuchinni, cabbage ( i really like cabbage), mushrooms, and onions (all lightly cooked together, i’m so classy with my veggies)….but then i started to be just sick of it. and again…i was peeing like no other. everything i ate went straight through me. i was feeling empty and with no energy. who would’ve thunk such a “healthy diet” would do that? i attempted (yes, attempted. i always feel like a fool) yoga and then 3o mins at the gym….but felt like a weakling. NO energy. and empty. go figure, i went home and ate some carrots….with hummus! HA. yes, i dunked those carrots in that hummus…big scoops with no shame. i’m pretty sure protein is no-no for this stage in the diet….but i felt so sick without it. and…i was craving something with flavor. hummus is divine!

day three: TODAY. i’m realizing how bad i suck at following a diet. only fruits and veggies. not bad, thing is i woke up feeling nauseous. to the point where i could hardly stay standing. i was shaky and miserable and had to keep sitting down or laying on my bed in the process of trying to get ready for work. i ate some fruit in the car on my way to work, but i still felt like i had no energy and sick to my stomach. maybe people who diet all the time are used to this kind of thing?? i read about a model who would only eat an english muffin and water every day – half in the morning and half later in the day….but to me, it’s just not worth it (though i really didn’t think just fruits and veggies would do this to me – my mom seems to be fine and she’s doing it as well). anyway…i said forget this and drank one of my Odwalla vanilla protein shakes. good for energy. and i feel like a million bucks now! yes, it’s against my diet. oh. well. then after eating my container of fruit and a petite vinegar dressed salad for lunch (that’s all you’re ‘allowed’ on salads) – my goldfish that i keep at my desk were calling for me. cheddar blasted and pretzel mixed. who could resist! …so of course i had a handful …or so. then 3 or 4 (maybe 5) of my dark chocolate covered almonds made their way into my mouth too. let’s admite it, i’m SUCH a good dieter!

tonight was a girl’s friday night at the mall of georgia with Paige. shopping and a movie (This Means War – such a fantastic rom-com, i recommend it!)…and i may or may not have had some chick-fil-a chicken strips with a coke zero. the “zero” in coke zero means zero cals…just in case you didn’t know.

whatevs. i’m still continuing with the diet schedule and we’ll see what happens. i maintain i will still lose weight even with my cheating. diets are so stupid. besides…i’ll be at the gym tomorrow. and “only” eating bananas, milk, and some no-cal soup. gross, right? i know. but don’t worry, i have things under control…i still have some leftover wild blueberry white chocolate cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory in my fridge if i really need it.

OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS:

1. i just might need this fantastic bathing suit (anthropologie)

2. i’m moving. to Utah. Provo specifically. in mid April. at my ripe old age, i’m embarking on the “get my degree” journey. i’ve mapped out my graduation plan and should be done in exactly two years. dear heavens i hope so. i’m in it to win it!

3. i’m very much looking forward to this change in scenery and daily activity. and even more stoked about living with my lovely Chelsea Vose! not to mention…being just minutes from so many other people that are on my favorites list that i rarely see because i’ve been so far away east coast bumming it for the last two years. (was that a run-on sentence? probs. whatevs.)

4. Waffle House gives me THE biggest stomach ache every time i go. but i never hesitate to go when an opportunity suggests it!

5. before being utah bound, i’m florida bound. for the beach, to be exact! YESSSS. talk about a much needed week vacay in early april. it’s Paige’s spring break, and there is just no better way to spend it.

6. maybe i’ll actually get a tan??? it’s been so long since my skin has been any shade darker than pale. ha. i used to work as a county lifeguard and swim instructor for a few years – in the sun EVERY DAY and i was still made fun of for being so white. i’ve learned to embrace my complexion. though, basking in the rays in still worth a shot. can’t wait.

7. this means my “beach bod” needs some work as well. since i’ve been home from Italy, my gym attendance is PATHETIC. where i used to go and stay at least an hour – often Zumba and then some miles on the treadmill….now i’m doing good to make once or twice a week and feeling done after 30 minutes – HA! so it’s time to get myself back in the swing of things. obvi. not to mention i’m going to get so skinny being on this diet

8. for the last FIVE years of my life, i’ve found myself in distance relationships. six and a half years total – because i attempted one in my early college years as well. why would i do that to myself??? i don’t know! it just always happens! it’s like i can’t find someone i’m interested in that actually lives in the same state. i got pretty used to the distance thing. but i am so over it now. i want nothing more than to find a decent boy – that makes me happy – that i can actually spend my weekends with. i’m hoping utah will do that for me. dream big, right? my previous wishing holds true.

love, whit

fitspiration and health

…getting motivated…

some days i’m pumped. many days i’m lazy. though things like this help get me going:

don’t know your BMI (body mass index) and want to? go HERE – and find where your healthy weight ranks

love, whit

out with the old IN with the new! best of 2011. goals 2012.

it’s that time…the LAST WEEK of 2011! icanhardlybelieveit.

let’s review 2011. last january started off with snow and ice:

but spring came…so did family…and the Atlanta, GA lds temple re-opened!

the temple made it possible for our friends to become a forever family!:

i turned 24:

the summer’s garden was a success:

(some of the first fruits!)…cinnamon and kids came to visit…we enjoyed july 4th together

(and i succumbed and chopped off all my hair)

my two best friends had their FIRST babies in the same week! i took prego pics of both:

and my SISTER had her fourth…happy new little nephew to ME…this is miles august ayres:

me and miles…i made it back to utah after like 4 years…for B’s wedding! and a reunion of friends:

mine and elissa’s reunion was WAY overdue.

same with ry guy.

and i even MET my blog bestie in PERSON!! miss chelsea vose.

and the year got even better, joe beau came to visit…

and as you just saw..Christmas came, and so did my favorite Virginia family.

i try to reflect on the last year and it’s happenings. funny how it always feels like so long ago and yet also that the year sped by. i had to reference back to my old 2011 NEW YEAR blog post to see my list, how far i’ve come and what progress was made.

so, referring back to that list of goals, i DID in  R E V I E W:

- take more pictures: purchased a DSLR which was a major catalyst

- be more social? …eh, yes and no! haha.

- get back to school: i DID take some online classes in 2011. got a 4.0 in them! win!

- get in shape?: i joined a gym and fell in love with zumba. i would say a definite improvement/obsession for a healthier lifestyle was made. win!

- i HAVE done some painting in 2011. wish i’d done more.

- did i make it back to Puerto Rico? pick-up my old guitar skillz? or was there a boda? no, no, and…no. life goes on.

all in all, 2011 was a rough year for me. no lies. and although there weren’t many HUGE events for me…there was a lot of personal reflection and growth. i feel i have come a long way (but still with a long way to go). i feel i am so much more honest with myself and much more trusting in God and His timing. i also was employed full-time all of 2011…and blessed with a great job this year, too! i will count my blessings.

as for my Whitney Tutt 2011 BEST OF list…looking back, i have very little to offer as far as movies and music and all of that this year. so…please excuse my pathetic list.

MY top 2011 album releases:

haha…love how i had to throw in the Biebs there.

Feist, Wilco, Coldplay, and Adele all had noteworthy album releases in 2011 as well. I just haven’t spent too much time listening to them to be able to properly rate them. OH…and Pitbull…Planet Pit has some good ones! ha!

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M O V I E S. i was the worst at seeing movies in 2011. but i did make it to THE END:

also, of course i saw the new Twilight. i should be ashamed of the few times i made it to the theater this year. i didn’t see the new X-Men. or Green Lantern. or Thor. or Cowboys and Aliens. or Bridesmaids. or The Adjustment Bureau. or…well. what DID i see?

that i can remember…Limitless. Fast Five. Super 8. Something Borrowed. Pirates 3. HP7. Breaking Dawn. Jane Eyre.

oh…i did thoroughly love this movie, if you have even heard of it, came out in Feb:

and, i’m such a fan of the 80′s classic, i loved the new one:

so, that’s that.

B O O K S!

my 2011 favvy:

and that concludes my 2011 review.

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NOW

time for my 2012 goals. considering the last couple months of 2011 have been rather positive. it gives me hope for the NEW YEAR!

i mean, i WILL be spending my first two weeks of the new year in Italy. what better way to ring in 2012?! i feel like the year will be as eventful as it’s start.

2012 GOALS:

1. Thanksgiving Day half-marathon (with my sisters, that’s the plan)

2. maintain health and fitness (which will be needed to accomplish #1 – i also have new yoga dvds i need to try more regularly)

3. allow my hair to grow out at least long enough for a ponytail. ha! dye it less.

4. be more assertive

5. work on my sewing skills

6. practice piano often

7. maintain an eternal perspective

8. develop my art more – paint/draw more (aka: spend less time on Pinterest and more time actually DOING the great ideas)

9. complete one book a month

10. notice/do more for others. serve.

11. try a new recipe each month (i have so many “pending” to be attempted)

12. figure out my “continuing education” plan

13. travel somewhere new

14. work on my “technical” photography knowledge

15. true love

…i think i can handle those. realistic. attainable. worth it. i’m ready.

2012…bring it!

love, whit

take note for 2012 – a new year!

i came across this and found it fascinating…thankyou, media, for our skewed image perceptionlove, whit

what a weekend! life plans. excitement.

here’s my latest update…

1 – i’m moving to utah. WHOA, i know. there’s a lot that has happened that gives me the “yes” feeling about this. and pointing me straight there. though i get this feeling that God has an interesting sense of humor…and likes to tell me to change my plans a lot right in the brink of time just to see if i’ll listen. we’ll see if he pulls another tricky one on me.

but for now…Utah it is. school starts in spring!

2 – mom’s out of town again this year for Thanksgiving. visiting her parents that she worries oh-so-much about. i’m glad she’ll get to spend this time with them….as of yesterday, turns out gramps is really sick. and it’s not looking good at all. prayers please.

3 – this weekend i prayed for something specific. kind of ridiculously specific. and just plain ridiculous. i felt so ridiculous about it. ridiculous! (how many times should i say it?!)

and well, the very same day. that night. God granted it. and i ..could NOT.. believe it. at all.  i still cannot get over it. ….really?!? wow.

4 – i’m feeling a sudden urge to want/need to visit portland

5 – i’m so tired during the day….but then night comes…and it’s proving difficult to get myself to bed at a decent hour.

6 – i’ve OD’d on japanese dumplings all weekend.

7 – i bought a $150 CHI ULTRA for $80. WIN!

8 – i’ve failed to mention that in my trip to utah, i met my #1 blog bestie in PERSON! we are real life friends now. i love blogging for this very reason! (her version of the story HERE … i’ve yet to blog mine. obvi.)

ok…

love, whit

ps – a couple utah pics, just because i hate not having pics…

the wedding day brides maids bunch:

and this reunion was lovely…nate…georgia misses him. aka, i do.

stress. what’s my deal?!

have you ever had those days..weeks..MONTHS where you just can’t feel at EASE??!

i mean, yeah…we all stress out now and again. if you don’t ever, i’m envious, PLEASE tell how you manage that!!? i stress more than i should anyway. i over-analyze and over think and turn little things into a BIG DEAL. in a nutshell – i’m female. and i have a slight inkling that some of it’s genetic…am i blaming my mother? not necessarily…but half of my “being” comes from her…and if you knew her, you’d see why i reason this way.

point being: if it’s not one thing – it’s another. and sometimes i’ll go DAYS feeling on edge or just like there is something looming in my life that doesn’t allow me to be fully at peace … and i won’t even know what that is!! so i have to actually take a time-out to stop and analyze my life to see WHAT it is that’s somehow, in the back of my mind, stressing me out.

and sometimes it’s something SO SILLY!!!

anyway…i’m feeling that now. the past few days i’m just TIRED all the time, yet i sleep plenty at night. i haven’t been to the gym in 11 days…yes, i went to Utah AND i’ve been sick. but still. that’s always a good “out” for me and relaxes me. i have headaches. even though i’m tired, my mind is just antsy and cannot focus – it flits from one thing to another. nothing sounds good to eat, i’m getting a picky palate. i’m irritable. i’m ok – i mean, lately i feel TERRIBLY blessed and happy about things….but at the same time, stressed and irritable about so much.

i’m at the point of having to write it all out. put in little simple baby steps what i need to do to “lighten my load”. which to some, probably isn’t EVEN a load.

so this is me, trying to figure out my stress sources right now:

1 – i’m suddenly feeling compelled to, yet again, change my life plans. this item alone has A LOT of sub-categories to it that i won’t go into now.

2 – i’ve realized my Italy trip is only less than 6 weeks away and i haven’t booked/purchased ANYTHING apart from my flight – rail passes, hotels, mini-tours, other passes/events, airport transportation and other things… which entails finalizing the itinerary and how long will be spent in each city and in what order. i have a good idea, just need to sit down and DO it.

3 – upcoming school plans for 2012.

4 – finances. my budget. i’m not in debt at all, i’m actually completely paid off in student loans and everything…but i still worry about how much i’m saving/spending. and about the things i’m saving up for. and the fact that i don’t have a retirement plan yet or any sort of account with compound interest.

5 – keeping in touch with people. a lot of people from my mission. or even other friends… i get easily stressed about overdue phone calls/emails/texts or my delay/lack in responding to them. i’m not good at that.

6 – whenever i have upcoming “photography gigs” (which i LOVE!) i always stress beforehand about lighting and how they’ll turn out. i can’t help it. it’s like i always second guess myself that i even know what i’m doing. that stupid voice in my head that i wish i could slaughter. and yes, i have some coming up.

7 – i have some relationships in my life that now and again pop into my day and overly stress me. and i worry about my relationships with people, how i treat them, the things i say, how i react to how they treat me, when it’s OK to let go and move on.

8 – all the little things i like/want/need to do that aren’t stressful but sit in the back of my head and end up unintentionally making me feel like i’m not getting things done…..like the 5 books i’ve started to read and haven’t finished, and the 6 others i’ve bought and haven’t started. the fact that i haven’t been to the gym in so long or to Zumba class. i’ll be SO ready for bed and it’s late when i realize i haven’t read my scriptures or done anything that day of the sort. i have unfinished paintings, i have unfinished projects- a stack of picture frames i bought for my room still sit on the floor next to my desk because i can’t decide how to utilize them/place them on my wall. i always feel i need to draw/paint more to develop my skills. i always remember i don’t practice the piano hardly…ever.

9 – though i’m rather content with it…the fact that i don’t exactly have close friends here or ever even care to socialize…in essence, bothers me.

10 – being too tired sometimes to do any of the above.

11 – bad hair days. bad face days.

12 – my age.

13 – the economy.

14 – whether or not i’m doing the right thing with my life.

15 – lately, mingling. i won’t even bother explaining. haha.

well, i think that about covers everything that is stuck in the back of my head. i understand that having “things to do” is a normal aspect of life. but sometimes…the list gets longer than i’d like. and…stresses me out. HA! go figure.

i’m a mess! i know. whatever.

once i start checking things off…i can rest easier.

this is a step in the right direction i suppose.

love, whit

be healthy. FITspiration!

 

love, whit

The Beatles were right…

i have come to the conclusion that The Beatles were right – love is all you need – or, all you need is love!

yes, the world has so much to offer, but #1- are things of this world REALLY that important because #2 – there’s something far greater than this world. and i do believe that love will get us the second and make the first more worthwhile.

everybody, whether they like to admit it or not, lives to love and be loved. we could even say that we live because we are loved…

i mean, look at where it all started. love first came from our Father in heaven who created us – and put us here in this life to learn something. that thing is love.

like everything else in life, love is a choice. and i…choose love.

why? it makes everything better!

love understands imperfection. love will make me kind, even if a person is entirely rude to me.

love will make me patient and caring. love will teach me to sacrifice and to give. love will make my life no longer be about me.

love is the over-powering SUPERNOVA of all emotions. it really is! where there’s love, there’s also hope. love overrides bitterness and anger. love brings peace and joy. love has perspective and can see beyond the surface – beyond that superficial and trivial stuff.

i don’t know who said, but i read it somewhere and really like it, “too often we waste time looking for a perfect lover instead of creating a perfect love.” – SO true.

but apart from that MUSHY-GUSHY love stuff is the other love that makes every day great.

like a love to LEARN and CRAVE NEW THINGS – to set goals and go for them. to make the most of situations and time. right now, i couldn’t be MORE ecstatic about planning my Europe trip. to travel. to experience. to enjoy the life i have.

i choose love because it lets me appreciate. appreciate little things – everyday mundane things. places. people. friendships.

i LOVE friendships. the conversations. the company. the goodness in them. just this weekend i was talking to a friend about how, for a long time there, i hadn’t felt like myself…he mentioned that for a while i used to argue with him a lot about petty things. i felt horrible and apologized, yet he giggled and said, “it’s ok whitney, i’m in it for the long haul.”

i feel really blessed to have a handful of people like that in my life. people who accept me even when i’m crazy or at my crappiest. and i want to be a person that can love people even when they treat me crappy, too. we all have our down moments. regardless, you know what they say, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” so i refuse to play that game. make the world a better place, yah know?

i guess what i’m trying to say is – that’s the attitude of love. throwing out the bad and embracing the good.

and then, even the little things. i mean, the really little things that i love give life an extra bit of joy.

like, for instance, these shoes…and those tights! they make me so happy, in a way that only some may comprehend

or the love of creating. that gratification of making something useful or pretty. or maybe just to let out a little inner satisfaction. …

ie: i’m going to have to do this in the upcoming month – LOVE it! …

or you know the goodness you feel when you eat something you absolutely LOVE? haha…i feel that. asian lettuce wraps, among other things, do that to me…

i also love browsing through book stores, painting my nails, and growing a garden. and photography. i LOVE photography. so why not go back to school and get a degree in it? well, i’m going to. can’t wait!

find what you love – and do it.

maybe i am just a cheesy/crazy “peace, love, & flowers” kind of girl … but, i truly believe that love – in ALL of it’s finest forms – is all you need. so go get some!

[ i did not mention it entirely, but looking at that first and great commandment to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, might, mind, and strength" and then to "love thy neighbor as thyself" would, in a nutshell - if done correctly, encompass everything and accomplish all of what i've been saying...but...instead of raving about that and how it works for who knows how long, i'll just throw it in here at the end ]

love, whit