Hollen Home

Laundry, Leftovers, and Life

15 January 2012

I've been thinking about what's really important in life. Is it a career? Is it a family? Is it the ability to just go to work, toil away for a few hours, and then let life begin once I exit the doors? Is it the bread baked or the laundry folded? Is it the early hours of the day when I sit and write? The date nights? The music that is still left to be written?

I just feel like a lot of us are searching for what we were meant to do. Our callings. Our passions. How many of us actually live them? What would it take to get there?

I just don't want to waste time.

I've also found that I don't live a perfect life. I can't portray that I have a perfect house, baked loaves of bread this afternoon, looked great while doing all of that, managed to work on all of the creative projects I have piling up in our sewing room, and blogged about all of it later that day.

Life is messy. I can't seem to sit down and blog everyday because, honestly, I don't have all of the perfect things to say, all of the DIYs completed, and all of the creative to do lists crossed off.

I'm just being honest. Of course, I desire to live creatively, to bake those loaves of bread, and to live the life I was meant to live. But, most often than not, I've spent the day in my pajama pants, worked through a couple loads of landry, ate leftovers from two days ago, and prepared for the long work week ahead in the cubicle life. Nothing too glamorous.

I'm just searching for what is the most important in life. One day at a time. It's not supposed to be perfect.

What Does a Career Look Like, Anyway?

07 January 2012

I get up nearly every morning (sometimes not on the weekends) and journal out my thoughts and goals for the day. I write my lists, I vent my annoyances regarding some of the things life can throw ones way, and I dream of the day when I can rid myself of the office life forever. Don't get me wrong, the job I currently hold has taught me many things, I get to work with some pretty awesome people, and it pays our bills as much as it's able to. But, there's many things missing. I work with numbers, spreadsheets, and time off requests all day. I find small triumphs in finishing a HR project or being able to balance the money for the day. Little things, baby steps.

But, that's not what I was made to do. Have I learned a lot? Of course. Do I understand far more how a business is supposed to run and have witnessed the behind the scenes operations of the day to day? Of course. But, I've come to realize that if I don't come home and do something creative (ie write a song, take a picture, decorate my house, even bake a cake) I will surely lose my mind. Numbers and spreadsheets don't cause my heart to skip a beat.

There's just so much more that I haven't embarked upon. 2012 seems already to be a time for me to prepare; for what, I'm not entirely certain, but what I do know is that I will not be tied to a cubicle for the rest of my life.

My dreams are big. I can envision the very shop I would want to curate and get my hands dirty in. The displays, the products, the music, the location, the people, the community. Would it be easy? Of course not. With the condition of the economy currently, much is at stake. But, still I dream, still I hope, still I plan.

Everyday I am making an effort to work towards my dream. I am studying like crazy, talking to people who have been there and done that, found a mentor that knows business better than anyone I've ever known, and immersing myself in the life of being a small business owner. All of this is still being done while I work away in my little office at my current place of employment. If I don't plan and research now, I won't be able to live into the dream later. Granted that may be a few years down the road, but at least I'm taking baby steps.

My friend gave this to me the other day and it really makes me think. People hear me speak of my dreams, they understand them, and want to help me meet some of them. So encouraging. So now, I plan. I dream. I hope.

Daily Vegan: My New Journey

05 January 2012

One of my goals this month is to eat vegan. I've never been much of a meat kind of girl, but giving up yogurt and cheese definitely is proving to be somewhat difficult. Overall though, I'm shocked by how much better I feel, how much higher my energy levels are, and how much more I look forward to having just a simple meal prepared by my own hands. I like the prospect of having to plan out my meals for the week and enjoy the hunt for sustainable items that are actually good for me. I am a lover of lists and in that I am a lover of creating meal plans and the leftovers that come with it.

This is a new journey for me. I have only started to research how to go about actually eating vegan and the benefits that come with it. I don't plan on getting on my soapbox to preach the reasons why I am doing this and I'm sure people have their opinions, their likes and dislikes. Others look at me like I'm crazy. But, truthfully, I'm just doing this for me. For my health. For the pure reason of knowing I'm taking little baby steps towards taking better are of myself. It feels great. At this season in my life, it feels right.

I wanted to give just a peek into what I ate today. I have really focused on making my own meals a lot more in the past few days as well because eating out without consuming animal products is something that will be difficult but I will have overcome it at some point in this journey.

But, simply for today......

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal. Having breakfast for dinner growing up was one of my favorite evening treats. I have recently discovered Ezekiel bread, almond butter, and a sliced banana to be a wonderful way to start my day. Pair that with a nice cup of french-pressed coffee and I'm ready to conquer anything life in a cubicle throws my way.

Last night I made this for dinner as well. I cooked some corn and black beans, added some spice and seasoning to the combination and added that to a whole wheat tortilla, an avocado, some spinach, and some mango salsa. Perfection.

Dinner consisted of pasta, Boca Meatless Crumbles (which turned out to taste much better than expected), a ton of broccoli, some sun dried tomatoes, and loads of garlic.

I am amazed at how filling this day has been. Snacks have consisted of some Cuties and an apple when hunger was starting to strike. No cheating, no need to even cheat. That was a nice change of pace. All of the leftover Christmas candy and the scones that someone dropped off at our office today didn't even make me flinch.

I'm excited for the days to come, for the recipes I will discover, and for the Vegan Monkey Bread I will try to make tomorrow.

This is a nice new journey I've found myself on and I'm finding how much I can actually enjoy the food I eat. It's a nice change. Not one of torturing myself through some crazy diet but just taking my time, savoring my food, and preparing it while knowing I am taking better care of my body.

Until tomorrow.

The End of the Holidays

01 January 2012

I cannot believe it is already the new year. 2012 used to seem to far away when I was younger. We should be traveling on hover-boards and living like the Jetson's. But, we awake to a life that is still fairly normal and with a new year ahead of us to live through.

Christmas flew by so quickly this year. I feel like I was hardly able to grasp everything.