My new favorite website!!

I have been doing weight watchers for more than a year, and weight watchers online for almost two months. I have been doing really well, but lately I have been wondering if there was a way to continue my healthy lifestyle change by noticing the different amounts of protein, sodium, and carbs that I consume. Right now, on weight watchers, I am doing the flex point plan and get a certain number of points to use a day. Each foods' points value is calculated depending on fiber, fat and calories. These are great things to pay attention to, but I am not paying attention to anything but these things! Weight watchers has been a great tool for me, and I have used it to my benefit!!

BUT NOW...I found a brand new site that goes beyond losing weight! They are more concentrated on healthy lifestyle changes! There are so many tools, like calorie tracking and fitness activity tracking that help to keep you accountable of everything that you put in your mouth! There is also great support through the message boards and teams that you join. You can make your own page and include your own blog! Plus there are points that you can earn as rewards! You get points for tracking your food, your activity, reading an article, completing a challenge, etc. The points are just extra added motivation! But there are many great articles and food comparison charts! There are also tools that help you decide what a healthy weight is at your height and BMI levels! I'm super excited about this website! It's packed with great healthy recipes as well!! Not sure if anyone's ever heard of it, but its http://www.sparkpeople.com/!!

I recommend every taking a look at it! It's super interesting, and can help anyone at any level. Whether you are looking at a few healthy recipes, or looking to totally revamp your lifestyle! If you are interested in starting your own account, add me (katester04) and we can be friends. Plus I can help as much as I can!! I really hope people check this out!

Oh I forgot to mention this....This tool is great and free! Weight watchers online costs me $16.95 a month, which isn't terrible, but I am going to try to use both tools right now. I'm really quite terrified to go off of weight watchers as I have come so far! It's kind of like a security blanket, but if things go well on sparkpeople, I may be able to save $16.95 and still visit the weight watchers message boards, as you don't need to pay to frequent those!

Nomination!

I know I still have to put up some more pictures from DC! I'm a big time slacker!!

I just wanted to come on here and tell everyone about the award I just found out I was nominated for! I'm super honored to be nominated! I'm not sure if anyone has ever heard of the Athena Award (www.athenafoundation.org) before, but I have been nominated for the Athena Young Professionals Award in Grand Forks (a regional award). I found out today over the phone by a lady who I have been working with. She said congratulations on your nomination for the Athena award, and I had no idea what she was talking about! I finally dug a little deeper, and my boss admitted that he knew who nominated me but couldn't tell me! He also said he wished he had nominated me, and I was very deserving of the award!

So apparently, there is a banquet that will be held next Thursday evening to announce the winner of the award. I definately don't expect to win, but it's such an honor to be nominated!!

To be nominated, one must possess the following qualifications (found at www.gfchamber.com):

• The individual is an emerging leader who demonstrates excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession
• The individual provides valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community
• The individual clearly serves as a role model for young women personally and professionally.

I'm extremely honored that I was nominated for this award! It's very exciting! I just am very curious as to who nominated me! I will know soon enough....

Washington DC, Part one

So I really have a bad time positioning these pictures on here, and don't ever have the time to figure it out! So here it is, even if they are a bit discombobulated! The first picture is of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. It was a long black wall with names etched in the stone. It was really breathtaking. A volunteer tour guide told me that the names represent everyone who served in Vietnam and has passed, or hasn't come home (MIA). Each year, on Memorial Day, they add new names to the list, including those who served in the war and have since past. By each name there is either a diamond or a cross, a cross symbolizes that they are still missing. Once they are found (if they are found), the cross is filled in the represent a diamond. It is truly remarkable, and very emotional and overwhelming.

The next picture is of our whole group in front of the PRICEY hotel that we stayed at! Don't get me started on the price and poor service of the hotel! There are two pictures of the Lincoln Memorial. The one is obviously of Abe Lincoln in his finest! To be honest, I was taken aback when looking at this statue! I couldn't believe the size of it! It was huge and just amazing! It's really so weird how something you've seen in history books and read about forever looks in person! I know I am a nerd....but I love this history! The other picture of the Lincoln Memorial is of the outside of the building that holds the statue. On top of the building is the name of each state etched in the stone, which was really hard to capture in a picture, but really special.

Finally, the last picture is of the Lincoln Memorial, which is the very first thing I saw and recognized as we were landing in Washington DC! I do have pictures of it closer up, but I love including the reflection pond!

I will post more later!

Promotion!

I got the news that I have been waiting three months for yesterday! I am no longer an intern at the City, and I am now a certified full-time employee! I am excited! I knew that they were working on a position for me, but it seemed to be taking quite awhile! I knew I would get benefits, but wasn't sure about a raise. I was hoping/praying for a raise, but wasn't sure if I would get one. I was going to stay on as an intern here regardless of a new position, because it's hard to get a good job without the experience. So now it's finalized, and I got a $10 raise!! Meaning I am making $10 an hour MORE than I was last week! That's huge! I will also get other benefits, but I am just waiting for that paperwork!

The only (kind of) bummer is the 40 hours a week thing. I was working 30 hours a week (plus full-time at school), and I thought that was tough. I am just going to have to manage my time better! Before, I would get off of work at 2:30, go to the gym, go home and eat, and go to school. Now, on the days I have school, my time at the gym will have to be limited. It's not terrible, but it kind of stinks! But I would take the pay raise over that, and I work out in the mornings before work anyways!

It's amazing what a little degree will get you, or maybe my standards were just too low to begin with! Either way, I am happy! Now I can help Josh a little more with grocery expenses, and actually save some money for a house! What a concept??

I have tons of pictures to come of my trip to DC last week...I've just been too busy to add them yet! They will come though! It was an amazing trip!!