Gratitude Challenge Week 1

So far, so good! I feel healthier and more grateful! What a wonderful combination ;)

Here is a little recap of how it has worked so far. 

To be honest I am making a lot of healthier choices because I have some health and fitness goals for the New Year, but each day I sit down and write something in my “Happy Thoughts Chronicler” that really stood out and made me feel good that day or even made it easy to be healthy. Focusing on being thankful for these things encourages me to continue doing more. 

I have realized throughout the days that the thing which has helped me the most is trying out new and healthy recipes with real food. Of course exercising always puts me in the mood to eat healthy and also gives me the energy to try out new recipes when I get home at the end of the day. 

Here are some of the recipes I have tried this past week and a half. Hope you find them useful. :) 

Easy Feta Chicken Wrap

My personal Creation

1 cup romain lettuce

1/2 cup shredded carrot

3 oz shredded boneless skinless chicken breast 

1/4 cup feta cheese (I used full fat because you can’t get reduced fat here) 

Place ingredients inside one flour tortilla (wheat would be good, I used Lavash which is a turkish bread that is basically like a tortilla only thinner) 

Pour 2 TBS of Italian or Greek Dressing over the top and be amazed! 

Spinach Broccoli Quinoa Soup 

adapted from cooking quinoa

http://www.cookingquinoa.net/broccoli-spinach-quinoa-soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, chopped fine

2 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 teaspoons minced garlic

4 cups water

3 cups milk

2 Chicken Bouillon cubes

1 package frozen Broccoli

1 package frozen spinach 

2 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Homemade Hummus

adapted from the cozy apron 

http://thecozyapron.com/cozy-cameo-when-pita-met-humus/ 

2 cups chickpeas 

(I use dry ones and boil them in a pot for about two hours till they are soft)

4 tablespoons lemon juice

4 TBS olive oil 

1 TBS Tahini 

1/3 cup water

2 cloves garlic 

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dry oregano

Berry Banana Smoothie 

My personal Creation

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

1/4 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup milk (any kind, I used 2%)

1/2 banana 

1/2 TBS Chia seeds

Now go out there and be awesome! and grateful! 

2014 Gratitude Challenge!

Since my blog is about thinking Happy Thoughts, and since that basically represents being grateful, I would like to present you with a challenge this year:

Here's How it works:

Every month this year I will challenge you to be thankful in new ways. Each month's challenge may vary and some of them may be repeated, or if you liked the month before better you could always use the same challenge with the new month's theme. 

Each month I will write a reminder of what the theme is and expand on it more to give you a broader idea of what that might encompass. 

Here's what I need you to do:

PLEASE TELL ME about your experience, let me know the ups and downs. This is a first for me, so I want to learn. I am open to new ideas, so don't be shy.

You could very well take this list and use the themes as a guide for an average old gratitude journal, writing something you are thankful for from the specified theme each day. But I am hoping you will come back each month to hear about the next month's challenge because I have some good ideas up my sleeve and hopefully they will challenge you and me to be grateful in ways that we haven't been before!

Themes: 

I am not going to go in detail about them now because I need to tell you about January’s challenge since we are starting so late and I don’t want to bore you too much with details! But believe me I will explain and give ideas when the time comes :) 

How better to show gratitude for something than to care for it. So I know that there are many health challenges out there, but this one is a little different. 

This Month's challenge is:

Do something good for your body every day this month and write about it. 

Something that you can be thankful for!

Such as: making a fruit smoothie, walking instead of a driving to your favorite restaurant or creating a healthy version of your favorite dessert (beware this can go VERY wrong). In that case you could try a healthy recipe from pinterest (this can also end in disaster, but the odds are a bit better) I have tons of ideas pinned here and here if you need inspiration. 

I will check back in a few days to update you on how the challenge is going for me. 

In the meantime, here are some 

IDEAS of great things that you can do for your health 

That will leave you feeling thankful that you have the ability to do them and the luxury of things like dental floss, gyms, fresh fruit in the winter and applications on your iPhone that help you count calories! 

Count Calories using Myfitnesspal 

Go for a walk instead of driving somewhere

Measure out your food

Drink 8 glasses of water

Take a long bath

Journal what you eat

Floss your teeth 

Make a smoothie

Take your vitamins

Use milk with a lower percentage of fat

Read a book instead of staring at a screen

Brush your teeth after dinner

Eat fruit instead of dessert

Stretch (Seriously! This can avoid injuries and feels so good!)

Don't deprive yourself! 

(using moderation) 

indulge in something you love 

So there it is folks! Now get yourself a journal or a 'Happy Thoughts Chronicler', preferably one that just cries out to have happy thoughts written in it, like one of these, and start writing!

Here's to a 2014 filled with Happy Thoughts! 

Aal izz well...

I love movies. Especially when they promote happy thoughts. Seriously though. I don’t really like movies that leave me feeling depressed and empty or remind me too much of the terrible things that have happened or could happen. There is enough of that in my head already, I really don’t feel the need to be reminded. 

I do, however, need to be reminded of the good things that are happening. Which is why I usually stick with movies that do that very thing. That doesn’t mean that the movie doesn’t have sad moments. It just means that there is redemption to the sad parts of the movies, so much so that it makes you almost forget the tragic parts. 

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the movie that I watched last night is one of the best movies I have ever seen! It consisted of all of my favorite aspects including musical numbers. You may have guessed it, this was in fact a “Bollywood” film. If you are not familiar with the term, its basically refers to the film industry based in Mumbai India, and these films pretty much always include singing and dancing. There are only a few dance numbers in this film including a song called "Aal izz well" which we can't get out of our heads. 

This is a film about three young men who are studying to be engineers at one of the most prestigious engineering universities in India. It’s filled with beautiful scenes of India, it was a great mix of tragedy and tenderness, as well as laugh out loud humor. I found myself angry at the villainy, then touched at the transformation that took place in some of the characters and even a little bit surprised at some of the subtle plot twists.

I really cannot recommend this movie enough. Curtis and I have been talking about it all day. We watched an hour long of behind the scenes and extras last night after finishing the film. (if you know Curtis, you know that this NEVER HAPPENS!) I hardly want to give it back to our friends who lent it to us, so that I can watch it again. If you have the chance, you should really try to get your hands on a copy of this film and please do let me know if you enjoy it :) 

Welcome to Happy Thoughts with Katina

Hey everyone! A few changes and here's why:

Growing up I never wanted to grow up. I wanted to be just like Peter Pan, I thought Wendy was crazy for leaving him. I always pretended that I was Wendy, but that I stayed back in Never Never Land with Peter Pan. Not much has changed since then. True story.

So I really feel that this title fits me. I also have know for a long time that this was more of a personal blog written from my perspective. This became much more than a way to update people back home long ago and I want it to be defined differently because of that.

It has become a way of expressing myself, processing my thoughts and feelings and hopefully inspiring some people along the way. I have been a lot more open about what is going on in my life lately and really felt that the theme of this blog had been going in this direction for some time.

I am hoping to make this blog a little bit more public because I am not worried about hiding anymore and I want to be able to encourage other women who are facing what I have been facing these past three years.

Infertility can be highly shame related and although that seems completely natural and obvious for me to say, it's not so obvious for those who haven't experienced it. It's just not talked about very much and since I am being open about it, I'm not afraid anymore. I do still feel shame at times. But I want to be a light to other women who battle with the same and hopefully inspire others of you while I'm at it.

I'm mainly focused on sharing life's joys with you as I wrote about in the new ABOUT section of this blog. Visit that page to find out more about what the focus of this blog will really be. Join me on this journey of beauty and pain.

Movements

As I have established in past posts. Life is not always easy. Also as stated in one of my favorite films "While you were sleeping" Life does not always goes as planned. But music can be a source of inspiration in those times. 

My brother gifted me an album by Rend Collective Experiment through iTunes around Thanksgiving and I haven't stopped listening to it! I barely ever want to listen to Christmas music, which is a pretty big thing for me, because I am so obsessed with this album. 

My very favorite song on the whole album spoke to me so loudly when I first heard it and still every time I listen it makes me feel so strong. Like with Him I can do anything. I can fight through all the difficulties and frustrations I face. Even when 7 days late, hope is soaring, then in an instant, dreams crushed. That was the worst, or the most 'real' it's ever been. Just this last time. We really thought this was 'it.' I'm taking hormones, they must have worked... But no. I read later that the hormones I was taking can make you late. That would have been good to know before.

All of this and I leave to go swimming. Hoping to drown my sorrows in the pool. Cold, sunny morning bus ride, headphones on, a banjo plays and then,

"I wanna soar with You

Upon wings like eagles

But I'll crawl with You too

When the dark and lonely questions come"

This is a dark and lonely question if I have ever known one. That is the best way I have ever heard it described actually. Anyone who has experienced this knows, it's dark, sometimes sucking the color from everything in life. It's lonely when everyone around you is moving on in life and you are stuck in the same stage for no good reason. At least as far as you know... the WHY? comes oh so easily. It rolls off in tears and gut wrenching sobs. No relief. till... 

Finally, you put your trust in Him. You resign yourself to the fact that He is in control. That He is trustworthy and good. That you will stand with Him and hold tight until you come out of this. Even if you NEVER come out of it. That is when the peace comes. The peace that you never knew was possible. 

I keep listening. I feel stronger with each verse:

"I wanna stand true

No matter what's new or comes through

I can’t stand still

Whatever hits I'll keep making movements to You"

I'm feeling alive. I am feeling the fight rise up inside of me like never before:

"I'm running fast and free to You

‘Cos You are the movement and fight in me

I'm running fast and free to You

‘Cos You are my home where I wanna be

Come move in me

Where I wanna be, come move in me"

I feel the waves beating against me, but I'm paddling hard to keep myself going to Him: 

"I wanna float with you

The currents driving me

But I'll paddle hard too 

When the waves and rapids overcome"

My emotions are higher than ever, I really thought this was it, but I TRUST you... 

"I wanna stand firm

When my mind’s weak and my emotions squirm

I must stand true

Whatever hits I'll keep making movements to You"

I'm His completely. Nothing can drive me away. 

"I won't walk away, won't walk away"

Those words run over and over in my mind, into my soul. "I won't walk away." No I won't, I really won't. I trust Him. I trust Him. I couldn't say that, even just a few months ago I didn't trust him like I do now. I feel the fight rising up and I will keep going. I don't know what He has for us, but I know it's good. He hasn't failed me yet. He is Fa!thful and good.  Sometimes I will wrestle a bit with what He has for me, but I will keep making movements to Him Even when the dark and lonely questions come and that will have me soaring higher than ever before.