Taking Pride

I always down played the fact that I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology. And only recently have been able to admit why. I worked in the counseling field for 3 years before the unit I worked on shut down and I transferred over to PNNL. To be honest, I was already feeling that typical counselor burnout after 2 years so the move was sort of welcome.

Feeling like the burnout meant maybe I chose the wrong field coupled with coming to work at a national lab like PNNL, I began to downplay the importance of my degree. When people asked about my college background I would laugh and say, "Psychology, not like it matters out here. " I said this more out of fear of judgment that others were wondering what I was doing with a Psych degree at a national lab and why I may not be in the field anymore. Also, I know more people without degrees than with, so I felt downplaying it made me safer and more relatable so they wouldn't think I felt any superiority. But in doing this, I not only weakened their view of myself, my intelligence, and education, but my own. Disregarding everything I learned and went through to obtain my degree to avoid judgment or to make others feel good was not true to what I felt. I really was proud, but afraid to show it. Over time this way of being starts to brainwash and steal your confidence. Which is not good for you or those around you. I have a lot of knowledge and life experience to offer the world from the last decade of my life, including my college education, and I was devaluing that and myself.

Over the past 3 years, I have settled into my position at PNNL and thought about what I've learned from this job versus what I learned from college and my 3 years as a counselor. What I realized is, the lessons and experiences from my early 20's have been far more valuable than I ever gave them credit for and I strongly regret any downplaying or devaluing I did. I am proud of my decision attend college and obtain a degree in something I felt passionate about and to serve in the way I was able. In addition to my education, I learned so much about myself, life, people, research, decision making, and other ways of being and will never devalue that again. It is a lie for me to do so. I think my education is one the greatest investments I ever made and I do not regret it. I would do it again if I had do it over. I still have that passion for Psychology and learning and I intend to celebrate it now.

In life we all take a different a path. No one way is the only or right way. For some that might mean getting a job out of high school. For another getting married and starting a family. To devalue our choices and ourselves out of fear of judgment or making others feel less is wrong. Be proud of who you are and the life path you took. Yes, we might make mistakes along the way, but often that is where the greatest lessons lie. If others can't handle who you are or the path you chose it's more about them than you. Pray for them and gently guide them. Sometimes people don't know there are all these choices out there waiting for them and they can do it, too.

So be proud. Share you experience and knowledge. And never let others inadequacies make you feel like you need to protect them. There is a difference between an arrogant pride and a confident pride. Shrinking yourself down smaller never made anyone else get bigger.

Bath Time Debacle

I like the idea of baths, but once I'm in there the picture I had in my head is never my reality. A relaxing, warm, tranquil paradise turns into a fight for my life. The weight of the water feels as if it's crushing my guts. And since I like the water HOT, after laying there for about 10 mins I am facing heat stroke. But if I wait for the water to cool off  I risk hypothermia as the water goes from 150 degrees to 10 in 30 seconds. Plus, the hard porcelain hurts and the tub I have is not deep enough to encase every body part comfortably. And do people really read in there? I risk dropping every book or magazine every time and if I'm not dropping it then I'm getting wet finger prints on every page. Lastly, if you really think about, you are just stewing in your own filth. So as much as I crave a bath some nights, I can't do it. I think what I need is a shower with a chair. Yes, that's the ticket.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Thank you, thank you! It may not seem like a big deal, but it let's me know that my friends and family support and love me. Which is better than any prize in the world! I recently entered J and I in the 98.3 The Key 'Love2Win' photo contest where the winners were determined by popular vote. Thanks to my sweet friends and family, we were one of the winners! One other cool thing to note - our photo was the cover photo for the contest so everyone who went to vote at least saw our photo whether they liked it or not. LOL. My hump day has been made!

X!

Castle - My New Viewing Pleasure

We don't have cable in our home. We are mainly movie watchers. And with the home theater we put in, we prefer movies on our big screen over the TV. Plus, there are no TV shows we are obssesed with or that we follow on a regular basis. Well recently, I caught the show Castle after a viewing of Dancing With The Stars last season and loved it. I do not follow it religiously, but I do enjoy it and try to remember it is on. What I like about it is that it's different from most of the other crime shows on TV. It is not overly gory, filled with sex, or profane language. It focuses on a good story line, some mystery, and peppers in a little humor every week thanks to the hilarious, Nathan Fillion. Plus, the whole cast is pretty easy on the eyes. If you're up late on a Monday, give it a watch.

 - Castle. ABC. 10pm PST. -

Here's to 2013

I didn't make a New Year's Resolutions this year, but that doesn't stop me from having a 2013 list of things I'm dreaming of doing! It has been very hard to do many things lately with my body being so unpredictable, but if I can make any of the below happen this year I will be one happy girl!

Caribbean Cruise - I have been dreaming of a Caribbean cruise for sometime now, but we usually end up having other vacations come in the way. I'm not sure I will like the schedule of a cruise or being confined to a ship on certain days, so we plan on doing a short 4 or 5 night cruise to try it out. I like the idea of seeing so many new places, but am a little scared of cruise viruses, too! Hope no sickies come on board!

New York - New York has been on my 'go-to list' for my whole life! I want to see Niagara Falls so bad! I think every year I harass Jeremiah about seeing it. This will be a big trip as I will need almost 2 weeks to see/do all I want to do. Who knows, maybe 2013 is the year 'the Atkins do The Big Apple'?

Indoor Skydiving - There is a place near Seattle that looks like a blast. Don't know if real sky diving will ever be in my future, but this is close enough for me.

Keritan or Fiberceutic Hair Treatment - I have always wanted to try the Brazilian Blowout, but after hearing about the chemicals they use I nixed that idea fast! Then I saw some new inexpensive hair treatments at my favorite spa and put them on my list of 'beauty to-do's'. Haven't got around to them yet, but hopefully will soon.

Make a YouTube movie - Okay, not really a movie per se, but I have a project I started that is being filmed. I can't talk about it yet, but in a couple of months should have the final product ready to debut. No, I am not pretending I am someone 'supa cool' or 'special.' Just having fun and living life.

Photography Project - I have been thinking about beauty a lot latey, and have something in the works for possibly Spring to showcase the real beauty of real local women. Hoping to make this one a fundraiser, possibly.

Buy a new car - My old trusty Honda has been good to me, but it is time for it to go. It is only a 2 door and I will never be able to fit babies in there. We tried with my sister's kids and it is impossible. Here's to welcoming a new vehicle to the Atkins fam this year!

Buy land for building our new home on - We have been looking around and thinking real hard about this one. Location is huge for us. Stay tuned!



Dearest 2013 - Please be good to us!

January Raves and Faves

 




















It's been a while since I've written a review on my blog, but now I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. Let me also remind you that I am in no way compensated or persuaded to write these reviews (although, I wouldn't mind a free product or two if ya get my drift). This month I have a few beauty products I have discovered to tell you about. Of all the similar products out there, these are brands and items I keep coming back to. I know what a disappointment it can be to try new items and dislike them so I hope to save you from that disaster and give you some great new products you'll love, too! If you have any recommendations to share, please do! I love recommendations myself!

* The first item is the Yes To Blueberries cleansing facial towelettes. I am a fan of the Yes To brand and have tried several of the facial cleansing wipes and liked them. I plan to try their other products as well, so I will keep you posted on how I like them. These towelettes do a great job of taking off all the makeup and grime from the day and contain blueberry, coconut, lemon peel, and apple to nourish skin. They are also 99% natural and smell amazing. Just like Trix cereal. Yes, please!

* Next up, is the L'Oreal Elnett hairspray. Not only does this hairspray hold well without making my locks crispy or frizzy, but the can features a super sassy and timeless broad on the front who encourages you to go big or go home. I recommend getting the travel size from a store like Ulta and giving it a try! One thing to note: If you don't buy the unscented kind the smell is a little weird.

* Moisturising Shave Creme - I love that if I don't have time to moisturize this stuff does the trick. It also gives me a close nick free shave and reminds me of my favorite in shower Olay body lotion - reviewed here.

* The Body Shop Shower Creams/Gels are my favorite body washes. I tend to have drier skin and this stuff is soap free and doesn't dry out my skin. My favorite scent is Strawberry, but Ulta was out so I decided to try Coconut this time. It's a lot of product for not a bad price and lasts for a while.

* Clarisonic facial cleaning brushes are the best. I had been wanting one for a while and did quite the research to see which one was the best deal, as there are several models. I decided to go with the compact Mia 2 after reading several reviews stating that one speed is all you really need. This dude is definitely worth the money. It feels so good on your face and deep cleans like nothing else. It's like a spa facial at home! I bought mine during good ol' Cyber Monday and found a great deal online. Get yourself one. Oh, and they come in the cutest colors. You won't be disappointed.

Abandoned Blog

I've missed blogging about SO many things - birthdays, holidays, Disneyland vacations, business trips, product reviews, recipes, etc. and I am SO sorry to the one person who may read this. And I'm also sorry because I do not intend to catch up. I'm mostly sorry to myself because I really want to write about all of these things, but I have way too many other priorities that need attention. Let's just say, it's good to have Jeremiah home, I took my sister to see a Cirque Du Soleil show for her birthday, Disneyland was a blast and I finally got to ride the tea cups, I baked a TON (you're welcome co-workers), and Christmas was classic, meaningful, and beautiful with my family. Now we're on to 2013 and I have so much to do that blogging about the details of my life for, well no one really, seems a little selfish and like a bad use of time. But I promise to be back soon debuting my new "priority." In the meantime, look through my old posts because I have some yummy recipes and funny stories, and am proud of my past posts. They're like an online diary of sorts. And aren't those always fun to go through?

XX!