Manfull's Handfull

It's been a long and wild ride being a Hawkeye fan this weekend, and not one Iowa fan is mad about it. After hosting six, yes- six, home events this weekend, Iowa City has sent off it's visitors and returned to the bustling college campus that it is. Iowans are known for their hospitality, generosity, and pleasantry toward our opponents--and even though we conducted good sportsmanship (my Minnesotan Aunt and Uncle can vouch for this), we sent all six visiting opponents back home empty-handed. Sorry guys! Thanks for playing! The weekend of Hawkeye Madness began Friday as the Women's basketball team defeated North Dakota 83-61, followed by Men's hoops crushing Gardner-Webb 76-59- a much needed defeat after falling short to Augustana in a last-second game-winning swish during the final exhibition game. I'm sure it left them (and the fans) feeling more than a little embarrassed, but it seems that it was just the fire they needed to figure out how to play. Maybe it w...

WE DID IT. Today marks 21 days. Although there were a few imperfect days when it came to food (It was Halloweekend, cut me some slack), we never missed a workout. That's 21 days straight of busting my butt. That's 21 days of watching what I ate, drank, and how much activity I got. I've truly feel so incredibly proud of myself for completing this 21 day fix. It feels amazing to not only see physical changes, but to feel them as well. I'm a genuinely happier, healthier, and better version of myself. To be honest, today I fought a ghouling (get it??) hangover that left me feeling zero motivation to walk anywhere besides the bathroom. BUT, thanks to my workout parter/bff/superhero-mom, who nursed me back to health (God bless you mom) with a green smoothie and toast, we walked my dog for 2 miles, and came back to do our last day of yoga. Mom's are never wrong, and she wasn't kidding when she said a little fresh air would cure the haunting hangover (and advil, of ...

In the wise words of Rodney Atkins/ Winston Churchill (equals, right?), "If you're going through hell, keep on going". It's officially been one week of the 21 day fix, and after the third day I doubt I would have made it if I hadn't had that quote above running through my head. In a quick synopsis of my week, it very much was a huge adjustment that my body initially didn't know how to react to. I was irritable, crabby, exhausted, and so bitter that I couldn't eat the chocolate bar I had previously stored at the office. Or worse- I had to turn down beer with coworkers, friends, and family one more than one occasion. If you know me at all, beer is my go-to. It's my thing. A self-proclaimed beer connoisseur of sorts. Anyway, as Friday hit (day 5), I knew there was no way I was turning back. By Friday, i woke up feeling absolutely on-top of the World. Never did I ever think I would receive the support I did from posting my message on Facebook. I had fr...

You know what's strange about society? We're so quick to point out the flaws of others, but avidly avoid publically admitting any flaws of our own. We post pictures and edit them with filters and angles and clothing designed to make us appear the way we want to be perceived...with the hopes that society won't notice what we're trying to hide underneath it all. But you know what I'm sick of? Hiding. Ever since I was a young chickadee, I've always felt the need to hide something. From my kindergarten crush laughing at me on the playground, or my 6th grade crush who told me I was fat and ugly, I've always been confident in my personality, just not so much in my appearance. I was constantly dressing like a boy, wearing oversized clothes, anything to detract attention to my figure or my body. By the time I hit 8th grade, all of a sudden I couldn't keep weight on. After years of being chubby and "unattractive", I didn't know what was happenin...

Beyoncé once asked, "Who run the world?", and she then answered for all of us when she obviously said, "Girls"...I mean it's true, we (as a collective gender) gave birth to the world. However, I think Queen Bey forgot something very important when it comes to people, and those who rule it--it would be impossible to run anything if you didn't have (hu)man's best friend by your side. Not only do dogs selflessly provide us with something to pet and keep us warm at night, but they provide us with undeniable and unrelenting love and affection. It would be pretty lonely ruling the world without a dog there to put a little pep into your step. It seems silly, really, that dogs don't get any credit for making the world a better place. It also seems silly that I'm even thinking about dogs ruling the world (hey, that's not a horrible idea). But I think there's some value into considering that while humans can change a dogs life, it's just as...

It's been a while since I've been able to take a minute to write about what's going on in this magnificent world- forgive me, but growing up takes a lot more work than originally anticipated. In the last few months, in a whirlwind of events, I went from participating in nightly drink specials downtown Iowa City, to graduating college, to landing my first real job. Needless to say it's been a while since I've been able to actively arrange my thoughts on my much very neglected blog. However, here we are- ready to get back into action, much like the US Women's National Team. It has been 16 years since the women were able to take the World Cup home. Many moons since legends like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain became household names and role models alike. It's been 16 years since Brandi Chastain's response to beating China incited quite the reaction to conservative soccer mom's and fans (scoffing at Brandi? They should see Miley Cyrus now). ...

"It all seemed so very arbitrary...No matter how you get there or where you end up, human beings have this miraculous gift to make that place a home" - Creed Bratton, The Office finale. Who knew a stupid show about a paper company would be able to sum up the most incredible four years of my life--yet it did, flawlessly. The Office, the show that single handily defined my senior year (watching the entire series with all my roomies snuggled up on our love seat), is more than just a show. It's only fitting that the final episode made me spew waterworks in an absolutely disgusting way. This happened last night, when my last remaining roommate convinced me that watching the finale was a good idea- in honor of her last night in Iowa City. Well, it was full of fabulous quotes about how life changes when you meet the right people and immerse yourself into your environment...que the post-grad feels and tears. It seems impossible that four years ago I was leaving high school ...

I used to be positive that I peaked at the ripe age of 16. I flourished in high school, and probably a little too often felt like I, personally, owned the hallways of West High. I was skinny, with extremely long blonde hair and a brand new freshly braces-free smile. I finally lost all my baby-fat, and it was when I started to realize that I was, in fact, a girl. It was at 16 when I finally got a guy to notice me, and ended up snagging my first boyfriend. Yeah, 16 was a beautiful year. Then I got to college. Why did I ever think that I peaked in high school when I had so many more fun-filled years ahead at Iowa. I guess I didn't really do anything to that would qualify as "peaking", but I finally started to figure out who I was- and I knew I was more than just that skinny blonde girl from high school. Turning 21, I felt on top of the world, and that I was totally invincible- the day after really proved me wrong. My junior year I packed my bags and left for Ireland,  wher...

"When you die, it doesn't mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. "- Stuart Scott This is not the first time I've blogged about cancer, and I can guarantee this will not be the last. You see, there's something so evil about this disease, something so unfair about it's infectious control over undeserving people, that constantly pulls at my heart strings. I can't help but have all the feels when a new story surfaces about someone else fighting the cancer battle. It's hard to ignore that cancer affects millions of people every year- millions of families, friends, and children all battling for their lives every single year. Let that sink in. I often find myself thinking about how hard my life is. With school, jobs, starting a new series on Netflix, what to eat, etc. There are days where I just sit in self-pity and expect the world to cater to me and fix life's "horrible...