I'M BACK!

Ok so I didn't think that I would keep up with this blog. I figured after I graduated I would just forget about it and not even remember I started it. Eventually it came back to me when I was sitting at home reading other people's blogs and thinking whatever happened to mine? That's when I realized maybe I should start it up again... and if I happen to forget about it again well then it just wasn't meant to be.

A lot has happened since my last post. The most important thing I would say is that I GOT ENGAGED!

For those who don't know I have been with my now fiancé for 5 years now. I won't go into much detail about how he did it, I'll just say I couldn't be happier! This happened on July on 3rd. Short after our engagement we made a BIG move almost 12 hours away to South Texas. Never did I ever think that I would move that far away from my family but if there is one person who could talk me into it it's him.

Then the other amazing thing that happened is I got a puppy! Well I guess I should say we.

We got Rufus in June and I couldn't imagine what it would be like without him! I know I probably sound a little crazy saying that about a dog. But I can't help it, I mean look at him. He is a full-blood rotty and in the picture he is 6 weeks but he has grown up and is now 6 months!

I also recently became and Arbonne consultant. I'm not the type of person who normally joins these things but I can't help it if I love something and want to tell people about it and get paid for doing it! All of these products are natural and make you feel great so whats not to love. My site is nicolebradyfalfurrias.arbonne.com for those who want to check it out!

That is just a little bit of what has happened with him ever since my last post. Don't worry there is A LOT more but I'll get to the rest later this week.

XO,
Nicole

The Final Countdown

Never thought I would finally be done with school. I finally get to move on and not have to worry about my grades or professors (except Clark) getting mad at me for missing because of softball.

I am the first to graduate college in my family so they are probably more excited than I am. I don't know if they know the only reason I am graduating is because of them.

If it wasn't for them I wouldn't of been able to play the sport I love and get a scholarship out of it. And if it wasn't for the scholarship then I wouldn't of been able to go to college. My parents spent so many weekends just sitting there watching me play in the blazing heat of even the freezing rain all so I could live out my dream of playing college ball.

So it is only right that I repay them by graduating.

I usually don't post sentimental stuff because i'm just not like that, I never have. But my parents really have done everything for me and I don't know what I would do without them.

They tell me they are proud of me everyday and I always just say thank you. But they don't know I am saying thank you because they are the main reason I am even here getting my degree and living out my dream to play college ball.

The thing that I will miss the most is by far my team. It wasn't just my parents that got me through these four years, It was my team as well. If I didn't have them no telling where I would be.

Its been real and its been fun, but it hasn't been real fun. (Just kidding college was the best time of my life).

Favorite Season Is Finally Here

Almost any person that you know who plays a sport will tell you that heir favorite part of the whole season is post-season.

Post-season games is one of the most high intensity and pressured games I have ever played. A team either comes together as one and succeeds or falls hard and fails. Whenever you keep winning during post-season you really feel like you can't be stopped.

Winning a National Championship is something that every single player and team is striving for. It is what you work everyday towards and it is the reason we get up and have weights at 6:00 a.m. and 4 hour practices in the afternoon. Because once you win the Championship there is no other feeling like it.

You can't help but what that feeling again. We weren't expected to win my freshmen year, we were good but nobody thought we were the ultimate best. We surprised a lot of people, even ourselves at one point.

The conference tournament that year didn't go as planned, we lost 2 and we were out. Thankfully we were ranked high enough to still make it to regionals. That's where all the fun started.

We went undefeated in post-season and going undefeated in post-season is one of the hardest things you can do. When we got to the National Tournament and won the first two games we all said "well we haven't lost yet we might as well win it all."

When we got the ring we knew that this is why everyone wants to win. The ring doesn't just symbolize winning a National Championship it stands for how we all came together and finally won it all. Not many teams can say that.

Trading In Our Cleats For Heels For a Night

The academic athletic banquet happens once a year. It is a banquet where the student athletes with either 4.0, 3.0 and are about to graduate get together and celebrate being a successful student athlete.

Normally when you see any one of us on campus or on the field we are either looking like we just woke up probably because we had to go to class straight from 6:00 a.m. weights. If you have seen us on the field we are in a uniform and usually unrecognizable if we are dressed up and not on a field.

Getting to celebrate my last year with these girls is honestly the best thing I could ever ask for. They each have effected me in different ways that they probably don't even realize.

Brooke is technically a red-shirt senior next year because she broke her ulna while batting this year. She is someone who I can always count one, she will always be there no matter what and never seems to give up on people. I always know she will tell me how it is even if I don't want to hear it.

These are my catchers, they are the ones that put up with me the most during season. Whether I am doing bad or good they always know what to do to help. I know that if they can handle me throwing them dirt balls everyday and still love me then they can handle whatever comes at them.

We don't look half bad when we try.

I am so thankful that I got to spend my last year with softball and UCO with these girls (plus 13 girls that aren't in this picture). If it weren't for my team I wouldn't of been able to get through this year.

Senior Day

Whenever I was little I fell in love with the game of softball. I never thought about if I would get to play in college because when I was little it was all for fun.

The older I got the more that changed, I still had fun but playing in college became more of a reality and it was something that I needed. If it wasn't for my softball scholarship I wouldn't have a college education.

Senior day in highschool was sad and all but all of us seniors knew we had at least 4 more years left to play the game. Senior day of college was different because once you are done you won't get to play this game ever again (except beer league).

I had mixed feelings on senior day on one hand I was honestly happy. Happy that I am almost done and get to move on and see what the next chapter in my life has in store for me. On the other hand it was sad because playing with these girls for 4 years and winning a national championship together is something that is irreplaceable.

Also not being able to play the game in general is something that I am going to miss. The best feeling is winning together as a team and beating that one team we have always hated or that team that we weren't supposed to beat.

The intensity and adrenaline that came with pitching to one of the best teams or best players and being successful is a feeling that nobody else can feel but you.

I know that picture is not very flattering but not many people can look good in the middle of a pitch. Being done for good is bitter sweet but it also means you have to make the most of the time you have left with your team.

Considering we are approaching post-season it is time to leave everything you have on the field. I wouldn't want to do this season with any other group of girls especially the seniors I got to enjoy my last year with.

Chocolate Wasted

I'm not much of sweets person but when it comes to chocolate it's just something that I can't control.

If there is one thing that I probably couldn't give up it would be chocolate for sure (and potatoes) but thankfully chocolate can actually be good for you. 

One of the best things that you can hear is sweets are actually good for you. Chocolate is not only good for you but it can benefit you in ways you didn't even think were possible.

Benefits of eating this delicious sweet: 

1. Reduces stroke risk

- In 2011 there was a study that found the women that ate more than 45 grams of chocolate a week had a 20% lower risk of stroke than women who treated themselves to fewer than 9 grams. 

2. Boosts heart health

- People who eat chocolate regularly benefits from lower blood pressure, lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and lower risk of heart disease. Dark chocolate is the best for this because its inflammation-fighting that reduces cardiovascular risk. 

3. It fills you up

- Chocolate is rich in fiber, dark chocolate can actually keep you full so you won't eat as much. If you eat this sweet regularly it could even reduce the cravings you have for the sweet, salty and fatty foods.

4. May fight diabetes

- A small study in 2005 found that regularly eating chocolate increases insulin, which reduces risk for diabetes. 

5. Protects you skin

- If you have heard of chocolate causing breakouts it is wrong. Dark chocolate is actually good for you skin. The type of antioxidants called flavonoids that is in dark chocolate offer protection from UV damage from the sun. 

6. It can quiet coughs

- If you can't stop coughing try chocolate. There is an ingredient called theobromine that reduces the activity of the part of the brain that triggers those hard to get rid of coughs. Instead of spending money on medicine that you could have side effects from just eat some chocolate. 

7. Boosts your mood. 

- Chocolate eaters have reported to feel less stressed. Who isn't happy when they are eating chocolate. 

8. Improves blood flow

- Cocoa has a anti-clotting, blood-thinning properties that work in a similar way to aspirin that can improve blood flow and circulation. 

9. Improves vision

- Because chocolate can improve blood flow there was another study that showed choclate may also increase blood flow to the retina giving the your vision a boost. 

10. May make you smarter 

- The boost of blood flow to the brain created by coca's flavanols seems to make people feel more awake and alert.

Green Smoothie

A lot of people don't eat the right amount of vegetables that an average person should have. One way that I have found that is easy for me to get the right intake of veggies is making a green smoothie. I know it might look a little off just because a lot of people see a green liquid and say no thanks. But this smoothie is actually really good!

Not only is it good for you but it is incredibly easy to make and takes about 5 minutes. You can see the 10 benefits that the green smoothie gives and the recipe below.

The recipe:
1 c coconut milk
1/2 mango chunks
1 c super greens (spinach, kale)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup ice

1. Green smoothies have pure nutrition and vitamins that you get from the certain type of fruit and vegetables you choose to put in the smoothie.

2. When you just get fruit juice you can get the vitamins and minerals but you can't get the fiber that you can get from the smoothies.

3. If you don't like eating your veggies making a smoothie is a great way to get your greens. The vegetable is hidden by the fruit and yogurt or whatever else you put in the smoothies.

4. These smoothies take about 5 minutes so it quick and easy to make, all you need is a blender.

5. Making the smoothies at home can also save you money. If you go to a juice bar it can cost you at least $5 for one glass. Not only do you get the vitamins you need you save money instead of buying multivitamins.

6. If you have kids it is a good way to get them to "eat" their greens.

7. Green smoothies is also a great source of energy. Eating fruits by itself will only provide short bursts of energy but combining the veggies will give you the long lasting energy that you need.

8. The smoothies are low in calories but also very filling. It contains high amounts of water and fiber that makes you feel like you just ate a meal.

9. If you need something that is easy to digest then green smoothies are the best thing. Since they are already blended and it's liquid it is way easier to digest.

10. These smoothies also keep you hydrated. Experts say that you are supposed to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and that people don't even drink half that. Adding water to the smoothies can keep you hydrated and get you drinking water without even realizing it.

Tarp Fail

If you have ever had the not so pleasant experience of tarping a field you will understand where I am coming from with this post.

No team enjoys tarping and untarping a field and if you have ever heard someone say they like don't believe them because they are lying to you. It takes about 15 minutes for our whole team to roll it out and cover our field. After we get the field covered we have to put tires and pretty much whatever we can find on the tarp.

Our tarp that we have isn't the best so we have to look for tiny holes and tape them up (it's ghetto we know) then finally we can leave.

We are supposed to play today but we all got to the field and saw this....

The storm blew off our tarp and it made another Broncho Lake on our field. Seeing this the day before you're supposed to play isn't the best feeling especially after you searched so hard for those stupid little holes that took 10 minutes to find.

Tarping brings out the worst in everybody, with all the yelling at each other and different people saying different things at once we always managed to get it done.

We are supposed to play on our field Friday and Saturday so hopefully the wet vac that the coaches got can suck up a lake before then.

Yoga To Try This

I have never been known to be flexible in any sort of way. I actually can't even touch my toes but I'm getting better.

One thing that I have tried doing more and more is to do more yoga. I go to classes at the wellness that are free. If I can't make it to the wellness me and my roommate will just look yoga classes up on youtube and do it in the living room (it's better than nothing). 

Even just stretching casually can help your body. You don't have to go through a whole yoga class to see the benefits but it definitely helps. 

10 benefits yoga does to your body.

1. Improves your flexibility. (I obviously need that)
-This is an obvious benefit that yoga brings. If you do yoga regularly you will see yourself loosening up and become more flexible. You will also see pain that is being caused by tight muscles go away because they are finally getting stretched out. 

2. Builds muscle strength. 
-Building strength through yoga you are balancing it with flexibility. As opposed to just going to the gym and lifting you can build strength at the expense of flexibility. 

3. Perfects your posture. 
-When your head is balanced directly over an erect spine, it takes much less work for your neck and back muscles to support it. Yoga allows you to stretch the neck muscles you use to hold your head up all day and makes it relax. 

4. Prevents cartilage and joint breakdown.
-Whenever you are doing yoga you put your joints through their full range of motion. This can help prevent degenerative arthritis. 

5. Protects your spine.
- If you have a well-balanced asana practice with a lot of backbends, forward bends, and twists you will keep your disks supple. 

Peanut Butter Fingers

I did my presentation over a blog called Peanut Butter Fingers, pbf for short. Julie Fagan is a full-time blogger, personal trainer, and exercise group instructor. Fagan has been blogging since 2009 and has 1.5 million page views.

Her blog caught my attention because I am also trying to blog about health and fitness and different ways people can lead a better lifestyle. Fagan doesn't only blog about health and fitness she also writes about her life and just random things that happen with her and her family.

One thing that I really took away from reading her blog is just because it might be labeled a "health and fitness" blog doesn't mean you can't connect with people with other things. Letting the readers into your life makes them want to come back and read it because it is something different every time.

Pbf biggest strength is probably how relatable it is. Also a monkey could navigate the blog. There are tabs that are set up at the top for different categories whether it's recipes, workouts or even questions about her life and blogging.

If you are looking for a good blog to learn more about health and fitness or even to just read about random daily things Peanut Butter Fingers is a really good blog to follow. The link is http://www.pbfingers.com.

Stretch It Out

A lot of people don't really think about stretching when you are done with a workout or even before. After lifting with our strength and conditioning coach I finally realized how important it really is.

Our Strength and conditioning coach makes us stretch every time we finish a workout. You never realize what benefits stretching really brings until you start doing it.

Here are some of the benefits that stretching can be.
1. Reduces muscle tensions.
2. Increases range from movements of the joints.
3. Enhances muscular coordination.
4. Increases circulation of the blood to various parts of the body.
5. Increases energy levels.
6. Relief from pain.
7. Improves posture.

Just from those seven benefits you can see actually how important it is to stretch. You can get so many injuries just from not stretching before or even after. It is better to stretch to prevent an injury than stretch out a pulled muscle because you didn't stretch in the first place.

We Said Beach Where

Normal college students get to go to Padre or Florida for their spring break. Well when I first committed to play college softball I didn't realize that meant I didn't get a spring break anymore.

The past 4 years I got to spend spring break in St. Joseph, Missouri and let me tell you every year it feels like the farthest place from the beach there is.

While most people were on the beach in warm sunny weather us softball players got to experience 30 degree weather and snow. 

Whoever has played an outside sport knows playing in the cold is probably one of the worst things to play in. I can't tell you how many times we all said we couldn't feel our hands or had people go get hand warmers for us. We even had two little heaters in the dugout, and with 18 girls you have to get closer than you have ever been to your teammates to feel the warmth. We just looked at it as a way of bonding with one another. 

Driving 6 hours away to play softball in freezing weather in the snow isn't what we thought we signed up for. Games got cancelled and pushed back because of the weather and honestly we played probably the worst we have played in awhile.

Even though we didn't get to spend spring break on a beach or an island, we made it worth it because we were together. It may not have seemed like it if you walked by us because we were probably all complaining about being in Missouri in the snow. But in the end we will appreciate being together and having memories even if they aren't on the beach. 

Who Knew Healthy Could be so Good

Eating healthy can get boring, with all the meal prepping at the beginning it tends to become the same ole same ole. One thing that I try to do is make eating healthy more fun. Finding new recipes and trying them all can make eating healthier way more fun. 

One of my favorite meals is fried quinoa. If you like fried rice you will love this. Quinoa may sound weird but it is not only good for you, but it also taste amazing!

RECIPE:

• 1 cup quinoa (or 2½ to 3 cups leftover cooked quinoa)
• 1 ½ cups water or low-sodium chicken stock
• ¼ small onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 eggs, lightly scrambled 
• ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
• Sauce:
• 1 ½ tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• ¾ teaspoon sesame oil

instructions:

1. Rinse quinoa a few times in cold water.
2. Bring quinoa and water or chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan, and then reduce to a simmer. Season with salt.
3. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until quinoa is fluffy and cooked through. Remove from heat and let set for five minutes or so. Fluff with a fork.
4. Cool and store in the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Mix teriyaki, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
6. Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add onion and carrot, cook about two minutes. Add in the rest of the olive oil and the quinoa. Stir-fry about two minutes. Add sauce and stir-fry until about two minutes. pour scrambled eggs in quinoa. Throw in peas, then toss everything together until the peas are warmed through.

Things Only Teammates Will Understand

When you have 18 girls together all the time you would it would get to be too much and it wouldn't work out but really it's perfect. 

Being on a team there are certain things and sayings that only your teammates will understand. 

1. The panic you get when you see your coach calling. 

-You think of everything and anything that you could have possibly done wrong. Then think of an excuse to get you out of any trouble.

2. The fear you have the night before a terrifying workout. 

-When you know you have a tough workout the next whether it is running or weights you dread waking up. The alarm goes off and you know you automatically are going to be sore for the next week. 

3. If coach is buying you know how to split the money.

-Everyone whose on a team knows when you go out to eat and coach is paying and gives you a limit you know how to split money. You can order something more expensive than the limit because you borrowing the money your teammate didn't use. This is the only way math has helped me in my life. 

4. The phrase "Is my farmers tan noticeable?" 

-Almost every time we go somewhere and someone is wearing a tank top you will that question. One of the flaws about softball is you look like you have been working on a farm for 8 hours a day. 

5. The agony of defeat and the sweetness of a victory. 

-One of the worst things to experience as a team is losing. Only one thing makes up for losing and thats winning. Nobody likes losing but when you lose as a team you come back even stronger making the win 10 times better. 

Benefits of Green Tea

One of the things I try to drink every night is green tea. Some people may not like it because they think it taste too bland. If you don't like the flavor of plain green tea there are a bunch of different kinds you can find, all you have to do is go to Walmart! 

Green tea is one of the most healthiest drinks you can have. It helps for weight loss to your brain functioning and has a lower risk of getting cancer.

5 benefits from green tea 

1. Green Tea Contains Various Bioactive Compounds That Can Improve Health. 
-The tea has a lot of small minerals that are very important to the body. So don't get an off brand because it won't have all of the same minerals. Even if you did get an off brand the benefits will still outweigh the risks. 

2.Compounds in Green Tea Can Improve Brain Function and Make You Smarter.
-Caffeine in green tea is what helps you to stay awake. It doesn't have as much as coffee does but it has just enough and it doesn't cause you to crash after drinking it. 

3.Green Tea Increases Fat Burning and Improves Physical Performance.
-If you look at the ingredient list for fat burning supplements you will see that green tea is on there. Caffeine has shown to improve physical performance from mobilizing fatty acids from the fat tissues and using them for energy. 

4. Antioxidants in Green Tea May Lower Your Risk of Various Types of Cancer.
-Green tea is on of the best ways to get powerful antioxidants. There have been many studies that show the results of someone that has drank green tea has a much lower risk of getting cancer than someone who doesn't. 

5. Green Tea Can Help You Lose Weight and Lower Your Risk of Becoming Obese.
-The tea boosts your metabolism and decreases body fat in the stomach area. 

The Hard Part About Being Fit

A lot of people think that working out and lifting is the hard part about being healthy and fit. When in reality the hardest part of all is about eating right.

Meal prepping can be one of the hardest things to keep up with while you are working out. Especially when you come home and your roommates have a Papa Johns pizza sitting on the table but you just have to get your tupperware out and eat your chicken and rice.


Anyone can go to the gym and lift some weights and even run a mile or two. But it takes a different kind of person to be able to keep up with a meal plan and actually stick to it.

Once you do it for awhile you start to get used to it and don't mind it at all. One good thing about meal prepping is that you always have a meal ready. The most you have to do is pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and it's done!


Even though you envy your roommates for eating that delicious pizza you know that meal prepping will be better for you in the long run. Then once your done the results that you see will be better than the person eating that pizza.

Parents Are The Best Valentines

No matter how old I get my parents are always getting me stuff on valentines day. Even though I have had a boyfriend for 4 years they still send me my favorite food. I eat chocolate covered strawberries like it's going out of style. 

To be honest my parents have always got me the best valentines day stuff. When I was little they would get me the usual chocolate and a bear that my dog always tore up. But when I left for college they started sending me these (I would much rather have these any day). You can never go wrong with chocolate covered strawberries and cherries. Parents seriously know best. 

No Pain No Gain

If there is one core exercise that I could do without it would be planks. I love how it makes you feel at the end but while you are doing it, you want to just plop down on your belly and pass out. But if it isn't hard then it isn't really helping in the long run. 

Some benefits from this exercise are:

A toned belly: Planking will help build your deep inner core muscles that lay the groundwork for that six-pack. As your abs become stronger, your mid-section will tighten. 

Reduces back pain: planks work for back pain because they strengthen your core, which has the good "side effect" of reducing the back pain. 

Flexibility: The muscles around your shoulders, collarbone, and shoulder blades will expand and stretch as will your hamstrings and the arches of your feet and toes.

Improve your mood: Planks help stretch and ultimately relax muscle groups that become stiff and tense from sitting. The tension release that planks provide uplifts your spirit. 

Improve your balance and posture: Planking works all the muscles you need to maintain good posture like: your back, chest, shoulders, abs, and neck. 

I Got All My Sisters With Me

When I was little I always wanted a sister. I love my brother more than anything but it seemed like all my friends had sisters. I was always so jealous when I saw how close my friends sisters were with each other.

That all changed when I started playing softball, God blessed me with 19 sisters that I would make lifelong friendships with.

If it wasn't for all these crazy teammates I don't know where I would be. They keep me laughing when I don't want to laugh and if I am having a bad game they're always picking me up.

Our team changes a little bit every year, people come in and people out. With this being my last year I can honestly say this group is one of my favorites.

I wouldn't want to spend my last year with another group, no matter how crazy they can be.