My SATurday

Hello my loves! How is everyone's weekend going so far? 

I hope it's been AMAZING. My weekend started with something a little different. 

Yuppo, this girl had to take the SATs this morning. And let's just say it wasn't an activity I was excited about doing.

The test started promptly at 8:30 AM and went on until 1:15 and it was probably the longest 4 hours I ever had in my life! But I'm very proud that I was able to fit one test in before the new year. I can now kick off the year knowing what I can work on to get better :) 

I made sure to pack in my protein in the morning to wake my body up for the big day! 

Delish<3 

During the breaks, I snacked on some grapes and persimmon to give me some energy and also so I don't go home wanting to chew my arm off! 

Lunch was scrumptious as always. My brain was a bit fried at this point and food seemed to help so much.

Spicy Korean Pork

Romaine lettuce for "wrappage", roasted seaweed, kimchee

Sautéed spinach with garlic and sesame seeds

Special stew made from mom's veggies from her garden! 

Just call me Ms.Veggie Head! ;) 

This is the part all productive things came to an end. I decided that my brain needed from rest from the rigorous work I did this morning! Just like listening to my body, I never reject rest when it comes to my studies. 

After some blog surfing, kabocha roasting (LOVE times infinity), and Instagraming, I fit in an awesome workout!

Workout

• Six Pack Abs with Jillian 
• ZWOW #45 (Kicked my butt!) 
• VS Arms with Cassey<3 

Today was toning day so I focused on the different muscle groups. 

Who knew lifting some weights can make you this sweaty? 

I showered up and prepared dinner! Let me tell you right now, it was quite a unusual one...

Kabocha is my main obsession as of late and the craving hit as I was rummaging in the fridge. 

I pulled out all the guns to build this beautiful bowl of yums. 

Kabocha, egg whites, sautéed spinach and cucumbers all topped with pan fried salmon! 

Sriracha drizzle for a bit of a kick! 

Wow, where has the time gone?! 

Sorry for such a short post but that test made me pooped! 

Goodnight everyone :) 

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Question of the Day

What are some weird combinations that you create? 

Today is a Gift

Hey everyone! It's been too long and I've missed all of you. I hope everyone's week was filled with love and happiness<3

Hmm, so where have I been? 

Basically, my head has been running in circles. I'm trying to juggle between being an IB student, taking the SATs, volunteering and working out for the last week and a half. I can't seem to find a good balance with everything and it's been stressing me out! 

I'm a perfectionist. In some ways, this is very helpful because it helps me to make sure I get things right. But at the same time, it can push me to the point where I am just tired of trying to be perfect.

My thoughts as of late:

Yes, of course I want to get into an amazing college, preferably out of state! It is, by all means, possible. But, sometimes things don't happen the way we want it to. 

I'd love to get really high scores on the SAT. It's the one thing that could determine whether I get into a certain university or not. Will I get a high score the first time? Probably not. 

I should eat more vegetables today since I haven't had any greens today. Did I get to eating it? Nope. Some days, my body is going to crave carbs more than veggies. That's okay.

I should run outside since I haven't ran in a week. But honestly? I'm not feeling a run so I'll just stick to weight lifting inside. 

I want abs like that! Gah, I have to eat super clean to do that. But HECK no am I giving up grains. I love my bread too much. 

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My mind has been crazy lately, battling with expectations from my family, peers and ultimately myself in all areas of my life. It's been difficult to decide what is important and what matters to my future right now.

The future scares me. I don't know where I'll be or who I'll be with. I have no clue about where my body will take me, what my mind will tell me and how my heart will continue to lead me. I find it hard to trust in my own instincts since I've been wrong so many times in the past, mentally, spiritually, and physically. 

So today, I am going to strive to be willing and dedicated to be the best version of me. This doesn't mean that I will have the best grades or the "perfect" diet. Not all my workouts will be successful and exciting. I'm very unsure about what God has planned for me but I know one thing. 

God will never give me something I can't handle. He knows my fears, goals, my past and my future. 

Right now, all I need to do is be in the present and to enjoy every beautiful second this life has to offer. 

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Don't Go Changing...

"To try to please me, you never let me down before!" 

Just as my friend Billy Joel would sing it, things here have been getting pretty routine and repetitive. 

Not that I mind it, oh no sir. Why change a good thing, am I right? 

The first delicious "thing" that has been the same for weeks, is my breakfast.

Sweet omelet. 

Every.

Single.

Day. 

This is one of those times where I taste one thing and get hooked on it until I find something else to munch on! Does anybody else have that problem? I don't know what it is, but the combination of fat and protein keeps me going until the next meal. 

Get in my belly! 

Numero dos is #plantpower! Hello tomatoes, spinach, carrots and every colorful vegetable within my reach. I welcome them warmly with open arms y'all. You should too! 

One time, I actually ate two salads in a day! My body has been craving these vegetables for some odd reason, when I usually grab fruit to fuel me. This is a BIG change for someone like me who has a raging sweet tooth. To quell my crazy cravings, check out this baby! 

Sweet potatoes with a generous scoop of almond butter! This is the perfect snack to help hold your tummy until lunch time and I've been having this during the day at school. I had to sneak a picture in Spanish :) 

The third and final thing that been rocking my foodie world are california rolls. 

DUDE. Why can't I stop eating this for dinner?! 

It's those dang avocados again. Curse their creaminess. 

I'm sorry for being so MIA this week! I recently got two new SAT tutors and they definitely don't go easy on new students. I've also been trying to set up a plan for Keep Smiling for the upcoming months. I definitely need more variety in my little corner of the blog world to spice things up a bit! My schedule is jam packed. I'm surprised I haven't gone delirious yet!

Actually, judging from the way I treat my green peppers from my garden, I could be.

Pepper-stache<3

I can't wait till tomorrow because I have a bit of surprise for you all! 

Make sure to check in :) 

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I would love some ideas for the blog so if you have any thing you want to see more of, please let me know!