tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48989499169619022372024-03-05T01:01:58.001-07:00Bandida Blog<center>
the life of a solar powered Chicana.</center>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.comBlogger418125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-76535652055578106922015-01-22T19:50:00.001-07:002015-01-22T19:50:23.974-07:00Namaste, Baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-x1MxkKkTdIQ/VMG26GGs4OI/AAAAAAAACfE/-ejYnlPjySc/s640/blogger-image-1514076706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-x1MxkKkTdIQ/VMG26GGs4OI/AAAAAAAACfE/-ejYnlPjySc/s640/blogger-image-1514076706.jpg"></a></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I'm writing this blog post on my iPhone while sitting in the bathtub. TMI? I think not. I'm just embracing my new life as a multi-tasking mom. It's also cold outside and I needed to warm my bones. </span></div><div><br></div><div>Yesterday, I decided to venture outside my typical day and attend a mama-baby yoga class. I showed up late which is sort of a bummer. Lucía and I are still working on perfecting our get out the door routine. After we got settled in I pulled Lucía out of her car seat and laid her on the mat like all the other moms had done with their babies. I was amazed to see all these calm babies just lying there while their moms relaxed in child's pose. I put Lucía down on my Matt, took a deep breath, and joined the other moms in child's pose. Next the teacher instructed us to go into downward dog.. I looked up at Lucía and she busted up laughing at me. I immediately started laughing and went back to child's pose. I was about to get embarrassed, but then I realized the other moms were laughing with me. It was a nice start to my first mama-baby yoga experience. </div><div>Now even though the class was relaxing, it was also a hell of a workout. We did planks, ab work and wall sits with baby. During one of the wall sits one of the babies started to cry. I swear that baby was communicating what my burning thighs were feeling. It felt good though! </div><div>What made me so happy is that Lucía had a great time. She smiled and laughed at all the other moms and babies. It truly brightened my day. Even though at times the class was a bit overwhelming. Especially when the coughing snotty baby crawled toward Lucía and tried to touch her. I found my peace and truly enjoyed the class. I even met a few moms who invited me to lunch and a walk. I can't wait till the next class, but until then I will utilize the moves I learned in class at home. </div><div><br></div><div>What sort of mom-baby classes do you attend or recommend? Let me know! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3K5f-Quip2M/VMG27lnMw5I/AAAAAAAACfM/Xk3XC1yO2u0/s640/blogger-image-976026832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3K5f-Quip2M/VMG27lnMw5I/AAAAAAAACfM/Xk3XC1yO2u0/s640/blogger-image-976026832.jpg"></a></div></div><div> <i>Spit bubbles with your namaste?</i></div><div><br></div>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-29875426709192346192015-01-20T08:26:00.000-07:002015-01-29T21:27:19.309-07:00Questions...Questions..Hello everyone, I know it's been a long while since I've updated the blog. Having a baby really is as time consuming as everyone says it is, and I love it! I worked full time up until I had our baby girl, so that meant little time for blogging and lots of time for sleeping. I'm happy to say our baby girl was born on Nov 1st, 2014 and we just love her to pieces. I am currently on maternity leave and enjoying every bit of time I have with her.<br />
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So instead of writing a long post to catch you up with what is going on in our lives. I figured I would answer Cindy Lu's questionnaire that she tagged me in over at <a href="http://loteriachicana.net/" target="_blank">Loteria Chicana </a> Some of these questions have to do with Christmas. Oh well, better late than never. Without further adieu.. here we go!!<br />
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<b>1) What is my current health related goal?</b><br />
Oh, man. Right now I am still working on just balancing my life as a new mom, but ultimately I would like to start running again. The Señor recently bought a pair of running shoes, so we hope to start running as a family in the near future. I did recently attempt to run up a hill and it felt like my body was just going to collapse on itself. I think I may still have a bit of the relaxin hormone hanging about.<br />
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<b>2) What is my biggest irrational fear?</b><br />
I am deathly afraid of cockroaches and spiders being on me or even near me. I hope to not pass on this fear to my daughter.<br />
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<b>3) Do I enjoy wrapping presents?</b><br />
I usually do, but I'm terrible at it. I finally had the Señor give me a proper lesson on how to wrap gifts. I'd give myself a C+ for effort this year. Yeah, I suck.<br />
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<b>4) What is my favorite cross training activity. </b><br />
I have fallen back in love with swimming. Although I don't like to swim in the winter time because being cold and wet is just awful. During my pregnancy I really enjoyed swimming. Feeling weightless and getting in a good workout always felt good. I hope to continue swimming once it warms up again.<br />
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<b>5) If you came to visit me, what would we do? </b><br />
If Cindy and her family came to visit I'm sure we would have a good time. I love where I live and enjoy showing friends and family around my town. I would probably ask them to come in October so they could check out the balloon fiesta, I'm sure Lucía would love a few play dates with her son Xavier, and if she is up for it..a run in the foothills. I would make sure to wait until she acclimated to the altitude before asking her to do that.<br />
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<b>6) </b><strong style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong><strong style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I have two weeks off work and two round trip plane tickets to anywhere. Where would I go and who would I take?</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">My first choice would be Patagonia. I would take my the Señor and our baby girl because she flies free until she is two. Check out the video below. It will make you want to travel there too. </span></span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/36519586?color=ff9933" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/36519586">a story for tomorrow.</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/gnarlybay">gnarly bay</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">7) What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to me during a run or a race?</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Honestly, I haven't had an embarrassing moment happen yet. I'm sure my time is coming, so I won't even bother knocking on wood. One thing that I can share is that I tend to lose my footing in front of people and almost fall down. This never happens when I'm by myself..just when I'm running by complete strangers. I love it when they say.."OMG are you okay? " and then I bounce off like freakin' Bambi yelling "I'm all good!!" But really I feel like a complete idiot and I'm trying to escape as fast as I can. At least It's not as bad as the poor girl below who busted her bum on the ice. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">8) </span></span><span style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Three best days of my life? Or at least the top three that come to mind.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">#1 The birth of my beautiful daughter Lucía</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">#2 When my husband asked me to marry him on the most beautiful hike I have ever been on next to a mountain lake in Colorado. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">#3 When I graduated from nursing school, passed my NCLEX, and got a job. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">9)</span></span><span style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Okay, so I HAVE to eat a fast food</span><span style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">meal. Which restaurant would I choose and what do I order?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I would probably go to Twisters and get a whole disaster burrito with tater gems and green chile and split it with my husband. Eat now, fart later. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">10) Have I ever met a celebrity?</span></strong><br />
<span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Yes! I met America Ferrera (Ugly Betty, Real Women Have Curves) at a restaurant here in Albuquerque. She was campaigning for Hilary Clinton and she was so well spoken and approachable. What's even crazier is that I was telling the story to my good friends Allison and Danielle about how I met America and how awesome she was while I was visiting London. After getting off the Tube we came upon Piccadilly Circus and Allison said, "Hey, There's Ugly Betty!" We then became spontaneous extras for the last scene of Ugly Betty. We actually saw ourselves on the last episode! At least I think we did.. We sort of had to squint really hard. True story. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<i>We are in there somewhere</i></div>
<span style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">11) Share a pic of myself in non-workout clothes.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Here ya go..</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>12) </b></span><strong style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If I could choose to have a “do over” and switch careers, what would I choose and why?</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Well, I already had a "do over" with my career. My first career was in social work and although I loved it, I hated getting laid off. Going back to school and becoming a nurse has been the best decision I have made for not only myself, but my family. I pretty much get to wear pajamas to work. It's awesome. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b>13) </b></span></span><strong style="border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If I won an Olympic Gold Medal, how do I think I would react?</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I love Cindy's answer to this question. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> " </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Probably like Leo Manzano. I’d do a victory lap with both the US and Mexico flags." </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">I was so moved by this moment while watching the Olympics. </span><br />
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<b>14) </b><strong style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What do I want for Christmas?</strong><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">I wanted to get my hair dyed and cut. Honestly, I just wanted someone to brush my hair. Thanks to my husband I was able to get my "mommy haircut" and chopped a few inches off my mop. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b>15) What Skill do I lack?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I lack quite a few skills actually. I wish I knew how to whip up a healthy, wholesome dinner in a short amount of time. I also wish I knew I had to sew. Thank God for Youtube. I also lack keeping up with and updating this blog. I hope to change that this year. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I really enjoyed writing this post. Thanks Cindy for tagging me. I would tag other readers to do this questionnaire, but I'm not sure If I still have readers on this blog. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Cheers to a wonderful 2015!! </span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4898949916961902237%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D2987542670919234619%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ASGoZ-0a99s%252FVL3YGDzotmI%252FAAAAAAAACds%252FK9s9h6ZY2Wk%252Fs1600%252F10398909_508142766151_7550_n.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 3903px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D4898949916961902237%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D2987542670919234619%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-ASGoZ-0a99s%252FVL3YGDzotmI%252FAAAAAAAACds%252FK9s9h6ZY2Wk%252Fs1600%252F10398909_508142766151_7550_n.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 3903px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-61291844233784945402014-08-05T23:00:00.001-06:002015-01-12T12:06:48.477-07:00And Then They Were Three<div class="MsoNormal">
3 is a magic number. Yes it is!! </div>
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I truly meant to write this post a long time ago, but I had
no idea where my feelings, emotions, or hormones would take me. It turns
out I went into protective mommy mode. I was excited and thrilled, but
only felt comfortable with telling close friends and family with what was going
on with me. I'm glad I decided to go about it this way, as the amazing
people in my life were not only great friends, but also a huge support as I
went through this amazing process. </div>
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February 24th, 2014</div>
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When I first found out I was pregnant it was after a long
stroll at the new Target close to our house. I was walking around the maternity
section at Target and I remember muttering under my breath, "God, I would
be a good mom." I remember being shocked that I had said that out loud,
but then immediately began to wonder if I actually was pregnant. I headed
straight over to the health section of Target and purchased a pregnancy
test. </div>
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When I went home I decided to take the test right away. I
was only a day late and didn't think much of it. You can imagine my shock
two minutes later. <i>Don't worry; I won't post a picture of the stick I
peed on as proof. </i>There it was, two bright pink lines staring at me. Even
though the Señor and I had been trying to get pregnant for a few months I was
still shocked and surprised to see a positive result. I remember calling
Patrick and immediately began crying and asked him to come home. Lucky me, he
wasn't in the middle of some dangerous project at work. He simply said,
"Ok, I'm on my way." I felt I had time to run to a nearby store and pick
up a digital pregnancy test that simply showed the words "Pregnant"
and "Not Pregnant." I
returned home and pulled a Bitburger Beer out of the fridge for my husband for
when he arrived. Bitburgh Germany is the little town I was born in. I figured
this would be the perfect occasion for my husband to crack one open. When he
pulled up I showed him the test. His eyes got really big and he gave me a huge
hug. I handed him the beer and went to grab a glass of water. As soon as the H20 kicked in I took another pregnancy test. Sure enough "PREGNANT 2-3 weeks"
spelled out in digital letters. We were excited and scared all at the
same time. We couldn't be happier to find out about the next adventure in our
lives together. After we settled down, we decided to take our dog Shed for a
walk around the neighborhood. We talked about the future and becoming parents. During our stroll I couldn't help but rub my belly and hum the tune;
"It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." </div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aU4pyiB-kq0" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-84942596651424905182014-04-26T09:30:00.002-06:002014-04-26T09:30:51.816-06:00Something That Made Me SmileWe don't usually watch a lot of TV, but we were able to catch a re-run episode of The Simpsons last night where they did a small tribute Studio Ghibli films. Just like countless of others out there, I'm a huge fan of their work. I fell in love with Spirited Away and Ponyo just warms my heart. Anyways, I thought I would share this little something that made me smile.<br />
<br />
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<br />Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-12465595159869189282014-03-04T21:22:00.000-07:002014-03-05T21:26:23.401-07:00Crickets….<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Hi everyone,</span></div>
<br />
<br />
I know, it's been forever since I've updated this blog. What is my excuse? I have none really, except that life has just been happening. Does that mean I gave up on this blog completely? Not at all. There was times I came back to revisit past moments, look up old recipes I had posted on here, and read up on all the lovely blogs written by my friends. Recently I have had something occur in my life that has brought me back to my little soapbox. I've missed writing on here and I've missed sharing parts of my life both positive and challenging.<br />
Just to bring everyone up to speed. Here is an update:<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>I'M A NURSE: </u></i></b><br />
I am no longer a nursing student but an actual nurse. I studied my ass off and passed my NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Exam) in 75 questions back in October. Not only that, but I landed a job at the hospital I wanted to work at a week later. Transitioning from student to nurse has been amazing and the scariest thing I have done in my life. There was a full month streak where I encountered almost every type of challenging patient you could have on our unit. I was so grateful for the other nurses and techs on my unit who helped out during the challenges and encouraged me when I did something right. The only thing that I can say that I dislike is the schedule. However, a wise nurse on the unit put it bluntly. She said, "Suck it up Laura, you are a nurse now." I wanted to bitter about this comment, but she was right. I knew going into this profession that it was going to be challenging, but I accepted it full heartedly. Now that i'm in this actual position I find it eases my mind to just go with the flow rather than fight it. At least for the moment that is. Nursing is a job that can be very stressful. I have discovered that running and going to acupuncture weekly has helped keep my stress in check. I've also downloaded some meditation apps to listen to on breaks or before I go to bed. It seemed silly at first, but I find it really does work! I recommend the <a href="http://calm.com/" target="_blank">calm.com </a> app for a good escape.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>RUNNING</u></b><br />
I'm still running, but I'm not trying to clock in long runs. Now I just run to feel good. I find I just run and listen to what my body is telling me. If my body wants to walk a bit and take in the sunset happening on the westside of Albuquerque...I let it. If my body wants to charge a hill like a mad women...I let it. This doesn't mean that I won't challenge myself in the future to clock in the long runs again, but for now this is what works for me. I still have the La Luz Trail Run in my sights. I'm going to run up that mountain some day.<br />
<br />
<u><b>THE SEÑOR: </b></u><br />
Business has really taken off for the Señor this last year and we feel so blessed. We truly thank God for all the blessings we have in our lives. Construction is hard work and there is not a week that goes by that I'm not treating some freak wound he got on the job, but I'm so proud of him. His hard work put me through nursing school. His amazing support all the way through my crazy journey is something I will never forget. We have both been working hard and are looking forward to our first vacation of 2014. We will be going to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic to watch my good friend Alex get married. We love a good wedding!<br />
<br />
Recently we did a huge grocery shopping spree. We waned to purchase food that we could prepare and cook at home. With our new work schedules, it's been easy to just go out to eat. As fun and good as that sounds, it does get old after awhile. I hope to share some of the new recipes we try on the blog. Got a good recipe? Please send me a link or post it in the comments.<br />
<br />
I look forward to catching up with everyone!<br />
Cheers,<br />
Laura<br />
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<br />Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-1437673118488321712013-08-30T13:12:00.000-06:002013-08-30T13:12:15.009-06:00Nursing School Graduate
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Hello BB Readers, <o:p></o:p></div>
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Wow, it's been a minute since I've been on here and
written anything. I remember back at the beginning of nursing school when I
scoffed at the director of the nursing program when she said, "We own you
for the next year and a half." Well, she was right, and I was propelled
into my reality check with course work and study sessions. I also began to neglect this blog. I've really missed coming on here and writing updates. I'm still in a bit of transition at the moment going from school to work life, but I'm hoping I have a little more free time to get on here. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I recently completed the nursing program on
August 10. I remember being so emotional on the day of my pinning ceremony
(graduation). I even overheard a classmate say, "Laura is going to cry,
watch." This made me laugh because I do not remember being so emotional
before nursing school. It makes me wonder, did nursing school help me break
down a wall and let me know that it's okay to share your emotions with patients
or others, or was it just the fact that I survived nursing school and was so
relieved that I just couldn't hold back the emotions. I would like to
think it was a bit of both. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It has been an amazing journey of self-discovery
and discipline to get to this point. I still remember when I was laid off from
my job and feeling so lost. I remember coming to a realization during a long
run that I needed to whip myself into gear and work hard to get into nursing
school. When I look back, the whole roller coaster ride that was nursing school
was worth it. Sure, I cursed the grueling schedule and almost every single
exam, but with the help of some great nursing school friends and my amazing
supportive husband, I survived. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Next up: Studying hard and passing the NCLEX
examination!! I GOT THIS! </div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-7022676128308203822013-04-01T13:24:00.003-06:002013-04-01T13:31:36.390-06:00Hello, Springtime!What an amazing past couple of weeks! As usual, I've been super busy with school and everything involved with it. However, today I registered for my LAST semester of nursing school! It's amazing how fast it came around. I'm excited, nervous, and happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel! <br />
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<br />
A couple of weeks ago I received a phone call from my sister who was visiting San Antonio at the time. With pure enthusiasm she let me know that she had gotten engaged to her boyfriend. I was elated for her! Looks like another Lopez wedding is in the works for next year. It will be an amazing celebration. <br />
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<br />
Just in time for Easter we received three new additions to our family. Our chicks Lucky Day, Ned Nederlander, and Dusty Bottoms. They have amazing personalities and we are excited to see them grow into beautiful egg laying hens. My husband and I had talked about getting chickens for a while, but never really had the time to execute such a project. My husband never does anything half-ass especially when it comes to building something. He put together an amazing coop for our feathered friends. We can't wait to go into our backyard and gather up some eggs!<br />
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To wrap up this spring post I wanted to share my new love of getting around town on 2-wheels. On March 1st I made a mini-goal to not fill up my car with gas until mid-April. So far it's been working out well. I enjoy the exercise I get from the hills in my neighborhood and the front row parking at school. The weather is nice and warm right now here in NM, absolutely perfect for a bike ride!<br />
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HAPPY SPRING!Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-14103748610527206552013-01-30T17:49:00.002-07:002013-01-30T17:49:47.437-07:00Wedding Wednesday: Fiesta Bridal ShowerThis is a repost:<br />
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On May 5th, 2012 I had my bridal shower and it was so much fun. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to have bridal shower, but I'm so glad I did. It was a great day filled with family and friends both local and from out of state.<br />
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We played Three games..<br />
The first game was <i><b>He said, She said..</b></i>Which is a game where the bridal shower guest try to guess who said what phrases. Before hand Patrick and I got together and came up with some phrases that either He said, I said, or we both said. The guest would read the phrases and give their best guess on who said what and then put up their depressor mustache or lips to support their answer.<br />
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The second game was<i><b> Pin the Boutonniere on the groom. </b></i>After a few sangrias this game proved to be a bit challenging. My mother got some butcher paper and traced my Señors outline. I guess she forgot how tall he was because she didn't get the right stretch of paper and ended up cutting off his feet.<br />
Guest were then blind folded and would do their best to pin the boutonniere on the groom. The winner Isabella, was such a cutie that we let her go until she won the game. :)<br />
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<i> Isabella: The winner of the Pin the Boutonniere game</i></div>
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The third game was a version of hot potato with a sombrero. I guess we can call it the Sombrero Caliente game. It was a last minute addition and proved to be a lot of fun. It got a bit competitive towards the end, but my brothers girlfriend Jessie came out on top. <br />
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<i>Jessie: The winner of Sombrero Caliente game</i></div>
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The girls who attended the bridal shower were so much fun! I had a fantastic time and couldn't be more blessed to be surrounded by such a great group of women during this amazing time of my life. <br />
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Thanks to <a href="http://www.delamooxie.com%20/">Helin "Mooxie"</a> for the great photos!!<br />
<br />Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-23998575461607978472013-01-23T21:09:00.002-07:002013-08-30T13:14:55.931-06:00Wedding Wednesday: NM Wedding Blog and Save the Dates!Here is my first wedding post! Woo HOO!! Finally, right?!<br />
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I wanted to start off by sharing our budget friendly save the dates.<br />
The Señor and I were devastated when we came home from getting engaged in Colorado to find out our big pine tree had died. Our neighbor a few doors down had come over when we were finally having it cut down and told us that he had planted the tree back in 1972. It took every ounce of will power in me to not burst into tears in front of our neighbor. It was sad, but the tree wasn't the same after a harsh winter in 2011 and we were afraid that it might give and fall on our house..or worse someone walking their dog. Yikes!<br />
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So TIMMMBBERRRRR it went...<br />
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The good news is that we didn't waste any part of our old tree. We have used the trunk for firewood during the winter and we used the branches to create our lovely save the dates.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lausonrisa/6639312187/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="P1041614 by lau.sonrisa, on Flickr"><img alt="P1041614" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6639312187_4484d05efd.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lausonrisa/6639310781/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Save the Dates by lau.sonrisa, on Flickr"><img alt="Save the Dates" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6639310781_5696c9077c.jpg" /></a></div>
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When we first started thinking about getting our save the dates, I wasn't quite sure where to start looking or what we wanted. I wanted to do something outside the box and creative. So I started looking on Etsy and found some great wood save the date magnets! However, the prices were not anywhere close to being within our budget. Thankfully, I thought of our dear ol' dead pine tree and got inspired to make our own save the dates with the help of my future husband.<br />
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Here is how we did it:<br />
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<li>We had a custom stamp made on Etsy with our wedding date on it.</li>
<li>Bought some pretty bronze ink at a local craft store and a magnet roll</li>
<li>I had the Señor cut our pine tree branches into cool little round disc and sand them down.</li>
<li>I stamped each of the wood disc with the nifty stamp and secured a strip of magnet to the back of each wood disc with wood glue. (we used super glue at first, but that didn't work as well) </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">We also printed out a free printable from<a href="http://weddingchicks.com/" target="_blank"> weddingchicks.com</a> that included our wedding website and venue information. </em></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-style: normal;">Voilà!!! Simple, environmentally and budget friendly save the dates! </em></em></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Our friends and family loved our creative save the dates and so did our wallets.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Next up: NM Wedding Blog and Teresa Romero. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Yesterday, when I first started creating this post I saw some very exciting news on Facebook. My lovely friend and wedding dress designer Teresa Romero was going to be featured on <a href="http://nmweddingblog.com/" target="_blank">NMweddingblog.com </a>in a podcast interview. When I listened to the interview this morning it brought back so many great memories of having my dress custom made and the unique and wonderful experience I had. Teresa really captured the vintage and classic look I was going for. I felt so comfortable in my wedding dress that it was easy to celebrate and dance on my wedding day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">Please check out the wonderful </span><a href="http://nmweddingblog.com/">NMweddingblog.com</a> website<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"> for amazing information about getting married in New Mexico and to listen to the podcast featuring the talented Teresa Romero. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">Check out Teresa's wonderful blog: <a href="http://thedesignerslounge.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Deisgner's Lounge. </a></span></div>
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<i>My wedding dress sketch by Teresa Romero</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><i>Photo by Mooxie Photography</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Thank you guys!! I hope you enjoyed my first Wedding Wednesday blog post! </span></span></div>
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Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-54248043904159684642013-01-01T22:21:00.003-07:002013-01-23T10:17:01.620-07:00HAPPY NEW YEAR: Highlights of 2012Happy New Year everyone!<br />
I hope you all enjoyed ringing in the new year with your loved ones. We enjoyed ringing in the new year wearing our yoga/pajama pants. It was lazy and perfect.<br />
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2012 was such an amazing year for me, so I really couldn't move forward into 2013 without looking back on the past year.<br />
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<i style="font-size: x-large;">I married my strong and handsome Señor</i><br />
<i> I know that I was supposed to write a post about my wedding, but I would just end up sitting in front of my computer thinking about the day and not writing about it. You see the day was so special to me that writing a post to share my special day wouldn't even be a close reflection of how amazing our wedding day was. I'm sure i'll still write a wedding post, but for now I'll just share a few photos. </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Shed Dog</i></span><br />
<i>In February we gained an unexpected new member of our family. The Señor and I had talked about owning a dog before, and we both felt it was a bad idea. We assumed that we would be bad parents and wouldn't be able to find enough time to spend with the dog. However, that all changed when Shed dog came into our lives and adopted us. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you already know how obsessed I am with this dog. I'm pretty sure I take a photo of her everyday. She is such a ham. For the full story on Shed dog <a href="http://bandidablog.blogspot.com/2012/02/dog-named-shed.html" target="_blank">(click here)</a>.</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">Hiked the La Luz Trail</span></i><br />
<i>Since I started this blog it has been a goal of mine to hike up the La Luz trail. I would run in the foothills and just stare up at the point where the La Luz trail ends and contemplate hiking up the mountain. I always thought it was kind of sad that I had lived here so long and hadn't done it. After my bachelorette party in May, the Señor and I hiked up the mountain. Shed dog led the way and we were up the mountain in about 4 hours. Hiking up this trail sparked up my goal of running up the trail. When I will actually do this is yet to be determined, but the challenge has me excited. :) </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Nursing School</i></span></div>
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<i>The start of the summer 2012 semester was the beginning of my journey into nursing school. It's been a roller coaster of emotions, frustration, and fun. Sounds crazy right? It really is. However, the challenges and the long coffee driven nights will all be worth it in the end. Currently I'm 1/2 way to becoming a nurse and I can't wait to write RN at the end of my name. </i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mP_oa6CHSUg/UOO-W0aQrXI/AAAAAAAACLQ/8w-swqOYdsU/s1600/Photo+Nov+16,+4+43+54+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mP_oa6CHSUg/UOO-W0aQrXI/AAAAAAAACLQ/8w-swqOYdsU/s320/Photo+Nov+16,+4+43+54+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Running (I'm back in the game) </span></i></div>
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<i>Thanks to my friend Cassy, I got back into the running game. She convinced me to sign up for a Halloween fun run and I got hooked again. I dressed up in a Witch costume and ran a simple 5k. That was all the kick I needed to get back into running. I did attempt a running streak during the holiday season, but it wasn't that successful for me considering I got a little sick right after Christmas. Oh well, It was nice attempt. I'll most likely keep trying the running streaks until I complete one correctly. I'm not quite sure what running has in store for me this year, but I'm thinking a few more fun runs and maybe another half? My handsome husband just bought me some amazing new running shoes for Christmas. We shall see where these bright beauties take me! </i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H6zUzGtmXJU/UOPAnO9m54I/AAAAAAAACL0/jkTsu73kGbU/s1600/Photo+Dec+21,+9+59+14+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H6zUzGtmXJU/UOPAnO9m54I/AAAAAAAACL0/jkTsu73kGbU/s320/Photo+Dec+21,+9+59+14+AM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>One of my best friends got married</i></span></div>
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<i>2012 was the BEST year to get married! Okay, I'm a little bit bias, but still. It was so much fun having my good friend Amalia as a bridesmaid in my wedding, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Last week we traveled to the rainy NW to take part in her beautiful Seattle wedding. She looked absolutely classic and the ceremony was stunning! </i></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DStXa5uKaOU/UOPCoLA5heI/AAAAAAAACMY/Zgnlhah1Hxw/s1600/Photo+Dec+29,+6+44+40+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DStXa5uKaOU/UOPCoLA5heI/AAAAAAAACMY/Zgnlhah1Hxw/s200/Photo+Dec+29,+6+44+40+PM.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Aw30liAUXPA/UOPCoiND8nI/AAAAAAAACMg/eYxwjGsPjQM/s1600/Photo+Dec+29,+9+07+22+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Aw30liAUXPA/UOPCoiND8nI/AAAAAAAACMg/eYxwjGsPjQM/s200/Photo+Dec+29,+9+07+22+PM.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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You sure were fabulous 2012!</div>
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Cheers to a LUCKY 2013!</div>
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Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-21205473843645478972012-12-20T11:59:00.002-07:002012-12-20T18:36:33.731-07:00Domestically Disabled Post: Energy Bites With all the extra time I have from not studying I've decided to take on a few recipes from my friend Cassy's blog over at <a href="http://healthywithsass.blogspot.com/">healthywithsass.blogspot.com</a>. She has already put up some amazing easy to do recipes that are perfect for the upcoming holiday season.<br />
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My favorite recipe from her blog so far has been the energy bites. I like to call them <i>peanut buttah bawls </i>in my best New Jersey accent. Anyways, I made these bite size balls of yumminess this week and they are so good! Just like Cassy I tend to skip meals or I forget to eat snacks in-between meals and I find myself famished before lunch or dinner. This usually leads to really unhealthy meal choices. Anyways, I went and picked up some ingredients from Sprouts, and in less than 30 minutes I had an amazing snack! </div>
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Here is the recipe from Cassy's blog)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Here's what's in them:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">2 1/2 cups of quick oats</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">3 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">1/4 cup of honey or agave (vegan)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">1/2 cup of cacao nibs (I used Enjoy Life mini-chips which are soy, dairy and nut free)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">2 tablespoons of almond milk (You can add a little more if you feel your mixture is too dry) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Here's how to make them:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Dump all the ingredients into a large bowl, mix together, this is a VERY sticky situation. I coated my spatula with coconut oil so that I didn't end up with a giant glob of mostly unmixed ingredients. Once it's all mixed up form into balls of any size you like, mine were ping pong sized. Put on a non stick pan or a plate and refrigerate for at least 15 min before you eat them.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">I made about 15 balls from this recipe. You can also use whatever kind of liquid or nut butter you want as well. The mix in possibilities are endless. Which makes it even more awesome. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Easy peasy!! It's the perfect snack and it's Señor approved. He seriously ate half a batch in one day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Try it out and let Cassy and I know how you liked it or how you changed it up. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Enjoy!</span></span></div>
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Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-7833178340623700782012-12-19T22:14:00.001-07:002012-12-19T22:29:51.407-07:00A Long December<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Oh yes, I love starting out a blog post with a nice
cheesy title. I bet all of you 90's kids out there have The Counting Crows <i>A Long December</i> song stuck in your head now. Nice. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, it's been about a month since I last posted,
but I’ll spare you guys the excuses on why I haven't been present on this blog.
Chances are you probably already know why. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The good news is I passed level 2 of nursing
school! Hooray!! I'm half way to being a nurse!!! This semester was supposed to
be the hardest semester of our nursing school career, and I'm happy to report
that I survived it. Phew! Nursing school is full of excitement and dread. It's
almost like riding a roller coaster with no sort of safety restraints, but you
turn out okay at the end. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyways, I have a month off before school starts up
again and I plan on filling my break time with sipping warm tea, reading a book
(not healthcare related), Christmas shopping, baking, hanging with family, and
then heading to a long time friends wedding in Seattle. This is my first time
being a bridesmaid in a wedding and I’m absolutely honored and thrilled to be a
part of it all. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Running has been going well and I'm still doing the
running streak. I've modified it a little bit and have allowed myself to walk a
mile instead of run on a few days. I've taught myself to listen to my body and
sometimes running is just not part of the plan that day. I've mixed up my
routine and I've been going to hot yoga a couple of times a week. I'm attending
a new studio in town that is donation based and offered a great Groupon rate.
The coupon allows me to attend for an unlimited time for two months, and with
the recent burst of cold air that just came through NM going to hot yoga has
been a real treat. It's funny to think on December 1st of this year I was
still running in a skirt! I've asked good ol' Saint Nick for a new pair
of running shoes, as my current pair of Asics are feeling a bit worn. I'm
thinking of switching my brand of shoe to maybe Brooks or Mizuno. I love my
Asics, but they just haven't been as awesome as I remembered them to be in the
past. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I think I remember reporting that I was going to do
a turkey trot run. The run went okay. There were a lot of hills and I was not
prepared for that. I did beat my pumpkin chase run by a few seconds, but boy
was I beat up from that run. It definitely inspired me to add more hills to my
running routine. Below are a few photos I took on my runs. The 1st was from this past weekend in which the weather was freezing, but the scenery was still gorgeous. The 2nd one was from early November after the turkey trot run, I was in the foothills getting my hills on. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx5Q6H68jpE/UNKdZpK_Q8I/AAAAAAAACGg/cMv11BI6rV0/s1600/Photo+Dec+16,+10+54+25+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bx5Q6H68jpE/UNKdZpK_Q8I/AAAAAAAACGg/cMv11BI6rV0/s320/Photo+Dec+16,+10+54+25+AM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hQbMTbBc8kM/UNKdpdaHYqI/AAAAAAAACGw/GTgTYWi4xtE/s1600/Photo+Nov+25,+2+07+56+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hQbMTbBc8kM/UNKdpdaHYqI/AAAAAAAACGw/GTgTYWi4xtE/s320/Photo+Nov+25,+2+07+56+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It recently snowed her in Albuquerque and I've been
excited about the possibility of actually going snowboarding this year. Also,
it's nice to have the moisture here in the dry desert. It was seriously
starting to freak me out how warm it was going into December. This afternoon we
had a serious wind chill and my teeth were chattering during the first part of
my run. I guess i'm going to have to start embracing the cold weather. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8eORGEfYzE/UNKdWdPTaPI/AAAAAAAACGU/kpjhMtIVPwQ/s1600/Photo+Dec+15%252C+10+34+48+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8eORGEfYzE/UNKdWdPTaPI/AAAAAAAACGU/kpjhMtIVPwQ/s320/Photo+Dec+15%252C+10+34+48+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Enjoying the snow! </div>
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Anyways amigos! I hope you all are doing well and
holidays haven't swallowed you whole yet. The Señor and I have a lot planned
for the holidays. This year we are hosting Christmas Eve at our house for both
our families. I plan on making a big pot of posole and making tamales for the
occasion. This is our first Christmas as a married couple and we are enjoying
the little things about the holiday. Such as getting Christmas cards addressed
to us with my new last name....eek! My husband and I have been married 4
months and it has been amazing. We can't wait to see what 2013 has in
store for us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRhPLvYh9K4/UNKdga_wtNI/AAAAAAAACGo/qtNDiQnnhLk/s1600/Photo+Dec+16%252C+5+24+01+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRhPLvYh9K4/UNKdga_wtNI/AAAAAAAACGo/qtNDiQnnhLk/s320/Photo+Dec+16%252C+5+24+01+PM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5FzEpy4iyRI/UNKdT2mIfNI/AAAAAAAACGM/XM8IDcGkL_Q/s1600/Photo+Dec+09%252C+2+06+38+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5FzEpy4iyRI/UNKdT2mIfNI/AAAAAAAACGM/XM8IDcGkL_Q/s320/Photo+Dec+09%252C+2+06+38+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Making tamales with friends and family</i></div>
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I leave you guys with a picture of our dog
Shed. Isn't she just the cutest? She sort of looks like a rambofied Christmas dog. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Stay tuned for a domestically disabled post coming
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<!--EndFragment-->Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-57231596722376181102012-11-19T11:33:00.001-07:002012-11-19T12:37:16.901-07:00Turkanza 2012TURKANZA!!<br />
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This past weekend, we celebrated our 5th annual Turkanza. Even thought this party can be a lot of work, it was so worth it. Over the past few years Turkanza has developed into a really awesome pot-luck style party in which our friends and family contribute some amazing dishes. Even though the celebration is mostly focused on the turkeys that we cook in the ground, we had a bit of a vegan/vegetarian twist this year. My favorite dish was the vegan tamales that my friend Cassy and her mom made. You can check out her vegan tamales recipe at <a href="http://healthywithsass.blogspot.com/2012/11/vegan-tamales.html" target="_blank">Healthy with Sass. </a> I added some fresh pico de gallo to the tamales and they were perfecto!<br />
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It was a great celebration with our lovely friends and family! Turkanza was definitely a nice break before I go into "studying hibernation." This blog post is my last attempt in avoiding the huge mounds of material I have to learn.<br />
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<b>Running update:</b><br />
I know in my previous post I mentioned I wasn't planning on running a Thanksgiving 5k. However, I signed up for the Hobbler Gobbler race with a friend from nursing school. She actually signed up for the 10k like a boss. I was throwing around the idea of running the 10k, but I wanted to see if I could improve on my 5k time from the Pumpkin Chase run. <br />
Earlier this week I went on a run with my nursing school buddy after class, and she actually pushed me to run 8 miles. I was really hesitant at first, but It was great weather and I felt good. I guess it helps that NM nature/weather gives me a major runners high. I was only planning on doing 4-6 miles, but I ended up running eight and feeling great!!<br />
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I plan on doing short recap on my Turkey run and Thanksgiving, but afterwards I'm disconnecting myself till the end of the semester.<br />
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I hope you all are doing well and have some fun plans for the Thanksgiving holiday!<br />
Happy Turkanza and Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
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<br />Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-34301938842211378142012-11-07T23:14:00.000-07:002012-11-07T23:31:44.033-07:00The Great Pumpkin Chase RecapI already know that I haven't followed through on my once a week blog post.<br />
I'm thinking I'll have more luck with a biweekly blog post. We usually have an exam every two weeks in nursing school, and this is a good way to procrastinate studying. I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about... How your house or apartment is the cleanest when you need to get something else done (e.g. studying or work project).<br />
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Even though life has been crazy busy as usual with school (I'm currently in the hardest semester in nursing school). I've actually managed to have a little bit of fun these past couple of weeks.<br />
I'm happy to report to you BB readers that I have finally broken out of my running race slump. I honestly have not run a race since my half-marathon back in 2010...2010?!! Can you believe it?!<br />
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About a month ago my good friend Cassy <a href="http://healthywithsass.blogspot.com/">(healthywithsass.blogspot.com)</a> suggested we do a race with a fun theme. I was sort of hesitant because I didn't feel prepared to run a race. I hadn't trained at all except for some random 2-3 mile runs with Shed dog around the neighborhood. However, I checked myself and concentrated on making the run FUN! That meant no Garmin on my run, and it meant wearing a silly costume. There was a point when the half marathoner in me crept out and tried to get me to do the 10k, but I wasn't having it. I was going to do The Great Pumpkin Chase 5k and I was going to love it! The night before I laid out my "racing witch" race outfit and tied my Shwings (Shoe-wings) to my shoes and got my little witch hat out. I was ready for the race!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-udpLFRS1GjU/UJtPKMEiVII/AAAAAAAACDY/JoVhJ94CNS4/s640/blogger-image--1661763496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-udpLFRS1GjU/UJtPKMEiVII/AAAAAAAACDY/JoVhJ94CNS4/s400/blogger-image--1661763496.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Shwings!</i></div>The next morning I got all dressed up in my "running witch" outfit and we even dressed up Shed Dog for the occasion. I bought her a cute skeleton outfit to wear for Halloween. Yes, I'm one of <i>those </i>dog owners. Anyways, we met up with Sassy Cassy at the race and did a little pre-race stretching. It was freezing cold out, but we did our best to warm up. <br />
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When the 5k started I felt good! However, I couldn't feel my feet. They were completely numb from the cold. I did start to feel better once they warmed up around the 1.5 mile mark, but it was sort of weird running when you can't feel your feet. Anyways, the race was absolutely beautiful. It went through a historical downtown neighborhood (the neighborhood where Jesse Pinkman's house is for all you Breaking Bad fans out there), and along the river trail. Although it was freezing cold during the first part of the run, as I started to warm up it became perfect running weather.<br />
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As I ran by my husband around the 1 mile mark, I was happy to see him cheering me on! I loved it when he yelled "Good job, you're running so fast!!" I also heard our dog Shed losing her shit because I was running without her. I swear, if you could translate her dog fit it would have translated to: HOW DARE YOU GO RUNNING WITHOUT ME YOU BI***! I got a pretty good chuckle out of that whole scenario in the middle of my run. On the last leg of the run, I was smiling and cheering on my fellow runners. I was able to give Cassy a high five on the trail and that propelled me to finish strong. I finished with a time of 25.28 and placed 28th overall and 3rd in my age group, and I got a MEDAL! I never thought I would be so happy to get one of those things. It was a little shocking to me because all I got after running my half marathon was a stupid pin. <br />
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I had so much fun running in the Great Pumpkin Chase event. I really can't wait to sign up for the next silly holiday themed race. I think I'm going to skip out on a Thanksgiving run this year, but will try and sign up for a winter holiday themed race. My plan is to stick with 5K's for now, but I think it's helping me build up my confidence for another 13.1 in 2013. You gotta set goals!<br />
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I spent the rest of the weekend studying and catching up on errands, and just in case you were wondering, I wore my medal the whole time. :)<br />
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<a href="http://healthywithsass.blogspot.com/2012/10/pumpkin.html#more" target="_blank">Click here </a>to see Cassy's recap of the race and check out her yummy pumpkin oatmeal recipe!<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-m5NNNKcpM6c/UJtRzjlvghI/AAAAAAAACDw/IAQSY3Q7hcg/s640/blogger-image--762796317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-m5NNNKcpM6c/UJtRzjlvghI/AAAAAAAACDw/IAQSY3Q7hcg/s640/blogger-image--762796317.jpg" /></a></div>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-28059998198492272492012-10-17T18:05:00.001-06:002012-10-18T23:38:50.662-06:00**Crickets**Hello...anyone out there?<br />
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Sorry for the lack of posts lately friends, but I promise you I'm going to try to get back to writing on this poor neglected blog at least once a week. I do miss coming on to this blog and connecting with everyone. <br />
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This year has been crazy busy, with planning a wedding and nursing school it has really been a whirl wind of events. However, I feel like life is starting to calm down a little bit and nursing school is becoming manageable. It's amazing how much time you have when you are not planning a wedding.<br />
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I plan to update this blog soon and give the scoop on my beautiful wedding back in August, my running routine, my new obsession with hiking, and my journey as a born again cyclist!<br />
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In other news: <br />
Please check out my dear friend Cassy's blog at: <a href="http://healthywithsass.blogspot.com/">http://healthywithsass.blogspot.com/</a><br />
She is a certified health coach and personal trainer and her blog is going to be a good one to follow. She is documenting her adventure with vegetarian cooking and is going to post easy to make recipes that even the domestically disabled can follow. Happy cooking!<br />
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I leave you guys with some photos from the fall hike we took on Monday. We went to the <a href="http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/10996">4th of July Canyon Trail</a> in the Manzano Mountains here in New Mexico. The trail is known for having beautiful fall colors and it did not disappoint. Next time I plan to bring a thermos of hot cider to sip on while we walk the trail. <br />
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Be back soon! Have a lovely week! <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lausonrisa/8098397063/" title="Untitled by lau.sonrisa, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8053/8098397063_c17dfe45eb.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lausonrisa/8098397881/" title="A fall hike in NM by lau.sonrisa, on Flickr"><img alt="A fall hike in NM" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8048/8098397881_8d6ffabb74.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-77101662528488357202012-07-18T21:35:00.000-06:002012-07-18T21:35:07.442-06:00Wedding Countdown and Running Streak!Hey everyone,<br />
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It's the wedding countdown!!<br />
I was inspired by my amiga CindyLu who wrote about how she participated in the Runner's World running streak challenge on her blog <a href="http://loteriachicana.net/2012/07/06/runners-world-running-streak-recap">Lotería Chicana. </a>The challenge was to run one mile a day for 38 days. Our wedding isn't exactly 38 days away, but I'm going to start the challenge anyways. I guess we can call it a wedding running streak!<br />
I found this challenge worked with my schedule really well. You see nursing school and wedding planning don't leave much room for much else these days. However, I find that if I set a goal or challenge myself I am more likely to stick to the routine. So the goal is to keep the running streak going up until the day of my wedding. Which I am super excited about. I just got to make sure nursing school doesn't drive me insane before my nuptials. <br />
Anyways, I hope I can do it, I'll try not to let you guys down! <br />
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I leave you guys with a photo from the night the amore and I first met. I really can't believe it's been 5 years since this photo was taken. I still remember how I felt when I first saw him..I would say it was love at first sight, but it was way better than that.<br />
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Cheers amigos!<br />
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<br />Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-66836682593682315782012-07-15T22:15:00.002-06:002012-07-15T22:15:37.502-06:00Happy Breaking Bad Season 5 Premier Day!Hello amigos!<br />
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I started writing this blog at 5pm, but I got distracted because my cool mom decided to make an impromptu Breaking Bad Premier party at my house. My family came over and I made a salmon dinner and we enjoyed the show. I actually enjoyed the premier of Breaking Bad and I am anxious to see what the season has in store for us.<br />
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I hope you all had a good weekend! Sorry for the short post, but it's time to read up about Diabetes.<br />
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pollos.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1jqglspoL4/UAOVNSuNDII/AAAAAAAACB4/tDocE4zX2gQ/s1600/Photo+Jun+22,+12+29+41+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1jqglspoL4/UAOVNSuNDII/AAAAAAAACB4/tDocE4zX2gQ/s320/Photo+Jun+22,+12+29+41+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-75397658702029123432012-07-07T10:57:00.000-06:002012-07-07T14:14:59.945-06:00Hello out there!Hello out there........echo.....echo......!<br />
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Hey everyone, it's been awhile!<br />
I always knew that I would become extremely busy once nursing school started, but I didn't anticipate being so busy that I couldn't even update my blog every once in awhile. Well, I guess it's time for another update on life through few words and many photos.<br />
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So, it's been awhile, so for all of you who don't know already I have started my first semester of nursing school and I am loving it. We started our clinical rotation last week working with spinal cord injury patients and so far it has been a great experience. The first week of rotations was what I anticipated, I was nervous, but excited to get in there and work my skills and start learning. For the last two weeks has been filled with moments of wound dressing changes, health assessments, and I've been testing out which jokes work best with patients. I still believe laughter is some of the best type of medicine. Yesterday we said goodbye to our first patient who will most likely be discharged before we return next week. He was very kind to say that he hopes we return to work with in the spinal cord unit as he has enjoyed having us as his nurses. It's only been two weeks, but I've learned so much and feel blessed to have the opportunity to learn on the Spinal Cord Injury Unit.<br />
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WEDDING!!! Ahhhhhhh!! I can't believe it's coming up so fast! We are wrapping up the minor details to our fiesta and boy is it a lot. We have sent out our invitations and my dress is almost complete. The dress just needs a few minor adjustments, but it looks gorgeous and it's exactly what I imagined wearing on my wedding day. I love it! I have had a lot of help from my friends and family, but I still feel there is a lot of things that need to be done. One of my dear friends Sassy Cassy has been an amazing help through this all. She has had flower making parties and has made some amazing paper flowers for the wedding. It's all coming up so fast, I really feel a bit anxious for it all to happen. The f-word and I can't stop talking about how excited we are to have our friends and family come together, but most of all we can't wait to be happily married. Honestly, the excitement of getting married to one another just makes all the little worries of minor things just go away. More updates on this to come as well!<br />
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Well everyone I am off to clean our home as it has been neglected due to busy work schedules, nursing clincals, nursing exams, and just plain laziness.<br />
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Cheers!<br />
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My mother and I went to the National Museum of Nuclear History and Science to check it out. They had the astronomical society there with their bad ass telescopes and a few stations set up with information on the eclipse. It was basically a huge nerd gathering and I loved it!<br />
My mother and I were able to catch some pretty good photos with our iPhones and even snapped some photos of people watching the eclipse. Basically, it was hilarious to look at people staring at the sun so intensely.<br />
I hope you all got to catch a glimpse of the eclipse where ever you are. <br />
Here is a few photos of the eclipse that we caught. Also, a few photos of some extreme sun starers.<br />
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Have a great week! </div>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-25042439460565081932012-05-18T12:34:00.002-06:002012-05-18T12:44:19.416-06:00Where has the time gone?Tick tock...tick tock...tick tock...Your break is almost over!<br />
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This is the sound that clicked in my head this morning when I woke up. I had a lot of plans for myself when I finished the semester, and for the most part I got to all of them. However, it's obvious that my blog fell by the way side of my other plans. This makes me sort of sad because I love this blog! I just felt myself not really being able to make it to the computer and document what I have going on right now. I have so many amazing things happening in my life that I think I'm just living it up right now. <br />
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On Monday I begin my first level of nursing school. My honest feelings about it?<br />
I'm super excited and scared shitless. Honestly, I don't know what to expect, but I do know that having this blog will be a great outlet for me to document the process along the way. I have been very relieved to find out that the community of nursing students and nurses is so supportive. There are so many resources out there and it really has helped me lean towards the more excited part of going to nursing school. I enter nursing school armed with a supportive family friends, and Fiancé. I honestly feel this is my calling and I am ready for the ride. I wish any readers out there who are embarking on a similar journey, whether it be school, having a baby, or any other journey the best of luck. We can do THIS!!<br />
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Now that I have that out of my system..<br />
I would love to catch all of you up on my recent break! So much has happened in these last three weeks! Talk about pounding it all in while you have the time.<br />
I guess I'll start off with whats going on wedding wise. So far, things are going brilliantly and I can't complain. However, I did suffer a bit of a mental break down when things sort of when south with the bridesmaids dresses I had chosen. They were these jersey convertible dresses and they turned out to be brighter than I had expected. Thankfully, I have a back up plan and I am hoping for the best at this point. However, I've adapted a new motto for wedding planning.<b><i> If at the end of the day Patrick and I are married, it will have been a success</i></b>.<br />
So far, it's working and things are falling into place. <br />
On May 5th I had my bridal shower and it was such an amazing experience! The bridal shower fell on Cinco de Mayo and I sort of didn't clue in on this because we don't really celebrate Cinco de Mayo. However, we worked it into the theme a bit and had a fantastic time.<br />
We played Three games..<br />
The first game was <i><b>He said, She said..</b></i>Which is a game where the bridal shower guest try to guess who said what phrases. Before hand Patrick and I put together phrases that either He said, she said or we both said and the guest gave us their best guess. The tongue depressor mustaches and lips really brought it all together.<br />
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The second game was<i><b> Pin the Boutonniere on the groom. </b></i>After a few sangrias this game proved to be a bit challenging. My mother got some butcher paper and traced Pato's outline. However, she didn't get it long enough and ended up cutting off his feet. It was a hilarious home made project and we got a good laugh at of it.<br />
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<i> Isabella: The winner of the Pin the Boutonniere game</i></div>
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The third game was a version of hot potato with a sombrero. I guess we can call it the Sombrero Caliente game. It was a last minute addition and proved to be a lot of fun. It got a bit competitive towards the end, but my brothers girlfriend Jessie came out on top. <br />
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Jessie: The winner of Sombrero Caliente game</div>
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The girls who attended the bridal shower were so much fun! I had a fantastic time and couldn't be more blessed to be surrounded by such a great group of women during this amazing time of my life. <br />
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Thanks to <a href="http://www.delamooxie.com%20/">Helin "Mooxie"</a> for the great photos!!<br />
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To wrap this long post up. The fiance and I took a long hike up our mountain. We have been planning on doing the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Luz_Trail"> La Luz trail hike </a>for years now, and have finally had time to hike it up together. At first we only hiked up half way. This proved to be a nice warm up and we even ran a few portions of the way up the hill. This is where I found out that my future husband to be is actually a pretty amazing runner. He even talked about getting into trail running! I'm trying not to take him too seriously, but the thought of it excites me.<br />
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The second time we went up it was the day after my bridal shower. I was feeling a little run down, but was ready to sweat out the margarita/sangria I had drank the day before. We got our dog Shed ready for the hike, did some stretching, got our camelback ready, and headed up the mountain. Shed led the hike most of the way like a champ. There was times where she would look back at us like<br />
<i>ugh..you humans are so slow and wimpy.</i> We made up in about 4 hours and got some amazing views of our city. It truly was a great hike and I'm thinking it may be a possibility to run up, but I'm not sure. It would be a great goal.<br />
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Thanks for coming back amigos! I hope to check in again soon! <br />
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<br />Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-46943530380716736262012-04-17T22:41:00.001-06:002012-04-17T22:45:13.048-06:00Gone StudyingHey everyone,<br />
I write this post during my last few hours of being a 30 year old. I can't believe how fast time has flown by and that I'm actually turning 31 tomorrow. There is something interesting about turning 31. It's not as climatic as turning 30, but rather a calm entrance into whatever is next. During my 30th year on this planet so much has happened. Getting engaged, getting into nursing school, finding out I'm becoming a bridesmaid in my best friends wedding, planning my own wedding, and more. it's all so much, but I can only embrace everything with open arms. Even though right now I find myself stressing over a huge med list that I have to memorize by next Tuesday. I am ready for my adventures as a 31 year old.<br />
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This brings me to wedding update.<br />
I can't believe it, but I bought my veil the other day. My godmother was sweet enough to purchase it for me, and I couldn't be more grateful for the support my family has offered me during this important time in my life. My sweet mother the other day busted out her wedding album in which she showed me some great photos of her on her wedding day. It's sort of funny because we sort of have similar things going on between our weddings without really knowing it. One of of them being the decisions to have my bridesmaids wear different colored dresses. I don't really care for my bridesmaids to look alike because really they are all so awesomely different. I teared up a little while looking at the wedding photos. My mother looked beautiful and my father rocked a serious powder blue tuxedo, crazy hippie hair style and mustache. I can't wait to sit down with someone in my future and show them our photos of our wedding day. Who knows, I may be discussing with my son or daughter the unknown similarities between our weddings.<br />
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Photo of my mother on her wedding day with my godmother and godfather</div>
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Cheers amigos! I'll return with more post and updates after finals!<br />
<br />Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-62714195669887247272012-04-03T09:40:00.000-06:002012-04-03T09:40:05.408-06:00Snowy Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy April 3rd!<br />
We woke up to a snow storm today in the Land of Enchantment.<br />
Looks like I get to bust out the wellies one more time this season.<br />
Brrrrrrrr! <br />
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<br />Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-8474706575196241132012-03-25T20:33:00.001-06:002012-03-26T12:49:24.534-06:00A Simple PhotoIt has been a crazy week amigos. It's been quite a contrast from last weeks relaxing spring break. <br />
This week we had our nursing school orientation and it was both nerve wracking and exciting. I know it's going to be mega intense, but I'm ready for the ride. In the same arena my pharmacology and dosage classes really stepped it up a notch. I actually studied till 2 am last night. It's been a while since I had a session like that. My eyeballs feel crooked on my face today, but it's a small sacrifice to pay to the pharm gods. <br />
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Earlier this week during one of my crazy study sessions i was Interrupted by the Señor telling me it was snowing outside. I figured it would be the last time I saw it snow this winter, so I walked to our bedroom to see the flurries. However, I wasn't focused on the snow at all, but my handsome future husband and our mutt having a moment. My heart skipped a beat. I'm sure ill be having these love <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_dysrhythmia">dysrhythmias</a> for the rest of my life, and I'm happy about it. <br />
Have a good week amigos! <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ye5510qhZCk/T2_VlGu_hNI/AAAAAAAAB-E/zQKK-IAUk1A/s640/blogger-image--2038134727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ye5510qhZCk/T2_VlGu_hNI/AAAAAAAAB-E/zQKK-IAUk1A/s1600/blogger-image--2038134727.jpg" /></a></div>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-77425758035653916742012-03-17T18:10:00.000-06:002012-03-17T18:28:48.586-06:00Spring Break In PhotosI can't believe spring break is almost over!<br />
I forgot about how wonderful a week of free time is since I left college back in 2004. I usually just lounge around and see how lazy I could possibly get during this time, but this go around I was a bit more productive.<br />
I started off my free time productively and read two books. The first book being <i>Prozac Nation</i> by Elizabeth Wurtzel which I needed to read for my Psych and Film class. I found the book to be interesting, but also really frustrating and annoying. Mostly because it's sort of depressing to read about depression. Go figure, right? The next book is the <i>Hunger Games</i> by Suzanne Collins talk about a complete 180 from Prozac Nation. This book was seriously an adventure and I can't wait to see the film next week. Dorkus Maximus? Yes, I am.<br />
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The rest of my spring break I'll explain through photos in order to save time. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>My Godmother, uncle and primo came into town from El Paso, TX. The enjoyed a 24 hour whirl wind trip of northern NM. It was great to see them. </b> <br />
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Mother, me, Godmother</div>
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Godmother </div>
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Santa Fe, NM </div>
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<b>Finally got some good mileage in this week, thanks to great weather! </b></div>
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Thanks to my girl Sassy Cassy for spicing up my runs with some nice polka dot shoe laces! </div>
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<b>Celebrated Pi day with my Fiancé and got ourselves a pizza 3.1415926535…</b></div>
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Yummy Zia Pizza. Green Chile and Pepperoni</div>
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<b>Shed dog is still a cutie and she loves them too. </b></div>
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<b>This is Pato trying to cut down a huge dead tree in our front yard. Thank god he snapped out of it and decided to call a professional. Dudes. </b></div>
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♫ I'm a Lumber Jack and that's NOT okay..♫</div>
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<b>Finally</b>, <b>I had the 2nd fitting of my wedding dress. It's still in rough draft mode, but I seriously couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Teresa at the Designers Lounge is a pure genius, and my family and future mother in-law couldn't agree more. </b></div>
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Sneak peek for you all! </div>
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<b>Have a great week amigos and Happy St. Patrick's Day! </b><br />
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</div>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4898949916961902237.post-79092102089454982322012-03-11T21:51:00.001-06:002012-03-11T21:51:16.313-06:00Waking UpHello everyone!<br />
Feliz Año Nueva Azteca! Happy Mexica New Year!<br />
I did an extensive Google search this past week and called a few places to see if there was going to be an Mexica New Year ceremonies, but sadly I came out with nothing. It's situation like these that make me wish I lived in a city like LA or San Francisco. <br />
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I'm officially on spring break. It's odd because a few of my classmates outside of my nursing courses have all these amazing trips and activities planned. As for us die-hard pre-nursing students, our plans are reading a ton of literature over the break in order to get ahead in our classes. It's funny how my 30 year old nursing student self is such a stark contrast from my 20 year old college self. Of course, I'm not going to have my nose stuck in my academics the whole break. I do plan on making time to fit in a few long runs, and reading something unrelated to school work. I'm thinking I'm going to begin the Hunger Games series. I haven't met anyone yet with anything negative to say about it, so I'm going to give it a chance.<br />
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Last night we had an amazing snow storm. It was so unreal, because we didn't expect it to be that heavy at all. However, in pure NM fashion it was all melted by 10:00 the next morning. I was sort of happy about this because I had a long run scheduled today by the river and I didn't feel like getting all muddy. My eight mile run by the river was a tough one. I haven't run that far in a long time. It also didn't help that my mid-terms had me slacking on the mileage this week. However, the essence of spring time was all over the place. The cyclist on the trail were extra cheery and there was a lot of active wildlife around. I especially enjoyed the part of my run when the Bird Watching club of Albuquerque cheered me on as I ran past them. You could almost feel people coming out of their winter funks. The feeling was contagious because this "waking up" feeling stuck with me throughout the whole eight mile run.<br />
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Are you guys coming out of your winter funk?<br />
Have a great week amigos!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7f-2NkeUJaw/T11ynPtQD0I/AAAAAAAAB8k/N2Y9mw_XYZ8/s1600/Photo+Mar+11,+3+33+32+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7f-2NkeUJaw/T11ynPtQD0I/AAAAAAAAB8k/N2Y9mw_XYZ8/s320/Photo+Mar+11,+3+33+32+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Laura (Bandida Blog)http://www.blogger.com/profile/13361541595277063733noreply@blogger.com1