Photography Freebies!!!

Who doesn't like free stuff?

Um...well this girl does.

 

I follow this awesome photographer on Facebook {Laura Winslow Photography}

& she was passing along some FREEBIES from Birdesign.

 

{FREE} Christmas Templates from Birdsegin!!!

 

A mini accordion, a luxe pop card AND a FB timeline template

all compatible with Miller's Professional Imaging! Awesome!
Get yours here + check out all of the other fab goodies from Birdesign! >>> http://www.birdesignshop.com/blogs/birdesign-blog/10081505-november-freebie

 

 

 

clean eating...my foods not dirty

 

"CLEAN EATING" has to be one of the new buzzwords.

The phrase "clean eating" is being used just about everywhere these days.

I eat clean...I wash my food before I eat it...

What that's not what you ment by cleaning eating?

What Clean Eating Isn't

I want to start off by telling you what clean eating isn't. It is not a diet or some other eating fad. It's not counting, adding or subtracting calories, of any sorts.

From what I have read so far...there doesn't seem to be a set definition for clean eating. I have read and followed others and have looked a lot into this and have realized...to just stop. This whole idea of clean eating should not be difficult or to stress one out.

What Clean Eating Is

Now that we have figured out what clean eating isn't, let's talk about what it is. Clean eating is about eating foods in their most natural state. No processed foods, foods high in preservatives, foods with a ton of sugar and high levels of bad fats.

As I mentioned earlier, there isn't a good definition/guideline of clean eating to follow. This is just MY interpretation.

• fresh fruits & veggies
• more veggie centered meals than meat-centered meals
• WATER, WATER, WATER...I must admit...I am terrible at my water intake.
• Make healthy cooking choices, such as baking..not frying, steaming and a light sautéing...not with butter.
• Eat healthy fats {nuts, avocados, organic coconut oil}
• unrefined, whole-grains

Learning to cook (and eat) cleanly is all about learning to simplify things and not overdoing it with your meal prep. When you keep things simple, meals normally turn out to be more healthy. When grocery shopping make a bulk of your grocery purchases from the fresh & natural food section. Fresh produce, whole grains, organic meat/fish.

the media has failed us!!!

Oct 22, 2013, I had the honor & pleasure of meeting Kelsey LeFevour and Raymond Martin. Never heard of them? Huh...I wonder why that be because US lacks a strong recognition of handicap sports. Ever heard of the Paralympics…No? but have you heard of the Olympics…my guess is you said “yes”. I found this on the paralympic.org site, "The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy in 1960 and featured 400 athletes from 23 countries. In 1976 Örnsköldsvik, Sweden staged the first Paralympic Winter Games. The Games are now the second biggest sporting event in the world." huh...2nd biggest sporting event in the WORLD, yet there are so many who have never heard of it. 


I guess I should give you a little background on how I came about meeting Kelsey & Ray. I work for the federal government and one of the things that I do is organize the DoD monthly observances for the people within the organization. There are roughly 13,000 people who works for the organization that I work for and I have to find presenters/speakers that fit into these monthly observances. The goal/idea is to help educate others on what these monthly observances mean and to help educate people and to show them that everyone is different and different isn’t bad and how different can help us move ahead in the work force.

Back to how I meet Kelsey and Ray…October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and I was doing some google-ing and came across the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana disability services site and started to check it out. You will come to find out that I am a “runner”. I use that lightly because, well, there’s a lot of walking that’s involved because…I don’t train I just go out there and finish races. Yea, I’ll run 2-4 miles here and there, every so often but I don’t train like one should for a ½ (13.1) or full marathon (26.2). I know…STUPID!!! But hey, no matter what time I finish in…I still get a medal!!!

Anyway, I have seen several runners in wheelchairs during the races that I have done. I have always been in such AWE as I see them fly through the course. So of course I was drawn to the track and field team of the U of I disability serves website. I contacted the U of I’s track and field coach and he put me in contact with Kelsey & Ray. After some email traffic back and forth we scheduled their meeting.

Prior to their speaking engagement, I had to compile their bio’s and take it up to my bosses. My poor co-worker had to hear be complain about this several times. Now, I know Wikipedia is NOT the most reliable source; however it gives you a pretty good direction, most of the times. This was NOT one of those times. As I am searching for bio’s online on Kelsey and Ray and I keep coming up empty handed!!!

How does this happen? I have 2 awesome athletes and I can’t find another other than, “Raymond Martin (born January 2, 1992) is an American Paralympic athlete. He won four gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in the T52 wheelchair racing category.”REALLY!!!! Thanks, WIKI, Google and all other media sources!!! This guy won 4 gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games….and I get 2 sentences!!!! I was completely embarrassed and for lack of better words…pissed off, that I had to ask them both to send me their bio’s because the media had failed me.

I ended up getting their Bio's and the presentation went off without any issues. The turn out was not what I would of liked it to be, however I did have quite a few people come up to me later in the day and apologies for missing it because they heard it was AMAZING! I also had several people who where there that were very impressed by Kelsey and Ray. Not only by their accomplishments but by them as well.

I know there are not many that follow this blog right now..heck maybe ever...but I ask that we start using social media to get this type of information out to educate people. Start spreading the word about these amazing people and athletes they deserve the recognition that they have earned.

 ~Kira 

*pictures were taken by the NG PAO. 
minus the picture of the 3 of us...that was from my cell.

well...here goes nothing

Good Evening!!!! So this is my 1st official post!!! Excited?  In a wierd sort of way...I AM!!!

You will come to find out that I am quite random at times...most of the time. English and Spelling were not my majors so I am appologizing now.

I am the oldest child..there are only 2 of us.  My parents have been married for 32 years & bless their hearts.

As of today....I am not Mrs. T yet!!!  at this moment I am 17 days,22 hrs, & 11 mins away from being married, again.  Yes, I said again. I got married the 1st time back in 2005 and divorced 2009.  I was pretty sure that I was never going to get married again...but I was wrong. And I couldn't any happier that I was wrong becuase, I have found the most perfect person for me.  Believe me when I say that person is out there for you.


We have 3 dogs!!! Hero, Dallas & Ammo. Hero is a 7 yr old, 69lb Boxer, Dallas is a 3yr old, 70lb Weimaraner, & Ammo is a 2 yrs old, 180lbs Great Dane!!!!  Hero is my first baby.  He has traveled the world with me {yes, i said that right...has traveled the world} and has been with me through thick and thin. In 2007, I moved to Germany, & Hero came along.  He's flown across the Atlantic Ocean, travel across Germany on the Autobauhn, rode the ICE train to Paris.

Dallas is Mr T's 1st dog.  We are the only girls in the house at this time. Maybe one day that will change, but until then it is her and I.  It took alittle bit for Dallas to warm up to me, because I was invading her turf.  In the beginning she would eat curling irons and straighteners just to show me that SHE was the boss. LOL!!! Don't worry, we're good now.

Ammo was a gift from my parents.  Mr. T had always wanted a Great Dane and my parents happened to breed them at the time. My dad called me up one day asking if Mr. T still wanted a Great Dane.  In my mind I soooooo wanted to say "Nope, he sure doesn't" but I caved and we now have 3 HUGE crazy dogs.












We also have 2 boys. My stepson... Little Mr T is 12 and is with us part time and is a spitting image of his Dad {Mr.T} and our littlest, Little G, 16 months, again looks like he feel out of Mr. T's butt. If I didn't have a HUGE scar from giving birth to him...I really don't know if people would believe that he's mine.

Hope that you enjoyed reading alittle bit about me and decide to come back again.

~Kira