Hello! 
My name is Jessica, I'm 22 years old and recently graduated from Belmont University with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. I am dedicated to living a healthy, balanced life and hope to convey a message of happiness and freedom daily through my writing, photographs and general musings.
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Hey! Happy Friday! I hope you’ve all had an amazing week – I just started my new job and am LOVING it, so it’s been all smiles over here.
I thought I’d share a workout with you all that Chris and I tried out last week and really enjoyed. I learned about this type of workout during a Power Sculpt class I used to take at the Green Hills YMCA. The class always kicked my butt – in a good way, of course – and I wanted to see if I could make my own little version of the workout. The full, complete workout takes about one hour, but I’m only posting the first half today because I don’t want to overwhelm anyone (it looks like a lot more than it actually is!) and I plan to post the second half tomorrow. However, it’s perfectly fine to just do one half – you still get a total body workout that incorporates both strength and cardio. All you need is a set of weights (I used two 8 pounders) and some space – that’s it! Here’s how the first round breaks down:
Strength:
Drink water, stretch, gear up for the next round…
Enjoy your Friday, and be sure to check back tomorrow for the second half of the workout!
I thought now might be a great time to share with you all the “newish” direction I want my blog to go in – I admit, it’s been a bit all over the place lately. I know. But, honestly, my LIFE has been all over the place!
That’s all about to change, hopefully, as I will be starting my new job (at a magazine publishing company) on Wednesday and will finally have a set schedule once again! I am SO excited and so ready to have more structure in my life.
I intend to post four times a week, because I feel like that is something I can manage with a full-time job and the other gigs I have going. As per usual, I will not post everything (or even most things) that I eat; I feel like showing you all every morsel I put in my mouth would be really, really boring – I’m not quite the cook/baker that many other bloggers are! – plus, I tend to eat the same things often, such as hummus, bagels, fruit, eggs and vegetables.
I will, however, be posting workouts and more videos. Truly, exercise is one of my favorite hobbies and I do a wide variety of workouts each week. Sometimes I teach aerobics – or run – or lift weights – or do DVDs – or take group fitness classes – whatever sounds good at the time. While I may not always have a lot of variety in my eats, I feel like I certainly do in my workouts! And I actually love recapping what I do because twerkin’ is FUN to me and makes me feel awesome – and I want to share that!
I will also continue to post about my family and friends because, well, I love them and I think good times with good people definitely contribute to a healthy, happy life. In addition, I plan to also write about inspirational quotes/books/random things I come across; I am convinced that living a healthy life cannot happen if you’re not mentally and emotionally stimulated on a regular basis. To me, “stopping to smell the roses” is extremely important… I hope to never be too busy to enjoy the little things.
My pictures will no longer be taken with an iPhone (HOORAY!) because I just got a brand new camera! I think this will greatly enhance the blog – I’m no professional photographer, but I hope to improve my skills as time goes on.
So, there you have it! I hope this newfound direction will be positive, uplifting and inspiring to everyone who chooses to read Jessica Balances. Sometimes, I feel like I don’t have much to offer the blogworld – I’m not a vegan, vegetarian or extraordinary recipe-creator. I don’t do triathlons or run full marathons. I eat cookies, candy, too much Mexican food and perhaps a little more ice cream than I ought to – yeah, I’m nowhere close to “perfect.” But, I strive to make healthy choices each day and to live a balanced life, and this is MY journey – no one else’s.
 Hello! So, I’ve been a little MIA lately because some crazy, amazing things have been going on! I’m so excited to share the news with you all…
First of all – I GOT A FULL-TIME JOURNALISM JOB! HOORAY! I can’t even believe it! Seriously. I am so, so, so thankful and excited for this opportunity. I start on Wednesday, August 25th!
And… I just signed the papers for a new apartment! That’s right – I got a job and an apartment within two days. Crazy! But so cool! I don’t move in until September 17th, which stinks, but it’s okay. This gives me plenty of time to pack and get furniture together! And, more good news: the apartment complex I will be living in is literally right next to where my good friends Katie and Logan live!
It’s so unbelievable that all of this is happening. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea when I’d *finally* score a full-time job and I had no plans to move out and get my own apartment. All of that changed on Tuesday!
Now, while I can’t tell you exactly where I’ll be working, I can tell you it’s a custom magazine publishing company and it’s located in the Nashville area. The commute from my current residence to work would be about one hour, so that’s why I’ve gotten an apartment a little closer to the city. I really, really like the area I’m going to be living in and I truly think I’m going to be very happy there.
I will continue to do freelance writing, and will also continue to teach aerobics – only on Saturdays, though! I realize I’m going to be very busy, but I feel like I will be able to manage everything. Honestly, I just couldn’t bear to fully say goodbye to the amazing gym I work at – I really love the women I work with and our members are wonderful. Obviously, teaching aerobics was only meant to be a temporary gig for me, but I think only working there on Saturdays is a great way to stay connected while also moving on to bigger things.
I’m a big believer in “everything happens for a reason,” even if that phrase is extremely over-used… Regardless, I believe it. While it would have been nice to walk into a full-time job immediately after graduation, I know there’s a reason (or, rather, reasons) it didn’t happen until now; I got to enjoy an amazing summer living at home, spending time with friends and family and really thinking about what I want out of life. Clearly, since I’m only 22, my thoughts and ideas are going to continue to expand and change – but I’ve realized so many things over the course of this summer and I KNOW I am ready for “big girl world” - aka, a full-time job, apartment, budget, etc. I have a sense of confidence about myself now that I’m not sure I had before and I feel prepared to take on new challenges. I know every day won’t be perfect and I’ll struggle from time to time, but I’m excited about starting a new chapter in my life. More than anything, I’m just so thrilled to be working in the field I love at a fantastic company! I feel SO fortunate.
Sorry for all of the gushing! I’m just so happy and excited! I plan on elaborating on my summer in later posts, because I really do feel like I’ve learned some valuable lessons that I’m eager to share. For now, though… I’ve got furniture shopping to do! 
Okay – I’ve been a slacky blogger lately. I know. But, in my defense, I have been incredibly busy and truly have not had the precious time I need to create a thoughtful, well-written post! Forgive me…?
So, what has been going on… Oh, right, work and freelance writing. I honestly feel extremely fortunate to have so much freelance work – it’s been a great way to earn extra money while doing something that I love for a company I’m crazy about. And work (teaching aerobics) has been lots of fun, just exhausting – but I’m getting used to it little by little and I can feel my body getting stronger. No complaints here!
 One thing that has been bothering me a bit is I’ve been having some trouble sleeping… I don’t usually have any trouble at all, so I’m not sure what is going on. Well, actually, here is what happens: I lay down to sleep, my eyes heavy and my body tired, but my heart begins to race and I think of all of the things I could be doing but am not… For instance: “It’s 2 a.m. and you’re awake – why not write a freelance article? Or why not work on the blog?” So, I open up the computer, attempt to get some work done, but my mind and body are just too tired and I close my eyes once more – only for the exact same thing to happen again. Frustrating.
I know that staring at a glowing computer screen is actually a great way to ensure that sleep does not come easily – I know, I know – but I do try to unplug for a bit before bed, normally. I drink some hot tea, read a book or magazine… Things that don’t involve my PC or iPhone. However, my type-A personality has been taking over lately and trying to get me to GET STUFF DONE – NOW!!! The only other time this happened was during my sophomore and junior years of college, when I quite literally had too much to do to sleep - I was unbelievably overwhelmed and just plain stressed out. That is not the case at this time, so I’m not sure why I’m freaking out and losing sleep… Anyway, if you all have any helpful tips or ideas, please feel free to let me know!
All right - now, I have to take this opportunity to brag on my dad, because he really deserves it. Last night, he helped lead a town hall meeting in our city and did a great job; the audience was attentive, at ease and receptive to what he had to say, and his presentation was interesting and informative. Very impressive! I felt so fortunate to sit with my grandmother and great-grandmother and watch my dad shine; he truly did an amazing job and I’m glad we were there to support him.
 
Hooray! Congrats, Dad! I’m a very proud daughter.
I’d better get going – have a great day, everyone, and I’ll see you all tomorrow! PS – I’m thinking about making some pretty significant layout changes… Thoughts? I’m definitely ready for a new header, that’s for sure!
Hi, sweet friends! Today I want to talk about something I saw on Jenna’s blog, Eat, Live, Run. She asked the question: what defines you?
Big question, yes? Well, I’ve decided I think I’d like to try to answer it. I’m only 22 years old – and I know that’s young – but I do believe certain things that define me now will always define me. Sure, I know things are always changing; but some things we are born to do, born to be.
The first thing that popped into my head when I thought about what defines me is this: I’m a writer. Writing. Putting words onto a page, typically one in the form of a Word document on my PC. Sitting down and not thinking too much, because the words just come, as if they have a life of their own and who am I to control them? No control here, no thank you – I try to control way too much as it is – I just move my fingers, typing as my mind flies. You see, I’m of the philosophy that you don’t choose to be a writer; writing chooses you. Perhaps Ernest Hemingway said it best – he said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
Some people aren’t willing to just bleed, to let their wounds open and spill out their secrets, sadness, happiness and everything in between. I don’t know why I’m willing. Maybe people that keep themselves bandaged are smarter than I am… All I know is, I’ve been writing since I was little and I’ve never stopped. It’s not even something I decide to do – often, I don’t want to write. I’m tired. I don’t think it’ll be good today. I’d rather watch The Jersey Shore. But, if I truly have things inside of me that must be said, as I often do, the computer or notebook somehow end up in my lap, open to a blank page and the bleeding begins.
To be clear – I don’t always share my writing. Some of it is just too darn personal and I’m scared to share it. I have documents on my computer and pages upon pages of lined paper filled with my truth - that day’s truth, anyway - that no one else may ever see, but I have them and it’s enough.
So there’s that. Obviously, other things define me, too – my family, my perpetual perkiness, my strange love for sweating ridiculous amounts (aka working out like a crazy person) – but my initial response to Jenna’s very important question, what defines you?, was “I’m a writer.” And I had to write about it.
Good afternoon! Is anyone else crazy-tired today? I didn’t sleep well at all last night and had to be at work at 5:45 a.m. so I’m pretty much running on fumes.
I did, however, have enough energy to chop up an old pair of jeans to transform them into stylish little shorts! It was easy; I just put the jeans on, marked where I wanted to cut, took them off and got a little wild with the scissors. I’m very satisfied with the final product – and I don’t feel like I ruined a good pair of jeans because, like I said, they were old. Plus, I hadn’t worn them in over a year – and was never planning to wear them again.
Interested in other DIY projects? Here are a few sites that might inspire you…
- Cupcakes and Cashmere. I LOOOVE this blog. The writer/fashionista, Emily, purchases most of her clothes but also creates new pieces out of old garments and does some pretty cool DIY home improvement things. And she bakes!
- Young House Love. I’m sure we’ve all seen this blog by now, as many bloggers have referenced it, but it’s just so awesome that I’ve got to talk about it. Just the other day, there was a post about a DIY headboard – and that’s just one example of the amazing things you may find on this blog to recreate for yourself.
- Urban Outfitters. Anthropologie. For ideas – or to just buy the things you wish you had time to make. No shame!
Sorry for the short post, y’all, I’m just BEAT and haven’t eaten anything even mildly interesting that I could share. I pretty much just dove into the hummus when I walked through the door after work… It wasn’t a pretty sight. Not worth photographing, I assure you.
Lesson learned: teaching aerobics for several hours + almost no sleep = exhausted Jessica. Adios, friends.
Hi, all! I hope you’ve had a great Wednesday.
Backing up to yesterday – I worked a longish shift (noon to six) so I was HUNGRY when I got off! I had a delicious unpictured meal at Chilis with my friends Amanda and Lauren. I only ate half of my meal, as per usual – portion sizes are just redankulous – but my chicken bacon ranch quesadilla did not disappoint. MMM. After dinner, I enjoyed some tasty cookie dough ice cream with rainbow sprinkles from TCBY… Oh, wow. So good. Part of the reason I was such a little eating machine was because I had only eaten one rather small meal yesterday and had been working (aka exercising my booty off – we were busy!) for six hours. Later, Amanda and I proceeded to watch Teen Mom while squealing – anyone else out there watch that crazy show?!
Today I didn’t work and decided to take a rest day from twerkin’ it out because, well, I needed one! I slept in, ate a quick breakfast and picked up my sweet grandmother so we could (finally) paint pottery. Unfortunately, the place didn’t open until 11 a.m. and we had lunch plans with my dad at 11:30 – but we are going to try again tomorrow when I get off work! Lunch was eaten at Cumberland Grille, a delicious southern restaurant I seem to always forget about. I had about half of what you see pictured above (chicken and fries) – again, what is up with portion sizes?! Luckily, my dad and grandmother were happy to help me eat my fries and my left-over chicken will probably be my dad’s dinner tonight.
For an afternoon snack, I made a fantastic smoothie (no picture – it went down quickly!) that contained blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberry Greek yogurt, POM juice, ice and a squirt of honey. Dinner was cooked by my mom and consisted of pork chops, green beans from the boyfriend’s parents’ garden, tomatoes and corn bread. It was so, so good! Some candy was consumed for dessert – I say “some” rather generously – and now I’m thinking about how early I have to get up for my 5:45 a.m. shift at work tomorrow! Woof. Early, huh? It’s all good, though, because I can actually be pretty peppy in the morning.
You may be thinking… “She eats fries, chicken tenders, candy and ice cream? All in a 24-hour period?” Yes, yes I do. Why? Well, for one, I don’t really do that all the time. Just sometimes. And I don’t bother feeling guilty about it because I’m generally pretty good when it comes to *portion control* and, sheesh, sometimes a girl just needs fries AND chocolate (especially when her monthly friend is visiting – TMI?).
I’d also like to give a big shout-out to my friend Lance who probably does not read this blog (he is too cool for the likes of me!) – but I’m SO happy for him and I’ve got to get it out! He just scored a job with Journal Communications Inc. which is the amazing custom magazine publishing company I interned for and now freelance for. Lance is crazy-talented – plus a very hard worker – and I just knew someone would scoop him up soon! I love when dedication to one’s craft pays off, and that is certainly the case here.
I’d better get going – I have an early wake-up call tomorrow! Good night, friends.
Hi everyone! How was your weekend? Mine was great – it was definitely the weekend of BEVERAGES!
But first, back to Friday night; Chris and I finally saw Inception and it was awesome! Definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while. Usually, whenever I walk out of a movie, I talk about all of the things that a) didn’t make sense, b) were not consistent and/or c) bothered me – I’m a tough critic, what can I say – but this film left me speechless, in a good way. I can’t wait to rent it when it comes out on DVD!
Saturday was a busy, busy day that ended at Jazz on the Lawn, an event I’ve blogged about before. Chris, his mother and I enjoyed blackberry wine mixed with Sierra Mist - wine spritzers of sorts! Yummm. For some reason, I find that I crave salty foods when I drink sweet wine… Anyone else feel this way, too?
Yesterday (Sunday) was the laziest of lazy days, for the most part. I watched the Jersey Shore marathon on MTV, finished up To Kill a Mockingbird and ate crazy amounts of chocolate. Whoops. However, I did head outside for a run for the first time in, oh, a month? I was a little apprehensive, but I knew I had to try… And I’m glad I did because it was glorious to stretch out my legs and I felt no knee pain! Hooray!
Chris was craving a smoothie last night, so we used one of my favorite recipes to create delicious smoothie magic. Ingredients:
- frozen blueberries
- ripe banana
- POM juice
- blueberry Greek yogurt
- ice cubes
Verdict? OMG. SO GOOD. I think the Greek yogurt addition was possibly the best idea I’ve ever had. Chris was skeptical, but in the end he saw things my way… As usual.
Now, after drinking some tea out of my favorite mug, I’m getting ready to hit the gym and run some errands. Have a great day!
Happy Friday! Do you all have fun plans for the weekend? I will be seeing Inception (finally), twerkin’ it out and spending time with Chris and friends. Hooray!
I have to say, yesterday was a really lovely day. Before work, I had lunch with my great-grandmother, grandmother (pictured above – doesn’t she look awesome in those sunglasses?!) and dad at Ruby Tuesday. I opted for the “garden bar” – aka salad bar – and created a tasty, healthy meal that included lettuce, green pepper, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes and chickpeas – with no dressing, of course, because I hate it. My dad shared a slice of his delicious quesadilla with me and I went to work very full and happy!
Work was super-fun because the boyfriend’s mom came in and JOINED! Hooray! I had so much fun showing her the gym and I’m really excited for her to come in today for her first *official* workout. She’s already in awesome shape, but I think she will really enjoy the fun, social atmosphere that keeps our members coming back for more.
Dinner was a VERY special treat brought all the way from Murfreesboro! Chris was kind enough to bring me Panera eats since I’d been craving it like whoa and this ridiculous town still does not have one. I had the asiago roast beef sandwich – I only ate half – and a French baguette. I have plans to devour the other half of the sandwich for lunch today! Yummm.
The rest of the evening was spent at my friend Amanda’s house playing Wii bowling and golf. Not to brag or anything, but I somehow managed to NOT come in dead-last in bowling. Victory! And I got a little too competitive with the golf, so I had to walk away. LOL. But really. Luckily Chris secured the win for our team – I can always count on him because he absolutely hates to lose. We are a deadly combo…
I’m off to run some errands and head into work in a few hours – have a great Friday!
 I’m not sure if you all know this about me, but To Kill a Mockingbird might be my absolute favorite book ever. It also may be my favorite movie ever. Basically – I love it. It brings me to time I’ve only heard about from my great-grandmother; a time where people hung out on their porches, everyone knew everyone (and everything about everyone…) and, although things weren’t perfect, life was a bit simpler.
Also, in case you all don’t know – I was born and raised in the south and love it. I’ve been up north, gone out west and seen Texas (that giant state is its own territory, sheesh) but the south is still my favorite region of the country. I think this also contributes to my love for To Kill a Mockingbird.
I’ve been re-reading this novel lately and a couple of quotes have really stood out to me. In case you aren’t familiar with the story – Atticus Finch is a widower and lawyer in the town of Maycomb, Alabama and has two children, Jem and Scout. A large majority of the story is about Atticus defending an African American man, Tom Robinson, who has been wrongfully accused of raping a white woman. As most people in the town are racist, Atticus and his children endure verbal and physical abuse – but he never ceases to defend Tom and manages to remain calm, collected and professional throughout the ordeal.
Does that make you want to read it RIGHT NOW?! Of course it does!
Here’s one of the quotes I’ve been pondering…
Atticus: “…I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
This got me thinking – what does courage mean to me? I think it can mean something different to everyone; after all, we are all different people with different experiences and beliefs. To me, it means:
- believing and putting faith in something/someone you cannot see or touch
- trying something new or unfamiliar, as we are often afraid of the unknown
- daring to be different – refusing to follow the crowd, even if it means standing alone
- telling the truth, regardless of the consequences
- doing the “right thing,” whatever that may be – even when it’s not popular
Courage. What does this word mean to you? Do you consider yourself courageous? If so, when did you act with courage?
I’ll go first – going off to college was probably the most courageous thing I have done, to date. I only went to a school 45 minutes away, which may seem like nothing to y’all, but it was a pretty big deal for me as I had lived in my hometown my entire life. My university was in the *big city* (Nashville!) and literally everything was unfamiliar. I didn’t know anyone – this was VERY difficult because I knew practically everyone I went to school with growing up. I had to break out of my comfort zone, talk to strangers and get used to a brand new city without my family by my side. It was tough at first, but so worth it; I met my best friends, Lauren and Katie, during this time as well as many other cherished friends. I’m so thankful I had the courage to take a leap and leave home!
Another thing for us to consider: what courageous things will we do in the future…
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