Articles to Switch Up My Routine

Hello!

This past week I made a challenge to read one article per day. These articles could be about business or self-development. I'd like to share a few that I read.

Day 1: 5 Simple Exercises to Break your Patterns (LinkedIn)

After reading this article I made another challenge to myself to participate for the rest of the week. Here are the results:

1. Try to write with your other hand, just for one minute. Do you notice how strange and difficult this actually is... 

                     I wrote with my left hand for one minute each day that I worked! The first day it was hard but I was happy it was legible. My hand was hurting after about a minute though because it isn't used to holding a pen like that. Here's a picture of my work throughout the week:

2. Take a different daily route to work. You will be amazed at what you discover on your way.

                     I didn't take a different route every single day but I took a couple of different routes to/from work. It is hard since I have to drive on the freeway but I did take a different route to the freeway a few times. I found out there are some ways I don't want to try again and there are some that are just fine. There were some cool buildings and sites that I hadn't really noticed before.

3. Wear your watch on your other hand for a day. It will feel strange, which is a great reminder for you to be more flexible.

                      These days everyone has their phones to keep track of time. When I was in middle school and high school, I wore a watch but seemed to break them fairly often. After I graduated HS, I just decided to stop spending money on watches. This new job of mine though has a no cell phone policy at work. We have clocks obviously but I decided to buy a watch. I bought one this weekend and it is helping me to be more aware :)

4. Go to your favorite restaurant. Now really look around and observe. You will see things you really never noticed before.

                    I've been trying not to go out to eat as much but we did have my dad's and sister's birthday lunch at Applebee's. My sister and I  noticed the lights above the table had red, green, and yellow coverings. You couldn't tell that from the sitting area. So we were more observant during that meal. I do like to pay attention to details like that and art that may be hanging in buildings.

5. Reach out to one new person per day at work during a week. Pick one person a day, you never talked to before, reach out to him or her and ask them what's on their mind.

Day 2: 17 Thing Successful Leaders Say Every Day (LinkedIn)

This article is addressing things that company leaders and managers should say each day to their employees. I think that this applies just as well to relationships. Family, friends, dating, any relationship! I picked two for each day of the rest of the week to say at least once. The ** signifies the ones that I said throughout the rest of the week. I used some of them at home, some at work, and some in Logan when I went to visit on Saturday. I also noticed when others said these same words and how they made me feel and it was pretty cool! They are empowering statements/questions. I also noticed when people said the opposite and how degrading and negative the atmosphere became.

1. What do you think?**
2. I trust you.**
3. I know you can do it.**
4. It's not your fault.**
5. I'm proud of you.
6. Please.**
7. Thank you.**
8. Great idea--let's do it.**
9. I've always got time for you.**
10. I couldn't have done it without you.
11. No one is perfect.**
12. What can I do to help?**
13. I made a mistake.**
14. I need your help.**
15. Anything is possible.
16. I'm sorry.**
17. I've got your back.**

Day 3: Failure Isn't Fatal: How 5 Successful Entrepreneurs Made a Comeback (LinkedIn)

My favorite quote from this article was "..take stock of instances of failure, process them, and keep moving forward. Learn from failure, and let it guide you to shaping a different approach. If you can turn failure into a positive, liberating experience, you will find that it can be a valuable tool that spurs you onward to success."

This was a fun activity to branch out from my normal routine. If anyone has suggestions of what other things I should try or other blog topics, write a comment or send me a personal message.

I challenge you to try something new this week or do something differently then you usually do!!

Have a great week :)
Cydnee Rae

A Little about Lupus

Well folks, a lot of people ask me about Lupus BUT first, I want to make sure that I'm clear, I have not been diagnosed with Lupus, just tested positive. Essentially that means that I have many of the symptoms but not quite enough to be diagnosed. So here you go!

Definition:
-autoimmune disorder (immune system is overactive)
-chronic inflammatory disease
-immune system attacks own tissue & organs
-can affect many body systems: joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs

Symptoms:
-fatigue*                             -general pain*                 -shortness of breath*
-fever                               -sun sensitivity               -chest pain*
-muscle pain*                     -dry eyes                       -joint pain/swelling/stiffness*
-anemia                            -headaches*                    -nerve pain*
-confusion/memory loss*    -feeling sad*                    -nose/mouth/throat sores
-poor circulation in fingers/toes*                               -skin lesions (worsen with sun)
-butterfly shaped rash on face (over nose & cheeks)-hair loss
-enlarged lymph nodes      -cold/stressful situations: fingers/toes turn blue*

Complications:
-Kidneys: kidney damage & failure (leading cause of death w/Lupus)
-Brain: headaches, dizziness, behavior changes, strokes & seizures, memory loss & trouble expressing thoughts
-Blood & Vessels: anemia, increased risk of bleeding & clotting, inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis)
-Lungs*: inflammation of chest cavity (pleurisy)-makes breathing difficult
-Heart*: inflammation of heart muscle, arteries, or heart membrane (pericarditis). Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
-Infection*: weak immune system-more vulnerable to infection
-Cancer: increased risk of cancer
-Bone Tissue Death (avascular necrosis): blood supply to bone diminishes>leads to bone breking & collapsing (most common-hip)
-Pregnancy: increased risk of miscarriage. Increased blood pressure during pregnancy & preterm birth

General*:
-Lupus can flare & subside at anytime, for any length of time
-Lupus can be at different intensities for each individual


*These are symptoms/complications I am currently dealing with

Information for this post was gathered from many medical sites including: WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Lupus Foundation of America, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.


Cydnee Haws

Bucket List Summer 2014

Hello World!

At the beginning of the summer I made a Bucket List of the things I wanted to do, to ensure that an exciting summer. With the summer not quite over, I can say it has been event! I've had new health updates, I've become a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), quit my job with AgReserves and started a new job with Utah Medical Products, Inc., traveled to new places and revisited other places I've already seen, moved apartments, created new life-long friendships and tried to keep alive old friendships. The list goes on and on! Here's a small sneak peak of my summer adventures:

Things without Pictures:
Go to a Waterpark
Eat a Snowcone
Dance in the Rain
Volunteer
Read a New Book

Bee's Game with Ty, Farah, Aubri, and a few people from my ward.

Liberty  Park, Picnic, Frisbee, Playing in Water
with Kyle, Daniel, Farah, Erika, and Aubri

Two of my paintings

Farmer's Market and Willow Park with Jessi

Deer Valley Resort, Park City(1):
Utah Symphony Disney Concert with Nick

Deer Valley Resort, Park City (2):
Neil Diamond Tribute Band with Kyle

Deer Valley Resort, Park City(3):
Ben Folds concert with Aubri and had Fresh Squeezed Lemonade

Fireworks!! 3rd of July and 23rd of July

Star/Moon Gazing: This is the "Super Moon" it is the brightest
the moon is each year

Cache Valley Fair and Rodeo with Ali and Mary. I'm loving the hats!

Woke up at 4:30 am to watch the sun rise in Mendon, UT
w/Jessi

Wicked! Capitol Theater, SLC
w/my mother

Go to a Museum/Travel Outside of Utah:
Houston's National Science Museum with Jessi and Clayton

Feed the Ducks:
First Dam, Logan with Family and Rajogopals

Go to the Zoo:
Houston's Zoo with Jessi and Clayton
Jelly Fish!!!!

Visit 6 Temples:
Provo Temple

Visit 6 Different Temples:
South Jordan, UT

Visit 6 Different Temples:
Houston, TX with Clayton

Visit 6 Different Temples:
Orlando, FL

Visit 6 Different Temples:
SLC, UT
Yes, I know I live here...but it still counts!

Travel Outside of Utah:
Dallas-Texas Rangers Major League Baseball Game

I still have a few more to conquer, I gave myself through the end of September to accomplish my Bucket List. I will keep you posted on my amazingly fun "bucket-listing"!

A few updates that people are usually interested in:

Health Update:
In May, I went to the ER because of some heart problems. We found out that my heart is swollen and heart cells were dying. My heart is very reactive to what is going on around me. When the nurse would walk into my room, my heart rate would nearly double. That was a really scary time. I had to keep myself calm and try not to be around things that were active and loud.

In the ER for my heart (May)

The pain didn't really go away and I had more pain in the nerves throughout my body. I was recommended to a doctor by a previous co-worker. I decided it couldn't hurt. This doctor turned out to be AMAZING! She started doing tests that I thought other doctors should have done a year ago. We got results back and here was the diagnosis (at least the parts that are important):

-My system doesn't absorb iron

-My system doesn't absorb B12

-I tested positive for Lupus

Flowers from friends while in the ER

These aren't the answers I wanted but they are answers. I'm happy to know what I am dealing with instead of just wondering what is happening to my body. I will do a blog post on Lupus in the near future (a lot of people ask me about the details). I know that I can deal with this trial because I wouldn't have it if I couldn't. I live by faith and try to be positive as much as possible! This too shall pass.



Life Update:
February-May I was studying for a professional certification in Human Resources. I took a 4 hour class each week, studied with a group, studied on my own, didn't have a social life...but it was all worth it. On May 15, 2014 I took a three hour exam on everything in HR and I passed! I am now, Cydnee Rae Haws, PHR. It feels pretty good to have that acronym after my name. People now know that I actually know what I'm talking about in my profession! It also paid off because....

I quit my job at AgReserves at the end of June and started a new job with Utah Medical Products in July. My job title is HR Specialist but I'm pretty much the Director of HR. I am the only Human Resources person in the entire company. We have about 185 employees here in Midvale, UT and then we have operations in Australia, Ireland, and the UK. It has been pretty overwhelming but I keep telling myself the best way to learn and grow is by being challenged. I am going to be super smart and will have grown A LOT...this is really challenging!! :)

Goals Update:
I have decided to do a MS of Communications. I will be applying to the University of Utah for sure. I'm still researching to see if there are other schools I'd like to apply to as well. I will be studying for the GRE in the next little while as well. Once I have actually applied, I'll give an update on where I've decided.

Have a great week!
Cydnee

Temple, Watercolors, and Demolition

February was a very very busy month! I've been studying like crazy for my certification exam that will happen on May 15th! After the test I get to go to Texas for work. I have a three day work conference that I will go to in Dallas. Then I decided to take the rest of the week of and head down to Houston. I'll get to hang out with some old friends, Clayton as well as Jessi and her husband, Lewis. It will be a blast.

I was able to go through the temple in February and recieve my endowment. It was an amazing experience. I went through at Logan and was surrounded by most of my family and quite a few great friends! I have been able to go to the SLC temple and Draper since then. They are so beautiful. This Saturday, I'm going to go to SLC again with a couple of friends.I love going to the temple. I was going to try to go twice per week but while studying for this exam, it won't happen. Once per week until June. Then I'll try to go twice per week. I also decided that while I'm in Houston, I want to do a session. I will be going to Orlando in June for work as well, and I'd like to fit the temple in there as well.

Well, I completed my first official water color painting. It is based on a picture I took while in Belize. It isn't the wonderful water color but I think it turned out okay being the first one I've really done.I did do another painting one afternoon-in the middle of this painting. So I guess it is the first one I started and the second one I finished.

Work has been a little hard on me lately. I think I'm getting to the point that I want zero administrative/receptionist duties and I want to be doing solely HR work. I recently had a talk with my manager about it and he said there is a high possibility of me moving into a soley HR role here at AgReserves. I have to do some analysis of the workloads that each Administrat Assistant do and then we'll see. Other great news with work: I got raise this week! It isn't huge by any means but more is more and it is needed. So YAY!! :)









There are two demo projects happening across the street from me. It is pretty loud and as these massive pieces of building fall to the ground, our building shakes. I thought we were having a small earthquake the first time it happened and then I realized what was happening. The President keeps bringing up that people on that south side of the building are less productive because they are always stopping to watch the demolition. I told them they should have just put a small explosive in the middle of the building-it would be much faster! :)



I thought I had more to share but I really don't....I mostly study in my spare time. I'll try to have more exciting things/thoughts to share in my next post. Happy March!

New Beginnings

Well this week is the start of a few new things! I'll share all about them in just a minute.

Aubri gets so cold in our apartment that while we were
watching a movie, she put on her winter coat and a scarf!
I had to document that!!

Some proud accomplishments in the gym have been unfolding! Last week I went multiple days and was able to do 30-45 minutes on the elliptical followed by 15-20 minutes of swimming. Just accomplishing that is wonderful but then you add in the miracle that I didn't hurt massively the next day...makes this whole gym thing amazing! I love working out and I'm glad I've been able to lately. It helps relieve stress and tension and just feels good for all of me, my spirit, my body, my mind!

Last Saturday I used one of my Christmas presents. It came from Kayci and Preston! They paid for a 90 minute foot-zoning session for me. It was so cool! If you didn't know, there are zones in your feet that coorespond directly with different areas of your body. By massaging your feet and using essential oils you can stimulate different areas of your body. It can release tension, improve circulation, detox your body (clear out toxins),  give relaxation or energy, strengthen your immunce system, stablize emotions, among other things. I felt very refreshed afterwards and was actually quite surprised by the results and what I learned. As she was massaging my feet, certain areas that were extremely sensative cooresponded directly to pain I've been having in specific parts of my body. We worked the area of my neck pretty well and over the past 5 days, the pain in my neck has dereased significantly. I've decided that I'd like to continue to go but it'll have to wait a few weeks.



I started this week off by having a few friends over for a wonderful Sunday dinner. Aubri and I made lasagna and lemon squares and also cooked some ciabatta bread and asparagus. It turned out really delicious! We played games afterwards, chatted, and listened to Seth play guitar.



On Monday I had two friends from work over for one of their birthday's, Henry Kley. The Sunday night dinner had originally been a birthday dinner for him but he forgot about the Super Bowl...lame but we had a good time with out him. Grant and Henry Kley came over and we ate his birthday cake late. I had great intentions for his cake but a migraine hit and it took energy and time away from the cake. At least it still tasted good. It was a two layer chocolate cake with a strawberry filling. Happy 24th Birthday Henry Kley!!

Scary roads! I was going about
20 mph on the freeway!

Tuesday brought on whole new level of stress and preparation for my PHR Certification exam in May. I'm taking a prep course from a lady named Francis Humes. She is one of the best and has a 90% pass rate. It is every Tuesday night from 5:30-9:30! This Tuesday it decided to be nasty as I had to drive to the Larry H. Miller SLCC campus. But I made it safely to the building I needed to be in. During this first class we met each other, discussed the process to sign up for the exam, what to expect on the exam, created study groups, and took a pre-test. I failed, a big fat F! 31/68 a literal, very low, sad F! But so did most of the class. I have tons to study and practice and learn and I have to just take it one day at a time.

Watching Abduction with Aubri when I
should have been studying...oops!

Wednesday I started something new and exciting....a drawing/watercolor class!! It is at the Petersen Art Center in Sugarhouse. I had to put down a little more money than I was planning on supplies (and still didn't even get all of the colors of paint I was supposed to) but I can invest more gradually. These are real watercolors...not like those water color palets you buy at walmart! haha I like the class because everyone works on their own thing at their own speed. The teacher had me start out by practicing a few techniques. I blended colors to make other colors-learned which are complimentary next to each other, which are good to blend, and which colors make an ugly brownish-blackish color when you mix them. Then I practiced making colors less or more intense (dark red vs. light red or black vs. white). It was really interesting! Next week, I'm supposed to bring a picture of my own with either a lot of sky or water to start. I will start my first official, real watercolor project. I'll have some pictures next time!

Today I'm going to catch up on everything from this week. I'm going to make it to the gym! I'm going to study like crazy! It will be a crazy day but it will be great :) I have some fun things planned over the next few weeks and I will keep you updated on my exciting life!

It's Worth It!

Halfway through January, it is crazy how days can seem so slow yet time passes so quickly overall.

Well, I have signed up for an month of art classes, we'll see if I can improve my drawing skills. I'm excited for that! I was working on a sailboat this week and I can do it but I think if I have some professional direction on some of the basics of drawing again, I could be so much better!

The past week, I found out that I used up all of my PT visits through insurance. So I'm now on this home excerise regimend. It is just not as effective but I'm going to push through and do what I can. I'm going to the gym to swim and try to get some elliptical and bike workouts in. My friend, Nate, just showed me some stretches he does every morning. He's been pain free for 2 years just from doing these stretches. He was actually able to run a 1/2 marathon! So I'm going to start tonight and see if there is any improvement. I would love to run and hike and play again!

I've officially begun my studying for my human resources certification. There is a huge test in May that I'll be taking. As I've been taking time for studying, I wonder how I did this all day, every day, for most of my entire life!! After an hour of diligent studying my brain and body try to tell me that I've done enough and I need to relax now. It is going to take a little while to get back into the study mode, I once lived in. I'm hoping it'll kick in soon because I am a little behind on my study schedule already. Soon enough, I guess.

Last Saturday, Aubri and I went to the Bountiful temple to do baptisms. It was beautiful and the first time either of us had done baptisms there. Everything went smoothly and it was a visit we both needed! A great relief to just step away from the world and feel some peace. I also started Temple Prep on Sunday evening, which was fantastic.

I've started to play piano officially for the ward choir. We're starting off with the "Homeward Bound" song. It is beautiful! BUT it is a 4-handed piece. I'm supposed to be playing with a guy in the ward but he wasn't able to come to the practice this last Sunday. I'm thinking he better be here this Sunday because we're supposed to sing in Sacrament Meeting the next week. Him not being there brough a little stress to me but I'm doing okay now. If that song isn't ready we'll be singing "Abide with me" which is a hymn so I'm perfectly confident in playing that hymn. This kid who has been playing will be getting married in March and I guess I'm just taking over for him. I love playing so I'm excited.

I also had a couple of game nights this week. Wednesday night, I went and hung out with Adam. We got pizza and he introduced me to a few things. First, Sherlock. The TV show is on Netflix and I really enjoyed it! Second, playing Tetrus against someone! I've only played against myself before and didn't think I was too bad. But with Adam playing against me, I caused our games to lack in the length department. I felt bad but it was still fun. The last thing he introduced me to was, Street Fighter. It is a video game that I was skeptical about but it was a lot of fun. I wouldn't play all the time but a night here and there is just fine. We enjoyed ourselves for the evening. Then on Thursday night, we had our new friends, Nate and Seth, along with Henry Kley over to play games. We had a ball!

I found a quote that I liked and thought I'd share it. I believe it is for weight loss but if you substitute "body" for "mind," "spirit," etc. I think it can be applied to any goal you are trying to acheive:

"It will hurt. It will take time. It will require dedication. It will require willpower. You will need to make healthy decisions. It requires sacrifice. You will need to push your body to its max. There will be temptation. But, I promise you, when you reach your goal, it's worth it."

Welcome 2014

Well it is 2014 another year to take steps to be a better person as well as screw up and try again and again.

The past couple of months I've begun to draw and paint a little. My painting is just water colors and it is usually just a stress relief tool-they never look good but I don't really care. My drawings have actually been better than I had ever expected when I took on the task of developing a new talent. Here are two that I've done.






 Drawing has been really fun. I'm sticking to landscapes and buildings and such-no people or animals at this moment in time. I think those will be a ways down the road.If you have ideas of what else I should draw, I'd love any suggestions! One of my goals for this year is to learn one new technique per month and try to get two sketches done per month.






In December, I took a trip to St. George to visit my dear friend, Franchesca. We went to a house to see their Christmas lights. You tuned your radio to a certain station and then the lights flashed to the music. It was one of the coolest things ever. We ended up staying there for close to 45 min and then came again the next night to show Mamma Rosie as well; there were about 9 songs that they played through. 

A favorite pass time in St. George is going up to some red rocks and exploring. There are great views and fun climbing. We found this really cool old "house" there was an old firepit built into the far wall. I had some fun in there. There was a large rock that looked like a snake-so of course I had to have a picture of it "eating" me.



Some other St. George adventures included going to the Tuacahn Theater and watched a live nativity put on by a local ward there. It was a nice little presentation. We also went to the St. George Temple. We did baptisms. The first attempt failed-it was a very long wait. So we went to the movie Frozen (LOVED IT!!) and then went back to the temple. We went right in and it was a fantastic experience. Mamma Rosie treated us to the most amazing donuts at a place called the Fractured Prune. You get to create your own custom donut or you can pick from their specialty donuts. I had one that had a cherry glaze with coconut and chocolate chips on top. I can't remember the name but it was divine! St. George was a success!



Over Christmas we had a fun "Grandpa and Grandkids Movie Night" we watched  Dispicable Me 2. It was pretty good and we enjoyed ourselves for the evening. The rest of Christmas was fun hanging out with the family and eating lots of yummy food.






I brought in the New Year with Adam (he's the one I went to Savior of the World with from the last post). We watched Netflix and ate Cafe Rio. We also youtubed Dubai's new year celebration. It was pretty dang impressive. You should watch this clip it was just amazing.



On New Year's day, I slept in and then went and hung out with Chante'. We went and saw Frozen again (still love it :)), enjoyed a lovely breakfast lunch at Denny's, and then wandered around Quilted Bear for a long time! We read some awesome quote boards, took great pictures and were definitely ready to go before we finished looking at everything.

 

The next day my amazing friend, Matthew, moved to SLC. I helped him move in and then we hung out and chatted. I'm so excited to have him down here now. We'll have some great adventures soon, I'm sure! Since then, I've had my roommates slowly come home from the break, played some games, did a little more drawing, made way too many goals to actually accomplish, and relaxed while watching a new favorite show, Chuck.

Here's to more frequent blog posts for 2014 and to accomplishing all and more than what we want to this year!

At Tuacahn for live Nativity