Mailbox Haul

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Well… I totally bombed that anatomy test.  I can’t be too upset about it because (1) it was totally my fault – I didn’t study enough; and 2) I used the opportunity of being on campus to post a really fun Operation Beautiful note.

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Megan gave me the idea for this type of note a while back. I loved it – so eye catching!

 

Also, my mood was uplifted by a TON of fun items in the mail.  I received my new passport (we’re going to England for Christmas):

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I also got a letter from “our” child!  Debika is 3 years old and lives in India.  She lives with her parents and one sibling.  Her family survives on $38.00 a MONTH.  We send her about $20 each month to help pay for medical costs and school fees.  I picked Debika because her favorite hobby is running, and she was born on May 7, which is only 1 day before the Husband’s birthday.

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I put her letter (which her brother wrote for her) on the fridge, right next to her picture!

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🙂

 

And I received a shipment of awesome stuff from my friends at POM Wonderful.  I know what fruit I’m having for breakfast!

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It was a pretty fun haul for 1 trip to the mailbox!

 

Before class, I ate some crackers:

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And after, I had an egg and cheese sammie with an apple for dinner:

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I’m planning on splitting this cookie with my friend Harry for dessert.  He’s coming over to watch The Office.  I’m only splitting it because I think if I ate the whole thing, I’d get a sugar crash.  :) 

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Whew!  What a day.  Time to go relax….

 

Sleep tight!

{ 42 comments }

 

  • Kelly November 5, 2009, 8:09 pm

    Sorry about the test! Enjoy the office, I think you deserve the whole cookie though!

  • Runeatrepeat November 5, 2009, 8:10 pm

    I think it is very cool you sponsor a child 🙂 I’m sending good karma your way!

  • Lauren November 5, 2009, 8:11 pm

    Sorry about the test, but I bet you did a lot better than you think.

    Egg sammies are such a wonderful recovery meal. Hope you ate 2 though to make up for all those calories burned today. Wow, CONGRATS on this run! Caitlin, that is amazing and you should be so proud of yourself. I know I am!

  • Jessica @ How Sweet It Is November 5, 2009, 8:12 pm

    That is my fave OB note yet! Love it!

  • Evan Thomas November 5, 2009, 8:13 pm

    Don’t feel bad about the test. You’re very accomplished in life and one test does not make a class or education.
    I could really go for a nice, big, soft chocolate chip cookie now after that last photo

  • Cynthia (It All Changes) November 5, 2009, 8:14 pm

    Sorry about the test. But glad you had some fun with mail and with Operation Beautiful 🙂

  • Joelle (The Pancake Girl) November 5, 2009, 8:16 pm

    I love getting fun stuff in the mail!

    Sorry about the test, that’s a bummer. Looks like you had a fab dinner and dessert to cheer you up! 🙂

  • Sarah @ The Foodie Diaries November 5, 2009, 8:19 pm

    Mmm egg and cheese sammie sounds wonderfullll

  • Marisa (Trim The Fat) November 5, 2009, 8:21 pm

    Sorry about your test:( Hey, you never know, you might have done better than you thought!

    Mmm…I want a cookie!

  • Diana (Mymarblerye) November 5, 2009, 8:22 pm

    so I made an egg sandwhich today and ate it BEFORE i read your blog. I’m not copying! haha. Anyways, reading your blog inspires me to be a better person! Love it! Now it’s time to pay it forward.

    • Caitlin November 5, 2009, 8:25 pm

      hehe i didnt invent the egg sandwich 🙂 thank you, you are so sweet

  • Peanut Butter Bliss November 5, 2009, 8:23 pm

    sorry to hear the test was so hard :[ Im sure you did better than you think!

    love me some egg sammies.. I need to pick some up asap

  • Amber from Girl with the Red Hair November 5, 2009, 8:32 pm

    How sweet that you guys sponsor a child 🙂

  • ashleigh November 5, 2009, 8:38 pm

    you are so kind to sponsor a child!

    that coookie looks so good!!

  • maria November 5, 2009, 8:46 pm

    I love that you are sponsoring a child. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do once my life has settled a bit.

  • Julie November 5, 2009, 8:52 pm

    Aw, how cute is Debika? She’s lucky to have you and the husband as “parents”!

  • Jenna November 5, 2009, 8:52 pm

    You seriously keep on amazing me. Sponsoring a child is such an amazing thing. Props to you.

    I’m sure you didn’t do as bad as you think. But regardless, a cookie is a great way to forget about the test 🙂

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) November 5, 2009, 8:57 pm

    Tests suck. Screw ’em, and eat cookies.

  • Madeline @ GreensAndJeans November 5, 2009, 9:00 pm

    I love that you guys sponsor a child! What organization do you do it through?

    • Caitlin November 5, 2009, 9:38 pm

      children international!

  • Teacherwoman November 5, 2009, 9:22 pm

    Ahhh, that letter/drawing is great! How wonderful is that!

  • Jenna November 5, 2009, 9:47 pm

    sorry to hear your test didn’t go well but i defs think all the goodies you got in the mail made up for it 🙂
    jenna

  • Janna (Just Flourishing) November 5, 2009, 9:55 pm

    Sorry about the test. It happens! You’ll do better next time!

    That is really amazing that you sponsor a child.

    I also just had a cookie… but I had the whole cookie 🙂

  • Sammi November 5, 2009, 10:08 pm

    That is awesome you sponsor a child! She is so adorable 🙂

    I have a question regarding gelatin. I know you’re a vegetarian and I was wondering if you eat products with gelatin in them? I became a vegetarian almost a year ago and I was clueless about gelatin until a few days ago.. I had no idea it was from animals. I’m such a picky eater as it is and I’m hesitant to abandon it completely. I’m interested in your opinion on gelatin products!

    and I am sorry about your test ;( it happens to the best of us!

    • AM November 6, 2009, 5:27 am

      Honestly, what you choose to eat is 100% your business and up to you, and no one should judge you for your choices, but if you’re going to continue to eat gelatin, then I don’t think it’s accurate to use the veg label. (Eating it because you don’t know what’s in it seems to be a different story. We’ve all made mistakes like that.)
      I just mean that, technically, gelatin is meat and therefore not vegetarian. I think if you’re veg for ethical or environmental reasons, you’d probably want to avoid. If it’s for health reasons, maybe not.

      And again, far be it for any of us to judge your choices! You do what feels comfortable for you. I’m just saying, it’s tantamount to the whole, “I’m a vegetarian, but i eat chicken and fish” conversation that we had here a few weeks ago.

    • Caitlin November 6, 2009, 7:56 am

      it was interesting for me to read both yours and AM’s reply to the gelatin issue. i have to say that i do eat gelatin knowingly. i don’t like, seek out giant slabs of gelatin to consume, but yea, I had Jello Shots at the Halloween party. I think there are varying levels of vegetarianism, even though we all don’t eat meat. Like, there are vegetarians who wear leather. And there are vegetarians who eat gelatin.

      I guess my way of thinking is that everyone is on a sliding scale of what they believe is acceptable and when and what they think is unacceptable. my views on what is unacceptable for the vegetarian label are different then other people’s, but the end result is we don’t eat meat, and that’s an awesome thing to do for our planet, the animals, and our health (in my opinion).

      • AM November 6, 2009, 8:20 am

        I agree with the sliding scale, particularly with vegans. There will ALWAYS be someone more “hardcore” so it just isn’t right or practical to give people a hard time about their choices. Cars aren’t vegan, for heaven’s sake (the paint), and we can be only as cruelty-free as modern medicine and science will allow us to be.

        In case people aren’t sure what we’re talking about (because i have a loooooot of family members who don’t get why I won’t eat marshmallows, and a veg bf who didn’t know until recently what’s in jello shots), here’s an interesting link about ingredients: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faqingredients.htm

        Here’s the gelatin entry:
        What is gelatin made from?

        Gelatin is derived on a commercial scale in the United States today from, (in order of predominance), pigskins, cattle bones, and cattle hides. A very small percentage used today is from fish bones and skins. It is an animal protein with many functional properties in food applications such as a gelling agent, a thickener, an emulsifier, a whipping agent, a stabilizer, and substance that imparts a smooth mouth feel to foods. Gelatin is often used in confectionery, such as gummy bears and marshmallows; desserts including Jell-O®; “lite” or low-fat foods including some margarines; and dairy products such as yogurt and ice cream. Gelatin is also used in hard and soft gel capsules for the pharmaceutical industry. Gelatin is always animal-derived although there are several all-vegetable gelatin alternatives available today that may be erroneously referred to as “vegetable gelatin” or something similar.

        • Caitlin November 6, 2009, 8:37 am

          thank you!!! 🙂

        • Sammi November 6, 2009, 10:42 am

          Thank you for your comments! I’m not going to eat something with gelatin knowingly or keep it in my house.. the idea of it grosses me out and I don’t know how the idea of it ever came into place? I think if more people actually knew what it was from they would be kind of horrified. Then again I’m not going to flip out if I occasionally eat it.. I’m already too hard to please in the food department and I don’t need to add another thing on my list!

          Thanks again on your opinions 🙂 And congrats on your camera purchase, Caitlin! I’m a photography major and I’m familiar with Canons so let me know if you have any questions 🙂 smiller@ringling.edu

  • Felicia November 5, 2009, 11:08 pm

    Thanks for mentioning above what organization you use to sponsor a child! I’ve been thinking about doing this for awhile. My boyfriend does, and I think it’s time for me to step up to the plate as well. It’s amazing the difference that you can make in a child’s life.

    So awesome that you and your husband do it! 🙂

  • Julie @savvyeats November 6, 2009, 12:39 am

    I love the idea of that Operation Beautiful note– so cute! And like you said, so eye-catching!

    I’m sure your exam went better than you thought!

  • Mama Pea November 6, 2009, 1:03 am

    You are really inspiring Caitlin. I know a lot of people tell you that about your food choices, your running, even Operation Beautiful, but you really show that you don’t just walk the walk. Thanks for always showing me ways to make a difference. The world’s better because of you.

  • Stacey November 6, 2009, 6:29 am

    they have huge cookies like that at Panera, and anytime my boyfriend and I go I ask to split one (by split, I mean I get 3/4 lololol)

  • Shannon November 6, 2009, 6:46 am

    That’s a bummer about the test. Maybe you did better than you thought… But with all the things you’ve done well, one bad test is no big deal. Very inspirational!

  • Emily Eats and Exercises November 6, 2009, 6:49 am

    That cookie looks yummy – I need to remember not to look at blogs when I’m craving dessert 😉

  • Paige (Running Around Normal) November 6, 2009, 7:54 am

    Sorry you bombed the test, but the OB note is fantastic!

  • Andee (LAEasyMeals) November 6, 2009, 8:06 am

    Sorry about the test, I totally know how you feel. After studying my butt off this week, I bombed my accounting midterm in my MBA program. A cookie would have cheered me up though!

  • Diana November 6, 2009, 8:11 am

    Omg, that letter is so cute!

    Sorry to hear you bomber your test.. but you’ll do better next time!

    Love that note. 🙂

  • Tina November 6, 2009, 10:03 am

    Awhh that little drawing of the dog is so cute! That’s such a great thing you guys are doing.

    Bummer about the test, but I think everyone’s bombed at least one in their life! At least you had some good eats 🙂

  • Anne Marie@ New Weigh of Life November 6, 2009, 10:34 am

    I think what you’re doing for that family is awesome!

  • Joelle November 6, 2009, 3:54 pm

    Hi my first comment on your website after discovering it a few weeks ago on holiday. I absolutely love your site and I`m going to be getting ideas of your recipes etc to health-ify my life. Your site is so inspirational! But was actually commenting to ask whereabouts in Britain you`re visiting? Guessing its the hubby`s family?

    • Caitlin November 6, 2009, 4:19 pm

      We are going to London, Manchester, and Bath!! 🙂 Can’t wait.

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