"Muffins for Mom"

In honor of Umuganda yesterday, I served breakfast to the women and children staying at Hope House! I was so thankful that my mom and grandma were able to come along and help out. There was so much food donated to the breakfast, and I would like to once again thank all of the businesses that made a contribution. :) I got to make the pancakes hot for everyone, and they were a hit! The kids started getting creative with their pancakes, and one little girl made a smiley face out of chocolate chips and whipped cream.

 

 

 

Remember Rwanda, Act of Service Day!

 "In 1994, the world stood by as Rwanda was torn apart by a brutal genocide—in roughly 100 days, nearly one million people were murdered. The UN estimates that a quarter of a million women were raped, 70% of them contracted HIV/AIDS. These women were used as weapons of war and left as widows, single mothers, and orphaned teenage girls. Same Sky was born with a mission to help them."

In memory of the Rwandan Genocide, Same Sky is organizing a global Act of Service Day! To participate, all you have to do is perform any type of volunteer service to make your community a better place. Remember, we all live under the SAME SKY! To learn more about Same Sky's mission, you can go to http://www.samesky.com/pages/umuganda-clean-up-event :)

Tomorrow, Saturday March 29th, I will be serving breakfast to the women and children staying at Hope House. I love volunteering my time with Hope House. They provide the resources necessary for women to feel empowered and get back on their feet in such a difficult time. I would like to give a big "Thank You" to LaMar's Donuts in Lees Summit, Einstein Bagels in Blue Springs, Walmart in Lees Summit, and HyVee in Lees Summit for their generous donations to the breakfast. Without them, this would not have been possible. I am looking forward to spending some time with everyone at Hope House in the morning! I'm makin' WAFFLES! ;)

Sittin' on Capital Hill!

What's a trip to Jefferson City without a visit to the State Capital Building?! I loved getting to tour the Capital and be recognized on the House Floor, where I was honored to receive a resolution in my name from Representative Donna Pfautsch. :) Thank you Donna, for giving me this amazing keepsake.

 

 

 

Special thanks to Kelsey and Jessica for showing me around! :)

 

We ran in to Miss America 2008, Kirsten Haglund! It was so awesome to get to meet her. :)

 

I love the inside of the Capital, the architecture and design of the building is so beautiful. 

 

It was a little windy on the top of the Capital Building! We climbed 287 steps to get there, but the view of Jefferson City was definitely worth it. :)

 

Speak Hard Youth Conference

I was so glad I had the opportunity to speak to 400 high school students at the Speak Hard Youth Conference in Jefferson City on Wednesday! It was so great to get to share my story and message about the importance of healthy relationships and self respect to that many students. I loved getting to meet some of them after I spoke. Thank you to ACT Missouri for having me, and for putting on such a great conference that promotes healthy habits for teens! :)

 

Thanks Chelsea, for inviting me to speak! :)

 

 

Banana Oat Cakes

The most important meal of the day... Start off right with these healthy banana oat cakes! This recipe is too good not to share. I first tried it about 6 months ago, because I was looking for a healthy breakfast to satisfy my love for pancakes. Once I tried it, I was hooked! The taste is so close to a normal pancake, I swore there was no way it could be healthy. But, with just three easy ingredients, it is completely guilt-free. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup egg whites
2/3 small banana

Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until oats are shredded and batter is smooth. Pour on a griddle and cook just as you would a normal pancake. I love this recipe, because there are so many variations you can make to it to satisfy whatever you are craving. Dark chocolate chips, blueberries, and cinnamon are just a few things I like to add. :) Drizzle with some sugar free syrup and enjoy!

"Chuck a Puck" for Hope House

I went to my very first hockey game last night! I have always wanted to go to a Missouri Mavericks game. I got to help sell "Chuck a Puck" chances to raise money for Hope House. :) I had no idea what a "Chuck a Puck" was, but all of the regular Maverick fans said that they do it at every home game! After the second period, a small bucket is placed in the middle of the rink. Everyone throws their pucks onto the ice, and if someone's puck lands in the bucket, they win $1200! Unfortunately, no one hit the big bucks last night, but it was still cool to see all of the different colored pucks be thrown onto the ice at the same time. :) I really enjoyed getting to meet fans of all different ages, including Mac the Mavericks mascot! Let's just say, it was love at first sight... ;)

New Things Coming on My Blog! :)

Hi everyone! I just want to let you all know about some new things coming on my blog. :) Most of my posts so far have been about the appearances and charity work that I have been doing as Miss Missouri Teen USA. While I will continue to post about everything I'm up to as a titleholder, I am also going to start posting things like my favorite healthy recipes, fashion and makeup tips, my favorite apps, etc.! If you have any topics you would like to hear from me on, don't hesitate to shoot me an email at moteenusa2014@gmail.com :) Oh and by the way, Happy first day of Spring!

Boot Camp Number 1... Check!

I had such a great weekend at the first Vanbros boot camp! On Saturday morning, we learned how to use social media to connect with people not only in our community but all around the world! Crazy to think someone from a different country could be reading this blog. Oh the power of the internet! ;) Thanks Stacey & Aly Klinzing for spending your morning teaching us how to use our social media outlets.

Then, it was off to lunch and the gym for a lesson on nutrition and a work out session with our official fitness sponsor, Brian Attebery. Brian explained the science behind eating the right kinds of foods at the right time, and how our bodies respond to them. Nutrition is something I have always found very interesting, so I really enjoyed this part of our lesson. :)

After we finished up at the gym, all of the Vanbros titleholders headed to the Plaza in Kansas City for dinner and shopping. We ate at a delicious restaurant called Ingredient! I had never been there before, but let's just say it definitely won't be the last time I eat there. :) After dinner we walked over to Yogurtini (my absolute FAVORITE place for a healthy dessert... I have a really big sweet tooth, so their Birthday Cake Batter flavored yogurt always hits the spot!).

Sunday morning, Erica and I made a trip to Starbucks, and as shocking as it may be... I had NEVER tried coffee before this! I ordered a caramel macchiato, and it was so delicious. I think I may have found a new addiction... Maybe it's a good thing that I don't live near a Starbucks! ;) Then to wrap up boot camp weekend, Kim Forsyth, our walking sponsor, showed us the proper way to pose and walk while on the runway. She was so helpful, and I am thankful for her kindness and willingness to work with all of us individually!

I am so glad I got to spend this time with the other Vanbros girls! Thanks again to Stacey, Aly, Brian and Kim for taking the time to work with us this weekend. :)

Spring is in the Air!

It felt like Spring today decorating flower pots with the pediatric patients at KU Med Center! So glad I got to visit them. :)

 

This little girl decided to make her flower pot as a Mother's Day gift for her mom! She was so cute. :)

 

Oscar was such a cool kid! He told me all about his soccer team at school and how he was going to go to the University of Kansas when he grows up. I enjoyed visiting with him, even if he is a KU fan... ;) He made his flower pot for his mom on Mother's Day too. :)

Cookie Decorating at Hope House :)

I had a great time decorating cookies with the kids staying at Hope House last night! They really loved the icing... I'm sure they were on a sugar rush after I left! Thanks Hope House for allowing me this opportunity. I hope to do more volunteer work with such an amazing organization! :)

I Said "Yes" to the Dress!

I had the best time picking out my dream gown to wear at Miss Teen USA yesterday! I am in LOVE with it. :) Thank you so much to John, Ashley, Danielle, and Sassy Chic Boutique, the best gown sponsor ever! :)

A Day at Luxury Nail Lounge

Miss Kansas Teen USA, Claire, and I had a blast at Luxury Nail Lounge today! They sure do know how to make us feel like royalty. Thank you, Peter, for being such a great sponsor! :) You can check out their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Luxury-Nail-Lounge-LLC/476527115771092