Play Ball!

It was so much fun to get to throw out the first pitch at the Springfield Cardinals baseball game! I will admit that I did cheat a little bit and stood closer to home plate than the full 60 feet 6 inches... but I was just glad that the ball made it over home plate! ;) Louie the Cardinal gave me a few pointers before I threw. Thank you to the Springfield Cardinals for allowing me to throw out the first pitch, and for providing 4 free tickets so that my family and I could watch the game afterwards. :)

Save the Date!

Yay! I am so excited to say that the 2014 Miss Teen USA pageant will be held at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas! The presentation show will be Friday, August 1st, followed by the final show on Saturday, August 2nd. Be sure and tune in to watch the live webcast on both nights at www.missteenusa.com :) I am beyond excited for this opportunity of a lifetime. Let the countdown begin... Bahamas here I come!

"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!