For some reason, finals week is typically when I allow myself the most freedom to do "fun things." Kinda backwards don't ya think? This is nothing new. I remember freshman year, spending hours upon hours watching Disney movies with my roommates in pajamas the entire day. Good times, good times. How was that almost four years ago?!! It is scary for me to think I am typing this up a couple of hours before I take my last exam of my undergraduate career. I graduate on Friday. Holy guacamoly. 😳


Perhaps this avoidance and intense procrastination stems from a sense of resignation at this point in the semester. What can I really do in one test to change my grade that much? People have said that this feeling is a testament to how much I've studied over the past weeks that I don't need to study now. According to them, I'm "ready" but I don't feel so. At the same time though, I am feeling uncharacteristically not guilty and I think a sense of almost true happiness, which then makes me slightly anxious.

It was a packed week, packed with things I don't typically do because they're considered "unproductive" for me. For this week's Week in Review, I wanted to share those activities, things that don't even include chores or errands that I would normally add onto my WIRs. So, here are things I did instead of studying for my final final:

• Attended a recognition luncheon for my major and won the Most Likely to Become Faculty award. 
• Got a $1 turkey sandwich at Jimmy John's customer appreciation event last Tuesday with friends. 
• Subsequently watched The Lazarus Effect on Netflix. Strange movie but definitely mind-trippy, which was what we were looking for. 

• Treated my grandparents who are in the country for my graduation to bagels. I opted for salt + veggie cream cheese. Had to brush off a bunch of the salt but otherwise hit the spot. 
• Saw another musical performance of the same friend as last week. This time for a jazz concert. The conductor (probably not really called a conductor but IDK what you would call him in this case) would just point to the different musicians and they would play their improv-d solos. So impressive. Jazz is pretty cool stuff. 
• Made Immaeatthat's pancake mix cinnamon rolls using Kodiak mix. Ingenious. 
• Posted my favorite eats of April!
• Put in a couple of hours at the animal shelter. There are so many new doggies and kitties I hadn't met!! 
• Watched The Circle with my former roommates. The book is always better.

Almost like freshman year

Free, sunshine filled-yoga on Saturday morning as usual.

Went to the Dallas World Aquarium for the first time with friends! More zoo-ish than an aquarium but it was worth visiting at least once. Can cross that off my bucket list! My faves were the penguins. 🐧 Really jealous of them just laying on the rocks like that. Wish my life could be that simple.

• Went out for dinner twice with my fam-bam to relish the time and company of my grandparents since they are here for only a couple of weeks. 

Grilled pork chop, green beans, mushroom bread pudding + red wine demi glace

• Met my sister for lunch Sunday morning for lunch at a cute cafe/bakery. Loved talking to her (s/o to you sissy) about all the things. I could barely keep up with my thoughts, I swear. Then we went to look at more potentially adoptee greyhound dogs. 🐶 

Off to take an exam! Catch you on the flip side. 😉

First of all, happy 5th of May aka Cinco de Mayo! It definitely does not have the same ring in English as it does it Spanish. Also, belated happy Star Wars day. Hope the fourth was with y'all yesterday sending good vibes throughout your Thursday. Not a huge fan myself but I have seen the original six movies. Last night, while I was "studying," the 6th (...or technically 3rd?) movie was playing in the background, which made me want to go back and re-watch all of them. Another summer to-do perhaps.

Anywho, speaking of good-vibe-inducing-things, I may be five days late but it's already time for me to share some of my favorite eats over the past month. Check out March and February here!

As usual, I want to note that my recent eats posts are for inspiration not comparison. I don't want to make someone feel better or worse about themselves for looking at what I do or do not eat. Remember, you have your own body, mind, feelings, life. Trust yourself to nourish yourself.

• Strangely been on a spice--both spic-y and spice-filled--kick lately despite the warmer weather. Here are some examples mostly of the latter:   
• a) Homemade tempeh stuffed enchiladas topped with salsa + brussels + yogurt
• b) All-you-can-eat hotpot dinner out with mi familia. WORTH EVERY PENNY. The nature of the meal, however, made it more difficult to know if I got enough to eat/hit my meal plan. 
• c) I had been meaning to try this Indian vegetarian lunch service that an org at my school offers. You order online from a set menu and pick it up the day of on campus. For only $5, that day's came with yellow spiced rice, pinto bean curry, potatoes & veggies, vegan raisin bread, and halava. With all of that, I was able to have leftovers that I purposed in to 2ish other meals. So delicious and such a good deal too. Sadly it was the last week they'd be offering it for the semester but will most definitely be buying from them again come fall! 
• d) Avocado & Tomato Scramble + My New Roots' chickpea flour chips. Oh the magic of chickpea flour. Its versatility astounds me. One of my favorite underrated ingredients for sure. 

• Also getting ready for the summer season with ice cream! Two notable times this month: 
• a) semi-branching out from my usual at Braum's with a new flavor--pecan praline. Those caramel ribbons were on point. 
• b) trying a vegan coconut and strawberry one at Melt in Ft. Worth, a place I had been wanting to try. Seriously, you can never go wrong with ice cream.

• Also been enjoying throwing random leftovers in my fridge together like this simple bowl of barley, corn, chickpeas, feta & pesto. I've always loved corn + pesto combo for some odd reason. 

• As I mentioned even early on in You've Got Kayl, summer  strangely makes me want to bake, bake, bake away! For example, this life changing Milanese raisin bread 😍 😍 😍  Already have a buttload of yeasted bread and pastry recipes to try over the summer. 

• Prior to the unfortunate news of my almond allergy (still mourning this loss 😢), I enjoyed this fancy toast with peach slices, nut butter, walnuts, homemade granola and hemp seeds. 

Honestly, despite all the Week in Reviews I have done in the past recapping my accomplishments for the week (or weekend), I never really felt accomplished in the moment. It is usually only in retrospect when I write and publish my WIRs that I relish in them. But this week I can say that throughout the week I actually felt I got things done. I managed to appreciate how much I was getting done in the moment rather than after the fact. Looks like faking it 'til you make it pays off. So thank you Meghan for helping me feel accomplished

• Interviewed for three part-time jobs: one for tutoring during the fall semester and the two others cashier bakery positions for over the summer
• Picked up my walking card for graduation
• Saw my allergist again and got the results of my blood work. Unfortunately found out I am allergic to almonds. Goodbye almond butter, almond milk, almond meal, plain ol' almonds in general. 😢  

No more almond-laced KIND bars dipped in almond butter

• Took more steps towards my potentially adopting a pet this summer by going to a meet & greet. Dogs never fail to make my day. 😊
• Finished a book and started a another one
• Painted my nails
• Baked pizza! 
• Went to an Asian grocery store & got all of this vvv for < $8! What a steal! 

• Helped out for a bit at my club's bake sale 
• Caught up on reading and commenting on blog posts
• Finished that dreaded project I was complaining about during the entirety of last week. Plus, the presentation actually went well! 

• Attended the international festival at the school where my parents' work. Yay for free food samples! 
• Supported a friend at her makeup meetup party then bought eyeliner from her #treatingmyself
• Supported more friends at their Spring wind ensemble show
• Saw a production of Hair at my sister's university on Saturday
• Last but certainly not least, I had my last full week of undergrad classes. Now I just have to make it through 2 more final exams!