Sunday Social!

Linking up with Ashley and Neely for Sunday Social!

1 // What is your ideal way to relax? 
Go for a long walk with Boyfriend or get lost in a good book

2 // Where is your favorite place to be?
My office, generally. If I can't be hanging out on a beach with Boyfriend and fruity umbrella drinks. ;) 

3 // Who do you consider your biggest role model?
My dad for sure

4 // What does your life look like in three years?
Married, possibly a different job or at least a job that looks different than mine does right now, maaaaaybe a baby. I don't know...I'm at a very exciting point in my life right now - a lot can happen in the next few years. 

5 // If you could go back and change one decision, what would it be? 
There is one night when I should not have answered my phone....... So though I have learned a lot and grown from what happened after I did answer, if I could go back in time and change it, I'd do it in a heartbeat. 

6 // What is your biggest accomplishment in life thus far? 
Probably going back to school and getting my AAS while also working full time, dealing with unemployment and two temporary jobs before finding a full time job, and moving four times in the 21 months it took.. I graduated with a 4.0, too, so I'm pretty proud of that. 

Happy weekend, everybody!

hump-day confessions

I have to say, Miss Kathy is quickly becoming one of my favorite bloggers to read. I mean, A.) she is funny, B.) she doesn't take herself too seriously (or like, seriously at all, which is awesome), and C.) she is a straight-up, no-holds-barred, "I make no apologies" type of person...which is also awesome. And also rare, especially in the blog world where it seems like so many people are busy trying to make their lives look totally perfect and amazing. So anyway, moral of the story is that I'm joining her little hump-day linkup today for a little confess sesh. 


Also linking up with Liz for the Hump Day blog hop, because I just freaking adore that girl. 

MOOOOOOOVING ON...

....I tried to be an overachiever and go to both PowerFlow and Zumba last night. Epic fail. I made it through exactly half of the PowerFlow class before I had to go running outside so I could dry heave over the bushes instead of in the studio. And then when I got sick of kneeling over the rocks on the sidewalk, I went back inside and the studio manager had to get me some lollipops so I could get my blood sugar back up because apparently I looked like a ghost and was shaking. Cool. #embarrassing I did make it all the way through the Zumba class though, so I feel like I redeemed myself at least a little bit. :) 

....I also made this delicious egg dish after class last night, which was bomb, and it was amazing because usually I hate eggs, but this time, I thought they were really good. 

....I worry about things like ALL. THE. DANG. TIME. And like 90% of the stuff I worry about is completely outside my control. I tried to convince Boyfriend last night that my overthinking/worrying is a good thing, because I end up being prepared for almost any contingency because I've already thought/worried about it.... He didn't buy it. Gee, I wonder why. 

....Speaking of Boyfriend, I love him a lot. Which isn't really like a "confession", since I say it all the time, but it's still true, so there you go. 

....Sometimes, I have really really productive days where I just power through stuff and then at the end of the day, I'm all like, patting myself on the back for being a rockstar. And then there are days like today where I honestly wonder if there's any hope for me at all, and I sincerely doubt that I could be forced to be rockstar productive even if someone was poking me with a cattle prod or something like that. WHAT IS THAT NONSENSE ABOUT????

....There are some things in life that really freaking scare the ever-living out of me. Not usually things like creepy crawlies (though I will admit that if I find a centipede anywhere, I will scream and go running in the opposite direction..and I would probably do the same thing if I found a snake in the house or something), but like bigger things. Things like where in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks this country is going (nowhere good, from the looks of things currently)...things like whether or not we are going to end up in another Cold War because Putin is being a jackass and acting like he owns the world....things like whether or not people in America will have individual freedoms and rights in 20 years like we have in the past, and will be taking responsibility for themselves, or if we will just have a society full of mindless drones who are completely dependent on the government. 

....I drank 11 bottles of water yesterday. That is 185.9 ounces of water, folks. And I was NOT running to the bathroom every four and half seconds, even though you'd think that with that much water I'd just be floating there without even thinking about it, but nope... Apparently, I was dehydrated or something. Maybe that was my issue with PowerFlow. 

....Shutterfly.com is offering a FREE 8x8" photo book today only with the promo code STORYTIME. Get to it, folks. (No one asked me to include that link, and I am not being compensated to do so. I just wanted to share.)

What's up with all of you fine folks? Got confessions?? LET'S HEAR THEM. 

Sunday Social

Linking up with Ashley and Neely for Sunday Social today!

1.) Top 3 things you can't go a day without doing: 

Reading something, brushing my teeth, and usually having some kind of caffeine. When Boyfriend is around, I give him a smooch every day, too. :)

2.) 3 things that scare you the most:
Slow and painful death for myself or anyone I love, centipedes (though I guess I'm not so much afraid of them as I just find them to be incredibly disgusting), and scorpions, I guess, since finding them in my house is a pretty real possibility considering where I live. *Side note: I just googled centipedes because I was going to find a picture of one to include here. That was a bad idea.*

3.) 3 places you want to see before you kick the bucket:
Australia, pretty much like, everywhere in Europe, Bora Bora

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4.) 3 movies you will always love:
You've Got Mail, The Little Mermaid, and It's A Wonderful Life

5.) 3 favorite songs currently:
Here With Me (REO Speedwagon), Let It Go (Idina Menzel) and Talk Dirty (Jason Derulo). I feel the need to mention that I don't like Talk Dirty because it's such a great song (because it's really quite terrible), but because it's a Zumba song, and I loooove the dance we do to it. 

...if you knew you could not fail, Part 2 {The LinkUp}

Last week, I was startled into early(ish) morning thought by a coffee cup. So I did what any normal blogger does, and I wrote about it. And then a bunch of people thought it would be a great idea if I made my spur-of-the-moment-random-thought into a link up. And I also thought it was a great idea, mostly because it gave me a perfect opportunity to think about some more stuff I'd do if I knew I'd be successful, and then spend some time pondering why I'm not doing them. So anyway, here we are. I'd love to have you join us. 

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- I would work to raise investment capital for the people I know and love who own startup companies. I believe in them, and in their products and their companies, and I would love to be able to help ease some of the financial burden that comes along with starting a new company.

- I would call up Jennifer Lawrence and ask her to be my BFF. She would of course agree, and we would merrily skip off into the sunset together. She would never have to say something like this to me, since I would already always be laughing ever time she talked:

- I would climb Mount Everest. I bet that bad boy's got a hell of a view at the top.

- I would apply to become a high school English teacher. Not because I'm qualified already, but because it's something that I have always thought would be kind of fun, and was a career ambition of mine for quite a while.

- I would try to find the best, most perfect gifts for people. I've always been a terrible gift shopper/giver. It's rare that I feel like the gift I got or made someone was really all that awesome, so I'd make a goal to find some really amazing ones for the people I love.

- I would audition to co-star opposite Ryan Gosling in a movie. Because...duh.

- I'd learn HTML and CSS coding. It is something that I think actually would be really interesting, but right now is just kind of over my head, so it ends up frustrating me more than anything else most of the time.

- I'd go to culinary school, and learn how to cook ALL THE THINGS. Then I would compete on Chopped and Iron Chef. And win, obviously.

- I would take up violin and piano again. I'd learn how to play them all over again, and I'd get really good at it.

- I would write a LOT more. Not just one book, but multiple books...and articles, and essays, and reviews, and informational papers, and speeches. I would love to be a good enough writer to be able to really parlay it into a lucrative career.

- I would attempt to live entirely off the grid, while simultaneously still enjoying the technology and other creature comforts I know and love.. Like television and Netflix, and blogging, and iPhones, and GPS.

- I'd look for a cure for things like cancer, and Alzheimer's, and genetic diseases that people are just born with, and I'd find a way to make it easier and less painful to deal with them in the meantime.

- I'd train for a half marathon. I don't have any desire at all to run a full marathon - I personally think only crazy people do that nonsense - but a half wouldn't be that bad. Just as long as my knees and hips don't just give up completely and stop letting me move at all before I get through it.

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So now it's your turn! Link up and let us know what you'd love to do, if you knew you'd be successful!

Mid-week confessions

I like linkups. Have I ever mentioned that before? I just really like the idea of a bunch of bloggers getting together and sharing their posts, and meeting new people, etc. etc. So anyway, today I am linking up with Kathy for some mid-week confessional fun. 








...I am basically obsessed with Lululemon clothing. This is not a secret to anyone who has read this blog long, or has peeked at my "About Me" page, but I'm still confessing. I wear those clothes all the time.... Even when I'm wearing dresses or skirts, I always have a pair of Lulu yoga shorts on underneath. It's just more comfortable that way.

...I may or may not have bought an embarrassing number of boxes of Girl Scout cookies last week. Okay fine, I did. Hence this tweet:

Judge all you want, people... I know I deserve it. 

...I follow a lot of blogs that I honestly never even read. I really need to just go through my Feedly and remove the feeds I ignore, but I'm too busy lazy. 

...I bought an iPad last week. Which means that now when I am working, I can do stupid stuff like watch "The Office" on Netflix in the background. And I also brought it along when I had to babysit the boys the other day, and it was wildly awesome to be able to still get work done without having to lug my laptop around with me, and the main reason I bought it was for work stuff, and that is working out nicely, which is awesome. Bonus confession: the fact that I get to do this makes Kaylee really jealous. Haha. 

...I have been drinking water up the yin-yang today. And I must have been wicked dehydrated because I haven't had to take nearly as many bathroom breaks as I expected. 

...I am borderline obsessed with 3-wick candles from Bath and Body works. 

...I really wish I had unlimited funds so I could buy some purses. Like this Kate Spade bag. Or this other Kate Spade bag. Like basically I just want all the purses. 

...I am terrible at posting at a consistent time every day. And posting consistently every week. But that probably doesn't really count as a confession because basically anyone who has read this blog for any reasonable length of time already knew that. 

...I am, for the first time, watching "Frozen" because it was on sale on Amazon today. I love some sales, plus I have heard nothing but wonderful things about this movie, so here I am. I'm 46 minutes in, and so far, it hasn't disappointed. Olaf is freaking AHHHH-dorable. 

...I really really want a grilled brat with sauerkraut and onion and a bit of mustard on it right now this very minute. Too bad I don't have a grill. And that I already ate lunch. And that brats really aren't all that healthy. Okay, the last one isn't really that big of a deal (see the previous confession regarding Girl Scout cookies), but I mean.... I don't need to go overboard on the junky foods, now, do I? 

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Don't forget to link up with me tomorrow on the topic, "What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" I can't wait to see what everyone dreams of doing! :) 

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I wish I knew back then..

Ten years ago, I was 19 years old. I was a freshman in college in Chicago, and even though at the time I thought I knew everything, I was really pretty much as green as they come. The combination of growing up in a tiny town miles away from anywhere and being homeschooled did not lend itself well to any kind of reasonable assimilation into adult living in a city like Chicago. 

Thankfully, over time, I've learned a thing or two. And even though I know with certainty that I'll remember the lessons, I still sometimes wish I had just known these things back then, and didn't put myself through the misery of learning. or that maybe I had listened to people when they told me the exact things I ended up figuring out the hard way. 

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- Drinking is kind of stupid. I grew up in a dry house, so I never really understood what it meant to be drunk. I mostly just thought it meant that you got funnier, since that was what would happen to my grandpa and uncles at family weddings and stuff. And while yes, being funny can be a nice side effect of the drinking, mostly it just makes you stupid(er). The first time I got drunk, I called my parents at 2:30 in the morning and cried. Not exactly my proudest moment. Also, the aftermath of drinking is awful. Holler if you feel me. (Side note: this is not to say that I don't both enjoy and fully support the idea of having a cocktail or glass of wine or two occasionally. But seriously....drink responsibly. Nobody wants to be this guy.)

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- Naps are the best thing ever, so do not underestimate their importance. I did NOT fully appreciate or take advantage of the ability to randomly sleep for a couple hours in the middle of the day. And now I have to do like, real work and stuff during the day.... Lame. Take naps, people. They're awesome. 

- Don't get a credit card. I never knew or understood how the whole credit thing worked, so when I got to college and started getting random credit card offers in the mail, I got one. And then I got another one. And then I wracked up a bunch of debt and got myself into a bit of a mess. It's taken a long time for me to figure out how it all works and how to fix it, but if I had just known/followed some advice to ignore the whole dang thing to begin with, it wouldn't have been such a rotten few years. 

- People are smooth talkers when they want something. You will meet someone - or if you're me, more than one someone - who will take advantage of your naivete, who will manipulate you for their own selfish purposes. Don't just trust everybody because that's all you've ever done and it worked out for you while you were being homeschooled in the aforementioned tiny town and hardly interacted with anyone outside of church. It doesn't always turn out well. 

- Figure out what it is that makes you special, and don't settle for anyone who doesn't agree with you. The importance of this really can't be overstated. I spent a lot of time flitting about from friend group to friend group, wanting desperately to fit in somewhere and never quite understanding why I didn't. Looking back, it's so easy for me to see that I was just completely lost. I didn't know who I was, or what I wanted to be about. I could have saved myself a lot of hurt if I had taken some time to figure out who I am, and instead of just running around trying to be popular (and instead probably looking very much like the desperate person I was), learned how to be alone until the right people came along.

- Sort of keeping with the theme of the last item, define your values. Know your lines for morality and ethics, and refuse to compromise. Sure, they will shift a bit on their own as you change and learn and grow, and that's okay. Just don't change your values, or allow yourself to get swept up in someone else's. Draw your lines in the sand, and stand firm. The people who deserve to be in your life won't ask you to move them. 

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- Learn when and how to put yourself first. It doesn't make you a bitch. It doesn't make you a snob. What it does do, however, is keep you from going completely crazy trying to please everybody else. Even the best, most generous of us wear down sometimes, and it's completely okay to step back from trying to meet everybody else's needs so you can focus on meeting your own. 

- Last, but certainly not least, love yourself. It's not always easy, and there may be times when it seems downright impossible. But if you don't love and respect yourself, then who will? Confidence and self-awareness is attractive. You may not be the hottest or the most "popular" person in the room...but when you love yourself for who you are, you will be loved by others who love you for exactly who you are, too.

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So now it's your turn. What do you wish you had known a decade ago?  

Liquid Ice Energy Drink {Product Review}

I was given this product in exchange for my honest review. Despite the compensation, all opinions are my own. 


I hate mornings. We all know this. I think that sleeping is like, the best thing ever, and I really hate it when I have to quit doing it. Especially on weekends, which I mean really, I think are mostly made for sleeping in late and generally not running around like a chicken who recently lost its head, like we all do during the week. 

I'm not ashamed to admit that more often than not, I need a bit of assistance in the form of "legal addictive stimulants" (name that movie!) to get myself in gear. So last Saturday, when I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open long enough to do a little one-two step at Zumba, I reached for a pretty blue can of Liquid Ice energy drink. And boy, oh boy, did it deliver. I was jumping and dancing all over the place in no time flat. 

I love Liquid Ice because it has CoQ-10 in it, and vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12. The CoQ-10 is an enzyme produced by the body to efficiently use energy while at the same time preventing fatigue, and the B vitamins are essential for helping convert energy from the food you eat into ATP, which is the form of energy your cells use. Basically, what this means is that not only is Liquid Ice delicious, but it has some health benefits, as well. 

While I loved the great burst of energy I got from this drink (and the fact that I really didn't have any kind of crash later!), I did find the taste of straight Liquid Ice to be a bit sweeter than I'd prefer. It was almost like drinking smarties out of a can. They do offer a sugar-free version (in the white can) for those who prefer sugar-free beverages. I really don't like the taste of artificial sweetener, and didn't like the taste of the sugar-free version at all, personally. However, my brother-in-law, who drinks a lot of sugar-free energy drinks, said it was pretty good. 

However, I discovered that when you mix a bit of Liquid Ice with vodka, magical things happen. (Side note: doesn't vodka tend to make magical things happen, anyway??) I mixed my Liquid Ice with some UV Blue (blue raspberry flavored) and UV Red (cherry flavored vodka), but uhhhh I may have been too excited for the drink and forgotten to take pictures. Whoops. Anyway, I tell you what, some Liquid Ice with vodka is aahhhhh-MAZING. It was completely delicious, and the bite from the liquor helped to curb the sweetness. 

Here's the recipe I used: 
1 oz UV Blue
1 oz UV Red
4 oz Liquid Ice energy drink
Pour over ice

For more information on Liquid Ice products, you can visit the Liquid Ice website. 

Have you ever tried Liquid Ice? Leave your thoughts in the comments! I'd love to know what you think!

Confessional Friday!!

It's Friiiiiiiiiidddayyyyy!!!! 

Hey, so guess what? We made it to another Friday. Does it totally sound like a broken record or something when people say that? Probably. It's like, everybody just hates Mondays, and they just love Fridays, and I mean...do we have to say it every week? Apparently so, because we (myself included, much to my chagrin) alllll do it. 

I digress. Let's confess. (Hey, that rhymes!)

I confess // I'm writing this post on Thursday. Scheduling, for the win! Except I barely slept at all last night, and I've been crabby and mad at the world all day. Sleepless nights are the worst. 

I confess // my sister and I sat down to try and get my taxes done on Sunday. I freaked out approximately 8784513587 times because I was nervous about how much money I was going to have to pay in, since I started my own business and am working for myself and all that, but she is a freaking miracle worker, and got it down to a reasonable amount that I can afford. 

I confess // I am currently watching "This is 40" for the third time in three days. Granted, right now it's on in the background, and I watched it last night because I couldn't sleep, and then two nights before when I was falling asleep, so it's not like I have just been sitting around watching TV and doing nothing else. 

I confess // I really don't like baseball. I mean, yes, I will enjoy it if I am actually AT a game. And I'll cheer for a team (basically I will support the Braves, because that's Boyfriend's favorite time... or the Cubs, since I lived in Chicago for a while... or the Twins, because I grew up liking them. But mostly I just don't care) if I am with someone who cares about the outcome of the game. But for the most part, I am just excited for football season to come back. The games are a lot more fun to watch. And the boys look better in their little pants. Win, win. 

I confess // I got a little pamphlet in the mail the other day, letting me know about the pediatric dental insurance that has been added to my health insurance, and is now costing me an extra $100/month. I took one look at the thing and immediately got pissed off and threw the thing across the room. I can't even afford dental insurance for myself right now (which is awful, because *bonus confession* I haven't been to a dentist in like 5 years and I really need to go), but I'm sure my non-existent children are very appreciative of the extra $1200 a year I'm spending to make sure the teeth they don't have are clean. Ugh, honestly... this whole Affordable Care Act nonsense makes me more angry than I know how to handle. 

I confess // I have a couple water bottles already, but I find myself wanting a CamelBak one. This CamelBak in particular: 

I just think it's pretty, first of all (because it's pink), and also it would be fantastic to have a straw in my water bottle. Also, I am apparently still a small child. So there is that. 

I confess // I have a huge kitchen (well not huge, but still greatly sized) and I still haven't baked anything since I moved here. That, my friends, is awful, and makes me sad. I need to get on that. 

I confess // I am more than a little bit in love with this song (and I #backthatazzup to it every day): 

I confess // I am hosting a one-time link up next Thursday (the 20th), on the topic of what I would attempt if I knew I could not fail and I am terrified that there will only be like five people who join and it will look incredibly lame. Maybe I should add "I would host a link up" to my list of things??? But anyway, here's the button for it, in case any of you are interested!

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...if you knew you could not fail

I'm not usually in the habit of deep thought in the mornings. Or like ever, really. I mean, every once in a while, I'll wax philosophical, but pretty much never in the mornings, seeing as how, you know....I hate them. 

But this morning, when my befuddled and still half asleep self was blindly reaching into my cupboard for a coffee cup before I wandered over to mooch some caramel coffee off my sister, I couldn't help but notice this cup. 

And even though I've had this cup for years, for some reason this morning, the message really hit me. So my brain immediately woke itself up and started thinking.... If I KNEW I wouldn't fail, what would I do? 

- I would open a bakery. And probably a lingerie shop. Paradoxical, I know.... But still, I just think it would be fun to do both. I'd open a salon while I was at it, too. Have a little chocolate deliciousness, then wander over and get yourself pampered AND get some sweet new underthings? That sounds like my kind of day. 

- I would immediately go back to school, and complete the following degrees (at a minimum): Psychology, Pre-Med, Digital Marketing, Secondary Education, Interior Design, and Human Resources. Since I knew I wouldn't fail, I would of course take courses for all of them simultaneously, so as to lessen the amount of time between now and when I have my multiple degrees. 

- I'd buy a lottery ticket, too. Someone's gotta pay for the schooling and the business openings, right? 

- I would begin training to become a dance instructor. Probably a Zumba instructor, actually.. Eva always looks like she is having the time of her life when she is teaching, and is in like, perfect shape, which would be pretty rad. 

- I would train to become an Olympic swimmer. I'd be going for the gold, obviously. 

- I would write a book. I would definitely write a book. More than one, probably. 

There are probably a lot more things that I would try to do, if I spent a bit more time thinking about it. But here's the kicker... Really, what is stopping me from doing all (or at least most) of these things already? Probably nothing more than my own insecurity/laziness/fear/whatever. Obtaining six undergraduate degrees? Yes, without unlimited time and funds (neither of which I have), that would be tough. Buying a lottery ticket would just be stupid, since there's no way to guarantee that I'd make it. And I've definitely passed the window to become an Olympic athlete, no question there. 

I could write a book though. And I could work to get in shape and learn how to dance, and then train to become an instructor. Hell, I could even probably open a bakery and a lingerie store someday, too. 

The struggle that I have is that I get all nervous that I'll mess up, I'll make the wrong decision, I'll end up losing lots of money/time, whatever. And I let that fear make me motionless. I freeze, because for some crazy reason, I'd rather just not do anything, than try something and fail.

And that, my friends, is just plain stupid. 

So now it's your turn: What would YOU attempt, if you knew you could not fail?

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Confessional Friday!

Ahh, another Friday is upon us. Anyone have any big plans for the weekend? I will be on a quest to find Girl Scout cookies, and I think that's about it. I'm embarrassingly excited about that.

Moving on with even more confessions...

// My favorite Easter candies are the Hershey's chocolate covered marshmallow eggs. I have done a pretty good job of not eating every single one I could find, but I tell you what...it's a tough exercise in self-control sometimes. They are just so delicious!

// I bought new candles from Bath and Body Works last week when they were having their sale, and I basically haven't stopped burning candles since I got them. I got the Market Peach, Lemon Mint Leaf, Eucalyptus Mint, and Lilac scents and I love them all.

// I love new office supplies, but hate using them, because I like knowing that I have empty note boks and fresh pens. I also love the look of well used planners and notebooks, but I can never get them to look the way they look in my head, so it's frustrating, and my love/hate relationship with them is ridiculously paradoxical.

// I confess that I gave up Starbucks and (almost) all things related for Lent. That means no Starbucks hot chocolates, no pastries from there, or Dunkin, or D's (another donut shop out here)...no frappucinos, nothing like that at all. I am allowing myself coffee at home, but that's all. And I can't go to another coffee shop or bakery and get stuff...it's basically I've sworn off all things coffee shop/bakery related for Lent. *le sigh* I am of course craving a caramel frap right now, but oh well. None for me. 

// I confess that the sweet tooth I've been blessed cursed with really wants me to go wander the seasonal candy aisle at Target right now, and gift myself with some more marshmallow eggs, or Reese's eggs, or fancy flavored Starburst, or whatever else is available. 

// I confess that I have been loving me some Florida Georgia line this week... Something about them just makes me want to grab some cut offs and a cold beer and go hang out barefoot by a lake somewhere. Weird. Linking up with Whitney for some #backthatazzup action with my current FGL fave: 


// I confess that my brain is kind of checking out of this week right now. I have put in a LOT of time at work already, and I am feeling overloaded. So with that, away I go to try and finish up so I can enjoy some afternoon sunshine! 

What are your confessions this week??

Hump Day Blog Hop!

So excited to be co-hosting this blog hop today! I always enjoy meeting new bloggers, so share your link!

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Hellloooo, Monday (except now it's Tuesday)

I thought about posting this yesterday, and then I chickened out. And then I was encouraged two of my favorite ladies to post it anyway, so here you go...even though it's a day later than originally intended.


Oh Monday, you've struck again.

It's been a rough day, folks.
... a day filled with frustration with work.
... a day where I have felt as though I am completely lost.
... a day that was so frustrating, even the delicious Frappucino that my sister got me didn't fix it.
... a day that has exhausted me, and broken me down.
... a day that has me completely overwhelmed.

I want to do so many things, but I am struggling with figuring out exactly HOW to do them. I get excited about possibilities, and potential opportunities, and then the time comes to work on them, and I have no idea what I'm doing, so I get lost, and feel like a failure, and then I quit out of sheer frustration.

I have recently discovered that I am not great at independent learning. This has been a pretty difficult thing for me to admit, believe it or not. When I was growing up, as a homeschooled kid, pretty much all I did was independent learning. I read the lessons and answered the questions and took the tests and everything else all on my own. Sure, I could ask if I had a question, but one of the main goals my mother had in deciding to homeschool was to teach us how to learn independently.

Unfortunately, however, it seems as though I don't really learn well that way. I need to be shown something first. Once you show me something, I've usually got it. Sure, I may need the occasional reminder, but for the most part, once I see it, it's in there.

So what do I do when I don't have anyone to show me all the things I want to learn, or walk me through them the first time? I've looked up YouTube tutorials, and those can be helpful sometimes, certainly. But it's not always what I need.

I see other bloggers who have figured out design and PhotoShop or LightBox or whatever.. Bloggers who have mastered the art of transferring a Blogger blog to a Wordpress blog in the space of just a couple of hours.. And when I read through posts of theirs, it's evident that they are all self-taught. And then I feel like a complete idiot, because there's all these people who can design beautiful sites, and who understand HTML and CSS coding, and understand how to transfer back links and archives and stuff, and I'm just over here like, "Uhhhh guys, I did something, and I don't know what I did, but now my page is all broken, and it completely looks like a two year old took over, and I'm sorry, but can you help me?"

And everybody seems to have some kind of niche. They write about marriage, or design, or organization, or baking, or sports... And I don't know enough about anything to even begin to figure out what sort of niche I'm supposed to have. Sure, I'd love to blog about baking.. I would have a blast learning more about it, and trying out new recipes and writing about it. But then I'd have a bunch of baked goods sitting around my house........and I wouldn't want to eat them all, because uhhh, weight gain, so they'd end up just going to waste.

I just feel like an idiot. I feel like a loser who doesn't have any idea what she wants to do with her life, doesn't have anything even remotely resembling a "career", and lives in constant fear of all of her many, many faults and failings being discovered.

And today I just feel like that a lot.

Sunday Social!

1.) Biggest middle school fashion mistake?
UMMMM....pretty much every single thing I wore for the entire time frame. I looked and felt awful pretty much every day. There was the occasional outfit that made me feel cute, but mostly I was just a mess. Tapered jeans, huge shirts, big round glasses.. Thank goodness I don't have a picture, or I'd probably feel obligated to share it, and that would just be embarrassing. 

2.) Who were your best friends in high school?
Liz, Kristen, Caleb, and Daniel

3.) What was a typical weekend like for you in high school?
Pretty boring. On Saturdays, we did deep cleaning stuff around the house, and then I would read (which was fun) or catch up on school. Sundays were made up of church in the morning, reading/school in the afternoon, and then drama and Bible quizzing practice on Sunday nights...or at least on the nights when I wasn't grounded. Every once in a while I would go to Culver's after quizzing with the rest of the team, but I usually wasn't allowed. 

4.) Did you have any boyfriends? 
Well there was E, right after my missions trip the summer between sophomore and junior year.. that was strictly a pen-pal/phone relationship that lasted about two months before I was like, "uhh, this is stupid", and that was that. Also, C, my senior year. He was wonderful. 

5.) Did you have any secret codes with your friends? 
No, none that I can remember. 

6.) If you could relive one day/moment/experience from middle school or high school, what would it be?
Uh... Thanks, but I think I'll pass on that. It was a pretty awkward and difficult time for me, so I'd rather not go back and do it again. 

Sunny Saturdays make me smile

Oh hey. So it's been a crazy week over here in my neck of the woods...This is pretty much what my schedule has been like: WORK. WORK. WORK. Lather, rinse, repeat. It's definitely a good problem to have, but sometimes, it still feels more like a problem than anything else. I'm catching up on things though, so that's good.

I know I'm late and the linkup closed, but I wanted to join in on the Pits and Peaks with Allie and Jen. I've actually wanted to do it a bunch of times before, and just never gotten around to it. And then I put in all the work to get the post ready, and realized the link up had already closed for this week... I'm bummed about that, but I'm still posting anyway. So there.

PITS

1 // I feel like work has taken over my life. Part of that is due to the fact that there is just a lot to get done, and part of it is because I don't have a whole lot else to do right now. But it pays the bills, so for that, I am grateful.

2 // I miss my boyfriend. Long distance relationships suck.

3 // I bought some Bailey's French Vanilla coffee creamer and I don't really like it. But I feel bad wasting it, so I'm going to use up the whole thing before I buy more. So my coffee isn't as delicious as I know it could be. #firstworldproblems

4 // I had a brief 3 hour moment of panic one day when I tried to upgrade the software on my phone, and it somehow crashed the whole thing, and then I had to restore my phone just to get it to turn on again. (I know, I know....#firstworldproblems again.) I was freaking out thinking I had lost all of my pictures and videos and text messages, but somehow I had set my backup properly, because when it FINALLY turned back on, everything was there, just as it was supposed to be. Maybe that should be on the "Peaks" list, too...??

PEAKS

1 // I got to start the week out by having Boyfriend here! It was wonderful. We went out to dinner at Firefly (one of my favorite places ever), walked the Strip and watched the fountains at the Bellagio and the volcano at the Mirage, spent an afternoon wandering around the ghost town that is Lake Las Vegas, spent an evening babysitting my nephews together, played games, went to Container Park, and just had an all-around great time. He even came to Zumba with me on Monday night...he didn't participate, but he did sit in the hot, stinky studio for an hour so I could get my dance workout on. That's love, people.

2 // Speaking of nephews....they definitely make the good part of this list. Just look at them. TOO CUTE (even though the picture of ZJ is blurry).

3 // I got a whole box of stuff from Erin Condren! Anyone who knows me knows that I LOOOOOOVE me some fancified planners and office stuff from her, so when I saw that they had an awesome sale on notebooks and desk pads last week, I knew I needed to take advantage.

Also (shameless plug): I have sponsorship opportunities available! My in-post ad space is currently open, plus I have button swaps available! I'd love to work with you!