It's a good day when....

I love this idea! I am totally guilty of waking up in the morning already hating the day (has anyone picked up on the fact that I am NOT a morning person yet?), so something like this forces me to really think about things that make up a good day, and then do whatever I can to make those things happen every day. Intentional positivity, for the win. :)

It’s A Good Day When….

/// I wake up gently, on my own, without the aid of alarm clocks or other such nonsense

/// I get to hang out with Boyfriend

/// There is some kind of workout involved

/// I get coffee in my system before I have to deal with any people (with the exception of Boyfriend..I can deal with him before coffee most of the time :))

/// When I have time to read, just for fun

/// If I get an unexpected email/text 

/// I get motivated enough to both put on makeup and do something with my hair other than throwing it back in some kind of ponytail/messy bun something or other

/// I eat whatever I want without feeling guilty or like every calorie I'm eating is going straight to my things (even though it probably is)

/// I have the chance to get together for a happy hour with a girlfriend

/// I get to hang out and play with my adorable nephews

/// I fall asleep before midnight

/// When I make a home-cooked meal and it's actually good

/// When my clothes fit comfortably and I feel good when I wear them

/// I hear good news from someone I love

/// I actually manage to write a post about something

/// Chipotle is included

/// I realize that I have paid all my bills for the month and there is still some money in my bank account

What things make you say "It's a good day"?

Am I the Only One....Vol. 2

Because too often, it seems like Blogland is a sea of homogeny. You can read Vol. 1 here.

//////////////

Am I the only one...

....who doesn't really like peonies?

...who has absolutely zero qualms about posting on Instagram more than once a day? 

...who isn't on some type of specific diet/workout/diet drink plan?

...who notices the complete narcissism of that is the hallmark of a lot of the "bigger" bloggers, and is kind of sick of it?* 

...whose house is generally a mess?

...who really, truly, abhors one-word text messages?

...who drinks Kick Starts like they're getting paid to do it? (Seriously, Mountain Dew, if you need an ambassador...look my way, please).

...who spends pretty much all of their free time hanging out with the toddlers next door, because they don't really have any friends to hang out with in real life? (I feel somewhat obligated to mention here that the reason I don't have any friends is not because I'm a socially awkward freak [though that is true], it's because I work from home, and therefore never have an occasion to meet anyone.)

...who really enjoys cooking, but hates cooking for only one, so usually just skips it? 

...who can't ever just park in the garage like a normal person, but has to park, and then run behind the car to make sure that they drove in far enough to close the garage door without hitting the car?

...who flat out refuses to participate in #ootd posts, and also secretly finds them kind of silly? 

...who has never watched "Orange is the New Black"? 

...who is totally and completely sick of Facebook?


What else? Is there anything that you think/do that makes you think you're the only person in all of the land who does it??


* Yes, I realize that blogging in and of itself is somewhat narcissistic, no matter what the size. The people I'm talking about here are people who, by their writing, make it look (at least to me) that they write for no other reason than to gain page views/followers. 

This is how I feel... (Despicable Me Edition)

When there are a bunch of work things I have to do but it's Friday afternoon and my brain is over it: 

When Boyfriend says/does something really sweet and romantic:

When one of my clients gives me a big project to work on at 2pm on a Friday:

When I have to go to sleep by myself in a room without a TV: 

When I peruse the Lululemon "We Made Too Much" page:

When I get to hang out with my dad and my brothers at the same time (which happens not nearly often enough):

When I finally learn the dance steps to one of Eva's Zumba routines:

When I am in Monday meetings to discuss project plans for the week:

When I actually am in the mood to clean my house:

When I have to engage in some sort of sporting activity:

When I see my nephews:

When I get overwhelmed or sad or frustrated or PMS-y or otherwise annoyed:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Big props to Kelsey, from whom I stole this idea. Hers were just so funny, I couldn't help it. 

Sunday Social

I haven't done a Sunday Social post in a while, so I figured I would participate this week. :)

1 // What is your favorite scary movie?

I hate scary movies, so I couldn't possibly have a favorite. I hate being scared and I think horror movies and stuff like that is completely stupid. 

2 // What is your favorite weird TV show that you think no one else watches?

I don't watch a single show at all that I think no one else watches...if I were the only person watching it, they wouldn't have it on the air. But apart from that, I can sometimes really easily get sucked into Wife Swap and Dance Moms. I think that's about it though. I don't have time to watch much TV. 

3 // What is the song you can sing all the words to without music?

Oh there are probably a few, but lately I've been rocking "Better Dig Two" by The Band Perry at every available opportunity. 

4 // What is your favorite book to reread? 

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, or The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.

5 // What is the one website you visit more times a day than any others? 

The time tracker website I use to track my hours for work. How boring am I?? Ha. 

What, you don't do all your confessing on Wednesdays? Weirdo.

I confess // that I am LOVING this fancy new confession button. I have thought he was pretty cute ever since he dropped into Mystic Falls as the hottest bad-boy-vamp around, so I am all about having him on my page. 

I confess // this is the first time in a REALLY long time that I have posted twice on the same day. I usually can't even handle posting twice in one week. But I mean.....there were link ups I wanted to do. So I had to. :0 

I confess // I have tried and tried, but I still can't get myself to actually like eating eggs.. The yolky egg sandwiches Boyfriend makes are pretty good, so that's the only exception.. But eggs in general are just gross. 

I confess // I saw something on Twitter on Father's Day that made me really sad.. A blogger (who I have really admired, and followed for quite some time) made a comment that I found really disappointing, and now I feel a little bit disenchanted with not only the blogger (which sucks, because I had always found this blogger to be both funny and real, two of the best qualities a blogger can have, I think), but somewhat with the whole concept of blogging in general. That may be a little bit of a dramatic reaction, I'll admit...but it's still how I feel. 

I confess // I haven't gotten a pedicure in a while, and even though I know that I can cut and polish my own toe nails, I still feel like my feet are gross if it's not professionally done. Vain? Probably. But I don't like feet generally, so I like to do whatever I can to make my own feet prettier. 

I confess // I kind of wish that I had grown up watching more Saturday Night Live! or whatever it was called, so that I could have known it when it was awesome and actually funny.. But I wasn't really allowed to watch much TV of any kind when I was growing up, so Saturday nights on NBC were definitely off-limits. 

I confess // I definitely need to make more time in my life for reading for fun. It's such a wonderful, relaxing thing. I also need to make more time in my life for laying out by a pool somewhere, since that's pretty dang relaxing too. 

I confess // I actually really enjoy the HR portion of my job. Payroll, employee onboarding, etc... I am finding that I totally like doing stuff like that. 

I confess // sometimes when I reach out to people (other bloggers, mostly) I get really freaking nervous. I don't know why - when I am thinking rationally, I generally assume that other bloggers respond to unsolicited emails like the "hey, just saying hi" ones I sometimes send in much the same way I would.. A smile, a moment of feeling appreciated and noticed (always nice things), and then a response to whoever wrote. But I still get nervous, because I'm reaching out to someone I admire, and people are unpredictable, and it can be really a let down when people don't respond the way you wish they would. 

I confess // studying is not my strong suit. I love learning, but like..mostly I just wish I knew all the stuff, and that I didn't find the actual "learning" part of knowing stuff so hard sometimes. 

I confess // I have a really strong desire to go stand-up paddle boarding sometime. I was looking at a website of a company in San Diego that offers paddle boarding training and tours, and hot DAMN, I wanna go. 

I confess // that I am generally terrified of water if I can't see through it....except when I'm in the ocean. Lakes and rivers? No thanks, but the ocean (home to WAY more things that can kill me, and also has the ability to kill me all on its own without the help of its inhabitants)? Yep, take me there. Paradoxical, I know. 

Aannnnnd now my brain is tired, so that's all you get. Peace out!

My #9to5 Schedule

Linking up with the lovely Sarah (who just redid her blog - it looks fabulous!) and Helene for this fun topic today!

A day in my life... 

Okay, to be perfectly honest, putting my daily grind into a definable schedule is actually really tough. Every day is a little bit different, since I am self-employed, and have to adjust my daily schedules to accommodate client needs. 

I am officially a small business administrative consultant, which means I do virtual assistant type work for my clients. Depending on the client, my work might include writing a blog post, creating a marketing/social media plan, processing company bills and creating company invoices to their clients, handling employee/contractor onboarding, processing expense reports, etc. At any given time, I will be playing the part of Marketing/Human Resources/Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable Director, depending on which client I'm doing work for, and what their particular needs are that day. 

This is what my desk looks like when I'm organized

I try really hard to stick to a pretty regular 8am-5pm schedule, both for my own sanity, and to make sure my clients know they can depend on me to be available during regular business hours. Most weeks, I work closer to 70 hours than 40, though, so I am very often still sitting at my computer doing work late into the evenings and on weekends. 

I hate eating right away in the morning, so I usually take a little break for breakfast around 9:30-10:00 or so. Lunch generally happens around 1:30-2, or whenever I get hungry. Or if I get really busy, a lot of times I just completely forget about lunch, and then wonder why I'm so grumpy and annoyed with everything by 4pm.

I'm really lucky, because I live right next door to my sister's family right now, so when I need a break from the computer, or a little pick me up, I walk over there and play with my nephews for a few minutes. There's just something about the laughter of children that makes adult problems seem so silly. :) 

The things that remain the same every day include at least one cup of coffee in the morning, one kick start in the afternoon, at least one moment when I knock my head against my desk a few times, a few minutes of a dance party when things get stressful, and music or a movie playing in the background most of the time. And that my office is generally no more organized than this (a picture I took right at this moment, for the post):

This is why my desk usually looks like in the middle of the day - stuff EVERYWHERE. I usually have to stop a couple of times a day to organize everything and put it back where it belongs so I can focus.

So that's my day! What does your day look like? 

Always, Sometimes, and Never

I am so glad I ran across this post, because I think it's such a fun idea! 

- Snuggle with my stuffed puppy Jake who's dressed in Boyfriend's t-shirt every night
- Drink a lot of water every day
- Daydream about Boyfriend a little bit :) 
- Have some kind of caffeine every day - usually in the form of coffee or Kick Starts
- Look at Instagram every day
- Wish there were more hours in a day
- Stress about the fact that I have too much to do
- Have to have a paper planner to keep myself any kind of organzied

- Bake cookies or other treats and then pretend I'm an awesome baker
- Manage to get in some reading for fun before I fall asleep at night
- Remember that I want to have lots of pictures to look back on and actually remember to take pictures
- Break down and cry in the middle of the day for absolutely no discernible reason whatsoever
- Completely forget that I can take some ibuprofen or something to get rid of a headache
- Work out at home

-  Am late if I am the only person responsible for leaving/arriving on time
- Do I watch horror movies
- Will I think that tofu is a legitimate type of sustenance #gross
- Do I make it all the way through the night without waking up at least once
- Is my handwriting consistent
- Does anyone really have to wonder if I'm irritated or sad or whatever, since I tend to wear my emotions like a flashing sign on my face

What do you always, sometimes, or never do?

#GoVoxBox from Influenster - Review Time!

I received these products in exchange for my honest review. Though they were complimentary, all opinions are my own, and there are no affiliate links in this post. 

You guys. Is there anything better than getting free stuff, for no reason other than that people are interested in what you think about it? Probably some stuff, but it doesn't make this any less awesome.

So when Influenster let me know that I was going to be receiving the #GoVoxBox, I was freaking PSYCHED. And then I got the box, and got even more excited. Seriously people, look at all this cool stuff!!

1 // ProFoot Triad Orthotic - value $10.49

2 // ProFoot PediRock - value $8.99

3 // PlayTex Sport Fresh Balance Regular Absorbency Tampons - value $3.99-$4.99

4 // Aqua Spa Relax Collection Bath Soak in Lavender+Chamomile - value $9.99

5 // VitaminShoppe Next Step Shaker Cup - value $7.99

6 // VitaminShoppe Protein Shake - value $24.99 for 608grams (I received 3 flavors, each 38g)

7 // Blue Diamond Fruit Flavored Almonds - value $3.19 for 4oz bag

Not pictured: Coupon for one free container of Muller brand Greek Yogurt - value $1.49

So after trying all of these things, I mostly just have to say.... Wow. There were a couple things I didn't love *cough protein shakes cough*, but for the most part, this was an amazing box! Here's what I thought of the items individually.

1 // ProFoot Triad Orthotic - value $10.49
I popped these bad boys in my shoes for my Zumba class tonight, figuring there would be no better way to test out the "You'll feel a dramatic difference from the very first step" promise on the box. Being the pessimist that I am, I expected my feet to be killing me within 15 minutes, and that I'd probably have to take them out to finish class. Shows what I know! While they definitely could use some breaking in time before they are really adjusted properly to my feet, I noticed a big difference in the way my feet felt after class tonight. They're really affordable too, and great quality for the price. I have a pair of $40 inserts that I wear sometimes that don't feel this good!  You can search under #GoPROFOOT on Twitter or Instagram to see how other people are using their inserts, too! 

2 // ProFoot PediRock - value $8.99*
The packaging on this item said that the stone could be used on either wet or dry feet, so I decided to put it to the test, and did one foot dry, and one wet. I haven't gotten a pedicure in way too long a few weeks, so my feet were perfect testers. I didn't notice a difference at all, which actually surprised me a little bit, because usually when you use a pumice stone or something like that on feet, they need to be wet. It wasn't nearly as effective as going to a spa and having someone else do it, but my feet definitely felt softer after I used this, and I'm sure I will be using it a lot between pedicures (especially because I live in Vegas, so I'm pretty much in sandals 100% of the time). 

3 // PlayTex Sport Fresh Balance Regular Absorbency Tampons - value $3.99-$4.99*

I don't think this product requires really a whole lot of review. I mean, we all know what tampons are supposed to do.. And either they work, or they don't, and they're comfortable, or they're not. These worked well for me, and were very comfortable. I've been pretty loyal to a different brand in the past, but I would seriously consider switching to these. And they were scented, so the package smelled nice.... So there is that. :) 

4 // Aqua Spa Relax Collection Bath Soak in Lavender+Chamomile - value $9.99

This. Was. Awesome. I have had a pretty ridiculous couple of weeks with work, and was really stressed out, so on Monday, I decided that a mid-afternoon soak with my phone turned off and a book in my hand was in order. I sprinkled in some of this bath soak stuff, and got blissfully lost for 30 minutes. I loved the relaxing scent of the lavender and chamomile, and my skin didn't have any of that really tight, I've-been-sitting-in-hot-water-for-a-while-and-now-my-skin-is-too-tight-for-my-skeleton feeling that sometimes happens. I actually felt so moisturized that I forgot to put on lotion afterwards, which is a rarity in the desert, let me tell you. I would definitely purchase this and use it regularly!

5 // VitaminShoppe Next Step Shaker Cup - value $7.99 + 6 // VitaminShoppe Protein Shake - value $24.99 for 608grams (I received 3 flavors, each 38g)

I am not much of a protein shake lover.. Always wanted to be, but I've just never been able to find something that I thought was good enough to regularly stomach the taste and consistency. I was really excited to find three different flavors of protein shake AND a shaker in the box.. I tried the fresh berry flavor first..I mixed it two ways, four ounces of plain water and four ounces of lemon infused water, thinking that since it was a berry flavor, and berries taste great with lemon, it would be delicious (or at least more delicious that regular protein shakes). Nope. :( It wasn't terrible, certainly not the worst tasting protein shake I've ever had...but it wasn't good. I tried the French Vanilla and Swiss Chocolate flavors too, and though the Swiss Chocolate one isn't too bad, but I don't know if I would say I'd purchase the brand in the future, since I personally didn't love the taste. The shaker was pretty cool though! I will definitely be using it again any time I mix up a shake, even if it's not specifically a protein shake. And bonus - you can get free shipping at www.vitaminshoppe.com right now through the end of June!! Head on over and get a shaker for yourself and try some of their new shake flavors!

7 // Blue Diamond Fruit Flavored Almonds - value $3.19 for 4oz bag

I've never liked nuts of any kind for my whole life, but I know that almonds are really good for you (good fats and all that), so I have been really making an effort to like them. I received a small bag of blueberry flavored almonds, and I actually thought they were pretty good! I think I would have liked the raspberry or strawberry flavors a lot more, since I already don't love almonds, and I don't really like blueberries either. I do plan to try the other berry flavors available though, in the hope that I'll be able to make myself eat more almonds. 

Coupon for one free container of Muller brand Greek Yogurt - value $1.49

Oh my goodness. Guys. This Greek yogurt is AMAZING. Usually Greek yogurt is too sour for me, so I have a tendency to avoid it, but this...this is delicious. It's a little tart, but not unbearably so. I tried two flavors - the cherry with dark chocolate shavings, and blackberry/raspberry. I love the blackberry/raspberry one the most, though they were both good. I love the fresh fruit, and the taste of the berries. I didn't have any on hand, but I would have loved to put some granola or dry grape-nuts in the yogurt to add a little crunch! Check out suggestions from other Greek yogurt lovers using the hashtag #MullerQuaker!

Many thanks to Influenster, and to all the partner companies that worked together to create this box! 

I don't have big hair. And other confessions.

What up, world? It's Wednesday (well technically right now, it's like late on Tuesday night, but whatever, close enough), so I'm linking up with Kathy and Liz because all the cool kids are doing it. 

Confession: I just googled "all the cool kids are doing it" gifs, and was greeted by some truly horrifying images that have nothing I can see to do with the topic at hand. What gives with that, Google? 

Confession: My hair is finally starting to get a little bit longer, but it's still so fine like baby hair that I can't hardly do anything with it and it's really annoying. Seriously, I'm pretty sure my 1 and 3 year old nephews have better hair than I do. They certainly have cuter faces, either way. 

Confession: Either the Zumba workouts lately are getting easier, or I'm finally getting myself into some kind of reasonable shape.. When I started Zumba, I would have to take breaks at least once per class, but tonight, I didn't have to take any breaks, and I was only a little bit winded in class. Not sure if it's me or the dances we did, but I'm just going to go ahead and take credit for it, because that's more fun for me. 

Confession: Despite the fact that I am really good at rationing Oreos,I completely failed at rationing Thin Mints today. Okay, that's only half true..I've had a whole box of Thin Mints sitting in my pantry just patiently waiting for me to lose control for a couple of months now. I opened it today, and I think I've had like, eight. Which isn't even a whole sleeve, so in that sense, WIN, but also, it's still eight Thin Mints, which means lots of fat and calories, so I feel like I'm supposed to feel guilty, but uh, they were delicious, and I just can't really bring myself to care that much, so again, WIN. 

Confession: If I could live in maxi dresses or Lululemon workout clothes and nothing else for the rest of my life, I'm pretty sure I'd die comfortable and happy. 

Confession: I live in the desert, it's summertime, and I'm still operating on ghost mode over here because I'm so pale. Someone tell me to get it together. And then kick my butt outside to get some Vitamin D (after properly applying sunscreen, naturally. Skin cancer ain't no joke, kids). 

Confession: My dad's birthday was yesterday (or by the time you're reading this, day before yesterday). And there's probably not much to say about that, other than that my dad is the dang coolest guy on the planet, and that's just all there is to it, and I'm the luckiest daughter ever because I get to call him Papa. 

Confession: I have not much else of interest to report this week. Somebody should tell me some post topics to write about, since my brain is hardly functioning as max capacity of late, and I mean..I could use the help. :) 

confessing

We've all been here before, so we all know the drill. Link up with Kathy to confess, and with Liz just because you can.

Cheers.

Today's confessions are as follows:

...I am really mad today. Nothing is going right, and I feel like I am drowning and things still keep getting piled on, and I just can't keep up. And every time I tell the people who are doing the piling that they seriously need to stop, it's like they think I'm actually asking for more, and then I end up feeling even more stressed because of all the extra stuff, and then also pissed because no one ever freaking listens to me. I have, on more than one occasion, considered making this card my auto-response:

...It's not just work people who don't listen to me. I swear, sometimes it's like the things I say to people literally bounce right off them and somehow come back to hit me in the face.

...I haven't blogged in like two weeks and I don't even care or feel bad or whatever. I've been busy, and sometimes blogging just seems like way more of a hassle than it's worth.

...The BadAss Dash I did two weekends ago was miserable, but in a really fun sort of way. It was that weird kind of awful that was actually not too bad at all. I participated in the recreational division so I wasn't trying to go for a good time or anything, I just wanted to finish. And pretty much everyone who was running along with me was the same way, which was nice, because there were people around to help me with stuff when I needed it. I still ended up covered in dirt and sand, but hey...I got my finisher's medal and the free beer afterwards, and that's all that counts. And for proof, here's one of the worst pictures ever taken of me. 

...I finally watched "The Shawshank Redemption" for the first time last weekend. I don't know why it took me this long to watch it, and I'm kind of sad that it did, actually, because it's such a fantastic movie. Has anyone read the book? Is it better than the movie (as most books are)?

...I  had a pretty significant crush on Robert Downey, Jr. after seeing him in "US Marshalls"....even though he played a murdering creep. (Sorry, was that a spoiler??) This crush has only gotten bigger after watching him be Sherlock Holmes and especially Tony Stark (swoon). I mean, seriously. This face??

...I have seen every episode and both movies of "Sex and the City", and even though I know they're unrealistic and dramatic and not always very good at all, I still love it and I still cry at all the sad/sappy/romantic/really happy parts.

...Okay, basically these days I'm crying at everything. I don't know what that's about, but it's really freaking annoying. And no, I'm not pregnant. Promise.

...Also, if anyone right now tries to tell me that I'm being overly emotional, this is me confessing right now that I will straight up cut you. I am ridiculously NOT in the mood to hear that kind of nonsense.

...I stepped down on the side of my foot and almost fell over in Zumba class last night. It was in the middle of a song/dance that I know well too, so I was getting really into it and thinking I was looking all cute and like a good dancer and all that, and then BOOM, stumble city. It wasn't dark enough for the studio to be dark too, so everybody saw, and even the instructor gave me a little thumb's up/question face. So that was awesome.

...I am still eight different kinds of really mad at the world right now, despite a very strongly-worded venting-type email I sent to Kaylee, and her delightful response. 

...I live in a desert, and sometimes I still really want to go tanning in a booth. Even though I know it's terrible for me. I haven't done it at all in over a year, but still, I find myself wanting to. That seems weird to me, though I'm not entirely sure why. 

Aaaaaaannnnnd that's all she wrote.