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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