March Goal Wrap-Up

I seriously cannot believe March is already over.
This year is FLYING by.

In March I had a two-week "Spring Break" from school, where I spent 60+ hours a week working my other two jobs, saving money for Tennessee.
When I got back to school on Monday, I made a kid cry by 9:30 am. (Oops)

I watched an obnoxious amount of TV, read a lot of books. You know, the usual.

But, here's how my goals went for March.


mental health// Continue reading & working through the Anxiety/Phobia Workbook and read Goodbye ED, Hello Me.
Done. I finished Goodbye ED, Hello Me and got a lot of good strategies from it. I haven't read a whole lot more of the Anxiety/Phobia Workbook, but I plan on going back to that now that I've finished the other. 

physical health & weight// Work out 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week.
Fail. Fail. Fail.
I think I worked out 3 times this MONTH.

relationships// Mail things to the #fireworkpeople and to my friend Stephanie.
I sent mail back to the #fireworkpeople, but I did not send mail to Stephanie. 
Halfsies!

faith// No Twitter. Replace this with reading/prayer.
Here's the thing. I have stayed off of Twitter this whole month (and actually all of Lent), but I can't honestly say that I spent more time in prayer because of it. 
Halfsies again!


money// Put money away for our trip to Tennessee.
Yes, yes I did. 
I bought a Groupon for one of the things we are doing while we are down there. Then I bought a rechargeable Visa card and put enough money on it for gas, plus some extra. This way, I can't touch that money until we go, but we are guaranteed enough. I also have a couple more pay days before we go so hopefully I can make this really good.


project pinterest// project to be determined
I made cute little coasters. :)

savings goal// $102
Done.
And I replaced the money I borrowed from the past two months.
Yay for working all spring break!

March Bookshelf part 2

As promised, approximately 2 weeks after my last book review post, here's the books I've read since!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Goodbye Ed, Hello Me
Jenni Schaefer

Goodbye Ed, Hello Me was an interesting read. It was a book that was suggested to me by my EDA sponsor. It's written by Jenni Schaefer, a woman who successfully recovered from an eating disorder.

This book gave quite a few good strategies for working through recovery. I found myself actually taking notes the whole time.

She talks about how to her, her eating disorder was like a controlling husband. She had to "divorce" Ed and learn to love herself in the process.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who has, or knows someone who has, struggles with eating and with their body.

3.5/5
_________________________________________________________________________________

Choosing Charleston
T. Lynn Ocean

Choosing Charleston was another book that I randomly downloaded for free so that I would have something to read during my break at work. It's about a woman named Carly who finds her husband of less than a year in bed with the neighbor. She immediately goes back down to her parents' in South Carolina to try to sort out what to do.

While she's there she finds out that a land developer is building a store that will put her parents out of business. She also meets one of the construction workers that is working on this building and she's very much attracted to him. Her grandmother also lives at home because she is dealing with memory problems (which make for some great laughs in this story).

She knows she should be working on her marriage, but there's something about Charleston.

4/5
_________________________________________________________________________________

Miss Match
Erynn Mangum

Miss Match was loaned to me by my friend Meghan who said that it was one of her favorite books.

Lauren is a girl who works at a photography studio, but her real life calling is playing matchmaker. She introduced her sister to the man she married and that was just the beginning.

Lauren is able to tell who should end up with who and finds fun ways to make it happen.

There's some underlying Christian themes in this book (The main character is very active in church and Bible study), which was a nice touch.

4/5
_________________________________________________________________________________

The Problem with Crazy
Lauren K. McKellar

The Problem With Crazy focuses on 18 year old Kate. She is super excited to be leaving town and going on tour with her boyfriend and his band. However, when her dad shows up drunk to her high school graduation, plans get changed.

She finds out that her father (who had been gone for over a year) actually has a very bad illness, which is eventually going to kill him. Kate then learns that she could have inherited this illness.

All this news is too much for her boyfriend, who leaves her because he can't deal with his "crazy" girlfriend when he wants to get famous. Kate has to deal with the break up, taking care of her dad, making new friends, and the idea that she could have a deadly illness.

The only thing that threw me off about this book is that it was written by an Australian, so there were a few times where the wording would be different than what I would think. But it didn't really make it any harder to read. Just something to watch out for.

4/5
_________________________________________________________________________________

Scrawl
Mark Shulman

Scrawl is about a young boy named Tod. Tod is known for being a bully, stealing kid's lunch money, that kind of thing.

One day, Tod and his friends get caught doing something really bad (though you never find out what it is) and are forced to serve a detention. While his friends are outside picking up trash, Tod is forced to sit in a room with his counselor and write in a notebook. He's encouraged to write anything he thinks or feels.

Scrawl is his notebook, along with some notes from his guidance counselor. This made it really interesting, because we get to see what happens from the main character's point of view. He's brutally honest and quite funny.

3/5

_________________________________________________________________________________

Thirteen Reasons Why
Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why is about a boy named Clay who finds a box full of tapes one day. When he opens the box and starts to play the tapes, he finds out they were recorded by a girl named Hannah, who had just ended her life by suicide.

There are 13 tapes, one for each person who she claims had a role in why she chose to end her life. Everyone on these tapes will have the chance to receive the tapes and listen to them to find out what they did.

The story is told through both Clay and Hannah's points of view. The dual narrative switches between what Hannah says on her tapes and what Clay thinks as he listens to them.

Thirteen Reasons Why beautifully demonstrates the snowball effect of how the (seemingly insignificant) actions of one person can snowball out of control into something you'd never expect.

5/5

Guy Behind the Blog - March Edition

1// Do you have a good luck charm or ritual? (like a lucky coin, or you always used to listen to a certain pump-up song when you played sports in high school or college?)

*slowly shakes head* nope. 

(Oh my goodness, I forgot how hard these were with him!)

2// What is your favorite dish that your wife/fiance/girlfriend makes for you? Do you have any fun memories of a time when she tried to cook and it totally flopped or does she get it right every time?

I don't know. My wife doesn't cook for me.

(Sometimes I do.)

(We then continued in an argument about the fact that he likes when I make crawfish etouffe, but I've "made" it, I don't "make" it. Ugh.)

3// What did you want to be when you were growing up?

SWAT. I wanted to be one of the men that gets to kick in people's doors and be all suited up and powerful. 

I mean, truly I just wanted to be a cop, but SWAT was more specific.

4// Which of the five senses is your strongest?

Taste.

(Let me elaborate...he's really good at tasting something and knowing exactly which spice needs added, as well as how much needs added. He can just be thinking of what he's going to make and know without trying that these two tastes will go good together.)

5// Would you ever run for president?

No. I don't ever want to be mixed up with politics at all.

The 5 Stages of an Anxiety Attack

Hey guys, remember that time I went to the dentist?

Well, when I was there they found 4 tiny cavities, which I had to go back and get filled.

Guess when that happened?

If you guessed today, you get a gold star!

Before and during, I had a lovely little anxiety attack.

That gave me the idea for this post.

Without further ado...

The 5 Stages of an Anxiety Attack

(As told by a very anxious person)

1. You start to worry.

Whatever is giving you anxiety is going to start working its way into your brain. For example, I was getting ready to go to the dentist and thinking "I hate the dentist. I hate the dentists. I hate needles. I hate mannequins. There's mannequins there. There's going to be needles." On and on and on. You keep psyching yourself up, even if there's nothing really to be worried about. (Logically, I know there's no reasonable reason to be worried about the mannequins. And I've had cavities filled before...I know the needle isn't bad.)

2. Your body starts going crazy.

A variety of things starts to happen. Your heart starts to race, which freaks you out even more. Your breathing starts to become shorter and more difficult. (If you're not careful, this could lead to passing out. Been there, done that. Thankfully not today.) You may start to tremble a little bit.

3. You start to cry.

I was talking to myself, psyching myself out (See #1). I said "I hate needles." out loud and instantly started crying. I wish I was kidding. I felt so pathetic. 

4. You feel like throwing up.

If you're lucky (or unlucky...depends how you look at it.) you actually will throw up. But either way, you're going to feel like throwing up. Which is going to concern you even more as you try to combat the nausea and what-not. 

5. You want to dig a hole and die.

A. Because you seriously want to do ANYTHING other than the thing that's giving you anxiety. Literally anything. I would have ran 5 miles if given the chance. 

B. Because you feel pathetic, especially if other people notice. The people at the desk definitely noticed how scared I looked and they clearly didn't understand, which made me feel dumb.

PS. I showed Daniel this picture and he really wants to get me a t-shirt with it.
(They exist..but have been discontinued. It was a Teespring campaign)

Top 10 Things I Miss About High School

In no particular order:

1. Choir - Y'all, I was a choir geek. But not in the "I was in the very best choir and practiced every day" way. It was in the way where I genuinely loved to sing and perform.

My favorite was the "Pops Concerts", where we would sing fun songs and put dance moves with it. I LOVED combining those two elements. I would always get told that I was more "into it" than most of the rest of the choir. This is also why I loved show choir (even though we weren't very good).

2. Living with Mom & Dad - Obviously there are some downfalls to this, but there are many benefits too. For one, I never had to worry about having somewhere to sleep at night. I always had a roof over my head and almost more importantly, food in my belly.

My parents always provided me with all my needs and I'm forever grateful for that. Sometimes things like grocery shopping are things I don't want to do. But my mommy always did that for me. :)

3. Going to class - #nerdalert Seriously though, I miss going to class every day. I love learning and if I could, I'd be a lifetime student. I'm literally so excited to go back to school...and I just left.

4. Seeing your friends every day - with no effort - Sure, I could potentially see my friends every day now (probably not actually) but that would involve a lot of effort - phone calls, texts, making plans of where to meet, who will be there, etc. Back then it was as simple as going to school. You can see your friends before school, after school, at lunch, between classes, and even during class if you're lucky.

5. No bills - This kind of goes under the "living with Mom and Dad" part. But back then, I didn't have my own bills. I didn't have to worry about paying anything just to have a light on in my home. Or just to HAVE a home. Now that's on me...and that's not as fun.

6. Volleyball - I loved sports growing up. I did my time with ballet, tap, hip hop dance, jazz dance, soccer, basketball, cheerleading, track, and dance team. But my absolute favorite (and the only one I played for as long as possible) was volleyball. If I could, I would play volleyball every day of my life. I love it and one of the things I miss most about high school is the court.

I also miss how fit I was because of it. Practicing every day during the season kept me in shape. Now I'm kind of a blob and I'm pretty sure it's because I'm no longer in sports.

7. School dances - I'll be real with you. Prom sucked. I went three times. The first time wasn't bad, the second time I was horribly ill by the end, and the third time I left early, crying.

But school dances overall are something I miss. Getting ready with your friends, dancing the night away...

8. Spanish class - My Spanish class was the best. It wasn't the teacher that made the class, but the students. My senior year is the one that sticks out the most. We were finally learning to speak the language and of course those of us who got the hang of it took off and started talking about anything and everything during class. It was nuts.

I also got to take a trip to the gorgeous Caribbean country of Costa Rica thanks to my Spanish class. This trip changed my life and the way I see the world.

Plus I just think Spanish is a beautiful language. I wish I could speak it more fluently. As I mentioned in my About Me, my dream is to travel Central & South America, so Spanish would be super helpful.

9. Carrying a backpack - This is one of those super lame things too, but I miss carrying a backpack. The way it fits over your shoulders and carries everything you'll ever need. Now I just have a purse and that's not as exciting.

10. Football games - Every Friday night during fall of my high school years was spent at the football field. Was I particularly interested in the sport? No. Was I dating a player? No. But football games were the place to be, especially in my small town. Everyone was there - all my friends in one place. We got to be outside in the cool, fall air - cheering for our team and eating popcorn.

What do you miss most about high school?

Writer's Block A to Z

I've had crazy writer's block lately.

Don't worry, I'll be back.

But for now, you get an A to Z of me!

(Also,I updated my About Me page if you want to check that out.)

A. Attached or Single…

Attached.

B. Best Friend…

Meghan, Lauren, Nicole, Stephanie

C. Cake or Pie…

Oh, that's tough. I'm going with cake.

D. Day of Choice…

Friday!

E. Essential Item…

My phone.

F. Favorite Color…

Aqua Blue.

G. Gummy bears or worms… 

Worms! Duh.

H. Home town…

I never know how to answer this.

Hometown like where I was born? Dallas, Texas.

Hometown like where I was raised as a kid? Denver, Colorado

Hometown like where I was before college? Fairfield, Iowa

Hometown like where I live now? Des Moines, Iowa

I. Favorite Indulgence… 

Diet Cherry Pepsi

J. January or July… 

July for suuuure. 

K. Kids… 

Not yet. ;)

L. Life isn't complete without… 

Jesus.

M. Memory you Cherish… 

My wedding day.

N. Number of brothers/sisters…

Two brothers.

O. Oranges or Apples…  

Mandarin oranges. 

P. Pet Peeves…  

Not texting back.

Or only sending "k", "ah", "oh", etc.

Q. Quotes… 

I love way too many quotes.

R. Reasons to smile… 

hugs, books, tv shows

S. Season of Choice… 

Spring.

T. Tea or Coffee… 

Coffee. 

U. Unknown fact about me… 

I can sing the alphabet faster backwards than forwards. 

V. Vegetable… 

Mushrooms are technically a fungus, but I think people count it as a vegetable.

They're my fav.

W. Worst Habit… 

Snoozing my alarm.

X. X-Ray or Ultrasound… 

Ultrasound! They're so fun. :)

Y. Your favorite trip… 

Belize 2012.

Z. Zodiac Sign… 

Gemini.

Project Pinterest #3

Project Pinterest was an idea that was born, but unfortunately was unable to grow into its full potential. aka Nobody linked up with us.

However, making Pinterest projects instead of just pinning everything was also a personal goal of mine, so I'm going to continue to post it.
It just won't be a link-up anymore.

If you still want to do it (I'm lookin' at you Lora. Our one friendly link-up), you can leave me a comment and I'll totally check it out! (I read your blog anyway)

So, without further ado, here's my March edition of Project Pinterest.
And I have two things to share!

The first thing I made was a dreamcatcher!

I tried to teach this to a group of 12-15 kids in grades 3-7, but it didn't go well.

I also shared my next project, which was a HIT!

COASTERS! :)

I gave them tile, felt (for the bottom) and Sharpies to decorate.

We also tried using rubbing alcohol to create a watercolor effect.

Here's a bunch from my kids.

And these are mine I get to keep.

:)

I had quite a few extra tiles (a couple kids didn't want to make multiple, a couple didn't show up, and I overshot the number to begin with) so I'll probably make more. 

Maybe for my parents or something.

I can still get away with that, right?

Overall I'd say the dreamcatcher was a 4 or 5 out of 10. (Bummer. Then again, my supplies were cheap too.)

But the coasters was like an 8.

The Sharpie effect didn't work as well as Pinterest said it would, but otherwise it was good.

Until next time!

The Golden Vlog - March

Things I Learned About Myself During This Vlog:

1. When I'm trying to be quiet, I sound like I can't breathe. I promise I'm fine.

2. I say "definitely" too many times.

3. I mess with my glasses ALL THE TIME.

Enjoy. :)

High Five Friday

It's finally Friday again!

1. This week I had a pretty big breakthrough with Ed and with my faith. You can read about my relationship with Ed here and the breakthrough here.

2. I'm ahead on planning out my blogs. Actually, I wrote this one on Tuesday. And I have the month at least semi-planned. I've even started looking at my calendar for April.

3. I don't work until 2 tomorrow, so I finally get to get some sleep. I've been so exhausted ever since this time change thing. I just can't get used to it. I'm not a morning person ever...but it's been even worse lately.

4. The weather has been absolutely beautiful this week. I'm so glad that we are back into short sleeves and lighter clothes. Bye-bye winter coat!

5.

Enough said.  It starts today and I'm really excited to have two weeks "off".

My Bookshelf

In the past, I've tried writing and posting a book review every time I finished a book.

Then, we hit a point where I was finishing a (couple) books every 1-3 days, so I decided if I wanted to be able to post anything else on my blog, that wasn't going to work anymore.

Here's what I decided instead.

I've seen multiple people do their book reviews this way.

However, they usually post once a month.

Now, I don't want a gigantic post every month that nobody will even read because it's so long, so as long as I've read some books, I plan on posting like this every two weeks or so. 

Here you have it -- Quick reviews for every book I've read since my last book review.

_________________________________________________________________________________

When Will The Heaven Begin?
Ally Breedlove

When Will The Heaven Begin? by Ally Breedlove is a very touching story about her younger brother, Ben. Ben was born with a heart condition that threatens his life every single day. It tells of Ben growing up, the things he couldn't do and the things he had to do to try to keep his heart healthy. 

It tells about the time when Ben was 4 years old and had to be taken to the hospital, where he cheated death for the first time.

And finally, it tells about Christmas Day 2011, when Ben's soul finally entered Heaven as a final resting place. 

You may have seen Ben's Youtube video, asking us if we believe in angels and God. He did.

                                                I give this book a 5 star rating and would definitely recommend it to a             

                                                friend.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Freedom Walkers
Russell Freedman

Freedom Walkers was a quick and easy read for me.

It's about the Montgomery Bus Boycott during the Civil Rights Movement. 

It tells us about the boycott using very descriptive words, direct quotes from those involved, and heartbreaking photographs of what was happening in Montgomery during this time. 

Easily understood, informational text.

3 stars - Only because this book isn't necessarily for entertainment and I'm not really a history buff. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Because They Marched
Russell Freedman

Can you tell what my middle schoolers were reading about the past few weeks?

Because They Marched is about the marches that the African American people had in Selma, Alabama in an effort to gain their right to vote. 

It begins by telling us about the teachers marching up to the courthouse and ends with the march to Montgomery, Alabama - which included Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, and finally the successful march. It gives us a look into the Voting Rights Act and the way that these people gained the very important right to vote.

This book also uses descriptive words, direct quotes from those   involved, and fantastic photographs to illustrate what really happened during this important time in American history. 

3 stars - Again, because I'm not really one for history. Personal opinion. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Happy to be Alive, Because
Chelsea Jacobs

Happy to be Alive, Because is the story of Avery. She's 17 years old when her mother (who also happens to be her best friend) passes away. 

After her mother dies, she finds travel plans in her mother's room for a trip to where she (the mom) grew up. In an attempt to run away from the pain she now faces at home, Avery takes the trip.

When she arrives at this cute little beach town, she soon meets three people who quickly become her best friends as if they've known each other their whole lives. 

Eventually, she learns a secret about one of them (a cute boy, love interest, to be exact.) which makes her question if running away really was the right choice. 

4 out of 5 stars - This story was a really good story. But I'm not really a fan of the ending. And not because I don't agree with what happens...it was just very abrupt. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

There you have it!

More soon, in about 2 weeks?

Head & Shoulders Instant Relief

A couple weeks back I received a VoxBox from Influenster.

For those of you who don't know what Influenster is, it is a site where you can fill out information about yourself and be entered in to get free stuff, in exchange for writing a review about the product on their website.

Or, to quote the Influenster website - "The Influenster Team ships out thousands of exclusive VoxBoxes every month from brands you know and love (or will soon love) for FREE. Some programs feature an assortment of great products while others spotlight one awesome brand."

Pretty cool, huh?

Join here! (I'll be honest, I do get some points if you join using that link. But I'd love to check out your reviews too.)

So, as I said, a couple weeks ago I received a VoxBox.

The VoxBox that I received was specifically for Head & Shoulders Instant Relief Dandruff products.

I received full sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner, as well as a scalp soother.

I was a bit skeptical at first, because I've tried dandruff shampoos/conditioners before and they hadn't really worked.

They've also left my hair really oily.

However, I was excited to try this out because this winter has been absolutely awful for my skin and my hair. 

I've had dandruff like crazy this year. 

I was amazed!

The first time I used this shampoo, my hair felt so much cleaner.

It smelled like peppermint, but not in an overwhelming way. 

My hair started being a lot more moisturized right away and after a few washes with the shampoo and conditioner, my dandruff was pretty much gone.

Plus, it didn't leave my hair oily!

The scalp smoother was an interesting addition.
I'd never heard of something like that before.
You basically just sprayed some of it straight on your scalp and it cools it and moisturizes it.

The first few times I did it, it was kind of strange.
It was a cold sensation, which also smelled like peppermint.
I wanted to keep trying it so I could write an actual review.
Eventually, I started to like it.
It was definitely very soothing.

Overall, these products were pretty great and I'm still using them.
I'd recommend them to other people, definitely.
This crazy winter is almost over, but you never know when you'll need something like this again.


I received these products complimentary from Influenster for the purpose of reviewing. Although I did receive the products for free, all opinions are my own. 

God doesn't care about size

Okay, I have to be real with you for a second.
Is that okay?

I had a really rough week with "Ed".
(Don't remember what Ed is? Remind yourself here.)
Thursday night I ended up having a complete breakdown.
I engaged in behaviors I haven't done in a long time.
I thought all was hopeless.
And if I'm being completely honest, I felt worthless.
To the point I didn't understand how anyone could love me, including God.

So, I was pretty down about everything.
But I had a concert to go to Friday night.

Nine Lashes, Decyfer Down, and Seventh Day Slumber were fantastic.
Disciple is probably one of my new favorite Christian rock bands.

But what got me was the gospel.

Kevin Young, the lead singer of Disciple, was the one ministering to us.
He told us about his relationship with his father and how his father was reluctant to believe because he thought church people would judge him.

"Nobody said anything about church people. There's you and there's Jesus. Those are the only two people that matter. You need to do whatever it is you need to do to get right with Jesus."

That struck me and I was immediately caught in the thoughts of Ed.

He went on to tell us that if we ever have those "Why God?" moments (like I had the night before) it's totally natural and He does care about us.

He then told us the story of him trying to teach his daughter how to walk.
She just kept falling and falling.
Every time, he would pick her up, comfort her, then put her right back down again and show her what to do.
"Left foot, right foot"
He told us this is exactly what our Father does to us every time we fall.
He picks us back up and teaches us.
IT'S OKAY TO FALL!

By this point I was straight up bawling.
Thank God for my awesome husband being there to hold me.

Kevin told us that whatever we were dealing with; cutting, sexual sin, guilt, etc. (Been there, done that) that we needed to let it go and give it to God.

Now, I've heard "Let Go and Let God" many times, but it's different when he physically had us hold our hands in a fist and throw them out like we were letting go while he sang the band's song.

He told us we don't need to fix what we are dealing with before we come to God.
That's like trying to take out your cancer tumor before going to a doctor.
It's ridiculous.

I don't have to fix my eating disorder just to be alright with God.
When I relapse like I did Thursday night,
When I feel like I've fallen and hit rock bottom,
God will pick me up like a Father.

Kevin compared it all to Isaiah 65:1-2

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
    I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
    I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’

Even when we aren't looking for Him, or asking Him for help, He is there for us.

This all came full circle the next night while I was reading Goodbye Ed, Hello Me.
The chapter was all about how she didn't feel good enough for God but she realized that once she started talking to God more, she was talking to Ed less.

She ended it with: "I wasn't afraid to go to hell. I'd already been there. God opened the gates of hell and gave me a chance to escape. He loves me."

Friday night, I welcomed Jesus back into my life.
He doesn't care what size I am.
I need to say yes to Him and no to Ed.

I'm trying...

Bigs & Littles Blogging Experience

One thing that I've been really excited about the last couple months was the fact that I was a part of the "Bigs & Littles Blogging Network".

Obviously, I was a "little". 

This pretty much just means I was paired up with a bigger blog, who was able to give me some tips/tricks, some advice, etc. for the blogging world.

I was really excited to sign up for this because I had been out of the blogging life for quite a while before Meghan got me to come back in October. 

I was excited to get some new ideas and some advice for how to grow my blog.

I was not disappointed.

My "Big"

Meet Life with a side of Coffee

Christine is actually a blogger that I was already following, because I had linked-up with her a few times for Christmas is in the Air.

She blogs quite a bit about food and fun ways to make food, which is entertaining for me because I DON'T cook. 

I guess I'll just live through her cooking.

She's also very big into networking and meeting new friends, which is definitely a plus because who doesn't love new friends?!

We talked quite a bit about scheduling our posts and making sure that there's good content in them. 

Maybe you've noticed I've blogged a lot more lately?

I've also gotten really good at getting ahead during my free time and scheduling them to post later on.

That was all thanks to her advice. 

I really enjoyed my experience with the Big & Little Blogging Network.

I would definitely do it again and I would definitely recommend it to other people.

It happens every couple of months, so if you're interested, watch out for it!

High Five Friday

1. I (finally) started watching Scandal.

Y'all, I don't know why it took me this long to watch this show.

It is FANTASTIC.

I started it on Wednesday during my planning period and you don't even want to know how many episodes I've watched already.
(14. The answer is 14 episodes.)

I should have known I'd love this show because Hellllllooooooo, I'm a huge Shonda Rhimes person.

Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, How to Get Away with Murder = Pure genius.

I seriously don't know why I waited this long.

I texted Meghan, my Shonda-show watching partner in crime (We literally wait for each other to be able to watch her shows and then text each other the whole time) and told her she must watch it.

Obviously, she listened to me.

We have some good plans in the works to bring this crazy obsession into our blog world, so stay tuned!

2. Always a Bride, Never a Bridesmaid

HA!

I was the first of my friends to get married, so I've never been in any weddings unless you count flower girl in my grandma's when I was 3.

However, one of my absolute best friends (who was a bridesmaid in my wedding) is getting married in November and I've officially been asked to be a bridesmaid.

I'm so excited! :)

Also, let's be real. I really hope it gets me to work out again because we're having some issues in that department. 

You probably read about that here. 

3. Four more days!

There are only four more school days until Spring Break.

Get. At. Me.

Granted, Friday I do have meetings, but I don't even care.

Then, over break, I'm still working like a crap-ton.

But at least things will be slightly different and I don't have to sit and plan and all that.

4. City Rockfest Tour

This afternoon, when I'm done at school, Daniel and I are packing up and driving about an hour and a half to Ottumwa to go to a concert with my brother.

We will be going to the City Rockfest Tour which is featuring Disciple, Seventh Day Slumber, Decyfer Down, and Nine Lashes.

I've never heard of Nine Lashes, but the rest are pretty good bands, so I'm pretty excited.

And for only $15 a ticket? Heck yes.

5. My cousins are in town.

Two of my cousins are also in Ottumwa for the weekend, so we will also be seeing them while we are there.

I don't get to see these cousins a whole lot.

In fact, there was a good 7-8 years where I didn't see them once. (That's a WHOLE 'nother story.)

Needless to say, I am pretty excited to see them.