New England weather literally catapulted itself from winter, to spring, to SUMMER (in all its' glory) in just three weeks. I feel like I have whiplash.
This week I was slacking on working out just because the weather was so wonderfully oppressive & I wanted to enjoy it all outside.
But 90 degrees ain't too cool to run in, ya know?
Above photo is from last summer but it sets the right tone.
Wednesday was my favorite day, with some time spent at a lake with my lovah followed by a cookout with my family on our brand spankin' new patio and patio furniture. We are living large.
Now, without further ado, here are some of my favorite tidbits from this past week...
No matter what anyone tells you, therapy is normal & healthy.
How can anyone be expected to carry all of their emotions, thoughts, & worries with them 24/7?
It's impossible.
And if you're constantly unloading on your friends and family members, you can start to feel like a burden. Been there, done that. I'LL PASS.
I love my therapist. She's like my friend that my insurance pays to talk & listen to me, who is completely unbiased and provides the best insight.
It doesn't hurt that she's about 65 years old, has been practicing for 40 years, and is basically a surrogate grandmother.
She's taught me so much about myself & helped me grow into a MUCH stronger person than when I started therapy about two years ago. (my process of starting therapy is a blog post/novel in itself)
Last week was pretty weird. If you read my Friday Favorites, you definitely know I was feeling a little bit off.
It's fine to have an off day (or week). It's all about how you recover from it.
This past weekend, Lucas and I went to New York City, baby!
Stay tuned for some better pictures from his fancy pants camera and a recap of our mini trip. For now, here is a basic iPhone photo of my attempt at modeling on our bougie chaise lounge overlooking some NY buildings.
Now, onto our regularly scheduled programming.
Here are 7 absolutely no-brainer ways to make this week prettier and happier.
Two things we could all use more of, am I right? & I'm even going to schedule it for you. Or more like myself. These are my personal plans, but feel free to follow my lead ;)
The beginning of this week felt totally normal you guys. The end of this week, starting with Wednesday, felt... off.
For starters, everyone I know has been extremely irritable this week, myself included. I'm getting in wild arguments with people and there's just been a general feeling of unrest.... not cool.
Also, everyone I've talked to agrees that Wednesday felt like a Monday and yesterday felt like a Friday. Which was obviously upsetting.
So yeah.
I don't know what's going on with the planets, but homegirl would appreciate if they'd calm down up there!
Here's what I've been loving on this week, despite the cosmic mess.
THIS BEAUTY THING:
Bareminerals Lipgloss in Trailblazer
I got this as a Sephora points perk after finally parting with some of my 1,000+ points.
It is FABULOUS.
Never tried any Bareminerals lip glosses before this, and I don't even really like lip products...
But it's not to sticky, the perfect minty tingling sensation, and makes your lips look bronze-y and goddess-y and ALIVE.
THIS TV SHOW:
The Family on ABC.
Y'ALL.
This TV show aired it's first season finale last Sunday but I finally got around to watching it on Wednesday and yo.
It's wild. It's unpredictable. It's addicting.
Have you seen it?
I can't believe.... well, I don't want to spoil anything for you.
But this isn't like any crime/kidnapping/investigative plot line I've ever seen or heard before.
& I used to be obsessed with Criminal Minds and murder mystery shows, so I've seen my fair share.
Find it somewhere, watch it, report back so we can develop some crazy theories together.
THIS SONG:
Too Good by Drake ft. Rihanna
Another solid jam.
I kinda think this will be a "Song of The Summer".
It reminds me of all those other songs, like Work by Rihanna, One Dance by Drake, & In Common by Alicia Keys. Like they're all chill af, but still somehow jams.
I'm into it.
THIS PLACE:
Elizabeth Park in Hartford, CT
Winding paths, garden, terraces, and green things galore.
It was really nice out on Wednesday afternoon, so Lucas and I visited this park (one of the first places we ever hung out/went on a date) & wandered around enjoying the beautiful day.
& that's all folks!
We actually have a busy weekend planned out.
There's a graduation dinner in NYC tomorrow, followed by dranks dranks dranks.
And if this week was as long for you as for me, well, you deserve a drank too.
Then on Sunday we're roaming around the city, maybe visiting the Museum of Sex, seeing a show, going to lunch, or going on some boat tour of Manhattan. I've seen some cray cray Groupon deals.
Your skin visibly peeling off in large, flaky chunks, leaving angry, red dry spots behind.
This was my reality in middle school and high school. I was the driest bitch in class.
I think the cause of most of my skin problems (and girl, I HAD A LOT) was my diet and the fact that I was likely dehydrated for.... several years.
I was an ignorant little high schooler and water just wasn't important to me. NOW, it's like give me water or give me death. I am lost without a water bottle in every single space I occupy.
So that's the obvious NUMBER 1 tip here: If you aren't drinking water and eating a diet rich in healthy foods, green things, etc. then DUH - of course your skin sucks.
This is your STARTER KIT to radiant, hydrated skin, after the fact.
Being a dry bitch most of my life made me paranoid to find my skin in that state again.
So I will SLATHER my face with hydration, any season, any day.
Dead of winter, SLATHER IT ON.
Middle of summer in the scorching sun, SLATHER IT ON.
What am I slathering on do you ask? Well......
1.
COCONUT OIL.
I realize this is the most basic thing to say... ever.
Bitches and their coconut oil roll deep. This is not new news.
But if you aren't using coconut oil for literally everything at this point,
I just don't understand your life.
Hair falling out of my head? Coconut oil hair treatment!
Dry, cracked feet? Coconut oil!
Dry scalp? Coconut oil!
Chapped lips? Coconut oil!
Yeast infection? Coconut oil....
K, I've never tried that last one but my crazy friend Melissa has and she says it works sooo...
2.
SLEEPING MASKS.
The Sephora sleeping masks are cheat as shit.
They come in little pods that are 1-2 uses (1 if you SLATHER IT ON like me)
& treat a variety of facial woes.
The Lotus one in particular is GREAT for dry skin.
I used this in the winter time and woke up to sheer radiance.
And my face felt like a baby's butt.
Best feeling ever.
3.
TINTED MOISTURIZER.
I honestly can't remember the last time I used real foundation.
ANY foundation I have tried sticks to my dry flakes.
Tinted moisturizer is bae.
But even some of those accentuate my dryness !!
Laura Mercia makes a great one, it glides on like waterrrrr.
I've heard BareMinerals Skin Rescue is also great.
Gotta try that lil baby out.
4.
MILKY SERUM.
The NUDE Milk Serum is of course sold out on Sephora.
I shit you not, this one product completely changed my skin.
Even texture, redness reduced, dryness almost completely eliminated.
With a few pumps, your life could be forever changed.
Yeah it's a little expensive for the amount you get,
So I shouldn't feel old because I'm only 23 years old.
And being a December babe, I'm very young for my graduating classes.
I didn't turn 21 until after winter break of my senior year of college. It was a huge pain in the ass.
But scrolling though Instagram (which... does anyone at all enjoy the new icon? *cricket sounds) or perusing my Snapchat stories is just completely inundating me with images of young & naive lil seniors with DIY caps & lil smiles on their faces that say "I'm acting happy but really I'm like WTF do I do now???"
I'm sure some of them aren't like this and have jobs post-college lined up.
But the vast majority, I'm also sure, don't.
I feel old. And it's very upsetting.
Because I'm watching a group of people graduate who were sophomores when I was a senior. The little kiddos who were freshmen when I was a senior are now seniors.
An entire generation of college students is almost complete !!!???
The group of Dance majors that I spent hours in sweaty rehearsals, rolling on the floor, and rubbing my body against for several years was very close. We all know each other very well.
Once the senior class of next year graduates in Spring 2017, there will be no one left there who knows my name.
WHAT. HOW.
Will I be remembered, for the impact I left on the Dance program?
Will the professors ever talk about me, fondly recalling a particular piece of choreography that I created in my time in the program, as eager freshmen jot down notes and inspiration?
It's a terrifying thing, to be phased out and forgotten.
We all strive to leave our mark.
Because if no one remembers us, then what was the point of being there??? To to make our own memories, and to grow as our own person. To build relationships that you can fall back on in shitty times. To connect with professors and professionals who you can email four years down the road for a reference and ask how their kids are doing.
I'm sorry, I'm feeling scattered and nostalgic from all these graduation images and also because I woke up at 4 in the morning and went to sleep at 11:30 because GAME NIGHT GOT INTENSE.
I guess the point of this is, that yes, we will all be forgotten in places where we were incredibly important.
And we HAVE to accept that. The things which once defined us, will no longer define us.
It's up to you how you are defined.
I was once a broke college student with a full heart, majoring in Dance and Psychology, extremely naive, and drunk 2-3 days a week.
I am now a member services rep at a gym, a dance teacher, a Spin instructor, a little more jaded, still pretty terrible with money, and someone who recently discovered that tequila is the only alcohol that won't make me puke.
I will one day be a successful occupational therapist/Spinning instructor/fitness coach living in a beautiful but humble home with an immaculately stocked fridge, a perfect dog, a calendar full of social events, and a consistent habit of drinking mimosas for Sunday brunch.
It's all about perspective.
Because two years ago, the first option was all I cared about. Best option hands down.
Now, I'm dragging myself inch by inch to the third choice.
Time is slipping through our fingers and going by faster than ever for me these days, but the weekends are those rare occasions where I feel like I can take a deep breath and let it allll sink in.
So I'm ecstatic to say HAPPY FREAKIN' FRIDAY.
This week was great for me, I hope you too! The sun was out, and I felt sunshine on my skin for the first time in 2 WEEKS, GUYS. TWO WEEKS.
To say I was lacking in the D (vitamin D that is, hehe) is a huge understatement.
That's why I feel like it's 100% appropriate for me to say I'm back bitches.
I was not myself the past two weeks. Between being sick 2 weeks ago and recovering last week, I was feeling lazy, unmotivated, lethargic, even depressed.
But something snapped back "on" inside me this week and it's been full steam ahead every day. Hell yah!
Here's what I've been loving on this week.
THIS SNACK:
My boyfriend's mom hoards up on this yogurt and he steals it for me. Mwahaha.
This is skyr, which is ACTUALLY an Icelandic cheese made from skim milk.
Weird, I know. But it actually has the same properties as Greek yogurt, with plenty of protein & calcium.
The great thing about skyr though is that it's even THICKER than Greek yogurt, and sweeter (with less grams of sugar than most brands of Greek yogurt... how is this possible?? Witchcraft). Which I love and appreciate, thanks Siggi's. You're a real pal.
This is a huge deal for me. I literally never passed the mile run during fitness testing all through elementary, middle, high school. NEVER.
I had asthma and was a chubby, unathletic little kid.
I honestly can't tell you the first time I successfully ran a mile without stopping. But it was... recent.
I've been using the Nike+ Running App, which one of my friends recommended me. & I have it set so that I get "coaching" every minute of my run. Literally.
I find that sooo helpful. Because I'm needy & need to know how far I've gone/how much longer I have to go as often as possible.
I've been using this training schedule because it's cute & not overwhelming. & I ran (consistently!!!) the longest I've ever gone yesterday at 3.56 miles.
HOLLA ATCHA GIRL.
Again, this is a big deal for lil 'ol me. Remember - asthma all throughout public schooling. It used to take me 20 minutes to complete a damn mile.
One thing to add - I cannot run on a treadmill. It's abysmal. It's boring. It hurts my shins. It's the road or nothin' baby.
THESE SONGS:
In Common by Alicia Keys.
Guys, this is a jam.
It's kinda got that feel of Work by Rihanna and One Dance by Drake. I don't know why but they all sound somewhat similar to me.
Love the line, "If you can love somebody like me, you must be messed up too."
UGH, YES GIRL.
CAN'T STOP THE FEELING by Justin Timberlake.
JT is back with another jam.
If this isn't the happiest damn song to blast on a sunny day, well I just don't know what is.
Summer music is the best, now excuse me while I snap my fingers while doing a two-step away from the haters.
THIS HABIT:
May we all one day be as majestic as this woman drinking bottled water.
When I was sick, I really let myself go.
Downnnnnnnnnnnn the tubes.
I was 7,000% dehydrated at all times.
I didn't have the energy to lift my head, much less sip and drink water.
It was literally pathetic.
Now that I'm better, I'm trying to make it a solid point to put the RIGHT things in my body.
The other day I got this adorable polka dot cup with a straw from Target in the dollar spot, aka the most dangerous place for wallets of twenty-something females on Earth.
Like, OMG everything is a dollar! It's magical! It's wonderful! But suddenly you have 50 things in your hands and with tax, you can say adios to a day's worth of pay.
Beware the dollar spot.
But anyways, this cup is so cute, that it's motivated me to drink water ALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
Usually I'm good about drinking water while I'm at work. It helps me pass the time. But now it's like I need to have this cup with me at all times. Phone, wallet, dollar spot cup. Check, check, check. Ready to go.
That's all for this Friday.
Tomorrow is my longest run of the week for my 10K training (& also my longest run EVER IN MY LIFE) so wish me luck!
Other than that, I might go out for some dranks + dancing tomorrow night, I'm going to try and post some clothing items to Poshmark since I haven't begun working on that goal yet, maybe go to to the movies or go out to brekky, & just relax and rejuvenate.
I actually have so many plans coming up for the weekends, so this one should be savored.
Hope you had a full & uplifting week and have a gorgeous weekend! :)
Like all people will say about their less desirable personality traits: I haven't always been this way.
I am a product of my environment. Shaped from the actions and reactions of others, the way I was raised, the kind of situations I was brought into by adults I loved and trusted.
Do you know any non-confrontational people who are also the most passive aggressive people you've ever met? That's me. Hi, nice to meet you, and if you forget to wash your dishes I prooobably won't make eye contact with you for several days.
What does it mean to be passive aggressive?
Urban dictionary (my favorite dictionary & the most accurate dictonary, imho) describes passive aggressiveness as:
"a defense mechanism that allows people who aren't comfortable being openly aggressive to get what they want under the guise of still wanting to please others. They want their way, but they also want everyone to still like them."
AND
"act of doing something specifically to piss someone off, but with the cover of 'I didn't realize it would bother you.'"
Yes, I hate confrontation more than anyone I know. I'm only comfortable yelling at my family and my boyfriend (*they see my true colors*). But yes, I will also say and do things to piss off people who have wronged me, in a way that is both subtle and extremely irritating.
For example, these are the favorite words of a passive aggressive person (spoken in a monotone while avoiding eye contact, or texted using lots of capital letters and periods):
"It's fine."
"I guess."
"Ok."
"I appreciate it."
"We can do whatever you want to do."
"I don't care."
Translations:
"It's absolutely not fine and I'm really annoyed."
"I'm trying to get you to change your mind because I think that whatever you're saying is stupid."
"Not okay. But you don't realize it because you have the thickest skull recorded in human history."
"Whatever apology you're trying to give me is half-assed and unacceptable."
"The absolute last thing I want to do is whatever you want to do."
"I do care and you should know that, you dim witted slimeball."
This is the thing about passive aggressive people. We don't like to fight. We don't like to yell. We just want to be understood.
And we have really high expectations of people.
You know how the worst feeling in the whole world as a kid when you snuck out of the house to go to the movies with your boyfriend, then got pulled out of the theater by your hair by your irate mother because HELLO, parents aren't stupid and they figure this sh*t out, wasn't the shrieking and uncontrolled anger of your mother, but the cold and crushing disappointment of your father? (I love run-on sentences.)
No?
Just me?
Awkward.
Well, maybe feeling that disappointment from our parents teaches us that it isn't loud anger that makes people feel like sh*t for the things they've done wrong, but the silence. When someone wrongs me by taking my laundry out of the washer and leaving it to get moldy and musty in the basement, I don't want them to know whyI hate them. I just want them to feel that fiery hate, and wonder what they did wrong. Until they realize it and feel really badly about it. LIGHTBULB MOMENT.
Does this make me sounds like a psychopath? Absolutely. But c'mon, we've all been there.
To be fair, I'm a generally laid back person. I don't get angry about stupid things. I really just have several basic needs: food, sleep, and respect. BAM, THAT'S IT.
When you mess with one of those things, it ain't gonna be pretty.
Because YES, I am passive aggressive and I'll sing it loud and proud. I want respect, but I'm too non-confrontational to demand it. I want change, but I'm too spiteful to ask for it.
I have high expectations of people and when I am disappointed in them, I want them to figure out why for themselves.
Are you passive aggressive or confrontational? Do you think I'm a sociopath based on this post? I promise I'm not. We can definitely be friends. As long as you wash your dirty dishes. Lolz.
That sounds so hip and jazzy, but no, I am not the Queen of FUNK (which would be fun and include a lot of shimmying and hip shakin' and saxophones). No, I am the Queen of Funks, plural.
I'm sure I'm not the only person that this happens to. Perhaps my coping and adjustment mechanisms have dwindled drastically since I graduated college. I used to be much more resilient! Deadlines didn't scare me, neither did social obligations, or downing five tequila shots before hitting the bar on a Thursday night!
But now it's so much harder for me to pull myself out of a funk.
Funks can be caused by a variety of things:
crappy weather that is depressing and unmotivating
getting sick or injured; your schedule gets all thrown off
having your schedule change in any way
getting into an argument with a loved one
making a mistake at your job
returning from a vacation (you can read about my tips on how to survive returning from a vacation in this here blog post!)
Basically, it seems as though these things all have one common factor. They all involve having your schedule change, or having a mental/emotional monkey wrench thrown into your life.
What can you do about it?
The reality of life is that you aren't always going to be able to control your circumstances. You can only react to the chaos. You can cry about not having enough money on your iTunes gift card to buy LEMONADE from the iTunes store. Or, you can transfer $17.99 from your savings account because you're living paycheck to paycheck and #priorities obviously include having Beyonce in your life.
How to drag yourself out of a funk:
1. Organize your priorities.
What are your top priorities? Saving money? Finding a new job? Just getting back into your regular work out routine? Figure out what your top 3 things are and get re-invigorated about them! These tasks shouldn't seem daunting, they should seem exciting and life-affirming. The time is going to pass anyways, so why don't you figure out exactly what you want. The first step is realizing what these things are.
2. Set a random goal that is 100% attainable.
It doesn't have to be a part of your grand plan, or any of your large and over-arching goals. But it has to be something you can definitely cross off your to-do list, and it will ideally give you a sense of pride. I've decided that I'm going sign up for and train for a 10K run! I've never even run in an organized 5K (although I am also doing one in June). But signing up for these babies holds you accountable. You have to pay to register after all! If I'm going to spend my hard earned pennies to run, I better train myself well enough so I'm not crawling on all fours through the finish line.
3. Write everything down.
Everything that I just told you? Your priorities, random goals, monthly bills, obligations, appointments, meet-ups, creative landmarks, etc etc.? Write it ALL down. I've been totally crazy with my planner situation. I bought a $75 Erin Condren planner, then stopped using it because YO, STICKERS ARE F*CKING EXPENSIVE, then bought a Moleskin and tried to bullet journal. I envy the neat freaks who live by the bullet journal, but that's honestly just too much work for me. So I'm actually going to good 'ol reliable Target TODAY to try and find a no nonsense monthly planner and some highlighters. That worked for me in college so I should've learned; if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
4. Get yourself lookin' fine.
I don't know about you, but pulling myself out of a funk is exponentially easier when I actually feel really good about myself. This starts from the inside out (see #9), but it doesn't hurt to aid this process from the outside in. Taking care of yourself externally can also trick you into caring about yourself internally, and if that is what it takes, then get yourself lookin' fine. Do a face mask. I know you have one that you haven't used in months! Do a hair mask. Literally just walk into your kitchen and slather coconut oil all over your hair. It makes a HUGE difference. Paint your nails. These things aren't hard, but damn, they can make a huge difference in my attitude and appreciation for myself. There's only one of you. Why would you not treat yourself with love and attention?! If you're as needy as I am, you should be doing this all the freakin' time.
5. Talk to your friends about it.
Your friends should be your therapists and your biggest fans. If you're in a funk, reach out to them, no matter how near or far they are. My two besties live in Boston and North Carolina and we have a group message that we are literally constantly chatting in. If I told them I was having an off day and needed some motivation/inspiration, I'd be showered with compliments involving a lot of phrases like "boss ass bitch", "slaying", and "you got dis!" I hope your friends are this awesome.
6. Get vitamin d, SOMEHOW.
This might be more of a personal thing, but if there are too many rainy days, I inevitably find myself in a funk. My therapist thinks I might get Seasonal Affective Disorder and be one of those people who just needs to live in a sunny environment. BRB, saving up to move to Florida right now! Sunlight and specifically vitamin D have been proven to have significant impacts on your mood and even brain functioning! If you're in a funk because of the weather, take it from me and try a daily vitamin D supplement or eat more foods that are rich in the D (tuna, salmon, cheese, and egg yolks to name a few. Dairy is also often fortified with the D).
7. Clean your areas.
Physical clutter = mental build ups. Those are definitely not conducive to getting yourself out of a funk. Just set some time aside to de-clutter, dust, and get rid of those random receipts, Sephora delivery boxes (oops), and dirty socks that missed the laundry basket that are just hanging around the corners of your areas.
8. Fix your relationships.
You can't move forward if something is holding you back. If an apology is due make it. Or if someone owes you one, ask for it. Clear the air because emotional clutter is just as harmful as physical clutter to your mental well-being. You might find that your time being stuck in a funk can decrease drastically if everything is going well in your interpersonal relationships. Spread kindness and forgiveness around like confetti y'all!
9. Freakin' meditate.
Feeling at peace starts from the inside out. Starting a meditation practice, even if it is only 1 minute, every other day, is better than nothing. Start small. Put your phone away, or set a timer on it for the length you'd like to be mentally ~ away ~. Listen to instrumental music, or the birds chirping outside, or nothing at all. Let your thoughts float by like clouds. Notice them, but let them pass. Getting out of a funk is about re-gaining your confidence, taking action, and feeling at peace with your path. Meditation is going to help that, in big and small ways!
If all else fails, get this shirt. If it doesn't motivate you when you rock it in your kitchen to blend up a green smoothie and drink that sh*t while job searching, meal prepping, and face masking, I don't know what will.
Good luck with getting out of your funk! Mine was caused by a week of sickness and then a week of terrible weather and I'll tell you right now, I'm going to be implementing all of these things this week!
This week was pretty much as unproductive as last week, just because I'm doing this new thing where I don't push myself when I'm sick and I actually allow myself to heal and get better.
Innovative!
I hope everyone's weeks were satisfying and full and that you maybe felt some rays of sunshine on your damn skin. Cuz let me tell you, Connecticut is not feelin' that way. I want sunshine, I NEED sunshine. But this weather is not delivering. Rude.
Here are some things I've been loving on this week.
This snack:
These maple frosted rice cakes are from Marshall's of all places, and are "lighter than a cookie and more satisfying than a cracker". I conquer. They're freakin' delicious and only 50 calories per pouch. A random gym member brought them in for us and now I'm going to have to search high and low to restock!
This song:
All On Me by Gyptian.
I heard this lil jam on the radio and Shazamed it real quick! It's just such a happy little tune for some summer driving or a Spin class or an outdoor BBQ. I am a sucker for music like this. The funkier the better.
This beauty thing:
White nail polish is where the classy betches go for spring and summer, I swear. I feel so chic and sassy and cool with this on my nails. I painted them with some cheap shit from the dollar store and it borderline looks like white-out, but also took over a week to chip. So sometimes the price tag ain't everything, y'all.
This tattoo:
I've been wanting to get a sunflower tattoo for the past couple of years now, but I could never find the perfect one. This one is freakin' beautiful. Dainty, elegant, and unique. I LOVE IT. Now I just have to save up the money and grow the balls to actually place this on my body.
Basically this quote sums up why the sunflower tattoo means so much to me. Having been through very difficult times in my past, and made it through by always trying to find positivity and optimism, it is the perfect quote and the perfect image to keep close to me at all times.
What were some things you loved this week? I hope your week was full of interesting finds! I have no plans this weekend besides more rest and recovery, so hopefully that goes well and I don't find myself doing anything crazy like jumping out of a plane, canyoning to some waterfalls, or attempting a 10k for fun. But you never know. I'm pretty unpredictable sometimes.
Mother's Day is Sunday, and I can't wait to head to Target this week and pick up some brand spankin' new pots and pans for my mama bear.
Seriously, the woman doesn't need anything in this life as much as she needs new pots and pans. Everyone will thank me later.
My mom is literally the best. She doesn't try to be superhuman - she has one job that she really doesn't enjoy too much, she doesn't meal prep for shit, she works out occasionally but letsbehonest not consistently.
But man, she has a heart of freakin' gold.
My mom didn't grow up with much. She is one of five siblings and her parents weren't very well off. Her mother had depression and alcohol problems and wasn't there for her emotionally. But my mom gave me the most rich and loving childhood of anyone I know.
She worked second shift so she could stay at home with me when I was sick and stayed home from school. She would pick me up from high school anytime I had terribly debilitating period cramps (which was every single freakin' month. God bless getting on birth control at age 16). She would put together the coolest craft projects for me to do. All my friends were jealous. In fact, 95% of our Christmas tree ornaments are proof of these craft projects, and we still hang them every year. She would always bring cupcakes to school for my birthday, and even my friends birthdays. She still bakes us the best damn boxed cake you'll ever had for each of our birthdays. She would stay up late into the night with me working on poster board projects for science class that I had put off until the last minute (complaining every second, but she would still do it!)
My mom is there for me emotionally in every way. She rubs my back when I come sulking into her room after a long day. She will watch any movie I make her watch. She gets along with my boyfriend so well it's kind of scary.
She's the most accepting and beautiful human being I know.
Mother's Day is all about making your mother figure feel special, loved, and appreciated. There's really nothing I could do to put into words or even actions how special of a person my mama is.
So she's getting some beautiful, shiny, functional new Paula Dean cookware and she better love it. Almost as much as I love her, and also love the chocolate chip banana bread she will make me using her new pots and pans :)
I've actually had this name on good 'ol Blogger for a few years now, and I truly have no idea how it came to me.
I do know what it means to me though, and it remains true to this day.
I'm a water and sunshine kind of person. I have no idea how I'm surviving living in Connecticut. I need ocean air, salt in my hair, all that good stuff. Maybe that's why I thrived like crazy when I was going to college in Rhode Island by the water.
I knew that I wanted my blog name to conjure up images of water and put someone reading it in an aqua state of mind.
AFLOAT ON A FULL SEA means just that.
I am floating just above the surface of the craziness of life. A full sea = A full life. Life is so full, always. Of twists and turns, stresses and hardships, and beautiful, magnificent opportunities and people.
And I don't believe in swimming against the current. Life happens and how you react is the ONLY thing you can control. So float along. Or as that great Modest Mouse song goes, "we'll all float on okay".
Also, happy Thursday beautiful people! This week has actually gone by pretty fast. May is flyin' and it scares the crappers out of me. I have to start working on accomplishing these May goals.
I emailed myself a 10k training program that I'm going to start bright and early next week. I also found this online trainer at www.trainerlindsey.com that does a free 15 day challenge and then a 6 six challenge that I'm kind of into. I have to research it more though because I've never spent money on anything like that before and if I'm gonna drop my hard earned dollars on a fitness and nutrition program when I work at a freakin' gym for God's sakes, IT BETTER WORK.
That's all for today :) Now you know where this random blog title came from.
Or maybe my goals for April were just too big and grand that lil 'ol me overshot for Pluto but landed somewhere among the stars. It's not like I didn't do ANYTHING in April. I'm gonna blame my plague for making me feel like April was a bust, since it ended on such a sour note. But large goals I had for myself, I didn't even think about twice. Like coming up with a financial plan. Lolz.
My version of a financial plan at this stage in the game is checking my bank account every now and then, crying for a little while, and putting as much money as physically possible towards my car and credit card payments, all whilst trying not to spend a single penny on anything unnecessary (yet somehow managing to convince myself that I NEED to place an order at Sephora...).
It's a hard life.
I'm approaching May a little bit differently.
Instead of these vast goals that seem so difficult and out of reach to accomplish, I'm getting real specific up in this bitch.
1. Register and train for a 10K for the beginning of June. 2. Sell at least $200 worth of clothes on Poshmark. 3. Go see a dance performance.
DONE. THAT'S IT.
And that encompasses the things that are actually truly important to me right now: Be active. Make money. Renew a passion.
Hopefully with these specific goals, and only three of them, it'll be something that I can honestly and actively stick with. I will update how this much different method goes for me, but I have all my fingers crossed!
I do not get sick often and when I do, it's bad. Very bad.
Hence the week long hiatus from this blog. I was so sick that I couldn't even bare to move my fingers. I couldn't fathom stringing together coherent sentences. What I had was worse than when I had mono in college. Type B Influenza knocked me down and curb stomped me senseless my friends.
I was only at work until 9AM on Tuesday before I knew something was wrong. I had the chills and a headache that went straight into my eye sockets. I never really get headaches either. The doctor at the walk in clinic first reprimanded me for not getting the flu shot. But I've never had the flu! Then she scared me by telling me "this is the best you're going to feel for days" and "people my age die from this". Like thanks lady, like I wasn't feeling terrible and miserable already.
Thus began the five day lay down. I feel like I honestly slept for five days straight and therefore lost basically a full week of my life. Oh well.
Here are some all star things and shows that got me through this week long hell.
The Biggest Loser There are a ton of seasons of The Biggest Loser on Hulu and it saved me. The only bad thing was that I had terrible congestion and crying every five minutes from the show certainly did not help that. I watched a full 1.5 seasons. Youtube I had a plethora of Youtube videos to catch up on. I'm wicked obsessed with beauty videos so I watched about a thousand of those, followed by another thousand hip hop dance videos. So inspiring! Lysol wipes Miraculously, no one in my house got sick. And neither did my boyfriend, who slept with me EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. He is a clean freak though. He wiped down every surface multiple times and made me wipe my hands with Lysol wipes after each time I blew my nose. Medical masks
He also made me wear a medical mask at all times during the first three days of my plague so like, I think that helped too. Organic honey + lemon throat drops
Nothing helps a sore throat like lemon and honey. And my throat and chest felt like they were being ripped in half with a meat cleaver. Sorry for that imagery. Chicken noodle soup
A classic for a reason. Inside Amy Shumer
Laughing hurt but this helped get my mind off the fact that I hadn't seen sunshine in over 80 hours. Amy Shumer is fucking hilarious. Bluetooth thermometer
Why use a regular thermometer when you can use a Bluetooth thermometer that syncs to your phone and records your history of temperature readings? Super handy when you're considered contagious until 24 hours without a fever, unmedicated. Mucinex Day + Night
Dayquil and Nyquil suck, this stuff is where it's at. Toast
My personal favorite sick food, and brings me back to elementary school days. My boyfriend & mother These amazing humans were literally my caretakers and I would have been a crusty old rag without them. They put a heating pad on my bag, an ice pack on my head, and a love inside my heart. Wow so cheesy. I can't help it. Their love and attention made me so grateful I was nearly brought to tears more than once.
I'm happy to be back on the blog. Writing is so cathartic that I think being away for so long is part of the reason I've been feeling so pent up and emotional. I'll be back tomorrow with how I did on my April goals and my new goals for May :)
