17 of My Favorite Things

Today, the 21rst, is my 17th birthday! I decided to do a list of 17 of my favorite things for today's post. 

1. Favorite YouTuber: Jenna Marbles

2. Favorite Song: Unsteady (X Ambassadors)

3. Favorite TV Show: Once Upon A Time

4. Favorite Movie: Milo and Otis

5. Favorite Book: Dream Factory

6. Favorite Number: 721

7. Favorite Video Game: Mario Kart 8

8. Favorite Food: Watermelon

9. Favorite Drink: Pink Lemonade

10. Favorite Day of the Week: Wednesday

11. Favorite Animal: Butterfly

12. Favorite Thing to Watch on YouTube(besides a specific person): Fan Made TV show music videos.

13. Favorite Summer Activity: Swimming

14. Favorite Singer: Liz Gillies

15. Favorite Actor/Actress: Lauren Graham

16. Favorite Time of Day: Night

17. Favorite Thing to Write: Character Descriptions 

Note: I'm horrible at picking favorites, and all of these are subject to change daily, but I needed an easy topic to write about. 

What are some of your favorite things? Xoxo

Week in Review #8

Hey guys. I realize this is late again, and I technically should be writing something new for Monday, but I've been busy, and haven't had time. On Wednesday or Thursday I should have something new up, but today is only going to be an overview of all I've been doing. 

*Over the weekend last week, my dad and I worked on setting up an aquarium. This is my birthday present for this year. It's been kinda hard, because our water needs a lot of stuff added to it to be able to support fish. Monday and Wednesday we added a few fish into it. On Thursday one of the fish died, and we aren't sure if it was sick when we got it or if the water is bad. So far none of the other ones are dead, so we'll see. 

*Tuesday I went back to the doctor to talk about my anxiety stuff. I'm now taking medicine for it. I'll talk more about it later, but so far, it seems to be helping a lot. 

*Wednesday I spent the night with my grandmother. I did get a post done that day, though.

*Saturday, me and my sisters went to our friends birthday party. It was awesome. 

That's it for now. I have other stuff I've got to get done. Till' next time. Xoxo

5 Things I Always Pack

Hi guys. I've been traveling a lot recently, with Summer Salt last month, the beach a week ago, and I've got two more trips coming up in August and September. Because of this, today's post is going to be a list of some stuff I always bring with me wherever I go. (Obviously this isn't a full packing list, and I didn't feel it was necessary to include clothes, toothbrush, etc., in this list.)

1: Ear buds. I often don't leave the house without them, but I definitely make sure I've got them before leaving on a trip. I sometimes sleep with them, or use them in the car, or anytime I just need music. And it always figures that if I ever leave them at home, that'll be the time I need them. 

2: Advil. I have so many zip-lock bags floating around my room with Advil in them, because every trip, I make another bag to put in my suit case. I started this a couple years ago, because I hate having to ask people for it when I stay at someone's house. 

3. Stuffed animals. Specifically Tiger, a stuffed cat I've had since I was two-threeish. I hate sleeping without him. 

4. A book. Even if I'm almost 100% sure I won't have time to read it, I bring at least one, possibly more. 

5. Notebook and pencil. Again, even if I don't anticipate writing anything, I always bring one. 

So that's it for this post. On Monday, I've got something special planned, so be sure and check back in. I should be able to get the Week in Review up on time this week, but till then, Xoxo. 

New Things

Hey! Today's post is one I originally wrote on my other blog. It's about trying new things, even when it scares you. Read the post, and then I have a few more things to add at the end. 

Hey, I know you. Yeah, I might not know you personally, but I know what you're going through. Deciding whether or not to go for it. Wondering if risk could be worth the payoff. Worrying about looking like an idiot, or failing completely, or just planing screwing up. Well, let me tell you my story. 

In the spring, I had what I thought was the perfect plan for summer and fall. Me and my friend were going to be cheerleaders for my brother's football team. I had never done anything like that before, but I had talked to the coach, and there were a lot of other girls who hadn't either, so it was fine. 

Now, I am super shy, and this was going to be a new group of people, none of whom I new really well, and most I didn't know at all. I never worried about that, though, because I thought my friend was going to do it with me. 

After I had already mostly sighed up, I found out my friend wasn't going to do it. I totally freaked out. I didn't know what I was going to do. I was scared to try it without knowing people. The last time I had done something without knowing anybody had been 4 years ago. After talking to my parents, I decided to do it.

Now cheer season is almost over, and I am so glad I did this. It wasn't easy at first, I was in tears and almost quit before the second practice, but ultimately it has been a great experience, and I can't believe I almost missed it. You never know what you might miss if you stay in your comfort zone forever. Now, because I love lists, I'm going to give you a list of things I've learned this season. 

1. Not knowing anybody else shouldn't stop you from trying something you really want to. This one was kind of the main the post, but that's because this was my biggest lesson this season. I was so scared to be there, but I went anyway and it was fine. 

2. Stepping out of your comfort zone is the best thing you could ever do for yourself. It doesn't feel like it at first, but once you do it, then you open yourself up to being able to have the best experience ever. 

3. The hard stuff is always worth it. Guess what? Anything good is going to have hard stuff. There were days I so didn't want to go to practice. I had to do school on Sundays for weeks because I just didn't have time to get it done. On Thursdays I had to go from straight from dance to cheer and I was exhausted those nights. But, by far, the good outweighs bad. I could go on and on about that stuff, but I don't have time right now.

To conclude, I am so blessed to have gotten to be a part this amazing team. I am so glad I stuck with it, and traveled outside my comfort zone. And you there, trying to make a decision, take courage from my story, and take a step from your comfort zone. It might just be the best step you ever take. 

So, I wrote this almost two years ago, in October of 2014. The funny thing is, as I read it, is that these feelings are the same ones I have looking back at Summer Salt. I stepped way out of my comfort zone, and it was great. This isn't to say everytime you step out of your comfort zone it'll be great. I've definitely had bad experiences with some stuff, but even the bad experiences you learn from. So whether you're trying something new by yourself, or doing something that feels impossible, stay strong, and know that in the end it'll be worth it, either as a great memory, a good lesson, or both. Xoxo

Week in Review #7

Sorry this is late, again. I've been recovering from the beach. I enjoy it, and I love being with my extended family, but being there takes a lot out of me. So here is all that we did this past week. 

*First let me clarify how we stay when we go to the beach. My grandmother used to work for a man who owns a beach house, and he has been so nice to let all of the family use it for a week each summer. My grandparents, my aunt, uncle, and cousins, and my brother all stay upstairs. Me, my sisters, and our parents sleep downstairs. 

*We got down there Friday night, so Saturday was our first full day. We went down to the water that morning. I don't swim in the ocean anymore, a few years ago there were lots of jellyfish, and I was done after that. In past years there've been more and more shark attacks, so I have another reason to avoid the water. 

*Sunday my mom and I didn't go down to the water, we went out for an early lunch at this crepe place I found that actually had gluten free crepes. After that, we went shopping at the stores in that area. To finish it up, we stopped at Barnes and Noble, to use the free wifi. We have no internet where we stay, and even trying to use data won't work some of the time. Things bought: A planner (I have every good intention of being prepared next school year), and a little bear in an adopt-a-teddy-bear-kit (I can't resist ordinary stuffed animals, and when they come in a kit that says please give me a home, well,) 

*Sunday evening we went to Barefoot Landing. It ended up storming right as we got there, and we sat in the car for watching it storm for like, 15-20 minutes. After it stopped storming we walked around for a while, and it was fun. Things bought: A little dinosaur key chain, a purple flower magnet (as a gift for my other grandmother), and a backpack (which was neat, because I got it from the free-trade store) 

*Monday was the fourth, and we went down to the water again. That evening we went back down and watched the fireworks. Some of you may remember one of my firsts posts was about this.

*Tuesday we went to Broadway at the beach and met up with some friends who were staying at the beach too. It was awesome. We went out to eat, and then just walked around and shopped. Things bought: A Rottweiler stuffed animal (her name is Zoe) 

*Tuesday evening we got back, and the air was totally broken down stairs. Dad looked at it to see if it could be easily fixed, but it couldn't. After some discussion, we decided to cut the trip short, and just go home. We were disappointed, but being summer, and upwards of 90 degrees, we didn't really have another choice. 

*Wednesday and Thursday we rested, and picked up our dog and my fish from the various places they had stayed.

*Friday we ate supper with some friends of ours, one of whom is one of my best friends, who I hardly see. It was great to be able to see her again. 

So that was this past week. Hopefully I can stay on schedule next week. Till then, Xoxo. 

Travel the World, Walmart Style

Today's post is one of been waiting to write for a while. I decided to wait until it could go up while I was on vacation. 

Last year at the beach, my dad and I were at the store, and I was tired and ready to go home. As we were walking into the store, he looks at me and goes, "You know why I like to be the one to go to Walmart? Because when you're at Walmart, you can be anywhere in the whole world." I started to roll my eyes and gave him 'the look' which he is well accustom to. 

But I started thinking, and it actually makes a lot of sense. I saved it on my phone, and I don't think I'll ever forget it.  It's one of those things that's hard to explain, but once you get it, it really clicks. So, next time you feel like you're a million miles from home, find a Walmart, and step inside for a bit. I guarantee you'll feel better. 

That's it for today. Friday (or possibly Saturday) I'll have a weekly review up about the beach trip. Till then, Xoxo

Stop Worrying About Things That do not Affect You

Hey guys. First of all, happy fourth of July! This week I am at the beach, so this post and Wednesday's post have been written in advance. Today I want to share a post I wrote a few months ago, and posted originally as a Facebook status, as I didn't have a blog to put it on. Now I have one, and I figured I'd add it to my stuff. 

I'm writing this as a blog post, but am unable to post it to my actual blog, so I figured at least posting it here will do for now.

I'm writing this mostly so I'll be able to get some sleep tonight. I kept feeling bugged after I had the idea for this post, so I figured I'd jump in and give it ago. To sum it all up before I begin: DO NOT JUDGE PEOPLE. EVER. Specifically I'm talking in this post about women/girls, and fashion/'hygiene' issues. I put that in quoted for a reason.

Earlier today a post popped up on my feed, by a woman for women, about preparing for flip flop weather. This a was a sort of harsh toned/bitingly sarcastic advice piece on what the writer deemed appropriate when wearing flip flops. All of these things were primarily appearance based, save two things one about noise and one jelly shoes and safety or lack thereof. I was kind of shocked after reading it, and looked in the comments to see if, surely, someone else felt a little tug of hey-maybe-this-isn't-right, but all the comments seemed to be positive. Everyone was applauding this woman for comprising this list of essentially ways she was going to be judging others this flip flop season.

This is ridiculous. We have better things to do in our lives than worry about what someone else's feet look like. I'm sorry if you have to hurt your delicate little eyes because someone's feet aren't perfect, but why do you get to say they are wrong for not hiding away their feet in big, hot tennis shoes while you parade your 'perfect' feet around? Not cool.

The thing is, there is a big difference between hygiene and appearance. Hygiene is related to health, while appearance is merely how a person is viewed. Hygiene is objective, but appearance is subjective. People like to say that if it doesn't look appealing, it can't be hygienic, but this just isn't true. Thinking like this only perpetuates judging.

And it isn't just footwear. Another reason I felt so strongly about posting this, is I have felt this kind of judging a little more personally before. I had a cheer coach who sat us all down at the beginning of the season and told us how important it was for us to shave our legs and wear at least a little makeup. She told us that not shaving our legs was disgusting and made the whole team look bad if we didn't look good. I immediately felt self conscious because this was my second year cheering, and the year before I had been totally make up free. It also made me hyper aware of and constantly comparing my legs to everyone else's, in effort to meet her approval.

Here's the deal: make up isn't hygiene related. Even shaving your legs isn't hygiene related. I realize I was on her team, and therefore I needed to submit to her standards, and I did. She was fully in the right to set those standards, as it was her team. I just don't think they should have been a thing.

One things that is talked a lot about is how teen girls, and beginning younger and younger, have severe self esteem issues. These begin by watching adults they look up saying things like what I talked about above. To help combat this, when teaching grooming skills, etc. focus on what is truly hygiene related, and let them control their appearance.

In conclusion: please don't judge other people. It's not cool. It can have lasting impacts, even when you don't realize it.

Side note: This is not an article against the lady who originally wrote that post. I Facebook stalked her a teeny bit, and she seems like a very nice lady. Nor should you think anything bad of the cheer coach I talked about. I can say with certainty that she is a wonderful person. She was awesome to work with, and I hold nothing but good feelings, truly. The examples are against the way of thinking that equates hygiene and appearance, and assumes some appearances are lesser than others. This thinking is not a new thing, but in time, perhaps it can become an extinct thing.

I hope you liked that, and learned a thing or two. I have a really great post for you on Wednesday, so check back then. Xoxo