day 8: take some advice

one of the greatest pieces of advice i've ever been given came from my granny. 

my granny. what a looker, right??

it's so good, in fact, that i feel like for today's topic for the blog-everyday-in-may challenge i'll share this little tidbit with you...

"people are going to screw up and hurt you. you've got to learn to forgive it and move on. you can't live in the past."

this little chunk of greatness has been quite the hard pill to swallow for me lately. i'm the type of person that is pretty much black and white whenever it comes to relationships. if i feel that someone has wronged me in some way, it's impossible sometimes hard for me to get past it without an apology from the "guilty" party.

there is so much truth in what she said to me. i was in high school at the time and for reasons i'd rather not go into too deeply, was not on the best terms with my mom. i was going on some rant about how unfair she was and how i would never have anything to do with her again and granny stopped me and shed some light on that situation. she was so right. we all have to forgive the people that hurt us on our own terms. for some people, forgiveness comes alongside cutting the person who hurt you out of their life. i am a firm believer that you can forgive a wrongdoing, but still understand that you are better off without certain people in your life. i'm not a heartless bitch for saying this, either. it's more along the lines of "fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me." i am so grateful and happy to say that the relationship between my mom and me made it out of that place and are now super close and extremely happy. 

it seems so simple, doesn't it? three truths right there in a row, wrapped up pretty and just waiting for you to take advantage of it. it's inevitable that people will hurt you at some point in your life. that's life. finding a way to move past it whenever it happens is the most important part. after all, who wants to spend their time dwelling on something that happened in the past? what a waste of time. 

xoxo.

day 7: AHHHHH!!!! you scared me!

today, i get to tell you what scares me. honestly, i don't really get scared that easily. 

there is one thing, though, that has remained the main source of fear in my life. getting arrested. really getting in trouble of any kind scares the living shit out of me! i am a habitual rule-follower. i know--boring. i just can't help it. it makes me suuuuuper uncomfortable to break any rules. i'm really just terrified that i'll get caught and thrown in the big house. i also am not the least bit smooth whenever it comes to breaking rules (probably because i'm so uncomfortable), which, 99% of the time, leads to me getting caught. ANY time i get pulled over, i immediately have a panic attack and begin to cry because, even though i know i simply was [fill in moving traffic violation here], the thought of something escalating to the point of me being arrested just scares the bajeezus out of me!

i'll never forget one time when i was in college. my friend kristy and i decided to catch a movie. we were using the little kiosk inside the theatre because we were paying with our credit cards. when you use the kiosks, you get to choose which type of ticket you purchase. kristy went to buy her ticket and selected the child's ticket because it was less expensive. we were about 22 at the time...clearly not children. i went to purchase my ticket, and kristy nonchalantly said, "just get a kid's one like i did. they never really look and it's cheaper." i immediately was unsteady about this, but she reassured me with, "don't worry. me and jenee (our other friend) used to do it all the time." 

against my better judgement, i purchased the child's ticket. 

of course, as soon as we got up to the ticket-taker, he barely even looked at kristy's ticket and she passed through. i get up there, though, and all of a sudden, mr. ticket-man get's microscopes for eyes and immediately calls me out. to add insult to injury, there was a long line that had accumulated behind me. awesome. 

i then had to go, get refunded for my child's ticket, and repurchase the correct one. so. embarrassing!! kristy still laughs about that. 

i was so thankful that the movie-theatre police didn't come out with guns blazing, but needless to say, i never tried to cheat the system again. it's just not worth it!

i do think that fear is relative to whatever else is going on in your life, though. for example, i don't think sky diving would is scary because i have absolutely no fear of heights. now that i'm married (and eventually when i have children), though, sky diving would likely become much scarier. not because my fear of heights suddenly came about, but because the thought of doing something that could possibly end in my death, which would separate me from my husband and children, is so scary it's unthinkable.

so, i admit it! i'm a scardy-cat when it comes to breaking the rules. sue me. what scares you??

later lovelies!

day 5: i just love ya!

today, i get to share my love and devotion for one of my blogger friends! 

meet megan from it's about the journey. 

photo courtesy of it's about the journey

megan and i went to high school together. she is passionate about travel (she lived in iraq!), reading, and anything country. she's also hilarious! need proof? read about her chicken problems. yes. you read that correctly...chicken problems. lol. i also have a confession to make about ms. megan. i began reading her blog and immediately got stuck on it--big time. (this was before my blogging days.) well, one day came along and ms. thang decided she was going to take a break from blogging. one day went by, then two, then three. as more and more time went by, i found myself getting more and more angry at her. where's my daily dose of hometown farming and crafting and cooking?! i admit i began to curse her from behind my computer screen.

fast forward a couple of weeks where i ran into megan at our friend, piper's bridal shower. i worked up the courage to confront her about why the crap she felt it was necessary to continually string me along with her blog. (i am not a psycho, i swear.) i mean, you can't just write about all this cool crafty stuff, and then just stop. not cool, megan, not cool. we had a really good laugh about how i stalked her blog and cursed her from behind my computer. she even devoted a post to me! 

truth be told, megan was actually one of the things that inspired me to start blogging. she said something at that shower that stuck with me. it went along the lines of how she didn't really do any type of social media like facebook or twitter, but that she did take time to blog because it was like an online scrapbook that she could always look back on. that's when i realized that i wanted to start a blog of my own. i wanted something that i can look back on and see how blessed my life has been. won't it be nice to be able to show my future children that there was actually a time when their parents were young, fun, and free? i think so. :) 

you should definitely stop by megan's blog and get to know her. she's just great!

day 4: a wise man once said...

today's prompt for the blog-everyday-in-may challenge is to discuss your favorite quote. now, i could easily make a month's worth of blog posts about quotes alone. i've said it before, and i'll say it again, sometimes, someone just says exactly what you're thinking. there's no need to beat a dead horse, or say something a million different ways, so i've found it's better to just quote them. 

one of my favorite quotes, ever, is by none other than mr. william shakespeare.

"love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." how simple. how direct. how true.

love all...how many times do we, as humans, pass judgement on someone else? whether it's because of a different religion, lifestyle choice, or what have you, how many times to you catch yourself spreading negativity to another person? this will make me sound a bit liberal (gasp!!!!), but rather than jump to discrimination, try to put love first. coexist. we are all human and possess the need, at some point in time, to be shown kindness and compassion. being different isn't bad, it's just different. love all... if you don't agree with something, don't judge someone who partakes, just don't do it.

trust a few...as a reformed cynic, this phrase in particular sits quite well with me. while i'd like to think that everyone on the face of the planet has the best intentions, this helps me to snap back to reality and remember that not all people have pure hearts. it really sucks, but it's true. when you do find those people that are worthy of your trust and confidence, hold on to them for dear life. they become your lifeline in so many ways. in my experience, the few that you are able to trust the most, are the ones who love all no matter what. they're the people that you can go to with any situation--good, bad, ugly, whatever--and there is no expectation of perfection from you. those people, while they are definitely few and far between, are the ones to trust without any apprehension.

do wrong to none...the simplest, yet sometimes, the hardest part of this whole quote. it says to do wrong to none. not do wrong to none unless they pissed you off, or hurt you, or were a "bad person." none. every person has value, in some form or another, and that value should be appreciated, regardless of the form it comes in. like the jerk who cut you off on the freeway. appreciate and understand that he may be fighting a bigger battle than you ever thought was possible. don't curse him and flip him off. 1) two wrongs don't make a right. 2) he likely can't hear or see you and you look like an idiot going crazy in your car, screaming at some stranger.

ol' willy challenges me everyday with this quote. it's so simple, yet complex, and forces me to evaluate the actions i take in my everyday life. i love it.

xoxo.

day 3: things that make me uncomfortable

my interpretation of "uncomfortable" for today's challenge post translates directly to "awkward."

1. basically every aspect of this video. poor baby...she didn't stand a chance. come on, that open-mouth hip wiggling? the penguin dance stance? i can barely watch it myself. my personal favorite cringe-worthy spot is where johnny spins her away at the very end and just bounces on her (right around 1:23). sorry, baby, the dancing was even too awkward for groin-thrusting-johnny.

2. when you see someone you know wave and you wave back. then you realize they were not looking at you at all, rather, they were saying hello to the person behind you. this situation makes me want to crawl under a rock.

3. when you try to give the "high five" to someone and they totally do not reciprocate and you are "left hanging." the discomfort is especially terrible when you're surrounded by a group of people. neat.

4. this one's a double whammy. it's soooo uncomfortable when you see someone and they don't remember you. add insult to injury when they make it known that they don't remember you and you make it known that you clearly know them. second one, it's super awkward when you think someone's about to ask you to do something (go on a date, hang out, etc.) and they're not.

these are just a few situations that make me suuuuuper uncomfortable. what about you? what makes you cringe??

later lovelies!

day 2: "weight watcher" survival skills

day 2 of the blog-everyday-in-may challenge is officially underway! today's topic requires me to educate you on something that i know a lot about or am good at. now, i'm definitely not trying to claim to be any type of fitness and nutrition guru, but i absolutely can shed some light on how to survive weight watchers (or any diet in general). 

you may or may not know that over the last few years, i've struggled with my weight. now, i'm a pretty confident gal, and i believe that women are all beautiful, no matter their size, (cue dove's beauty campaign here) however, i also understand that when i am carrying some extra weight, i don't feel as good as i do when the weight's not there. i have personally found a lot of success with the weight watcher program. as a person who eats to resolve any situation (happy, sad, stressed, anxious, etc.), weight watchers allows me to be mindful of what i am putting in my mouth at all times. if you are looking to drop some pounds, give weight watchers a shot, and when you do, take these survival skills, pack them into your brain, and never forget them. they'll save you so much stress (i hope!). 

1. don't drink your points (or calories) away. you aren't given many points, so you have to learn to make them stretch throughout the day. one way to totally screw yourself is to waste points on non-filling things like juices (which super high in sugar and carbs) and non-diet sodas. For example, an 8 oz. glass of simply orange orange juice is a whoppin' 3 points! when you only have 26 points each day like me, 3 points is a lot to waste on something you drink. this also (unfortunately) applies to alcohol. i've basically stopped drinking altogether simply because it's annoying to have to a) count points when you're trying to have fun when you're out with your friends; b) let's be serious--after a couple of drinks, you just aren't worried about how many points you've consumed, and then you're back at square one. needless to say, drinking, while it does cause lots of fun, it also causes killer headaches, nausea, and hangovers that make me want to scarf all the greasy goodness i can find. never good when you're on "the watch."

2. restaurant food is pretty much always bad for you. the sooner your realize that, the less frustrated you will be. when you can, just stick to cooking your own food. now, i know what you're thinking..."rachel, it's impossible to not eat out." you're pretty much right. our society makes food not only the center of our lives (there's an entire tv network devoted to it!!), but it also is one of the more social aspects of life. i mean, when was the last time someone said, "hey! it's been a long time since we've hung out! let's go for a jog!" yeah right. it's always "let's grab drinks!" or "how about dinner?" this can be really challenging, but i've learned the best way to combat it, is to plan, plan, plan. if you know you're going to be going out to eat, check out the restaurant's menu online and decide what you're going to eat hours in advance. it sounds crazy, but going in with your mind already made up makes a huge difference.

3. the healthiest choice isn't always the most obvious one. this is somewhat of an extension of #2. when you sit down to order, i'm sure your eyes immediately go to the "salads" section of the menu and think you're home free. not always a good thing. take chili's, for example. the quesadilla explosion salad has an astounding 1360 calories, 88 grams of fat, and 87 grams of carbs (!!!!!!!!!!!). even the santa fe chicken salad rings in with 680 calories, 46 grams of fat, and 36 grams of carbs! at chili's you can get the classic sirloin, rice, and steamed broccoli with garlic butter (yum!) for a total of 520 calories, 19 grams of fat, and 51 grams of carbs. HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!!

4. track, track, track! write down everything you eat with the points plus value it has. here's where you have to get a little psycho (and that's totally okay!). make it a game! see how much food you can actually consume and still make your points last. if you aren't writing down what you're putting in your mouth, there's not possible way you can know exactly how much you are eating. i was just floored when i first started tracking. it definitely makes you mindful of not only what you're eating, but also how much you were eating beforehand. 

5. stick with it, even on the hard days. you know those days when you wake up and just want a cheeseburger? that's okay. every once in a while, you can have that cheeseburger. the key is to just not have the cheeseburger, fries, jumbo chocolate milkshake, and dessert. stick that delicious cheeseburger with a side salad and call it a day. you get to feel like you're eating the good stuff, but you aren't totally blowing it out of the water. one of my favorite quotes (that i heard from my weight watchers meeting leader) is "the time's going to pass anyway, so you might as well lose the weight, too." 

these are just a couple of little tidbits that will help you stay on top of your weight loss program. i continue to learn new things about myself and what works best for me when it comes to weight loss, but the most important thing is that i keep myself dedicated to striving to be healthy. after all, "nothing tastes as good, as healthy feels." 

until tomorrow...

Day 1: About me in 250-ish words or fewer :)

december 4, 1987

i was born december 4, 1987 in houston, tx. my parents divorced just 6 months later. mom remarried and i got a new brother and sister. at 7 years old, we moved to mt.vernon, tx, though i still split my time between there and houston. mt.vernon is where i met michael, my high school sweetheart. i seemed to always feel like a city girl stuck in a small town, so in 2006, mike and i called it quits, i graduated high school and moved to lubbock, tx, for college (wreck 'em tech!). i was super active in my sorority, chi omega, studied abroad, and interned for texas tech athletic media relations during the mike leach era. in 2007, we found out my dad had stage 4 cancer. 5 months after my college graduation in december 2009, my sweet dad passed away, and shortly thereafter, i moved to conroe, tx. april 2011 rolls around and i've got a wedding to attend. as fate would have it, michael was also in mt. vernon the same weekend. we've been together ever since. in august 2011, i quit my job and hauled ass to dallas. i started a new job as an event planner, and michael quickly moved in with me. he proposed on april 29, 2012 and we were married on march 16, 2013. life has been unexpected, but it's also been so good. we have a tiny apartment (that's never clean), a precious puppy, and overall, a pretty sweet life.

248 words! suck on that!! lol. see you tomorrow lovelies!

31 days

so i've decided that i need to get my blogging crap together. i've been doing a lot better about blogging consistently lately, but sometimes, i really find it challenging. it's quite sad that my life is so boring that i can't even find things to write about. 

jenni, over at story of my life, challenged all of her readers (sooooo many readers) to partake in a blog-every-day-in-may challenge. i have decided to formally accept the challenge and get to blogging! YOU should take part as well! 

here's the list of topics. be bold, boring, or whatever you'd like, but always blog. :)

Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less (or one paragraph... no one will be counting your words... probably)

Day 2, Thursday: Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)

Day 3, Friday: Things that make you uncomfortable

Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it

Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. 

What makes them great? Why do you love them? If you don't have blogger friends, talk about a real-life friend or even a family member

Day 6, Monday: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?

Day 7, Tuesday: The thing(s) you're most afraid of

Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.

Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)

Day 10, Friday: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill. 

Day 11, Saturday: Sell yourself in 10 words words or less

Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)

Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.

Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy

Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day - this could be "a photo an hour" if you'd like)

Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it

Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why

Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.

Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them

Day 20, Monday: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.

Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives

Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)

Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you

Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits

Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget (good or bad)

Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.

Day 27, Monday: A letter to your readers

Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures

Day 29, Wednesday: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use Grooveshark or YouTube to include them in the post

Day 30, Thursday: React to this term: Letting Go

Day 31, Friday: A vivid memory