Happy Birthday USA

I can't believe it's already that time of year. Summer is in full swing and we're celebrating the 4th of July again. It was a quiet day, but a good one. I was able to spend time with Jeff and my family, and relax.

This has always been a special holiday. When I was little my dad used to take me and my little sister to a local parade in the morning and then we'd usually end up at a family barbecue. But the most important thing about this holiday is to remember what a great country this truly is and how fortunate I am to live here.

Thank you to all of the men and women who bravely serve our country every day. Have a happy 4th of July everybody!

BLAHVOCADO

If you love avocado then the Subway sandwich below looks pretty good right?

The problem is that real Subway sandwiches with avocado are more like blahvocado sandwiches. I love Subway and when I saw the ads for these mouth-watering sandwiches I was ecstatic. But when I asked about how they prepare the avocado I was sorely disappointed. All they do is add a few slices of avocado to your sub and pass it on down the line.

The images in the latest ad campaign show piles of yummy avocado on top of the meat and vegetables, but that's not quite how the real sandwiches look. I know that there is a lot that goes into dressing up food for ads, but come on. Shouldn't they try a little harder? It doesn't take much to mash up some avocado and spread it on to a sandwich. I still love Subway, but I think a little more effort should be put into accurately advertising its products.

A Bit Out of Step

Have you ever watched an infomercial and gotten so excited about the product that you just had to try it? That's what happened when I watched an early morning infomercial about Zumba Fitness. I have been dying to try it for weeks.

According to Zumba.com, "Zumba Fitness^® is the only Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends red-hot international music, created by Grammy Award-winning producers, and contagious steps to form a "fitness-party" that is downright addictive. Since its inception in 2001, the Zumba program has grown to become the world's largest – and most successful – dance-fitness program with more than 12 million people of all shapes, sizes and ages taking weekly Zumba classes in over 110,000 locations across more than 125 countries."

Well, I tried this extremely active workout tonight and according to Jeff, it was quite the sight. My class ended a bit after He finished his workout so he was waiting in the car.

"What were you doing in there?" he asked with a smile.

I tried my hardest. But let's face it. When you haven't exercised regularly, much less tried to follow a dance routine, you're bound to look ridiculous. I felt like a hippo with two left feet throughout most of the class. I'm not very good at shaking my hips while jumping up. But it was fun. I think I'll try another class and see how it goes.

Deals, Deals, Deals

I have to share about the BEST deal that I got this week. Jeff and I have been trying our best to make our new place homey and more us. Last Sunday I was sifting through the dozens of furniture ads on Craigslist.org and I came across one that really stuck out. How could it be? An armchair for $40? No way! I thought it had to be a typo. After several text messages with the seller on Monday, Jeff and I became the proud owners of one brown and incredibly comfy chair.

Isn't it a beauty? And what a steal for $40!

Deals like this seem to be harder to find on Craigslist because of all of the junk out there, but here are some tips that might help you find what you're looking for.

• Have an open mind.
  
• Search by owner and NOT dealer, (A lot of dealers just advertise stuff you don't really want).
  
• Add in a price range for your search, (This will keep you from getting disappointed when you see something that seems perfect until you realize it's way over budget).
  
• Look for ads with phone numbers. I have found these to be more credible.
  
• NEVER go alone when meeting a seller!
  
• DON'T be afraid to walk away if it's not what was portrayed in the ad.
  
• If you decide you don't want it, tell the seller so they're not left hanging.
  
• Have fun. It may take a few days or weeks, but chances are you'll find just what you want.

The Ahem in the Room

Nobody wants to talk about it, acknowledge it or even think about it. It's right in front of their faces and they can't help but see it. It's there and it's very real. It's the elephant in the room. But perhaps if everyone pretends that it doesn't exist, it really might not exist. 

That's not how it works. Regardless of how well or how long they pretend that the elephant doesn't exist, it does. And it only gets bigger and bigger and bigger until there's no avoiding it at all. Many elephants make people uncomfortable. There is some issue that is difficult to discuss and even more difficult to acknowledge in the first place. Ultimately, issues have to be addressed. 

I can't stand being made to feel like I have the problem just because someone doesn't want to address a matter. It's extremely frustrating and downright maddening. All I can do is stand firm in what I know to be true and know I am not the one who is causing the problem and move on when those around me won't do a thing. I see the elephant and I acknowledge it.

Dealing with an elephant that no one else wants to even acknowledge its existence is difficult. It often means loneliness and isolation to a certain extent. But things have got to change one way or another. I am standing face to face with the elephant and it's go time. Ready, set, here I come. 

Happy 2012!

This year is going to be a great year and even better than last year. Though it seems that each new year comes along with a new set of worries, troubles and problems, there are also some really good things.

My 2011 Recap

• Received a tax refund because of my student loans, (good I suppose).
• Learned how to fire a 30.06 and a .22, (and yes, I'm a good shot).
• Had one one of the best birthdays ever with my family.
• Raised some tadpoles and later released them back into the wild.
• Got into a car accident, (uggh). But it all worked out.
• Went on a native plant tour with my mom.
• Met the love of my life.
• I celebrated one year at my job. Woo hoo!!!
• Helped plan one rocking party.
• Learned a lot about myself and changed a few things.
• Figured out what I want/ need to work on in 2012.
• Challenged things I had been told and I know that I truly love God. My relationship with Him is better.
• Grasped true friendship.
• Got to spend Christmas with my sister for the first time in a couple of years.
• Spent New Year's Eve at urgent care.

Those are the highlights. It was a pretty busy year and most of it is a blur. Note to self - take better notes this year.

I hope that you have an awesome 2012. Here's to the new exciting things to come this year. Buckle up, cause I have a feeling it's going to be a crazy ride.

The Past Few Months

Okay, so I kind of disappeared again. But I have a good excuse. LIFE. I know, I know, everyone gets busy. It just seems like it's getting more difficult to do everything that I need to do and everything that I want to do. Instead of go, go, go, it's more like go, kind of move along, nap, and go again.

The past three months or so have been a bit of a blur, but a good blur. I have been in a relationship with a wonderful man for the past three months, I have been getting ready for all of the holidays and festivities, my job has been super busy and family stuff has been, well, interesting.

Though it has been difficult to keep up, I am going to try because this is one of the things that I love. I can't tell you how much I miss writing.

That's all for now. I really shouldn't be up this late. Good night!

I'm Back

Hello World!

I know I've been MIA for the past few months, but I've been a bit busy. My sister was in town, I had a birthday, work got crazy and I have a boyfriend. My days are consumed with work, my nights with family time and my weekends with spending time with my guy. But I miss writing. I miss typing for pleasure and not for work. This post isn't earth shattering or terribly exciting, but a bit of a blurb about recent happenings in my life.

Note to Self...

Don't go on a three hour hike when you haven't hiked in so long that you can't remember the last time you put your tennis shoes on for the express purpose of exercising. I'm exaggerating a little, but not much. For some reason I had a ton of energy Saturday morning and I called my dad to ask him if he'd like to go on a hike. He said yes and we were off to Eaton Canyon.

If you've never been to Eaton Canyon, I recommend you go. The main trails are wide, well marked and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. But make sure you're up for the hike. I'm sure that someone is going to read this and laugh because it's not that big of a deal, but to a novice like myself, it's huge. We spent a good 45 minutes hiking to a shady spot almost to the waterfall in the park and then sat to enjoy our lunch. It was so much fun to sit on the rocks, dip my feet in the cool water and enjoy my fresh egg white salad from Trader Joe's. After about a half hour we decided to head back to the parking lot and leave. On the way down the trail, we stopped to stretch, which I thought would be enough, and then we got in the car.

I was fine on Sunday, but by Monday morning I was seriously hurting. That's when I realized that I really do need to jump on the exercising-regularly bandwagon. I want to be able to go on hikes and not feel like I'm going to die two days later. Lesson learned. Less couch and more walking.

Redhead Review: Boots Brand at Target

Dark circles under my eyes, a massive pimple that resembles a third eye and an uneven skin tone. Normally those would be huge problems. But with some Boots beauty and skin care products, they're barely a blip on my beauty radar.

When my mom and I were walking through the cosmetics section at Target a few weeks ago, there was a Boots representative offering free advice and she told us what she thought we should try. I have spent a lot of money on beauty creams, masks, lotions and potions that were supposed to have been perfect for my skin type, but that didn't work. And I'll admit that I was more than a tad skeptical about the makeup and skin care line found at Target, but after trying three of its products, I'm sold.

The first product that I bought and fell in love with was the Boots Expert Anti-Blemish Toner. This is by far the best toner I have used. Most of the other more expensive toners I have tried, sting when applied and make my skin feel so dry and tight that it feels as if it will crack. Instead of strong chemicals and alcohol, the Boots brand is made with willow bark extract to help ward off unwanted blemishes and treat existing inflammation.

Next on my list was the face scrub. I've never really had a terrible problem with acne, but lately I have been breaking out more than usual and I came across this scrub, which doubles as a weekly mask. Instead of spending oodles of cash on ten different skin care products, I only had to buy one. The Anti-Blemish 2-in-1 Scrub and Mask cleanses, exfoliates and cleans deep down to leave my skin feeling clean and fresh. My skin started clearing up one day after using this as a mask. It is amazing.

My third and perhaps my favorite Boots product so far is the Complexion Refining liquid foundation, which is part of the Botanics line. Not only does the foundation go on smoothly, it stays on the skin and does exactly what the label promises. My complexion looks fantastic, my skin looks smoother and my face doesn't look like it's caked with layers of makeup. Another great thing about this liquid foundation is the stick that's attached to the lid. I don't have to shake the bottle to get product. All I have to do is pull the lid off and use the makeup that's already on the stick. Genius. My favorite thing about this foundation is the way that it works into my skin to mask the red areas of my face.

Boots Botanics foundation and anti-blemish products are by far the best I have used. And the bonus––you won't be broke or have buyer's remorse after purchasing.

For less than $20 I have a more even skin tone, cleaner skin and fewer blemishes. What more could a girl want from a cosmetic and skin care line?

Guest Poster Extraordinaire

I've never been a guest poster--until now. Paul Angone of All Groan Up, has posted my article, "Just Get Your Degree." After a long day at my day job, I was at home surfing the Internet when I found his site. Let's just say that I fell in love with the idea. He's creating a community for those of us who grew up, went to college, graduated and then said, "what the heck!" A college degree hasn't automatically opened up doors to the perfect career and the meaning of adulthood. Instead, it has left many with tons of debt, disappointment and questions. One question that I used to ask all the time was, "what was the point?"

A huge thank you to Paul for recognizing that those of us who worked really hard to get to this point in life and find ourselves lost, need a voice.

And don't forget to read about his new book, "Are You My Life?: Searching for Self, Faith and a Freaking Job,"to be released in spring 2012.

Southern California Father's Day

Releasing frogs, eating seafood, sitting on the beach and watching a pendulum swing. Now that's an awesome Father's Day if I do say so myself. Saturdays are my days to go out and do stuff so I decided to celebrate the day with my dad a bit early. He and his girlfriend and I spent Saturday just enjoying the the weather and our time together.


It all started with my brilliant idea of releasing some frogs and tadpoles that I had caught about a month ago. They were all tadpoles when I caught them and all but three had morphed into frogs. We spent the late morning sitting on rocks near a stream, releasing my frogs and tadpoles and then watching them in the stream.

    

   

After releasing the frogs and tadpoles, we decided to stick our feet in the water and cool off before heading off to our next destination. It was amazing to stand in the stream and look one direction and see nothing but the mountains and look the opposite and see cars driving by on an overpass. It was a little piece of nature in the big city.

With growling stomachs and great anticipation, we drove to Malibu Seafood, in beautiful Malibu California. According to my dad I've been going there since I was in a bucket. It seemed fitting to enjoy a Father's Day lunch at the seafood shack that's responsible for dozens of happy family memories. After finishing off our meal of fish and chips, clam chowder and fried scallops, it was off to the water. We crossed Pacific Coast Highway, found a spot on the sand and put our towels down.

We made sure we brought crackers for our seagull friends and they were very pleased. One seagull decided that he was the boss and he perched on the remnants of a sand castle waiting for his share. It wasn't long before the rest of his buddies caught on and flocked toward our towels, waiting patiently for their turn to try and catch the next cracker that flew toward them. When they decided that we were really out of treats and that we weren't hold out on them, they flew off in search of their next meal. Soon after we decided to pack up our beach gear and drive toward Los Angeles. Canter's Deli was our next stop where we enjoyed coffee and dessert before ending up at the Griffith Observatory.

One of my favorite places to go is the Griffith Observatory, which sits high above L.A. in Griffith Park. The top of the observatory is a great place to go to look out over the city. At night everything seems to glow. One of the best things about it is that admission is free. We wandered around outside and made our way to the Tesla Coil for the last demonstration of the night. Finally we watched the pendulum that demonstrates how the earth moves. All in all, Saturday was a pretty busy day, but it was one of the best days that I've had in a long time. I love Southern California. Happy Father's Day Dad.

Mean Girls Never Grow Up

You know that one girl in high school who was really popular, often pretty and really, really mean? Yes you do. You can picture her. Perhaps you were that girl.

"Who me?" you ask.

"Yes you!" I exclaim.

I've concluded that mean girls never change. They remain the same and they never ever grow up. Some of you might be thinking that I need to grow up because I'm harping on a subject that is so overplayed and so old, that it's well old. But I just need to vent. I'd like to get it out before my glorious three day mini-vacation weekend.

A mean girl is like a hawk. She can smell weakness and blood, and she circles and waits for the opportunity to swoop down and snatch up her defenseless prey with her razor-sharp talons. She's been trained to prey on the weak. And when she's done with the carcass of her prey she moves on to the next helpless creature unlucky enough to be in her view.

What's really sad is that this doesn't just happen in high school. This pattern of seek and destroy, follows the mean girl throughout adulthood. I'm sure that there is some repentance and that some mean girls do change, but many grow up to be seasoned master-manipulators and well something else that I'm just too polite to say.

I'm done with my rant. I'm not bitter, just irritated. There are times that I wish I could be mean right back, but that's just not my nature. Instead I'm going to work on getting better at standing up to the mean girls and moving on with my life. Who wants to be the same person they were in high school? Not I.

Green

Green, green, green. Did I mention green? I absolutely love the color green. I'm not sure why, but I have always gravitated to some shade of the color of the eco-friendly. It's not that I'm an eco freak or an extremist tree hugger. I have nothing against them. Eco freaks and tree huggers need love too. I just love most things that are green. There are certain shades like the split-pea-baby-puke green and the neon-so-bright-it's-blinding green that are not really my cup of tea, but overall, it's my favorite color. And it really makes me happy.

When I envision my perfect house, I picture clean lines and simple white furniture and green accents throughout. I also imagine a garden filled with luscious green foliage and a lot of bright cheerful flowers. Green is more than just a color to me. It makes me happy. When I think about green I can't help but smile. I know it sounds a bit wacky, but green truly lifts my spirits.

It's Just a Name Right?

Have you ever really thought about names and how you associate them with certain types of people or certain people in your life? Perhaps I'm the only one whose weird enough to think about names as much as I have. I've mostly thought about names regarding children. I'm nowhere near the point of having children, but I have thought about what names I would choose.

For the longest time I wanted to have a daughter and name her Lola Rose. Why Lola? I'm not quite sure, I just really liked it. Then someone so kindly pointed out that it sounded like a stripper name. Thanks. Then I thought Ava or Elle, but now those are becoming really popular with the yuppy set. Okay three down. I then had the brilliant idea of naming my future daughter after her paternal grandmother. Her name was quickly shot down by several people in my life because it "sounds too old fashioned." And then there are the names that I could never choose because I would just associate my kid with a horrible memory. For instance, I've never known a sane Marilyn. I'm sure that there are many wonderful Marilyn's out there somewhere, I just haven't had the luck of meeting one. 

What about boy names? That's a whole other can of worms. I love names such as Warren and Phillip and yes, I will admit it Huckleberry. Yes, Huckleberry sounds like a joke, but Mark Twain is one of my favorite authors and I just loved reading about Huckleberry Finn and I love the name. The jury is still out on Warren, but Phillip is a lost cause for me because of one of my least favorite television personalities. All of this name association could really drive a person nuts. I don't know what I'm going to do when I actually do start to have children. 

Maybe that will be my husband's job. He can name the kids. I'll take care of naming the animals. No one's going to care if I name my cat Lola Rose, right? And I can name my great dane Huckleberry. Oh good, I'm so glad it's settled. Now all I have to do is find a man and get married. 

Garden Phase One

Taking walks during lunch breaks, going to the gym regularly, gardening after work. Who is this person? I haven't had this much energy for years. It's absolutely incredible. I feel like getting out and actually doing stuff. And looking forward to working in the garden is something totally new. My front garden has turned into my latest project. My plan is to turn it into a mostly native plant garden. I started a couple of weeks ago by ripping out an old ficus tree and ended up cutting back spider plants, decorating with rocks, planting succulents and finding a new home for the hose. This is what I have done so far.

 After I cleared out the weeds and a lot of the dead plants, I made a place for the pot that now holds the hose. With a little effort the hose decided to cooperate and stay in the pot. Instead of being piled up in a tangled mess on top of the plants, the hose is now tucked away and out of view. When I finished with the hose I was able to figure out where the plants should be placed.

Now I'm no landscaper, but the designing was my favorite part. One of the best features of my new garden, is the design that I created with the rocks. I couldn't believe it when I found them, but the rocks were on sale for less that $2.00 a bag. I bought two, which is more than enough for the entire garden.

With the border complete, I got a little creative and poured the rocks out in two wavy lines. My garden isn't quite finished, but it's getting there. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Now I just have to decide what to do with all of the spider plants and how to make those look pretty. So many ideas. Time to go back to the nursery. I think I need a bigger garden.

Blogging Overload

My head is swimming with ideas for my blog. My highest hopes are that I start to write the most amazing blog ever written by a 20 something single woman and that it draws the attention of millions and I make enough money to retire by the time I am 30. Okay, a little farfetched, but anything is possible right? What to write? I read a few posts about blogging and anonymity and they were all good. One blogger said to go for it without any hesitation and just lay it all out there for everyone to see. The second said to hide everything, even photos. Then there was the third who said that there is a happy medium. Throw a bone here and there, but don't give it all away because mystery keeps the reader's attention. With my first blog, which was my senior project, I displayed everything. It was a professional example of my work. This blog is a bit more personal. I am writing about my weight loss for heaven's sake. I don't know how much more personal I can get. I suppose that I could share my "before" photos that a dear friend was kind enough to take so that I can look back and see how far I came, but that might just scare everyone. Heck, they scared me.

I'm going to have to think about this. I don't want to hide because I'm tired of being afraid. I'm so sick of all of the negative what ifs that constantly run through my head. I need to just take some advice that I recently received. If I am going to entertain the negative what ifs then I also need to entertain the positive what ifs. What if I get some followers? What if my blog is good? What if I'm able to become a full time writer? I like those what ifs. This might be a bumpy ride, but I'm going to give blogging about my life a shot.

Facing My Fears

Blogging, or writing for that matter, is an extremely personal experience. Will readers like what I write? Will they think it's stupid? Will they think I'm stupid? Questions like that constantly plague me when i write. But I've come to a point in my life where I'm tired of worrying about what people are going to think about me or say about me. I'm tired of being afraid. And I'm tired of doubting myself. This blog is going to be about my life and about what I think. If you've read my blog, you kind of have an idea of who I am as a writer. I would like to introduce to another part of myself.

Growing up I would look at myself in the mirror or hear myself talk and think, "Oh, I got this from Mom," or "Oh, I got that from Dad." Well I sure missed out on some of what makes my dad my dad. The man could eat an elephant and lose two pounds. I can look at a piece of chocolate cake from across the room and gain five. Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but it's almost that bad. And for years I have blamed it on different things from medication, to genes, to you name it. But blaming ultimately doesn't do me any good. It's time for things to change. So here I go. I'm starting a journey. I am a new member of Weight Watchers.

Am I intimidated? Yes. Am I afraid? Yes. But so what if I've tried dieting and losing weight countless times? So what if I make a few mistakes along the way? If I don't start now, I might never start. I'm not going to continue to put myself down and tell myself that I'm going to fail. Here's to putting one foot in front of the other and taking one small step at a time. And here's to faith that I am going to see this through by the grace of God.

A Little Gardening Inspiration

Its roots had broken through the bottom of the pot and had started to make their way under the front porch and the foundation. Godzilla, the seven foot tall ficus tree, was really getting on my nerves, so about a week ago I went outside, ripped its roots out of the ground, trimmed it and transferred it into a new pot. Four hours, a few bruises and a sore back later, the sucker was in a new pot and all of the ground where Godzilla had resided, was clear. I felt relieved, but then I realized that the garden in front of the porch needed a complete overhaul. The gardening bug really bit me.

I've done a lot of planning since last weekend. Different themes and plans have been racing through my head and I have finally decided to plant a garden filled with native plants. My inspiration came from the 8th Annual Theodore Payne Foundation Native Plant Garden Tour that I took with my mom this morning. All of the gardens that we visited on this self-guided home garden tour were colorful and full of plant life, but my favorite was a garden that featured a bright yellow flannel brush, a variety of succulents and delicate peach-colored blossoms that looked to be made of tissue paper.

I fell in love with the plants and the overall design as we walked through the front and back yards. Until today I had always thought of native plant gardens as gardens that were filled with cacti or succulents and little color. But I discovered that native gardens can be vibrant and fascinating. Watching the way that bees flitted from one blossom to another and the bugs that walked along the leaves of some of the most beautiful plants I have seen, was fascinating.

Now it's my turn to turn my ideas in to a reality using my new inspiration. I can't wait to see how my garden turns out. And I'm looking forward to sharing it.

*I would love to share the photos that I took, however, I feel that I cannot ethically do so. Photos for personal use were the only photos allowed.

Who I Am

As soon as my hands grasped the handlebars and my feet touched the pedals, it was as if I had never stopped riding. When you haven't done something for a while and you are able to pick it up again, you might say that it's like riding a bicycle. I never understood that saying when I was a child, until I rode my bicycle after not having ridden for quite some time. It wasn't something that I had to completely relearn. Everything seemed to just come back.

That's how it is with writing. No matter how long it's been, picking up a pen or touching the keys on my keyboard just feels right. My brain knows that it's time to write and the words just come. Now this doesn't mean that I have some super ability to write perfectly or that what I write is anything spectacular. It's just my way of knowing that writing is something that I was made to do.

Growing up I used to envy my younger sister's ability to pick up on mathematical equations and learn foreign languages, because I thought that would make my life easier. But acing chemistry and speaking three languages fluently just wasn't in the cards for me. Instead I was dissecting the words of Shakespeare and F. Scott Fitzgerald and spending free time filling up pages of journals and notebooks.

And though writing classes and journalism classes in particular taught me to avoid cliches like the plague, hindsight truly is 20/20. Looking back at my time in high school and college and all of the pivotal moments when choosing a major and a path were considered, I'm thankful for the way that my path was laid out. Step by step and turn by turn writing became clearer and clearer as my destination.

There have been times, many times, when doubt has plagued me; times when money was tight and when obtaining a writing position seemed impossible. But through it all one truth has stuck with me. I am a writer.