Vinyl

Why is it that music sounds so much better on vinyl?  I think its because that is how music is meant to be listened to.  I borrowed my sister's record player today and have been listening to records for the past few hours.  I started with Johnny Mathis then made my way to Sinatra and now James Taylor is making my ears melt, lol.  I honestly love music, all types of music and I do not know what I would do if I couldn't listen to music.  A world without music is not just quiet, its lifeless.  One of my resolutions of 2013 is to but my own record player and start collecting records.  My "playlist" for tonight consists of Journey, Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Elvis.  Some of my favorite classics.  So tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and unfortunately I was unable to complete most of my 2012 goals.  But I am not too worried, I had a pretty rough year but considering all that I went through it was still a fun year that I wouldn't trade for anything.  I am hoping to make 2013 a better year in a lot of ways.  I am looking forward to new beginnings and new adventures.  Here is to the new year!  I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday!

2013 Here I Come!

Happy Holidays everyone!  I am aware that this is a little late, but better late than never right.  I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season, and hope that I am as blessed next year as I was this year.  I cannot believe that 2013 is only a few days away.  2012 literally flew by, but these past two months have dragged on for me and I will be very happy when this year is over.  A new year means new beginnings and a chance at a fresh start, and I plan to take full advantage of that fresh start.  One of my main goals for the new year is to take control of my life.  I stress the small stuff too much and it has been making me physically sick.  If I want to move forward I need to de-clutter my life; mind, body, and soul.  That means getting rid of toxic people, toxic thoughts, and toxic foods.  I need to start congratulating myself on my accomplishments no matter how small they are.  I need to decide what I want to do with my life, because I am not sure that teaching is my dream anymore.  I need to detox my body to get rid of all of the poison that I have been consuming for the past couple of years.  I need to forgive myself and remember that I am human and make mistakes.  I need to take responsibility for my life because it is my life after all, and I want to be the only person who controls it.  I want to make myself happy, by putting myself around happy people and in happy situations.  I want to continue to laugh everyday, because a day with out laughter is a day wasted.  I want to enjoy every moment I spend with my family because they mean everything to me, and I know that we will not always be together.  I want to keep my grades up in school, school is very important to me and since I have started working I have put it on the back burner which is not the smartest idea.  I want to do what is best for me without worrying about hurting some one's feelings in the process.  I want to love; my family, my friends, my pets, my books, my journals, and my ideas.  I want to be loved because I deserve it.  I want so many things for the new year, so here is my new year's resolution; I want to be happy and healthy, both mentally and physically.  So if anyone out there reads this blog, I hope that your holidays have been merry and bright, and I hope you have a safe and happy new year!

How?

As I sit here writing this post all I can ask is, how?  How can someone end the lives of so many innocent children and teachers?  How can someone wake up one morning and decide that they want to destroy the lives of countless families?  It is so sickening that there are people out there who take pleasure in the pain of others.  20 children will never grow up, they will never ride their bikes again or see their friends again.  They will never go to prom or graduate from high school and get into the college of their dreams.  They will never hug their parents again or laugh again.  These families will never be the same and they will never recover from this unthinkable tragedy.  It is truly a sad day in our nation when children are not even safe in their own school.  Schools are supposed to be our home away from home, our safe havens, not the scene of tragedy and despair.  Everytime I hear an update on this story I cannot help but cry, as an educator I am thinking about my own students who are four years old.  It breaks my heart to even think that someone can look a helpless child in the face and hurt them.  Nothing that anyone says to those families will bring their children and loved ones back, all they have now are memories of lives that once were.  Hug your loved ones and tell them that you love them everyday, please.  God now has 29 more angels in heaven, and all we can do is pray for the families of those victims.  God Bless.

Mentally Exhausted

Well the title of this post says it all, I am mentally exhausted, lol.  Work is draining the life out of me, trying to keep up with 15 four year olds everyday is so tiring.  I am trying to get my energy level up so if anyone reading this has any suggestions I would really appreciate them, lol.  I know that I am a terrible blogger so I promise I will try to post more and post some things other than stories from my sad life, lol.  So here we go...  Here are few things I am really loving right now:



The Holidays



 Five Below! Seriously, this store allows you to Christmas shop with out going broke, lol.



My local Country radio station!  They get me up and out the door in the morning.



My favorite holiday movie!





These are a few things that I am really loving right now! I love the holidays and am so looking forward to getting a break from things for a week or two!







December?!?!

Is it really December 2nd already?  I can't even believe it, lol.  I have been so busy with work and school that I haven't been on my computer for reasons other than school, for like a week.  As usual I am excited about the holidays and getting a break from school and being able to spend time with my family.  All I want to do is drink hot chocolate and watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas, lol.  The holidays always give me an opportunity to reflect on the year before and see how I have grown or changed.  Last year I was so worried about buying gifts that I am now in credit card debt, but this year we set a limit of $30 per person per gift.  I have already done some shopping and gotten a few things, and I actually bought something for myself :)  This year has been filled with a lot of ups and downs, but I am determined to make next year a great one.  I have a lot to be thankful for and I am very blessed to have a loving family, food to eat, and a roof over my head.  So this holiday season I will not stress over gifts and presents, all I want to do on Christmas day is eat some good food, drink lots of coffee and hot chocolate, dance my ass off, sing til my throat is sore, watch Christmas movies, and enjoy every minute of time I get to spend with my family.  I am so looking forward to Christmas!

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving

Well, it's been a while since I have posted on this blog.  I have been so busy with life that I just haven't had the time or energy to write anything not related to school or work.  So yesterday was Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for this year.  First and foremost, my family.  They mean everything to me and everything I do is to make them proud of me.  I am also thankful to have the opportunity to go to school and get an education that is going to help me further my career.  Speaking of my career, I am thankful to have a job this year.  I am also thankful to be able to help my mom pay bills with the money I make from that job.  I am thankful that we were able to enjoy an amazing dinner yesterday filled with good food and good laughs, it was really special to me.  I am also thankful for my friends, I don't have many but the ones I do have are very important to me and I am glad to have them in my life.  I am also thankful to be healthy, aside from a serious cold and/or mild case of the flu last week.  I am just thankful to have the life that I have right now, and to be spending it with people who I care about.  So happy (belated) thanksgiving to everyone out there, I know most of you are recovering from all of the food you devoured yesterday and again today, and I am in the same boat :)  I hope that you have as many reasons to be thankful this year as I do.

21 Years And Not Much To Show For It

So I am 21 years old. I have spent the majority of my life in school or thinking about school.  If I were to die tomorrow I wouldn't have much to show for the 21 years of life I have lived.  I have never been out of the country, I have never even been farther from home than Washington D.C.  I haven't done anything exciting or really anything that much fun to be honest.  My life has been extremely boring up until now, but I really want to change that.  I want to get out and meet people and make friends.  I want to experience things and go on adventures that I want to tell people about.  I want to travel the world and learn about different cultures.  I want to live with no regrets because life is too short to sit at home on my computer waiting for something exciting to happen.  I have to make it happen, and that is what I am going to start doing.  I made a list last year of 101 things that I wanted to do this year, and I do not have much of that list completed and that's ok.  I went through a lot this year and I am just happy to be where I am today.  But I have already started writing my list of 101 things to do in 2013 and I intend to complete everything on that list.  I have some really fun things on that list and I am hoping that I will be able to complete them all and have a great year.  So here is to making the most of every moment we are given!

Thursday's Thoughts

Another week is almost over, these weeks are really flying by, lol.  Well this week I am thinking about apperances.  Things are not always what they appear to be, sometimes something that is pretty on the outside is not so pretty in the inside.  And vice versa.  I learned that hard way this week.  I thought that just because a school is in a nice area and everything seems great during the interview process doesn't mean that it is going to be great once you get there.  I also learned that people show their true colors when all the smoke has cleared and sometimes those colors are ugly shades of black and green.  Now on to my good thoughts for the week.  My baby bro turns 16 today, and I am in shock.  I can't believe that he is already 16 years old, I remember the day he came home from the hospital.  So in honor of my little brother's 16th birthday here is are a few pictures of the two of us.



Thursday's Thoughts

Happy Thursday everyone!  And what a wonderful Thursday it has been for me.  First of all I have FINALLY found a job, a really great job that I know I will love.  Secondly I am blessed with a wonderful family and friends who support me in everything I do.  So my thoughts for today are thoughts about how blessed, lucky, excited, nervous, anxious, and crazy happy I am.  I haven't felt this good in a very long time, things have been pretty rough for me but I know that they are going to get better I can feel it.  Things are not perfect because there is no such thing as perfect, but they are pretty darn good right now :)  Have a great Thursday everyone!

I thought this was too cute not to share!



What I Am Really Loving Right Now...

So here are a few things that I am really loving right now!

Music: Dolly Parton - Jolene

This is the most played song on my iTunes. I love the vulnerability of this song but also the courage behind it. And I mean seriously look at that hair! Hello, Dolly! (Yes I am weird, lol)

Food: Dunkin' Donuts

Isn't he cute!

Then again when am I not loving Dunkin' Donuts, lol. What I really love about them is their coupons, I have never gone to Dunkin' Donuts and paid full price for anything! 

Fashion: Fall

I am loving anything and everything fall! Boots, sweaters, scarves, and did I already mention boots ;) This would be my ultimate fall outfit, I am in love with the way this outfit is put together!

I feel like I am into something new everyday, but when it comes to things I love I am pretty consistent in what I am feeling.  So, if any of you are loving something right now I would LOVE to hear about it!

Thursday's Thoughts

So I can't believe that its Thursday already!  This week has really flown by, I am also at the halfway point in my first class!  Yay me, lol!  So today I have been thinking about a lot of things, but then again what else is new.  I have been thinking about sweaters, books, hot chocolate, hot coffee, and fall.  I recently got a book that I am super excited to read, its an American Literature book from 1923!  The best thing about it is that it was free!  Other than catching up on my reading, I have been seriously thinking about my future.  I think that things may be falling into place, so here's to hoping that they stay that way.  I have a clue of what I want to do professionally, aside from being a pre school teacher I would love to travel and teach in other countries.  Personally, I have no clue what direction I am heading in.  I know that I want to move, I'm just not sure where.  Every time I think I have decided where I want to move, I change my mind (I can be fickle at times, lol).  Luckily I still have tons of time to think about all of this, ok maybe not tons, but definitely pounds :)  So here is to enjoying the fall weather, hot chocolate, and reading! 



Beautiful!



Yummy!





October?!?!

Seriously, where did October come from?  I feel like yesterday was Labor Day and yet here we are on October 2nd.  I cannot wait for the days where I can't go outside without my coat and boots!  I hope that we have a blizzard this winter, lol.  We hardly got any snow last year and I really want snow.  I feel like the final 3 months of the year have the most exciting activities packed into them.  First my brother's birthday on the 25th of this month, I cannot believe that he is going to be 16!  I remember when he first came home from the hospital, he is growing up :(  Next up is Halloween which I am really looking forward to because I have planned a pretty funny costume for this year.  Then Thanksgiving and last but not least Christmas!!!! I love Christmas so much, it is my favorite holiday after all.  This year we are doing things a little differently, we have a limit on how much we can spend on gifts.  The limit is $30 per person.  I decided to do this because I went broke last Christmas only to realize that the gifts didn't even matter at the end of the day.  What mattered was all the fun we had singing, eating, and dancing that night.  So as these next few months creep up on us, just try and remember what these holidays are really about.  Spending time with loved ones laughing, singing, and dancing.



Can't wait to have a repeat of this :)





Lack Of Sleep

I have a confession to make, I love sleep.  Then again who doesn't?  Vampires I guess, lol, besides vampires I think that everyone loves sleep.  So when I do not get enough sleep I get very upset.  Last night/early this morning my sweet dreams were disturbed by this...

This is my cat Manderz.  As you can see she is very cute, but can be very annoying when she wants to be, lol.  My bed is smaller than a twin bed so I barely fit on it without falling off, add Manderz and we have a problem.  But if I do not let her in my room she sits outside my door and bangs on it with her paw, so I let her in to try and get some sleep.  Well it wasn't happening last night.  So I am tired, but surprisingly not that upset.  I don't usually function very well on 5 hours of sleep but I seem to be doing pretty good today.  Happy Sunday everyone, enjoy it before those Monday Morning Blues!



Thursday's Thoughts

I have decided to try something new called Thursday's Thoughts.  Every Thursday I will talk about what I have been thinking about each week.  This week's Thursday's Thoughts deal with adventure.  I have never been on an adventure in my life.  I have never been out of the country and the farthest away from home I have ever been is Washington D.C.  My life has been pretty boring up until now, but I hope to change that.  I want to travel the world and see new places and experience new things.  I want to meet new people with exciting stories to tell.  Now that I am older, I think about leaving home quite often and going on an adventure.  Sometimes I feel like Bilbo (any Lord of the Rings fans out there, lol) and want to go on an adventure so badly without thinking about what could happen.  But hopefully, like Bilbo, I will learn from my adventures and have amazing stories to tell when they are complete.  (Yes I am comparing myself to a Hobbit, and yes I am a nerd, lol).  My point is, what is life with out adventure? What is life without excitement?  It's boring, lol.  And I am tired of my life being boring, so my thoughts for today are, how do I find excitement and adventure in life?   Will I have important stories to tell in the future?  Would someone be interested in reading a book about my life? 



La La Means I Love You

What is love?  We can't see it or touch it, but we definitely feel it.  And that is what makes it real.  Love is a beautiful thing.  Who am I to tell someone who to love?  That answer is simple: I am in no position to tell anyone who to love.  Love is not something that we can control, it is a force that is bigger than anything on this Earth. Love defies logic, common sense, practicality, but not gravity because when we fall in love we fall hard.  I am just so happy to have people in my life who I love and who love me in return.  We don't have to think about it we just love each other, faults and all; and that is what love truly is.  Loving someone no matter what.  I am blessed to have a family that I love unconditionally and who love me unconditionally.  Love comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms and my only hope is that everyone out there has at least one person in their life that loves them unconditionally.  Good night everyone and if you love someone tell them, it's always nice to hear that someone loves you. 



What I Am Really Loving Right Now...

I am constantly falling in love.  I fall in love with movies, music, recipes, videos, poems, food, drinks, animals, candy, feelings, and clothing all the time.  Right now, I am really loving The Civil Wars.  I am sure that I am probably late in finding this duo, but better late than never right :)  I have been listening to their album Barton Hollow on repeat for about two weeks now.  Their music is just so soothing, in a country blues type of way.  I am in love with their sound, their image, and most importantly their talent. 

This is my favorite song of theirs!

Other than extremely beautiful music, I have fallen in love with temperatures in the 60's in my area.  Goodbye Summer and hello Autumn!  Bring on the sweaters, boots, dark wash jeans, scarves, and pumpkin flavored everything :)  So, if you are really loving something right now, tell me about it in the comments!   

New Beginnings and New Fears

Happy Sunday everyone.  Tomorrow will be the last day of my first week of school and it has been a little rough on me.  I have been out of schools for 10 months and going back is taking a lot out of me.  First off I am taking way more notes than I ever took in the past, I guess you could say that is a good things because it means I am serious about school :)  But even with all of the stress I could not be happier about continuing my education.  It is something that is very important to me and something that I want to succeed in.  I am hoping that going back to school will be the start of a new beginning for me, because Lord knows I need one.  Last year was pretty tough on me emotionally and so was the first half of this year, but I am determined to make a change in my life for the better.  Now, along with new beginnings come new fears, of course.  Will I be good enough?  Am I smart enough?  Will I be able to handle the pressure?  Will I disappoint those who believe in me?  Those are all questions to which I have no answers.  I do not know if I will be good enough, but I am going to try my hardest.  I don't know if I am smart enough, but I'm going to study and take as many notes as possible and ask for help when I need it.  I am not sure if I will be able to handle the pressure, but I am going to try and manage my time and assignments so that I am not trying to complete 5 things at one time.  Finally, I have no idea if I will disappoint those who believe in me, then again if they really believe in me than there is no way to disappoint them.  What I am trying to say is that I have fears, who doesn't?  But I hope that the way I overcome those fears defines me as a person, I hope that I can inspire myself and maybe along the way inspire others.  So, here is to new beginnings and the new fears that come along with them! 

Back To School

Back to school I go!  Yes, that's right Tuesday is my first day back in school.  I have been out of school for almost a year and I have to say that I do miss it.  I had a great summer, but now it is time for me to get down to business :)  I am working toward my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and I am studying online with Ashford University.  I am excited to just hurry up and get my degree already, but I will wait patiently, lol.  In other news things in my personal life are not too shabby either.  I always feel like things go so much smoother in life when you have someone to talk to who supports you.  Well I have a few people like that in my life right now and I couldn't be happier to have them along for this ride with me.  I am learning that life has it's own plan and sometimes you just have to let it take its course and hang in there.  Tomorrow is the start of a new week and I intend to make it count.  I want to keep my GPA up, I want to eat better, I want to exercise more, and I want to enjoy life more.  So here is to new beginnings and a new life starting tomorrow!

Land Of Confusion

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a great weekend, I did.  So I am almost officially a student again, however I think that we are all students until the day we die because we are learning and experiencing new things everyday, but I will save that for another post ;)  I decided to go back to school online because I really think that having my Bachelor's degree will open up more doors for me career wise.  I am excited to get back into the routine of writing papers, studying for exams, and researching.  When I was growing up I wasn't a fan of school, I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either.  Now that I am older I really appreciate the fact that I am able to go to school and learn all that I can.  So here is to 2 more years of higher education!  I am also excited to be voting in the coming election.  I was not old enough to vote in the last presidential election so this is a first for me.  It is so important that young people get out there and vote so that our voices can be heard.  Elections determine our future and I really don't like when people complain about elected officials but didn't even take the time to go out and vote.  It doesn't matter who you vote for as long and you believe in that person and that they can make a difference in this world.  I titled this post Land of Confusion because even though it seems like I finally have it all together I am once again still confused.  I guess that I will always be confused about something in my life and for once I am ok with that.  I have learned that things are not going to be easy and the best things are worth fighting for.  So I am going to fight for the future that I want for myself and hopefully I will come out victorious.  You have to fight for what you believe in and I believe in myself, so to all of you out there who do not think that you are worth fighting for, you're wrong.  Fight for what you believe in and you will win, end of story. 

Weekend Warrior

It is finally Friday and I could not be more thrilled!  My weekend will consist of shopping for yummy, healthy food.  I love going food shopping.  The supermarket is seriously my favorite store in existence.  I love looking at all the produce and picking my fruits and veggies.  The smell of fresh peaches, strawberries, and oranges make me so happy, lol.  I love food if you couldn't already tell, but more importantly I love healthy food.  I don't always eat healthy but I want to change that, I want to change my entire diet.  When I eat healthy foods I feel good, I have energy, bright eyes, and a better complexion.  When I eat junk I feel like junk, and it shows.  So I am determined to change my diet and in turn change my lifestyle.  Losing weight will just be the tip of the ice berg for me because I don't only want to loose weight I want to be healthier and lead a healthier lifestyle.  I hope that everyone has a great weekend!  Go out and do something fun!   

Took Me Long Enough!

So, as I mentioned in an earlier post I participated in a scavenger hunt of downtown Philadelphia a few weeks ago.  Well here are the pictures that my brother and I took from that day.  Enjoy!