Halloween Nonsense

This will not be organized. I'm way to excited for organization.

Here is a picture of me from Halloween's in the past.

 
I hope you enjoy. I look the same. 

I just want to take a moment to view some nostalgic Halloween things.

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

 

TIA AND TAMARA

 

Halloweentown (forever my favorite)

 

the best cereals

 

carving pumpkins (and being crafty)

 

SUGAR

That's just a few. I'm seriously going crazy right now from all the sugar and excitement of today.

My friends are wonderful. Today was perrrrfect.


I love holidays. Halloween is especially fabulous. 
 

A History of Halloween

Are you ready? I'm super ready!

For whatever reason, I actually enjoy doing a little research on things. So, what could be more fitting than doing a little research on the origin of Halloween? NOTHING.

Once upon a time, on a dark stormy night... 

Just kidding. That's not how Halloween started. {I don't think. I guess it could have been raining... I wasn't there.}

Halloween probably came from a Celtic festival called Samhain (pronounced 'sah-win'), that marked the end of summer. [For us down here in Alabama and Georgia, it still feels like summer.] These festivals usually involved a bonfire, because bonfires are great and everyone loves s'mores. {That may or may not be the actual reason, but I think it has some pretty strong support.} They believed that on October 31, the dead and living worlds overlapped, allowing the dead to com back to life (spooky).

Costumes are quite possibly the most exciting part of Halloween (aside from being on a sugar high all day). The Celts also started the tradition of wearing costumes on Halloween. They believed if they disguised themselves, the spirits wandering around during Samhain wouldn't noticed them.


Trick-or-treating developed separately from Celtic traditions. FUN FACT: It was first called "souling". In medieval Ireland and Britain, poor people would walk around to other people's homes on Hallowmas [November 1]. People would give the beggars food as long as they promised to pray for the dead on All Souls Day [November 2].

Somehow, by magic probably, all of these thing came together to create the Halloween we know today. {It probably wasn't magic, sadly. It was most likely the nifty way that Americans have of taking things, turning them into their own, and making a million things for you to buy.}

More Fun Facts (about Halloween):

• Halloween is the second highest commercial holiday after Christmas.
• Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
• Other names for Halloween include All Hallow's Eve, Witches Night, Lamswool, Snap-Apple Night, Samhain, and Summer's End.
• Halloween may also have been influenced by the Roman festival celebrating the harvest goddess, Pomona.
• The word "bonfire" come from Druid priests who threw the bones of cows into the large fires during Samhain. 
• Halloween has been around for 6,000 years. 
• A lot of countries see Halloween has overly commercialized by Americans.

Now, you have been educated. You can enjoy your festivities tomorrow and surprise people with this new knowledge you possess.

  

Halloween Puppy Chow

This is the first of several Halloween posts. Prepare yourself.

Puppy chow. Muddy buddies. White Trash. I've heard a lot of different names for it, but it's always just as amazing (and almost addictive... what?)

This is a food. {People give you the funniest looks when you tell them you're eating puppy chow.} 

Since it's almost Halloween (and I'm on a time crunch tonight), I thought I'd share my favorite recipe for puppy chow with a Halloween twist.

Warning: This a messy recipe, but trust me, it's definitely worth it. {It tastes fabulous.}

Ingredients:

• 9 cups Chex cereal
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups candy corn
• 1 1/2 cups Reese's Pieces
• 2 cups pretzels

Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate chips and add in the peanut butter. [I usually do this on the stove in a large pot, but you can do it in the microwave- be careful though because peanut butter burns easily]
2. Stir in vanilla.
3. Add the Chex to the peanut butter-chocolate mixer. Mix until all of the cereal is coated. [this seems difficult while you're doing it, but just keep mixing it in... it's not that hard]
4. Put the coated Chex in a large bag (zip-lock or paper bag). Add the powdered sugar, seal, and shake until coated.
5. Spread the cereal on wax paper to let it cool. [honesty time: I don't always do this, so it is okay to skip it]
6. Mix in candy corn, Reese's Pieces, and pretzels.

 

from: Sweet Treats and More

Et voila! You have a wonderful Halloween treat (or anytime. I would be okay with eating this anytime.)
 

Stay Beautiful

"Oh, how beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful!"

Song of Songs 4:1

Prepare for more sappy words of encouragement. 

I've mentioned before that I'm doing my senior project on photography. I love it! It's a challenge and a fun way to meet new people. {I love people.} 

Since starting my project, I've been noticing pictures in a different way than before. I've been paying especially close attention to the pictures of famous actors, actresses, and models on the covers of magazines. 

You know what I noticed? They always look perfect. They don't have acne. Their hair is voluminous (a great word). Their make-up is killer. And they definitely don't have that extra layer of plumpness hanging around their stomach.

Let's all be honest. At some point, we have all felt bad or wished we could change something about our bodies. But why? It's because we set our standards high and compare ourselves to those people on the front of magazines (you may have even done it subconsciously... trippy).

Well, here's a secret. [Actually, you probably already know this, but just play along because I'm trying to be encouraging and such]. They're fake. They have a team of people who work on them for hours to help them achieve that "perfect look". Before that, they've spent days, weeks, and months in the gym with personal trainers and at home watching what they eat. To top it all off, after their picture is taken, people go in with fancy editing software to touch up the imperfections they couldn't fix (those things that happen naturally to your body like wrinkles and creases). {I'm not saying every model, actor, or actress is like that, but in general, that seems to be the case.}

I've been doing a lot of research on the pressure teenagers feel to fit in with the standards, because that's what I decided to write my research paper about. It was easy for me to see how true all of it was, because, well, I'm a teenager, and I'm living it!

Short Story About Myself (that relates to this topic): I never really concerned myself with what I ate. I was always active enough with various sports to the point where I really didn't care. Last spring, something changed. I don't know what it was, but everything just hit me. I started worrying about what I ate and really watching things a lot more. Let me tell you, that sucked. I was constantly concerned with eating too much. I worked out all the time, too. I was probably doing abut 200 crunches a day. It was pretty bad. I wasn't anorexic or bulimic, but I was overly obsessed with my diet. Since then, I've gone back to eating normally, but it's been harder for me to control cravings and not feel guilty after eating a lot.

With all that being said, however, I've come to realize how essential it is to be happy with yourself. There's nothing wrong with setting goals and trying to be better; it becomes a problem when you make yourself feel bad and obsess over it.

It's so easy for us to feel bad about the way we look and to feel pressured to look a certain way. 

So, here's my advice:

1. Don't worry about everyone else.
2. Love yourself! (how cliche)
3. Accept your beauty.
4. [insert other corny statements that are completely true, and incredibly hard to accept]

Seriously, though, it's hard sometimes feeling like you're beautiful, especially when you're surrounded by so many other beautiful people. But, you have to stop looking for faults in yourself. Stop focusing on negative things.

As Taylor Swift once said...

P.S. I have mad respect for you if you actually read this whole thing. A lot of it was written for my own, personal encouragement, but I hope you got something out of it, too (even if it was girly, sappy, and cliche).

Insight from the Uninvited

"Don't miss out on life because you didn't get included in other's plans."

-Poppy

That's probably the best advice I got all week. Actually, I got a lot of really great advice, but I couldn't write it all down in the header. {that would be weird}

I'm pretty sure everyone knows what feels like to not get invited to something. It's an issue I've really been struggling with this year. But, last night, I finally had an epiphany!{and I decided to actually listen to people's advice}

Over the past few months, I've been busier than ever. I got a job. Senior project started. I'm spending time with my family. There is always something I should be doing (whether or not I'm actually doing that is another story). 

Because of all the craziness, it's been increasingly more difficult for me to find time to hang out with my friends. That doesn't mean I never have time to hang out with friends. I definitely do! I've just had to make the decision not to hang out with friends a lot more frequently than before. That leads to some feelings of being left out, even if I was invited.

Then, there are times when people have to make the decision not to invite someone. I mean, you can't always invite the whole school just so one person doesn't feel left out. I'll be honest (and state an obvious fact); being the person who doesn't get invited sucks. All your friends were there. They took pictures without you. They ate good food without you. They laughed without you. They talk about it later, but you can't join in the conversation.

We all know that's just no fun, but that's the way life is sometimes.

So, that's happened to me a few times over the past several months. It happens to everyone. My problem was, I let it get to me. I thought about it and wondered why I suddenly wasn't good enough to be with my friends anymore.

Then it hit me. {Actually, it didn't happen that fast. It took several late nights, long talks, and multiple texts messages with my parents.}

Sometimes, you just have to let things go. I've always had a hard time with that. I'm a planner (when things go differently than I expect, I really just don't know what to do with myself). I've told myself millions of times before that I shouldn't get so worked up about things, but I think I finally got it. 

Not getting invited to one party isn't going to ruin your life, and you shouldn't let it. Being angry about things really doesn't make them any better. In fact, it takes away from other things you could be doing instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself and wondering what's wrong.

I'll admit that's a hard lesson to learn. You know all of it's true. You can tell yourself that over and over again. Learning to let go, be happy, and forgive is the real lesson, though. 

So, I think I've finally learned that. I'm sure I'll still struggle with it occasionally, but I'd much rather just be happy. Being upset with your friends is no good (especially when they don't even realize they did anything to hurt you). 

Here's to letting go. Here's to being happy. Here's to living your life.

Another nugget of wisdom from Poppy: "Life is full of rejection and dejection! It's what you do with it that makes you who you are."

 

Women of the Club

I love my mom. I love reading.

I also love my friends. They have the coolest ideas. Since it's our senior year of high school, we decided to start a small book club- a mother-daughter book club. {reading and bonding}.

Being able to hear all sorts of different perspectives on the same book and just listen to everyone's stories , is just fabulous.  

My mom is a wonderful person. She has done so much more for me than I will ever be able to understand. {like, I can be a pretty awful kid sometimes, but she still loves me} I'll talk more about my mom's wonderfulness later (in another post).

The stories that the mothers in the group are able to tell are just amazing. They know so much. Each of the women in that group is strong and wise in their own way.

It's kind of crazy how little we listen to our parents until we get older, and then we realize how much they actually know and start paying attention (they told us that would happen... they were right about that, too).

Since it finally hit me that I am going to be leaving next year and I'll be semi-independent, I have become ridiculously clingy to my mom. That doesn't mean I've suddenly become the sweetest kid ever and I do everything I can to please her. I wish I did. I try to, but let's be honest, I'm still an emotional, hormonal teenager. 

I've been spending a lot more time with her. I talk to my mom about everything now. I'm not one of those kids who tries to hide things from their parents. [I really have nothing to hide.] My mom knows everything. She is honestly one of my greatest friends. I tell her everything. I melt down in front of her. I cling to her. She listens to me. She helps me and she loves me. Next year, without her, is going to be difficult.

The other moms seem just as amazing to me. Granted, I don't actually live with them, but based off of the way my friends have turn out, I can tell they are all great mothers, and amazing women. Each of the mothers, including my own, has been through things that I will never understand, but that really has shaped who they are (cliche). They give advice and offer wisdom and I LOVE THAT.

Listening to the different insights from the mothers and daughters about different aspects of the books, is truly one of my favorite things. I like the stories that come up. I like that we are honest with each other. We may not always agree about things, but that's what I like about it. 

So, basically nights like tonight with my mom make me happy. I want more times like these when I can just talk openly and honestly to my mom and the other moms. 

Moms are cool. I love 'em.

{For those of you wondering, so far we have read A Raisin in the Sun and The Glass Castle.}

Hello, Friday

Finally, it's Friday.

I would like to give a shout-out to myself for making it through this week.{You go, Jess!}

Today, I am starting a new type of post titled "Hello, Friday". Writing a post on Friday is always the most difficult. Believe it or not, I actually have a small social life, and I tend to get home late most Fridays (or sometimes, I just stay up talking to my parents and forget to write). Friday's posts are usually hastily written. They probably don't make much sense either [sorry].

"Hello, Friday" posts are pretty much just going to be me listing some of things that happened throughout the day. Normally, I'll include more pictures on Friday, but this one is just a trial/work in progress. I'll be better next time, okay? 

Ready. Set. GO.

Hello, early morning Starbucks date with Olivia. {Hello, caffine explosion.}

Hello, physics.

Hello, fall treats! {props to Remi for making this fabulous fall puppy chow- I'll post the recipe soon}

Hello, postponed math test. (YAY)

Hello, caffine crash. SIDENOTE: I do not handle caffine well. 

Hello, Life (the board game).

Hello, breast cancer awareness. {I spent fourth block running around the parking lot tying pink balloons onto cars}.

Hello, Charlie Brown Christmas Trick or Trunk... it was a bit last minute.

Hello, cold weather.

Hello, cat costume!!!
 

throwback to last year

Hello, scary movie. {I immediately regretted my suggestion to watch a scary movie}.

Hello, warm bed.

Happiness Is...

A new thing.

I don't mean happiness is a new thing to me; I'm starting a new thing {called Happiness Is...}.

I've been having a bit of a difficult week (as I mentioned yesterday). I don't like dwelling on the things that have made this week more challenging than others, so I try to think more positively. That's why I'm starting this new thing. Basically, I'm writing about the happiness I found in the day. 

Here we go!

Happiness is learning about something you're really interested in. I actually love my research paper topic.{It's very interesting and will be the topic of my blog on Monday.}

Happiness is talking to friends and family.

Happiness is cooking hundreds of cinnamon rolls. We've been preparing for a bake sale in Nutrition and Wellness to raise awareness for breast cancer. Everything is pink and sugar. 

Happiness is hearing the voice of someone you missed. Mitch Watts is the greatest ever. Millions of thanks to him for all that he's done. {he's a leader, a friend, a mentor, a supporter, and everything else!}

Happiness is finally having time to work out.

Happiness is watching kids run around at work. I work at The Kiddie Shoppe (owned by the always fabulous, Lindsey Morgan). No, we do not sell cats. It's a kids clothing store, so all day I get to watch the cutest kids play and talk to me while their parents shop. [Kids are the best.]

Happiness is being surprised. Trevor brought a milkshake to me at work today, and I just appreciate things like that.

Happiness is holding puppies.

Happiness is making other people happy. 
 
Life is wonderful {even when things are hard}. 

Come back tomorrow! I'm starting another new thing called Hello, Friday.

So, You Had a Bad Day

Some days are just more challenging than others.

I wouldn't say today was a bad day. Overall, it was pretty fine. It was just rough.

Let's not go into why it wasn't the best {that's no fun}; instead, I'm going to discuss how to deal with a no good day.

step 1: give up on eating healthy for the night.
step 2: set up your materials {you will need a bowl, a spoon, and an ice cream scoop}
step 3: locate the ice cream and cereal (flavor doesn't matter; just get it)
step 4: get several heaping scoops of ice cream [disregard how much. you had a rough day and you deserve it.]
step 5: throw some cereal on top.
step 6: EAT IT. eat it all. no regrets.

your final product should look like this

That definitely made me feel a lot better. 

Next time you're having a not so fabulous day, just remember this simple solution, and you'll be fine.

*I talked to my mom and poppy a little, too. That was also helpful. 

{Sorry to be so short tonight. I just really want to curl up in my warm bed and sleep.} 

Les Bons Temps

Il y a deux étés, j'ai voyagé en France pour vivre avec une famille pendant trois semaines.

Two summers ago, I traveled to France to live with a family for three weeks.

My experience in France was eye-opening, overwhelming, and fantastic.

I've wanted to speak French since I was little. My grandmother was a high school French teacher, so I was constantly surrounded by French books and phrases. I began learning French when I was smaller than I can remember by watching Disney movies in French and singing French songs. French has always been a big part of my life.

In high school, I was connected with the Junior Diplomat Program (a foreign exchange student program). Through the program, I met Marie Charlet from Saint-Omer, France. They matched us together based on our personalities and lifestyles. Marie spent three weeks at my house following my freshman year of high school. We easily became friends, and decided that I would stay with her family for three weeks the next summer.

We set everything up, and I was off to France.

CONFESSION: I cried at the airport when it was time to leave my parents. I really wasn't expecting to, but I was incredibly nervous and scared. Sometimes, you just feel small.

I kept a journal while I was in France. {I'm weird and I do things like that.} I wrote in it every day, and I'm really glad I did. Otherwise, I probably would have forgotten a lot of the things I did. I also wrote down new words I learned and kept random things in it.

a collection of flowers on a page of the journal

the last page in my notebook

 

I don't have the time or energy to talk about everything I did in France, so what did I learn while I was in France? (because everything is a learning experience, right?)

• French people speak very fast.
• I can fall asleep while sitting on a public metro in Paris.
• It is always safe to order any food item as long as you see that it has chocolate in it. [The first food I ate in France was pain au chocolat- bread with chocolate.]
• I love my family.
• I do not like alcohol. There is no legal drinking age in France, so I tried beer and wine a few times. It safe to say that I have no desire to drink ever.
• Different cultures have different morals. 
• Smoking is a gross habit.
• France is beautiful. {The people are even more beautiful.}
• It is much easier to pick up on a language than you would think. I was completely lost the first few days, but, by the end of the trip, I was able to understand almost everything.
• French people should be fat, but they aren't. I ate alllllll the time in France. The food was so perfect. nutella, bread, macarons, pasta, chicken. It was heaven.
• Having sunburn on your hands and feet is incredibly unpleasant. I got ridiculously sunburned in Nice. My nose was peeling for a solid two weeks.
• Kids are perfect. They understand even when no one else does.
• I am not good at card games.
• In France, they just watch a lot of American stuff with French voice-overs.
• Lizards can, in fact, be found everywhere. {funny story: Marie and I found a lizard in our room one night. We named him Randy, but then he escaped. To avoid waking up to a lizard on our face in the middle of the night, we pushed our small beds together in the middle of the room.}
• Motorcycles are pretty great.
• Laughing is always a good option.
• I LOVE ITALY. We were able to visit Italy for a day. It was beautiful. (Italian cappuccinos are my life) 
• Making friends, no matter what language you speak, is really not difficult.
• I love the markets in France. They're very open with just about anything you could ever want.
• McFlurries in France are wayyyyy cooler than the ones in America.
• Raspberry flavored things are better than strawberry.
• Everyone knows you're supposed to wish on a shooting star.
• There are no berets in France (unless you're in a tourist shop). They didn't even know what they were when I asked.
• While in a foreign country, never leave your dictionary more than a few feet away.

Every person I met in France was incredibly nice to me. They were generous and helpful. No one laughed at me for not understanding, they just found another way to explain it to me. 

The three weeks I spent in France were overwhelming sometimes. Sometimes, I was frightened. Other times, I felt alone. Most of the time, however, I was filled with laughter. I felt happy and loved.

Notre Dame

Saint-Omer, France

Marie's adorable little sister, Lila

What I really learned from going to France was how much I can really expect from myself. I went far beyond my expectations and became much more confident. 

A few things I learned that you might enjoy:

• salope: slut
• chatouiller: to tickle
• lezard: lizard
• putain: "a bad word, but we say it a lot"
• tranquille: quiet or to be calm
• prete: ready
• pet: fart
• dragueur(euse): to flirt
• Tu ne peux pas m'attrape: you can't catch me
• C'est bonne: It's good

A Relationship.

It's not a religion. It's a relationship.

I've said that a million times about being Christian. I truly believe that's the major difference between Christianity and other religions. I feel something. There is someone there listening to me and helping. I have a relationship with God.

So, as promised in Prayer in Islam, here are my thoughts on religion, specifically Christianity.

I'll start with my testimony. {I don't like that word. It sounds to "church-y". Story. Story is a better word for it.}

I was baptized as a baby. I went to a Christian school for about 11 years. I was part of my church's choir and youth. I went through confirmation. I attended church camp. I DID IT ALL. But, I didn't get it. I wasn't feeling the relationship or connection with God that everyone talked about. To be honest, I really did not understand what it truly meant to be a Christian.

The summer after my sophomore year, I went to France to live with a family for three weeks [I'll write about that experience]. I've never been one to get really homesick, but let me tell you, knowing that you family is 4,383 miles away is scary. I cried every single night for the first week I was there. I was overwhelmed and alone. I began doing something I hadn't done for years; I prayed.

I'd prayed plenty of times before, but this time I really prayed. I talked to God.

When I got home from France, things began to change. Not dramatically,  but slowly, over a series of several months. Jonathan and Lisa Moore came to our church. Lisa became my mentor and helped me to realize what it truly means to be Christian. We read through the book of John to explore Jesus' life. We went to Souled Out Winter, where I really felt God moving in me. They made me a part of the leadership team for The Corner Youth. I woke up earlier to have my quiet time, and I fell asleep praying. My day began and ended with my relationship with God. Things didn't become magically perfect. I certainly still make plenty of mistakes. I'm no where near perfect, and I never will be. [It took me a while to grasp that.]

So, where am I now?

I'll be completely honest (because you, my beautiful blog readers, deserve that). I haven't been going to youth. I haven't been having quiet time. I haven't been praying at night. I certainly have not given up my religion, I've really just drifted away from my church, which was my main supporter and motivator for doing all of those things. What happened?

• This summer got super busy. I was out of town, working, and hanging out with friends. I simply wasn't around to go to church.
• They began talking about things I didn't really agree with or understand. For example, the Bible says that divorce, sex before marriage, and homosexuality are all wrong, but for whatever reason people have decided that divorce is actually okay. I don't understand how we can justify some things, and still condemn others. {It's something I still think about. I don't know what my position on those issues are.}
• My friends began doubting and questioning things. I have wonderful friends who are definitely my role models for religion. They noticed the same things I did and began investigating religion more. Everyone goes through a phase where they question the things they've always held to be true (Enlightenment, ya know?).
• It became a competition and our church grew. My youth group started a competition. The object of the game was to get people from our church or those who don't have a youth group to start coming to church. After going to the first day of the LIFE (that's what it's called) though, I realized I knew less than half of the people around me. I was also surprised to see how different our youth room looked. I don't like feeling obligated to go to church, not because I'm missing out on worshiping, but because I fee like I'm letting my team down. It shouldn't be about that.
• The message was the same- "If you don't know Jesus, raise your hand and say this prayer." What about the rest of us? The ones who have already accepted Jesus. It's important to tell people about Jesus and explain to them what it means to be Christian, otherwise they're just saying an empty prayer. They're repeating the words put into their month while peaceful music plays in the background and a pastor tells them about how great their life will be after they just say this quick prayer. Well, here's the truth. It doesn't work like that. You have to believe it. You have to live it.

I feel like a lot of people just don't really get what it really means to be Christian (maybe I don't either, but this is my interpretation). I just want people to know what it's really like to be Christian. It's a lifestyle. It isn't just saying a prayer. It's not about judging others for their actions. It's about accepting people. It's about learning from your mistakes. Being Christian is having a purpose in life.

I definitely haven't given up on my relationship with God. The whole reason I'm a Christian is because I feel something. I know that no matter what, God will be there to help. 

I've realized that I shouldn't feel pressured into a church atmosphere. I can have a relationship with God without doing all of that. I'm at a point where I'm deciding my postition on different issues and giving those decisions up to God. Everyone has to make their own decisions with God. I believe you can do that and still have a relationship with God.

The relationship I have with God isn't the same as everyone else's. It's a relationship! They can't all possibly be the same.

So, this is my religion, my relationship, and my life.

Where is That Girl?!

I'm back.

My life has been so busy this week! It was homecoming week, and apparently the week all the teachers decided to make everything due (rude).

Where have I been for the past three days?

• Day 1 of Disappearance: The Homecoming Game. I went to the homecoming game after stuffing myself with Mexican food at El Carizo. All of the girls on homecoming court were gorgeous! {Congratulations to Hannah Henderson for being the most fabulous homecoming queen}. After the game, I had to make my costume for movie day. It was a late night.
• Day 2 of My Blog Hiatus: Movie Day and Pacelli Game. Friday was movie day at our school for the final day of homecoming week. I dressed up as a minion from Despicable Me because they pretty much embody everything I am. Then, I went to the Pacelli- Greenville football game with Trevor. {70-30 Go Vikings!} Another perfectly wonderful day!

The Little Mermaid and a minion
(My beautiful friend Lacey)

• Day 3 of Blog Respite: Homecoming Dance. Well, before I got to go to the homecoming dance, I had to go to work. I work at The Kiddie Shoppe (a children's clothing store- post to follow). Luckily, I love my job, so it was perfectly wonderful. After work, my stepmom surprised me with a spontaneous trip to the nail salon. My friends Remi and Olivia came over to get ready and help me become beautiful. I went to dinner with Trevor and the girls at The Loft. Then, we danced to the wonderful music by DJ Will Ard. Overall, the night was perfect. {Millions of thanks to my favorite guy, Trevor, and my wonderful friends.}

best kids around

Today, I am taking a break. I'm having a Halloweentown movie marathon with my step-mom and sister. We're loading up on junk food and staying in our pajamas. I'm in recovery from the busyness of the week [a much deserved break].

And I apologize for deserting my poor blog! Sometimes, you just have to take a break and let life happen. I have so many good, meaningful things I know I'm going to write about. They're important things though, so I want to take the time to make them good.

*Quick Update: In all he craziness of this week, I wasn't able to run. I ate healthy food all this week, though! I wasn't able to resist the temptation of chocolate today. I went a solid five days without it. {that has to be some kind of record for me}

Anyways, I'm back. More blog fun blog things to follow!

Birds

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me." 

-Charolette Bronte (Jane Eyre)

I've always had a hard time making my own decisions. I looked to others to make decisions for me. I was a follower, but I tried to seem original- to be my own person and get some attention. 

I worried, too! I worried about every decision I made, assuming it was the wrong one. I went back and forth on all the possible outcomes of a decision, regretting my choice every time.

Why should I always look to others to help me make decisions?

I am no bird. I am independent and unique- perfectly capable of making a choice without the influence and guidance of others. 

People have asked me every day since I got accepted to Auburn if that's where I'm going. Well, I made a decision. The answer is YES. I was lenient to answer this question at first because none of my other friends seem to be choosing to go to Auburn. In fact, very few of them have actually received acceptance letters from the colleges they want to attend. Why was I different? Why was it so easy for me?

Why was I worried about that? I am completely individual and I will not be held down by what others think I should or should not do. 

I've finally made this realization, and it's going to be an important one (especially when I'm on my own- forced to make my own decisions).

So, this is it. I'm realizing things and growing up. I'm making decisions and not looking back. 

A Healthier Goal: Update

It's been an entire week since I made my healthier goal.

Sticking to the running plan has been easy enough. I genuinely enjoy running (call me crazy). Sidenote: I had to switch some of the days around to work with my schedule, but that iss perfectly acceptable.

Eating healthier has been an entirely different challenge. I'm going to be completely honest: I am in a  committed relationship to sugar {especially chocolate}. We've been going steady now for about 17 years. The relationship has come to that awkward point where you try to avoid meeting up, but you inevitably do. Then, you're together and it seems wonderful, until he's gone, and all you're left with are chocolate stains on your shirt and a belly aching from a sugar overload. It's time to break up.

HOLD ON. I can't just completely eliminate sugar from my life. Plus, I'm being unfair- sugar isn't the only problem with my eating habits.

So, what am I going to do? I have to make some sort of change or else all of this running will be a waste.
Here's the plan {a lot of these ideas came from Lauren Conrad's Get Fit Quick Plan}:

• Remember it's not a diet! It's a lifestyle change to make you feel better.
• Only drink water. I already pretty much do this, but Starbucks can be pretty tempting sometimes.
• EAT BREAKFAST. A real breakfast.
• cut out the fried foods
• Break up with sugar. cake, candy, poptarts, ice cream: they all have to go. Replace them with a fruit.
• Watch out for foods high in refined or processed carbohydrates (white bread, sugary cereals, chips, pizza).
• No eating after 8pm.
• Don't eat foods that you have easy access to. I have a tendency to mindlessly grab handfuls of chips, or stand in front of the pantry and eat cereal out of the box. In other words, plan meals.
• Use MyFitnessPal. MyFitnessPal is an app that helps keep track of the nutritional information of foods you've eaten for the day.  It's a good way to stop and think about what you're doing before you go on a sugar binge.
• Treat yourself! I've tried completely cutting things out of my diet before; it just leads to a lot of stress and cravings.

*One week challenge: no chocolate for one week {beginning tomorrow, October 15th, and ending October 22}

Now the challenge really begins. I'm going to continue towards my 10k goal and work on establishing a healthier diet.
 
I'll update my progress every week or so.

Once Upon a Time

I love fairy tales.

I could tell a story here, but I was thinking I'd just talk about the show Once Upon a Time. It's one of the few shows I've actually kept up with since the first season.

It's about a small town in Maine, where time appears to have stopped moving. No one leaves the town and no one comes in. All the people living in Storybrooke are actually  characters from popular fairy tales. However, no one in the town can remember who they actually are because of a curse put on them by the Evil Queen, who just happens to be the mayor of the town.  Everything begins to change in the small town when Emma Swan comes in and time begins to move again.

The episodes usually switch between the present, the storyline that follows the characters after the curse, and the past, showing the characters back in their respective fairy tale world.

The show is full of plot twists and strange connections between characters. It gives a new perspective on characters from classical fairy tales, like Snow White and Peter Pan. {and it's fun to try and guess which fairy tale character each new person is and how they fit into the plot.}

* Not to mention the cast loaded with attractive men
 

 

Watch it and see if you can figure out who everyone is.

[sorry this didn't get posted last night. i passed out.]

My Day: Bulleted

• ate a huge breakfast (courtesy of my brother and grandmother)
• practiced shooting moving targets (missed often)
• went to a tiny Chinese restaurant
• made 200 cookies [there would have been more but I ate a significant amount of dough]
• played tag with my brothers {I just want to be a kid again}
• went to a rather ghetto fair [avoided rides, saw wayyyyy to many butts in tight pants, ate greasy food]

Now, I'm full of sugary, high calorie food. I've been walking around for several hours and I'm slipping into a food coma (again). Overall though, today was a pretty good day.

Props to you if you're actually interested in my boring day in the middle of no where.

Good night. 

Hello, Long Weekend

Sometimes, getting out of town and taking a break is completely necessary.

I left today to spent the long weekend in Bartow (you probably haven't heard of it- it's minuscule). My great-grandmother lives here with my mom's parents. It's a cute tiny little town.

I'm super excited to just relax for a little while and hang out with family.

The weather is perfect. I feel fabulous.

Relax.

Prayer in Islam

I am not an expert.

I'm taking World Literature right now, instead of AP Literature. [no regrets]. Obviously, in this class, we read stories from places around the world. It's neat to see  the cultural, religious, and social differences portrayed in the stories, but it's also interesting to note the common themes. I love learning about other cultures, as a mentioned in wanderlust.

The most terrific story we have read so far has been A Thousand Spledid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. 

The story follows the lives of two Muslim women in Afghanistan. It's incredibly sad, but surpisingly full of joy in random places. {You have to continue reading just to see what could possibly happen next}.

This book made me think a lot about Islam. There are so many stereotypes out there (as with any religion), and I realized just how little I actually know about it. I've been trying to learn more about it, so I can understand the culture better. {I think everyone should learn more about other cultures}.

The thing I like most about Muslim practices has got to be their devotion to prayer. The Islamic faith calls for Muslims to pray five times daily- at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. That's a lot! 

Can you imagine dropping everything you're doing to be with God five times a day? That's a powerful way to keep God at the center of your day. That's something I really struggle with as a Christian- remembering and thanking God throughout my day. 

I love that they are reminded constantly of their religion, but more importantly, of God. 
 
Whether you're Muslim, Christian, or whatever you may be, it's important to remember the things God has done for you as you go through you day- to thank Him and seek His help.

Could you put your life on hold five times a day to be with God?

Accepted for Admission

War Eagle! 

This is actually happening. I got accepted to the school I've pictured myself at for basically my entire life. 

accepted for admission

 

Auburn is all I've ever known. Both of parents went to Auburn. In fact, that's where they met. So, I was taught about Auburn. I traveled to Auburn. I learned to love Auburn. 

Why do I love Auburn so much?

• It's a large college with a small town atmosphere.
• The people are some of the sweetest in the South.
• It's not too close, but not too far, from home.
• Their science department is phenomenal.
• Some of the greatest people I know went to Auburn.
• Toomer's Corner Lemonade.
• They have a super lovely Honors College.
• Auburn loves animals. I love animals.
• It's beautiful.

Currently, I plan to go into the college of math and science. I want to major in organismal biology, with a concentration in integrative biology.[however, I'm interested in several other things- post to come].

If I go to Auburn University, I'll definitely be part of the Honors College (smaller classes, better dorms, sweeeet study abroad).

I still haven't officially committed to Auburn. I need to consider scholarships and such, buttttt Auburn is a dream of mine that's becoming more and more of a reality every day!

I'm happy. My family was so excited, they bought a cake. There's always a reason for cake at our house.

I believe in Auburn and love it.