Make The Most Out Of Your Day

Yesterday was one of those rare days where I didn't have class or work. I had the day completely free to myself, to do whatever I wanted.

Those days are dangerous.

The Benefits Of Practicing Daily Gratitude

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I mean, what's not to like? First of all, it happens on a Thursday which is awesome. Thursdays don't get enough love. On top of that, it's a holiday solely devoted to eating and being thankful for being #blessed. Finally, you get to take awesome naps (aka food coma) and watch T.V. with your family. Overall, it's a feel good happy full yummy comfy smiley cozy holiday, (as long as we disregard the holiday's origins. We should be ashamed.)

BUT anyways...

Tales From The Airport Hotel: The Honeymooners

So if you don't know, I work at the front desk of a hotel by our airport. Most days are pretty boring, but every once in a while something crazy happens. Last Saturday happened to be one of those days.

Why Losing 70 Pounds Did Not Solve All My Problems

I used to be really fat. I'm still not skinny, but I used to be fatter than I am now. My weight was something I had struggled with my whole life. So as you can imagine, my self confidence was pretty low. I was insecure about how I looked and that translated into insecurity in almost every aspect of my life.

I always thought that if only I was skinny, everything would be better. I would come to find out that this wasn't the case.

5 Important Life Lessons You Need To Know

At the ripe old age of 26, I've learned a lot of life lessons the hard way. Most of these are things that my parents told me, but they just sounded so cliche that I mostly disregarded them. As time went on and I experienced more of life, the lightbulbs started going off.

Obviously I'm not some self-help guru, these are just things I've noticed to be true. I see a lot of my friends struggle with some of these issues and I wish they would learn these lessons, too! But I guess there are some things you have to learn for yourself.

Anyways, here are 5 important life lessons that I think everybody should know.

A Personal Post.

This post might be a bit long and maybe a bit disjointed but I just need to write. I apologize in advance if this post is boring or makes no sense. This is more for me than anybody else.

Also, I know I'm personally so tired of reading about the election. I imagine you probably are, too. So my feelings won't be hurt if you don't read this.

What's In My Bag? Backpack Edition

So, I'm a full-time student and I also work full time. I leave my house around 8:30 in the morning and I don't get home till around 11:30-12am.

It sucks.

Because I'm gone all day, I have a lot of stuff to carry around.

Besides the obvious phone/keys/wallet, I also carry around:

Book Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

After reading Gillian Flynn's wildly popular "Gone Girl," I was eager to read more from this author. I decided to read Dark Places, for no reason in particular. If only I knew what I was getting myself into.

Things You Need to Know Before Buying Glasses Online

I got my first pair of glasses when I was in second grade and I hated them. I liked being able to see clearly but I thought they made me look nerdy. So as soon as my mom though I was old enough, I switched to contacts and didn't look back...until a few years ago.

Glasses are just so much more comfortable. They're like sweatpants for your eyes. Plus, there are so many cute styles available that you don't have to worry about looking "nerdy," (unless that's what you're going for.)

So a few years ago, I started only wearing my glasses. But not just any glasses. I ordered these glasses online, for the first time. Let me just tell you, I got lucky. I didn't know anything about measurements or fit, and I didn't get to try the frames beforehand. I just liked how they looked and ordered them hoping they'd fit. (They did.)

I've ordered glasses online since then and I've learned quite a few things. I figured I'd share my struggle with you so hopefully the process will be a lot smoother for you.

Can Getting Rid of Junk Actually Make You Happier?

I like to think I am a pretty organized and clean person.

I try to keep my house clean but somehow, a few days after a cleaning spree, piles of junk emerge from their hiding places and take up residence in my living space. Papers, books, and receipts find their way to my desktop. Shoes are scattered all over my floor, tripping any passerby. Clean and dirty clothes alike gather into nest-like piles on my bed and chair.

Yeah, it's not a pretty sight.

I used to think I didn't have enough space, but I've come to the conclusion that I just have too much stuff.

I'd been meaning to purge my house of all my extra junk, I just wasn't sure how to go about it. That is, until I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

Are Kindles Better Than Real Books?

Everyone I meet seems to either love their Kindle, or they refuse to get one in the first place. They don't even want to give it a chance because nothing can replace the feeling of holding an actual book, turning the pages, and even smelling the paper, (something I know nothing about.)

Tales From the Airport Hotel

In addition to being a full time student, I also work full time at the front desk of a hotel that is near my city's main airport. I gotta pay for tuition somehow! I initially applied for this job because the down time in between guest check-ins seemed like the perfect time to get homework done. And it has been.

But besides that, I absolutely love all the different types of people that I get to meet. 

Besides working the front desk, I'm also responsible for driving the shuttle to and from the airport whenever a guest needs a ride. Driving people around really creates an opportunity for conversation. Something about being trapped in a car with someone else for 15 minutes makes you wanna talk to them, I guess.

Last week, I picked up a lady from Honduras named Daisy at the airport. She had left her car parked at our hotel while she traveled, but she's back now, and she needed a ride to her car. I pull up to the airport at around 9:30pm and see a short, smiley lady in jeans and a cowboy hat. What she lacked in stature, she made up for in personality.

What is Your Patronus?

So recently, J.K. Rowling added a new quiz to Pottermore, the official Harry Potter fan website. This new quiz tells you what your patronus would be. 

If you've been living under a rock for the last ten years and know nothing about Harry Potter, a patronus is a spell you would cast to protect against dementors. It comes in the shape of an animal that kind of fits in with your personality.

There have been multiple quizzes on the internet over the years that tell you what your patronus would be or what house the Sorting Hat would sort you into. But this one is the real deal. Written by J.K. Rowling herself.

So of course, I was so excited to try it. Some people were getting awesome things like unicorns or dragons. Other people were getting things like hawk, lion, or fox, or wolf. 

So I took the quiz and...

Describe Yourself in 3 Fictional Characters

So everyone on the internet has been doing this thing where they try to describe themselves in 3 fictional characters. I'd be more interested to see how other people would describe me in 3 fictional characters, but I decided to give this a shot anyways,

So here's the four-paneled image I made with my fictional soul-sisters. I picked Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, Annie Edison from the show Community, and Leslie Knope from the show Parks and Rec.

Everything You Need To Know About Anosmia

Anosmia is just the fancy word for not having a sense of smell. Some people lose it in an accident but other people, like me, are born without it. It's not very common so anytime somebody finds out that I was born without my sense of smell, They have questions. So here are the answers to those questions.

"You can't smell anything?"

Nope, nothing.

"How do you taste?"

The problem with this question is that...I don't know. I don't really have a reference point. As far as I can tell, I can taste. Just not as well as other people. The doctor said I could probably only taste sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and savory. That was 12 years ago, and for the last few years I've noticed this to be true. I can't really taste specific flavors or spices.

"So I could...I mean, somebody could fart right now and you wouldn't know?"

As long as I can't hear it, nope. It would be silent but not deadly. To me at least. But even if I could hear it, it doesn't bother me cause it's just a funny noise. Farts make me laugh.

Are your other senses stronger?

No, probably the opposite actually. As I already said, I supposedly can't taste normally. On top of that I'm legally blind without my glasses and I guess my hearing is okay, I just feel like I'm going deaf because I have to ask people to repeat themselves all the time.

"How did you figure this out?"

10 Signs You Should Invest in a Day Planner

Whether you choose to go old school with a paper planner like I do, or decide to use an app on your phone, staying organized is important. However, I know plenty of people who think they're getting by just fine without any sort of organization tools. For those people, here are 10 signs you should probably invest in some sort of day planner.

1) You're buried under a pile of sticky-notes.

I understand the need to quickly write something down that you'll need to remember later. Sticky notes are good for that. But where do you put them? On your forehead? The back of your phone? Having a planner is good because you have somewhere to stick all those sticky notes. And then when you're done with it, you can remove it from your planner so it stays neat and uncluttered.

2) You're always running late.

If you are having trouble remembering what time you have to be places, I have a solution for you. You can write down appointment times in your planner. This is assuming you remember you have an appointment at all...

How to Relieve an Annoying Headache

I decided to write this post because I just got over a three day migraine today. Even though I get headaches all the time, I'm always googling new ways to find relief, hoping to find the perfect magical cure. As I'm sure you do too.

I've tried almost everything, so I want to tell you about some of the things that helped me. Hopefully some of these tips will bring you relief. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. If your headache is abnormal or persists for longer than usual, please go see your doctor.

before you do anything, you need to ask yourself what kind of headache you are experiencing. It's important to know what is causing the pain, that way you can figure out the best plan of attack. There are plenty of guides online, so figure out if you're experiencing a sinus headache, a tension headache, or a migraine, because treatment for each kind will be unique.

Donald Glover's New Show "Atlanta" is Gritty, Humorous, and Surprising

Ask any of my closest friends who my favorite actor/rapper is, they'll tell you it's Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino.) It's true, I love everything he does. I've seen every episode of Community and I can rap "Bonfire" without messing up.

So of course, when I heard about the new show he created for FX, I was on board before even knowing the premise. All I knew going in was that it is based in Atlanta (duh) where Glover is originally from, and that it is loosely autobiographical. Or at least, it's based on his experiences growing up there.

Cool, count me in. I lived in Atlanta for 5 years so that alone is a selling point for me.

I don't have cable since I'm a millennial and Netflix and Hulu exist. Thankfully, they've made the pilot episode available on their Facebook page and on FX's youtube page.

So I finally got around to watching the first episode today and I have some thoughts about it.

Why Everybody Should Own a Dog

I'm a dog person, all the way. Don't get me wrong, I like cats too. Honestly I would prefer the company of almost any animal over a human. But there's a reason dogs are called man's best friend. They are the most pure thing on this planet, and we probably don't deserve their love.

This is my puppy, Rory, when he was still growing. He's a mix between Chihuahua, Schnauzer, and Poodle. But just look at those eyebrows. And that moustache. And those paws. Tell me that isn't the cutest thing ever. He looks like an angry old man but he's not. He's just a sweet little baby, that wants to play fetch and chew on my hair. (Maybe this blog post was an excuse to show off my adorable dog. I bet you're not even mad.)

How I Feel About Blogging

"Sometimes I'll start a sentence, and I don't even know where it's going. I just hope I find it along the way. Like an improv conversation. An improvisation."

-Michael Scott, The Office

This quote perfectly describes how I feel about blogging right now. I'm starting this blog, and I have no idea what I'm doing or how this will end up. Hopefully, I'll figure it all out as I go along.

For now I'm just going to write about whatever is on my mind. Like makeup, or my dogs. Maybe I'll analyze song lyrics or give my opinion on current events. You know, the kind of stuff I want to talk about to random people but can't because it's not always appropriate.

So, this should be fun. Hopefully I find something interesting to write about that sticks. Some people think I'm funny so hopefully they're right!