Best TV Show EVER

Some people know this about me, some don't. If you follow me on Twitter then you probably know how in love I am with this show. Only the first & second season. It started being aired again on ABC Family, and I obviously recorded it even though I've already watched seasons 1-4 (in like 3 days, but that was a different time in my life. I've moved on from that lifestyle. Kinda.) Well, the episodes on ABC Family weren't coming fast enough, so I've parked myself in my bed in front of my computer and am watching Netflix Instant Streaming of Season 1. And probably as much of Season 2 as I can get to before I have to go do whatever it is I'm supposed to do on a Saturday night. If you have't watched Friday Night Lights yet... get to it.

Ps: For the ladies, Tim Riggins vs. Matt Saracen. I'm a Timmy Riggins girl ALL DAY LONG. Obvs we're the perfect couple.

(And obvs I need a new job where I have more to do than Photoshop myself into pictures with celebrities. Don't judge. Well, go ahead and judge, because I would.)

I'm going back to watching fake football, because apparently the real football I'm watching is SUCKING. Ugh.

Top 10 Thursday

I have mentioned before that I felt like I was missing hobbies. I am a young working professional, I can happy hour with the best of them, but really, is being able to drink a delicious Bud Light considered a hobby? In a perfect world, sure, but in my reality, probably not. And I could say that my "exercising" is a hobby, but it's really just a reactionary measure to the previously mentioned happy hours. I still dread it. I still make up excuses to not do it. So nope, that's not a hobby either. And those are about the only 2 things I really want to do when I get off work daily.

In an effort to complete my 101 in 1001, I have decided to add a few more hobbies to my repertoire. Plus I need something to do that doesn't involve taking a taxi home. On a Wednesday. At 9pm. Anyway. I'm also on a very strict budget, so I thought I would share with all of you some of the hobbies I have picked up that are time-friendly, don't require a ton of brainspace, and can be done on a budget!

1. Sewing. Although this requires a bit of an up-front expense, I got my sewing machine for under $100 at Wal-Mart and have been very satisfied! You can get fabric for incredibly cheap if you are patient and a good bargain searcher, and you can spend HOURS trying to figure out how the hell to thread your bobbin.

2. Crafting. I've picked up some crafting abilities between my mom and the blogs I read obsessively for DIY projects I can tackle. I've started hunting through garage sales, estate sales, and the junk I have in my house to find things I can spruce up. A couple cans of spraypaint and some scrapbook paper and you're in business! Sewing machines can also come in useful in the crafting department. Look at that - one machine, 2 hobbies!

3. Exercising. I know, I know, I just went on and on about how exercising isn't a hobby for me, but that isn't entirely true. Running 2 miles to work off the 2 glasses of wine I had at happy hour isn't a hobby. Going to a Step Class, or swimming laps, or playing a game of pick-up volleyball are absolutely hobbies, and they are pretty dang cheap. It's still warm enough around here that if you have a swimming pool, you could grab some hand weights and do your own workouts, it's a great time of year to join a gym (and you can join for about $30/month), or just grab a few friends and ball. Easy!

4. Cooking. You already buy food, right? Why not turn it into a challenge? One of the bloggers I follow has recently started a cooking challenge for herself that has forced her to step out of her comfort zone - what a great idea to motivate yourself! Bring in some snacks for the office, suggest a bake-off... whatever you feel like! I'm sure someone will appreciate your efforts! And don't forget - for every cooking victory there will be quite a few failures.

5. Volunteer! This doesn't have to be for a specific organization, or for a "good cause." Every cause is a good cause! Get involved with your university's alumni association. Join your sorority or fraternity's alumni chapter. Donate blood when the Red Cross is in your office building. I jumped into a role in my sorority's alumni chapter, I volunteer with LifeTeen, and I've recently begun working with a GT alumni chapter. All of these things have been incredibly rewarding, and offered me many opportunities to meet new people and expand my network. Plus it's been a ton of fun, and I don't sit at home wondering why I don't have any new friends or hobbies.

6. Read. One of the things on my 101 in 1001 list is to read books outside of my normal reading. That means non-chick lit. Real books. I've done an okay job so far, but this is the cheapest one so far - read some reviews on a topic you're interested in, reserve a few books online at the library, and wait for them to come in. Then all you have to do is read. You may love the book, you may hate it...it doesn't matter, it's all about the experience!

7. Photography. I admittedly know nothing about this, but I do know that regardless of your camera, you can take some pretty dang good pictures. Plus, there are a few free editing programs out there that can help jazz up any pictures!

8. Wine/Beer. I absolutely think this can be a hobby. My favorite beer & wine store offers tastings throughout the week with education that goes along with them, and to me, this is a great way to enjoy a beverage after work. Many times food is involved, so for $20 you get dinner and a few drinks. And again, you can take what you learned and pass it along, or use it in the future!

9. Sports. Watching, participating...join a flag football team, or a kickball team, or a bowling league. Plenty of options, and for $50-$75 for the season, this is a pretty affordable option. Another 2 birds 1 stone, because what a great way to also meet new people! 

10. What do you do?! What are your hobbies? I'm interested to hear, and always wanting to add more to my list! 


When I really sat down and thought about what I was doing with my free time, I knew I needed to do something besides go home and sit on my rear. For my own sanity! So my advice to you, my little friends, is to be conscious of how you are spending your free time. It doesn't mean you're spending it wrong, just be aware! Nothing wrong with a little rear-sitting, but try to balance it out, too! You'll be better for it :)

Just Because

Because I am exercising my right to a mental health day today, and because I'm feeling indulgent, and well.. just because, here are some things on my wishlist.

1. This giant screen to put on my balcony and ward off the dust that the trains that drive right by my house stir up. That way, I can sit and enjoy my balcony without hacking up a lung. Unfortch, because this isn't my house, and because who knows where I will end up next, this badboy will remain on my wishlist until who knows when.

Bamboo Folding Screen can be found HERE

2. Nikon D3000 DSLR camera. I am not 100% sold that this is the exact version of a DSLR that I want, but I'm pretty confident that I want to go with a Nikon, and based on the reviews I have read, this is the best model for a beginner (i.e. me). This is the item on this list I am most seriously considering purchasing because I think it will get the most use and I will enjoy it the most. I am resident picture taker amongst my friends, always have been, so why not upgrade?

3. These cowboy boots. I bought my previous pair of cowboy boots at Aldo following a particularly fabulous night at my favorite fraternity house in college with Peanut and her cronies. I have literally worn those boots out, to the point that once on my feet, they don't really come off that well, as evidenced by the night that I slept with 1 boot on. Although I'll never get rid of them, I really need a new pair. And, have no fear, my feet shall never go cowboy-boot-less. I bought them last weekend!

4. (A little hint at a post I have coming up later this week!) I am looking for new sewing projects! I am now on sewing machine #2 because apparently my curtain-making was a little too much for sewing machine #1. But, all is well, and I am seeking out new projects. It's a little early to start my Christmas sewing, even for me. But that doesn't mean I haven't already purchased presents for half my family...

What are on your wishlists? Are they practical, absurd, necessary, or just your wants?

On that note, I'm going to enjoy the 2 hours I have left of my mental health day. I forgot that I agreed to run carpool & after-school pickup today for the kids I babysit for, so my mental health day is being cut short. Not the end of the world, really... I could stand to make a little money today! Happy Tuesday!

Friday Confessions

My weakness. Snickers. In ice cream form. At 100 calories a pop. YUM. A few weeks ago at the grocery store I had a coupon that was $1.00 off 2 boxes of these suckers. Of course the grocery store only had the economy boxes with 16 per box rather than the 7-count box I was hoping for. Oh well.

OH MY GOD. Best purchase ever. They are the perfect after dinner treat, before dinner treat, breakfast treat... you name it, I'll use it as an excuse to eat an ice cream bar. And, the best part is that just 1 is just enough for me. I don't find myself craving them, or other sweets for that matter, and it's the perfect 3 bite mini-Snickers. Shockingly enough... I still have 2 from the original box and the whole second box left! As long as I've got the coupon, I shall continue to purchase these chocolatey-peanuty-caramely delights!

PS - A tip: don't bring them to work, or thieving ninja bosses like mine will steal them. RUDE.

Top Ten Thursday

In preschool, we had 2 choices for a drink with our snack: apple juice and water. I could digress into a monologue about how much I hate apple juice, but instead I'll suffice to say I chose water. I attribute my water-drinking skills now to Grace Presbyterian Preschool and the choice they forced me to make. Because now, 20+ years later, I still choose water 9 times out of 10. Well, that and because my wonderful mother-dearest is a cheapskate who NEVER let us order soda when we went out to eat, and I mean NEVER. Even now, as a full-grown adult... no sodas allowed at dinner. But my mom's frugality is another story for another day...

Today's Top Ten Thursday is dedicated to the reasons why you, too, should choose water.

10. It's always free.
9. It makes your skin shine! I seriously notice when I haven't consumed enough water because I start getting more blemishes on my face!
8. You can carry around a cool looking thermos and be environmentally friendly.
7. If you drink 87 glasses of water a day at work like I do, you end up having to go to the bathroom 890432 times a day, and therefore probably get at least a 10 minute break every hour just in going to the bathroom. They can't deny you a potty break, can they? BONUS!
6. Getting up to get those glasses of water also can attribute to approximately 10 minutes per hour of your work day, especially if you have particularly long-winded coworkers who like to linger by the water source.
5. You feel like you are having a real treat when you drink anything other than water.
4. You save that extra $2-$4 on a drink at dinner so you can get an appetizer or dessert!
3. If you drink a lot of water during the week you are just preparing your hydration for the weekend when you thoroughly dehydrate yourself through lots of exercise... or copious amounts of non-water beverages (I never said I only drink water on the weekends, too!)
2. You can add awesome flavor to it with just a little piece of fruit!
1. It's just so great for you, how could you not insist on drinking a glass of water at every opportunity?

Anyone else drink more water than they could possibly imagine and waste at least 30% of their day getting water, going to the bathroom, or thinking about either activity? Because I do (and my amiga Jessie does!), and in fact some people at work have even noticed... and a while ago someone commented on it, and then I mentioned that smokers probably waste even more time than me thinking, worrying about, and actually smoking, and they shut up. I am developing and encouraging a GOOD HABIT, a HEALTHY HABIT. Can you say the same about your smoky, smelly breathed, excessive break-taking employees? That's what I thought.

So, today's lessons: Drink water, don't smoke. The end!

How Do You Know...

...when to eat the last cookie? (and when not to?)
...when to tell the friend the harsh truth? (and when to sugarcoat it?)
...when to buy flowers for yourself? (and when to let someone else buy them for you?)
...when to spend the whole day in bed? (and when you should get your lazy butt up?)
...when to play in the rain? (and when it's not worth it to get wet?)
...when to spend your last $5? (and when to save it for ice cream later?)
...when to leave a toxic relationship? (and when to stand by someone who needs you?)
...when to head out of town on a spontaneous trip? (and when to plan out your whole day?)
...when to be confrontational? (and when to pick your battles?)

These are all thoughts that occurred to me today. It has been one of the most fantastic holiday weekends I have had in recent memory, and that is due in part to my friends, my family, myself, and the universe. I laughed, I cried, I gave a hug, I received a hug, I celebrated a relationship moving forward and mourned a relationship lost. I learned more than I ever expected to, thanks to the people who made the weekend so wonderful. It has never been more clear to me that I am on the right path, and that my life is moving in the direction it is supposed to be.

Now if only my ankle stopped hurting, my knee stopped throbbing, and I could walk without a limp. Hey -- I never said the weekend was perfect :)

Top Ten Thursday

A combo from 2 of my favorite bloggers, I present you with Top [Ten] Thursday! Maybe this will be a regular thing, maybe it won't who knows. But, in honor of today being the kick-off of college football (my favorite season!), we're going to talk about tailgating. As an alumnus of a southern school, I think my tailgating skills are pretty facerockin'. Or at least my friends know how to throw a good party!

Top 10 Things to Bring to/Have at a Tailgate:
10. Tunes -- No tailgate is complete without a tailgate playlist.
9. Jim Beam (or other form of whiskey) -- I'm not a whiskey drinker, but it still smells like gameday!
8. Beer pong table -- at some point last season our food table transformed into a BP table. Food in the middle, cups on the ends. Two birds, one stone!
7. Koozies -- key in tailgating, gotta keep the brews cold!
6. A tent to tailgate beneath -- Out of the sun/cold/rain, and a centralized location for everyone to congregate.
5. A flag from your alma mater! -- Gotta let everyone know who you're rooting for!
4. Delicious eats -- burgers, brats, veggies, chips & dip... mmm!
3. Tailgate games -- bocce, bags, cards, whatever floats your boat!
2. Tailgate chairs -- who doesn't love sitting around in your tailgate chairs drinking a cold one?
1. Beers (funnel optional) -- no explanation needed :)

Happy Football Season! Did I miss any tailgating essentials?