a bunch of crap you didn't want to know.

-i love getting mail.  when i was unemployed, the highlight of my day was always mail day.  and now, i come home from work and ask my mom every.single.day if i got mail that day (i usually don't.  i need a pen pal).

-i once bought chapstick from bath & body works.  it was $7.  i never forgave myself for it.

-my favorite treat is chocolate covered pretzels.  i never get tired of them.  in fact, i made my mom buy me a giant bag from costco the other day.  i have had to ration them out so i didn't down the whole package in one day.  don't worry, there is still a significant amount left.  

-sometimes i blog stalk people i don't know.  and then i read about their cute "how i met my husband" stories and get sad.  i want a cute story like that.

-i wish i was brave enough to pick up my life and move where no one knows me.  sometimes a fresh start is sounds really appealing.

-i used to be the most anti-diet coke person there was.  now i can't seem to get enough of it.  seriously.  i feel like one is permanently attached to my hand.

-i wish that i had the vocal pipes of a black lady.  that might sound racist, it's not.

-i can't wait until that time when i have kids.  i looooooove kids.  i think i'll be a good mother some day.  i'm not ready now, but i am anxiously awaiting when it is that time for me.

-i miss my grandma's pancakes.  no one has ever made pancakes like her.  they were dense and not really at all fluffy...and i like it better that way.  my mom says it's because grandma used the greasy fat from bacon or melted butter.  my aunts always say grandma's stuff tasted better because she made it with love (cheesy much?).  i think it is because my grandma was just awesome.  no one is as awesome as she was.

-i used to not appreciate general conference.  at all.  i can hardly remember anything from any conference before  my 22 birthday.  now i can't get enough of it.

-i feel like i have lost the touch of making new friends.  i don't really know why.  maybe people like me less than before?  maybe i like other people less?  maybe i'm destined to be a hermit?  i don't know.

-i'm obsessed with leggings.  i would wear a flowy dress with leggings every day.  it's like wearing sweats that are work appropriate.

-i'm obsessed with zooey deschanel.  her show '"new girl" is freaking awesome.  i think she is so great.

-i love being sore after a good work out.  my favorite kind of sore comes on the morning after a really intense night of volleyball.

-i love fresh peas.  i don't think there is anything better than eating peas straight from the pod after they are picked from the garden.

-on the other hand, i hate cooked peas.  they make me want to throw up.  when i was little, i used to shove them in my napkin so my mom thought i ate them.

-i sometimes feel like i don't fit in anywhere, even though i know there are places that i will always belong.

-i have to stop myself from rocking out at work while listening to pandora.  there are some songs, fleetwood mac especially, that just stirs up a need to belt.

-i wish i was creative.  i see so many people i know making this cute stuff for cheeeeap.  i'm afraid i am going to have to forgo my frugality and buy the expensive originals because i just can't do this creating thing.

red box

not that red box.  although, who doesn't like to get newly released movies for a dollar?  when you can find a red box location with the movie you want, that is.  no, the little red box i am talking about is that blasted facebook notification icon.  who doesn't love to get on their facebook page and seeing that crimson square?  it means someone found something you said important or funny.  it is instant validation.  "hey you.  you are smart. you are funny.  you are better than everyone else.  really, you just rock.  run for president.  i bet you could win."

i admit.  i spend a lot of time thinking about what i can say to make that perfect status.  i try to be witty.  and a lot of time i succeed.  wanna know why?  movie quotes.  song lyrics.  occasionally my own funniness (although i think i am funnier than i actually am).  and i fail miserably sometimes.  at that point, i delete the post and spend 20 minutes trying to come up with something better.  this system seems to have a pretty high success rate.  go me.

it's like magic really, if you think about it.  this little red box is like an instant self-esteem boost.  wouldn't it be great to have that little square pop to tell you how awesome you are whenever you are feeling sad?  i want one to just sit on my shoulder at all times.  some people have an angel and devil.  nope.  forget that.  just give me little facebook notification box and i'll be good to go.  bahhhh only joking.  mostly anyway.

i admit, i wish we lived in a world where that awesome feeling just came all day, every day for every person.  but until then, little red box of wonderful, keep 'em coming, would ya?  much love.

Happy birthday, Baby Girl!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AVERY!!!!  

I feel so lucky to have 2 of the sweetest nieces EVER to grace the face of this earth, and this girl is one of them.  Looooooooove you, baby girl!   

advise me.

i have recently been solicited to "spice" things up in my singles ward.  apparently there has been a hard time getting people to attend fhe and activities.  it's because the things we are doing are boring, if you ask me.  so i was asked to come up with some ideas for family home evening and ward activity night that could possibly draw a larger crowd.  the problem is--i am not so stellar at coming up with ideas.  tell me the idea, and i am more than happy to plan it all out, down to the last detail.  but that creative bone that some people have, i think i was skipped over when they were handing those out.  good thing i know some awesome people who are willing to help a girl out...right???  what are some of activities that you have done in your wards (single or family) that are just soooooo much fun that people can't help but want to come?  what are some service activities that are fun and can involve a lot of people?  what are some fun activities that can be done away from the church house, ie scavenger hunts, camp fire/dutch oven, frisbee golf, etc?  how can we draw out those members who don't really come to things like fhe?  how can we unify the members of the ward through activities?

as a member of the church who used to hate going to fhe and activities, i can fully understand why these people don't want or like to come.  i firmly believe that a lot of the reason they don't come is because they are not interested in the activity going on.  and i'm not saying that every week has to be some big spectacle with fireworks and field trips and excitement, but i do feel like it is needed sometimes.  people will stop coming to fhe if they feel like is a gospel doctrine sunday school lesson all over again (yes, that has been my experience lately).

so.  do me a solid and think back to alllllllllll of those activities you have been to (good and bad) and give me some advice.  because it makes me sad that more than half of the ward doesn't go activities and knowing that we can do something to fix that.

*let me apologize ahead of time if this offends anyone, especially if someone from my ward is reading this.  that was not my intention.