Hey Y'all!

Wow, where has the time gone? The past few months have flown by…so I must be having fun! Honestly, all I ever do it work, but its OK! I’m a huge Dave Ramsey fan, and Dave likes to say, “Live like no one else, so that later you can live like no one else”. I won’t always be able to have two jobs, but for now I can. And for now, I can buy whatever I want…because I earned it! 

This post totally has no point. I just wanted to do a quick update. Here is all you need to know about my life right now: I teach, CrossFit, work at Lowe's, watch something on Netflix and go to bed. That’s my life in a nutshell and I couldn’t be happier. Yes, I am still single. I’ve gone out with a few guys in the past year & had a great time, but I still haven’t met the man of my dreams! I’m not worried though. Good things come to those who wait & I’ve been waiting a loooong time, so my good thing will be an amazing thing. Right? Isn’t that how it works?! I thought so :) xo

2013, I Like It...

"Everyone has gone through something that has changed them in a way that they could never go back to the person they once were." -Unknown

The year 2013. So much has happened & my life is very different in many ways. It's hard to know where to begin.

I guess I will start with where some of my previous posts left off. My ex boyfriend. I officially ended things with him in January after his other girlfriend & I both ended up at his house at the same time. At that moment I knew I couldn't do it any longer. I left his house and immediately changed my phone number. That was big for me. I had the same phone number for 14 years! Regardless, that didn't keep him from contacting me. He relentlessly sent me email after email. When I would block one email address, he would create a new one. These emails always had the same sad theme; I made a mistake, she is not the one for me, you are my soul mate and I can't live without you. Hilarious, right? Whats even more funny is that when I made it clear that I never wanted to hear from him again, he married that other girl. Yes, you read that right....married her. While I find it humorous on his part, I find it sad on hers. Who would let someone treat them that way for so long & then commit to spending the rest of their life with them? I am 100% completely over him but there is one thing that bothers me. I want to forget that part of my life. I want to pretend that entire situation did not happen. However, it will never be forgotten as long as they are together. Maybe I won't be thinking about it, but they will. How could they not? I will forever be in the back of their minds because you can't go through something like that and truly forget about it.

The next major change in my life was when I bought a townhouse! So exciting! I looked at homes for 11 days before finding the perfect one for me. I put in an offer and after a couple days of negotiations I signed a contract. On June 14th (60 days later) I closed on the house and began moving in. That weekend was insane. Everything that could possibly go wrong did (flat tire, no electricity, no water, etc.) I was beginning to feel like it was all a sign that I had made a mistake. Now I feel as though it just made me appreciate this beautiful place even more. It's crazy that my mortgage payment is over $100 less than what I was paying in rent and my new home is more than double the size of my previous apartment. I feel so lucky! I have spent the entire summer painting & shopping for new home decor. Every day when I walk in the front door (actually the garage door, ha) I look around and smile. I am so happy in my new home!

When I wasn't painting or shopping I was at work. That's right, I got a summer job. I know what you are thinking, isn't one of the greatest perks of being a teacher having summers off? Well, yes and no. It's amazing to have zero responsibility, but it's incredibly boring when you live alone & everyone else you know is at work all day. So I applied for a job at Lowe's and was hired two days later. The perfect place for a new homeowner to use an employee discount! Going into it I assumed I would last a few weeks and then want to quit so that I could enjoy the rest of my summer. However, I love my job at Lowe's! It's an easy job, it's fun, and my co-workers are amazing people. Also, there are lots of hot guys to look at all day...employees & customers too ;) I have made so many new friends and had a great time, all while getting paid. I really couldn't ask for more. Actually, I enjoy it so much that I made the decision to continue to work there a couple days a week after school starts. Once I got used to the extra money, I didn't really want to give it up. Plus, I would miss my new friends. :)

So there it is, my life in a nutshell. Many changes have occurred over the past six months and I have zero regrets. I can only hope and pray that the rest of the year is just as full of lovely surprises!

Thinking...

At church tonight a man whose father had recently passed away spoke of him. He said things like; he was a caring father, he worked hard, he helped bring many people to Christ, he was a loving husband, his dream was to write a book & he did, etc. Just a description of this man that I never had known, made me wish that I could’ve met him. He sounded like a wonderful person.

This made me think. What have I done in the past 32 years that would lead people who don’t even know me to wish they could meet me? My mind draws a blank….  

Beauty Product Faves & Raves!

"The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy."

— Yves Saint-Laurent

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved makeup, hair and clothes. My mom would wake me up early for kindergarten just so that she could curl my hair that was all the way down to my waist. She also said I wanted to wear dresses to school everyday & that sometimes I wanted to wear more than one a day! Obviously the love of makeup didn't come until later, but I always loved standing in the bathroom door watching my mom put hers on everyday.

Over the years I have tried hundreds of products & wasted hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on the crappy stuff. However, along the way I have discovered my favorites. Some of these products I literally could not go a day without. Some, are life changers. So today I have decided to let you guys in on those products. I didn't include the prices because every product on this page is less than $15 & can be found at your local drugstore. Just because I love them doesn't mean you will, but you never know until you try! xo

Makeup Products:

Revlon ColorStay foundation. It feels very light, but also gives a nice, full coverage. You can buy it for normal, oily or combination skin. I apply it with a kabuki brush.

 

Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder. It's not heavy at all and covers up any shine you have after applying your foundation. I use a large powder brush instead of the puff that comes with it.  

NYC Bronzer. This is my absolute favorite bronzer ever. I have tried so many that I hated. This one is the perfect shade & looks so natural. It isn't glittery at all and you don't have to use a lot to get the glow you want.

NYC Browser. Honestly, there is probably something better on the market, but this was the first brow fill that I tried & I loved it. I have had it for years and will be running out soon, so I will probably try something new. However, for the price (less than $5) it is a great product.

Elf Eyelid Primer. This is a great primer that will keep your eyeshadow from fading throughout the day. It is also great to wear alone for a no makeup look. 

 NYC High Definition Liquid Eyeliner Pen. I don't often wear liquid liner, but when I do, this is my choice. Because it is a pen, it is much easier to use & get a precise line than with other types. Just keep some q-tips handy in case you make a mistake!

Mabelline Mega Plush Mascara. I really love this mascara. One coat will leave your lashes looking thick and gorgeous. However, since I discovered wearing 2 mascaras, designed for different results, gives you the best look, I pair it with this.....

 Loreal Telescopic. This mascara is designed to give your lashes length. The wand is very tiny which gives great precision and lets you get really close to the lash-line.

Elf Face Primer. This primer literally feels like silk going on your face. When I started using it I noticed that my makeup would last way longer and there was no shine at all at the end of the day. I highly recommend using a primer before you begin your makeup routine.

Elf Kabuki Brush. This is a game changer. If you are putting on your foundation with a sponge, or your fingers or even a different brush....STOP. Everyone needs this brush. It gives the best full coverage look that is totally blended to perfection.

Face Products:

Olay Foaming Face Wash. This is the only face wash I will use. I love it. It is so gentle, yet it will get off the toughest mascara/eyeliner combo ever!

 Garnier Ultra Lift Targeted Wrinkle Cream. This stuff is great. After reading about it on many beauty blogs I decided to give it a shot. The wrinkles are literally gone after a few days. I really should have taken before and after photos!

Mary Kay Clarifying Mask Formula 3. This will change your life!! Well, if you have clogged pores like I did. You put a thin layer on the areas of your face where you would like to shrink your pores. Then, as it begins drying you see tiny dots. The tiny dots are where the mask is going inside your pores. When you wash it off with a warm rag you will be amazed. My pores were 75% smaller than they were before. I cannot rave about this product enough! I will use it forever.

Body Products: 

Olay Ultra Moisturizing Body Wash. There really isn't much to say about this other than it smells great, and leaves my body feeling, well, ultra moisturized.

St. Ives Skin Renewing Lotion. Love! I just started using this about 6 months ago and I truly love it. It has such a great clean smell and it is the perfect consistency. My skin sometimes gets dry in the winter, but using this after every shower has eliminated that problem.

Loreal Sublime Bronze 1 Day Gel. OK, so I don't use this anymore because I now spray tan, but when I did, I loved it. It isn't a self tanner. You use it daily and it washes off when you shower. It has a great natural color and a citrus scent that I enjoyed. It is hard to find these days, but it's worth looking for.

Hair Products:

Tresemme Moisture Rich Shampoo. This shampoo smells great and really does moisturize my hair. Some shampoos make my hair feel tangled and damaged while my hair is still wet. This does not do that at all. If I had to wash my hair & not use conditioner, I believe this shampoo would do a great job. However, I would NEVER wash my hair and not condition it. :)

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. LIFE CHANGER! This is truly amazing. I use it as my everyday conditioner now. My hair looks & feels totally different than it did before this product entered my life. It also smells amazing! The only downfall is that is comes in such a tiny bottle, but for the $2.50 price, who cares!

Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo. This is great! I have tried so many different dry shampoos & this one is a definite winner.

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. This is a great product to have if you have hair that gets frizzy in the summer. I used this all the time when I would come in from the pool with frizzy hair, but didn't have time to wash & flat iron it. It smells great & gives a great wavy textured look with just a few sprays!

Organix Moraccan Argan Oil. The best part about this is the smell. It's addicting. You can use this product all over your hair without it looking greasy at all. My favorite time to use it is when I have used dry shampoo on my hair, but need a sleeker look or my ends look dry. And did I mention how good it smells?

Beyond The Zone Turn Up The Heat. Another life changing product. My old college roommate always used this & then one day I tried it. Wow. If you spray this on your hair before you flat iron it you will be amazed. Seriously. Your hair will be silkier than it has ever been. Ever. To me, it doesn't have the greatest smell,  but friends who use it like how it smells. But regardless of if you think it smells good, you have to try it. HAVE TO!

I hope you enjoyed reading about all the products that I love and I hope you find some you will love as well! I'm sure I will have more amazing products to share with you all soon! :)

New Year....New Beginning

It’s almost January 1, 2013. That time of year when everyone makes their New Year’s resolutions. New year, new beginning, right?

While I do follow in the tradition, I’ve always felt more compelled to make some life changing decisions on my birthday. The day I begin a new year at a new age seems like the right time to me. However, this year’s birthday was such a horrible day, a blur, and all because of a guy. The same guy who has caused 90% of all of my bad days over the past 22 months. After all this though, can I really blame him? I let him do these things to me. I let him back in my life time and time again. I am the only one to blame.

For this reason my New Year’s resolution is to leave the past (him) in the past. I don’t like who I’ve become with him. So, I’m going to work hard to become the person I was before the person someone else made me be. 

It won’t be easy letting him go. Not easy at all. But it’s time. The hardest part is the pain and sadness. The only thing to ease that pain and sadness is the same thing that causes it…..him. I need to face life without him. Without seeing him, without hearing his voice, without reading his texts. Life completely void of him.

I know for most people, it’s hard to understand. It’s hard to see why someone would allow this to happen. They say, why is it so hard to just let go and move on? Well, this quote by Edna St. Vincent Millay says it all.

“Where you used to be there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime and falling in at night. I miss you like hell.”

That, is exactly why it's so hard.

PS...Hi McKenna & Logan 

How Does This Happen?

I found out recently that one of my favorite “troubled” students can’t read.  He is almost 15 years old and he can’t read. How does that happen? How has he gone 15 years of his life without anyone caring enough to teach this child to read? 

On the first day of school he came running in, literally, and punched the cement wall. My first thought was, please tell me he’s in the wrong class. He was loud, obnoxious, and a little crazy. The next day he punched the lockers and the wall until his knuckles were bleeding and he was very proud of this.

Timmy and I have grown close over the past 5 weeks. He comes to see me in the mornings and sometimes at the end of the day. He tells me how cool I am and how he will miss me if his family moves again.
  

On the first day of my computer apps class I like to have each student take a typing speed test online. Timmy typed 9 words per minute. He seemed a little embarrassed but I assured him it was fine and he would get better with practice. 

The rest of the class has been working on typing keyboarding lessons from a textbook, but Timmy wouldn’t agree to that. So, I made some modifications for his lessons and he types on a website designed to improve your typing speed. When he got to 15 words per minute he was so excited and I hyped him up telling him how awesome he did. Then one day he asked if I had any candy. When I scrounged up a peppermint he said, so if I get 20 wpm can I have it? I agreed and 30 minutes later Timmy said he got 20 wpm but he forgot to show it to me and said I should just take his word for it. I explained to him that I didn’t know him well enough to take his word for it and said “I need to see it to believe it”. This has become a common phrase in our conversations. Before the end of class Timmy earned that peppermint.

Day after day I bribe Timmy with food, candy, and gum and day after day his typing improves. This week he typed 40 wpm. In just one hour a day, for a month, he went from 9 wpm to 40 wpm. He was so proud that he printed the certificate and asked me to sign it. I almost cried. 

A couple days ago I told him Mrs. Roark and I talked about him. He said, “oh no, did she say mean things? I bet she did. She never liked me.” I said no, she told me that you were a really sweet kid and I agreed. Then he looked at me and said, well tell her I said hi.

Timmy wears only 2 or 3 different shirts and the same ripped jeans daily. Today he had on a shirt I hadn’t seen before. It had words written across it that said something about sarcasm. I asked him what it said several times before he said, Ms. Back, you know I can’t read. He laughs about everything and even in this statement he was laughing.

All I could think was, how does this happen?