A Delicate Balance

We all know the people that care so deeply for others they drown in responsibilities and Hallmark cards and get stressed out because they don't take time for themselves. There are also people in the other extreme of being selfish and not really caring about anyone but themselves. But how do you strike the delicate balance of being a kind and caring individual but never forgetting to love and care for yourself?

Spoil yourself after a long day. Spent the day working extra hard, attending parties or events for others, etc? Once your long day is over, take time to do what you want to do. It could be simply vegging out with your favorite show and some ice cream, taking a long bath, get a mani/pedi, whatever chills you out and makes you feel relaxed!

Choose friends wisely and make them feel loved! Having tons and tons of friends can be fun, but it would be exhausting to keep up with all of them. Find some positive and amazing people to share your free time with and take the time to maintain your friendships. Call, text, make plans, give homemade gifts, and make sure your friends know you care!

Schedule your time. It can be hard to balance work, relationships, friendships, family, obligations, and not to mention time for yourself! Organize your life to keep track of work deadlines, appointments, coffee dates with friends, and even schedule things like a shopping trip to treat yourself.

Don't forget about your family. It can be easy to find time to spend with friends and forget how important seeing your family is. With everyone's busy schedules, often families get together only on holidays. Make a surprise visit to see relatives - it might just make their day!

What do you do to strike the delicate balance between caring for yourself and others?

Happy Easter!

Have a wonderful and blessed Easter today! Whether you do or don't celebrate, have a great and relaxing day with family. xoxo

Day Fourteen...

First, fun fact about me: I don't like the number 14. I don't really know why...but anyways...

Day fourteen is a picture of me and my family.

Okay so this isn't all my family but pretty close. That's me on the left, my boy right next to me, my dad in the blue shirt, my mom next to him in white and the rest are my lovely neighbors! This is from a vacation we all took together. :)

Bittersweet Moments

Don't we always have lots of these in life? Bittersweet moments where you're happy and sad at the same time. I guess that is how I feel about moving out of my apartment where I've flourished for the past eight months and back into my parents house towards the end of May.

Part of me is happy to move back home since I love my parents and it will be nice to not have to worry about utility and food expenses and things like that. I'll be closer to just about everywhere I go except for school. I will be next door to a pool again in the summer. I get to re-decorate my room and change things around and get a new bigger TV.

But I'll definitely miss this apartment. Things have been weird around here for the past month or so...but it is still my place. It has the privacy I always craved. I can come and go as I please and not worry about parents bothering me when I want to be completely alone. And my favorite part of the apartment...my own bathroom! I will definitely miss that!

But time moves on. Moving back in with the parents is what I have to do for now until I graduate and have a real job of my own. Then I can entertain whatever possibility I want. I can stay with them for a while and save more money or I can find someone to live with again. It is a scary time but also an exciting one to feel like the future can be anything I want it to be. And it is definitely a nice feeling knowing that I can live on my own and the time spent living with my parents won't be for a super long time.

Any advice for those of you who lived on their own and had to move back home for a while?

They make everything okay.

Do you have those people that make everything okay? That make you feel better no matter what?

I think we all do. I think we need that too.

For me, my mom is the one person that I need to tell me everything is okay to truly believe it. I get into fits of being so worried and anxious or I just don't know about something and when she tells me I'm okay, I believe her.

And then, there's someone that knows me more than anyone else. Who makes me feel better at the drop of a hat. That's my boy, Kev. A text, a smile, a hug from him will make me feel okay no matter what is going on.

What about you? Do you have people like this?

My first Limo ride!

Okay so...my first limo ride wasn't too glamorous. It wasn't for Prom or Homecoming, or a wedding, or a party...it was simply a surprise for my grandmother's 77th birthday. It was adorable - she was SO excited!

And so was I. :) Just the thought of riding in a limo, people staring wondering if you're "somebody". Feeling all glamorous, even if you're just riding around town with your parents, aunt, uncle, and grandma. And it was all smooth sailing until...

BAM! All of us jerked around. Someone rear-ended us! We couldn't believe it...they couldn't see this huge thing? Luckily there was no damage, but it will probably be the source of a good joke for years to come. "Remember that time we were in a huge white limo and that jerk forgot to break...." Hehe.

So here's a picture of some of us and the limo driver, good 'ole Walt.

So what about YOU? Any good limo stories? I am intrigued...

Per Request from Sonia: 10 Things that make me Happy! :)

10 Things that Make me Happy! :)

1. A hot shower. There is nothing like a hot shower when you're feel crummy. Sometimes if I feel sore or like I'm getting sick of just plain gross, a hot shower always makes me feel human again.

2. My parents. I appreciate them even more now that I'm not living with them. They do so much for me. My dad always makes sure my car is running smoothly. My mom sends me cards in the mail just to say hi. They are paying for my rent and I can't thank them enough for that. Plus, they're just funny and I like going over there to see them.

3. My boy! Whenever I am having a bad day, all I have to do is hear him call me beautiful or tell me he loves me and I am instantly feeling better. He truly is a better boyfriend than I could ever ask for. I am still showered with love after over a year and that's amazing.

4. My friends/roomie/neighbors! All the people that put up with me, who make me laugh, who help me out, who hang out with me, who miss me, who love me...I love them and I love the times I get to spend with them.

5. My rat, Buddy and my dog, Hannah. I love animals; I always have. I miss my dog dearly because she is a sweetheart and now I have a new "buddy" to play with and I have already noticed him helping me with my stress.

6. Getting things done. This may sound weird...but I cannot relax unless I have things done. Last night, I tried printing my homework and it didn't come out. I thought, "Hey, I'll do it later, I'll just relax and watch TV now.." but I couldn't. I had to print that darn thing. Call me OCD, but I feel happiest when I am done with my obligations and have time to do nothing.

7. Funny TV shows and movies. The kind that make you forget about your problems and just laugh and enjoy yourself.

8. Writing. Of course, while sometimes writing is a drag (think class!), I enjoy it most of the time and I enjoy that I excel in it. I love writing in this blog, hearing from readers, and getting my thoughts out there and having people enjoy what I say.

9. Reading. One of my favorite parts of the day is getting on my PJ's, slipping under my covers, and diving into my latest novel. It is not only relaxing but I get sucked into another world. Last night, I even had a dream I was the character in the book I am reading now...it was a bit crazy.

It's a great book so far: check it out (click on the book cover).

10. And last but not least, random acts of kindness. Whether it is doing it for someone else or having someone do it to me...those times where you don't expect someone to give you the rest of their candy bar, send you a nice letter, or open a door for you. If only everyone could do these things more often...how amazing would our world be?

When you are Loved, You are Complete.

Warning: This may turn into a mushy mess of a love post. If you cannot stomach cute coupleness and me being in love, stop reading now...

When you are loved, you are complete. At least I am.

I am so grateful for great parents and lovely friends. But, I do realize my parents and family are pretty much programmed to love and take care of me. And my friends, some of them know my crazy side, but not all do. I have best friends that know the real me and love me anyway... but for the most part, friends come and go. The person I am the most grateful and never want to take for granted is my boyfriend.

Not only does he know my silly side that makes no sense, he knows the scary me of panic attacks and nervousness that rarely makes sense, and he knows every bad and good part of me. He sees me at my worst and at my best. And he loves me through all of that. He doesn't have to. He doesn't have to constantly remind me or tell me that I'm beautiful. I just realized lately how lucky I am that we shower each other with love almost constantly. I wake up everyday not wanting to lose it and loving every minute of it. Even when I have the worst day ever and everything in my life is falling apart, I can sit and think that I have this love and everything is okay. When I have love, nothing can be too bad.

I sincerely hope that everyone has or will someday have the kind of person that loves you and doesn't have to. That constantly lets you know how special you are. Because I think that everyone deserves that.

Be Grateful

One of my biggest pet peeves is dealing with those people who think they should get whatever they want, whenever they want at the cost of others. And then never even say thank you. I've dealt with this a lot lately with babysitting my cousins. One of the girls throws a huge fit if her sister and I do not want to do what she wants to do. She wants me to buy her everything and she never once says a simple, "Thanks". I constantly yell that the world does not revolve around her and it never gets through. The worst part is... she's only 7 years old. How much worse will it get?

Another thing is watching those relationships where the girl expects the guy to be at her beckon call 24/7, buy her everything her heart desires, and she never acts like she is grateful. I can't imagine treating someone this way. I'll never say that I am a perfect girlfriend but I think part of being a good one is not being so controlling, always saying thank you and please and being appreciate to whatever your boy buys you or does for you, and offering to pay your way every once in a while too.

So whether you are 7 years old or 20 or 90... remember to thank those around you. Be appreciative and give back to the people who do nice things for you. People will be happy you do.

What's Love Got To Do With it? Everything!

I've been thinking about life lately and what it means to be happy. I realized it always comes down to one word, no matter what: Love.

Aren't you unhappy if you don't love your job or your love for your family, a friend, or a partner fades?

When it comes down to it, I think happiness is love. Whether you learn to love yourself, realizing what a loving family you have, love being with your best friends, find out what true love is, or love what you do... love has everything to do with it.

What do you think? What makes you happy and how does it have to do with love?

Something Worth Smiling About

It's about time for a positive note. As spring approaches, I can feel a sunnier look on life approaching too. As one of the Gilmore Girls (I love that show!) would say, "Sometimes a nervous breakdown will do wonders for a girl." I definitely believe this... I feel as though sometimes I can only see the hope and joy in life after I have a while where I can only see darkness. While I still have plenty of things to worry about... I am desperately trying to stop worrying. There really is only so much you can do. And once you've done all you can do, whether it is making a card and giving a hug or working proactively to solve a problem you have... after you've done the action, all you can do is keep giving and keep working and stop worrying.

Instead, I want to sit and think about all the things I am thankful for and the things that make my life great. I want to forget the things I dislike about myself or my life and work to change them.

I have a great boyfriend. Everyone says they have the best boyfriend in the world and frankly that gets annoying. :P I have the best boyfriend for ME. He accepts my flaws: how I get anxious or nervous for no reason and often at the drop of a hat, the times I let darkness overcome me, whatever else it may be. No one is perfect but we are perfect for each other. He loves me for who I am and I couldn't ask for anything better. 

I have a great family. Sure, I have a few kooks and some people I don't like too much. My dad and I argue like no other. My mom acts like a freak sometimes. But at the end of the day, I have grandparents that would do anything in the world for me, who send me cards just to let them know they are thinking about me, and who secretly tell me that I will always be their favorite granddaughter. I have some crazy cousins who I don't see as often as I would like but they mean the world to me and each special bond will never change. My dad and I argue, but I know how much he loves me and I know he just has a hard time showing it. From the time I was little, my mom has always been the one person I know I can count on and will always love me no matter how bad I screw up.

As many times as I joke about how I have no friends here and how all my friends are being eaten by the crazy "OMG I HAVE A BOYFRIEND" monster.... I have some great friends. I have a solid group of people I know would be there for me in a second. I have friends I can talk about anything with, no matter how awkward or embarrassing. I have friends that let me know they care. What else can I ask for really? Also I have those fun friends I feel are also essential. I might not want to tell them everything about myself or they might not be the most reliable... but hell, they are fun. We have fun together and I like them for who they are and they like me. 

School. Ugh, school. I still don't like it. I never will. But guess what? Pretty soon I am able to take those fun blow offs. Most of my friends don't have that luxury. While they slave away at accounting or whatever, I'll be taking drawing for non-majors and the history of rock music. Also, I gotta look at it like I only have about a year and a half left... I might as well make the most of it. Get it done and try to enjoy what I can. Also, I am thankful I have found my passion. Where it will lead me... I have no idea yet. The most annoying thing to me is when adults ask me what I am going to do after I graduate. I am going to start saying.. "I'm not a psychic, but thanks for asking me the most, basic, annoying question ever!" I don't know what I will do, but I can at least be grateful I know I wanna write.

For now I am glad I can look to the future and smile. I am definitely not advocating a optimism-all-the-time-glass-half-full attitude EVERY DAY. You need pessimistic days. That's real. Just don't make it a pessimistic week, month, year. Look at all you have in life. I guarantee there is something there worth smiling about. :)