I know it, you know it, the world knows it: Donald J. Trump is the new president elect of the good ol' United States of America.
To help readers who may not want to hear what I have to say about our new president, I'm going to cut to the chase and tell you right now that I am 100% anti-Trump, and will never support him as president of this country.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me go on to my opinion on the results of this election.
I am a non-white female child of two immigrants. Although I believe my English is as accent-free as my white American peers and colleagues, the one thing I don't have in common with them is the fact that I don't have the privilege of being white.
Yesterday, not 24 hours after the country found out the results of the election, I was told by one of my students that it's a good thing Trump won because "women don't deserve to be the president." Do you understand what that does to me? Here I am, holding the highest authority in that classroom as his teacher, and he's looking me in the face and essentially telling me that women don't deserve to be in positions of power. This dialogue isn't a new one; it's one that the patriarchy has been instilling in each and all of us in order to ensure that women do not feel empowered. However, the reason that this student felt bold enough to say those words with such confidence is because he believes that under Trump's presidency, he is allowed to say those words without suffering the consequences.
If these are the comments that people -- no, a child -- is willing to direct at me so soon after hearing the results of this election, I am terrified to see what adults will feel bold enough to say to me. Trump's victory makes me upset not because the candidate I wanted to win didn't, but because it now means I have, now more than ever, legitimate reason to fear for my physical and mental health. It tells me that half this country does not care about my life, my body, my voice, or my opinions. It means that despite being born and raised in this country, I will still not be good enough because of the color of my skin. This is why Trump is not my president. This is why I did not and do not support Trump. This is why Trump did not get my vote.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Monday, November 7, 2016
Lowering Your Craft Expenses
If you're anything like me where crafting and baking cool things is part of your daily cravings and actions, then you probably find yourself browsing through a craft store fairly often.
...
Or is it just me?
I promise A.C. Moore did not pay me to endorse them or advertise them. I just happen to live conveniently close to an A.C. Moore (seriously. The location is a 10 minute walk from my apartment. It doesn't get any more convenient than that, short of a taxi service from my front door to theirs). So I happen to be in there a lot. I find myself doing a lot of DIY projects, and most of those projects involve various materials that I simply do not have laying around. I'm also a pretty avid scrapbooker. My boyfriend and I started doing "adventure books" together -- scrapbooks filled with fun memories of things we've done together. This means I'm always looking for fun stickers and scrapbook paper. I'm also looking for material to work on my DIY projects. Needless to say, I'm always at this A.C. Moore.
When I first started out shopping at A.C. Moore, I constantly bemoaned the fact that I had to pay so much for stuff that probably could be found cheaper at other places. Then, on a whim, I decided to sign up for their rewards program. This ended up being a pretty great decision. If you're looking for a way to lower your A.C. Moore craft cost, definitely sign up for their rewards program.
I get emails every day with at least one coupon. Most days I get two. They're usually pretty good coupons, too. It's usually something like 50% off a regularly priced item. In fact, I've received so many coupons that I honestly don't get a chance to use most of them. I don't feel like I've missed out, though, because I always get a fresh coupon the next day.
Another great way to save at A.C. Moore is their receipts! This tends to get overlooked quite often. In fact, I overlooked it all the time for a while. But on their receipts, A.C. Moore usually has a coupon. It's usually something like a 50% off coupon that's valid about a week after your purchase. Having to wait before you can use the coupon can be a drag sometimes, but it comes in handy when you're at the store and need a coupon but don't feel like having to browse through your email on your phone to find the coupon.
Another thing on the receipt, in smaller print, is the opportunity to get a discount for taking a very quick and easy survey. If you go to acmoorecares.com and put in a few details about your purchase, you're asked to answer a series of questions that's essentially rating them on a scale of 1-5 on various aspects of your shopping experience. It's pretty easy and painless to complete. At the end of the survey, you get a validation code that you write on the receipt, Then on your next visit to an A.C. Moore store, you get a discount on your next single-item purchase. Like I said, super easy.
Now with all these new ways to save on your next purchase, go forth and shop!
X
...
Or is it just me?
I promise A.C. Moore did not pay me to endorse them or advertise them. I just happen to live conveniently close to an A.C. Moore (seriously. The location is a 10 minute walk from my apartment. It doesn't get any more convenient than that, short of a taxi service from my front door to theirs). So I happen to be in there a lot. I find myself doing a lot of DIY projects, and most of those projects involve various materials that I simply do not have laying around. I'm also a pretty avid scrapbooker. My boyfriend and I started doing "adventure books" together -- scrapbooks filled with fun memories of things we've done together. This means I'm always looking for fun stickers and scrapbook paper. I'm also looking for material to work on my DIY projects. Needless to say, I'm always at this A.C. Moore.
When I first started out shopping at A.C. Moore, I constantly bemoaned the fact that I had to pay so much for stuff that probably could be found cheaper at other places. Then, on a whim, I decided to sign up for their rewards program. This ended up being a pretty great decision. If you're looking for a way to lower your A.C. Moore craft cost, definitely sign up for their rewards program.
I get emails every day with at least one coupon. Most days I get two. They're usually pretty good coupons, too. It's usually something like 50% off a regularly priced item. In fact, I've received so many coupons that I honestly don't get a chance to use most of them. I don't feel like I've missed out, though, because I always get a fresh coupon the next day.
Another great way to save at A.C. Moore is their receipts! This tends to get overlooked quite often. In fact, I overlooked it all the time for a while. But on their receipts, A.C. Moore usually has a coupon. It's usually something like a 50% off coupon that's valid about a week after your purchase. Having to wait before you can use the coupon can be a drag sometimes, but it comes in handy when you're at the store and need a coupon but don't feel like having to browse through your email on your phone to find the coupon.
Another thing on the receipt, in smaller print, is the opportunity to get a discount for taking a very quick and easy survey. If you go to acmoorecares.com and put in a few details about your purchase, you're asked to answer a series of questions that's essentially rating them on a scale of 1-5 on various aspects of your shopping experience. It's pretty easy and painless to complete. At the end of the survey, you get a validation code that you write on the receipt, Then on your next visit to an A.C. Moore store, you get a discount on your next single-item purchase. Like I said, super easy.
Now with all these new ways to save on your next purchase, go forth and shop!
X
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
DIY Elsa Costume for Adults
DIY #2: Elsa from Frozen!
The girly princess side of me just couldn't resist being aprincess -- excuse me, queen -- for Halloween. But when I looked for an Elsa costume, the price of the costume didn't justify the look of it. So my solution - DIY, of course!
This costume took quite a bit of time because this costume was made specifically for adults, and I wanted the skirt to be a full-length one, not one of those mini-skirt-esque ones that aren't exactly appropriate for my workplace. But if you're making this for a child or if you want your skirt to be shorter, this shouldn't take as long as it took me.
Let's get started on this no-sew fun!
You'll need:
- Tulle. A lot of tulle. I'm not kidding. Do not underestimate how much tulle you'll need. I used three different types of tulle: dark blue, glitter blue, and glitter light blue. (Glitter tulle is optional, obviously, but I just really wanted to be a sparkly queen). I'm 5'4", and I needed:
- 80 yards of dark blue tulle
- 50 yards of glitter blue tulle
- 50 yards of glitter light blue tulle
As you can see, I needed a total of 180 yards of tulle. For those of you who are doing the math, that's 540 feet of tulle! You might have a little extra left over by the end of the project, but it's better to have too much than too little.
- Ribbon or elastic (I used a blue ribbon that matched my tulle, but that was only because I couldn't find elastic. I definitely recommend elastic for a better fit.
- A blue shirt
- A white shrug or something similar
Procedure:
1. Measure and cut your ribbon. I measured around my waist and added about a quarter of an inch for when I would have to adhere it back together.
2. Measure and cut your tulle. I initially measured and cut one spool of tulle at a time, but as I kept working, I found it easier to just cut several spools of tulle at once. I measured how long I wanted the skirt to be, and then doubled that length and cut it.
The glitter tulle cooperated much better than the non-glitter one. They were a little more stiff, so they folded more easily, as you can see in the picture below.
(You'll also notice that I lay down a lot of newspaper. My apartment is carpeted and I learned the hard way that glitter is not easy to get out of carpet, so I had to prep my work area by laying down lots of newspaper to avoid a headache when it came time to clean up. I highly recommend either doing the same or working outdoors if you're using glitter tulle, because glitter never leaves)
3. To start working on your skirt, take two pieces of the plain blue tulle and fold them in half. The length should now be the length of your skirt. Make a slip knot around the ribbon to secure the tulle to the ribbon. Repeat the same process for the glitter blue tulle. Then again for the glitter light blue tulle. Continue this pattern until you're out of tulle or until you're satisfied with the way the skirt looks. Here's a look at my in-progress skirt to give you an idea of what it should start to look like as you make your skirt. (This was also before I added the glitter light blue tulle)
The girly princess side of me just couldn't resist being a
This costume took quite a bit of time because this costume was made specifically for adults, and I wanted the skirt to be a full-length one, not one of those mini-skirt-esque ones that aren't exactly appropriate for my workplace. But if you're making this for a child or if you want your skirt to be shorter, this shouldn't take as long as it took me.
Let's get started on this no-sew fun!
You'll need:
- Tulle. A lot of tulle. I'm not kidding. Do not underestimate how much tulle you'll need. I used three different types of tulle: dark blue, glitter blue, and glitter light blue. (Glitter tulle is optional, obviously, but I just really wanted to be a sparkly queen). I'm 5'4", and I needed:
- 80 yards of dark blue tulle
- 50 yards of glitter blue tulle
- 50 yards of glitter light blue tulle
As you can see, I needed a total of 180 yards of tulle. For those of you who are doing the math, that's 540 feet of tulle! You might have a little extra left over by the end of the project, but it's better to have too much than too little.
- Ribbon or elastic (I used a blue ribbon that matched my tulle, but that was only because I couldn't find elastic. I definitely recommend elastic for a better fit.
- A blue shirt
- A white shrug or something similar
Procedure:
1. Measure and cut your ribbon. I measured around my waist and added about a quarter of an inch for when I would have to adhere it back together.
2. Measure and cut your tulle. I initially measured and cut one spool of tulle at a time, but as I kept working, I found it easier to just cut several spools of tulle at once. I measured how long I wanted the skirt to be, and then doubled that length and cut it.
The glitter tulle cooperated much better than the non-glitter one. They were a little more stiff, so they folded more easily, as you can see in the picture below.
(You'll also notice that I lay down a lot of newspaper. My apartment is carpeted and I learned the hard way that glitter is not easy to get out of carpet, so I had to prep my work area by laying down lots of newspaper to avoid a headache when it came time to clean up. I highly recommend either doing the same or working outdoors if you're using glitter tulle, because glitter never leaves)
3. To start working on your skirt, take two pieces of the plain blue tulle and fold them in half. The length should now be the length of your skirt. Make a slip knot around the ribbon to secure the tulle to the ribbon. Repeat the same process for the glitter blue tulle. Then again for the glitter light blue tulle. Continue this pattern until you're out of tulle or until you're satisfied with the way the skirt looks. Here's a look at my in-progress skirt to give you an idea of what it should start to look like as you make your skirt. (This was also before I added the glitter light blue tulle)
(Once again, notice the newspaper on the floor to catch falling glitter)
4. Now that you're done with the skirt, the top is significantly easier in comparison. All you need is a blue shirt (I chose a v-neck to kind of imitate the curves on Elsa's actual dress). Then I threw on a white shrug because Elsa's top is made of one dark against one light material. Although Elsa didn't have a crown in the movie (not toward the end, anyway), I sprung for a plastic tiara anyway. Here's the finished look:
I really loved the full-length skirt. It seemed more true to Elsa's original dress than a short little tutu.
Happy crafting!
X
Monday, October 24, 2016
DIY Cruella De Ville Costume
DIY Halloween costume #1: Cruella Deville!
No way was I going to let this Halloween pass without a nod to something scary and Disney! Of course, I could have picked from several other Disney villains, but if I'm being honest, Cruella was really the most affordable and cost-friendly option for me. Unfortunately, I was so busy trying to perfect the costume that I didn't stop to take many progress pictures, but hopefully the written directions will be clear enough to make up for the lack of visuals.
Here we go!
You will need:
- A large white furry coat or shawl
- Red fabric
- Hot glue gun
- A black outfit
- A black and white wig
- Red gloves, or black & red nail polish
I actually couldn't find a white furry item of clothing in my closet, so I had to do some shopping for one. I didn't go out with high hopes. I would have been content with just a regular old white coat. But I couldn't believe my luck - I found the perfect white fuzzy coat that was super soft and fit exactly the way I hoped it would. I found mine in the bathrobes section of TJ Maxx. It was even on sale! I bought mine in a size L because I wanted it to fit a little looser than a typical coat.
Next, I measured out my red fabric and cut it so that it was the size of one side of my coat. That sounds a little confusing, but the picture below shows what I mean. You can cover the entire inside of your coat with the red fabric if you want, but since only the sides will be visible, I figured I'd just cover up the visible portions. Less work that way.
As you can see, I cut my fabric so that it fit just nicely on the inside of the left and right sides of my coat. I seriously recommending splurging for fabric scissors. They're sharp and made specifically for cutting fabric without making those awful jagged marks as you go. Just remember not to use it for any other material than fabric. Fabric scissors cost a pretty penny, so it's helpful to make it last for more than just one project.
I have zero sewing skills, so my hot glue gun has very quickly become my best friend in DIY projects. I carefully glued the piece of fabric onto the coat. It stuck surprisingly well. I was initially worried that it wouldn't adhere nicely because of the material of the furry coat. You'll have to adjust the fabric as you go. Don't rush this process - since this fabric is visible, you'll want to make it look neat.
After doing the same to the other side of the coat, you're done! That's the main part of this costume, other than the wig. Then slap on some red gloves, or, if you're in a warmer climate like me, you can opt to paint your nails black and then add some nice red tips. Add some red pumps (or just any pair or red shoes, really), and voila! You are Cruella Deville! If you want to go the extra mile and add a cigarette holder to finish off the look, you can easily paint a straw black, white, and gold.
Here's the final look (minus hair and nails) :
No way was I going to let this Halloween pass without a nod to something scary and Disney! Of course, I could have picked from several other Disney villains, but if I'm being honest, Cruella was really the most affordable and cost-friendly option for me. Unfortunately, I was so busy trying to perfect the costume that I didn't stop to take many progress pictures, but hopefully the written directions will be clear enough to make up for the lack of visuals.
Here we go!
You will need:
- A large white furry coat or shawl
- Red fabric
- Hot glue gun
- A black outfit
- A black and white wig
- Red gloves, or black & red nail polish
I actually couldn't find a white furry item of clothing in my closet, so I had to do some shopping for one. I didn't go out with high hopes. I would have been content with just a regular old white coat. But I couldn't believe my luck - I found the perfect white fuzzy coat that was super soft and fit exactly the way I hoped it would. I found mine in the bathrobes section of TJ Maxx. It was even on sale! I bought mine in a size L because I wanted it to fit a little looser than a typical coat.
Next, I measured out my red fabric and cut it so that it was the size of one side of my coat. That sounds a little confusing, but the picture below shows what I mean. You can cover the entire inside of your coat with the red fabric if you want, but since only the sides will be visible, I figured I'd just cover up the visible portions. Less work that way.
I have zero sewing skills, so my hot glue gun has very quickly become my best friend in DIY projects. I carefully glued the piece of fabric onto the coat. It stuck surprisingly well. I was initially worried that it wouldn't adhere nicely because of the material of the furry coat. You'll have to adjust the fabric as you go. Don't rush this process - since this fabric is visible, you'll want to make it look neat.
After doing the same to the other side of the coat, you're done! That's the main part of this costume, other than the wig. Then slap on some red gloves, or, if you're in a warmer climate like me, you can opt to paint your nails black and then add some nice red tips. Add some red pumps (or just any pair or red shoes, really), and voila! You are Cruella Deville! If you want to go the extra mile and add a cigarette holder to finish off the look, you can easily paint a straw black, white, and gold.
Here's the final look (minus hair and nails) :
This costume took all of 40 minutes to put together, so it's a great costume if you're trying to come up with a last minute costume for Halloween. Plus it's warm, too, so you can be comfy and cute!
Have fun!
X
Friday, October 14, 2016
Halloween Prep Week!
One of the perks of teaching -- I mean, other than the actual act of teaching -- is seeing how hyped up kids get over Halloween. Now, I'm honestly not the type of person to be in the Halloween spirit. I tend to not get invited to many Halloween parties, and when I am invited to one, I politely decline because I'd rather be sitting in the quiet comfort of my home binge-watching a TV series on Netflix and drinking hot tea. However, now that I'm a teacher, I'm just as excited as my students are to get in the spirit of Halloween.
To celebrate Halloween, staff members are highly recommended to come dressed up in Halloween costumes for the entire week before Halloween. They say highly recommended because they can't really require us to do dress up. After some initial reservations, I have come to terms with being whole-heartedly in the spirit of this. Unfortunately, my coworkers don't seem to share my enthusiasm. I'm hoping they're just playing it cool and are also planning on showing up dressed in some fabulous costumes so I don't look like the only idiot teacher there dressed in a costume.
I've been thinking about what I want to be a lot, and have come up with some ideas. Some ideas include Carl from the movie Up, Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmations, and Elsa from Frozen. I wanted to keep my costume as easily recognizable as possible so even my youngest students will know what I'm supposed to be. I started making my Elsa costume today, and the more I worked on it, the more excited I got. I've also started browsing and shopping for a Cruella costume as well, so I'm stoked to go to work dressed as Cruella one of those days as well. I'm planning on DIY-ing my way through most, if not all, of the costumes during Halloween week, so stay tuned for some tutorials in the near future!
X
To celebrate Halloween, staff members are highly recommended to come dressed up in Halloween costumes for the entire week before Halloween. They say highly recommended because they can't really require us to do dress up. After some initial reservations, I have come to terms with being whole-heartedly in the spirit of this. Unfortunately, my coworkers don't seem to share my enthusiasm. I'm hoping they're just playing it cool and are also planning on showing up dressed in some fabulous costumes so I don't look like the only idiot teacher there dressed in a costume.
I've been thinking about what I want to be a lot, and have come up with some ideas. Some ideas include Carl from the movie Up, Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmations, and Elsa from Frozen. I wanted to keep my costume as easily recognizable as possible so even my youngest students will know what I'm supposed to be. I started making my Elsa costume today, and the more I worked on it, the more excited I got. I've also started browsing and shopping for a Cruella costume as well, so I'm stoked to go to work dressed as Cruella one of those days as well. I'm planning on DIY-ing my way through most, if not all, of the costumes during Halloween week, so stay tuned for some tutorials in the near future!
X
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Chocolate Stuffed Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Dessert is by far my favorite pat of any meal. Coincidentally, making dessert is also one of my favorite past times. And since today is one of my student's birthdays, I decided that today is a great day to make a delicious treat.
However, since the weather has been heating up and I was a little pressed for time, I was both too hot and too lazy to heat up the oven to make a baked treat. My solution? Chocolate covered strawberries stuffed with chocolate truffles. Yum!
I might have snacked on a piece or two during the process, but I couldn't resist. There's still plenty for everyone! So let me share with you how I made this very tempting treat.
You will need:
1 package of double stuffed Oreos
2 chocolate pudding cups
1 8 oz. package of creamed cheese
optional: 1 cup of mini chocolate chips
32 oz. of strawberries
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| I got excited just looking at all this stuff! |
Procedure:
1. Wash your strawberries thoroughly. Cut off the tops of the strawberries.
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2, Use a small but sharp knife to take out the core of the strawberries.
3. Put that aside and open the package of Oreos. I got the double stuffed kind because that just sounds more festive. Break a few Oreos and then put them in a food processor and grind them until they become fine crumbs. My food processor is a small one, so it took me two or three rounds of processing, but it got the job done, so that's what counts.
4. In a large bowl, cream together the creamed cheese and Oreo crumbs until it almost resembles dough. If you want, add a cup (or less, depending on how much or how little chocolate chips you want) of chocolate chips and stir until everything is well combined.
5. Very carefully start stuffing your cored strawberries with the creamed cheese mixture. This is going to be most easily done with your hands.
6. Put the delicious chocolate stuffed strawberries in the freezer for 20 minutes. When you take them out, cover the tops of the strawberries with a generous helping of chocolate pudding.
7. Toss those puppies back in the freezer for another 30 - 40 minutes. Some of the pudding might fall off, but that's why we put a generous helping of pudding on top of the strawberries before we put them in the freezer.
8. Take them out of the freezer and enjoy!
These treats are very delicious, and it's helpful that they're cold. Perfect for a nice hot summer day! :)
Friday, April 22, 2016
For the Military S.O Questioning Your Relationship
When I met my boyfriend in high school, there were some things that I definitely knew. These things included:
- He was cute
- He was going to be very special to me for an undetermined amount of time
- He made me smile a lot
- I definitely had a crush on him
There were some things that I would come to learn when we started dating and got to know each other a little better, like:
- I have never been loved the way he loves me
- If he and I don't end up together in the long run, he will always be the standard that I will hold any future significant others to
- He is the love of my life and will continue to be in my life even if we don't work out
- I will never have to question his dedication and love for me
But there was one big thing that I didn't know, that I couldn't possibly have known until very recently:
- After four years of being in a long distance relationship because we went to school in two different states, I would return home only to learn that we'd be in a long distance relationship for even longer. Why? Because he made the decision to enlist in the Marine Corps, and the universe decided to play a mean joke and actually reversed the states that we were now in. (In college, I was in Virginia and he attended school in New Jersey. After he enlisted and graduated from basic training and I finished my undergraduate career in college, I returned home to New Jersey and he got stationed in Virginia).
Now, I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I'd heard enough stories and spoken to enough people regarding dating/being in a relationship with a military man. I knew that it meant sacrificing some of the quality time together I'd just gotten used to getting again. I knew that sometimes it would mean he would randomly get called to do something last minute and even though neither of us would like it and would very likely be angry about it, there would be nothing we could do about it. I knew all of this going in, but I accepted this lot of life anyway, constantly reciting the mantra, Nothing good ever comes easy.
But lately, he's been called away for several late nights. He's been unable to talk to me as often because of all the work he has to do, and when he does finally get off work at 10:30 at night, he is usually too tired to talk to me anyway and we have a brief low-quality conversation before he goes to sleep. It's led to me getting irritable and taking out my frustration with the situation out on him. It's led to me very nearly deciding to end this relationship because this distance, this military career, this forced lack of communication, just wasn't worth the trouble. When I made a pros and cons list, the cons were easily outweighing the pros. I know nothing good ever comes easy, but did it have to come this hard?
Then I looked back at old photos. I re-read some old messages, letters, and cards he'd written me in the past. And I knew, without a doubt, that the guy in these pictures and wrote these words still loved me. The man hadn't changed; he was just in a job that forces him to be away from me for more time than either of us would like. He still tries very hard to make time for me. He still tries very hard to make me happy and finds little ways to make me smile. This is still the person I fell so deeply in love with so many years ago, and the person I'm still in love with today.
So for those of you out there who are in a similar situation, who find themselves wondering if being in a relationship with a military person in worth it, let me assure you that your s.o doesn't love you any less -- it's the job, not the man. The road is a hard and difficult one, but if the love is good and strong enough, the road is worth travelling. You can trust that this career is probably weighing heavy on your s.o's shoulders as well. I want to remind you to take a deep breath, and to put extra effort into nurturing the great relationship that you have. Being a military s.o is hard, but loving someone as fiercely as you do is worth trucking through this difficult patch.
Love and light to you all.
X
- He was cute
- He was going to be very special to me for an undetermined amount of time
- He made me smile a lot
- I definitely had a crush on him
There were some things that I would come to learn when we started dating and got to know each other a little better, like:
- I have never been loved the way he loves me
- If he and I don't end up together in the long run, he will always be the standard that I will hold any future significant others to
- He is the love of my life and will continue to be in my life even if we don't work out
- I will never have to question his dedication and love for me
But there was one big thing that I didn't know, that I couldn't possibly have known until very recently:
- After four years of being in a long distance relationship because we went to school in two different states, I would return home only to learn that we'd be in a long distance relationship for even longer. Why? Because he made the decision to enlist in the Marine Corps, and the universe decided to play a mean joke and actually reversed the states that we were now in. (In college, I was in Virginia and he attended school in New Jersey. After he enlisted and graduated from basic training and I finished my undergraduate career in college, I returned home to New Jersey and he got stationed in Virginia).
Now, I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I'd heard enough stories and spoken to enough people regarding dating/being in a relationship with a military man. I knew that it meant sacrificing some of the quality time together I'd just gotten used to getting again. I knew that sometimes it would mean he would randomly get called to do something last minute and even though neither of us would like it and would very likely be angry about it, there would be nothing we could do about it. I knew all of this going in, but I accepted this lot of life anyway, constantly reciting the mantra, Nothing good ever comes easy.
But lately, he's been called away for several late nights. He's been unable to talk to me as often because of all the work he has to do, and when he does finally get off work at 10:30 at night, he is usually too tired to talk to me anyway and we have a brief low-quality conversation before he goes to sleep. It's led to me getting irritable and taking out my frustration with the situation out on him. It's led to me very nearly deciding to end this relationship because this distance, this military career, this forced lack of communication, just wasn't worth the trouble. When I made a pros and cons list, the cons were easily outweighing the pros. I know nothing good ever comes easy, but did it have to come this hard?
Then I looked back at old photos. I re-read some old messages, letters, and cards he'd written me in the past. And I knew, without a doubt, that the guy in these pictures and wrote these words still loved me. The man hadn't changed; he was just in a job that forces him to be away from me for more time than either of us would like. He still tries very hard to make time for me. He still tries very hard to make me happy and finds little ways to make me smile. This is still the person I fell so deeply in love with so many years ago, and the person I'm still in love with today.
So for those of you out there who are in a similar situation, who find themselves wondering if being in a relationship with a military person in worth it, let me assure you that your s.o doesn't love you any less -- it's the job, not the man. The road is a hard and difficult one, but if the love is good and strong enough, the road is worth travelling. You can trust that this career is probably weighing heavy on your s.o's shoulders as well. I want to remind you to take a deep breath, and to put extra effort into nurturing the great relationship that you have. Being a military s.o is hard, but loving someone as fiercely as you do is worth trucking through this difficult patch.
Love and light to you all.
X
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Getting Mold Out of A Camelbak Mouthpiece
As I was cleaning out my closet the other day, I dug up an old Camelbak water bottle I used to be absolutely obsessed with. I'm not kidding; I was rarely seen without it. I was always really hydrated. I don't remember why I stopped using it all the time, but I figured I should start up again. It'll be good for my health, after all. The problem was that it'd been a while since I've used the water bottle, so mold had started growing in the mouthpiece. The rest of the water bottle was just a thorough wash away from being usable again, but the mouthpiece was gross and moldy. Obviously, I wasn't about to throw away a perfectly good water bottle for the sake of a moldy mouthpiece, so I was determined to wash it out.
I tried scrubbing it with some q-tips and scratching the leftovers with toothpicks. I rinsed it with hot water and soap. I let it soak in a baking soda and water solution. Although these methods gave me a temporary fix (the mold grew back the next day), they weren't long-term solutions. I guess I hadn't killed the bacteria.
Then I tried a bleach solution.
I'm no stranger to the fact that bleach kills bacteria on contact. I was just avoiding this solution for safety and health purposes; I didn't want to accidentally ingest bleach from a less-than-thorough rinse-out afterward. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Luckily for me, it worked like a charm and was incredibly easy to do. So just in case there's someone out there desperately searching for a way to really get that mold out of your water bottle mouthpiece, let me share my method with you:
1. I used a plastic pint to put my bleach in. It wasn't being used for anything other than rinsing things out, so it was a safe choice. Whatever container you choose, avoid a commonly used dish for eating. You don't want any unhappy accidents.
2. I didn't really measure out my bleach. I just put a tiny splash of bleach in my container, just enough to thinly cover the bottom of the container. I filled it the rest of the way up with hot water and give it a good stir.
3. Now it's the easy part. All you have to do is put the moldy mouthpiece in this solution. Make sure you really poke it down so that it sinks to the bottom. That's it. Walk away and do whatever you have to do.
4. My mouthpiece didn't have a terrible amount of bleach in it, so after 10 minutes, it was clear of the mold. I left it in for an additional two minutes, though, just in case. Adjust the time according to how deeply your mouthpiece needs cleaning.
5. This is the important part. Rinse out your mouthpiece. Wash it with hot water and some mild soap, and really thoroughly rinse it. I even rinsed it with a baking soda rinse to make extra sure I wouldn't ingest bleach (I'd sooner accidentally ingest baking soda than bleach).
And then you're good to go! I hope this has been helpful!
X
Monday, April 11, 2016
Baking Soda = Quick "Dry Clean" Hair Fix
I may just be the world's biggest procrastinator. I had a whole morning all to myself to do everything I need to -- laundry, shower, housekeeping and such. Theoretically, I have enough time to do all of the above and still have some leisure time to continue binge watching my favorite shows on Netflix. However, I made the royally horrible mistake of starting my night with the binge watching, so when I looked at the clock after a few episodes, I realized I had just half an hour before my butt had to be in the office.
Now, I'm a pretty low-maintenance gal, but I'm not so low-maintenance that I can shower, get dressed, and look presentable in 15 minutes to be at work on time. I considered not washing my hair, but when I looked in the mirror... well... yikes. It was gross and greasy since I hadn't washed my hair yesterday either. I certainly didn't have time to give my hair a wash and be at work on time. Luckily, I remembered that baking soda can absorb the oil in a pinch, so I went in the kitchen, grabbed the box of baking soda, and got to work. The end product wasn't nearly as nice as I would have liked, but it was significantly better. It was good enough for me to decide that this was as presentable as I was going to get today.
Here's what I did:
1. Brush out your hair to get out all the knots and tangles. This makes your hair much easier to work with.
2. Use your finger tips to massage your head gently. This loosens up the oil on your head and also helps add just the tiniest bit of volume. This step may sound counter-intuitive; after all, why try to make your hair look even greasier? But trust me; this step is worth it.
3. Add about a tablespoon's worth of baking soda into the palm of your hand. You can sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on your roots before this, too, if you want. Rub your hands together to coat your hands in baking soda, and run your fingers through your hair. Make sure you focus a lot of the baking soda on the roots. Section your hair in different ways to make sure you get as much of your roots as possible. I had to do this step twice to get enough grease out of my hair.
NOTE: This step will get messy. I suggest doing this whole thing before you get dressed.
4. At this point, your hair should look a little less greasy. I'm not saying it's going to get all of the grease out of your hair -- it certainly didn't get it all out of mine. But it should do just good enough of a job to look somewhat presentable. I gave my hair another brush to shake out any excess baking soda, and then tossed my hair a little bit for volume.
5. Because baking soda does have a bit of a smell, I masked it with a Bath and Body Works body spray. I sprayed their Sweet Pea scent just above my head (not on my hair; that would be a little much), and put a coat of coconut oil lotion on my neck and face. It was just subtle enough to cover up the (kind of smelly) baking soda scent.
NOTE: I chose to mask the smell because it was enough to bother me. However, if the smell doesn't bother you, then this step isn't completely necessary. And if you do decide to also mask the smell with a body spray or perfume, choose one you actually like. Also make sure that you won't be around people that may be sensitive to perfumes.
X
Now, I'm a pretty low-maintenance gal, but I'm not so low-maintenance that I can shower, get dressed, and look presentable in 15 minutes to be at work on time. I considered not washing my hair, but when I looked in the mirror... well... yikes. It was gross and greasy since I hadn't washed my hair yesterday either. I certainly didn't have time to give my hair a wash and be at work on time. Luckily, I remembered that baking soda can absorb the oil in a pinch, so I went in the kitchen, grabbed the box of baking soda, and got to work. The end product wasn't nearly as nice as I would have liked, but it was significantly better. It was good enough for me to decide that this was as presentable as I was going to get today.
Here's what I did:
1. Brush out your hair to get out all the knots and tangles. This makes your hair much easier to work with.
2. Use your finger tips to massage your head gently. This loosens up the oil on your head and also helps add just the tiniest bit of volume. This step may sound counter-intuitive; after all, why try to make your hair look even greasier? But trust me; this step is worth it.
3. Add about a tablespoon's worth of baking soda into the palm of your hand. You can sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on your roots before this, too, if you want. Rub your hands together to coat your hands in baking soda, and run your fingers through your hair. Make sure you focus a lot of the baking soda on the roots. Section your hair in different ways to make sure you get as much of your roots as possible. I had to do this step twice to get enough grease out of my hair.
NOTE: This step will get messy. I suggest doing this whole thing before you get dressed.
4. At this point, your hair should look a little less greasy. I'm not saying it's going to get all of the grease out of your hair -- it certainly didn't get it all out of mine. But it should do just good enough of a job to look somewhat presentable. I gave my hair another brush to shake out any excess baking soda, and then tossed my hair a little bit for volume.
5. Because baking soda does have a bit of a smell, I masked it with a Bath and Body Works body spray. I sprayed their Sweet Pea scent just above my head (not on my hair; that would be a little much), and put a coat of coconut oil lotion on my neck and face. It was just subtle enough to cover up the (kind of smelly) baking soda scent.
NOTE: I chose to mask the smell because it was enough to bother me. However, if the smell doesn't bother you, then this step isn't completely necessary. And if you do decide to also mask the smell with a body spray or perfume, choose one you actually like. Also make sure that you won't be around people that may be sensitive to perfumes.
X
Next Bev Up: Lemonade
In case you haven't noticed, I've been on a beverage kick lately. I know it's really important to make sure you drink a good amount of water every day, but sometimes water just gets boring. So I need to change it up. Granted, my alternatives do tend to be a little unhealthier than water, but I can't help it. Plus, I still make sure I drink at least 5 cups of just water every day (yes, I know. That's nowhere close to enough water, but I'm working on it).
Today, in the midst of spring, the weather here in New Jersey is actually cooler than I'd like. In fact, some parts of New Jersey got snow the other day! In April! I'm not a fan of cold weather, so I keep my fingers crossed for this cold weather nonsense to end. I added to my self-delusion today by making myself a nice cold glass of lemonade. (Actually, it's still in the process of getting made as I type up this blog, but I decided to write about it anyway).
So here's what I did:
INGREDIENTS:
1 lemon
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (or white sugar, if you prefer)
1 cup + 8 tbsp. water (the 8 tbsp. will be for the syrup)
PROCEDURE:
1. On the stove, heat up the honey, sugar, and 8 tablespoons of water in a small skillet. It doesn't need to come to a boil; it just needs to be warm enough to dissolve the sugar completely. Give it a couple stirs at the end to really make sure the water's dissolved.
2. Put the syrup in the fridge to chill.
3. While the syrup is chilling, cut a lemon and squeeze the juice into a cup. I personally like my lemonade to be very lemony, so one whole lemon is a good amount for me. However, if you don't like your lemonade as lemony, you can use a little less. Adjust according to your taste.
4. Check on the syrup. For me, the syrup wasn't done chilling yet, so I spent some time cleaning up the kitchen and stuff. Then I wet a paper towel with cold water, wrapped the wet paper towel around the cup, and then stuck that in the fridge too. I know there's not really anything in the cup other than the juice of the lemon, but I really like my lemonade cold, so I figured, the colder the cup, the better I'll enjoy it.
5. Once the syrup is chilled enough for your liking, take it out of the fridge. I also took the cup with lemon juice out of the fridge and filled it up with water. Add a bit of syrup to the lemonade. WARNING: The syrup is very sweet. Don't be too tempted to just dump the whole thing in at once without trying it little by little first. You can always save any leftover syrup for the next cup of lemonade.
6 Enjoy your lemonade! :)
X
Today, in the midst of spring, the weather here in New Jersey is actually cooler than I'd like. In fact, some parts of New Jersey got snow the other day! In April! I'm not a fan of cold weather, so I keep my fingers crossed for this cold weather nonsense to end. I added to my self-delusion today by making myself a nice cold glass of lemonade. (Actually, it's still in the process of getting made as I type up this blog, but I decided to write about it anyway).
So here's what I did:
INGREDIENTS:
1 lemon
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (or white sugar, if you prefer)
1 cup + 8 tbsp. water (the 8 tbsp. will be for the syrup)
PROCEDURE:
1. On the stove, heat up the honey, sugar, and 8 tablespoons of water in a small skillet. It doesn't need to come to a boil; it just needs to be warm enough to dissolve the sugar completely. Give it a couple stirs at the end to really make sure the water's dissolved.
2. Put the syrup in the fridge to chill.
3. While the syrup is chilling, cut a lemon and squeeze the juice into a cup. I personally like my lemonade to be very lemony, so one whole lemon is a good amount for me. However, if you don't like your lemonade as lemony, you can use a little less. Adjust according to your taste.
4. Check on the syrup. For me, the syrup wasn't done chilling yet, so I spent some time cleaning up the kitchen and stuff. Then I wet a paper towel with cold water, wrapped the wet paper towel around the cup, and then stuck that in the fridge too. I know there's not really anything in the cup other than the juice of the lemon, but I really like my lemonade cold, so I figured, the colder the cup, the better I'll enjoy it.
5. Once the syrup is chilled enough for your liking, take it out of the fridge. I also took the cup with lemon juice out of the fridge and filled it up with water. Add a bit of syrup to the lemonade. WARNING: The syrup is very sweet. Don't be too tempted to just dump the whole thing in at once without trying it little by little first. You can always save any leftover syrup for the next cup of lemonade.
6 Enjoy your lemonade! :)
X
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Today's Breakfast Beverage: Chocolate Milk!
Am I the only one who still gets pretty excited about making my own chocolate milk? I mean, here I am, a grown woman, and the second my mom buys a big thing of unsweetened cocoa powder, the first thing I want to do is make a tall glass of chocolate milk.
I mentioned in my previous blog post that I recently found a way to make extremely delicious coffee with cocoa in it. Well, this morning, I made some tasty chocolate milk. The first time I tried to make chocolate milk, it was a bit of a failure. The cocoa powder floated to the surface in clumps and made the whole experience pretty dissatisfying. So today, I mixed some cocoa with some sugar and then slowed down the whole "add milk" process. The result: chocolate milk that I gulped down within five minutes! It was so great I just had to take to the internet and share.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp brown sugar
Procedure:
1. Mix the cocoa powder and brown sugar together. You can use white sugar instead, but my family has been on a health kick and my mom is convinced that switching from white to brown sugar will be the solution to our unhealthy sweet tooth habits.
2. Pour about a quarter cup of milk into the cocoa-sugar mixture. Really stir that mixture. I'm talking stir it hard. You might see floating clumps; I did. So I zapped it in the microwave for 10 seconds, just long enough to warm it up a bit but not long enough to make the milk uncomfortably hot.
3. Continue stirring until most or all of the clumps are gone. When that happens, pour in the rest of your milk. Stir again, and you should have a relatively clump-free glass of chocolate milk. You may still have a little clump or two in your glass, but because it's been mixed with sugar, it's actually not so bad.
4. Enjoy your chocolate milk and maybe reminisce about the good ol' days when you raced into the kitchen every morning to a glass of chocolate milk that your parents made for you.
I mentioned in my previous blog post that I recently found a way to make extremely delicious coffee with cocoa in it. Well, this morning, I made some tasty chocolate milk. The first time I tried to make chocolate milk, it was a bit of a failure. The cocoa powder floated to the surface in clumps and made the whole experience pretty dissatisfying. So today, I mixed some cocoa with some sugar and then slowed down the whole "add milk" process. The result: chocolate milk that I gulped down within five minutes! It was so great I just had to take to the internet and share.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp brown sugar
Procedure:
1. Mix the cocoa powder and brown sugar together. You can use white sugar instead, but my family has been on a health kick and my mom is convinced that switching from white to brown sugar will be the solution to our unhealthy sweet tooth habits.
2. Pour about a quarter cup of milk into the cocoa-sugar mixture. Really stir that mixture. I'm talking stir it hard. You might see floating clumps; I did. So I zapped it in the microwave for 10 seconds, just long enough to warm it up a bit but not long enough to make the milk uncomfortably hot.
3. Continue stirring until most or all of the clumps are gone. When that happens, pour in the rest of your milk. Stir again, and you should have a relatively clump-free glass of chocolate milk. You may still have a little clump or two in your glass, but because it's been mixed with sugar, it's actually not so bad.
4. Enjoy your chocolate milk and maybe reminisce about the good ol' days when you raced into the kitchen every morning to a glass of chocolate milk that your parents made for you.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Chocolate Coffee Recipe (AKA Delicious Way to Get Up In The Morning)
Like many people, I start pretty much all of my mornings -- particularly work day mornings -- with a nice cup of coffee. Generally, I brew my cup of coffee, add a little bit of sugar and milk, and I'm good to go. But recently, my mom bought a big container of unsweetened cocoa (the Hershey's brand) from Sam's Club, and that got me thinking. Sure, I'm sure I could use the cocoa powder for baking (which I still plan on doing this weekend), but I wondered what would happen if I put the cocoa powder in my daily cup of coffee.
It was a bit of trial and error. The first morning, I put half a tablespoon of the cocoa powder in my cup of coffee. Unfortunately, I forgot that it was unsweetened cocoa powder, so my coffee was a little hard to finish that morning. But then this morning, I found my cocoa coffee sweet spot. Let me share my discovery with you.
Ingredients:
1 cup brewed coffee (to your liking)
1/4 cup of milk (I like my coffee a little more milky than others. Feel free to adjust according to your taste)
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
Procedure:
1. Brew your coffee.
2. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and milk to your coffee. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are mixed.
3. Enjoy!
Of course, feel free to add/decrease the amount of cocoa, sugar, or milk so that it suits the way you like it. I might go with a little less sugar next time, but at least I know I'm on the right track. I hope this has helped you find your coffee sweet spot, too!
It was a bit of trial and error. The first morning, I put half a tablespoon of the cocoa powder in my cup of coffee. Unfortunately, I forgot that it was unsweetened cocoa powder, so my coffee was a little hard to finish that morning. But then this morning, I found my cocoa coffee sweet spot. Let me share my discovery with you.
Ingredients:
1 cup brewed coffee (to your liking)
1/4 cup of milk (I like my coffee a little more milky than others. Feel free to adjust according to your taste)
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
Procedure:
1. Brew your coffee.
2. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and milk to your coffee. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are mixed.
3. Enjoy!
Of course, feel free to add/decrease the amount of cocoa, sugar, or milk so that it suits the way you like it. I might go with a little less sugar next time, but at least I know I'm on the right track. I hope this has helped you find your coffee sweet spot, too!
Friday, February 5, 2016
Valentine's Day Affordable Gift Idea
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and as a recent college grad with some serious student loans, I really have to watch how much I spend on gifts and other luxuries. Don't get me wrong; I absolutely love spoiling my boyfriend to pieces -- after all, he does the same for me all the time! But sometimes we all have to face facts, and in my case, the fact is that I simply cannot afford to shell out a lot of cash for a Valentine's Day gift.
But the thing is, you don't have to spend that much to show your loved one that you care! I don't know about you, but I don't believe that the amount of money spent equates to how much you love your significant other. So I've managed to put together a cute little Valentine's Day gift for under $20!
(Besides, Valentine's Day is pretty low on our 'holidays to celebrate love' list. Examples of days that come before V-Day are anniversaries, birthdays, and, of course, Christmas)
First place I scoured: my local Dollar Tree. They're usually pretty good about putting out stuff for every upcoming holiday (St. Patty's, Easter, etc.), and they didn't let me down: they had a whole section of Valentine's stuff! I managed to find everything I needed.
Here's my Dollar Tree haul:
- A cute Valentine's bear gift bag kit
- Those Valentines that you used to pass out to your classmates in elementary school
- A bunch of miscellaneous toys (a magnet, a jump rope, a ruler, a tea candle, among others)
- Sweetheart candies
- Valentine's Day gift bags
I'm making my s.o a bag o' puns!
I tied a cute pink/red tags to each of the toys with ribbon. Some examples of the puns I included:
- I'm so ATTRACTED to you (magnet)
- You RULE, babe! (ruler)
- You make me JUMP for joy! (jump rope)
- You are the SPARKLE I need in my life (bottle of glitter)
- I only have EYES for you (googly eyes glued to little pom poms)
Cute, cheesy, and affordable. Just my cup of tea. I'm sure the boyfriend will love it too.
X
But the thing is, you don't have to spend that much to show your loved one that you care! I don't know about you, but I don't believe that the amount of money spent equates to how much you love your significant other. So I've managed to put together a cute little Valentine's Day gift for under $20!
(Besides, Valentine's Day is pretty low on our 'holidays to celebrate love' list. Examples of days that come before V-Day are anniversaries, birthdays, and, of course, Christmas)
First place I scoured: my local Dollar Tree. They're usually pretty good about putting out stuff for every upcoming holiday (St. Patty's, Easter, etc.), and they didn't let me down: they had a whole section of Valentine's stuff! I managed to find everything I needed.
Here's my Dollar Tree haul:
- A cute Valentine's bear gift bag kit
- Those Valentines that you used to pass out to your classmates in elementary school
- A bunch of miscellaneous toys (a magnet, a jump rope, a ruler, a tea candle, among others)
- Sweetheart candies
- Valentine's Day gift bags
I'm making my s.o a bag o' puns!
I tied a cute pink/red tags to each of the toys with ribbon. Some examples of the puns I included:
- I'm so ATTRACTED to you (magnet)
- You RULE, babe! (ruler)
- You make me JUMP for joy! (jump rope)
- You are the SPARKLE I need in my life (bottle of glitter)
- I only have EYES for you (googly eyes glued to little pom poms)
Cute, cheesy, and affordable. Just my cup of tea. I'm sure the boyfriend will love it too.
X
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