Diary of a Fickle White Woman

* After a few breakdowns, lots of stress, hundreds of hours studying, lots of money, and a LONG semester, I can finally brag about getting a B in advanced physiology and an A in lifespan development. If you'll remember, I almost dropped advanced physio because I was pretty sure I wasn't even going to get a C in the class. I'm rarely proud of myself, but this is one of the few times where I patted myself on the back and was proud of all my hard work. *I'm taking two online classes next semester, medical terminology & abnormal psychology. I don't need either of these classes, but I want to stick with the routine of school so that it isn't hard to get back into the swing of things once I start nursing school. *Speaking of nursing school, my application is due February 1st! I can't believe what I have been working towards for over a year and a half now is finally coming to fruition. I'm so excited to get my application off and then sit on pins & need

A few months ago I was really excited about having found a new nanny job and the amount of money I'd earn in the nine months I was going to be with them. However, that excitement wore off as the reality of the job set in and I was really, really unhappy. Let me back up a bit. I think I once said on here that I adored the new family, but that was a lie that I was trying to con myself into believing. For lack of a better explanation, I just did not click with them. At all. And I have never had that problem before-- and in 11 years of babysitting, I've taken care of a lot of kids for a lot of different families. The biggest issue with this family was that the dad worked from home. This alone wouldn't be a huge issue, but the fact that he's a micromanaging control freak was. Every cry the kid made (he's not even 1 yet, obviously he's going to cry), he'd come running out of his office to ask what was wrong. He was always questioning me, making snide little remar

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Lots to write about, but I'm still enjoying my break, so for now, a post about sign language. I was contacted by a gal named Emily who works for Primrose schools a while ago and was asked if I would be willing to post an article about education on my blog. Considering I've been in school for 21 years straight, clearly education is something I highly value. I told her to send the article my way and I'd look it over before committing to posting it. After reading the first sentence, I knew I'd want to share. Below is the article, after which you will find why it is so near and dear to my heart: Sign Language and Early Childhood Education The ability to communicate articulately in a variety of ways with the widest possible audience, is a skill that can take you far in our society today. Whether you learn a second language for job opportunity or just to become more diverse, it is a great unique ability. This includes bilingual ability

Oy, I have so much to write about, but I'm taking the easy way out today with a little Christmas quiz I found from Lindsey , who found it from Unofficial Mom . Life updates headed your way after Christmas. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate, but I really don't drink hot beverages. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He wraps them! And, yes, Santa still comes to my house. Cheesy as it is, it's cute. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have colored lights outside, one tree with colored lights and our family ornaments from forever ago, and one "fancy" tree with white lights and gold and silver and cream ornaments. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but my Grams does, does that count? When do you put your decorations up? Outdoor lights have gone up as early as beginning of November, but we don't turn them on until Thanksgiving night. The weather here is so bipolar that we take advantage of a warm fall day when it's around. Everything

according to my brother's awesome "picking out of the bowl" skills: ANNE!!!!!!!!!! I didn't choose the winner based on best story (thank God I never intended to because there never would have been a winner because all the stories were too awesome), but here is her hilariously embarrassing story: Anne said... One of my most embarassing moments EVER: What you need to know before reading this is that our church service is televised LIVE every Sunday morning. So, I was doing this skit thing in front of church one Sunday morning (as an adult) and after it was over I went to the back of the church to sit by some kids I was mentoring at the time. What I didn't know is that my TV mic was STILL ON. So, I proceed to sing the hymns in all kinds of funny voices (I even barked one song...yep...classy) to make the kids I was sitting with laugh. Not knowing that my obviously hilarous antics were being broadcast all over SE Minnesota. Emarassing?? Yes. I need to win this!!! You

*My giveaway ends on Sunday at noon EST, so be sure to enter if you're interested in winning a "relaxation package!"* I finished my finals today and think all went well. The minimum grade I will get in advanced physiology is a C, but I may get a B; I'll know tomorrow (unless my brother decides not to look at the grade board for me). Considering a few months ago I wasn't even sure getting a C would be possible, I'm content, although a B is preferred. I also quit my nannying job today because I could no longer be micromanaged and have the parents act like they don't trust me. That's a blog post coming soon to a dashboard near you ;) Now for the title of the post. I first saw "Letter Art" a few years ago-- where photographs of everyday objects are taken in a way to mimic letters, spelling everything from last names, to "family," to "faith," etc. My parents and I have always thought they were cool and wanted one, especially

RYAN REYNOLDS IS BACK ON THE MARKET!!!! His hotness makes me swoon. See how yummy he is? Don't mind if I do. Life is starting to look up. ::Sigh:: That is all. I have my final final on Thursday; after that, I hope to be back in full force with lamer posts than before. Try to contain your excitement. Oh yea, enter my giveaway . Or don't. Whatever floats your boat. PS, George Clooney, how's about's you put yourself back on the market, too, k?

My mom's mom died in 1983, four years before I was born. When she died, my mom inherited most, if not all, of her Christmas ornaments. Some of them are really freakin' ugly, but I'm all about vintage anything, so I put them up anyway. Even the metallic parrot one, and y'all know how much I despise birds. However, three little ornaments are just flat out freaky when you look at them the way I do. Pardon the blurriness, I gave up trying and caring. Someone my grandma knew made them for her in the late 60s. Here's where it gets good. The gold one is the color of my dad's birthstone (November). Ruby red is my brother's birthstone (July). And the emerald green one? Yep, that's my birthstone (May). Notice the pearls on all three of them? Pearl is my mother's birthstone (June). Remember, the ornaments, the only three made, were given to my grandma in the 60's. My parent's didn't meet/marry until 1980. Craig wasn't born until 1985, and I, 198

*Don't forget to enter my "relaxation package" giveaway. It ends December 19th! Click HERE for details and to enter.* My grandmother, Martha Anne, is the only grandparent I have ever known. Maybe it's because of this, or maybe it's because I was half-named after her, but whatever it may be, we've always had a special bond. I remember being a little girl and begging her to set me on her knee so she would bounce me up and down like I was riding a horse. Of course, a ride wouldn't be complete without her singing the theme song to "Bonanza." Every so often she'd set me on her lap and bounce, and then, at the end, she'd open her legs and let me fall through, laughing hysterically with me. Funny that I now do this with the kids I take care of. I also remember snuggling with her, and walking hand in hand on the beach searching for the perfect seashell, and trying on all of her magnificent jewelry. At 23 years old, I still take every chance I g

Just wanted to remind/tell you all about the giveaway. Because maybe you're like me and have to pick and choose which blogs you're going to read some days and which ones you can't fit in, and didn't get a chance to read my post on Monday because it didn't scream "FREE GOODS!" It's OK, I'm not hurt. Tis reality. No other news to report. Well, actually, that's probably a lie. I'm sure I could find something to write about, and I do plan on doing a tour of my home, while it's decorated for Christmas, but that involves using my brain, which I've done too much of this semester and, quite frankly, my brain hurts. But it's ALMOST OVER!!! Two more weeks until sweet, sweet freedom! Hopefully that means I'll get back to writing more and use that as therapy instead of food. Womp womp to weight gain. Oh, ps, I'm still doing C25k and have done it at least three times a week every week since I started. So what if I did week 2 three (o

Read this post. Trust me, you'll want to. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. From Thanksgiving until January 1st, I forget about how much I despise cold weather and bask in the warmth that is Christmas cheer. Oh, Lord, is that cheesy or what? But I mean it. There's just something about all the decorations, the music, the preparation for the birth of my Lord, that makes me all giddy. But it can also be a stressful time with the end of school, shopping to do, letters to send, volunteer work, etc. I know I'm not the only person in the world who stresses. Kids, taking care of the home, jobs, finding a job, loved ones who are fighting for our freedom overseas, school, being a good friend and family member-- it can all be so overwhelming and take a toll on the body. I try to use homeopathic remedies (I think that's the term I'm looking for...) when I'm feeling incredibly stressed because Lord knows my body gets pumped full of enough pharmaceuticals as is