Spring Break 2013

Spring break seems to always be the highlight of the year when it comes down to the end of school. There are so many destinations that college students fly off to. However, I have never been a part of the spring break trips/vacations. Throughout my high school and early college years I have always worked during my spring breaks. Even in the summers during high school I didn’t go on any big trips. The reason I have never really been anywhere is because of my parents. Being an only child doesn’t play in my favor when it comes to traveling far away, because my parents are really protective. I don’t blame them, but I was often upset about not being able to go on trips. 

In high school  I was able to go on a few school trips in which we took a van or charter bus. I have been to North Dakota, South Dakota,  Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. I performed in the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago, Illinois and I have visited Indianapolis for FFA Nationals. I had many great visits to all of these places, but I’ve always had a desire to visit overseas. There was an opportunity for me to go to Germany for two weeks during the Summer of my Junior year, but my parents didn’t allow me to go. It was too far away and too risky… I wasn’t surprised that my parents said I couldn’t go, because I was used to it. 

However, all that changed this week (on Monday to be exact)! I called my dad Monday morning to ask him, but I chickened out. Later that evening I called again and finally just asked it. I told him that my friends Tiff (who lives on Long Island) and Lauren were going to New York for Spring Break to stay at Tiff’s house and I was also invited. I also told him that I wouldn’t have another opportunity like this to have free room and board. I was shocked to hear his response (and it didn’t take long for him to say). He said, “No, you wouldn’t get another opportunity like that, so you better go.” I couldn’t believe it! My dad actually said YES! He gave me the credit card information and Lauren and I booked our flight!! 🙂

I still can’t really believe it. It probably won’t hit me until I’m actually at the airport. I am so stoked for this trip! The best part is, our tickets were only $452 and that’s pretty decent for a Spring Break flight. We are planning to go on a bus tour, a show (probably not Broadway), and China Town! We are also spending a night in the city! We are destined to leave from Minneapolis airport at 7:17pm on March 8th and we will return March 17th around noon. I cannot wait for this trip and I am blessed to have the good friends to share the experience with. Not to mention, without them I wouldn’t have this opportunity in the first place.

I have a lot of planning to do in order to pack for this trip and I am eager to experience my first plane ride! 🙂

Until next time,

Whit

“The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.”

“The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.” – Unknown

Growing up as an only child I dealt with a lot of people always calling me spoiled and assuming that I got everything I wanted. Unfortunately for me, that wasn’t always the case. I knew the word, “No.” just like other kids with siblings. However, I’m glad I didn’t (and don’t) always get what I want. It makes me appreciate the things that I do get and have a lot more. 

One of my favorite quotes is “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.” This relates back to my childhood quite a bit. It still currently relates to my life, too. I like it because it reminds me of what is really important. It’s being grateful and happy for what you have. It isn’t about materialistic items, it’s about what you do with what you have and who you do it with. This quote inspires me and encourages me whenever I feel sad, mad, upset or any other emotion that isn’t anywhere near to happy. I wrote this quote down on a piece of paper and it’s hanging on my computer desk in my room. Every time I wake up or go to bed I see it. It is a constant reminder of how I should view every situation and try to bring out the positives.

Life is too short to be anything but happy. And yes, that is another quote, but I believe it defines the other quote very well. If anything it backs it up.

Although sometimes it is easier said than done, I always strive to live by that quote. I also try to help others to see the bright side of things and help them realize how happiness is a choice. It’s our attitude that we decide to have towards things that make us happy or sad. And of course, there are moments where we do need to be sad and/or morn, but the most important thing is how we overcome situations and obstacles in our lives. And how we strive to continue being happy. 

Job Fair/Road Trip Experience

Yesterday (Tuesday) I attended the MN Job and Internship Fair at the Minneapolis Event Center in St. Paul, MN. It was my first real experience at an event like that. The steps I took to prepare myself for the fair were the basic steps every college senior should take as they are approaching graduation. I attended individual meetings at Career Services located on campus and received help with constructing my resume and cover letter. I also practiced my “elevator speech” as well as interviewing. 

My friend and I headed up the day before the Job Fair. We were on the road by noon and our journey was definitely an interesting one. For about 2 hours of our 3 1/2 hour drive up there we were driving in difficult weather conditions. It was lightly snowing as we left, but the big obstacle was the wind! Now, being from Minnesota we knew how to get through this type of weather condition. However, it was still a little nerve-racking. We had white-out conditions about every 5-10 minutes. There were times were my friend, who was driving, would look at the center line and I had look-out to see if we were going to hit anyone in front of us, or if someone was going to come up from behind. After a while the wind died down and it was smooth sailing from there on out. We just kept calm and hoped for the best! Disregarding the nerve-racking side of the experience it was kind of fun at the same time. It definitely gave us an adrenaline rush! Despite me getting car sick a little later on and the two wrong exits we took, we actually made it up there in decent timing. We were surprised! 

Furthermore, after our shopping day we settled in at a family members house and began preparing for the Job Fair a little more. We researched what companies we were interested in and what job positions were currently available. We woke up the next morning and after accessorizing professionally and getting ready we headed out the door! We were only about a half hour away from the event center, which allowed us to have more time that morning to get ready and get there! After circling around and weaving through the one-way streets for about 10 minutes we finally found the place!

After checking in at our campus’s table, we made our way over to the student lounge. We mapped out our route of the booths we were going to attend. After about 15 minutes we headed into the room! It wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. I thought it was going to be very intimidating, but it turned out to be a very exciting experience. Most of the recruiters were very enthusiastic and easy to approach. However, I did encounter a few that couldn’t care less about being there or listening to what you had to offer. I wasn’t as interested in those companies, so that was good. 

As we left, I felt like I learned a lot from the experience. I got a feel of communicating and networking. I also found it very effective in the sense that I can analyze what I liked and didn’t like about my approach or what questions were discussed. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and effective experience. 

As far as interviews and prospective jobs I was offered an interview for next Tuesday in the Twin Cities for Buckle. However, it’s not the corporate part of the company and the job description does not meet my long-term goals. Therefore, I decided not to make the trip back up. I know beggars can’t be choosers, but I don’t want to do something that I don’t love. However, I am excited to be following up with a couple other companies that really interested me! They are C.H. Robinson and the Mayo Clinic (Marketing, not Nursing). 

The real world awaits.  

The True Meaning Behind Valentine’s Day

I have never been the type of girl to get too ecstatic about Valentine’s Day. Of course I would celebrate it with my boyfriend, or an actual valentine if I was single, but I never really liked the idea of it. I always loved Valentine’s Day when I was younger and we got to make boxes and hand out candy (and receive it, too)! I still like doing that today, even though I am older. In the office I work in we had a box contest and gave each other valentines and candy! It was a lot of fun and it always feels good to get something! 

Furthermore, I’m not anti-Valentine’s Day I just don’t like how it has become so commercialized. Nowadays, it’s all about company’s trying to sell all the cards, candy, stuffed animals, and flowers they possibly can. Sure they’re cute gifts and they make people feel loved and stuff… but I think people have lost sight of the true purpose and meaning to Valentine’s Day. 

I have read about the history of Valentine’s Day before and I have found that the reason behind all of this is a cleric named Valentine who died more than a thousand years ago. It is not exactly known why the 14th of February is known as Valentine’s Day or if the noble Valentine really had any relation to this day. The history of Valentine’s Day is impossible to be obtained from any archive and the veil of centuries gone by has made the origin behind this day more difficult to trace. It is only some legends that are our source for the history of Valentine’s Day.

I wanted to share my favorite story that describes St. Valentine and how February 14^th became known as Valentine’s Day. My favorite part includes:

“The ban on marriage was a great shock for the Romans. But they dared not voice their protest against the mighty emperor. The kindly bishop Valentine also realized the injustice of the decree. He saw the trauma of young lovers who gave up all hopes of being united in marriage. He planned to counter the monarch’s orders in secrecy. Whenever lovers thought of marrying, they went to Valentine who met them afterwards in a secret place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. And thus he secretly performed many marriages for young lovers. But such things cannot remain hidden for long. It was only a matter of time before Claudius came to know of this “friend of lovers,” and had him arrested.”

There are a few different stories that explain how Valentine’s Day came to be. However, the most believable story surrounding St. Valentine is one not centered on Eros (passionate love) but on agape (Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion. Valentine is believed to have been executed on February 14, 270 AD. Thus, February 14^th became a day for all lovers and Valentine became its Patron Saint. It began to be annually observed by young Romans who offered handwritten greetings of affection, known as Valentines, on this day to the women they admired. With the coming of Christianity, the day came to be known as St. Valentine’s Day.

It is also said to be known that a deep friendship had been formed between Valentine and Asterius’ daughter. Asterius was Valentine’s jailer who believed Valentine could heal his blind daughter. It is said that just before his execution, Valentine asked for a pen and paper from his jailer  and signed a farewell message to Asterius’ daughter “From Your Valentine,” a phrase that lived ever after.

So, next time you’re wishing for those dozen roses or heart-shaped box filled with your least favorite chocolate think of how it was before. Just be grateful that you get to spend Valentine’s Day with your loved ones and most importantly you get to spend the days after with them, too.

Happy Valentine’s Day. 

Don’t Forget About Yourself

This year has been a hectic one thus far. I never have any real complaints, though. Life would be boring if we didn’t have busy schedules or unexpected things happen to us on a daily basis. I am thankful everyday for the curve balls life throws at me. I am also thankful for the strength that I have been given to overcome those curve balls.

As schedules continue to keep busy it’s often hard to find time for yourself. It’s always a good thing to reserve some time to socialize and catch up with good friends, but you can’t forget to pay attention to yourself as well. I have been very busy the past couple months and I have been getting stressed out more easily than usual. I find myself becoming irritated with little things that wouldn’t usually bother me. One night I was thinking to myself trying to figure out what had happened. I tried to remember the last time I did something just for me. I couldn’t remember anything. So, I set aside some time to myself and had a spa night!

I just did a basic pedicure and facial. I lit some of my favorite scented candles, put on some music and began my spa night. I soaked my feet in warm water while I let my facial mask do its work – and of course I had cucumbers on my eyes. I always thought the cucumbers were just for looks or something, but I did some research and they actually help with puffy eyes and dark circles. Cucumbers have a cooling effect on the skin and help calm redness and puffiness around the eyes.  I also read that potatoes can have a similar affect. However, cucumbers usually work best for most people.

The facial I used was called “Refreshing Honey Lemon Face Mask” and it included the following:

Ingredients: 

Honey – 2 tablespoons

Freshly squeezed lemon juice – ½ Tablespoon

Fresh yogurt – 1 Cup

Glycerin – 2 tablespoons

Chickpea flour – 1/3 cup

Preparation: Simply beat the honey, yogurt and glycerin together to form a smooth blend. Now add the flour and beat again until you have a thick mixture.

Application: Apply the paste to the face, neck and even to the shoulders and hands if required. Keep it on for fifteen minutes and rinse off.

Benefits: The lemon juice and honey help to cleanse the skin, as the glycerin and yogurt moisturize to refresh and cleanse your skin making it amazingly soft and fresh.

Reminders when doing facials at home: Before you try out any facial masks make sure you check which one suits your skin type. Also, have everything you need set out on a table or somewhere near you. This makes it easier when you’re relaxing and everything is in reach when you’re in the middle of your facial.

Doing a stay-at-home spa treatment is a very relaxing way to de-stress and find some peace. It’s also an inexpensive way to have some fun! Remember… don’t forget about yourself. It’s always important to set aside some time to be by yourself. Whether it’s a spa, walk, shopping, or reading it is always important to take care of yourself so you can perform your best and keep doing the things you love! 

Here are some links that helped me get started on my stay at home spa:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/homemade-facial.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/163696-home-facial-ideas/

Weekend Project

One of my favorite parts of growing up on a farm was being able to play in my dad’s shop. When I was little, I would always be outside helping my dad and playing in the dirt. I would always fascinated by my dad’s talents and motivation. He would never leave anything look old or dingy. I remember helping him sand, buff, and paint nearly all of his machinery. I would also help him was the machinery. I was able to get into the tight spaces or wash the wheels since I was small enough. He would also let me use the power washer! That was my favorite.

Aside from helping him with his work, I also got to do some fun projects! For instance, I would get to use some of his left over supplies and build wooden ladders, tables, coat racks, and the typical bird house. I would also stain or paint my projects. To this day, I still like to create things like that. However, they are a little more simple and decorate now.

I haven’t made anything in a while since I’ve been busy with school, work, and family. So, I decided to get back into it and create something! I made a framed magnet board to hang on my bedroom wall. First of all, my dad helped me cut out the frame and drill two holes on the top (about 5 inches apart) where I tied a thick, black ribbon through to make the hanger to hold the frame up. I bought a 12×12 magnetic sheet from a local craft store, otherwise a cookie sheet will also work. I also bought plastic tabs that I screwed on the back of the frame in order to hold the magnetic board in. I also cut an indent in the back of the frame to make the magnetic sheet, along with a plexiglass sheet to help hold the magnetic sheet in, lay even with the back of the frame. That way it lays flat against the wall. After I cut, sanded, and screwed the tabs on the frame I painted the front black. After it dried I strung the ribbon through the top holes and tied it. I grabbed some magnets I had in a junk drawer and my project was complete! 🙂

I am very grateful and blessed to have a dad as a farmer and to have access to the tools that are necessary to create things like these. I love doing it and I also get to spend time with my dad and learn how to do something new every time! 🙂

Here are some photos of the process!

Girl with Curls

Ever since I can remember, everyone that has seen my curly hair has been jealous of it. I could never quite understand why anyone would want unmanageable, crazy curly hair. I also couldn’t find the logic in paying to have curly hair. However, perms are usually more controllable and easier to style since they were ‘made’ and not ‘natural’. It’s often difficult to style naturally curly hair, especially when you leave it down. During my high school years, my hair was rarely down. I always pulled it back in a pony-tail when I straightened it, or had it up in a bun when I left it curly. If I ever left my curly hair down, it would be a fro within two hours — and I wish I was exaggerating when I say “fro”.

All my life I always imagined how much easier life would be if I had straight hair. Well, back in September I got my wish. My good friend that I met last year at college is a hair stylist. She informed me that she could try to chemically straighten my hair. It’s almost exactly like a perm only opposite. Now, this is where I sound like a hypocrite since I couldn’t understand why people would spend their money on perms. I spent money to make my hair straight.

It would usually take me an hour and a half to straighten my hair with a flat-iron. After I got it chemically straightened, it only took me 20 minutes to style! I absolutely love it! It’s been five months since I got it done and it’s still easy to manage. It never got completely straight, but it was definitely straighter than I expected! The process took 3 hours, but it was worth it. It doesn’t harm my harm and I can style it any way I like. It’s still a little wavy, but I can gel it and leave it down without worrying about it getting frizzy and crazy looking throughout the day. I will be touching it up soon since I have some regrowth that is a little bit more curly than the rest of my hair. I can keep doing it as long as I want without any permanent damage to my hair. It will eventually ware off if I leave my hair alone, so it won’t take me too long to get my natural curly hair back if I really wanted to. Additionally, I can still color my hair in between straightening treatments, so I never have to worry about that.

I strongly believe in the saying, “Everyone wants what they don’t/can’t have.” For instance, people with curly hair want straight hair and people with straight hair want curly hair. However, there are some things we can do to get close to the things we want and satisfy our wants. 🙂 

Here are the before and after pictures! 

Cats Leave Little Paw Prints on your Heart

 

 

This is my cat, Fluffy. I have had her since I was five years old. I know this post may make me seem like a future obsessed cat lady, but I don’t care. I wanted to share the story behind this very special friend of mine. She is 16 now, and she is still going strong! I still remember the first day I got her. My dad had come in the house and told my babysitter that he would bring her home and she was done watching me for the day. I went along for the ride and before my dad and I went back home he told me that we needed to make a quick stop before heading home. Soon, we pulled up to a house that I had never seen before and walked up to the door. A lady answered the door and invited us in. We walked into the kitchen and underneath the table sat seven little kittens! I thought they were all really cute, but there was one that caught my eye right away. She was the only white kitty in the litter; the rest were brown and black. Next thing I know, my dad turns to me and says, “Pick the one you want to take home.” I was so ecstatic! I chose the white one in a heartbeat and the lady handed her over. On the way home, I decided to name her Fluffy. I had always wanted a cat named Fluffy and it suit her perfectly since she was literally a fluffy cat. Additionally, I had others cats before, but they were all outdoor farm cats. I was extremely excited, because Fluffy was my first and only indoor cat.

The reason she isn’t just any other cat is because I got her after my second open heart surgery. I truly believe that pets are a good thing for children to have. It not only teaches them responsibility, but gives them unconditional love. Anything can happen to you and no matter what, your pet will love you and be there by your side. Fluffy is very special to me and I don’t think I would have had such a strong recovery without her. She was always there when I was sick and always put a smile on my face. I know it sounds a little crazy, but I definitely wouldn’t be the person I am today if I never had Fluffy. 

She definitely left her paw prints on my heart and helped me through some tough times in my childhood. There’s nothing like the bond between an owner and their pet. 

It’s Never Too Late

Hey fellow bloggers! 

I have fallen a little bit behind schedule with some stuff recently, including my blog. I have been extremely busy with school, work, friends and family. Regardless of the usual chaos life brings, I was just pitched another curve ball. 

A couple weeks ago I found out my grandma’s husband (not my biological grandpa, but nevertheless someone very important to me) was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. He had other health issues in the past, but nothing like this. His medical history involves having liver problems, which now has limited his chances at utilizing chemo-therapy. However, he is able to do radiation, which he has already started. Lately, I have been trying to be there for my grandma and help her out around the house. This usually includes helping with groceries and cleaning a little bit. Despite the bad news, my family has kept our spirits up and we are trying to lead as fun of a life we always have. 

I chose to discuss this matter in my blog this week, because it made me step back for a minute and think of how precious our time is. Now, I know it sounds cliche, but I am a huge believer in making every moment count and not taking advantage of our time. It is usually easier said than done, but I think if we start the day with that mind set then we will accomplish more things by the end of the day. Sometimes things don’t seem fair, but there is always something to learn. Even though I wish this wasn’t happening I am grateful that I was given the time that I had with the people who have made an impact in my life. This has definitely opened my eyes and has also made me realize that it’s never too late to talk and visit the people who are most important. It can be as big as a family gathering or as small as a phone call just to say, “Hi.” I have also reached out to more people that I have fallen out of contact with in the past few months, because we never really know when our time is going to come to an end and it’s important to let those you care about know that you care. 🙂

See you next time! 

God Bless!