SUBSTITUTE

Thursday and Friday was my very first experience substitute teaching.  I substituted for the classes I have been student teaching in- one Language Arts class and three math classes- all sixth grade.  I had not quite prepared myself for a day full of teaching.  May I just start out saying that teaching is the #1 underpaid and underestimated career?  I knew this before, but I think it would be impossible for anyone to truly understand the statement unless they, themselves realized the amount of work that goes into this career.  I love this quote because, maybe I'm biased, but it's completely true!

I think the reason why people underestimate elementary education teachers is because when people hear "elementary" they think we teach the difference between triangles, circles, and squares all day.  The truth is, almost EVERYTHING I teach, I need to research beforehand.  If you didn't major in the field of science, could you explain to someone what an isotope is?  Even then, try explaining it to students who need it put in simpler terms.  Sometimes it seems there isn't such a way!

But please, don't think for a second that teaching is the first part of being an educator.  Mediating behavioral issues is something that seems will take me years to master.  Don't worry, I won't complain about a single thing... Josh already got the butt of it all... (:

Instead, may I explain the following phrases I heard multiple times throughout each period of the day (and my responses to each, said ever so kindly in my mind):

• "Can I have a pencil?" (Literally, every 10 minutes)
• ...Does it look like I'm made of pencils!?

• **Whiny voice: "teacherrrrrr, he won't stop ________!!!"  
• ...I'm a teacher, not a babysitter.

• "Can I go to the bathroom?"
•  ...No, because you just went 10 minutes ago and you're just going to skip class.

• "Can I get a sip of water?"
• ....There's a water fountain in our room.

• "We have SOOOO MUCH HOMEWORRRRK!"
• ....No you don't.  Your life is not over, preteen.  

•  **After being told to stop: "I'm not doing anything!!!/What was I doing???"
• ....You're right, I just told you to stop because I like the word.

Now, one may think by my answers that I am a horrible person.  Sorry, I'm only human- I am also sarcastic- not to the students, but for my own entertainment.  Don't get me wrong- I love teaching.

And despite the craziness of Thursday and Friday, there is a happily ever after.  On Friday, the last comment a tender little quiet student told me today was:

You're a great math teacher!

A Healthy Lifestyle

Alright, can I just come out and say the issue with blogging is that sometimes you worry so much about one of two things: 1) offending others 2) how you will be viewed by others.  Am I right?

I am going to try to set aside these things- especially number two, and get down to the nitty gritty.  I wanted to make a post that will hold me accountable for accomplishing one of my New Year's Resolutions which is to live a healthy lifestyle.  In girl language this might mean "lose weight," but I hate the negative connotation that is attached to that phrase.  To me, living a healthy lifestyle is much more than cutting weight- it's becoming strong and taking control of one's self.  So, instead of facing the dreaded scale each week, I am going to focus my time towards making meals with more natural ingredients and continuing my workout regime- with a little twist (as you will see later). I'm not going near a scale because we have had a horrible history together!  With a scale, instead of focusing on how I feel, I focus on numbers. I have found that numbers don't really motivate me- my emotional and physical health cannot be weighed by a scale.

Now, I will have to be patient- which is not my strong suit. I am not looking to lose x amount of pounds in x amount of days, I am simply looking to revamp the role food plays in my life.  And hopefully once this lifestyle is incorporated into my everyday life, I can help instill it in my future children.  I love the phrase "Don't live to eat... eat to live."  I have to remind myself of this quite often.  Although I believe this process will take longer than past attempts, I feel that it will be more gratifying if I focus on how I feel rather than the numbers.  So, to start off on my goal I have done two things.

1. The app: myfitnesspal.  Anyone wanna be my friend?! I've just started and I don't have any.... haha! For those of you who do not know what it is- it's basically a way to track what you eat.  I used to do a journal because I found that it made me more accountable knowing what I ate, but it was SO much more work.  With this app, it has most of the foods already in the system, so all you have to do is click right on it!  Boom.  No reason to say you "don't know what you're eating."

2. New workouts!  I'm more excited about this one, I have to say.  Although Josh and I go to the gym daily, I was in the habit of doing the same few workouts ALL year.  That's horrible!  I should have changed it up every few months because if workouts remain the same, the body gets too used to what it is doing.  So, to break my streak of simply having an upper body, lower body, and ab day, I will be doing several different workouts- thanks to Fitmiss!  I've been following them on instagram (@Iamfitmiss) because they post daily workouts.  What I've done is accumulated some of these workouts and I've put them into a little journal I can put into my gym bag.

So... why am I telling you this?  I need buddies with the same goal as me to tell me their strategies to succeed this year!  Also, I like spreading knowledge, so for those of you who feel that these could help- my job is done (:

For those of you who would like to know more specifics on how I'm organizing my little notebook of workouts- let me know! I can post them if you would like.

5 easy ways to make your hair LAST

Quite a few people have asked me how I keep my hair clean for more than a day.  People claim that their hair gets super greasy... and that they aren't able to go for more than a day without washing their hair.  While this is true, I believe many people haven't taken the measures to see what their hair can really do!  I have a few simple steps that I do to keep my hair lasting for a good three days.

1.  The first day of your clean hair, keep it pinned back so that it's not touching your face.  Sometimes I'll do a nice little poof or part my hair down the middle and pull the sides back.  By having your hair pulled back, it's not soaking up the oils from your face, which means that your hair won't get greasy so quickly.  Also, when it's pulled back, I've found that I'm not touching my hair to get it out of my face as much, therefore, not transferring the oils from my hands to my hair.

 This is a picture of day 3 without washing my hair... It might look weird in this picture because my roots are growing out- but hopefully you can tell that my hair still looks fresh!



2.  Try not to let the scalp of your hair rest against your significant other during the day/night time.  This sounds kind of weird, like I'm telling you not to cuddle, but of course there's plenty of different positions to rest your head!  I found that the majority of the time, I lay next to Josh and he rests his cheek on my head before we fall asleep.  No offense Josh, but the oils on your skin are transferring to my scalp- and I don't like it! haha. But really, it's the same concept as number 1.  The less opportunity for your hair to touch skin, whether it's your own or someone's, the longer your hair will last!



3.  Use that dry shampoo!  Before you go to sleep at night, spray dry shampoo on your part and the crown of your head.  By the morning, the existing grease on your hair should be soaked up and the shampoo will  either be completely gone, or still need a little rubbing in.  Be sure to spray the pieces right above your ears.  Those little whispies are notorious for soaking up oil.

4.  Shampoo twice.  Some may say... "What a waste!" but when you're shampooing twice so that your hair lasts twice as long, it evens out.  Plus, chances are, you're probably already using too much shampoo just for one wash.  Try using a little less the first time, and even less the second time.  You'll notice that your hair soaks up the second bit of shampoo a lot more than the first time.  The reasoning behind shampooing twice is here.



5.   When you workout, wear a headband!  Once again, keeping the hair out of your face and sweat will help your hair from soaking up unneeded sweat and oils from your face. 

A couple people asked which dry shampoo and shampoo/conditioner I use. Here are the links:

Suave dry shampoo
Loreal Shampoo/Conditioner

Any other questions? Feel free to ask!  I'm not a pro, but keeping hair happy and healthy has always been an interest of mine.  We can learn together (:

A Canadian Christmas

Aloha from Canada!  It's been such a blessing to spend time with Josh's family.  There's no better way to explain how wonderful it's been to spend the holidays in Brantford, Canada than to explain through pictures!

We arrived in the evening in Buffalo, New York.  It's much cheaper flying to New York instead of taking an international flight to Canada. 

The next day we went to go 5 pin bowling!  You will notice two things from the pictures directly below: 1) Josh always has better form than me 2) there are 5 pins.  It was a lot harder than I thought it would be!  Sometimes the ball would go in between the pins so you still got a gutter.  This was the worst score I have ever gotten bowling.  Thanks, Canada.

The next day was Christmas Eve!  It's Josh's family tradition to go to his grandparents and spend time with family.  His grandparents have put on quite the light display.  People come from all over to see them!  They're even in magazines!  This is officially my claim to fame (; It was pretty funny though- when we came out of the house to go back home, a little girl said to her dad, "you can go inside?!" I wish I could have told her to because the inside is just as festive!

This has nothing to do with Christmas but I've always loved the entrance of their home.  They're all faces of famous people!  So, naturally, I needed to claim my spot.

 The only cat I will ever have... since Josh is deathly allergic.

 Josh's grandpa welded everything!

That night, we opened our jammies that Josh's parents get the family every Christmas Eve.  

Of course, this post would be incomplete without a proper photo of the beautiful tree.  By the way- Canadians LOVE to place everything in boxes before wrapping anything. Who knew?  Maybe it's a lazy American thing, maybe not..

The day after Christmas we hung out with Josh's other grandpa and side of the family!  Grandpa Hartford is HILARIOUS.

Then, we went to Niagra Falls!  May I say, it is much, much colder than the last time we went in the summer haha.

This is a long walkway people can go down during the summer... I guess you could try during the winter but I think you would DIE.

This is us in front of our favorite arcade: The Midway.  It's the largest arcade I've ever been to!!

 

For New Year's, we went to the dance that was put on for the Stake.  As you can tell... NO ONE WAS THERE!!! So sad... I guess Canadians like to do their own thang for the New Year.  This precious little girl asked Josh if he could get down one of the balloons that was up towards the ceiling.  I kid you not... everywhere we go, little kids come up to Josh.  He's more approachable than me, I guess!  He gets along with kids so well it makes me feel so optimistic about his future in being a pediatrician and father. 

We then headed home to watch the ball drop on t.v.  I had to post this picture- by no means do I look good, but Josh's face is priceless.  Sometimes I have no clue what's going inside his head.

Aaaaaaand, this is somewhat how our New Years kiss went.  For those of you who are not fans of PDA, I warn you...

The next day we hung out with Josh's best friends (and their significant others) from childhood.... awwwww... Can I just tell you how identical he and his friends are?  Personality-wise, of course haha. We played all the good ole' games from the high school days: Rockband and sports at the church!  As you can tell in this photo, all the Canadians look so natural holding their hockey sticks.  I'm over here like: OH HEY!

The last day, we went to play golf! And guess what- I'm so mad... I forgot the score sheet as proof that I FINALLY won a game!!! This never happens because Josh is always better than me at everything.. Which is fine, I find that very attractive.  After, we headed to his grandparents' for a final goodbye.

Going clockwise from the upper left-hand photo:

1) Sherry got a hole in one!

2) We are weird

3) We are fish

4) I got a hole in one!  As you can tell, Josh is ecstatic for me.

 

We had such a great time in Canada and I'm happy I got to know his family even better.  Now, back to reality.  It will be our last semester in Rexburg and we are excited to see where we are headed once Josh gets accepted to Med School! 

Refreshed

It's been a while since I've last posted.  I had a little rough patch the past couple months, and I wasn't sure how my posts would translate over since I was stuck in a little pity party! haha is that lame to admit?  ...I found it difficult to express myself because I didn't want others to feel as if they were involved in the situation when they were not.  Needless to say, things are getting better and I'm looking hopeful to the New Year!

Of course, we've all pondered on our New Years resolutions... Am I going to make them?  Should I not?  If I do, will I feel even worse about myself if I don't achieve them?!  I'm sad to say, I have not completely discovered my official goals.  I have some ideas but they are not on paper yet.  It's difficult to get that alone time (especially during the holidays, when I want to be with family) to really retrospect on the past year and who I am as a person, since these things will mold what I want to achieve for this year.

Something that quickly came to mind when I had a little bit of time was how I want to forgive those in my life that have hurt me.  Now, I don't have a sad story to tell, so don't worry, I won't get too close and personal.  But I realized that these same people came into my mind much too often.  Each time, I had a sense of frustration and anger inside myself.  I knew something had to change.  Of course, I don't like confrontation, so I'm not going to approach them, although we are in different states so it would have to be over email.  Either way, I used the approach that has worked for me in a past: write a letter to the person but don't send it.

In this letter, I said everything that I would want to say to them in person.  I expressed how I felt due to their actions and why I felt that way.  It felt wonderful to get these things off my chest!  I knew that if I continued to hold these things against these people for much longer, I hadn't completely forgiven them- as much as I wanted to tell myself I had.  If I hadn't forgiven them, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself and without this, how could I feel good about self-improvement?

I would feel unworthy.

So, as the typical "first post of the year" would usually focus on personal New Year's resolutions, this is one that is essentially the same thing.  In my mind, I have resolved these relationships, allowing myself to feel better.  No more negative thinking.  No more blaming.  No more looking on the past.

I now feel refreshed, refocused, and ready to conquer 2014! 

Just a cute little background story for those of you who would like to know: a couple weeks into dating Josh, I went to pick him up from the SLC airport- committed, right?!  We went to get Chinese and I got this fortune in my cookie. I know it's weird, but when I read it- I immediately thought about Josh proposing in the future.  As you know, he didn't propose then (I would have FREAKED OUT...) but I could completely see it happening.  Little did I know, a few months later, it would come true!

Anyway, while this fortune was a fun little one to receive, I think it's perfect to bring in the New Year!

A tempting proposal will soon present itself to you.  Are you going to take it?

Tender Mercies

For those of you who have taken the Praxis tests or anything similar to become a teacher, you know that the tests aren't too difficult.  But it is one thing: expensive. At least, for a college student.  The price of these tests stressed me out so much instead of the content- which is typically what stresses me out.  I'm not sure about you, but when I get stressed, I become sick.  Everything I ate for the few days before the test made me nauseous- I certainly wasn't excited to take the test in fear that I would fail and have to pay another couple hundred dollars!   

Now that I have made myself look like a complete wussy, IT GETS WORSE! At least, that's the way my head made it to seem... ;) During the test, there was a glitch.  I was unable to see my past answers so I had taken about 75 questions in less than 30 minutes.  Many people would say that that's not a big deal, but it is to me!  I'm the type of person that breezes through the questions at first look, then go back to carefully review each question.  People say they don't go back to look at their questions because they might second guess themselves, but I do it because I have horrible reading comprehension.  I go back just to insure I read the problem correctly!

The fact that I couldn't go back and look at my questions scared me to death.  I had a writing portion after that it immediately took me to.  I wasn't sure if I should take all the time I had left to make sure I perfected my writing portion, or if I would be able to see my questions after I finished writing.  If I picked the first, maybe it could cancel out how fast/horribly I did on the multiple choice, but at the same time, what if I sped through the writing portion too and wasn't able to go back to my questions?!  I was definitely psyching myself out!  For good reason though... right?

I decided to take my time on the writing portion because I was sure that was the only thing that would save my butt on the test.  For the weeks after the test, I told myself it would be a MIRACLE if I passed; I was sure I failed.

I opened my score today and discovered that I PASSED!!!!! The kicker is, I got a 154- which is the cut off for passing.  I am definitely not proud of the score, since I try my best to DO my best.  Before opening my score, I told myself that as long as I passed, that's all I needed and that I would be the happiest girl in the world!  And it's true, I am, and here's why:

Before my test I prayed that I would do my best, as I do with every test.  As long as I do my best- that's all that matters!  Although I feel that I definitely didn't do my best due to the glitch, I think this borderline score shows that my Heavenly Father cares for me.  One more point and I would have thought "Good job, Lacey- you did it!", giving myself the credit for passing.  But with that one less point I think "Thank you, Heavenly Father, for doing the rest for me."  Receiving the lowest passing score humbled me and made me realize that my Heavenly Father cares for me- no matter how insignificant the things I pray for may be.

You might say, "Lacey, calm down... it's just a test."  But there are so many factors that make this test so important.  Moving next year, finances, student teaching... either way, I am thankful for things like this that humble me and make me more grateful.  This is one less thing that I have to worry about and I know it's because I put trust in the Lord. 

I'm sorry if this comes off too sappy, but if you get anything out of this, it would be to try to realize the great things that happen to you!  In the midst of getting down about my score, I stopped and remembered what I said to myself about how much of a miracle it would be if I passed- and I did! I can't go back on that.

SUPERSTARS

I'm not sure if you noticed, but Josh and I are sort of a big deal... See, we're both in a movie- two separate ones, actually.

Okay fine, I'll cut the act. We had to make a short movie for our Health and Wellness class.  Fortunately for you, I will post both of them.  I say that you are fortunate because you get to see Josh in his natural habitat- JAZZERCISING.  We were randomly placed in groups- Josh got an all-girl group, while I got an all-boy group.  Not like that matters.  Our assignment was to make a 5 minute video on how to be "well." In our class, we have learned that there are 5 areas that we should be well in to be an overall happy and healthy person.  These areas are spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and social.

Without further a due, here's Josh's:

His video is on vimeo.com-- I don't know how to download it to this page, but it works well this way!

 http://vimeo.com/78120679


And here's my group's video, conveniently on youtube... ;) 

May I add that this was THE best experience I have ever had with group work... Our assignment was due Oct. 30th, and we were done 2 weeks early.  Since when does that EVER happen?! Either way, I am so grateful that I had a good group where people equally contributed to the work load (:

Eleven Little Things....

Alright, I am going to make a new goal for myself to make the first post of each month related to the number of that month and the holiday it is known for.  Does that make sense? I guess each month you'll just have to follow along to see what I'm talking about (;

Since November is the eleventh month of the year, I would like to express eleven things I am grateful for.

1. People who genuinely care and influence me to do better.

These are my lovely bridesmaids (: I think this picture is a perfect representation of what I'm thankful for because it has my sisters and friends all in one shot.  Friends and family are typically the ones that care for me and influence me to do better, but there are people that have a great influence on me that don't even know it; my goal is to be one of those people for others.


2. A healthy body that allows me to go to the gym each day.

I'm such a dope- why did I take this picture?  I don't know... maybe because I want proof that I go since I'm not one of those people that tell facebook every time?! haha I'm so mean.  Anyways, I am thankful that I am healthy!  Josh and I have this thing between us where we've decided that he's the "physical" leader and I'm the "spiritual" leader.  Of course, positions are not set in stone, but that is typically our domain ;)  Even on those days that I'm just not feelin' like going to the gym- he gets me there! And those days that he's too tired to read, I read. It works out great!


3. Living in a nation where education is readily available.

I feel so grateful for coming from not only the U.S., but a community that emphasized the importance of education.  The possibility of not going to college wasn't even an option.  Some may disagree, and that's fine, but personally I am thankful that I grew up in a place that education was the main emphasis for success.


4. Having the freedom to worship however I may.

The church is everything to me.  I'm so thankful that I can attend the temple whenever I please and openly talk to others about what I believe in.


5. Somebody to share forever with.

Yay for husbands!! I don't want to get obnoxious, but he's so great! I could go on forever about how lucky I am, but I shall spare thee.


6. Family who has and always will encourage me in all my endeavors.

No matter how much of a pill I was for my family, they always supported me!  Whether it was attending sporting events, or school activities- my family supported me and still does.

 
7. A sense of humor to not easily get offended.

 Of course, from time to time, I get offended.  It's hard not to sometimes.  But I am always making an effort to brush it off and give people the benefit of the doubt.  I've found that when I do this- I am much, much happier.


8. Common sense to help me with every decision.

I know it's not good to compare myself to others- but in my classes, I am amazed with how many people ask questions that deal with common sense.  They ask teachers questions that I think is a silly question, but realize that maybe it's a lack of common sense?  I hope this doesn't sound rude.  But either way- I am grateful for common sense! (:


9. Being exposed to several different cultures from different countries.

It definitely helps that my dad is from Brasil, but also helps that my parents' idea of family bonding was through traveling.  I'm sure while growing up, people thought we were spoiled rotten but what I'm sure they did not realize was how frugal we lived.  


10. Diversity: whether it be seasons, people, thoughts, or beliefs.

How boring would everything be if everything was the same?  Each night, there is a different sunset, just waiting for us to enjoy!  Also, while there's two sides to every coin, I love hearing people's differing perspectives, experiences, and ideas on whatever it may be.  Finally, the diversity among the earth is beautiful. Mountains, oceans, forests, and so forth- no matter where you go, you're bound to have beauty all around you.


11. Determination to become better each day.

I believe everybody's born with different natures.  I am grateful that I have the desire to be a better person each day.  Without this determination, I do not think I would be a very happy person.  As you can tell by this picture, I have come a long way from a confused child to a lucid adult.

The Little Things.

I have been taking time to retrospect on why I do not post as often as I had previously speculated.  (Can you tell I just took a midterm and I'm still on student mode? :) I think every blogger aspires to be something different, something extraordinary.  Each person on this earth is an individual- with individual thoughts, beliefs, experiences, and so forth.  At the same time, there is a LOT we have in common.

I guess I get a little timid when posting things because of how much of a critic I am.  I wish I could say I only do this to myself, but I don't.  I see blog posts about "How to love your spouse" and "10 ways to wear a scarf...", they're all great and informative- but I've realized that I'm a little afraid to be that copycat image of what everybody else is saying out there.

At the same time, while the things I write in my journal can be personal, I think that they can be of encouragement to others.  So my main goal in maintaining this blog is not only to document the newest Musson family's adventures together, but the little things that happen that lift the spirit.



Each Monday and Wednesday I student teach in a 6th grade classroom.  I absolutely love it!  I've been in the class for a little over a month and I am sad to say that during lunch, I have not taken the time to go play outside with the students!  This is weird to admit- but I actually enjoyed the alone time I received during lunch- it refreshed me.  Yesterday was different, though.  I felt a little more energetic than usual.  I opened the blinds (for the first time) and noticed students were playing 4-square.

WHAT?! How could students be playing one of my favorite games from elementary school? I needed to go outside.  Shortly after exposing myself into the cold with a sweater, uncomfortable flats, and skirt on, I played a few rounds with the students.  A few games went by when I noticed an adorable girl pacing back and forth while balancing on a nearby curb by herself.  I wish I had a picture to show how precious she was, I assume she was in 5th grade since I'm familiar with both 6th grade classrooms.  To give you a better picture, she looked like a 9-year-old version of AnnaSophia Robb.

I asked the girl if she would like to play with us.  She immediately looked up, as if surprised somebody was talking to her, then pleasantly replied, "No thank you."  I asked if she was sure and she responded yes.  I was relieved and happy to know she was satisfied playing by herself, so I continued in my intense game of 4-square.

Within a few minutes later the girl popped into the game!  I was surprised to see her standing in the court- I served to her and noticed that she had probably never played before.  Her little uncoordinated body squirmed around as she tried to play how she thought best.  The odd movements weren't the thing that stood out the most, but the huge smile across her face.  It made my day to see a student so happy to be involved.

Now, I hope it doesn't seem that I think I saved someone's life just by asking them to come play 4-square, haha.  Simply that our small actions play a larger role than we think.  Whether it had an impact on the girl, I do not know; but there is always something to be learned in every experience.



This short experience made me think about a few things:

First, everybody needs a friend. 
Have you ever come to the realization that you have TOO many friends?  You say to yourself, "wow, what am I going to do to get rid of some of these friends in my life?" ...Never! I think something a lot of us don't realize is that everybody could use a friend.  Why is this realization so difficult to come by?  Because we focus too much on ourselves.  We say things like, "I don't know why she didn't invite me..." or "wow, that girl has a lot of friends- it's probably because people just flock to her due to her personality." The thing is, what I've noticed about those with a lot of friends is that they go out of their way to make a friend.  It's easy to rebuttal this and say that it's easy for them to do, but regardless, this is the way things go.  This leads me to getting out of our comfort zones.

Second, experience what lies beyond the comfort zone.
Believe it or not, I went outside of my comfort zone when asking that precious girl to play 4-square.  I am not even going to attempt to explain why the task was daunting, only that I think it's only human to be comfortable with the people you're with and not "rock the boat" of life.  I read a book in high school called, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers.  It changed my life!  Plus, there's pictures everywhere, so I didn't get bored of it.  Anyways, I wish I could quote it perfectly, but it said something along the lines of nothing great is gained when you remain in your comfort zone.

Third, don't let doubts paralyze you.
When I first arrived to the 4-square court, I saw the girl and thought to myself a few things: maybe she's waiting for her friend who's in the bathroom, maybe she likes being alone, and so forth.  These thoughts pushed back the notion to extend an invitation to come play with us.  Sounds pathetic- right?  That I was about to talk my 21-year-old self out of inviting a 9-year-old to come play a game with me.  I think little doubts like these consistently arise in our minds and we use it as a tool to not do something that Christ would do if He was here.  These doubts are something I am trying to recognize more often and push them away so that I do the things that I know I should do.

Fourth, defeat your pride.
Quite often, I think to myself: why am I the one that needs to go up to that person and say hi?  Why can't she come to me? (Of course, this isn't referring to the adorable girl on the playground, but in general.)  It sometimes frustrates me that somebody you see so often, seems to go out of their way to NOT say hi to you.  What's up with that?  Regardless of the situation, I am still learning that sucking up your pride is a must.  Who cares who's 'turn' it is to say hello?  If we didn't have these little battles inside of us, we would do a lot more friend-shipping and a lot less judging.

Pinterest

I love Pinterest! Who doesn't?  I don't know if this is weird, but random things usually spur me to write about something.  This time, it wasn't a comment that caught me off guard... but a dream!  In my dream, I moved into an enormous house.  Each bedroom was perfectly decorated, the bathrooms were immaculate, and the home was as spacious as could be.  I couldn't remember anything else, just that the house was my definition of perfection.  When I woke up, I wondered why I had such a random dream.

I realized that the night before, I scanned through my 'home' board on Pinterest, lusting after each and every pin... fantasizing what it would be like to finally be in that stage in my life when I could decorate my home however I pleased.  As much as I love Pinterest, it can be deadly.

While there are many pros to the site, I think as much as I love going on, it can be pretty damaging- only if you let it be, of course.  I hope my criticisms don't come across too harsh, or that being a student, I am not thankful for what I have.  This is definitely not the case!  Also, I do not know any more than anybody else- so I do not want to come across as a snob.  I guess, I just want those who feel discouraged by the images they see on Pinterest, that you should not let them phase you!  We do not live in a fairytale where we can have everything on Pinterest appear right before us.

#1: The glorious women.

The majority of women on Pinterest are a size 2.  The average size in the US is 10.  I found myself roaming the "Health and Fitness" section and got pretty down on myself.  I didn't even realize the impact all of the pictures, ideas, and advice had on my life!  Little did I know, I expected myself to look like them... which I found so silly because 1) half the girls are on roids who 'somehow managed to keep all the fat in their chest..' if you know what I mean, and 2) I always heard stories about how much media has an impact on our society.  I thought, "That's ridiculous! Why do people fall so easily into this trap???"  I believed that media impacted mainly teens so I thought I had escaped the deception- but this wasn't so!  I've learned that as long as I'm healthy, that's what truly matters.  I go to the gym everyday, eat well, and enjoy being active as much as possible.  What else can I do? Starve myself?  Heck no.

Pinterest:

Don't get me wrong- I have great respect for those who are super fit.  I just believe that people are built differently due to metabolism and a variety of different reasons- so for girls to think that this is normal and that they should stop eating so that their body will morph into something they see on Pinterest, is absolutely ridiculous.

Reality:

Now THIS is what I'm talking about!  Is this girl a size 2? Nope!  But she's healthy and strong because she's a member of the US Olympic Water Polo Team.  While I could have picked a lean runner, that would not prove my point.  You can be healthy and still have a little insulation- and that's okay!  I just wish pictures like this made it more often on Pinterest to show that this is something you could strive for too.

#2: The fantasy homes.

Ain't nobody's house look like the ones on Pinterest! Okay, maybe... but seriously, endlessly high ceilings, spiral staircases, ocean views, architectural ceiling beams, secret libraries, giant home theaters... the list goes on and on! Sure, there are some thrifty ways to spice up a room, but these things that are not commonly found in a home make a naive girl believe that this is the norm, and that someday, her sugar daddy will supply her with a home full of all these pretty things.

 Pinterest:

Of course, it's fine to dream... these are BEAUTIFUL and on my own board! So, maybe I'm being hypocritical by pinning these? I don't know, think what you may, but seeing so many images could make one feel inadequate by being unable to afford the money to live in a home such as these.  

Reality:

As much as I tried, I couldn't find normal homes on Pinterest.  Here's one entry way... which I find no problemo with!  And it is much, much more realistic.

#3: The expensive clothes.

Honestly, the sewing tutorials are AWESOME.  And, of course if you find fabric at a nifty price, you could save yourself a buck or two.  But the clothes I see on Pinterest that link to "cheap websites" to help you save money, are not very cheap!  At least, they don't fall within a student-friendly budget.  My staple stores are TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross.  There, I can get jeans for $20, shirts for $15, and dresses for $30.  These websites or even outfit ideas are far beyond what I can find at a store! 

Pinterest:

This is a large cardigan I found off a "cheap" website... for $40... I'm not sure what the shipping was.  These guys typically go for $40, so it's not too bad of a deal.  It's just, when I think of "cheap" website, I think of something that I can't find in stores (the ones I shop at, at least:)

Reality:

Can you tell how extremely awkward I feel when Josh is my photographer?  He starts to make jokes and laughs for no reason... he's probably the main reason why I DON'T have many pictures of myself.  Everybody give him grief when you see him.  Just kidding... back to topic.  TJ Maxx, Billabong for 15 dolla.  Moral of the story- as awesome as it is to turn to Pinterest to find those holes in the wall that have thrifty clothing- there's stores out there that have stylin', inexpensive clothes all around us!

#4: A girl's best friend- DIAMONDS.

I know this is kind of specific, nobody necessarily types in "diamonds" into Pinterest... but what I'm talking about here is a wedding ring.  I see so many rings pinned by people and I just think, poor thing... if only she knew how much that cost.  ALL the rings I've seen pinned contain at least one carat in the middle.  Not to mention the two half carat diamonds that accompany each side.

Pinterest:

These are GORGEOUS.  Some girls love a big diamond, while others are satisfied with something more conservative.  Personally, I like a bigger rock.  1) They're sparkly (: 2) I have chubby, short fingers- if I had a teeny rock, I'm pretty sure my fingers would look even more like sausages! haha.

Reality:

As a student, this is probably the average size ring I see.  So simple and sweet.  So girls, don't be mad when your husband can't afford that $20,000 ring!  When you're first starting out, you'll have something more conservative- unless you rob a bank ;)



In Conclusion.... (Can you tell I write too many papers?!)

I hope this doesn't seem like I'm bashing on Pinterest- I'm not.  It's great to dream! I do it probably too often ;) ...My only concern for younger women is that they build up these unrealistic notions in their heads that when a point in their life comes, they expect the best of the best.  But as we know, we don't live in a fairytale world.  As mentioned, I love Pinterest...  I just think it's important for people to be grounded and have hopeful and realistic goals.