The Sweet Moments

As a rough patch smooths out in most relationships, you get to see the sweet moments again. That’s my favorite part about having someone you love, romantically or plantonically. After spending a few days being angry about silly things that no one will remember in a year, your stomach unwinds from being knotted and your vision clears.

That’s when you see the good stuff; the stuff that makes the not-so-good stuff not matter. Sometimes it’s the glasses of water brought to you when you’re nauseous. Right now, for me, it’s the way he glances over his shoulder as I sit up to make sure I’m okay and not going to be sick. It’s nice to not have to worry about if you’re being cared for when you’re not at your best.

This is true with friendships as well. While it is not such a gut-tying instinctual connection to someone else, the sweet moments are so intense that they fill your heart. For me, I love the spontaneous hugs that last a while for no reason other than you want to. It’s the best form of pure love that exists, in my opinion. Your friends provide more sweet moments than you know what to do with sometimes.

Family is a league of its own and a book could be (and most likely has been) dedicated to listing the ways they provide sweet moments.

I look forward to the next one I experience and I hope you do, too.

Things That Bother Me

As I've gotten older, I've gained a lot of positive perspectives. However, I don't think I'll ever be completely void of negative opinions. Here's the thing, y'all. Some things just straight up bother me and this blog has always been the place where I've enjoyed ranting. So let's get right into it:

JERKS WHO DON'T THINK THEY'RE BEING JERKS
Ugh, these people are the worst. Sometimes it's even someone you really like and you hate to hate them for being a jerk. For example, I enjoy someone very much, but they poo-pooed everything about my favorite holiday and had such an uppity attitude about it. Here's what I wanted to say: "If you want to be miserable, go be miserable somewhere else. Don't make me turn off my favorite movie because you don't like the holiday."

SLURPING
This is really common. I feel like every single person on the planet at some point has glared holes into the face of a slurper. Sometimes it's tolerable. If it's a one time occasion, I can let it slide. But if every sip of your coffee is a five second long slurp, I've probably imagined smashing your mug against the wall.

PUPPIES
Oh my goodness, I can hear the hate mail being written. But I’m sorry, I prefer fully trained dogs that don’t pee and poo everywhere and cry all night. Really, I just prefer cats...

PEOPLE WHO CONSTANTLY MAKE BAD DECISIONS
I am forgiving and loyal almost to a fault when it comes to people I love. But I’ve had to walk away from people in my life because I just couldn’t get on board with their stupidity. If you know you’re making a dangerous life choice, I’m out. And I RARELY walk away from anyone.

I know this wasn’t a cheerful blog, but hey, a girl’s got to vent. You know?

23 Pieces of Life Advice from a 23-Year-Old

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I like to share my thoughts. A teenager might think I’ve got it all figured out, and a 50-year-old might think I know nothing. However, I’ve got some things to say and you may or may not find wisdom in these things. 

1. People’s opinions only matter if you value it.
2. Sometimes you need to just do nothing all day to reset your brain.
3. Compliments go a long way even simple ones.
4. Being shy is a waste of time.
5. Sometimes letting someone have their way in an argument is the best move.
6. Patience pays off especially when making big purchases.
7. You like what you like and you shouldn't feel bad about it if other people think it's weird.
8. The definition of family can be redefined.
9. Some grief doesn't go away. It's just carried.  
10. Hiding something about your own life for the sake of other people’s reputation is hard to deal with.
11. Things tend to work out the way they're supposed to.
12. Finding a relaxing hobby can help you cope with just about anything.
13. There is wisdom in Harry Potter that reveals itself to you as you get older.
14. Cleaning and organizing your living space may be just what you need when you're feeling anxious.
15. Being afraid to go see the doctor (of any kind) for fear of embarrassment is a waste of precious time.
16. Going to therapy does not mean you are crazy and it can really help you change your life.
17. As a young person, you get to learn how to identify people who mistreat you so as an adult, you know when to walk away from them.
18. Taking care of your appearance isn't vain at all, it's a great way to boost your mood.
19. All things in life need a good edit with peer review. Taking a step back and having someone else tell you what's missing can be very beneficial but remember that in the end, you get the final say.
20. Struggling is temporary.
21. Not everyone has to agree with you.
22. Don’t overburden yourself because you’re afraid to tell someone no.
23. Love your life and don’t overthink.

Halloween Hangover

I absolutely love Halloween and everything that comes with it. Maybe it's because I really do think that the door to the other side is open wide. But I know that for people like me who have been binge watching horror and gearing up to celebrate, it's a bummer when Halloween comes to an end. Therefore, I've decided to keep the freak show going.

Have you heard yourself say, "I wish everyday was Halloween," ever? Me too. Guess what. You can make it feel like Halloween by expanding your Pinterest board and getting excited for next year (trust, you'll never run out of exciting things to look at).

Maybe you love Halloween but also love the upcoming holidays: Thanksgiving and Christmas. I got you covered. There's no reason why you can't make a spooky Halloween dish for Thanksgiving (I'm pushing forward with Halloween drinks for Friendsgiving). As for Christmas, I believe there is a movie perfectly suited for both occasions (The Nightmare Before Christmas, duh).

Let's break this down a little bit for those with specific Halloween needs. The way I see it, there are a few categories of Halloween celebrators: the fun-loving kid-friendly, the spooky/gory/scary, and the spirituals.

If you love Halloween for the adorable costumes and cute cartoon movies, go pick yourself up a few Halloween cookie cutters (they're probably on super sale right now). You can make your lunch for school/work little bat shaped pb&j, pumpkin shaped cheese and crackers, etc. It's a fun way to keep the holiday going just for you.

https://peasandcrayons.com/2015/10/spooky-snacks-and-healthy-halloween-treats.html

For my fellow horror fans, you don't need to wait until next year to have a Halloween movie marathon. There are like four million Halloween movies now (slightly exaggerated) so you shouldn't run out of material to watch quiet yet. If you pace yourself, however, and watch one or two of them every weekend, it'll take you right up to Christmas! I mean, how perfect is that? 

http://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3366662/a-complete-ranking-of-all-10-halloween-movie-posters/7/

Lastly, the spirituals. The ones who see this time of year as a celebration of life and death. The ones who ponder about how curious it is that all these different cultures have similar kinds of holidays within days of each other. You, my friends, are the best Halloween people. You probably have been in the spirit (and possibly communicating with spirits) all year round. For you, I'll say one thing. You will find clues of the paranormal everywhere. It's never limited to one night. Beware of bad entities but search high and low. 

http://www.sfxmedina.com/parish/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/All-Souls-Day-Candles.jpg

To all who want to keep Halloween going, do it! Don't let grumps get in the way. 

Stay spooky, my friends. 

Getting Into the Halloween Spirit

It's today! My favorite day of the year! The pumpkin is carved and my costume is made. Now it's time to get into the Halloween spirit. This is the best part. Here's a list of things you should absolutely do today if you want to enjoy Halloween to the fullest:

1. BREAK YOUR DIET - Even if it's just a little bit. Go get hot apple cider, eat a snickers bar or two, have a creepy cupcake; it's so worth it.

2. WATCH A HALLOWEEN MOVIE - Doesn't have to be the Michael Meyers one. Hotel Transylvania is a great option for the faint of heart.

3. ANSWER YOUR DOOR - Especially during your "dinner time". Don't be a curmudgeon. 5pm-7pm is prime time to spot adorable toddlers in the cutest costumes!

4. LISTEN TO SCARY STORIES - I recently found a YouTube channel called "Mr. Nightmare" who tells the most chilling true stories from viewers. (Disclaimer: Probably not best for those who don't love frightening things)

5. VISIT A HAUNTED ATTRACTION - Real or fake, there's no better way to get your heart pumping than to hop on a haunted hay ride or step into an abandoned asylum.

STAY SPOOKY

I Visited An Abandoned Asylum | Paranormal Storytime

Back in 2015 I decided to go to Rochester, NY to visit the Rolling Hills Haunted Asylum. I went there with a super open mind (I've never been a skeptic), a voice recorder, and several ghost hunting apps. There were several instances during that night that, in my eyes, prove the existence of the paranormal. 

The air surrounding the place was so heavy. Clearly this building had not been in use for a very long time. If you needed to film a horror movie, that'd be the place. 

I'll get right into the action, though.

I decided to go up to an old nurse's room and sit there asking questions to see if I could get an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon). Since the building was old, I didn't put much stock into the bumps or creaks. However, when I asked the spirit to show herself, the door gently popped open. I asked if it was her and the door creaked open little by little. I said thank you then immediately proceeded to take off running. Later, on that same floor, in a room where the caretakers stayed, the room started to smell of sulfur (pretty widely agreed that sulfur is the perfume of Satan). I was pretty done with that floor by then.

I took a fair amount of useless voice recordings from that night with one unbelievable exception. It was in a room that was once used as a classroom for the younger patients. The tour guide suggested we give them pop quizzes from an old book on the desk. We didn't listen to the recording until the following day, but when we did, I was thrilled. Mind you, there were other people on the floor we were on. In between questions and the banter of the people I was with, there was obvious sounds of children talking and laughing. It was as if the class was waiting for a teacher to quiet them down. It wasn't subtle at all. Plain and clear, I heard children's voices talking over each other. It was chilling.

It was when we were on the floor where they took their sick patients that I was the most scared I was the entire night (which is saying something considering I laid on their autopsy table). We were joking around about provoking spirits (which is the worst thing you can do) about to make our way back to the lobby area. I said something to the effect that I was not scared of this place. On my left, a door flew open with this huge thud sound. My group screamed and ran, but then I stopped because I wanted to go back and check it out; I totally thought it was someone pranking us. I ran back into the room where the door opened. It was a bathroom with only one exit. The window was firmly shut and no one was in there. It was about then, I couldn't logically explain it away. There was no wind, we had heard a bang, and the door even stuck. It was not easy to open because it had been painted so many times. The timing of it as well is so compelling to me too. It burst open right when we walked by. 

I told my sister about it and she did her thesis on a psych ward in Buffalo, NY. Evidently, bathrooms were where patients experienced a lot of trauma because that was the one place where no one would be monitoring them. 

There were about another dozen things that happened to us that night and perhaps I'll make a part two to this story. I really truly believe in ghosts. I've had too many incidents that I really cannot explain away. That's all for now.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47621-d4040397-Reviews-Rolling_Hills_Asylum-East_Bethany_New_York.html

Stay spooky, my friends.

100 Things I Like | Three Years Later Edition

In 2014, I made a big long list of 100 things that I like (and love) and upon browsing my old blogs I immediately I was like I have got to do it again! Three years is kind of a long time considering how much has changed. I've lost pets, family, graduated college, dumped boys, and started my career. For this to be true to my 2017 self, I have not read the one I made three years ago. I'm pretty excited to see how I've changed. Click this link to read my post from 3 years ago!

Here I go. 

100 Things I Like:

1) Organizing my room after a long week

2) Making Italian food

3) Cats

4) The color green

5) Yoga

6) Having noticeable muscle on my body

7) Going to bed early (I KNOW this one is new)

8) Otters

9) Salmon dishes

10) Fried pickles

11) Fresh picked bouquets

12) Knowing how to spell a word

13) Night cream

14) Great doctors with excellent bedside manner

15) Writing in my diary

16) Harry Potter

17) Poetry

18) Synchronized Swimming

19) Hiking

20) Jane the Virgin

21) Wonder Woman

22) My family

23) Writing

24) Designing greeting cards

25) Chocolate

26) Pinterest for any and everything

27) Caramel

28) Tequila Sunrise 

29) My panda sleep mask

30) New York City

31) Rain 

32) Thunder

33) Sand 

34) Having pretty journals

35) Books

36) Cooking

37) Throwing things away that I really don't need

38) Youtube videos about conspiracy theories and paranormal things

39) My Harry Potter socks (all 6 pairs)

40) Having a good cry every now and then

41) The day-after-a-workout sore feeling

42) Learning. Usually I enjoy the things I come across on my own

43) Browsing things on Etsy but not buying them

44) Venting! Always makes me feel better

45) Air Conditioning

46) Essential Oils

47) My natural hair color and texture

48) Going out to dinner

49) Thred Up

50) Making Lists

51) Recycling

52) Occasional alone time.

53) Pranks 

54) Being spooked

55) Horror movies (to an extent)

56) Flowery smelling perfumes

57) Pocahontas

58) Moana

59) Comfy clothes

60) Sweater socks (they're life changing)

61) The pop socket on my phone

62) My lion ring

63) Breezy weather in the Fall

64) When karma comes for someone that's been ASKING for it

65) Etsy

66) Millennial Pink

67) When the temperature drastically changes

68) Northern California

69) Central Park in the fall

70) Tapered sweatpants

71) Horror Movies (mostly slasher or paranormal)

72) My brand new college degree!

73) DIY projects

74) The moon

75) Roscato from Olive Garden

76) Soup

77) OJ Simpson documentaries

78) Driving through the Adirondacks

79) Lily of the Valley flowers

80) Ira Wolf 

81) Brooke Waggoner

82) Jokes told by toddlers

83) Being honest

84) Being able to maturely disagree with someone (still learning this)

85) Movie trailers (they're an art form in and of itself)

86) Making my bed

87) Essential oils

88) My trusty old car that is actually older than most high school students

89) Dark clouds

90) Laughing until my abs are sore

91) Not having anything to do after working all day

92) My mini indoor garden

93) The smell of matches

94) Naming pets

95) Wine corks

96) Drying flowers that were given to me with special meaning

97) Going through old pictures

98) Giving gifts

99) Fall Holidays

100) This blog <3

That was fun!