Retail Rants Part Deux!

Ah hello my friends, we are now in the full swing of the holiday season! December has arrived, trees are up, Santa is in the mall, people are yelling at sales associates! TIS THE SEASON Y'ALL.

Ok so I was sort of hoping this series would not continue but as I've been in retail for 12 years now, I should have known better. As I said in my first rant, the easiest thing to do during the holidays or literally anytime is to be KIND, it's the best four letter word you could pick! And it's absolutely free!

At the mall we are now into extended hours, 9am til 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends, and we are a bit short staffed at the moment so everyone is tired and working double what we ought to. That's not trying to say we need any excuses, but we aren't maybe at our best, but still pretty great. The thing is that whether or not we were at 50, 100 or 1000% I'm certain people would still mess with us. I have 3 mini scenarios  for you:

First, shoplifters need to for real get their lives right. We had an incident where 4 stores were getting hit all at once! We had a manager run over from her store to tell us that people were stealing. That's so outrageous and it isn't like we don't pay attention to shady folks, cause we see you, we are everywhere and we have a pretty good eye for faces. To me shoplifting is so pointless and so rude and whenever we catch someone they want to fight us. So we see you swiping something and walking out and when we inquire about it because you set off an alarm, you want to cause a scene? No, just stop all of this.

Second, I have said this so many times I feel like a broken record but I will say it again for the people in the back: CASHIERS AND SALESPEOPLE DO NOT SET THE RULES/PRICES/SALES. We have a whole set of head honchos and big-wig assistants who set up our whole store. They tell us when to put on a sale, what to put on sale, what to sell those things for and how much of a discount, if any, we can give you for a defect. Say you pick up a shirt and it is $15 and it has a small hole in the seam. We have a set amount (%) we can discount you and a follow up rule to make that item now a final sale item, meaning you can not return it. I will explain this to you as I am ringing you up, thus you will be able to make the choice on if you want to take the discount/item before you walk out of the store and spend money. The rules that I tell you are specific to my store and so when you tell me that the other store down the way would do this for you, well cool, you aren't in that store.....so I guess go there because I just laid out the rules for you, here in the store you are currently standing in.

Third, holy crap stop yelling at us and giving us an attitude when you don't exactly get your way. That gets you even less than what you might have gotten to begin with. Didn't any of your mothers tell you that you attract more flies with honey than vinegar?? Because honestly I will go above and beyond for you if you are a nice person. It's that simple and goes along with the kindness vibe.


We are at 2 weeks before Christmas, about to hit super Saturday and then Christmas Eve the following Saturday. I'm sure something wild will happen and I'll fill you in when it does. Until then however....

Keep on, Keepin' on!

M.

Clean Slates

It's not quite the new year yet but I have been thinking about the reset that we are about to have. I bought a dry erase calendar over the summer and it is always very nice at the beginning of every month to wipe it clean and start over:

You see it as a new month, a new chance to get you goals in. To really take charge of you career, your life, your world. Sometimes I write goals out on the side and the are carried over from the previous month, knowing that I didn't get to them. I should get to them, I might still not, but I've definitely made an effort in writing them out.

Here's my November, it looks towards Christmas and has repeat goals of things I would really like to earnestly have come to fruition in 2017. I already gave you a preview of my untitled Great American Novel....I will give you a preview of the children's book too. Whether it will be an excerpt or a character drawing.....only time will tell.

Here's to a new month! Here's to a little clean slate in this crazy world!

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

Retail Rants

Yes two blogs in one day! They aren't related so they get separate posts. I now give you a new segment on this little corner I have carved out on the internet: RETAIL RANTS. I have been in the mall world for nearly 12 years and whew lawd has it been a time. I have more stories about humans and their disgusting ways than you will ever fathom and all true, even if they sound far-fetched...trust me I wish some were! So for the introduction to this ongoing series I will prepare you and my brethren in sales for the holiday season.

It is almost Halloween and I could not be more excited. However in the retail world this means that the ramp-up to the holiday spending season has begun. Pumpkins share space on shelves with reindeer and pilgrims. Everything is overwhelming, everything is super colorful (but like only in various shades of red, gold, silver, black & green), everything is somehow covered in glitter, it's a lot. I feel bad for Thanksgiving honestly, it's a big friends & family holiday on it's own but it's completely overshadowed by both Halloween and Christmas in the stores. Christmas is already in full force and it is only October 19th....settle down Santa. Like when you think about it Easter has it the best: After Easter has passed the next major decorating holiday is the Fourth of July, which is two to three months away, you don't get gifts and your main concern is where you are going to light off all your fireworks. The long lull of summer gives way afterwards and everyone just chills out until October 1st when, in seasonally appropriate climates, Autumn has arrived and literally I'm pretty sure everyone loses their damn minds. I already know that I will actually be off on Thanksgiving because A) I work for a nice company and B) This is how flipping early we need to start preparing for Black Friday. Now, like yesterday, I'm 85% sure our schedule is mocked up somewhere in the office because this is how important retail has made shopping and the holidays. I love the holidays, don't get me wrong, I really love how cozy the nights are around the bonfire with my friends and how everyone's families get together and come to town, it's wonderful. Working during this time is a shenanigan show of complete unpredictability.  The people I have met/helped over the years have run the gamut from sweet as pie to the actual devil spawn. You never know exactly what you will get, I had my very first customer one Black Friday afternoon yell at me for the pricing that was out of my control. She was SO mad about the fact that we had advertised certain pricing for the early birds and then didn't carry that over to the people strolling in at 3pm....Ma'am I didn't choose this. I've also had an amazing customer that I helped find all their Office Christmas party gifts (he was the CEO) in one swoop.

My main rant for today is a focus of pure human decency. I understand that the holiday season is stressful, I understand that so many people are pressed for time, I understand that money is tight in most cases. I GET IT, I'M WITH YOU. So in turn....very simply....Please don't treat sales people like shit. Honestly. We all have families and friends that we want to be with, that we are also shopping for when we are able and when we are on the clock we are there to help you 100%. I have zero control over any of my companies signs/promotions/pricing/item allotments. I do not make any decisions about what they put out into the world. I just work there. I can help you in only the perimeters of which are set forth by a team of people who work very far from where you and I stand. Please try and remember this when you cop an attitude with a cashier because the price that rang up was the price on the item and not whatever you assumed it might be. Ask us a million questions, that is what I am there for! I can provide so much information, I can get you any size, I can offer opinions on what to wear to the event and if this matches these shoes you have. I love doing that! I will personal shop for you all day. At the end of the day we are all humans just trying to get through this weird and wild world, the easiest thing to do is Just Be Kind.

The rants will continue through this crazy 2K16 holiday jam we are about to dive into...so stay tuned for all the storytimes!

Keep on, Keepin' on,

M.

Mini Halloween Update!

The time for indecision has ran out! I will still be Minnie Mouse for actual Halloween and for any other weekend party times I am going to be a spooky skeleton. I know it isn't that original but listen 2016 has kicked mine and everyone else's ass and so I'm just here for the good times that I can make. Skeletons are essentially Halloween and so I will make mine the best she can be. Stay tuned for photographic evidence later this month!

Keep on, Keepin' on,

M.

It's Fall Y'all!

We're in Florida though so it's still 90 degrees outside around noon...but we have had a bit of a break in the heat in the mornings FINALLY.

I have no clue exactly what I want to be for Halloween. I know, I KNOW. I don't even know. We aren't having a party this year and without a theme or need I guess for an outrageous costume, I am just stumped. I had thought of being a skunk or Edward Scissorhands and I'm not set on either and now I've got about 2 and a half weeks to figure it all out and hope for the best haha.

If anything develops I will be sure to DIY post about it.

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

Day One of a New 2 Week Challenge!

Hi friends! So today begins a lifestyle change I have set up for myself. I am always super lazy in the morning and when I have an early work day it is always super hard for me to get out of bed and I usually end up leaving myself about ten minutes to get ready so I'm not late. Today is actually a day off and I finally got out of bed about 20 minutes ago. Last night I felt great and went to sleep around 11, knowing I had set my alarm for 6:30AM. When said alarm went off this morning I hit snooze until 7AM when I finally got up and fed my sweet skunk who was circling the bed waiting for her breakfast. I then thought, oh I'll just lie down and go through my social media....because I mean I AM awake at least. But last night my plan after waking up was to be going for a nice morning walk to the park and getting exercise.....oops. After she finished breakfast my sweet skunk did what she does best and came to bed to snuggle up next to me, I can not resist! So I fell back asleep for an hour and finally here I am blogging and drinking my pumpkin spiced coffee (it's close to fall, y'all) so I guess I'll take that part as a win.

Changing your routine is tough, I have tried a few times to get back into my morning person groove and it only lasts a few days, if I can even get it started properly. Tomorrow I work a full day beginning at 10AM so if  when I get up at 645ish I will for sure have the time to walk and blog......Here's my kick now to myself to go for it and also not beat myself up if I maybe snuggle in til 730....

Keep on, Keepin' on!

M.

Sneak Peek!!

Today I give you a rough draft of sorts. I've been writing a novel and a children's book  for a while now and I'm ready to put a part out there and receive some feedback! 

So without further ado, enjoy an excerpt from my currently untitled Great American Novel:

    So allow me to introduce myself: name's Zelda, more specifically Zelda Rubylyn Ziggler. I am 100% a native Floridian and proud of it. You will come across folks in your life who do not always consider Florida as a real part of the South. Well that is a wrong assumption.

     Look: Florida is full of transplants, we are a transient state by nature due to all the tourists who came on vacation and decided to reclaim the Sunshine State as their home. We have wild creatures living among new apartments and golf courses. We have become a state to reinvent yourself in. We have become the butt of jokes with every weird and crazy news story. Florida is it's own bird, through and through. As you can see I have a very grand old South name despite my 5'4" waif frame. My momma was a Georgia debutante and my daddy is a born and bred Florida boy still in charge of our family business, which was of course citrus. 

     The Ziggler's citrus plantations have been a boom crop for centuries now. Started in the rich untapped soils of St. Petersburg, then moved into Central Florida and now branched out towards the Everglades. That's how I ended up living here in Hialeah near "oh-so glamorous" Miami. I'm not trying to get ahead of myself quite yet, but y'all need a bit of background before diving headfirst into this.

That's it for today! Let me know what you think and if you'd like to read more!

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

PS: Copyright 2016 Meghan R. Rose. All intellectual property belongs to me. All likeness to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. 

Is It Too Early for Halloween? Or Nah?

After all the Summertime celebrations have ended and all thoughts turn towards fall and back to school and Halloween....can I just say I am so ready. Both for the cooler temperatures and mostly decorating my house and figuring out this years costume(s). Last year I made a large head-dress with antlers

 and kind of skimped out on my actual dress. This year there is a kind of plan in our neighborhood for a group costume, I don't know if we are still holding each other to this but if not, and really even if......I think I might finally make my mermaid dreams a reality and show my true form this year. It all came from a post about how shell crowns are the new flower crowns and just...OMG

You can look at all the rest of the beauty on Chelsea Shiels' instagram: @chelseasflowercrowns.

So now I am super inspired to try my hand at making my own, and luckily Florida has many shells to choose from to help in this endeavor. Also my favorite part of Halloween is making parts of my costume, as well as make-uping my face.  I am about to pin all the things and watch all the tutorials.

We are not doing any inside party this year, all will be on the outside/front of the house, I'm sure my man has something planned to make a big impact, and don't worry friends, it'll be documented properly this year!

Can't wait to get started!

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

Summer Blues

July 4th came and went. It was a great time with lots of friendships and smiles. Now we are back to regular neighbor hangs and nothing big really happening until the fall. I will definitely be updating more during September/October as we will be throwing 2 parties. The first is a baby fiesta for my dear sweet neighbors and their upcoming baby girl, and the second is a combined effort block party for Halloween! I am so excited for both and looking forward to making all kinds of decorations and foods :)

Now we come to the hottest time during the summer in Florida. My car always registers in the 100's when I get into it after work from sitting on the black tar parking lot all day. If you're wearing shorts, you've got the thigh/butt burns from a leather seat permanently until about late October.

This is also the time for a bit of a summer blues since there isn't anything going on, it's pretty similar to the winter blues in January after all the holiday season is over. It's the best time I think for a bit of an exercise kick. Get those endorphin's flowing! I believe we are getting a work group together to have a check in so that we'll actually work out, but I do know that I'll pick up on my running this week, I need to get active for my own self health.

Wish me luck, y'all!

Keep on, keepin' on!

M.

What Is Happening

        This blog isn't a place normally for politics or current events but I can't sit here and stay silent. This world has gone mad. We are ripping each other down daily for opinions that before social media we would have sat and listened to with an open mind. It's a lot easier to be an asshole behind a computer screen than face to face.
     
        Now nowhere is safe. School, church, theme parks, a damn nightclub! Every time I leave my house I feel like I need to be on extra high alert. Scoping out everyone and making sure I have an exit plan. That's insane and that's the world  we have built for ourselves. A girl was killed signing autographs for fans. Numerous human beings were massacred while dancing and drinking and loving life. Another girl was murdered because she broke up with her boyfriend! No one is safe and no one is taking the blame. Pointing fingers in a circle until we implode onto ourselves.

         So now the conversation about gun control comes back up. No, we shouldn't completely do away with guns. Yes, there needs to be a review of the laws. In other countries there are laws requiring classes every year, there are laws requiring a longer wait/processing time. There are so many factors of legislation to look into, none of which abolish guns completely. If you do that then it becomes a very active black market situation and then you are worse than when you began.

         We need less hate in this world. More TOLERANCE. More LOVE. More RESPECT for your fellow human beings. We are all on this planet for such a short time. We need to stop all this negative bullshit and violence and get back as one. Peace is missing, and has been for a very long time.


Keep on, Keepin' on,

M.

Stream Of Consciousness

I'm sitting here typing and listening to podcasts and thinking about my future life. Age is utterly just a number and in the generation that I am in, we have always been told to be anything. Do anything. Barbie held every job from a baker to a scientist to a teacher to an Olympic gymnast AND ice skater and up to president and then she was even an astronaut. When I look at all the paths friends of mine have taken I wonder is that what you wanted to do? Did you take the job to be successful and secure your adulthood? Did you take the job that was your passion whether or not it would offer a good path? Why did you change your path? I wonder if because we were given SO many options if that's not exactly the reasons that so many 20-30 somethings are not as driven. We have a laissez-faire attitude about life OR we are over confidently passionate about politics or money or issues. We post inspirational quotes and still drink ourselves stupid because our lives aren't the glossy 8X10 we post on Facebook. We think that because some of our heroes from our childhoods didn't start their careers til late 30s or 40s or even 50s that we still have time. I am guilty of this. I am in the same boat thinking that I'll do it tomorrow. And then next week seems better. And then I end up staying on the same path, same dreams put on the back burner when honestly if I just went and did what I want to do, plus still keep my responsibilities and work hard that I'd be living my dream. I feel that maybe in the back of my head that I will go for something and that it will fail and that's why I stay safe in my bubble. Then I put out a little feeler and I get glowing positive response and I feel so happy and so proud and I think to myself, Meghan honestly just get yourself on this path and DO IT. Take your cue from Nike and JUST DO IT. Do the small things, wake up and write in this blog. Wake up and go for a run. Come home from work and actually cook dinner and then take 15 minutes for yourself and learn a language. Write in a notebook and start your novel, start your book series. Decorate your office so you WANT to be in there. Listen to your man, listen to your friends, listen to strangers that have stumbled upon this very blog and liked it. Stop worrying so much about the negative and letting it hold you back.

If you take anything from this, know that this space is something that I put into the world and I definitely pour my heart into and show glimpses of my flaws along with fun things like smoothies and antler head-dresses.

Today I wrote and listened to the rain. Tomorrow is a new day, and I'll have a new journal and I'll put some new stories into the universe.

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

PS Thanks friends <3 :)

Homemade Tortilla Chips & Guac!

Recipe corner!!!

It's Memorial Day weekend y'all and the true kick off to summer BBQ's and parties. What better time then now to share my best guacamole recipe with you and also the tale of how I made my own tortilla chips, which was a slight fail but still a tasty one!

 I made enough guacamole for one person, maybe two people, you can double or triple this recipe easily to tailor to your needs.

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe avocados
Tomato, diced....I only had cherry tomatoes on hand so I used a handful and quartered them.
One clove of garlic, smashed and diced.
A quarter of a white onion....you can use any onion or amount you'd like, it is purely for taste and crunch.
Salt & Pepper, generously
Cumin, also generously
Chili powder, you guessed it...generously :)
A shot or two of lime juice

Mix well together and let sit while making your chips so that it can ~meld~

I started taking photos after I had cut my tortillas, but basically you take either flour or corn tortilla rounds and using a knife, or like I have a pizza cutter, cut equally into 4 pie pieces. I had larger tortillas so I ended up cutting my pie pieces into smaller triangles and some rectangles....no one's perfect haha. Then you take your soon to be chips and you drizzle oil (any sort, I used olive oil but I may use coconut next time based on the final product) on them and then mix the chips around to coat them. Next I lay them out onto a foiled baking sheet and sprinkled cumin, salt and chili powder on top of them.

Preheat your oven to 400 and  put those chips in for....OK so the original recipe I used said to put the chips in for 5 minutes and keep an eye on them. I ended up leaving these chips in for about 10-12 minutes before I thought they had reached proper golden brown color and desired crispness. I don't know if my oven is a bit wonky, or I used the wrong oil or what but my chips were less chip like and more pita chip like. Which isn't bad but when you are expecting one thing and you get another it's a little off I guess. Either way, keep an eye on your chips! And test your guacamole during this waiting game ;)

Finished chip shot! These weren't as crispy as I had hoped, but next time I may switch out flour for corn tortillas and olive oil for coconut and update the progress. The guacamole was excellent and I would 20 out of 10 make it again, plus it was 100% my own mixing :)

Have a Happy Memorial Day everyone!!

Keep on, Keepin' on!

M.

MAY Be I Ought To Make A Schedule Hahahaha

So with my cracked tooth fiasco I ended up needing it pulled out....which was seriously the worst thing to ever happen to me at that moment. I am no fan of dentists in the first place but this was too much. The unfortunate misstep I took in lowering our dental insurance cause me to have this tooth pulled without laughing gas/sedative. Just shots of Novocaine and a yank!! *cue all my cries forever* Moral of the story, actually read your health insurance packets when you get them so that when you to have an unexpected need for it.

Flash forward to the weekend and our friend's(and neighbors) awesome wedding! So much friendship, so much love, such a wonderful time. My man and I made lifelong friends from an epic week of partying and hanging out. We now have more homes in different countries to visit, which is amazing! Travelling is definitely something that has been on the backburner for far too long.

Another flash forward into this, the end of May and it took me all month to finish writing this blog post. So pretty much this title that was originally a pun is now really what I'm going to be doing as soon as I publish this. Woooo organization!!! I've had a full Kale-Bleuberry-Cherry smoothie, I AM READY hahahaha

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

April Showers Bring.....Projects? Smoothies? Life Adventures?

Oh hi!

So I have at least done a once a month on here :D

But in all seriousness I've been busy, I've been up and down, I've been working all the weekends. It's been a weird time so far this 2016. I've been trying to figure out life and deal with all the things I guess grown up 30 year old ladies get to do. But I'm here! And I'm writing, so great times.

I decided on Monday that I was like "Yea, I'm gonna start getting healthy and eating well rounded meals more and less bad snacks!" So yesterday I bring my lunch to work, kale salad w/ walnuts and cherry tomatoes and a nice onion vinagrette.....and as I take a bite I chomp down on a walnut. On my not-so-great back tooth. And I cracked it :'( This is what I get?! No one ever cracked a tooth on a cheeseburger!!! So now until Monday when I go to the dentist, I can't really chew without it hurting. So now I'm making alll the smoothies. Maybe a health kick on it's own then?? But not at all how I wanted this to go.

I have made 3 smoothies so far and 2 were great and now the one I'm drinking as I type this out is, UM ok, I guess??

The first 2 as follows ( I was inspired by pinterest):

Berry Berry Great :)

Handful of dark pitted cherries
2 Handfuls of blueberries
Handful of strawberries
2 Heaping Tbsp vanilla yogurt
A Good Squeeze of honey
A Pour and a Half of cranberry juice

(Such accurate measurements)
Blend and enjoy. Also I used all frozen fruits so I didn't need ice.

Peanut Butter Yum :)

One to Two bananas (depending on the amount you want to make. I used one and it yielded about half a mason jar full)
3ish Tbsp of peanut butter
A Good Squeeze of honey
A Third of frozen apple juice concentrate

Blend and enjoy. Again no ice due to the frozen juice.

Now the third....I only changed kale from spinach but I got this recipe straight from a pinterest search

Pineapple Avocad-no :/

2 ripe avocados (it does make a full glass)
4 sliced pineapples, chopped
2 heaping handfuls of kale
A Good Squeeze of honey
A Good Pour of pineapple juice
Ice (nothing was frozen)

Blend.....for way longer than you had to on the first two and take a sip, it has an avocado texture, which is expected-but it's too thick. I was hoping as the ice melted it would be ok but I've been test sipping during this whole blog and it's not gotten better. It needs more fruit and juice and less avocado I think. If you do make it: please tell me if you improved on it.

When did this blog get so fancy and full of recipes?! I am a true at home blogger now yes! Expect all the posts on how I DIY'd my entire porch using only dollar store items, spray paint and things from Crate & Barrel that I causally had laying around my house.

But for real though, I'm having a small get together for Fourth of July weekend and I will probably DIY some decorations for that. Plus later in the year I am throwing a baby sprinkle for my dear friend and will definitely update the blog for that adventure.

Stay Tuned!! :D

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

March Madness

I'm not sure how to even state this properly or begin to talk about the insane things happening in our life. But I will say that at the root of it all, we have a wonderful friend family. Everyone who has been there, trust me it has meant more than you know.

I still live in shut down mode and though we had an awesome time with our friends who just visited, my head wasn't 100% in it. At the back of my mind there is always a "what's going to happen next??" "what will slap us in the face this time??" I can't function properly anymore. I have to drink, I have to plant, I have to do half assed crafts and redecorate my space when I should be writing or working or cleaning. I don't feel like a good adult/friend/partner. I feel like a hermit and a sad girl. And it's all stemming from someone who doesn't even live in this damn state. Who has ruined vacations and weekends and parties and doesn't even realize the pain they've caused. Nothing is fair anymore and I'm sick of it.

I sit in my house an squander away the hours of my life instead of being outside and seeing the world and the people that I love. I'm always in here waiting for the other shoe to drop. I hate it, and I'm sorry if you think I've just been being a bad friend, I haven't done it on purpose. I have to self preserve myself alone in here so that eventually when this is all over, I come out head held high and ready to be 100% happy.

Hope that's fucking soon though.

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

When Did It Become February?

So my life has been a bit topsy-turvy as of late. February came in with a bang and a slap and a hell of an attitude. Things are happening that are 1000% out of my control and out of my man's control and only now a week and a half later we have reigned in this crazy. I won't delve into details because for now it's a grey area and I might make a more in depth article/blog when it's properly settled down. Today I just want to say....

To my friends/family:
I'm very thankful for all of you and I appreciate all the kindness and support. I'm sorry that I shut down and I revert back into my little cave of aloneness and I shut everyone out. It happens, it's a defensive trait. I'm reaching out my feelers though and I would like some company very soon :)

To _____:
I miss you and I love you. I'm sad that you are so far away. I'm sad that you can't visit. I'm sad for this whole situation. It's terrible for all parties and I feel that there is some much better solutions than the ones that we are faced with now. I hope you are happy, I guess. I hope you are doing well in school, you are smart as a whip and don't let anyone bring you down. You are a shining little firecracker, don't let anyone burn you out. I hope this finds you somewhere out there, know that you are loved and missed by more than me and whenever you want to come back, we're here with open arms.

That's all for now.

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.

Choose You Own Adventure

I've been both busy and not busy. Not busy, but busy playing tablet games. Busy having a wonderful time distracting myself from both my blog and the 60 day write club to write and illustrate a picture book for my 2 year old neighbor. But also busy with work. Flipside-busy having great chats with my neighbors and bonfires. I've come to the thinking that maybe there's two forms of busy on the life spectrum. You can choose how busy to be, and with what, I will always want to choose a good busy (so bonfires and drinks and building an empire of books)

Life in general is about choices, some are hard and some are easy but as far as it being a personal matter-it's always the right choice in the end. Hear me out: even when you make a so called wrong choice, you learn/recover from it, so thus it teaches you something, so it can't be that wrong. Obviously there are other situations where a choice is very clearly wrong and I would like to think that anyone reading this would never have to make a life or death choice.

Stay busy in the way you'd like, and make good for you kind of choices.

Keep on, keepin' on,
M.

It's 2016!

So without meaning to I took the entire month of December off from this blog. Sometimes life gets in the way of things whether good or bad and you put things on the back burner without a thought. I work in retail as well so it gets pretty hectic with hours and late nights and then there's all the get togethers after and all the christmas shopping you do for your families. Basically it's alot, but now its January and it is time to begin anew and get going on making 2016 a great one.

First: So much more home organization and making our spare room into an actual office for actual work. Both with my man's business and my own writing dreams.

Second: Writing dreams are going into FULL swing this year. My dear friend Candace has been a journalist for all our years of schooling and has multiple side projects. One of them, Life Between Weekends, proposed a challenge for this year, well for the next 2 months: Write the novel you've always wanted to-and do it in 2 months! Not like write it, edit it and publish it, but get those words and thoughts down on paper, so to speak. I love the idea and to have a small team to hold each other accountable seems like a really good fit for me. So here's to me writing the next great American novel!

Third: Have more adventures. Go more places. Really travel and have a reason to pin places on the map. Live my best life.

I'm turning 30 in 6 days. Why not go for it all this year?? Make 30 the best year and banish the old stereotypes!

Keep on, keepin' on,

M.