Monthly Goal Link Up

Yayy! My monthly goal link up is back for another month! This link up is open all month long so make sure to link up and post your goals for the month as well as check up on the goals of others.

Before we do that, lets talk football! Its the season opener of college football this weekend! I AM PUMPED! UofM is my all time favorite team and I can't wait to see that Maize and Blue take the field! 

Also, lets talk about my fantasy team. I had the draft this week. I honestly can't predict how well my team is going to be! However, with my starting QB Tom Brady, I am sure we will be fine ;) 

Also, in light of the Nsync reunion. Let me backthatazzup with this jam!


 

________________  

Now for the link up! 

Its that time of the month where I confess my success/struggles with my goals this month!

This link up is new! First month doing it! Read here for why its important to publicly declare your goals!

My goals this past month were as follows:
1) Spend Less
2) Loose 3 lbs
3) Lesson Plan

-Sadly I didn't spend less (dang Patriots game!) 

-I didn't loose 3lbs, I actually gained weight :( But Muscle! Because I feel totally toned and my stomach is a lot flatter (thanks insanity!) 

- I did lesson plan! I actually got a ton done this summer and feel prepared to walk into the class on Tuesday! 


Goals for September:

1) SAVE MONEY! Now that graduation is right around the corner I need to start saving so I can move out of my parents house and start my life as an independent woman! woo woo! 

2) Run the full 13 miles of my half marathon the last week of September! It will be about a month out from race day then and I need to be able to do it once! ughhh wish me luck! 

3) Accomplish 2 of my 8 observations for my student teaching! 

4) Stay on top of my A game with school. That means getting all my homework complete, readings done, and being ahead of my game not slacking or procrastinating. 

What are your goals? Grab a button and link up! Can't wait to hear your story at the end of the month 




       <div align="center"> <a href="http://ericaashleyr.blogspot.com" title="Erica Ashley"><img src="http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y468/raatze/0ecf2a17-b56c-4971-89e2-b5c6473fb65a_zps577a4baa.jpg" alt="Erica Ashley" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

That thing still works?

As I am currently sitting on campus before my second class of the evening a phone booth caught my eye. 

Yes a phone booth. It looks exactly like the ones they have in London on the street corners. 

The reason it caught my eye is because I have been going to this school for 5.5 years and always thought it was just a decoration. I never knew it actually had a phone in yet, and magically, the phone still worked!

An older looking man approached the phone booth and I thought, "hmm I wonder why he is observing the glorious campus decoration so up close?"

Then he opened the door. In which I thought, "weird, why is he going inside of that thing? Has he never seen a picture of a phone booth? Are you even suppose to touch campus decorations?"

Then he proceeded to reach in his back pocket (i'm assuming for money) and I thought "There is no way that phone still works in there, its going to be SUUUPPERR embarrassing when he has to walk back out of that thing after realizing it's just for decoration."

He proceeded to put money in the pay phone (i giggled to myself) and to my surprise he started moving his lips (aka talking). Now one of two things happened

1) I was right and the phone didn't actually work but he didn't want to look stupid so he was pretending to have a 15 min conversation with someone when in reality he was talking to himself or 

2) It actually worked.

As much as I wish option 1 was the real answer, I have a feeling it actually worked and it made me think, what other "older" contraptions out there are still doing their own thing despite technology?

Exhibit A)
 Old Fashioned Pen and Paper...still doing its thing for multiple purposes. Whether its for taking notes in class, writing a love letter to a significant other, or simply jotting down a grocery list, pen and paper are still active amongst many lives. 

Exhibit B)
Farmer says see n say....seriously, this thing is still teaching are youth farm animals and their sounds! How many generations has this bad boy taught how to MOOO?

 Exhibit C)
Polaroid Camera: Such a cool invention to see your picture develop right before your eyes! The only problem, you can't delete it if you hate it. Unlike a digital camera you take one snap shot with this sucker and its permanent! 

I really don't know the point of this post, but what things are you surprised are still around!?

What is a role model?

Today I kick off my last semester of college! Student teaching and classes begin! (p.s. its 5:30 am right now, ughhhh). On another note...

Okay call this overdone, or you might not even care, and I'm not going to lie, I feel shameful for even posting this (seeing as I had this really deep and hopefully motivational post for today) But this has to be done. We HAVE to take a journey through Miley Cyrus life to truly understand her odd and disturbing behavior at the VMA's the other night. And to realize that this is our role model for our youth (disgusting)

How did this

Go to this?

Some may credit the fame "going to her head," or that she "never got to experience childhood." But when these people look like this:

It's time to take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself...really? Is this really what I want my image to be?

And if it is, I guess keep doing your creepy tongue teddy bear thangg

But note that there are young girls who once looked up to that blonde hair blue eyed Hannah Montana that now are scared for life watching you do this...

Really? This is the role model we have for our youth these days? This is what I get to look forward to someday when I have a child and they want to look up to a celebrity, this is what they get to choose from? 

Honestly, I enjoy jamming out to Mileys catchy tune, but why all of this? Why the creepy teddy bears? The young hair style? The naked looking body? The grinding on old men? The Foam finger? WHY?

The fact that I am making a whole blog post dedicated to this is also super depressing. I guess I am just trying to make sense of this whole hollywood thing. 

Does fame and money really make you go all Amanda Bynes crazy these days? Was Lindsey Lohan not joking when she said it was the fame that made her crazy? 

I know I am making a joke out of this, because in reality it is one big JOKE of a performance, but I am also being dead serious when I say society needs to take a look in the mirror themselves when they post people like that up on billboards, all over the media, promoting this kind of behavior and then we ask ourselves why our youth has no morals? Seriously, what does a young girl learn when watching a performance like that? 

Oh Miley, I know you say you "can't stop, and won't stop." But you must, PLEASE STOP!  

P.S. check out my guest post today at Ambers blog My life in High Heels while I write for the Single Girl Diaries :)

Weekend Recap

What a weekend! A weekend of learning experiences let me tell you! But as far as my ability to see Tom Brady, well it was AMAZING! 

Now, we got to the game super late (ugh boys and traffic, the usual) Like only 4 minutes left in the first half late, so I only got to see Tom (basically play like crap) for a few minutes. But it was well worth it (except they lost). It was a rough day for my boy Tom, a lot of incomplete passes, some interceptions, some turn overs, but the fact of the matter is I got to see him in flesh! 

Just doing his thing ;) 

Tim Tebow! I know, I know, but he is such a great guy with good morals! 

Oh hey Tom! Calling a play! 

And although it was a short lived and they got their behinds handed to them it was still so fun to see them live! And we had great seats!! 

The rest of my weekend consumed of me creating lesson plans, organizing, and cleaning to get ready for me to start my student teaching this week! Starting Tuesday I am back in PD meetings getting ready for the kids! 

The Perks of Being A Woman

Being a girl is rough. Really rough.

Surely we catch our fair of breaks by getting a free drink here and there (why do guys think that happens ALL the time?) (And if it does, please give me your tips! Im broke over here!). And yes, we get to wear really cute clothes! And our underwear usually come in deals like 4 for $20 or 5 for $25 (guys underwear are expensive!). But all in all we have it rough!

I realized this yesterday as I sat in the office of the wonderful Lady Doc. As I sat there (basically naked) all alone, just waiting for the doc to get all up in my business, surrounded by little baby pic announcements, I had some time lots of time to think about 1)How uncomfortable I was and 2)How much we women have to go through.

I mean, what guy has to go to a Dr. specified to his man parts on a yearly basis to get them checked out? Ummm none of them! But we women, every year have to have someone all up in our business poking and priding around making sure everything is okay.

And what are they making sure its all okay for? Oh just for an 8lb+ Human Being to come out of there. Because that doesn't sound painful at all!? So yes, we go to a Dr, specified for girls only, just to get poked around, just to make sure that everything is going to be okay in who knows how many years for a human to pop on out. 

que cute baby photo!

And I am sure we can all agree that our friendly visitor every month really makes things convenient for us. Because who doesn't like to eat pounds of chocolate and greasy food after working out for a month straight only to satisfy mood cravings due to the excruciating pain happening in the abdominal and back region that literally feels like a murder scene playing out in your insides...

And how about the fact that it is near impossible to wake up 15 min before leaving for work, shower, eat breakfast, and look presentable for the day? (if you can do this let me in on your secrets!) When I try to this and I walk out of the house with my hair all wet I say to myself "Hey, I am sure you totally look fine for work." And then it happens to be picture day, and I get a reminder every time I look at my work ID of how awful I look when I don't put effort into my wardrobe and hair. Meanwhile Mr. Man is sitting next to me ALWAYS waking up 15 min before work starts and looking like a dang GQ model. 

I wish I looked this good with wet hair!

Now I know this sounds like a big complain fest! And I guess it kind of is, but I just wanted to remind us women of the wonderful womanly things that happen in our lives. Now don't get my wrong, I can't wait to push that bundle of joy out of me some day (in many years, I'm a little to young and not married ;) And I am sure when it happens I will be SO happy, but until then I will just experience the rough stuff a woman has to go through with no real reward besides cheap panties and the occasional free drink. 

Cheers to being a lady! 

Rules for the Beach

If you have recently followed me on twitter (which I recently started using and am obsessed with!) you will know I spent my weekend at the beach. I love the beach, I love the sun, not a huge fan of the sand that comes home with you but thats okay, its worth it.

However, Sunday I went to the beach alone. Yes, I am that cool that I couldn't convince a single family member nor could I convince any friend to go with me. I figured it would be a relaxing day where I could sit by myself, not talk to anyone (sometimes you just need those days) and read. I was doing just that until this rando started to make small talk with me.

I couldn't be mean and completely ignore him so I gave him some short responses and quickly glanced back down at my magazine  Apparently he didn't get the hint and he came over to talk to me. GREEAATTT.... 

After an extremely awkward conversation, and 5 minutes of pure silence I figured he would leave. He didn't. He just lingered there, hovering over me and my precious sunlight. So I had to text my best friend and have her "call me with an emergency" as if I was on some awful blind date. Thank goodness she did. 

So this post is dedicated to rules for the beach: 

1) If you are drunk (example: said rando man on the beach) and the person you are trying to make small talk with is not responding or asking further questions. Leave. Get out now. Keep moving. You have your own friends so go hang out with them.

2) If you are alone at the beach, totally fine, but sit by families. That way you don't have to worry about awkward randos lingering near your seat and blocking out all your sun light.

I look really amused in the bottom Left by rando talking to me.

3) If you are at a public beach, and there are lots of families around. Watch the language, flashing, and drinking. Now I am all for a good time at the beach but taking off your bikini top, or doing beer bongs while a clan of 10 year olds look on probably isn't your best move. Beaches are public places, if you want to party no prob! Put it in a cup, a coozie, whatever you need, but naked beer bongs (okay I am a little over exaggerating) is not okay.

4) Pick out the coolest things to bring to beach. Aka the only frisbee I could find to bring to my Saturday family beach day. Anyone else do the D.A.R.E program in 5th grade? Time to get a new frisbee after 15 years but also great way to spread the message. 

5. Get your tan on. 

Have a great week! 

A Little Get to Know Me

Amber from My Life in High Heels tagged me in this little questionnaire! Check out her blog, its one of my top reads! 

- What is your secret obsession?

Reality TV. I guess its not really secret, but I LOVE it. I know its trash, its not actually real, and it makes no sense but I get hooked :)

- What is the best gift you ever received?

I have absolutely no clue! I can tell you the worst? It was my ex boyfriend. I had picked out this super cute purse when I was with my mom and she bought it right then and there and was going to give it to me for christmas. Christmas rolls around and I go to my boyfriends and open my gift...which was the purse. No big deal until he tried to play it off as if he had picked it out himself! Nice try! He also bought me a $3 pair of headphones (forgot to take the price tag off). Now I not all about expensive gifts, but put some thought in it! 

- If you could have coffee with anyone, who would it be?

This is such a hard one! Depends on what I wanted to talk about. If I want to talk about life, I would pick Jesus (he knows everything). If I wanted to talk about fashion I would pick Rachel Zoe. If I wanted to talk sports Tom Brady. If I wanted to talk reality TV, Tamra Barney. If  Iwant a good laugh Khloe Kardashian. So many more I could mention! Oh and if I just wanted to stare at someone extremely good looking across the table (not that I wouldn't get that with Tom) I would choose Ryan Gosling ;)

- What is something that people are always surprised to find out about you?

That I love football the way I do. I know I am a girl, and I am actually pretty girly. But I LOVE football. I know A TON about it. I even know more than a lot of my guy friends....hey, guys like girls who like sports...right?

- Who is your celebrity crush?

Who isn't my celebrity crush should be the question here but I would have to go with Ryan Gosling. 

- What is your biggest struggle in blogging?

Finding my voice. I think I have gotten it under control now but when I first started I didn't know exactly how I wanted to write or come across. I wanted something that would bring out my personality and I think I have nailed it now! Also, when I get super busy keeping up with blog posts! I have just started writing them ahead of time and it helps a ton! 

- If you could live in another time period, when would it be?

I would live in the late 1800's. The little house on the prarie time. I just would love to see what it was like back then! It would be so crazy to wear such big dresses in hot weather, perform "womanly duties" and just live off of what you make and what you farm. The focus was on God and Family back then. A lot of good morals come from that time period!

- Which Disney princess would you trade lives with for a day?

Jasmine! Who wouldn't want to fly around on a carpet!?

- What movie gets played out on your DVD player?

The notebook. All the time. 

- High heels or flats?

High heels! I am only 5'1" so even in heels I am really short. I wear heels and wedges frequently! 

Thanks for reading and getting to know more about me :)

Things That Have Impressed/Depressed me this week

1. Ashton Kutcher: hey there ;) Seriously, your speech at the Teen Choice Awards was AMAZING! If you have not listened to it yet, watch right here. I have never heard better words coming out of hollywood in a LONG time. 

2. Sorority Sisters 
With recruitment right around the corner, and all these blog post I have been seeing lately I am missing you all like CRAZY! It is crazy to think how many of us have moved away, living in different states, working, getting engaged! It feels like yesterday we were sitting in the chapter room studying and taking late night trips for slurpees. If you are going through recruitment this fall I am JEALOUS! 

3. Tom Brady
Wednesday I received awful news, you went down at practice. A slight panic set in as I realized that I had just bought tickets to come watch you play NEXT Thursday. JUST MY LUCK! Reports are saying the injury is not to bad (which is great news seeing as you are my QB for Fantasy Football) Now I am just hoping you can take at least 1 snap next Thursday! 

4. RHONJ
I may or may not have watched 5 hours of your throw back thursday episodes yesterday of season 1. DANG Danielle was cray cray! Made me realize the first few seasons of RHO are always the best. No one has had ample amounts of plastic surgery, no one has let the fame set in, and everyone still loves each other for the most part. 

5.Frozen Yogurt

Couple things I have to say about you. You trick me into thinking I am making a healthier option, until I load on the gummy bears, heath bar, chocolate, reese peanut butter cups. You are the ULTIMATE TRICKSTER! Also, come back with the red velvet cupcake flavor, I promise to be your most loyal customer.

P.S. Why do people put cereal on their Froyo?

 Happy Weekend All! 

Blog Recap for the Week:
10 Things I can't Live With Out
L-O-V-E

I am using a youtube video for backthatazzup friday linkup! Watch my sorority video and our rap song below! 

10 Things I can't Live With Out

Here is a random post for you all today! 10 Things I can't live without! 

1. Hair product

One lucky man has no idea whats about to hit him when he gets to wake up to my pretty face everyday. And by pretty face I mean rats nest of hair. Those of you who can jump out of the shower and let your hair air dry, I hate you. My hair is confused on whether it wants to be straight or curly, so instead it just frizzes into a lions main. Thank you hair product for allowing me to look like a civilized human and not like I just walked out of a cave. 

2. Bacon

Why I went 2.5 years being a vegetarian is beyond me because I seriously love bacon. In fact I like all types of meat. Burgers, steak, pork chops. I love it all and I can't live with out it. For all you vegetarians on there if you want to sneak a piece of salty delicious goodness I won't tell and it is well worth it. 

3. Bravo TV

I think my life is consumed by this channel. Especially since I have the whole month of August off of work and school. I literally sit around and watching an un-humane number of episodes of Real Housewives, Million Dollar Listing, Interior Therapy, Princess of Long Island, you get the point. 

4. Working out

I know lame right! Or some of you probably stopped reading because that is the worst answer ever. But I can't live with out it. It is the only way I can let out my frustration! 

5. Okay not only way because my next thing I can't live without is wine. Wine is a great way to let out your frustration, emotions, etc, etc, etc. My favorite wine is Moscato! YUMMM! I also enjoy the variety of wine glass options. There are classy wine glasses, fun wine glasses, the wine glasses you buy when you turn 21, bachelorette party wine glasses, so many different ones! And I love to drink out of all of them :)

6. Football

Who doesn't love watching men in tight pants on a weekly basis? Also, I just love football. My dad has raised me to truly appreciate the sport. Not only can I not live with out it, but specifically I can't live with out UofM and the Patriots! GO BLUE! GO PATS! 

7. Starbucks/Coffee

Seriously don't talk to me if I have not had my cup of coffee in the morning. I HAVE to have it. Its actually a pretty bad addiction. Instead of getting help I have decided to embrace it. It's part of who I am! Not only do I love coffee but I can't live with out Starbucks. I talked about my monthly goals and budgeting and what not and that means I had to cut out Starbucks. Luckily for me my wonderful grandma bought me a Starbucks gift card to hold me over for a few weeks till I can budget in Sbucks to my daily life. Yes, my family enables my addiction ;) 

8. My Blue Robe

I can't believe I am admitting this via blog world but does anyone have that one item that they can't get rid of. No matter what happens to it you have to keep it. Well I have this blue fuzzy robe. It might be the best thing that has ever touched my body. It has gotten me through a lot in my life such as Saturday mornings in college, cozy nights staying in, it has seen multiple nights out (okay I didn't actually wear it out but I would if I could, I do get ready in it though), it really has been through it all. Will I ever get rid of it? No. Are you worried if I wash it? Don't worry I do! 

It really doesn't look like this, much prettier I promise ;)

9. Ice Cream

How do people not like ice cream? I don't understand what there is to not like about it. I mean there is like 10000000 different flavors in the world! Isn't it possible to find at least one to like? I like them all. I can't name a flavor of ice cream I don't like. I lied, my Grandpa bought Spumoni once, it was gross. Sorry if any of you like it! 

10. Music

I love music, all kinds of music. My guilty pleasure is rap. I LOVE Lil Wayne and Eminem. I went to the Jay-Z Eminem concert a few years ago! Best time of my life! When Drake made a surprise appearance I cried like a little girl at the Justin Bieber concert. 

What can't you live with out?!  

L-O-V-E

I am coming off of a wedding weekend high! And it has me thinking about all sorts of things. Love, patience, waiting, etc. How do all these things tie together?

As I sat at two great friends of mine wedding this weekend I couldn't help but be all smiles. From the moment she walked down the isle till the end of the reception it was a night filled with love. Love is such a crazy concept to me. We all love something or someone right? I mean I love coffee, I love the real housewives, I love my parents. But this kind of love that you celebrate at weddings, thats the real deal. 

pic from the wedding!

I mean this kind of love is a love in which you would literally lay down your own life for. Its the kind of love that you give your whole heart to that person and trust them with everything. This kind of love last forever. Forever with one single person. I am only 23 and to imagine that I could live 60 years with one person is insane! 

Where am I going with this? Not quite sure. It just had me thinking how many times we fall into "love" with the wrong person. Now I am not trying to bash dating, because I think dating is great! In fact I love it! I love a free meal, and to be told that I am pretty, and all the fun things that come with dating. What I am getting at is how many times do we settle? 

The difference between the kind of love that a lot of people feel today and the kind of love I experienced this weekend is this, they are not settling! Whats the difference between settling and the real deal? What does it look like so I can make sure I am not doing it? That I am still trying to figure out. But from my experiences of dating and being in all the wrong relationships this is what I have come up with.

1) You have to be happy with yourself first before you can be happy with anyone else. Cliche I know, but you need your own identity, your own goals in life, your own beliefs. Then, when you meet Mr. Right he is there to encourage your identity, not take it away! Placing all of your goals into someone else can be overwhelming, and when that relationship fails, you feel like you fail. Just be you girl ;) 

2) Be patient. Guys are going to like you. They will want to date you, is going out to dinner with them a bad thing? No. Get to know them. But if you know its not going to work out don't drag him along, or drag yourself along. Be patient for the right guy! That way when he comes along your not tangled in a mess of emotions with Mr. Wrong. 

3) Enjoy being single! This is the only time in your life where your only concern is you! You can literally move across country, take any job you want, travel, do anything with out the concern of someone else. Enjoy it! Because chances are, sooner or later it won't be just you anymore! 

4) Follow your own dreams and goals. Seriously, do you know what a guy would think if he asked "what is your dream?" and you said "to be a wife, in fact your wife." He would run the other faster than Usain Bollt at the 2012 Olympic games! 

What are your goals? What things do you want to accomplish? When you start living for you and your dreams, the right man comes along and BAM he falls right into place. And I can tell you that a man finds it sexy to see a women chasing her dreams rather than chasing him.

After all of this rambling do you get the point of this post? I sure don't! But what I am trying to say is the cliche statement. Everything happens for a reason. Everything happens in God's perfect timing. Trust him with your life, including your love life, be patient, and enjoy your life today. And most importantly don't just settle for a good relationship, wait for a great one! 

Friday Letters

Dear Friday, It's been awhile since I have written to you! Sorry I have been neglecting you lately, you know your my go to girl glad to have you back ;)

Dear Real Housewives, I can't get enough of you. I knew I had an obsession but after watching the Throw Back Thursday version of RHOC yesterday, it made me realize that its an undying love. I really think that I love every version of you OC, Miami, ATL, and Bev Hills. Keep doing your thing! 

Dear weddings, by the end of the night I will be done with wedding season this summer! I never thought I would be happy to say that because I LOVE weddings, but I don't think I could afford another one of you! Congrats to the lovely couple getting married tonight! 

I also think its time to come clean about something, something really embarrassing I did. At the most recent wedding I went to, I may or may not have fought my sister for the bouquet toss. I mean we both grabbed it, and she already has a boyfriend, it was MY time! Until I realized that 200 people had their eyes on me during this battle and felt super embarrassed afterwords. But hey, I won! Luckily for us the photographer (Ashley Slater over at The Sweet Season) captured the moment and I can forever remember how I had a full out brawl at my best friends wedding. Enjoy.

 we both have it

 not going to let go

 still not going to let go....

After that battle, I had to win.

P.S. I need to find a go to date for next wedding season, this is getting ridiculous!

Dear Tom Brady, would you like to be my date? Just kidding! (except not at all) Seriously Tom I can not wait to see you in the flesh! I haven't decided what my initial reaction will be but I can tell you one thing, I will loose my mind! Not just to see you, but to see my favorite team ever play! WOOOO! Only 2 more weeks!

Dear Football season, you are well underway and I am not even the slightest bit disappointed! I have started staking out my spot on the couch and looking up recipes to prepare for regular season to start! Also, my fantasy football team is going to be killer this year, I'm feeling a trophy :) Do I dare join two leagues? 

Dear school, ugh, you start in 3 weeks...WHYYYYY!? However, 4 months till graduation! And then the real world, which after looking up the amount of student loans I have accumulated for the first time ever makes me want to crawl in a hole. (I should have listened when they told me growing up wasn't as great as it looked!) 


Dear Friday Link up's, yes there are a lot of you, and yes I like them all so feel free to check out the wonderful blogs I follow below. I look forward to friday's because of these ladies! Well, and because its the weekend!