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! 

                                                                    

Ballin on a budget

Okay so I'm not actually "ballin" but this month has been so much fun and I have tons to look forward to for cheap! 

My monthly goal this month was to stop spending spend less!! I gave myself $100 to go towards school supplies and this months expenses(I am in my last few months of college and live with my parents so I really don't have any "bills" to pay for....yet). Well my school supplies were only $15! Wooo! Student teaching does not require me to buy any textbooks, but just lots of colored pens and paper :) Total expenses: $15

I was able to attend Cedar Point....for free! Score! And free beverages all day long! Since grandma and grandpa only live 20 minutes away I had a free place to sleep, and grandma threw in a little spending money for food for the day :) Total expenses: nothing

Now for the best news EVER!!!! Drum roll please....

This man, the love of my life, the best NFL player to date will be in Detroit playing the lions August 22 and guess who is going to the game....ME!!!! I seriously have not been able to sleep since my purchase of tickets last night! Now let me tell you that I will be sitting on the 20 yard line, 17th row....for just $22!!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? I almost died last night buying them! 

For those of you who don't know, I am in love with football (check out the really cool friday link up I participated in). Most importantly I love the Patriots! I seriously have never been so excited to see a football game ever! I am bursting with joy! And the fact the tickets were so cheap makes things even better! 

Now let me tell you better news! I have a credit card I use strictly for gas, but I do get cash back every time I use the card. Well its my lucky day because I have enough cash back to pay for my ticket and put towards the brand new Tom Brady T-shirt I bought via Amazon for only $22. So in reality this ticket is free! 

I JUST LOVE FREE!! 

Let me review my expenses thus far:

School supplies: $15

Cedar point: free

Patriots Game: free

Brady T-shirt: $15

Total: $30 

$30 for all of this!?! I could die a happy woman! (but I hope I don't any time soon so I can get to this game!) 

What are your success stories? Or budgeting stories? 

Stay tuned for more post about my excitement to see my all time favorite team and player play!! GO PATS! P.s. Tim Tebow will be there as well, sorry I love him too :) 

P.S. Check out Fitness Blondie Ulta giveaway! Nothing is better than a free giveaway to help with budgeting! 

Ride warriors

This weekend was so much fun!

Friday: I was able to have breakfast with my bestie before traveling out of town with my sister and her boyfriend. We were headed to the god awful state to the south of the mitten, you know the one starting and ending with O and greeting you with a hi in the middle? The one also home to the worst football team known to man kind? 

Well my family lives in that state and only 20min from Cedar Point! 

After a 3.5 hour drive and a nice sleep we woke up and headed to Sandusky! Normally when we go to cedar point and leave from MI I have to wake up at 4 am and I'm already exhausted by the time we arrive! Since I was able to get my beauty sleep I was up and able to catch the beautiful view as we drove in! 

                        

Lots of matching shirt families! 

I honestly had so much fun riding all the roller coasters! I felt like a dare devil! I have an awful fear of heights so every time I was on a roller coaster I had minor panic attacks and extremely sweaty hands! But it was so worth it! I was being such a dare devil going on so many rides they even had to lock me and my sister up! 

                   

I also experienced my first ever...

                       

For lunch! And man was I missing out! I am a chicken nug lover and I have never tasted such delicious chicken nugs in my life!! We also were lucky enough to score a special wrist band for the day that got us free drinks anywhere in the park all day long! I stayed so hydrated! And also drank more cherry coke than any human should ever consume! I mean it was free and I wanted to maximize that experience!

After an eventful day and 9 hours spent on roller coasters it was time to call it a night and head back to grandmas.

                        

We were able to finish grandmas wonderful trip with a steak lunch and walk down memory lane playing with these lovely dolls. 

                         

The good ol days of barbies!

Now I know I talked about budgeting as my goal this month so let me tell you that I was able to get free tickets, free drinks, and my gas paid for the trip so I only spent $10 all weekend!!! Wooo! So far so good! 

What did you do this weekend?

Football Friday

I have been looking forward to this link up for days! One of my absolute favorite blogs to read is by Erin at Love, Fun, and Football. She has created a friday link up all about my all time favorite sport...Football! 

I want you all to know how much I LOVE football. I spend all weekends in the fall watching college football on saturdays and NFL on Sundays. I also participate in Fantasy football, so prepare to hear all about it soon! 

Here is the link up! 

Favorite Professional Team

No questions here, the Patriots!! I really never cared to much about NFL football until a few years ago. However, I have always been a die hard UofM fan (read about below) and when Tom Brady headed the Patriots as their QB I had to investigate more. ALthough he was not a huge college star, he will go down in history as one of the best QB ever in the NFL. 

Now I know that my team has struggled this off season by loosing some key players and they have picked up another one of my other favorite players, Tim Tebow (don't hate! There is not thing I love more than a man who sticks up for his beliefs!), but I have complete confidence that Tom will lead our team to victory this year! 

Favorite College Team

Hail to the Victors! Go Blue! This is where my heart lays! Words can't describe the love I have for the boys in blue! I have been born and raised a UofM girl. My poor dad, who has only daughters, has raised us all to not only love football but to specifically love Michigan football. We have had our fair share of dogs named after players, the colors of the team, and anything else related to Michigan football. If you want to know what I do on Saturdays I can guarantee you will find me in front of a TV or at The Big House cheering these boys on! 

Favorite Football Snack

This is a tough one, because I really enjoy all snacks during a football game. However, I love wings! Nothing says football and fall like honey bbq wings done on the grill before a big game! I also have to add any and all dips are great football snacks. Something about a plethora of dips around a table says football  :) 

Favorite Warm-Weather Gear

Football season in MI is never really that warm, so my warm weather gear usually last for the first 2 games and then it switches to my favorite sweatshirts and long sleeve shirts. However, when I get the chance for warm weather gear I love my MI T-shirts with jeans. Like I have said, I watch lots of football on saturdays, so making sure I am comfortable is very important to me. I love my MI T's that keep me comfy and cheer on my team! 

Favorite Cold-Weather Gear

MI football weather is 80% of the time cold. I get a lot of wear out of my cold gear in this state. I have a few things I wear on a regular basis and that is my extremely large and to big on me MI fleece. Its a quarter zip and way to big on me, but I pair it with leggings or a skinny jean and I like to think its looks a little better (probably not but it is super comfy and i'm slightly superstitious). I also enjoy wearing my bedazzled UofM hoodie from Victoria Secret! It is super cute and comfy and looks great with jeans as well! Both of these items still represent my team and keep me comfy! 

Favorite Half-Time Activity

FOOOOD! Although I am sure I have eaten my fair share of calories before the game/kick off. At halftime I need to make sure I restock my plate for food during the second half. Maybe I think that I am the one playing and burning the calories and its okay for me to eat this much, but I definitely need the energy to make sure I can cheer/yell/coach my team to victory the second half. I mean they need me out there! 

Favorite Post-Time Activity

If we loose (rare occasions) Don't even try to talk to me. The amount of emotional investment I have in my team puts me into a slight depression. If we win (almost all the time) I usually celebrate by watching another game or going to bed (after all I have just basically played a 3.5 hour game!) 

Check out Erin's Link Up! 

Also linking up with Sarah at Venus trapped in Mars! Check her out too! 

Monthly Goal Link Up

I have decided to post my very own link up! I am a little nervous about it seeing as its my first time and all, but super excited at the same time! 

So what is this link up about? Check out my post from yesterday titled I publicly Declare... about setting goals. 

Basically at the beginning of every month I want to announce my goals for the month via my blog and I hope that others will join me as well! This will allow for others to see what your goals are and keep you accountable through out the month! The goals can be anything and everything you want to work on for the month. At the end of the month you can post to tell us all how many of your goals you achieved and a little bit about your struggle/success as well as post your goals for the next month! 

What are the rules?

There really aren't any. 

1) Just write a post about your goals for the month (see my post about why it's important to publicly declare goals)

2) Grab a button!

3) Link up! I can not wait to read everyones goals! It inspires me and most of the time I want to add some of your goals to my list! 

Good luck with your goals and click here to link up and grab a button! Can't wait to hear what your goals are!