Friday Favorites

This is the first time in a long time that I can say I am NOT excited about Friday being here. It means spring break week is over and I am not a fan.

But the weeks keep on moving so I have to get over it. Sigh. Today i’m linking up again with Erika, Andrea, and Narci for Friday Favorites!

Date Paste

So I mentioned that I was doing a sugar detox weeks ago. Well, now that i’m on vacation I couldn’t still do it. But as soon as I get back I am doing it again because I LOVED IT. This is date paste that I made and used it as sweetener in all my recipes and it is my absolute FAVORITE sweetener ever.

Class?

I have a Tuesday night class and a couple of weeks ago absolutely nobody showed up. I mean I guess that’s a fib because there were 4 of us. I was so mad and it was my LEAST FAVORITE part of the week. I did get a lot of work and blogging done but why even hold class when nobody is there??!!

Tanning in March

I posted this on snapchat the other day. It was early March and I was tanning while drinking my FAVORITE La Croix. I couldn’t complain. After winter and cold weather I always get so excited for some sunshine and warmth. Follow me on snapchat… i’m “mollymiddleton” pretty simple!

Coffee

I’m sure if you went through my Friday FAVORITES posts, the majority of them would have coffee on them. It’s not a secret to anyone that this drink is my FAVORITE. I love picking up a cup filled with my drink with a picture of my girl on the front.

It’s just a beautiful sight when you’re on your way to work in the morning.

22

On the 7th my FAVORITE girl turned 22. She came home for the weekend and I celebrated with her, Tyler, and their families that night. Food, friends, and my bestie. Such a good night! Happy Birthday Em!

The Sauna

My FAVORITE place to go right after a good workout is the sauna. I love to sweat. That’s no secret either. But as soon as I get done with my HIIT class on Saturday morning, I like to walk on over to the sauna and stand in there for about 20 minutes before I carry on with my day. It’s so refreshing and I would recommend it to those of you who have a gym membership with a sauna!

On the blog…

Last Friday, I talked about my FAVORITE lactose free products.

Next Friday, I’m talking about my FAVORITE gluten free products.

You won’t want to miss it. Just like I hope you didn’t miss our guest bloggers this week…thanks again ladies. XOXO.

To see why we all love ______ and how we think you can too. Click the one that interests you:

Why I love Running, and you can too!
Why I love Yoga, and you can too!
Why Kylie loves Spinning, and you can too!
Why Jamie loves Celebrating, and you can too!
Why Christina loves Hosting, and you can too!
Why Julie loves Hiking, and you can too!
Why Randi loves Pittsburgh, and you can too!
Why Angie loves Self Care, and you can too!
Why Mattie loves Zumba, and you can too!
Why Katie loves Reading, and you can too!
Why Lindsay loves Hot Yoga, and you can too!
Why Emily loves Decorating, and you can too!
Why Tara loves Cooking, and you can too!
Why Erika loves Online Shopping, and you can too!
Why Lauren loves Traveling, and you can too!
Why Shelly loves Giving to Others, and you can too!
Why Alexandra loves Photography, and you can too!
Why Haley loves Thrifting, and you can too!
Why Jacquelyn loves Sewing, and you can too!
Why Jackie loves Orlando, and you can too!

Have a great weekend!

Colors of Life: Blogging

Duuuuuhhhhh #colorofmylife

Blogging.

Is good networking.

Gives you something to do in your free time.

Keeps you sane when everything is crazy.

Gives you something to look forward to.

Is fun.

You learn stuff about yourself.

Today I thought i’d go ahead and answer some questions people have about blogging!

How did you start blogging?

To tell you the truth, I never thought i’d be blogging. The only reason I had heard of it was because of Hilary Duff in the Perfect Man when she was “the girl on the move”, do y’all remember that? Then when I found Shay Shull’s blog, I was hooked. I think i’ve got her to thank for finally taking the plunge to start my own blog. And now I can’t NOT blog.

What if my family doesn’t like blogging?

I think i’ve already mentioned—my family isn’t so keen on the whole me blogging thing. They just never grew up like that, you know putting yourself out all over the internet. I’m not saying that they aren’t supportive, they just don’t understand. And that’s okay. Because this is my thing. And thats #1 that I love about blogging.

Why do you blog?

I’ve only been “full-time” blogging for 6 months and i’ve already loved going back and reading about vacations this past summer, someone’s birthday, or a random Thursday in the middle of September. Just those kinds of things. I love to scrapbook and I feel like this is my online scrapbook that I can share with other people. I’ve found myself up late when I can’t sleep just writing posts (I learned I love to write, too!), planning the next week, and reading some of my favorite bloggers pages. You feel connected to people that you wouldn’t even think. Sometimes you find that you relate to someone, or you can see that someone already went through something you’re going through, etc. It can be a support system for some people. A source of entertainment for others and what have you.

How do your friends feel about you blogging?

The support i’ve gotten from my friends has been crazy. Crazy in a good way. You know, I was wondering how my friends would think about me blogging, because i’m the only person my age (besides Reeana but she only does sometimes) that blogs. I’ve been asked when they will be featured and “is this picture going on the blog?” They’re awesome. I love that they read it every day too. Now if only they’d blog with me 😉

What would you say to someone who wants to blog?

YOU HAVE TO DO IT! We can be blog friends!! Haha, no i’d tell you to just do it! (Thanks Nike) If you don’t like it you can always shut down your blog, but how will you know if you don’t just jump in?

What makes a good blogger?

Definitely someone who is honest. We don’t want to read a fake blog. You have to pretty much be an open book, you are sharing you life with everyone! Someone who likes to write. I think good bloggers also engage their readers. I’d love to have more feedback on my blog, but I know many times people don’t like to comment directly. Anyone can blog! It takes time to build, though.

But what if I don’t have anything to talk about?

Does anyone ever really have anything they just HAVE to talk about? Nope, a blog is just your personal feelings or opinions on a subject. You’re not going to be boring if you’re just being you. Sometimes I feel like what if I was more like this blogger or that blogger. But then I wouldn’t be myself, you know? Those other people have their own blogs. But you might find you have a lot more to talk about than you think you do.

But most importantly, blogging has to be for you! Yeah some of your readers might go back and look at old posts, but you’re going to be the one that looks for a specific post about your family on the third tuesday in october a year ago. You know what I mean?? I love finding new blogs. And I love blogging!

Friday Favorites: Another year closer

Happy 2015. This means i’m one year away from graduating college and I may be hyperventilating or something because what? Who wants to become an adult??? 😉

However, I know it happens to the best of us. Today during Friday Favorites with Andrea, Erika, and Narci i’m going to show you what I am glad about though.

Friday was the last day that we had our family in town for Christmas, and I was so glad we got to spend a little bit of time together even if it was getting ice-cream in the middle of winter. And even if I can’t have any ice-cream. It’s tradition every time my uncle from Virginia comes into town.

Just in case you needed the reminder.

Sunday my dad called in his troops (his kids and wife) to help him move offices. I went sporting my new everything…rain jacket, water bottle, yoga pants, yoga bag. I’m so glad I have a family who loves me and gets me cute things for Christmas 🙂 Excuse my “just-finished-yoga” look.

Eeeeeeek! A week from this past Monday the Bachelor comes back on…i’m so PUMPED! I’m excited about Iowa being pictured on national television and about seeing how the good ol’ country folks take to having a bachelor. It’ll be interesting to see how Chris handles the whole situation. I would never have put an Iowa man on a reality tv show, but i’m glad they did and i’m sure Chris will represent. Are you going to watch on Monday?!

If you were looking for me on Tuesday you would’ve found me at the office with hot coffee in hand…yes I said it! Hot coffee and me in the same sentence. I think i’m progressing away from cold coffee and 30 degree weather, which now means i’ll be glad that the baristas won’t give me super weird looks all the time!

New Years Eve brought me and two of my best people together. They’re awesome and i’m glad I got to third wheel on New Years with them 😉

In celebration of the NEW YEAR and it being my birthday month, I went shopping. I bought new work clothes, decoration for my office, and made some returns. I was a little productive and i’m glad i’ve got some of those things done. You’ll hear more about the holiday on Monday 🙂

So, i’ll see you then! Happy weekend! Try not to freeze wherever you are!

Friendships

 Ah, this is such a true color of my life. I don’t know if it’s just the way kids are raised now, if it’s where I grew up, if it’s because i’m such an introvert, or whatever it could be. All I know is I have struggled so much with finding those real, authentic friendships.

I believe many people experience the same things I have, but maybe not everyone wants to admit it or even experience it in different ways than I do. Friends come and go. In the 4th grade I had a best friend steal my boyfriend, a friend call me “werewolf” because I had hairy arms and legs, and many arguments, hurtful words, and hurtful things done not just to me but to people I knew. I went through a nasty breakup with my boyfriend of 3 years. In college I tried finding close friends to click with, I joined a sorority, did everything I thought possible to make friends, and it just seemed to never work. I felt like I was trying waaaay harder than I should have. Now, I may have been pushing my friendships, but I have struggled with finding good friends for a lot of my life.

Instead of worrying about the friends lost, I want to show you these people below, these are the ones I am most grateful for. These are the people that through all of my health issues have still been my friends and were the ones who knew everything, but stayed my friends no matter what. It’s hard to say “no” when friends ask you to hang out with them. But when you have a thyroid condition and it’s a struggle to make it through the day/shift at work/class/ etc because of how exhausted you are, you need true friends who will just understand. When you feel terrible all the time and don’t know why, you just need someone there to text you or keep you company or say they are there for you.

Jonathong (don’t know how he got this nickname) and I have been friends for about 8 years now. He sent me this the other week:

With the text saying: “You are number 2.” Which is so true. We made fun of each other the rest of the way through middle school. In high school Jonathan’s family was zoned to a different school so we weren’t able to see each other as much but we would still meet to catch up. Jonathan has a huge heart; just the other day we were talking about gym memberships and after me saying how expensive they were he says “Well i’m going to buy you one.” In 7th grade, he bought me the 7th season of Gilmore girls for Christmas. I always see him put others before himself, which I personally think is a rare quality in males. We are always there for each other, aka he was there to be my homecoming date. And I was his prom date. And for that, find a friend just like this ol’ teddy bear Jonathan.

 EMILY. Emily and I were the typical high school best friends. We got in arguments about work, boys, and a couple other things. Who knows, but we always get over it. We’ve continued to be friends after not talking for a couple weeks. The two of us always have a good time together, she’s always fun to talk to, and fun to be around. Emily is the friend you always make fun of because she’s such a goof. I love this girl and our friendship. We have to work harder at our friendship because we live so far away from each other, but we do it because we are best friends. We both joined the same sorority at different schools, dated best friends, and are determined we will be sister-in-laws one day by our siblings. We have similarities and differences, but I think that’s why we are so compatible. And for that, find a friend just like Emily.

Oh Reeana Reeana Reeana. We are two of the goofiest, introverted, world-hating females you’ll ever meet. Kidding, we don’t hate the world we just like to complain to one another about how stupid some humans can be. You know, everyone does it. Reeana and I became friends in 7th grade through volleyball. We didn’t always talk all the time, but she’s the type of friend that you can pick up with a year later and nothing has changed. This is the most down-to-earth human you will ever meet. She’s got it all together and a wonderful, quirky sense of humor to go along. She started coming to my Church after they moved here and that was where most of our fun memories came from. I stayed at her house about every Saturday night and her family and I would go to Church the next morning, and get BBQ afterwards. I look up to Reeana in more ways than she knows, and for that, find a friend like Reeana.

These friends are my most recent friendships. I like that I can I look forward to my job because of these girls. Regardless of the fact that we are going separate ways for college this semester we will still be able to see each other during breaks, and for the ones that are staying for school we will see each other at work. So for that, find friends like Carli, Emily (different Emily), Maddie, and Paige.

Family. The most genuine of friendships. These are my 6 most favorite people in the world! Literally, in the world. I know technically family and friends are in different categories, but these people are my friends AND my family. And how can one be so lucky to get this? Let’s be real, they HAVE to be my friends. There’s just no way out of it.

Y’all know I can’t forget my main man here. G is a true friend. The kind that will make you smile, make you laugh, make you feel better, make you want to be just like him. This is the most wonderful person I know. I enjoy our weekly phone calls and I miss being so far away from him.

Life’s Color: Rainbow, because of all the different types of friends out there.

You find out who your friends are. Don’t settle for average. You shouldn’t have to change yourself for friends. Quality is better than quantity. Blood is thicker than water.