My Current Skin Care Routine

 I know, I know. I'm not a beauty blogger, nor will I ever be. But I've decided to write this post with my past self in mind. 

Also, a lot of people ask how I'm keeping my skin so clear, so this post is for you guys, too!

Most of my middle school and high school years consisted of my face being so full of cysts and pimples that it was a red and purple color. There are very minimal pictures from this time because I just absolutely hated myself and mostly my skin. 

I was on all type of medications for my skin, including cream and birth control that was solely for the purpose of clearing my pimples. I tried ProActive and Murad systems and that did nothing for me. I couldn't go on Acutane because of the terrible side effects, so I was stuck. All I did was wash my face and put on face cream that peeled my skin 24/7 (SO embarrassing).

I finally got put on an oral medication that did wonders and cleared my skin during my senior year of high school. Of course, I still had some acne, because I didn't know what a "skin care routine" was at that time. 

Fast-forward me being in my late 20's. My skin has cleared of most pimples (besides when I get my time of the month...then my skin hates me again) but if you look close to my actual face, there is SO much of my skin that is not clear, including blackheads and huge pores from having cystic acne. But pimples on a day to day basis? 

THEY ARE GONE!!!

I wanted to share what skin routine had changed my LIFE. I didn't think I would ever be this confident in my own skin (literally). I DO have to put a PSA here that everyone's skin is different and what worked for mine, might not work for yours. But I promise you that you'll find what you need via the company I'm about to talk about! 

Cocokind

That name was brought up to me when my friend and I were talking about how my pimples were coming back and I had never had an actual skin care routine before; should I try one? He practically yelled at me that I need to try Cocokind. He told me it is a vegan skin care line and about how they really care about their products.

So of course, I looked them up online. Then ordered right there on the spot. I didn't know exactly what I was looking for (skin care newbie here!), but Cocokind's Instagram had a few posts on what product is good for what skin type and what goes first on the skin!

I did once make a video on Instagram about what Cocokind projects I use, but I have an update on that, so this post is the most up-to-date Megan Hubrex Skincare Routine. I tried taking pictures of me WHILE doing skin things, but they turned out weird, so I'm going to just post pictures of my actual products I use. 

So let's dive deep into my very non-professional way of taking care of my skin (you read that, right? I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL! I am a very simple person who just likes my skin to be clear.)

1) Cleanser

I use Cetaphil.

 Cheaper than Cocokind cleansers (I have never tried them, though!) but also it has worked for my skin for years now. It never dries me out, so I stick to it. 

2) Toner

Rosewater Facial Toner by Cocokind.

I get out a cotton ball, spray 3 pumps of toner on the cotton, then run it from bottom to top on my face, making sure I get the side of my nose by my nose ring. Make sure to let it dry on your face before the next step (it doesn't take long). 

3) Oil

Organic Facial Repair Oil by Cocokind. 

I used to be a huge face lotion fan. Except, I could never find one that wouldn't dry after an hour. I just used lotion because I though that was all there was. INTRODCING: OIL! I use this exact oil and I honestly think it's what has kept my pimples at bay. It also makes my skin smooth for HOURS.
After the toner has dried, I only use ONE pump of the oil because it spreads easily. I rub it between my fingers, then in circles, rub it all over my face, getting in every crevice. 

4) Moisturizer

Matcha Face Moisturizer by Cocokind.

If you're close to me, you know I shave my face and neck (darn PCOS!) but I ALWAYS get rashes and scarring on my neck. I never knew if it was due to my razor or lotion that I put on it. Which, by the way, most lotions would STING when I put it on a newly shaved area, so I never had luck with good lotions there. But along comes the Matcha face cream and my neck has a new life (minus the scarring that will always be there  *sad face*). I want to warn you that it is a very heavy cream! I use very little of it on my neck and it takes away all the rash and all the dry spots. Even my boss who dislikes everyone said my skin looked "really good"! 

P.s. I also use just a dot of this moisturizer on the sides of my mouth and in between my eyebrows because those are really dry spot on my face.

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I do want to put down 2 other products that I own and I don't see them working (on me at least!)

-Pore Refining Concentrate by Cocokind. It's suppose to make pores look better. Apparently, nothing makes my huge pores better, because I haven't seen any improvement with this product. 

-Revitalizing Eye Cream by Cocokind. I bought this right when it came out because I have dark circles. REALLY bad dark circles. They said it won't cure dark circles, but I wanted to see if it did anything to improve them. Nope. I have used it in different ways (AKA I patted it down, I rubbed it, ect) under my eyes and nothing has come of it. I'd don't have actual bags under my eyes, just circles. Maybe that's what is making it...not work? I don't know. 

**I DO OWN THE SPF BUT HAVE NOT USED IT YET, SO I CAN'T SAY IF I LIKE IT!**

*ALSO: I'm not getting paid for this! I actually got denied to work with them (LOL), but I still love them!*

Here are some places you can buy Cocokind Products:

Target
Whole Foods

Ulta

(There is a store locator on their website here: X)

Their Website: X

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Bikini Bottom Has Raised the Bar

 In the bustling downtown of West Dundee, Illinois, there is a delicious coffee and donut shop, a cool retro arcade, and bars. A whole area of bars. They're all different in the fact that some younger people go here to sit outside, some people go there to sing karaoke, and some people bar hop to a lot of them since they're so close together. 

My personal favorite bar out of all of them?

Bikini Bottom Bar.

On this blog, I do quite a few reviews and not once have I gotten paid or had been given any free things because of it. So here on out in this review, my own opinions and experiences are written about. I didn't get a free apple pie shot out of this (I promise).

I came across this bar about 2 years ago, when a friend of mine and I decided to go because it was close to her house and the only bar that she hadn't been to yet. 

I'm 27 years old and I've been to my fair share of bars, but there has only been 1 bar I REALLY liked (at the time.) Bikini Bottom was all new to me and I'll admit, I had never heard of it, even if it was located at on the main strip of the downtown. 

I got dressed up and headed via Uber to Bikini Bottom with my friend one winter weekend. There is a front door and a back door at the bar, and I suggest going through the back door, near the parking lot. There are the bathrooms just inside and for first timers, it's good to know where they are!

My friend and I entered the back entrance and noticed one thing right away that other bars didn't have: room. My goodness, it was spacious. The bouncer at the door checked out our ID's and was given the go-ahead to go in. 

Little did I know how much I'd love the place. 

I won't go into a long boring story of each time I've been to Bikini Bottom (because that would take multiple posts...I go there a lot...) but I want to write about what I love about it via bullet points. Everyone loves a good bullet point. 

*The drinks. I get something called a Liquid Marijuana. It's mainly pineapple juice and rum and is an awesome green color. It's VERY sweet (which I love, but some people don't!) If you'd like to try it, they have the recipe in their drink book now and I highly suggest it. The bartenders have made me a mean Mai Tai before. Oh, and the apple pie shots? I'll get to them at the end of this post. You WON'T want to miss that part....

*The bartenders. I have never been to a bar with nicer girls serving me delicious drinks. I see some girls more than others but every time I see one I don't remember, I've come to expect how generous they are. I'll be at a table with some friends and a bartender will come up and ask me if I want more to drink or any water and honestly, I feel very appreciated there. 

*The interior. I told you guys it there was a lot of room in this bar, but there's also tons of pool tables and a place to play bags (which, by the way, Bikini Bottom is the place where I learned I was GOOD at bags!) They have a punching bag machine, slots, and a small little dance floor that I have occupied once or twice in my life. It's an all around fun atmosphere. 

*A fun place to meet up. I have introduced so many people to Bikini Bottom by simply inviting them out. Granted, I'm a very outgoing person, but a drink on the weekends with some friends? Invite them to this bar. It helps Bikini and it gets your friends out for a fun time. Also, if you don't drink alcohol, they have coke and things of the sort! 

*Food. They don't serve ANY food, but always feel free to order food to the bar! But just remember, no drinks are allowed. 

*Kim. She needs her own bullet point. No, she DESERVES her own bullet point. Kim runs Bikini Bottom and has gotten to know me. She is someone who looks out for your best interests and CARES about her customers and employees more than a lot of people can say. During this pandemic, the bar has been closed 47% of 2020. That's hard to handle for any business. Kim loves this bar so much that she dipped into some of her personal funds to keep it alive and well when it was time to open again. She has been applying for help from the state big grants (and beyond) and keeps getting denied. Now that it IS opened to the public again, snow storms keep popping up and it's been rough, but Kim doesn't show it. 

During Thanksgiving, I wanted to help Bikini Bottom and Kim out. This bar is famous for their juice-like apple pie shots. Kim makes them with her own secret recipe (she won't share; I've asked before...) and during 2020, she started selling apple pie quarts for $25 because I KNEW it was worth it. I put a post on Facebook saying "hey, Bikini Bottom is selling these quarts and the proceeds are going to helping out her currently unemployed employees."

I had no idea that post would go locally viral. 

I then decided to take some orders from friends and then personally deliver jugs to those people's houses a couple days before Thanksgiving 2020. I organized it with Kim, and set off for a very long day delivering apple pie goodness. 

With the rest of the people who wants jugs, they contacted Kim and the money she made from those? All went to her employees. I was floored by her selflessness and her love for her girls. 

Now, like I said, I am not getting paid to do this. It really isn't even a review because I just put how much I love it there. But this pandemic has been hard for small businesses, including Kim and Bikini Bottom Bar. Now that they're open, I would love to see this place thrive again. I would love to hear new people came in and loved it as much as I do.

Of course, masks when walking around are mandated, but the 6 feet apart rule is great at this place because it IS so big. 

If you read this write up, tell the person serving you that Megan sent you. That would put a smile on my face :)

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Learning About Loneliness

 I was doing my daily scrolling on Facebook on January 28th 2021 when I, for some reason, stopped at Mental Health America's most recent Facebook post:

I don't really talk about it much, or ever I think....but I definitely feel lonely a lot. I don't want to get into my whole personal backstory of loneliness, but during this pandemic, I have definitely suffered. So when I saw this post, I immediately clicked to register and found out it was FREE (which many webinars aren't these days because they're trying to make money up from Covid loss. I totally get it.)

I got a Starbucks then came back home to enjoy this 2.5 hour conversation with different panelists. I got my notebook out and ended up writing 3 PAGES OF NOTES. Geez, Megan. There were different panelists which meant different facts, so cut me some slack. I knew I wanted to write a blog post for people who would like a summary of what I learned, so here's what I learned about isolation and loneliness.

**PSA: A LOT OF THIS WEBINAR WAS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH IN GENERAL, SO THAT IS TALKED ABOUT, TOO**

____

Just like other mental health issues, loneliness doesn't discriminate. 

Gen-Z (6 years old to 24 years old) are deemed the loneliest age group. When questioned with "why", all the panelists either had no answer but one of them said there is no definitive date on why younger generations are 65% more lonely than baby boomers, which are 45%.

The first panelist, Patrick Corrigan, PhD, jumped right into it after he was asked a question and said something I really enjoyed:

"The real question is,  why doesn't our world support mental health challenges?" 

He then used the word "challenges" instead of "issues" throughout the time, which I found interesting. 
Patrick then said "people with mental health challenges aren't only depressed, people are telling them they need to be ashamed, too" as he talked about how mental health issues aren't seen clearly enough.

Clarence Jordan, MBA, talked about peer support to combat loneliness. He said that people NEED to talk about the positives in their lives and NEED to talk about their strengths. People are encouraged to take part in peer support. 

Which then, I was like "I  have rarely heard about peer support" and then the whole dang webinar was about peer support after that (I'll get more into it later).

It was brought up how more mental services are in need, which I agreed with. I looked for so many therapists in my area and NONE are taking new clients. It's easy to give up when you don't feel like even a therapist wants to help you (but that's my wild mind...). Having other people say that we are in need since the pandemic started really put into place that it wasn't ME they didn't want. 

A wonderful panelist named Kirsten Kaiser gave some tips that have helped her through her loneliness:

*Write letters/cards
*Phone calls

*Social contact in general (as Kirsten puts it: "it's just plain good for you".)
*Make little goals for yourself

*Let people know what's wrong or what's going on with you

Then the peer support group discussion started and I had to look up the definition because no one explained it and I was lost:

"Peer support occurs when people provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical help to each other."

I still don't know if it's trained people or friends, or both. 

 

Patrick Hendry, VP of Peer Advocacy, questioned his support groups as "are we improving people's quality of life?" With support groups, it's all about human connection and hoping they become a part of the community.

It made me want to start a support group....kind of....

The last speaker, Louise Hawkley, NORC, stated that loneliness can become deadly. We, as human beings, need social interactions. Loneliness can bring negative thoughts and you can feel like no one is including you. You have to realize that a friendship is always a two way street, and you do have to put in your share. 

Louise then begins to explain that collective connectiveness means "a sense of belonging" and that loneliness is a stigma that we're "failing as a person."

I personally never thought of loneliness as a stigma until I realized today that I have never really talked about being lonely to anyone. Maybe I was afraid to saying it? I'm not quite sure.

It was brought up at the end that to combat loneliness, there is no solution that will help everybody. 

____

I did take away a lot from this event but I was disappointed there weren't more examples on how to help people who are lonely. 

SO I'M GOING TO ADD SOME OF MY OWN!

Tips to be a little less lonely during a pandemic:

*Zoom coffee dates 

*Zoom wine dates
*Zoom clubs (writing, books, anything)
*Phone calls (which I need to answer my phone more...sorry Lisa and Lindsey...)
*Go into Starbucks to pick up your drink, but mask up!
*Make Valentine's card and mail them! Maybe you'll get a letter or a card back (my favorite part)
*Go for a walk and actually smile at the people who pass you. You can do it.

I'm always threatening that I'm going to start up my "grateful journal" that I own and today, I think I'll actually do it. 

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Resolutions

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I'm sure this year will be at least slightly better than last year...here's hoping and wishing! 

Someone asked me on December 31st what my new years resolutions are. I honestly never make them, because I know myself. I break promises with myself all the time (although, I never do it with other people. I should work on that...) But I told her what came to my mind and she shared some personal goals with me, too, and it was really touching. 

I decided to make a post on my resolutions because maybe then I'll stick to them? Question mark?

So here we go, a short post, in no particular order!

1) Saying Sober. So many people have read my last post about Dry January (one of my biggest reads on this blog EVER) and I made a podcast episode about how I'm doing so far. For those who don't listen to podcasts, I'll break it down: I started December 26th and when writing this, it is January 2nd. Exactly a week without something I used to do every night. It's harder than I thought, and I hope I make it through January. A lot of people tell me I'm "crazy" for trying to cut out drinking, and I'm not a huge fan of hearing that. I just don't want it to go farther than it was going and ruin my life. Is that so bad? Anyway, it's been a week of me in my room at night, triggering some kind of senses, and wanting to chug vodka. BUT I HAVEN'T BOUGHT ALCOHOL YET! So my resolution is to stay sober as long as I can!

2) Plan Better. I'm an awful planner. It's weird because I have a schedule and you have to usually be on my schedule for me to hang out (pre covid) or have a zoom date (during covid). "Go to the post office" or "Work at 5:30" is ALL on my calendar. But for some reason, I have a hard time planning, which I swear is totally different. I do some things on whims and that's not always smart. For example, I want to release my new paperbacks at the end of January, but I get SO impulsive too many times where I'm like "it's January 2nd! I'LL RELEASE THEM NOW!" 

So I bought a little planner and a weekly sticky note pad where I write things out!

(My favorite weekly planner. From the new collection Noted collection at Target)

(This planner comes with cute stickers and enough space to write things! A Target find!)

I've only had them for a less then a week so far and I'm loving the sticky notes so much. I have crossed out things I need to get done as I get them done early, which might defeat the purpose of writing them on certain days, but oh well! 

 3) Have my book tour go well. Now, this isn't particularly a resolution, just a wish I'm putting out there. I think half of this falls under "plan better" but the other half is me working my butt off. I shouldn't be so nervous or scared because the people attending are there to see me talk about things, which is an honor. But here I am, BEING NERVOUS. 

___

I could never do the whole "go to the gym all the time" or "spend less money", because like I said, I wouldn't do it. Although the money thing is something I need to work on, too...

I hope this year brings happiness in your life! Thanks for reading this lil' old blog! 

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New Year, New Me

 I have to start this post by saying that I'm about to be extremely vulnerable. I haven't said this to anyone but I think writing about it and being transparent with you guys is what I'm on here for in the first place. It's going to be hard but I think it's time that I acknowledge it, too. 

I'm going to say that my family has an addictive personality as a very strong gene trait. I won't get into family matters, but both sides of my family have things that affect their lives in a negative way (even if THEY don't see it). 

I started drinking alcohol when I got out of a hospital when I was 21. I never really drank before that. I had one shot of pure vodka in college and hated it (mostly because I didn't know what a chaser was....), but that was the only time. I'm actually pretty proud of myself in that aspect. But I started drinking wine first. I bought a bottle I'd never heard of at my job of the time and drank it alone in my room. I actually never had bought a wine opener before, so when I was trying to DIY opening the bottle, I definitely got cork pieces in my wine, so I used a coffee filter when pouring my wine. 

I started drinking that wine a lot, always by myself in my room, and I was honestly too afraid to branch out because there were too many options out in the world. But as the years went by and I drank wine casually at friends' houses, at parties, at dinners, I found out that I only like sweet wine (dry wine makes me writhe a bit). 

I remember going to another hospital again because I purposely took pills with wine, hoping to end my existence. 

That's really when I think my drinking took a turn. 

I attended a house party with some good friends at the time and made friends quickly and someone said to me there "You can sleepover. You never let loose! Have fun!" So that night, I took 13 shots within an hour, all different alcohols, and then danced with people I never met. It was my first (and last) blackout from drinking. 

I went to another house party with mainly people I just met, a few years after my last hospital visit. They were chugging vodka from the bottle. They took plastic bottles around filled with pure vodka and water. I was definitely not in my usual element. We were in a safe environment at the time, but I learned what "pre-gamming" was and I was having a blast. THEN WE WENT TO A BAR AFTER! We caught rides with a random guy I didn't know and then took an Uber home. It was my first time trashed in a public place and I couldn't have had more fun. 

After that last house party, I was VERY into vodka. I had to have a sweet mixer with every vodka drink and I no longer took pure alcohol shots because of my blackout experience (I just...couldn't stomach shots after that night in 2016). My favorite drink became Red Bull and vodka, which is SO bad for you. 

I drank a lot at parties, by myself, and I started going to bars with friends. I knew my limit and I pushed it when I figured out how I was getting home safely. Most people get really energized when drunk, but I was the opposite; I got real quiet. Now that I look back, I think I enjoyed a break from my regular personality. 

Fast forward to 2020. Covid-19. Quarantine. I went out to my favorite bar when it was opened, always WITH someone. When that bar closed because of the order, I bought my favorite handmade alcohol from them (apple pie shots) and had 2 quarts in my fridge. I drank those quarts in a week and half. I won't tell you how many shots I had per night, but I barely get hangovers, so I was never "punished" for drinking. 

Then the lockdown hit. I was in my room by 6-ish PM and drinking the night away. Every night for months. Of course, I would skip one or two nights when I was working too late at night, but it was constant: beer, rum, vodka, wine, you name it, I drank. All alone. 

I took to social media, mainly Snapchat, and recorded drunk videos and felt a sense of comfort when people watched them and found me "so funny" (which I am, even sober). 

I went to my dietitian recently. I told her I drink at night. She scolded me: "Megan, you have diabetes. You're drinking all your calories!!!!" I mostly ran on coffee as my meals except dinner and then alcohol at night. Coffee and vodka. A terrible combo. 

My mother approached me and told me to stop and that I need to take a break from drinking. She brought up Dry January, a usual English tradition where you don't drink all of January to reset for the new year. I looked into it. 

Doing Dry January is suppose to: Clear your complexion (I have awful dark circles), cleanse your liver a bit, lose some weight (allllll thooosseee callllorrrrieesss!!) and it should have a positive affect on your drinking the rest of the year as in, most people seem to drink less afterwards.

I'm NOT good at going cold turkey. My addictive personality, remember? I always go back, it seems. But I'm going to try Dry January. I have recently realize (a few days ago actually) that if I fill my usual alcohol glass with water, I drink just as much water while it's in that glass. It must be a psychological thing. 

I'm not an alcoholic, but I don't want to become one. 

No one has been worried about me, but I'm doing this for me. My dietitian asked if I was depressed. I told her I was happier than ever. I don't know why I keep drinking, and I don't want to dive deep into "why". That's not my thing. 

But I will update you guys on my progress in January and if you have read this far in this post, thanks. I'm pretty scared putting this out there, but I'd appreciate if you guys cheered me on, because I think I need it (even if it's just in your mind! LOL!)

New year, new me. 

P.s. the picture on top has water in the glass!!!

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Megan's 2020 Wrap Up

The year we knew as 2020 is officially ending. Most people are grateful that this year is ending and I am DEFINITELY one of those people. The Coronavirus has taken over everyone's lives in a bad way and I am hoping with all my might that the vaccine will prove to be effective in 2021 because if it does work, I call for a 2020 do-over year. 

Or, you know, we can live one day at a time. Which I will choose to do because the future SCARES ME. 

On a different note, every year I post an "End of the Year in Megan's Life" post. I was looking through my pictures on my phone and remembering what a heck of a year it was for me. There were some downs, but there were also a lot of ups. I was diagnosed with diabetes in March but I also started reading again this year. I mean, those really don't connect to each other, I'm just trying to say for every negative, there's a positive. 

I'd like to share some of my 2020 Wrap Up with you guys. It's also not in time order, just a heads up!

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Monday Night Bingo. 

I believe this started last year, but some people from my work and I would go down to a bar and play bingo most Monday nights. I enjoyed the laughter and winning once! When Covid hit, we obviously couldn't get together and play bingo anymore, but I can't wait to do it again. Here's a picture of some of us! There's more or less people sometimes, but whoever comes, it's always fun (Also, who let Lorraine wear that hat? Who's hat is that in the first place?!)

My First Solo Vacation: Minneapolis, MN.

I wasn't getting any hours at my job earlier this year and just thought "I want to go on vacation by myself" so I booked an AirBnB for a week out and just...left for a few days. I went waterfall hunting, I went to my first ever planetarium show, and I went to a Tiki Bar (I took an Uber there, don't worry!). I would definitely go on another solo trip. 10/10 so much fun.  

Started Working at a Thrift Store. 

I'll admit, this is bit of a sore spot for me since it's no longer under the same management and I'm shockingly NOT the new management, but I did have a good time volunteering a lot of my time at Perks Thrift. It was a mess and more of a garage sale than a thrift store, but my heart really got attached to it. I'm glad it came (then went just as quickly) into my life this year!

Signed up to Be a Crisis Text Line Counselor. 

I always wanted to help people and going through mental health issues is tough, so I thought this was be the perfect volunteer job. Turns out, it really WASN'T my thing but in those few months, I did have some people I talked to where I really hope I helped. Those were the rewarding moments. Of course, I still want to help people, just not with this program. (P.S. If you're ever in a crisis and need someone to talk to, text "hello" to 741741) 

Went to Las Vegas. 

I feel like I traveled a lot during this pandemic? How? Anyway, I went to Vegas baby! My friend  Noe and I gambled (not that much, but we did!), drank some alcohol, went hiking at the Red Rocks with some other friends, and walked the Vegas Strip! But not in that order....when we went in September, it was DEAD. People were just not there. The music outside on the Strip sucked (it literally played Dean Martin on repeat) and mostly everything including shows were closed. I'm still super glad I went though, so I could check it off my bucket list!

Started The Write Stuff.

My heart and soul. My precious darling. My writing club. Every Sunday at 4 pm CST, we meet via Zoom and write about a fun topic. We started it in person, then things started shutting down, so online it was! My friend Lisa joins me religiously every Sunday and for that, I am so grateful for her. It's so much fun and open to anyone in the US who wants to join (HINT HINT). 

Updated My Podcast, Girl Almighty. 

I had this podcast since 2018 but it wasn't professional and sloppy and boring. But NOW, I've updated it and I have guests and everything! It's so much fun, but takes more work than I expected. It's still just a fun thing for me, I won't make any money off of it, but thanks for everyone who listened and continues to listen! The picture below is my first podcast episode on my revamped Girl Almighty!

Visited Fairmont AKA James Dean's hometown. 

Lisa and I had this trip in our heads for a while. We finally went this year via road trip and it was SO much fun. From visiting James' museum, to  playing in a waterfall and few towns over. Everyone was so friendly and we even saw a cousin of James Dean (albeit he was across the road) .

Started My Book Club.

It's true: it's not an ACTUAL book club, but it's a cute name! I started reading again after getting sucked into the book called The Gift Of Forgiveness by Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt in March, I believe. It was by far my book choice of the year and I haven't stopped reading since. I'm s huge mood reader but it's been one heck of a ride with these books this year. I have so many in my To Be Read pile and I'm EXCITED. 

Finished My Second Book.

Now, this happened fairly recently, but what a way to end 2020, eh? My second book, The Art of Talking, is a non-fiction book about other people and their stories. I'm hoping people like it and it's my first book I've worked on and written that's not completely about me. I'm extremely scared to have it out there because I don't have an agent, an editor, or a publisher. If you judge me on my spelling mistake, that's on you (LOL). But, the eBook will be out December 24th and the paper copies will be out early 2021. I'm scared and excited and I just have lots of FEELINGS. 

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Now, here's some random pictures I'd like to share (with captions to explain) 

(Ashley and I using our new projector and watching ParaNorman outside)

(My new author photo)

(My 27th birthday spent with friends at a sunflower farm)

(A cute picture of a time where I was very happy to be carefree)

(Valentine's Day party at my house)

(Apple Pie shots before everything closed down)

(Lauren, Lindsey, and I staying at night in Wisconsin Dells. Watching Tik Toks and doing face masks)

(My epic birthday party. Including apple pie shots (duh))

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I'd like to conclude this posts with a tribute to my dear friend and "adopted grandmother", Evy. Evy passed on to heaven recently and I have been blessed and honored to love her. I came out for her 80th birthday (we did a drive-by celebration) this fall and once she saw it was me in the car, she blew me kisses and told me she loved me. I dedicate this post to her because she supported me in everything that I did. She was always excited to here what I've been up to.  Love you, Evy. 

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Well, 2020 was wild. I did a lot but it was still a heck of a hard year. I'm wishing all of you a safe holiday and here's to hoping 2021 is  a lot better!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Holiday Love Language

 I was giving my friend/coworker/neighbor her poem that I wrote for her when I drank too many apple pie shots and she said something that stuck with me: "Gift giving in my love language." 

Now, a love language is meant to find out what your partner likes and "creates a stronger bond in your relationship." 

But in this day and age, I feel like it's more than that now. A "love language" can also be about finding out how YOU show love and appreciation. 

But when my friend said that gift giving phrase, I was like "....holy cow? That's ME?! I show my love via gifts! How have I JUST realized that?!"

And let me tell you, I'm now way in a great financial place to be gifting so much. But it makes me FEEL GOOD! 

So I decided to write a post today to tell you guys what I do during the holiday season that can be much more than spending lots of money. Maybe give you some ideas on how to give back this time of year, or help someone out! I'm also hoping it'll spread some inspiration to do you're own thing and PLEASE tell me about it! I'd love to hear it! 

I always call this time of year the "giving season"  :) 

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1) Deliveries. Now, if you have me on Facebook, you know I offered my favorite bar (Bikini Bottom Bar) some help. They are currently closed through Christmas via government orders and they're 12 (always super nice) employees are now jobless. I met up with the bar owner who told me that she was selling my FAVORITE drink ever, her homemade Apple Pie Shots, to raise money to help her employees. I wanted to help out ASAP. I thought "hey, what if I could pick up some jugs from her and deliver them to people who buy them in time for Thanksgiving? To help the bar and the out of work employees?" So after some talking and getting orders, I sold 15 jugs, $25 each and delivered them 3 days before Thanksgiving. It was actually way more stressful than I thought, but I did it out of the goodness of my own heart and I was also really happy for people to try my favorite (alcohol) drink :) 

SO, delivering something to someone who needs it would be 100% helpful! Ask someone if they need something from the store because you're close by or ask if they want a coffee because you're on your way to get one for yourself!

2) Christmas/holiday cards. Yes, I do pass out a lot of these during the holidays (and I start way too early, I'll admit) but you don't need to write 80 of them like I do! Sending some (or handing a card to someone) will really put a smile on people's faces, I promise. Some people even are shocked I create and write a note on every card I give. It makes it so much more personable to me, but even just sending a holiday card and signing your name is SO nice! I always hang up my cards I get during the holiday season, no matter what they say, because I feel so good that someone cares :) 

3) Donations. Okay, yes, this one you have to spend money on. BUT it's for a good cause! This year, I found out my old coworker's aunt and her kids were selling ADORABLE handmade ornaments to benefit the Ronald McDonald House, a great charity. I reached out to her aunt (whom I don't know), and told her I wanted 2 ornaments. She was so nice and thankful and it only cost me $10. My OTHER old coworker is hosting some kids for Christmas and needs money to buy them gifts. I donated $10 to those Christmas kiddos. You can also look for a Giving Tree, which I feel like are everywhere. Take a tag off the tree and buy the kids/family what's on the tag. Local churches always do those, and my mall even used to do it! Donating this season doesn't have to be much, but gosh, it sure makes you feel like you made a contribution!

4) Baking/cooking. This sounds kind of silly, I know. But when I can't afford too many material gifts, I love to bake holiday goodies. My specialty is chocolate dipped fortune cookies (it shows how easy it is to make and also how utterly bad at it I am....). But when I pass out my mint cookies or whatever plethora of things I've baked, people are always so happy. I cooked Fettuccini Alfredo recently for someone (it was my first time) and let me tell you, my recipients were VERY pleased. Food makes everyone joyful!

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These are 4 main ones that I partake in (not including actual gifts!). I hope this sparks some inspiration in you to send a card to someone or pick up a coffee for a neighbor! 

Happy Giving Season, everyone!

 

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