Challenge: Day 11 Songs

So, I think it's OK to say now: My friend is having a GIRL! I'm going to be Auntie Em :)
She will be owning this:

Also, I just had my annual performance review at work. I can't divulge anything too juicy, but it went very well. Yay!


Today's blog challenge: Put your iPod on shuffle and list the first ten songs that pop up. I've decided to shuffle my workout mix instead of my "everything" mix because I always think it's interesting to see what songs other people jam out to while working out. I will warn you that most of the songs on my workout mix are songs I've been listening to since high school. Yeah, I have a lot of catching up to do.

1. Give a Little Bit - Google Dolls
2. The One - Limp Bizkit
3. Made of Glass - Trapt
4. Flavor of the Week - American Hi-Fi
5. Want You Bad - The Offspring
6. My Generation - Limp Bizkit
7. Pushing Me Away - Linkin Park
8. Unopened Letter to the World - The Ataris
9. Summer of '69 - Bowling for Soup
10. It'll Be OK - Limp Bizkit

I guess I'm really into the old school alternative songs for working out. Also, "angry" songs.

http://www.nataliedee.com/

This list is, in no way, a reflection of the majority of music I listen to. Gym music is in its own category. I'd really like to start branching out on the types of music I listen to at the gym and I'd love to hear what types of music and songs YOU work out to.

Challenge: Day 10 Something you're afraid of

Whew, I got so swept up in the baby gender news that I forgot about my challenge post: Something you're afraid of

I'd say, in all honesty, I'm afraid of plenty of things. Most of them are things I'd rather not think about, like losing a family member, being paralyzed, getting a life-threatening disease...and I'll stop there.

A few slightly less...umm...scary things I'm afraid of are:

• being confined - I get a bit freaked out about not being able to escape a situation. One time I had a boyfriend cover me in a blanket and hold me down (in a playful way) and I flipped out. Also when I donate blood, I try to make it go quick by squeezing my hand as much as possible because toward the end, having the needle in my arm gives me the same feeling.

• crowds - I guess in a way this can be the same as being confined. What I think of, though, is being in a crowd or walking into a crowded place and not finding the person/people I'm there to see or knowing anyone there.

• loud noises - The sound of emptying the dishwasher, a door slamming, or someone screaming send me into a mild panic.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, check out this Phobia List. It will seriously make you feel better about yourself and, if you're like me, some of the phobias will also make you laugh a little :)

Some of my favorites:

Coprastasophobia- Fear of constipation
   - (Well, who doesn't fear that?)

Decidophobia- Fear of making decisions
   - (cleverly named, no?)

Eosophobia- Fear of dawn or daylight
   - (Sooo... vampires?)

Geniophobia- Fear of chins;  Genuphobia- Fear of knees.    
   - (These can't be real.)

Papyrophobia- Fear of paper
   - (An awesome excuse for not doing homework!)

Challenge: Day 9 I'm proud of...

What's today's challenge?

Day 9: Something from the past few days you're proud of

Hmmm...

Well, let me give you a scenario: you know those times you saw something you thought was cool, but didn't buy it because it cost more than you thought it should and thought, "i could make that," when, in reality, you never even tried to make it?

Sometimes I actually do try to make those things. Sometimes I'm successful and sometimes I'm not.




When I was home for Easter, I went out and bought the supplies to make six for the price of one ($14), in three different designs, of these:

N
o
n
-
s
l
i
p

h
e
a
d
b
a
n
d
s
!


I will not divulge the original product name, but I will say that yes, these work just as well as the original, and yes, I plan on making more.

Challenge: Days 7 and 8

First off, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, grand-mothers, step-mothers, aunts, and soon-to-be mothers out there. You ROCK!


Day 7 of the challenge is: Your Zodiac sign and how it fits your personality.

I don't know much about the zodiac signs and what they mean and all that hullabaloo, but my mom does, and she's told me several times that I possess more Capricorn traits than Sagittarius. Her reasoning is that my brother and I were actually due six weeks later than our birthday (we're twins, and were born prematurely), so Jeremy has more Sagittarius traits and I have more Capricorn traits.

Let's compare.

Traits in black don't represent me.
Traits in blue represent me.
Traits in bold blue really represent me.

Based on this, I'd say I'm somewhere in the middle. I'm definitely very impatient and need my freedom, but I'm also a very organized, perfectionist person.

I guess astrology is a fun thing to think about, but I'm not all that sure how reality-based it is. It kind of freaks me out sometimes because I've had many relationships with guys of one of the astrological signs so now I'm predisposed to think they are all bad for me. You just never know!


Day 8 of the challenge? A moment you felt most satisfied with your life.

Gosh, I don't even know. For me, two things come to mind.

1. Leaving the building after my last college class. I attended graduation a few months prior, and I had one last class to finish before being an official graduate. By the time I hit my senior year, I couldn't wait to get into "the real world" and start making money. I, of course, was getting anxious that my first student loan payment was due in six months.
   
2. After five months of job searching since moving to North Carolina, finally getting a call back about a temp job offer, and then being offered the permanent position three months later. That was, by far, one of the most amazing moments in my life. AND, I still really like my job there...almost three years later. It's so nice when things work out like that. :)

Challenge: Day 6 - Things that make me happy

Today's challenge subject is a fun one — 6.  Pictures of things that make you happy—Are you ready for this? Cuz I am!

• This quote that I heard yesterday:

"Behind each successful design are several not so good ones. The moment when everything works is why I keep doing it."

 ...it's so true.

• Getting a pedicure with a friend; the whole process. It's just awesome and soothing and relaxing, and you leave with pretty toes!
  
  
• Silly warning messages that pop up on the computer, like the one I got yesterday:
  

• Retail therapy
  
  

• Colors

I REALLY want to do this to my nails. (Don't worry, I won't).

 

• A great workout

• Sleeping in
  
  
• Good hair days
  
  
• Warm, sunny days (especially at the beach)
  
  
• Walking through the flower section at Lowe's (which I pretty much do at least once every weekend in the Spring/Summer)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Someone scratching my back and/or massaging my shoulders

• Receiving mail that isn't a bill or junk mail (usually from my mom)

• Hugs! One thing I really miss about being in a relationship is getting a hug every day. Going home and getting all kinds of hugs from my parents and family is very therapeutic.

• Hitting only green lights on my way home from work

• The thought of someday becoming Auntie Em!

•  Hearing a great song on the radio or a great movie on TV. Even if you own the song or movie, it's so much more awesome when it comes on spontaneously

• Laughing so hard my cheeks hurt

•  Sitting at a stoplight and realizing the person in the car next to me is listening to the same song

• Falling asleep outside on a warm, sunny day

• Waking up from a bad dream and realizing it's not true
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    

• Baking cookies...the smell, the taste, the ones warm right out of the oven, when they turn out perfectly delicious and fluffy
  

• Getting the TV remote at the gym

• A blanket warm from the dryer

• The smell of dryer sheets (especially the lavender ones :) and sunscreen

•  Receiving a random hilarious or 'good news' text or phone call

• Someone else spontaneously having set up the coffee or cleaned any portion of the house

• A great day spent with family and/or friends

• One of my designs being chosen

• Receiving something that I designed from the printer

....obviously there are about a million others, but I've officially spent way too much time on this post, so I'll leave it at that.

AND I just realized these were supposed to all be pictures. I'm just breaking the rules left and right! Three lashings with a wet noodle for me. It's alright, I can take it. I'll just have to follow this up at some point with an only pictures post. Stay tuned.




What kinds of things make you happiest?

Challenge: Days 4 and 5

Happy Cinco de Mayo!



(I really wish this pinata was in  my office right now and that I was armed with a baseball bat. Happy Thursday!)











This is officially my second post where I am having to include two days of the blog challenge for missing a post yesterday. Does that mean I lose the challenge? It's a good thing I'm both the challenger and the challengee because I say...let the challenge continue!

4.  A habit you wish you didn't have

I apply chapstick like it's my job. I wish it was my job because I do it so well, they'd have to give me a raise. And a Christmas bonus. 

If my Burt's Bees falls to the bottom of my purse and I can't find it, or I get stuck in a meeting and forget to bring it, I get a flash of anxiety. OH MY GOD MY LIPS WILL FALL OFF! Ok, so it's not that bad...sorta.

 5. Songs that match your current mood

"Roll With It" - Easton Corbin

"Somewhere in Between" - Lifehouse

"The Lazy Song" - Bruno Mars (The video is too awesome not to share

Today I'm feeling a little indifferent. I'm feeling uneasy because I have plans after work today and tomorrow, so I have to switch up my workouts. Also, the weekend is around the corner (yay!) but there's one more day of work before it gets here (ugh). The thought of waking up this morning made me want to sink into my bed and disappear. I actually slept through breakfast time, which is unheard of. But, alas, life goes on. And the weekend's weather is supposed to be awesome.

Review and Blog Challenge: Day 3

SWEATY BANDS! By now we've all heard of them, entered giveaways to win them, and wanted one  to take for a test-drive to see if the claims are true. I'm happy to report that I contacted the company to ask if I could review this invention on my blog, and *ta da*

They sent me a random design, and I love the
one they chose.

Now, I'm about as skeptical as they come. On the Sweaty Bands site, the claim is:

"OMG...They don't slip! ... Sweaty Bands are the ultimate sports and fitness headband, uniquely designed for women and girls who want to show their style, even when they sweat a while! ... Like potato chips, you can’t have just one."

Yesterday was the day. The above is the "before" shot. This is how I put it on and where I expected it to stay the whole time. And, well, you be the judge...

(I promise this is right after my workout the same day.
I changed out of my sweaty shirt and sports bra when
I got home. Note: different colored shirt)

35 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of a plethora of different strength training exercises, a drive home, and a few minutes of resting on the couch later... looks pretty good to me! I'm happy to report that I'm no longer a skeptic. I'm a believer! For me, the band stayed put and I want about a million more in all different colors. The only con I can think of is the price. The thin bands (which is what they sent me...1" wide, the perfect size in my opinion) are $15.00 each. Other than that, awesome!

Oh, one more thing. To clean, you just hand wash and let air dry. I've read some reviews where people find this a lot of work. I'm not sure why, since it's basically a 1" piece of fabric. I normally wash out my sports bras after my workout anyway, so for me it added no extra time to my normal routine. I then hung it to dry so that I can use it again today.

Easy peasy!

And now onto blog Challenge day 3: Your Views on Drugs and Alcohol

Whew...loaded topic.

Basically, I'm a control freak. That being said, I don't like feeling not in control of myself, either. I've never done any drugs; not even tried marijuana. I've watched Intervention. I've seen how people act when they're high. I never want to be like that. I never want to allow a substance to make me act like someone else. (I'm a D.A.R.E. graduate :).

I am, however, a fan of wine. I rarely ever have more than one or two glasses; just enough to feel it a little bit. I don't like to overdo it...it's the control thing and, also, hangovers suck. I also don't like being in the presence of people who are drunk, stumbling, acting like idiots. If that's your thing, that's your thing. Just don't do it around me.

I've only been drunk once in my life and that was enough for me to realize I never want to be that way ever again. I like to think of myself as an "athlete" (I know, it's a stretch, but go with it), and athletes don't get wasted and do drugs (in theory. I know there are some professional athletes that choose to be dumb).

The 30-day blog challenge: days 1 and 2

 

Thanks to Megan, I have a new project for the month of May: The 30-day Blog Challenge. I took three different "Challenge" lists from three different blogs and mish-mashed the subjects to create my own list. (That's probably cheating, but hey, it's my blog....muahahahaha).

Now, it just occurred to me that May has 31 days, and today is technically day two. It looks like I have a bit of catching up to do. (Sorry day 31, you can roll back over and pretend you aren't paying attention).

1. A recent picture of yourself and 15 interesting facts about you
2. The meaning behind your blog name
3. Your views on drugs and alcohol
4. A habit you wish you didn't have
5. Songs that match your current mood
6. Pictures of things that make you happy
7. Your zodiac sign and how it fits your personality
8. A moment you felt most satisfied with your life
9. Something from the past few days you're proud of
10. Something you're afraid of
11. Put your iPod on shuffle and list the first ten songs that pop up
12. List the events of your day in bullet-points
13. Discuss a place you'd like to move to or visit
14. Post a picture of you and your family
15. Something you miss
16. Post a picture of yourself that has a story behind it
17. Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
18. Discuss some firsts in your life
19. Someone who fascinates you and why
20. Talk about your parents
21. Things you own that are your favorite color
22. What's in your purse?
23. Pictures of five famous men who you find attactive
24. Something you've learned
25. Describe your dream house
26. Describe your dream wedding
27. A problem that you have had
28. Something that stresses you out
29. Your favorite foods
30. A picture of yourself this day and five good things that happened since you started the 30-day challenge

Ok, here we go! (Are you excited?)

1. A recent picture of yourself and 15 interesting facts about you

1. I have a twin brother

2. I have a double-jointed thumb
3. To me, peanut butter is the perfect food
4. I hate driving. If I were rich, I'd hire a driver
5. Looking back, I wish I had never highlighted my hair. Just think of all that wasted money!
6. I get anxiety over being on time, and I'm always early
7. I can't stand The Cranberries, Sugarland, or the "P" word for vomit
8. I worry that I will never marry, be forced to live alone, and become "The crazy dog lady" (I don't like cats).
 9. When I get to work in the morning, I check my personal email, Facebook, and Blogger, before even opening my work email. (shhhh!)
10. Using my credit card to pay for things gives me all kinds of anxiety.
11. I learned of Bin Laden's death from Facebook before the news.
12. I've been home from VA for less than 24 hours and I miss my mom.
13. The most sore I've been in my life is the day after my first day skiing.
14. I don't dig discussing politics or religion.
15. The fact that the people who work at my gym know me by name makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.


 And now, for #2: The meaning behind your blog name

in the between is actually a blog name I came up with a few years ago. I set up this blog and then never posted anything. (Yeah, I know. "Cold feet" I guess). I then started a Tumblr blog called Just Live Through It (which is my mantra). When I decided to give up the tumblr blog for a blogger one, I wanted it to be Just Live Through It, but since I already had this blog set up, I decided to roll with it.

"In the between" sort of describes where I feel I always am in life. I'm not at the beginning and *I hope* I'm not at the end. Even when I begin or finish something in my life, there's always another beginning around the corner.



And then, just cuz it's funny

I probably should
have been a
perpetual
12-year-old boy.