Category Archives: Anything & Everything

Mar12

Spring Cleaning In Small Doses

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Spring Cleaning In Small Doses

Howdy! During my last bout of Spring Cleaning, I had a GREAT SUCCESS because I located one of my favorite tank tops that has been missing for literal years. It was a simple black tank top by Rachel Zoe but it fit so perfectly, went with everything, and was one of my go to tops in the summer. I truly thought it was gone to the world and was beyond happy when I uncovered it amungst the clutter. I have to admit that, since then, my cleaning only went as far as necessary chores but I got back into the swing of things this weekend, baby! I have been using the Small Doses approach to get my apartment back in tiptop shape and this is what has helped me because, let’s be real, Spring Cleaning can be kind of overwhelming:

First Things First:

Sometimes, you just might not have the energy to clean and that is okay! If you planned on deep cleaning after work and had a long day, relax instead. At this point, one more day or two isn’t going to make a difference and you can get back at it better rested. This is something that isn’t worth beating yourself up about so take care of you and you can take care of the rest tomorrow. I have been really worn out recently and every intention I had of cleaning after work went out the window. At first, I was definitely mentally berating myself lol. However, this wasn’t doing me any favors and I made plans to clean this weekend and followed through.

Baby Steps:

I have been cleaning little by little and I love the instant gratification I feel from it. It’s so rewarding and it makes me want to clean more! I also find that I achieve a deeper, better clean when I focus on one thing at a time. I start by targetting one area that I would like to see improved and go from there. This past weekend, there were three things I wanted to do: Clean the bathrooms, clear off my catchall kitchen table, and clear through and consolidate our bedroom closet. I did two of those tasks on Saturday and completed my list on Sunday. Despite the fact that these were smaller chores, the difference was so noticable and it felt good!

Donate/Trash Liberally:

What is your spring cleaning goal? Is it a sparkling home from top to bottom? Getting your yard in pristine condition? In my case, my main goal is clearing clutter. Listen, Johnny and I are packrats lol. After being together for over five years, we have compiled a lot of stuff and we simply don’t need it. By establishing my objective, it definitely made it easier to add to the trash/donate bags and create more tasks with my goal in mind. This is why my next items on the To Clean list are going to be clearing off our coffee table and TV stand as well as going through our multitude of clothing to donate.

Regular Upkeep:

I like the Small Doses approach because I think it’s totally easier, but also because it gives me a chance to make better choices with the upkeep. Doing a little bit at a time helps me establish good habits with what I have already done and gives me the opportunity to practice them before adding something new. For example, after getting home from work I put everything back in its proper place rather than all over my catchall table. I am also putting all of the clothes away immediately after doing laundry to prevent any pileups. Once again, small chores but a big effect!

Spring Cleaning isn’t just about cleaning, but about making better habits too. I am really happy with my progress so far!

Have you started any spring cleaning? What is your least favorite chore? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb27

Spring Cleaning Surprise

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Spring Cleaning Surprise

Howdy! I got home from work way earlier than normal on Monday and had three or so hours to kill before Johnny’s shift was over. I’m not really sure why, but out of nowhere, I got a strong desire to clean. I’ll be perfectly honest with you, it can be very difficult for me to find the motivation to clean outside of necessary chores. Feeling mentally and physically exhausted just seems to be the norm for me as of late and it sucks. It’s not like I don’t want to clean but the energy to do so is nowhere to be found. So, when this overwhelming urge hit me to clean, I went for it!

I decided to tackle one room before clocking in again to work from home and that was mine and Johnny’s bedroom. I cleared up any trash, did several loads of laundry, and organized the closet. I also was able to put Johnny’s clothes in some semblance of order because he needs a freaking dresser lol. As I was doing that, I found an incredible surprise: One of my FAVORITE tank tops that I thought I left in the Poconos when we went on vacation a few years prior. I looked everywhere in my apartment for it and came up empty so leaving it behind seemed like the most reasonable explanation. I guess I didn’t look everywhere, though.

After finally having found my black Rachel Zoe tank top, I was elated. The motivation to clean was there and I was rewarded for it. In fact, after this find, I found myself looking forward to tackling my office next! I genuinely thought that the cherry on top was being reunited with my beloved tank top. However, the cherry on top came after the bedroom was clean as a whistle. I had open access to an outlet again and I was eager to put a new Bath & Body Works wallflower into my Halloween plugin. The room looked so fresh and good that I decided to accentuate it with a Fiji White Sands wallflower. The spotless room combined with the crisp, beachy scent made me so happy!

I guess the moral of the story is, that if you are lacking motivation for a deep cleaning session – it really is okay. However, my first hand experience is that you will start feeling fantastic as you go through the process. Even if it is one room or one task at a time, you are accomplishing something that needs to be done and that is rewarding. There is no need to beat yourself up if you don’t have the energy to clean. Do what you can, revel in your success, and you are on your way to forming a good habit.

I really am proud of myself for getting an early start on my spring cleaning and giving the apartment the love it deserves doesn’t feel nearly as overwhelming. In fact, it is a welcome change of pace!

What is on your spring cleaning agenda? Have you found anything recently that you thought you lost? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan25

What Would You Do?

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What Would You Do?

Hello!! Every job I’ve ever had has involved working with the general public in some way shape or form. I like to think I’m a people person, even if I’m not always feeling it! During my fifteen year tenure of working with the public, I feel like I’ve encountered every situation imaginable – good or bad. And, sometimes, I leave situations feeling like it wasn’t my best work lol. This past week, I found myself in a situation that I have never experienced before and it really left me scratching my head. So, I’m curious, What Would You Do? Story time:

This past week in Ohio has been BRUTAL. We have had temperatures in the negatives or close to with very strong wind, making it even colder. On Wednesday, I had a quick errand to run and it was a whopping two degrees by the time I got to the store. Allow me to paint a picture: This particular store is located in a plaza with a handful of other businesses. When I arrived, the parking lot was completely empty with only one car at the farthest end of the shopping center. Due to the weather, any signs of parking lines were invisible so I parked my car as usual and headed into the store for a less than five minute stop.

When I opened the door, a literal gale of wind followed me inside. I walked up to the front desk, only to be informed by the employee that I parked incorrectly because my car wasn’t on a slant. I said something along the lines of not being able to see the lines and now I know for next time. However, he insisted I take my sorry ass back out in the two degree weather and fix it. I almost thought he was joking until I realized he was serious.

Because I was on a time crunch to get to work and didn’t have the time to go to a different location, I did as I was told. I was greeted with a sarcastic “welcome back”, made my purchase, and promptly left. In the three or so minutes I spent in the store, not a single car entered the parking lot to be blighted by my poor parking job. *Massive Eye Roll*

Maybe I’m overreacting, but I thought this was so strange lol. I just feel like it’s not a good look to send paying customers back outside to fix a parking job in an empty lot. Had I had the time, I would have just left rather than go along with it. Trust and believe I was screaming profanities in my head, though! In conclusion, I won’t be giving that store any more of my business.

Was this weird or is it just me? What would you have done in this situation? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec4

1500 Day Duolingo Streak!!

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1500 Day Duolingo Streak!!

Howdy!!! As most of you know, I thrive on having a strict routine. It brings me a lot of comfort to know ahead of time what my day is going to look like and I rarely stray far from it outside of the weekend. Knowing that I live for a good schedule, it should not come as a surprise that there is nothing more pleasing to me than a good streak. No, not running naked through the neighborhood, but doing something regularly and tracking the days! My most recent accomplishment for a streak happened this past weekend when I hit 1500 days in a row on Duolingo:

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I always say that if I had a super power, I would want to be fluent in every language in the world. I would love to be able to communicate with people in any language that they are most comfortable with! While I am not there yet lol, I have to say that Duolingo has been a great asset. For over FOUR YEARS now, I have woken up every morning and completed at least one practice session of French. It comes as naturally as my daily early morning Facebook check and I have never forgotten or faltered. Probably because the owl would blow up my phone if I did!

Because of massive time restraints, I don’t get to work on Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech as often as I would like. However, I am always pleased with my recollection when I can squeeze in a multilingual practice. And, I am extremely happy with how my French has advanced over time. I have studied French literally since high school and it has been my dream for as long as I can remember to go to France. Will I ever get there? Who’s to say? But I love that I would feel comfortable with my communication if Johnny and I treat ourselves to a very belated honeymoon. 😀

Thanks to the handy Duolingo app, I get to start my mornings off right with something I enjoy so much. I can’t wait till my next milestone!

Which languages do you speak? Which languages would you like to learn? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep19

Clean Out Crew

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Clean Out Crew

Hello!!! Johnny and I have been living in our bigger apartment for over two years and it has been great. We moved from a one bedroom loft into a three bedroom, one and a half bath space and it is such a gift to have all of the extra room. While we were in the process of moving, we had a huge clean out and were able to clear up a lot of excess clutter. Since then, we haven’t had a good haul away in a while – only added and I can definitely tell. It feels like there is stuff everywhere! On Monday, I began doing a clear out of my belongings and it was kind of difficult at first. However, it got much easier as I went along and followed these steps:

Start Small:

Johnny and I are honestly both pack rats and I had no idea where to even begin. So, I started small and worked my way up to bigger items. For starters, I decided to go with things that indisputably needed to be tossed – old makeup. I had tubes of lipstick that haven’t been used in years and I’m sure were well beyond an expiration date. Yes, it was a baby step but it got me used to the feeling of letting go of items and I was in a more comfortable place for harder decisions.

What Can’t Be Repaired?

After working on smaller odds and ends for a while, I turned my attention to the things that I planned on getting around to repairing and didn’t. The primary culprit was shoes. I have a handful of pairs that needed some semblance of repair done to be able to wear them again. A plethora of time had passed and they had not been taken to the shop down the road. It would have been a ten minute errand to run and I chose not to. With that in mind, the busted shoes went next and it felt good to be rid of them once I thought about it from a more logical perspective.

Unworn (In A While!) Clothing:

By the time I was done in the shoe department, I was on a roll and felt ready to tackle clothing next. The standard rule for getting rid of clothing is “toss if you haven’t worn in X amount of years”. I followed that as best as I could and ended up with a bagful of clothes to be donated. As I dived deeper into drawers, I found items that I didn’t even realize I had kept and into the bag they went. If I didn’t like them enough to remember having them, then I certainly don’t like them enough to wear now!

Sentimental Items:

Over an hour into my clear out, the last thing on the agenda was some sentimental items and I am so glad that I started the process with baby steps. The main thing I knew had to go was some of my old warm up gear from my days as a competitive figure skater. I think back on that time most fondly (For the most part!) and have always just hung onto the clothing from the skating club I was in. At this point, I was able to recognize that all they were doing was taking up space in my drawers and was able to toss them without a second thought. I did, however, hold on to my favorite skating dress and don’t ever plan on letting that go. 🙂

I was very much out of practice when it came to a good old fashioned clean out and it was hard at times. Once I was done, though, I felt so invigorated and can’t wait to go for Round Two this weekend!

How often do you clear out unwanted items? What are some of your pro tips for a haul away? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep11

5 Years Strong

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5 Years Strong

Hello!! This past week Johnny and I reached the five year benchmark in our relationship and it has given me all of the warm fuzzies. I still get butterflies every time I see my main squeeze! I am always appreciative of how lucky I am to have my Johnny and this weekend hit different when he spent all day helping me at an event. It was a long day and he didn’t have to by any means, but he did anyway and that means so much. In honor of our five year anniversary, I thought it would be the perfect time to tell a little story about our first date…

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Five years ago, I was in bad relationship after bad relationship. When the last relationship ended, I had sworn off dating for a while. I deleted the apps and I was ready to do my thang as a single woman. That is, until Johnny messaged me on Facebook! Normally, the messages I received on Facebook went something like this: “Hey beautiful”, “Hey gorgeous”, and so on and so forth. Johnny’s message stood out from the crowd in the most amazing way: He complimented a pair of shoes I was wearing in a recent photo shoot and asked if they made them in a men’s Chelsea boot. It was so refreshing because he saw my style, appreciated it, and clearly had pretty great style himself.

As we chit chatted away, Johnny asked me if I would like to go for a drink sometime. At this point in my career, I was still working evenings but just so happened to have that night off. We ended up meeting at the Cashmere Cricket, our favorite bar, later that evening. When I arrived at the Cricket, I was SO nervous that I actually walked right past Johnny who was sitting outside. A moment later, he came into the bar and found me and the rest is history. Since our first date, we have pretty much been together every day since and I am the happiest girl in the world for it!

No matter where we are at or what we do, Johnny and I always have the absolute best time just being together. He makes me feel so spoiled and loved every day since we met because it truly was love at first sight. I feel like I can do anything and everything with him by my side and the past five years have been the most wonderful because of my Johnny. ❤

How long have you and your partner been together? How did you celebrate your last anniversary? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep6

A Pleasant Surprise

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A Pleasant Surprise

Hello!! One of my work days is almost exclusively at a client’s job site. Then, I have a few breaks during that time when I can work my other job on my computer. In the store, there is a cafe section that I like to post up at and click clack away until it’s time for my next shift. While I am at the computer, I am in my own little world and will usually put my headphones on and listen to music while I work. Normally, the cafe is almost always empty. This time around, though, I noticed an elderly man sitting at one of the tables while his wife did some shopping.

As I finished packing up my work supplies, the gentleman motioned for me to come over. I have to admit, I was thinking “oh shit” in my head. As a woman with a ton of tattoos, piercings, and vibrant hair, I don’t have a ton of luck when it comes to older people beckoning me. The comments I have received in the very recent past have run the gambit. I’ve been told that people who look like me will probably end up in jail. The classic “You’d look so much better without all of that”/”Why would you do that to yourself?”. As well as being called flat out ugly. So, yeah, I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to see what this guy had to say to me.

After I approached and braced myself to be insulted, my new friend surprised me. He simply said, “I was just wondering how long it takes to get your hair like that”. You could have knocked me over with a feather! With a happy and huge sigh of relief, I began to tell him about my trips to the salon and the hair style that took over seven hours to complete. He told me he didn’t think he could ever sit in a salon for that long and I talked about how much I enjoy it – especially all the girl talk! He made the “chit chat” gesture with his hands and we both had a laugh. After our encounter, we said our well wishes and parted ways with a smile on each of our faces.

As I thought about my talk with this stranger, I realized that I completely misjudged him and I deeply regret that. In that moment, I was no better than the people who made it a point to let me know their mean comments without knowing anything about me. I was one hundred percent prepared to have been talked down to and, instead, we ended up sharing a laugh. The age old saying “never judge a book by its cover” is such a cliche but it really is the truth. I judged without any reason to think otherwise and my original thoughts were dead wrong. This encounter taught me to be better at keeping this cliche at the forefront of my mind and challenged me to do more than make a snap decision at a glance. I am so very glad for this reminder!

After this Pleasant Surprise, my sense of impending doom when an elderly person calls me near has certainly diminished. I have come to expect hurtful comments and everyone will always have something to say – positive or negative. However, now I will be better at approaching these conversations with a smile, come what may.

Has someone made your day recently? What is something that pleasantly surprised you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug18

Decision Making 101

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Decision Making 101

Howdy!! I don’t know about all of you, but I have a very difficult time making decisions. I stress, ruminate, and let anxiety build up until I just keep doing the same thing without making any changes. It’s understandable – any kind of change can be scary and I find a lot of comfort in the same old, same old. This past week, however, I had to make some really big work related decisions and it sucked lol. I am pleased to report that I made it through on the other side. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t still feeling some residual stress about it, but I know that I will feel much better in time. These are some of the things that helped me as I made choices and maybe they will help you too:

Deep Breaths:

If you’re like me and simply the thought of major changes puts you into a tailspin, then first and foremost, you need to chill. Sound decisions can’t be made when you are in distress so try and relax. Take deep breaths, sip a cup of tea, or have a hot shower. Whatever you need to do to put you in a calmer state of mind. Then, you can revisit the decision that needs made when you are feeling less frazzled.

Pros & Cons:

The most common way to make choices is to weigh the pros and cons and there is a reason for it – it is always effective. Grab a pen and paper, pull up a notepad on your phone, or type on the computer and start thinking about the good and bad that could come with each option. It will be so helpful to see your thoughts right in front of you rather than let them swirl around your head. Your initial pros and cons might be subject to change so don’t make a split decision immediately. Give it a day or two, revisit it, and see if anything or nothing needs reevaluated.

Think About You:

There is a high chance that whatever you are struggling to decide might effect other people. This can throw a huge monkey wrench in the process because, of course, we don’t want choices to negatively impact others. This is where I have the most difficult time and often just resort to doing the same thing. However, you need to think about yourself. Sometimes, what’s best for you isn’t best for the people that it might effect and that’s okay. Yes, you read that right: It’s okay. Doing for you isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary if you want to keep moving forward in a positive trajectory.

Go With Your Gut:

Maybe you have weighed your pros and cons and are still nowhere closer to a decision. If that is the case, think about your gut, heart, and mind. This is what it ultimately boiled down to as I made my work related choice. I knew exactly what I wanted and I had a hard time working up the nerve to just do it. Listen to yourself and what your body is telling you. The answers you need are all there so don’t swamp yourself down with the “what ifs” or you might end up getting stuck. I admit that I was stuck for over a month until I was able to do what I needed to do for me. All it did was cause me more stress as the situation festered in my head and that could have been easily avoided. Changes take time, though, and if you need extra time that is totally fine but it might make making the choice even harder if you drag it out.

I feel good about the decision I made because I know it will be good for me, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now. I also feel like I have a better grasp on making choices for the next time a situation arises – hopefully!

How do you make decisions? What is something you struggle with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug16

Just Get The Plushie!

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Just Get The Plushie!

Hello!! Right now is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is cooling down and that means spooky season is basically already here lol finally! A majority of stores already have their Halloween collections out, including TJMaxx. On my break during work, I made a quick visit to TJs to pick up a few Back To School prezzies for my niece. And, of course, I had to peep their Halloween decor too! Unfortunately, their selection wasn’t anything to sneeze at and I was disappointed to have not found a spooky themed snow globe as per my yearly tradition. However, I did find the most adorable plushie so check out my new pal:

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^^^ Lol at the close up shot!

Johnny and I are plushie people and have countless stuffies that we like to snuggle up with when we are watching TV or retiring for the night. As soon as I saw the candy corn plush at TJ’s, I knew it was coming home with me because 1) Johnny would love it too. And 2) We have a corn dog plushie that Johnny won for me at the county fair last year and it would be funny to have two corn related stuffed animals. My parents also happened to be at the store running errands and when I showed my dad Mr. Candy Corn, he said something to the likes of “you’re just pissing your money away”. All I have to say to that is…

If you are an adult – just buy the plushie!

Lol, yes you heard me. Buy the damn plushie and enjoy your treat. I feel like people my age (Thirty somethings) are very in touch with their inner child and it is okay to spoil yourself with purchases like a stuffed animal. We are in tune to the “treat yourself” culture and if that treat puts a smile on your face and doesn’t break your bank, then go for it! It’s no secret that the times we are living in are totally whacky and people are stressed and scared. Items like a plushie bring comfort and it’s not surprising that I know so many people in mine and Johnny’s age group that gravitate towards them. It’s not weird and it’s not a stupid purchase. Rather, it’s something little that you can do for yourself and, most importantly, who cares what anyone else has to say about it. I sure don’t!

Johnny and I adore the new addition to our plushie collection and I didn’t put the candy corn stuffie down from the moment I brought it home. It was a twelve dollar investment and worth every penny and then some. Pissing money away? I think not!

What is one of your go to treat yourself purchases? What is something you collect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug2

Wanted: Sayonara, Summer Guest Bloggers

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Wanted: Sayonara, Summer Guest Bloggers

Hello my beautiful friends! We are officially in August and in my head, summer is already over lol. I have been manifesting a cool breeze, crunchy leaves, pumpkin spice, and everything nice since summer started. Fall is right on the horizon, back to school will be here before we know it, and I’m sure that everyone is trying to squeeze in the last bits of fun in the sun. As a farewell homage, I thought that it would be the perfect time to introduce a Sayonara, Summer guest bloggers series!

For this collaboration, I am looking for summer recaps. Did you go on vacation? Did you make an amazing dish for a neighborhood barbecue? Maybe you sported the most adorable sundress? Or, perhaps you learned a new skill, took a class, or found a new favorite hobby. Whatever you did, I want to hear the highlights and it will be so interesting to see summer aesthetics from all over the world. 🙂

If you are interested in participating, please shoot your girl an email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com with your ideas. I can’t wait to hear them! Much love. -Sarah