Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

My apologies, but this is two days in a row without a picture. See, I've not had a day off work since last Tuesday (except Sunday) so pretty much all my time lately is sitting at my desk at work. Not much else happening in my life. I feel grateful to have a job and I definitely love the overtime, but it will be nice when we aren't understaffed anymore so I go back to normal hours. So, today's happy thing is that I somehow made it through this past week, and tomorrow, I have the day off!

Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Would you judge me too much if I said today's happy thing is YouTube? Cause it is.

YouTube--in moderation--can bring much laughter and enjoyment. I subscribe to a few YouTube channels and always look forward to new videos. There have been new videos on three of those channels just in the past 24 hours!

I subscribe to Coldplay's channel, of course. Remember how they're my favorite? So, today, they posted a video that's basically just the audio for one of the songs that will be on the new album to release in May (20 days from today!) (Speaking of Coldplay, have you heard about the brilliant way they're releasing lyrics for songs on the new album? They've hidden them in books all over the world for people to find. They're giving clues via Twitter to help people find them. Genius!)

I also subscribe to vlogbrothers, which is a channel where two brothers, Hank and John, make videos for each other. John posts on Tuesdays and Hank posts on Fridays. They usually talk about some interesting fact or topic. I love all their traditions, like "Good morning Hank, it's Tuesday" at the beginning of John's videos, or DFTBA which is "Don't forget to be awesome," or "I'll see you on Friday." Also, John happens to be the author of "The Fault in Our Stars," which I recently read.

And, Olan Rogers. Olan Rogers occasionally posts videos of him narrating funny stories, generally things that have happened to him... with embellishments. He is hilarious! Yesterday, he posted a story about a package delivery, which was somewhat coincidental, since I am waiting for a package right now (that story got a little inappropriate, unfortunately. Uncharacteristic of Olan.) My favorites by Olan Rogers are "Ghost in the Stalls" and "Death is a Quiet Wave." My friends and I frequently quote those.

Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Monday, April 28, 2014

My ward had an impromptu family home evening tonight. We ate ice cream and played the couch game, which is hands down my favorite game to play with a large group. Oh, and the girls won which is always a plus!


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Sunday, April 27, 2014

My sweet visiting teacher heard I had a long work week, so she brought me no bake cookies! She said she thought I'd need chocolate. She was right!


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Saturdays at work are usually pretty laid back. I mean, it's busy because we sort of get the same amount of traffic, but we have less staff. I feel like we're more laid back in our attitudes. We laugh more and have more fun, and even play harmless pranks on each other. Today, I think we had a little too much fun, just because we were all worn out and exhausted. My coworkers spent most of their time on those websites that are dedicated to funny pictures and memes, so we frequently had a laugh about the noteworthy ones.

So, no picture today, but remember that laughter and humor are good for you!

Also, so is fresh pineapple...

Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Friday, April 25, 2014

I love baking for a few reasons: I'm pretty good at it. I enjoy the process of creating something incredible. Sometimes I even eat it. And, when I share it with people, it makes them happy, and I love seeing them enjoy something I made for them. 

Every Friday at work, we have a staff meeting. We take turns bringing treats, and today was my turn. I brought a loaf of my homemade bread and some of my mom's homemade raspberry bread. Everyone loved it, and one coworker even asked for my recipe! (It's pretty awesome that I was able to write it down for him on the spot, I think!)


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Work has been going really well this week. I feel blessed that I've been able to get so much overtime over the past few weeks. Many of my coworkers are students, so they are taking finals or graduating so I've been able to pick up their hours. I was already scheduled for 40 for this week, and today was supposed to be one of my two days off, but I got a call first thing this morning from my manager saying he needed me today. I was able to pick up some more overtime! I was thinking this evening that my job title at my old job was "on call," so my schedule was always random and unpredictable. When I left and started my new job, I was excited of have less surprises in my schedule. No such luck. Since I'm so willing to work the extra hours, I'm usually the one they ask, and I'm frequently picking up an extra shift here and there. I'm very ok with that!

So, since I am so awesome and helpful, my manager gave me a little gift as a token of his appreciation... :)


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

When I got home from work today I had a package waiting for me which was a surprise. It was from my mom. She was sending me my favorite candy and also a note that said "remember you're loved," which seems to be her signature phrase. She frequently signs notes and emails using "remember you're loved" or RYL, which is something I don't think I really understood until recently, let alone appreciated. Every once in a while, when those hard times come up and I just feel sad and alone, my mom will send a note, of course signing it with "remember you're loved," and it'll remind me that I haven't been forgotten; my family is there for me and loves me, even though we don't see each other very often anymore. Somehow that makes it a little more ok. 


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

 

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

I could feel my creative juices flowing all day today! I've been trying to figure out some DIY decorating projects for my living room, and I got a few more ideas for that. I wrote a paper that probably had too many creative details, given it was for school. I made banana muffins cause I wanted to. Then, instead of reading my textbook, I made this adorable little origami book! It's a little uneven around the edges, but that's just cause it's my first try. (Huh. That's kind of what's called self-handicapping. Which I learned about in my textbook today! It's basically using an imperfection as an excuse for not meeting expectations. Usually before the event occurs, but still... For example, let's say your best friend wants you to run a race with her. You aren't in shape like you were in high school, so you know you wouldn't make it through a 5k. But you don't want to disappoint her so you agree to it. At the end of the race, when the two of you cross the finish line with the last few participants, you shrug and say 'I couldn't have won anyway; I'm out of shape!' So, my excuse about the little book--it's imperfect cause I'm   inexperienced--is self-handicapping.)

Oh yeah, here's the little book:


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Monday, April 21, 2014

Monday, April 21, 2014

Honestly, the thing that made me most happy today was that no customers yelled at me... Yeah, customers can be tricky, and they sometimes say angry, mean things, and I'm pretty sensitive and sometimes take it too personally.

But I was also happy that today is Loveduck's P-day, and she sent a few pictures! This is from a baptism for someone she and her companion have been teaching. They all look so happy!



Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Dad and I spent the evening singing hymns while mom accompanied on the piano. I love listening to my dad sing! He is so talented. 


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Saturday, April 19, 2014

I came home for an impromptu visit with my family. Littlest sister was so excited to catch me up on what she's been up to lately. This is the Easter present she made for my parents. When I asked her what it was she explained, "It's abstract." I asked her what abstract is, and she replied, "I don't know. I just heard that." She makes me laugh!


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Friday, April 18, 2014

Friday, April 18, 2014

I make chocolate covered pretzels this evening. For some of them, I mixed peanut butter in with the melted chocolate, then drizzled peanut butter on top. Messy, but yummy!



Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 





Thursday, April 17, 2014

Thursday, April 17, 2014

I went to a park today to do some studying. It was a beautiful day, so I didn't dare waste it studying inside. I got a good amount of reading done this afternoon and evening, so hopefully I'll be able to write some papers and do some assignments for my classes tomorrow. 

I went for a walk again this evening. The blossoms on the trees smelled amazing! I love springtime because of all the new flowers and plants that grow. The world looks so beautiful in springtime, and that always makes me happy!


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

I just finished watching Saving Mr Banks. I've been wanting to see it since it was released in theaters! Alas, I never found opportunity to do so, and therefore had to wait until it's DVD release and subsequent arrival from Netflix. I loved it! Tom Hanks is my favorite actor and Emma Thompson is brilliant. The story is very touching. 


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

For work today, I was at a training at our corporate office. We finished just after lunch time, but I wanted to run a few errands on my way home. I remembered I had a gift card for an Italian restaurant that happened to be on the way. I'd had the gift card for almost a year and a half and was saving it in hopes that I'd have a special occasion to use it for. No such luck. So I decided to treat myself to a nice lunch. It was pretty good. I love to get fruity lemonades at restaurants like that, but the waitress said the machine was broken so they didn't have that. She offered to add some raspberry syrup to some lemonade instead. It turned out to be delicious! A little sweet, but still my favorite part of the meal. And the whole thing was free for me!


Also, I finally beat 2048 today! I wasted so much time on that. I was so determined to get that 2048 tile, and it became so frustrating that I knew I could/that other people had done it, I think I had more drive to finally get there. Funny how that app is so popular lately. Anyway, I got to 2048, so now I've deleted the app and don't have to waste time on if anymore!



Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 



Monday, April 14, 2014

Monday, April 14, 2014

I have a case of the Mondays today. It's been a difficult day for me. But I still found something to smile about: this blue sweater. My mom gave this sweater to me for Christmas when I was a freshman in high school, believe it or not. I love it! This color looks really good on me and somehow it doesn't look worn out at all. Well, the sleeves are a little stretched out... Anyway, a few months ago I wore the sweater to work and one of the buttons came off the sleeve. I was so sad! And, I knew I wouldn't be seeing my mother for quite some time, so I didn't know how I'd get the button sewn back on. Somehow, with all the years of sewing lessons from my grandmother when I was young, I couldn't remember how to sew a button. (But I do know how to make amazing bread, and she helped teach me that, too, so maybe that makes up for it?) The sweater hung in my closet for a few months, taunting me every morning as I got dressed. A few weeks ago, I finally sat down and watched a YouTube video on how to sew a button. Surprise. It's not that hard. Who knew? So, I had my favorite sweater back just in time for the weather to turn warm. I had just gotten used to the idea that I wouldn't have need to wear it until next year, and wouldn't you know, the weather suddenly got cold! So I got to wear my blue sweater today!

Oh look! Another awkward headless mirror selfie...


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Spring has sprung! Look at these wonderful flowers I found while I was walking home!


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Saturday, April 12, 2014

I made homemade macaroni and cheese for lunch today. It was so good! My mom used to make macaroni for us all the time growing up. We got to choose between white sauce, red sauce, or box kind. White sauce is your typical homemade macaroni and cheese. Red sauce is a can of tomato sauce heated up with cheddar cheese in it. Box kind is... From a box. Anyway, I don't make it all that often--which is silly because I love it--so it was a treat to have that today!

So, here's a picture if my lunch. Macaroni and cheese and a salad. 


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Friday, April 11, 2014

Friday, April 11, 2014

I bought this skirt on the internet about a month ago. I took a risk when I ordered it because I've never owned a maxi skirt before and I rarely wear white, but I thought it was cute, and the price couldn't be best! I wore it today for the first time, and I really like it! Somehow I managed to wear it for 15 hours straight, which is shocking because I don't really like to wear skirts. After three hours of church, the first thing I do is change my clothes! But this one is pretty comfortable. Who knew I'd like it so much?

Ps. It's hard enough to take a decent selfie, but without glasses/contacts... That took a few tries... 


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Thursday, April 10, 2014

I learned a new social psychology/personality theory today, and I thought it was pretty interesting, so I'm going to try to explain it in place of a picture. Here goes...

For many people, different social situations cause us to portray our personalities in different ways. The way you interact with people you are meeting for the first time is probably very different than the way you interact with your closest friend. And even that's likely not the same way you are around your family or spouse.

Example: Imagine yourself at an important business meeting--a lunch meeting--where you must convince a potential investor that your company is going to be the next big thing. You have on your nicest suit and tie/dress pants and blouse. Your shoes are shined, your hair is neat, and you brushed your teeth twice before leaving the house, just in case. Now is the time to use all those table manners that Mom taught you growing up. Sit up straight; don't slouch. Don't talk with your mouth full. Use your napkin not your sleeve. Say please and thank you.

New picture. It's time for dinner with your family. It's Mom's famous spaghetti and meatballs! Your favorite! (And Mom's favorite, too, cause no one cares that she forgot to plan dinner for today, so she opened a can of Ragu last minute and called it good. And it is.) Once the family is finally gathered and the meal is blessed with a quick prayer from your impatient little brother, everyone digs in. You fill your plate with a serving of spaghetti, but no one judges becasue your serving is probably two or three according to the package nutritional facts. Your sister puckers her lips as she slurps spaghetti into her mouth, and sauce splashes onto her cheeks and chin. Your brother talks with his mouth full about the neat video game he's about to beat--it's on pause in the living room. And, your thumbs are tapping away at your cell phone (hidden under the table where Mom probably can't see it because cell phones at the table are against the rules) discussing all the latest gossip with your best friend.

See the difference? Erving Goffman was a social psychologist who basically said every individual is an actor performing for an audience. Times like that first scenario--the business meeting--are when we are front stage acting. That's when we're putting our best foot forward and making an effort to give the best impression possible. The opposite of that is backstage, where we're working to develop ourselves, but I sort of see it as the place where it's safe to be ourselves.

Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Today at work, we decorated for the Easter season. I pretty much colored all day long. Here's a picture of a bunny I drew on our white board! I'm pretty proud of that. 


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Thanks to a link a friend shared on Facebook, today I discovered this puzzle game where you join tiles of the same number together over and over. When you join two 2s, they become a 4. When you join two 4s, they become an 8, then a 16, 32, 64, etc. The goal is to join them enough times to get to the 2048 square, which is quite tricky, it turns out!  I like puzzles and numbers, so it's right up my alley, I think. 


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Monday, April 7, 2014

Monday, April 7, 2014

Today, Coldplay released the official music video for their new single "Magic." It's a pretty good music video! I can't wait for the album to be released next month!



Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Sunday, April 6, 2014

It's General Conference weekend, which is always a happy thing! I spent the entire afternoon and evening with Charwhal and some of our other friends. We made Hawaiian haystacks for dinner--one if my favorites-- then watched Mulan. It was a very good day!


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Saturday, April 5, 2014

I've been trying to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables in my diet lately, just because I know it's good for me, and I really like them. I've noticed a differencein the  way I feel physically. I think I feel less sluggish, which I appreciate. So, on my way home from work today, I made a quick stop at the grocery store to stock up for the next few days. I found some yummy snap peas, some nearly perfect bananas, and your standard baby carrots. I think I'm set!


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Friday, April 4, 2014

Friday, April 4, 2014

Sometimes I like to go for walks, but when it's cold out or snowy or rainy, I don't. So now that spring is here and it's warmer, it isn't so torturous to go. Tonight, I ended up in my usual spot and spent some time doing some thinking. It's nice to be able to do that again. 


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Thursday, April 3, 2014

I've been looking forward to today's episode of Jeopardy! for a while now. See, this season, Jeopardy! is having a tournament they are calling the "Battle of the Decades" wherein they've invited some of the best players of all three decades to come participate in a tournament and determine the best player. This week is the 2000s. And tonight, Ken Jennings played. He's well known for having the longest winning streak of games on Jeopardy! and he's a very good player. I just think that's pretty cool...

This picture is terrible cause I used my phone to take a picture of my television.. So, sorry for that...


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

I went on a spur-of-the-moment ice cream run with a friend tonight. We had a good time catching up. Also, raspberry milkshakes are amazing!


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day. 

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

I saw the dentist today. I don't mind going to the dentist, probably because I've never had a cavity or any other dental problems. I can handle a sore mouth for a day. Also, explain this to me: the dental hygienist pokes and scrapes at my teeth/gums with those sharp tools, then says my gums bleed cause I don't floss enough? Ok, ok. She's probably partly right...

So the happy thing is that I received a clean bill of dental health from the dentist!

Complimentary/obligatory toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. Congratulations on having beautiful teeth and no cavities! (Does anyone ever use these? Or do they just sit in a drawer somewhere like the do for me?)


Life is beautiful, especially when you are looking for the beautiful things that happen every day.