November Review

Okay! This November was full of stress! So much stress! But it was a good month, I suppose. :) Things are looking up now so hopefully this December will be better. But I always love November because it's my birthday month and Thanksgiving was fantastic. To read all about my November, keep reading! To see my other Monthly Review posts CLICK HERE. 

First I have to add something from the very end of October. Halloween night after work one of my coworkers hid in a garbage can and scared me. We then pushed him around in the garbage can, scaring other people as well. It was so funny when he scared this random girl walking down the hall, she screamed so loudly! Later, after I had left, they scared one of the nightshift girls and recorded it. I watched it on Facebook and it was so funny and sad! She fell on the floor, screamed, it was crazy! I wish I could share the video on here, but I can't, it's not mine. So I'll just share this random trashcan scare video:

...Luckily that didn't happen at my work. :)


This month went by in the biggest blur of my life. I had so much school work today I honestly don't remember doing anything but homework. But I'm going to try and do this post as accurately as I can.

November 4th was my birthday and one of the best birthdays of my life. You can read all about it by CLICKING HERE. It was so wonderful and I'm so grateful for my family and my husband for doing so much for me that weekend. I had the best time!

I started up Month of Gratitude on my blog again, this time using my Twitter account to write my daily gratitude. My goal was to write a post at the end of each week with all my Twitter posts of the week, but I was only able to do it that first week. I can't decide if I'll write a blog post with all the other Twitter posts, but leave a comment if you'd like me to.

My husband and I celebrated 6 months of marriage!!! Half a year! That's more than some celebrities. Our marriage only gets stronger every day and more than that I just keep loving him more every day. I love Chris so much and I think I could never love him more the next day, but it always happens. It just keeps getting better every day.

We ran out of money at an extreme level and had to make some major changes. I wrote this post and it became my most popular post this month. I'm glad people enjoy the tips that I put in it. Next year I have another post planned with a similar feel to it on how to save up your money and make extra cash, but it won't be written for a while, so stay tuned. THANKS FOR MAKING THIS SUCH A POPULAR POST!!

On November 13th by brother-in-law Sheldon came home from his mission. Since then he's spent a night with us in Logan, we spent a weekend down there with him and I've gotten to know him really well! He's so much fun and it's great to have another brother around!

On November 15th I developed a fear of boxes due to a traumatic experience at work. I don't think I'm as scared as I was near when it happened but it still was a crazy experience. I didn't like it. But it was nothing compared to the experience my favorite blogger had around the same time.

This month I got over 30,000 page views and I can't explain how much it means to me to see that number! I just feel so continually blessed by my blog readers! You guys mean so much to me and I love that you support me in what I'm doing. THANK YOU!!!

I announced this month that my husband and I were moving. It's a big change for us and the place we eventually found isn't nearly as pretty as where we are now, but it will save us money and it will be good for us. Here's the story though, we were hoping to get into the University Family Housing because it would be the best deal (about the same rent price but utilities, cable, and internet was all included, and it was closer to campus so we could save on gas money). We paid the $150 application fee and filled out the form and were excited to move in. There had been constant ads in the paper so we knew they had openings, but we were wrong. Apparently the ad is just constantly in there and they didn't have anything open.

At the same time our current manager told us that our apartment had been rented out and we had to move out the 20th of December. So we thought we might be homeless. I cannot begin to describe how stressed I was at the time because of this (and a ton of tests, presentations, and essays due in school at the same time). My wonderful husband quickly realized how stressed I was and told me to focus on school and he'd find us an apartment. In one day he visited about five different places and texted me and said "I found our new home!" I'll be honest, it wouldn't be my first choice, I'd much rather stay where we are, but we just can't afford it. We can afford this new place and I figure we're only going to be there till we're done with school in about three years, I can handle that.

So in a few weeks we can start moving into our new place. It'll be a crazy time for us but I'll be happy when we get all settled in and can finally start decorating for Christmas. We have so many friends willing to help us and both our parents have trailers and want to come help. We are truly blessed! But the place is unfurnished, so if anyone has a couch they'd like to give us, that would be fabulous. :)

 On November 26th I donated plasma for two reasons. 1. I love helping people and 2. I am desperate for money. But the experience that happened did not go as planned and I went through such a stressful traumatic experience.

My Thanksgiving this year was fantastic! It was the first Thanksgiving I wasn't with my family, so that was weird, but my in-laws are great too. We had a traditional dinner around 1:00 on Thanksgiving day, everything was very delicious and I loved it all! Afterwards I played ping-pong with one of Chris's cousins and we were jumping around, claiming that it helped us do better. :) Then we watched The Hunger Games so Sheldon could see it because we were going to see Catching Fire that night. I then got to experience Walmart Black Friday... on Thursday... and it was crazy!! I wish I had brought my camera in there to show you all the crazies I saw. We got a ton of movies for way cheap and my in-laws bought them for Chris and I for Christmas. Yay! Then we saw Catching Fire...

I cannot fully describe how much I am in love with this movie!!! When I got out of the theater I was jumping around so happy and wanting more. Yes the movie made me cry multiple times but it was made so brilliantly that I just loved every second of it. I highly recommend seeing this movie if you haven't already! So so good!!!

On actual Black Friday I went shopping with my mother-in-law and she got me a very cute infinity scarf. She's fantastic! Then we got burgers and Chris and I drove back home so he could get to work.

After all that it was the end of November and nothing substantially exciting happened. I went in to donate plasma again but they denied me because I don't have a proof of address, how rude. But they sent me a card so I can get my proof of address and a $10 when I bring it in next week.

I hope all my readers had a fantastic November! I hope your Thanksgiving was amazing! I love all my readers and am so grateful for each and everyone of you! 

THANKS FOR READING!! 

Song of the Week: Happy

Happy Thanksgiving week!! I learned recently that I need to be happy more. I just get so caught up in life that I forget to be happy. For anyone who hasn't already, check out the 24 hour music video to this song at 24HoursofHappy.com. It's sure to bring a smile to your face! The full video definitely makes me happy, especially whenever a Minion appears on screen. Thanks for reading my blog and I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving!!

Wrecking Ball

I have done my best to avoid talking about Miley Cyrus on this blog for various reasons. Basically though, I'm not a fan and never have been, sorry Hannah Montana. I've only been a fan of her hair...

...but then she cut it...

And while it doesn't always look like the above picture and she can make some styles work for her and it can look good, I really just liked her for her long hair.

Anyways, this post (as assumed by the title) is about her specific song Wrecking Ball. Here are the lyrics to the song:

We clawed, we chained our hearts in vain

We jumped never asking why

We kissed, I fell under your spell

A love no one could deny

Don't you ever say I just walked away 

I will always want you

I can't live a lie, running for my life

I will always want you

I came in like a wrecking ball

I never hit so hard in love

All I wanted was to break your walls

All you ever did was wreck me

Yeah, you, you wreck me

I put you high up in the sky 

And now, you're not coming down

It slowly turned, you let me burn

And now, we're ashes on the ground

Don't you ever say I just walked away

I will always want you

I can't live a lie, running for my life

I will always want you

I came in like a wrecking ball 

I never hit so hard in love

All I wanted was to break your walls

All you ever did was wreck me

I came in like a wrecking ball

Yeah, I just closed my eyes and swung

Left me crashing in a blazing fall

All you ever did was wreck me

Yeah, you, you wreck me

I never meant to start a war

I just wanted you to let me in

And instead of using force

I guess I should've let you win

I never meant to start a war

I just wanted you to let me in

I guess I should've let you win

Don't you ever say I just walked away 

I will always want you

I came in like a wrecking ball

I never hit so hard in love

All I wanted was to break your walls

All you ever did was wreck me

I came in like a wrecking ball

Yeah, I just closed my eyes and swung

Left me crashing in a blazing fall

All you ever did was wreck me

Yeah, you, you wreck me

Yeah, you, you wreck me

First of all, a few weeks ago I shared this video:

...for one of my Song of the Week Saturday posts. I absolutely love this version of this song! There's no annoying up and downs, it's all smooth and calming, which if you listen/read the words, it only makes sense that it should be done this way, not the naked way that I will not be posting on this blog.

...But let's talk about the naked thing for a second.

Miley chose (with the help of the director I'm sure) to do the music for this song naked. I see absolutely no justification for doing this song naked. The lyrics are very powerful and poetically speaking it's not that bad of a song. This song had/has potential, especially if done in the piano version seen above with someone who has a great voice (I don't love Miley's voice, sorry!).

But the main reason I wanted to write this post was about this:

That cat honestly made me laugh hysterically the whole time, which totally contradicts the point of the song! This isn't a funny song! It's a powerful song about a breakup. It's about loving someone so much you break when it falls apart. I've been through that, I understand that, I'm a huge supporter of heartbreaking songs. But a song like this doesn't need a singing cat in space.

In fact, a singing cat in space is the exact opposite of what this song needs. Miley got very emotional during this performance yet she lacked our emotional investment because of the silly cat! Doesn't she want us to understand her emotions behind this song? Why would she ruin a perfectly good emotional performance for a singing cat in space?

I honestly can't help but compare her performance in the AMA's to another performance that night by another girl her age, a Nickelodon star with a very similar background to Miss Miley. My personal favorite singer right now, Miss Ariana Grande:

Ariana knew that her song didn't need anything special. She knew she just had to sing the song and it could be successful. Quite honestly, this performance is one of the most amazing award performances I've seen in a long time, because she focused on the song, the beautiful song. She sold the song, she sold her voice, and she made it memorable because of what she can give to this song.

Miley sold her song with a singing cat in space. We don't remember that Miley got emotional, we don't focus on the lyrics of the song, we can only think about why on earth Miley has a singing cat behind her and why she doesn't like wearing clothes.

I suppose I just don't understand Miley. The song had/has potential, but she tainting the powerful lyrics with cats and nakedness.

What do you think about Wrecking Ball? Leave a comment below and let me know! 

THANKS FOR READING! 

November Favorites

FAVORITE YOUTUBE-ER: LATE NIGHT

These videos from Late Night With Jimmy Fallon are so funny and I just enjoy them so much!! 

FAVORITE WEBSITE: 24 HOURS OF HAPPY

This song and this 24 hour video are just so incredible! It honestly just makes me happy to listen to this song and it's been great with all the stress I've been going through lately. 

FAVORITE FOOD: WILD RICE MINNESOTA SOUP

At my brother-in-law's homecoming talk luncheon, we had this soup that was so incredible!! It was some of the best soup of my life and I have soup a lot, so I should be an expert by now. My mother in law gave me the recipe so I will eventually put it up here and share my experience making it, but we're dealing with a move and finals right now so it won't happen for a while. Sorry! 

FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOW: COMMUNITY

Every night on TV Chris and I watch two episodes of this show from 11:00 to midnight. It's so funny and it's just a great show to watch. :) 

FAVORITE MOVIE: CATCHING FIRE

NOTE: I feel the following video gives away stuff that the other ones don't, so just beware. :)

Okay. OKAY!!! This movie... I saw it Thanksgiving night... SO IN LOVE!!! And the more I think about it, the more I love it. And dare I say it, I think I might like the movie better than I did the book. This movie was done so incredibly well and I came out of the theater jumping around and wanting more, it's been a long time since a movie has done so much for me. I HIGHLY recommend you go see it, as long as you've seen the first one beforehand. WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! 

FAVORITE SONG: HUMAN

This song is absolute perfection! I honestly have no words, it's just amazing and everyone should listen to it and realize just how incredible Christina Perri is. She's so wonderful! 

FAVORITE / MOST POPULAR BLOG POST: CONFESSIONS OF A PENNY-PINCHER

Thank you to everyone for making this such a popular post! Followups to come, but it really is so amazing to see a good response from this. :)

FAVORITE EVENT: MY BIRTHDAY!

You can read all about my birthday weekend by CLICKING HERE but just know that Thanksgiving was a close second for my favorite event of the month, I will write about it soon. 

So this Monthly Favorites post this month is kinda short and boring but I'm having issues with my laptop so this is the best I can do. THANKS FOR READING!!! 

Web Video Wednesday: Turkey

Tomorrow is Turkey Day!! So please enjoy these videos of turkeys. I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving! I am so grateful for all the many blessings in my life but I especially am grateful for this blog and my wonderful readers, you mean so much to me! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! 

Plasma! The Experience

I make a point to live my life continually helping others. That's why I want to be a teacher, that's the main reason I started this blog and do Charity of the Month. I love that feeling I get inside when I know I've helped someone else. So I figured what better way to help others than to potentially save lives by donating plasma and earn some extra money doing it?

...but it did not turn out how I expected.

I had felt completely prepared. Yes, last year I had nearly fainted while getting my TB test done. But I hadn't eaten or drank much that day so I felt I could blame it on that. And so I knew that my fear of needles affected my body when getting shots so I had prepared by eating a big meal, drinking lots of water, and having my husband tell me the whole process so there would be no surprises. I felt prepared.

So after a delicious meal at Subway we went to Biomat and signed in. I was calm in the waiting room. I was calm when they called me into a tiny, claustrophobic room to check my veins. I was still calm when they called me in again because the first girl hadn't felt confident when checking my veins (apparently I have very small veins).

I was calm through the first checkup where they pricked my finger (which really hurt and still hurts when typing) and took a sample of my blood. I even watched as she showed me the blood and the plasma and was still completely calm. I was even calm when they weighed me and I learned that I've gained a lot of weight recently (which was disappointing, but honestly not that much of a surprise, it's easy to tell when you can't fit in half your pants).

I was calm (and relieved) when I had to give a urine sample. I was calm when the lady read through the disclaimer/information with the most perfect voice for the fine print of commercials (she must have a lot of practice). And I was still calm through the physical checkup.

Everything was going great, my body and blood were good enough to donate, I was perfectly calm and was admitted into the donation room. I waited in a chair and read my book, still calm. While waiting, my husband finished donating and came over to reassure me and tell me he would pick me up when I was done. They eventually called me to the desk and I was finally taken to my big donation chair.

... and that's when I stopped being calm.

When I get scared, especially if there is a needle involved, my body shakes violently. It happened when I had a medical procedure done this year, it happened when I was getting my root canal, it just happens and I'm fairly used to it. So I wasn't incredibly surprised when it started happening, but it was pretty amazing how much I was shaking, and how I honestly couldn't stop, but more on that in a minute.

They think I'm shaking because I'm cold, which I slightly was, so they hand me my jacket and I cover myself with it and hold it appropriate so I don't have to see the needle (which I never did). The needle was in, I was pumping my hand to help the blood flow and watching X-Men and thinking "This isn't so bad, I'm doing fine." And I was doing fine. The machine neared the end of taking my blood. It was all going really well.

Suddenly I start feeling nauseous. So I raise my hand to tell the worker and as soon as she get over this overpowering heat comes over me and I start sweating like crazy and felt dizzy. If I would have been standing, I would have definitely passed out. So I was suddenly surrounded by different workers putting something under my feet to elevate them, giving me water, placing an ice pack under my neck, and they started putting the blood back in me. They gave me a very delicious Strawberry-Kiwi Capri Sun and I felt tons better.

They wanted to try again but had to move the needle to a different place in my vein, which I didn't even feel happen, which was good. So the machine started up again. I'm watching Wolverine, feeling fine, texting my husband, pumping my hand, and everything was fine again.

Until the machine neared the end of taking my blood again, and the girl beside me threw up. Then I started sweating again and feeling incredibly dizzy. I moved the ice pack to my forehead, they changed the machine to put my blood back, give my the saline solution, and end my session, because they very kindly didn't want me to nearly pass out for a third time.

However, at this point my husband had to get to work and I had fifteen minutes to get to work. But I was being held down by this cold saline solution that caused my body to shake furiously, even more that it had ever had before. I'm given another Capri-Sun, this time Grape and it's freezing cold, making me shake even harder, which didn't seem possible at this point but still happened.

I try texting my boss and telling him that I'm going to be late, but realize I have the wrong number! So I'm panicking, shaking like crazy, they're worried I'm going to pass out again, my husband is working at we only have one car so I'm literally stuck there, and I don't know what to do!!!

Finally they unhook me from the machine but make me continue to lay there, sipping my water until I feel better. I'm able to sit up, wait a minute, testing to see if I'm dizzy at all, I'm not so I'm able to get up and go over to the window where I get my visa card with $25 on it (I feel so rich!).

I run (but not really) out of the building, my body is still shaking violently, I call up my coworker Todd and tell him to tell everyone I'm late, because at that point it's already 5:00 which is when I'm supposed to be there. Todd gets worried when I tell him I basically passed out and that's why I was late, but started laughing when he learned it was from donating plasma.

My husband, while on a pizza delivery, is able to pick me up and take me to work. He gave me money to buy food to make sure I didn't pass out again. PS, little distraction here, my husband is incredible! He was freaking out when I told him I nearly passed out (because I texted him when it happened the first time) and he was incredibly concerned for my health. He's amazing. I love him so much and he loves me. :)

Halfway through work I get dizzy again and sit on the stairs while my coworker Paul (Todd's dad) tells me a random story from Todd's childhood. I love working with Paul. Finally during my break I'm able to buy food (from the vending machine because everything else closed early due to Thanksgiving Break). Everything turned out fine.

Was this worth the $25? I'm still not sure. Did I get that "I just helped someone" feeling? Not at all. Will I go again? I honestly don't know yet. But it was an experience that I won't soon forget. 

Pinterest Sunday: Sixties, Cozy, Skirt, Hair, Teacher, Story-Telling, Taylor, Sushi, Office, Moving, Tree, Nails, Bowl, and Demi Lovato

Happy Pinterest Sunday!! If you are new to my blog this is the post where I just share my most recent Pinterest Pins. Feel free to follow me on Pinterest by CLICKING HERE. 

This is so funny!! I love the Adele thing and I love that it references Avatar, because that like my favorite show ever!!! :) 

Can I please have a living room like this? It's just so cozy! And I really want hearts in my window! I think that's the cutest thing ever! 

This is such a cute outfit!! I absolutely love it! 

What if I dyed my hair this color? I'm really considering it. If only I had money to get my hair done...

Clothe Me In Robes

This blog is all about what to wear when you can't shop for new clothes. It's also nice because she's a teacher like I want to be someday. I don't love the layout of the blog and find it difficult to go through, but I love the outfits. 

Fairy-Tale Story Telling Basket

This idea is amazing! My husband says we aren't allowed to give our children toys because he wants them to play sports and have big imaginations. I only slightly agree with that. Our girls are getting my old American Girl dolls no matter what he says. But I do want our kids to have big imaginations. My husband and I both love writing stories and that's something we would love for our children as well, so this story telling basket is an incredible idea to build a love of story-telling in our kids. (But we are not pregnant yet.)

I don't really have words for this... yeah...

Song of the Week: Human

I'm sorry she's naked... Christina Perri is one of my most favorite singers in the whole world! I think she is absolutely incredible at singing and songwriting and she is just an incredible person. I am so excited for her new album especially after listening to this song! I'm so in love with this song and reminds me of another song by my other favorite singer in the world (honestly Christina Perri and Jon McLaughlin are my most favorite ever and how convenient they both have a song called Human). I hope you all love this song as much as I do, and I really hope I didn't offend anyone with a naked woman on my blog... Sorry.

Five on Friday

This post is a part of a link up with The Good Life

Thanks for stopping by! 

one
This week I announced that my husband and I are moving. And that going awfully. The place we were going to move into ended up telling us they don't have any apartments available. Now we don't know where to go and our apartment is already being advertised for rent. We don't know what to do. And December really isn't that far away so we might be homeless soon. So if anyone knows of a place in Logan, preferably close to the USU campus, very cheap, PLEASE let us know. I'm majorly stressing out.

two
My new fear of boxes. Last Friday I shared a story about finding a cockroach in a box. While I was terrified at the time and struggled at work the rest of the night fearing there might be another one (which I found another one on Tuesday of this week, dead on the ground) I never imagined that the experience would have lasting complications. Now I have a lot of weird fears: ladders, birds, gum, grinding my teeth, etc. But this new fear of small white closed boxes is probably the weirdest. But the next time I worked I went into that same office and found a small white box, completely identical to the one with the cockroach in it, sitting on a desk, and I wouldn't go near it. I hope this isn't a lasting fear (that could be fun on Christmas morning) and that I'll stop being afraid of white boxes soon but honestly I cannot handle cockroaches. At. All.

three
This past week our garbage disposal in our sink broke. I ignored it for a while because I didn't want the managers to see our messy apartment but after the sink would hardly drain anymore and a smell of death attacked the apartment, we cleaned up the kitchen/living room to invite the manager in to fix it. And the smell is gone!! Yay! Now we just have to deal with the eight lightbulbs that have burnt out since we moved here. You heard me correctly, in six months of living here we've had eight lightbulbs burn out. It's driving me insane! But after the lightbulb thing all the big fixes will be ready for us to move out... if we have a place to go... which we don't...

four
It's almost Thanksgiving!! This will be the first Thanksgiving of my life I will not be with my family. I will be with my in-laws. I'm super excited for it and to see every one (I honestly have the greatest in-laws). It will be weird to not be with my family, but at least I get Christmas with them. I told Chris that I could not have Christmas without my family, not yet. I need my family Christmas still, even though things will be different since I'm married. I'm sorry I didn't do a holiday decorating under $10 for Thanksgiving. I really wanted to, but I honestly don't have $10 and I'm way too busy with school.

five
My brother was here yesterday! My brother-in-law Sheldon was here yesterday to hang out with my husband. I didn't get to hang out with him as much because I had class and work but I did convince them to come to my social dance class. It's so funny because I've been dancing since I was four years old and I think I'm considered good, but my husband can't dance. And I was laughing so hard! I don't care that my husband can't dance, especially since it's so entertaining for me. :)

If you found this blog through the link up, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. 

Thanks for reading!! 

Web Video Wednesday: Evolution of Dad Dancing

I don't know why I find this video so funny, but I do. I've been watching a lot of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon videos on Youtube lately because he's just so funny, so I almost chose a Late Night Hashtag video, Evolution of Mom Dancing, or Tight Pants. It was a hard decision but I ultimately landed on this (but not exactly since you can just click on the links and watch them all because I'm so kind).

The Secret Life of Bees: Discussion Post

Sigh. This is the second time I might not finish the book this month. I'm really frustrated with myself, but honestly I just have way too much homework to focus on this. Next semester will be my last semester as an English major and after that my reading schedule might open up a bit. For now, I'll try my best to finish to book on time.

As promised, I'm posting the discussion post on the 20th of the month. So here you go! Since I am really not that far in the book I don't have any questions for you to answer yet, they'll probably come later. Maybe a lot later... Anyways, thank you to everyone who participates! Feel free to keep commenting even if it's past the month we read this book. Remember you can also join our group on GoodReads.

One last thing, I want a holiday/Christmas book for December so if you have one in mind, just leave a comment on our Book Club page to let me know. Thanks!

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:

• Have you seen the movie? Is it an accurate portrayal of the book? Why or why not?
• (feel free to ask your own questions in the comments below!)

Big News!! // Major Thank Yous!!

I've gone over 30,000 page views and I am so so so so so so grateful to all my readers!! You guys are some of my most favorite people in the world and you all mean so much to me! Thank you for all you do for me! I LOVE YOU ALL!!  

Alright, so back to business. Last week I posted this picture:

And I knew that putting up something like this would make people think I was pregnant. Which I am not. Other people guessed we got a new job, we were graduating earlier (I wish!) but no one guessed the real news... WE'RE MOVING. It's not a big move, we're staying in Logan to finish school and complete the Cache Valley Checklist. We just needed someplace cheaper.

Last week I completely hinted to my readers that I was moving in my Confessions of a Penny-Pincher post on Tip #11. Nobody caught that hint though. The fact is that while we are making enough money to pay for our apartment and utilities and such, we have nothing left afterwards. We can barely buy food sometimes. So we're moving to save money.

It was the dream apartment. I had wanted to live here so badly and I love it so much! But we woke up from that dream and faced reality, and reality just stinks sometimes. I'm also really disappointed in myself because I kept meaning to do an apartment tour post, but it never happened. I have mixed feelings about moving because I just love this apartment so much, but where we're going we'll be closer to campus and work and it will cost less. It's just a better situation for us.

So be prepared to posts about moving tips and tricks; I didn't find any good ones on Pinterest yet so I'll be working on that. ;) Because it's near the end of the semester and we have tons of final assignments to do as well as prepare for a move, I probably will not be posting very much. Sorry! Also, I will not be decorating for Thanksgiving because of the move and I won't be decorating for Christmas until later in December, so my holiday decorating under $10 won't be written for Thanksgiving and will be late for Christmas. Sorry!

This will be a big change for Chris and I. We were kind of spoiled in this apartment and now we're moving somewhere not as great, but we're only staying till we're graduated, and then we're planning on leaving Logan. So it's just a temporary home for us. We're still excited to make the change though, it will allow us to reorganize and redecorate things. It'll be a really good thing for us.

Thank you all again for the 30,000 page views!! Thank you for your comments about the big news, it was fun to hear what you had to say. THANKS FOR READING!! 

Pinterest Sunday: Hacks, Sewing, Dance, Ellen, Band, Books, Christmas, Pizza, Jeans, Declutter, London, Pallet, Wish, Octopus, and Date

Introduction... I can't think of a good introduction... Oh! I'm so excited that I'm almost to 30,000 page views!! Please share this post with all your friends so we can reach our goal! Thanks!

27 DIY Beauty Hacks Every Girl Should Know

I'm always interested in ways to make my beauty routine easier or different. I really liked this article. I'm just obsessed with BuzzFeed...

How to Use a Sewing Machine For Beginners

I really want a sewing machine. I have so many Pinterest crafts that I want to do but can't because of the lack of sewing machine. I suppose it's fine, I mean I can hardly find time to read for Book Club so how would I find time to sew? But someday I'll get a sewing machine and this article will be very helpful to me. 

I just want to dance again. I miss it so much! 

It's no secret on this blog that I love Ellen Degeneres. I think she is fantastic and hilarious. 

I'll be honest, I don't know if I fully understand this picture. But I'll accept it. A dinosaur band? I like it. 

100 Books That Will Make You A Smarter, More Attractive, and Generally More Interesting Young Adult

What a way to draw someones attention. Who doesn't want to be smarter, more attractive and more interesting? So we will definitely be looking at these books for Book Club in the future. If there is one in particular that you want to read, just go to the Book Club page and leave a comment to vote for it! 

I love the look of this bookshelf for either my future home or even my future classroom. The blog that posted this put it in her child's nursery and it looks so cute! You can check it out by CLICKING HERE. 

When I was little I used to wear our tree skirt around the house around Christmas time, but I don't think it would fit me anymore. However, I think this is genius and I could figure out a way to make this work for me! I love the way this looks so I'm really considering it for my Christmas attire. Except...

The Batkid

San Fransisco and the Make A Wish Foundation did the greatest thing this week for an adorable little boy. I'm not going to tell the whole story, instead I'm going to send you HERE to see pictures and read about it yourself.

The whole experience is incredible! The reason I do Charity of the Month on this blog is because I want to make a difference in someone's life, much like this experience. I obviously can't do anything at this magnitude, but by the donations I promote, maybe I am making a difference. Who knows for sure, but the thought makes me happy.

Please read about the Batkid, he's so adorable and the whole story just brings tears to my eyes because of how great of an experience they did for this kid. If you can, please donate to the Charity of the Month. I know it's hard sometimes, but if you can I'd be so grateful. Do all you can to help others and be kind! I LOVE MY READERS AND LOVE EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!

Song of The Week: Compass

I'm so in love with this song! I used to be a huge Lady Antebellum fan and I have their autographs and I've been to two of their concerts in Utah (my mom and sister have been to ALL their concerts in Utah). But my love for them sort of faded away as their popularity grew, which seems opposite, but it happened. But this song is bringing back my love for them. This song is so fantastic and I love it!

Don't Open The Box

I learned a very valuable lesson at work today. I'm a janitor. So lessons are few other than you know, learning how to clean, but it basically routine now. (Does that make me a master janitor?)

But today was different because I learned something new.

It started out the same as any other day at work. Just joking around with my coworker (Todd), telling each other stories from our day (honestly sometimes I think he knows way too much about my life), and, you know, eventually doing our actual jobs (this is all a joke because we actually work really well together and get a lot done).

It was my day to get recycling and garbage as opposed to vacuuming, which is always an exciting day because that vacuum can be really heavy sometimes. So I get through the first office and move onto the next, going through to get all the recycling.

There is a particular office where he oddly puts his garbage can in the recycling bin. Today there were papers in the recycling bin, an unfolded box between the desk and the bins, and a closed box sitting on top of the garbage can. Picking up the box, it seemed empty so I chose to put it with recycling, you know, to save the environment.

To make the box fit with the rest of the recycling and went to open it, without a second thought. Little did I know, opening that box would bring nightmares for the rest of eternity. It was like a Christmas present from the devil himself. In that small box was a live cockroach.

I immediately set the box down, trying so very hard not to scream because people will still working in that office and I didn't want to create a scene. I ran to Todd, my heart racing and my whole body shivering with just the thought of seeing that cockroach again. I breathlessly told him what I had just seen.

Todd, of course, laughed at my dramatic display but bravely went forward to vanquish my evil foe! (See? I'm dramatic.) Todd picked up the box and went away from the working employees, stole a pair of scissors from someones desk and proceeded to cut the cockroach's head off. Except cockroaches can still live without their heads, at least for a while. So he then threw the cockroach on the ground and killed it with his shoe. Todd was my hero today.

I think we all learned two valuable lessons from this story: 

1. If you see a closed box on top of a garbage can, DON'T OPEN THE BOX!!! 
2. Never trust your office scissors... you never know if the janitors do unspeakable things with them when you aren't there. 

Five on Friday

This post is part of the Five on Friday link up with The Good Life

one

MY BROTHER IS HOME!! My brother-in-law got home from his LDS mission this week! We got to pick him up at the airport and spend the day with him! I'm so excited to get to know him more as time goes on and we're just so happy to have him back at home.

two

My Watch Mojo addiction. It is a complete addiction. In fact, while obtaining that link I watched a few more of their Top 10 videos. I just like them. Even if they distract me for hours from homework.

three

STRESS!!! Major, intense, stress! I have so much homework to do: papers, research projects, presentations, tests, and a bunch of little assignments in between... and no time to do it all, which is why the last two of the things on this list are going to be super boring (and also because I can't think of anything else exciting that happened this week). I apologize, but really my homework load is ridiculous right now and I'm trying to get good grades this semester to bring up my GPA... sigh... hashtag college life problems...

four

If you haven't already, make your guesses for our big news. That's basically all I have to say about that...

five

Sleep. I just want sleep. So I can't write much more because the sooner I get my homework done the sooner I can sleep. Wish me luck!

THANKS FOR READING!!! 

My New Brother

I don't actually have a new brother. He's been my brother-in-law since I got married, I just hadn't met him until yesterday. My brother, Sheldon, has been serving an LDS mission for the past two years. I did technically meet him before he left, but Chris and I weren't even officially dating at the time so I kind of forgot about that whole event.

Yesterday we picked Sheldon up at the airport and got to spend the day with him, hearing about his mission and he kept asking me questions about myself. He was still kind of in shock that he suddenly had a sister since he'd always been in an all boy family. He was also kind of upset that we got married before he came back but Chris is the one who said we couldn't wait that long.

I'm so excited to have a new brother around! Especially since my two other brothers-in-law are on LDS missions right now. I'm running out of brothers... I can't wait to get to know him more! He's great and I love him already! Even if he felt incredibly awkward hugging me. :) WELCOME HOME SHELDON!!

I look so short... And I love how the signs are backwards. :) 

Further Confessions of a Penny Pincher: A Note On Yesterday's Post

Yesterday I posted THIS POST about the "Confessions of a Penny-Pincher" with tips to saving money. And as I looked over it as it stood proudly on my blog, I realized it really is a list of confessions, of the things that I wish I did more. Sure I use FAFSA and visit the Dollar Store for most my items but I also love fast food! I eat it way more than I'd like to admit. Saturday night I ate McDonald's French fries after I had already eaten a full meal!

I don't coupon, my credit card is maxed out, we never make grocery lists, we're always driving, and we are overall just wasteful with our money. And this needs to change! We are so poor. So very very poor. In fact, I can't afford to buy new body lotion so I have to keep using the stuff that makes me itchy (don't worry, it's not that bad).

Basically this follow up post is to warn my readers again that I am no expert in money and my tips from yesterday were just things that have been working for us. I wish we had more money and were able to handle our money better but we're newlyweds and we're still getting used to our combined incomes and sharing a bank account. We're still learning and I hope to share all the things we learn with my incredible readers.

I want to thank all my readers for your constant support! I recently had a reader email me about a job I could apply for and I've never been more grateful in my life! You all are incredible and I feel so blessed to receive all your great comments and good thoughts. I LOVE ALL MY BLOG FRIENDS!!

Web Video Wednesday: How I Met Your Mother

I was hooked on watching Youtube videos about How I Met Your Mother yesterday and this was one of the best. However this led me to watching a bunch of the Watch Mojo top ten videos. Which are great.

Confessions of a Penny Pincher (AKA Tips To Save Money)

I'm broke. There. That's my first confession. But if anyone reads this blog regularly or knows me personally, you should already know that. It's not new news. But to anyone newly reading this blog (as you should because it's awesome... sometimes), now you know.

My husband and I are living on an INCREDIBLY tight budget. Basically we live off his tip money from being a pizza delivery driver (so don't forget to tip your drivers) and both our paychecks just go to rent and bills (we're currently trying to find a cheaper place to get out of this situation... and new jobs).

We are forced to be penny-pinchers, or "cheapskates" if you will (but not in the extreme way). It's not exactly by choice, but it's necessary and it works well for us. So I'm here to share my favorite money saving tips (and don't worry, they don't include sharing a toothbrush). So basically these aren't confessions... well sort of... you decide.

Tip #1: The Dollar Store

Okay, I could write a whole post about how wonderful the Dollar Store is. I kind of did with my Halloween decorating post but I have so much more to say about it! I always call it the Dollar Store, my mother-in-law calls it All-A-Dollar but for both of us it's really Dollar Tree, and it's amazing. Here is just a sampling of things that are better to get for a dollar than at other stores:

• Holiday Decorations: It can all add up if you get a lot, but they have great quality stuff that looks great. I've already seen their Christmas collection and am excited to write a Christmas decorating under $10 post! 
• Soap (dish soap or hand soap): I don't see how dollar soap is any different than five dollar soap, except the price. It cleans the same no matter the price. I've even seen big sized dish soap containers and the dollar store so you can get a lot of use out of one dollar. 
• Diswasher/Laundry Detergent: Same as soap, it's all the same to me. And they do have some good brands. 
• Sponges or Cleaning Cloths: Why spend lots of money on something that just gets dirty? In fact, our absolute favorite dish cleaning brush is a Betty Crocker brush with a cool scraper thing on the end that you can get at the dollar store (we actually got it for our wedding so we paid nothing for it). 
• Other Cleaning Supplies: They have so many wonderful things for just $1. They even have magic erasers!!! I'm going to get them and test them out to see if they are as good as the real Magic Erasers and I'll write a review on this blog. 
• Toiletries: Shaving cream, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, lotion... they have it all! Sure we all have our favorites and we like spending more for certain items, but I currently don't have the money to do so. the dollar store is where it's at.
• Party Supplies: Why spend $4 for a package of balloons at Walmart when you can buy it for $1? Same with table cloths, paper products, invitations and gift wrap. 
• School and Office Supplies: As a college student and future teacher, I go through a lot of school supplies. It's so much easier to get them for $1 than to spend lots of money. I mean I already spend like $400 just for textbooks each semester, might as well get my supplies for cheap. 
• Kids Toys: I don't have kids, but I know they're there, and they are awesome. Check out THIS LINK for some really great ideas for both parents and teachers. 
• Things For The Home: They have baskets, vases, towels, dishes, storage supplies, mattress covers, pet supplies, satin flowers, picture frames, etc. It's definitely worth checking out. 
• Food: DISCLAIMER!!! Don't always trust food at the dollar store! Frozen things are probably fine, candy is usually over priced except in bulk (but it's usually stale). Some have milk and eggs that could be good. Just be careful when buying food at the dollar store because it's probably so cheap for a reason. 

Keep in mind that NOT ALL DOLLAR STORES ARE CREATED EQUAL! Just because I love my dollar store and it has lots of great things for me doesn't mean that yours will be just as good, but I think it's always worth checking out. Visit your local dollar store and see what bargains you can find. 

Tip #2: Don't Buy Fast Food

Not only can it help you lose weight, but it can help you save money! The dollar menu may be tempting, but it can all add up, especially if you buy frequently. With my husband being a pizza delivery driver, we tend to get free or discounted pizza from his work, but other than that we don't eat out. We buy most our food at Walmart, which leads to my next tip...

Tip #3: Don't Shy Away From Generic Brands

The Walmart brand fruit snacks are my favorite! Their orange juice is also really good and their applesauce or saltine crackers. Some foods aren't so good in the generic brands, but they're usually cheaper so it's worth trying out. We always look for the cheapest brands, occasionally it's not the generic brand though. 

Tip #4: Coupons! 

I am not an extreme couponer, although I sometimes wish I was. But I look for coupons for things I need because if you can get a discount, you might as well! I know there are classes in Logan about couponing and I'm considering taking one because I would love to save more money on grocery shopping. 

Tip #5: Make A Grocery List and Stick To It

By making a list, you are less likely to buy unnecessary items or be tempted by samples. Also, learn the tips. Watch THIS VIDEO to learn some great tips about the tricks grocery stores try to pull on us. There are a lot more videos like this on Youtube, don't be afraid to do your research before you shop. 

Tip #6: Pay Your Bills On Time

Don't get caught up in late fees or bank fees! Trust me when I say, it's the worst! Don't let it happen to you, keep up with all your bills 

Tip #7: Use Cash

Debit and credit cards seem to have no limit and it's easy to just get caught up in spending that you don't realize how much you've spent. With cash, it's much easier to know exactly what you have and to set your limit. If you only have $20 in cash and hide away your cards, you can only spend $20 and no more. It's a great tool when you're on a serious budget. My husband and I never use our cards anymore, only cash, and it's working really well for us (especially considering that since our bank account is current in over-draft, we get fees if we use our cards). 

Tip #8: Save Your Change

But don't use grocery store Coin Stars to get cash, they often charge you. Most banks have the same thing and can put the money straight into your bank account. Our bank has it and we love it! We currently have a jar for all our change. It works really well for us especially since we're on a cash only basis. 

Tip #9: Avoid Driving

For my husband, this isn't possible with his job. But gas prices are ridiculous now-a-days so it's better to carpool, walk, or bike to get where you need to be. If you're in Logan, like I am, this city has the world's best bus system. Use it! Check out your own city's bus system to see if it will work for you. Save gas money and don't drive. Also, try finding gas point systems, like using a Smith's Fuel Program. Find something in your community to help you save money on gas.  

Tip #10: Be Creative to Make Money

I was recently an alternate crossing guard to make extra cash (until they realized I could rarely sub for them because of class, so I quit). I use websites like Inbox Dollars and Swag Bucks to make a few extra dollars a day (which can all add up, especially if you and your spouse each do it). I blog (but this blog has yet to make me money) and use Google Ad Sense and am an Amazon Affiliate in the attempt to make some extra money (again, hasn't happened yet, but maybe someday). Sell your clothes online or to Plato's Closet to make some extra cash (but keep in mind that are incredibly stingy with girl's clothes). Sell other items you're done with online. Do odd jobs with a temp agency. My husband donates plasma for money. There are so many ways to make a little extra cash. I learned a lot from THIS BLOG about making extra money from home. It's worth the read. 

Tip #11: Don't Waste Money on Things You Can Change

This tip is very vague and I don't know if I can explain it well. Perhaps as a college student you shouldn't take the PE class "for fun" because it cost an extra $50. Maybe you have to move somewhere cheaper to save money. Don't pay for apps or software, use the free versions (at least until you can afford it). Maybe you should stop buying a new pack of gum everyday (because gum is gross). Little things like that can add up and you end up spending much more than you would like. Make necessary changes to keep things cheap.

Tip #12: Don't Be Wasteful

I'm the worst at this! We almost never go through all our milk or bread before it goes bad and that's just money thrown away! Don't buy in bulk if you know it will go bad. On the other hand, sometimes buying in bulk is incredibly useful, for snacks especially. Be sure to check prices though to make sure you're getting a deal and not getting ripped off.

Tip #13: FAFSA!!!

This tip is specifically for college students. To be completely honest, it irritates me when people won't apply for FAFSA just because the think they won't get anything. Trust me, it's worth trying! Only one year did I not receive financial aid, but even then I was offered a loan. You'll always get offered a loan. While loans can be scary, just understand what you're getting yourself into and set goals to pay off those loans. If you're above 24 or married or poor, you will most likely get grants, which you don't have to pay back. This year, Chris and I both had our semester paid for just through grants. It's fabulous! Even if you think you won't qualify, at least try, because you never know if you'll get something good. Apply early to get more money (in theory, I don't really know if that's true). You can find their website by CLICKING HERE. It doesn't take as long to apply as people think as long as you have all your tax stuff (and sometimes your parent's tax stuff) ready to go.

Tip #14: Don't Use Credit Cards

I'm currently struggling to pay off my credit card and I'm ticked off about it. I used to be so good about it! I would never use it unless I knew I had the money to pay it off immediately. And I did pay it off immediately! Usually the day after! That was before I went broke though... Anyways, just don't use a credit card. Yes it can build credit, but it's too big of a temptation to risk sometimes. When you are financially sound and have set goals about your spending, then you can feel free to use a credit card.

Tip #15: Keep Track of Spending

Keep receipts, check online bank statements, use Mint.com (please do, it's awesome), keep a spreadsheet, do whatever you need to in order to know where all your money is going. There is nothing worse than wondering where all your money went. Keep track of everything so you know exactly where all your money is going. After a month look over all your spending and see where you can change things. Maybe you got too much fast food or bought a daily snack on campus, seeing how these things add up can help you change your spending habits for the better.

Last Sort of Tip: Check Out These Websites

Here are a bunch of websites I found off Pinterest with great tips to save money. I'm obviously not an expert, but some of these sites seem to be.

• 118 Ways to Save Money in College
• How Does She Live On a Budget
• 10 Ways to Earn Money From Home
• How to Easily Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
• Couponing For Beginners: Not So Extreme
• The Envelope System Saves $$$
• 20 Ways to Save Money When Living Paycheck to Paycheck
• Simplest Budgeting Technique Ever
• 12 Things I Do Not Buy
• Dave Ramsey's Envelope System
• How to Build Wealth With Time on Your Side
• Vintage Money Saving Tips That Need to Be Brought Back From the Dead
• Top Ten Money Saving Tips -As Chosen by Frugal Moms
• 141 Best Money Saving Tips
• Student Financial Aid Search Engine: Find & Apply for Financial Aid to Pay for College
• United Negro College Fund Scholarships
• Scholarship America Scholarships
• “No Essay” College Scholarship
• Scholarships to Help International Students Afford U.S. Colleges
• And tons more through a Pinterest Search

Wow, that's a lot. See, I'm not the expert and there are a ton more tips out there that I may not know about. This post is basically the things my husband and I do to make our budget work. Thank you for reading and I hope that this helps you in your situation! 

Do you have an incredible money saving tip? Leave a comment below to let me know! THANKS! 

Read my follow up post: Further Confessions of a Penny Pincher