Teaching Young Womens

Fun fact: I was called last week as second counselor in the Young Women's presidency in my ward. That morning I woke up knowing I was getting a calling and as I get ready for church I just knew I would be put in young womens. And I was right. And I was very excited and then I went to class and realized how incredible these girls are and I felt incredibly intimidated and unworthy to teach such sweet and amazing girls.

But it's my calling and I'm still excited about it. While still feeling not good enough. I'm working on it.

Today I taught my first lesson to the young women. There were three girls, six leaders, and the bishop. We're really lacking in active young women in our ward, but some only go to mutual on Tuesdays and are still just as sweet and amazing.

To say I was nervous is an understatement. I was shaking, I was terrified, I felt completely inadequate, and I stood in front of those girls so scared I wanted to run. But I did it!! We blew through what I had planned much quicker than I had thought but the bishop helped fill in the time and, obviously led by the spirit because I would never have been able to do it on my own, I was able to remember scriptures and quotes and find them quickly on my Kindle Fire to share (thank goodness for the Gospel Library app).

I think that this will forever be something for me to work on, and that's good. I think that as a member of the LDS church I will forever have the opportunity to learn and grow and progress. Honestly, that's one of the greatest things about this church, that we never stop learning.

Charity of the Month: Autism Speaks

As I'm starting out on this blogging journey I know that I can't change the world right away. But I keep the hope in my heart that maybe someday I can. That's why I keep doing Charity of the Month. Whether or not people donate to the charity, I'm raising awareness for it, and that's a good start.

This semester in one of my classes we split into groups and gave presentations on a certain mental disability and how we, as future educators, can use this information in the classroom to make sure each student gets the education they need. While I don't know if I'm going to be a teacher anymore, I absolutely loved these presentations and learning about these incredible students and what they're capable of.

The presentation that stuck out most in my mind though was on autism. One of the girls in the group stood up there and shared this video:

The girl in my class had tears in her eyes as she told us that that boy was her younger brother.

The video truly inspired me to raise awareness of autism on this blog and give it a chance on Charity of the Month. I believe that those diagnosed with autism are not limited and have the potential to do great and wonderful things. They are different because they only work harder to accomplish great things. Their potential in life does not change because of autism, and it's incredible to see these autistic children push autism aside and show they are capable of anything.

This month's charity is Autism Speaks which is "dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families." (Quote found HERE) 

I urge all my readers to help raise awareness for Autism Speaks and make a donation. The Autism Speaks's online donation page can be found HERE. Remember that you don't always have to donate money to make a difference, you can also donate your time or simply share their message. Remember that with any money made on this blog through sponsorships, 70% goes straight to charity. 

So please donate to the cause! Please bring awareness to Autism Speaks! And please enjoy one last video of an incredible child with autism:

I Hate College

This post ended up much longer than I expected and is majorly an angry rant. Read it if you wish, and if you do, please leave a comment and give me a suggestion on what to do. I'm horribly upset over this. 

This title is a very bold statement, but quite honestly it's true. And people should stop telling me I'm just going through a faze, because I've been here for practically five long years and I've always hated it. I put on a very deceiving front. I go to all my classes, I talk enthusiastically about my major, and for the past two days I've stayed on campus for 10 straight hours (today it's 7 and a half hours straight). But the truth is that I absolutely hate being here and I really, really don't want to stay.

I started college at Utah State (which I have nothing against this school, only college in general) back in 2009. I was excited to start out with my major in print journalism. I went through the first semester with decent grades but greatly disliked going to classes and being in college. The next semester was harder and I thought, "Maybe I'm in the wrong major", so I talked with a counselor and changed my major to English teaching.

So my next year of college began in my English major, a subject I have always loved and always did well in in high school. I received all "B's" that semester and began feeling discouraged. The next semester my personal life hit an all-time low and I suffered horrible depression and dropped many of my classes, leaving me with three simple ones which I got "A's" in.

The next year I started into the difficult English courses and found that I wasn't as good in English as I though I was. In fact, I sucked at English! I felt incredibly behind and stupid and began failing courses. The next semester was even worse, leaving me with a horrible GPA and too frustrated to stay. I left college and moved back home, needing a break from the college life and to get my priorities straight.

That year I found multiple jobs and worked long hours (all while planning my wedding). I absolutely loved that year, despite living two hours from my fiance, and fell in love with a hard working schedule. I loved to work and felt accomplished.

After my wedding I moved back to Logan, ready to start up school again after the summer. I searched all summer for a job and couldn't find one, leaving me feeling horribly depressed and empty inside. I had loved the last year of working so much and it hurt me that I couldn't work again. I finally got my old janitorial job back at the end of the summer. I wasn't incredibly happy with it, but I loved my boss and coworkers and at least I had a job.

I started school again with confidence, ready to work hard and raise my GPA, all while exploring a second major change. While I didn't very well that semester, I HATED IT. I hated being in school and I just wanted to go back to working again. I loved one particular class and I learned a lot but I hated being in school.

Now we're at the current semester, where I'm trying my hardest and still getting horrible grades. I hate being in school, I hate being in college, and I honestly don't think I can do this anymore.

In one of my classes last semester my teacher asked us to write down where we see ourselves in five years. I wrote that I wanted to be a mother, that I wanted to be working, that I wanted to be writing novels and writing on my blog, I wanted to be helping people, I wanted to be out of Logan, and I wanted to be happily married with my husband.

He then said, "If teaching isn't on there, than maybe this major isn't for you." Teaching wasn't on my list. In fact, I didn't even think about teaching until he had said it. I became very confused. Is teaching really what I want to do or am I trying to convince myself I should because it's a "real job". Do I want to be a teacher or am I just in love with the idea of being a teacher?

Since September I've been volunteering in an elementary school and helping a fifth grader on his reading. I absolutely love it and love being in that environment, but I want to do it now, I don't want to wait five years and suffer through college to get there. I think I could be a good teacher, but the thought of going through college to get there terrifies me, not because it's hard, but because I absolutely hate it.

Is college really right for me if I'm constantly stressed, crying, and horribly depressed? College is so hard for me but it's also hard on me. It brings down my self-esteem and self-worth with each new school day. I feel lost and hurt because I never know the right answer when I'm called on in class. I feel stupid in every single one of my classes, even the ones I do good in. I honestly believe college isn't right for me... right now.

I texted my mom after a horrible day of school and told her about my doubts and how much I hate college. She suggested I take a break, but I've already done that! And after my break I hated going back! While I was so excited to go back, when I finally got back here I remembered how much I hate it and all that excitement disappeared and was replaced with sadness and anxiety.

I don't want to finish college. There. I said it. I hate being here. I hate going to school. I want to work, I want to start a family, I want to feel like I'm successful in life. Right now I feel like a horrible failure and I want to escape. I want to work full-time. I don't want to go to school. I hate college!!

I don't want to be a drop-out, I really don't, but I honestly hate being here and have no desire to stay. I'm confused and upset. I want someone to give me the right answer. What should I do? Where am I supposed to be? Where am I going in life? HELP!!

Read a follow-up post/disclaimer HERE. 

Things I'm Good At

I got the idea for this post from a Jenna Marbles video on Youtube. I would share the video on here but part of it is inappropriate and I don't want to have that on my blog. So feel free to look it up if you want.

These past few weeks have been difficult for me with school, moving, constant stress, and depression. But things are starting to look up... slightly... I'm still insanely poor and have to pay college tuition on Wednesday... stressful!

Anyways, in an attempt to make myself feel better about myself, here are the things that I am good at. 

I'm really good at driving in the snow. This is good because I live in Northern Utah where it snows a lot. I learned yesterday that some Canadians don't know it snows in Utah. Well, it does. In fact, our license plates sometimes say "Greatest Snow on Earth", although I don't believe that's true. But it does snow a lot, usually from October to May. This year we got a late start on the snow and it's just barely starting up, but that means it'll probably last till summer. There's a saying that there are only two seasons in Utah, winter and road construction, and that's basically true. But yeah, it snows here, today it was -24 degrees when I first went outside. And it's real surprising how many people in Utah cannot drive in the snow, so I'm proud for being good at it.

I'm fairly good at writing papers quickly. Like I should be doing right now. I have my final essay due at midnight tonight and I haven't started it yet. Let me clarify, I haven't started writing the paper, but I've done tons of research and wrote out notes for my paper. It only has to be at minimum three pages so I'm fairly confident I can whip out a good essay before midnight.

I'm good at dancing. It's true. I was in the Ballet West Nutcracker three times, I danced half-time at the Poinsettia Bowl in 2010 (which I will be writing about soon because it's such a good story and my school is in the Poinsettia Bowl this year, GO USU!!!) and I just absolutely love dancing! I've done ballet, jazz, tap, and both Latin and standard ballroom. I'm currently looking for a dancing teaching job because that's one of my main goals in life, to teach dance.

I'm good at making minute rice. And Ramen, and toaster items, and other microwave items. But that's about the extend of my cooking abilities. Oh! But I am good at making cookies!!

I'm good at finding good music. At least I believe I am. Jon McLaughlin and Christina Perri are my two favorites and they are a billion times better than what's popular right now. Like Miley Cyrus? She can't sing. Or all those rappers? They can't sing at all! But Jon and Christina are not only talented singers, but also play the piano, which happens to be my favorite instrument.

I'm good at giving gifts. I absolutely LOVE buying and giving people gifts! It's one of my most favorite things in the world! It's why last year I spent over $200 on Christmas presents for my family, why I gave my husband 24 all Star Wars themed gifts for his 24th birthday, and why I love doing giveaways on this blog. But, alas, I currently have no money so I'm super disappointed this year that I can only give each person on my list one gift, and it has to cost less than $10. I'm so upset. But don't worry because...

I'm good at making cards. I love making creative cards! It's so much fun! I just love crafting really. And, according to my sister, I'm good at writing cute and meaningful notes to people inside said cards. So I will be making special cards for all my family for Christmas in an attempt to make up for lack of good gift giving.

I'm good at sleeping. This is only partially true. I occasionally struggle with falling asleep, but once I'm asleep I'm out and I can sleep forever! That's why I struggled so much with my 8:30am class this semester and why I never look good for 9:00am church. I'd much rather sleep than do anything.

I'm good at making future lesson plans for when I become a teacher. I find it so much fun to explore Pinterest and different teaching blogs and find ideas for school lessons. Not only that, I create my own and save them to an external hard drive. Even though I won't graduate for three and a half years, there's nothing wrong with being prepared, right? :)

I'm good at doing hair. It's true! I am! And I absolutely love doing it! I love playing with my hair and love testing out new styles I find on Pinterest. The only problem is I have super shaky hands so I can only do my own hair, don't ask me to do your hair because it won't turn out as good, but I'm used to it on myself.

I'm good at using Pinterest. Well duh, I mentioned it in the past two things! I'm on Pinterest ALL THE TIME and am super good at pinning things. Not as good at actually doing the things, but I'll get there someday.

I'm good at being neutral. Every year of college my roommates would end up splitting into two groups and hate each other, but none of them hated me and I somehow avoided having to pick sides. I don't even know what I did but it's a talent. I think it's because I don't really care what other's do and am very accepting of others, I'm also super good at never letting my emotions show. So I could hate someone and they would never know. That's totally a talent. But I currently don't have any friends so maybe I'm too neutral...

I'm good at helping others. I have this inner desire to love and help everyone I meet (why don't I have friends again???). I use Charity of the Month on this blog to help others, I volunteer with an elementary school twice a week, I started 12 Days of Service this month, I love doing anything I can to help others and make them happy and I only wish I could do more.

I'm good at being a janitor. Is that something to be proud of? Maybe not, but it pays the bills so I'm happy about it. I'm really good at my job and work hard to make sure I'm one of the best. I've always been a hard worker, no matter what the job and consider that an additional thing I'm good at.

I'm good at people watching. Not a talent, just something I'm good at. I'm also good at not getting caught. I hear the best conversations sometimes and no one even knows...

I'm good at eating French Fries. Put French Fries in front of me and I'll eat them all. Every last crumb, every last grain of salt. I love French Fries! They are quite possibly my favorite food and I crave them everyday.

I'm am incredibly good at talking myself out of buying something. Only with clothes though, with food, not so much. But with clothes I rarely buy new things, even though I hate all my clothes, because I can quickly talk myself out of it. It's a fantastic trait considering I have no money but I'm hoping I can control this ability once I do have money and start to work on a new wardrobe for myself.

I'm good at writing. Or at least I consider myself to be good. I make mistakes, I know that, but everyone makes mistakes occasionally. I believe that we continually learn from our mistakes and when I make a mistake writing on this blog I want for my readers to point it out so I am aware and work harder to avoid doing it again in the future. Not only am I good at writing, but I absolutely LOVE writing. So while I previously said that I was too depressed to write, I'm continually learning that I have to write to keep myself happy. I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be writing on this blog as much as I possibly can because it genuinely makes me happy.

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...

Why I Want to Change My Major: A Look at Elementary VS. Secondary Education

So for any regular readers, you may be aware of the fact that I am an English teaching major. I've written before that one of my main goals in life is to teach high school English and coach a high school dance team.

... That however, has all changed.

This semester I am enrolled in ELED 1010: Introduction to Elementary Education and I am working towards raising my GPA so I can get into the Elementary Education program. Why would I do that? This is my fourth year of college, most my friends have already graduated, I'm all set in my current major, why would I change? Well this post is to tell you why.


This semester in my ENGL 4500: Teaching Writing class, on the first day we kind of introduced ourselves and explained to the class why we write. I talked about how my love-affair of writing that I had since first grade died off because of the comments I received on my essays in college and how I got myself out of the writing funk by starting this blog. I write to make me happy.

A boy in my class began to speak saying that he like writing because it makes him feel intellectual and that he wants to teach in high school to show off his superiority and be able to show how smart he is.

I was shocked that he had said that. It's the purpose of teaching to help the student? That's what I always thought, that what I always wanted from teaching.

A girl stood to begin her speech, she also said things along the lines of wanting to teach to model good writing and reading skills. More and more said things similar. In another one of my English classes, the students are eager to speak up and show off what they know.  I began to realize the general idea of my peers in this major, is to show off, to express their intellect to willing (or unwilling) students.

I began to really think about this. It had never occurred to me to think this way, in fact, I thought the exact opposite. The moment I decided to be a teacher it was because I wanted to help the students. I struggled through high school and my goal as a teacher would be to help those students make it through, the same way my high school English teachers helped me.

For some time I've been upset in my major. I have had no desire to go to my classes, I hated every essay I wrote and didn't even bother putting my best effort into it, I assumed all my teacher would fail me no matter what because I felt like a complete English failure. I didn't know what I was doing, and I hated my classes. So I left college for a year to re-evaluate what I was doing and to take a break to rejuvenate myself.

While on my break I kept getting feelings I needed to change to elementary education. I assumed that this was because I was working in a daycare and being surrounded by the little kids made me always want to be surrounded by little kids. I didn't think much of it until I left my job, but still kept having those feelings.

Anyone who read my blog this summer knows that I was super excited to finally be going back to school. This time I wanted it and I had a drive to do well. After a summer of mostly lows, going back to school resulted in chaos. The school dropped all my class twice. They tried to say I wasn't an enrolled student and that I would have to reapply to the school. They kept charging me extra money until I got into my waitlisted classes... I was beat, I was angry and upset at the school.

My only ray of sunshine school-wise, were my two favorite classes, ELED 1010 and FCHD 1500, both were introductory classes to the elementary education major. I had decided to take them, the week before school started, because of the feelings I had kept getting. I figured taking the introductory courses may help me decide what I really want to do with my life.

After only two weeks of this semester, I know without any doubt that I want to be an elementary school teacher. I absolutely love my classes! And my two English classes this semester I have to drag myself into going! I'm not happy in the English major and I realize now that I never really was.

I haven't officially changed my major. I can't until I raise my GPA by retaking the classes I failed. This is my fourth year of college and I have so much more I'll have to do by switching my major, but I am happy to do so. Just thinking about the change makes me happy, regardless of the ridiculous amount of work I will have to put into this change.

Everything feels right again. I'm enjoying school and I feel like I'm doing the right things with my life, even if it means I won't graduate for a few more years. I'm happy with this decision and I am so grateful for my loving husband and family who all support me in this decision. I love you all so much!

I love all my readers, as I wrote in my class, you truly are the reason I write and you've restored my love of writing. Thank you for reading my blog and thank you for all your support! 

Things to Do Before I'm 30

So I'm 22 years old and getting married in about three weeks. I feel I'm stepping into a new stage of my life, where I have to 'act' like an adult more and work harder in school and work. I can't depend on my parents anymore. I have to be independent. But most importantly, I want to make goals for myself.

I'm currently watching the episode of Friends where it's Rachel's 30th birthday and it flashbacks to everyone else's 30th birthdays. Phoebe on her 30th has a list of things she wanted to do before she was 30.  So here's my list of things I want to do before I'm 30.

1. I'd like to graduate. It's been a long (slightly painful) journey so far and I sadly have a few more years left, but I know I can graduate if I really set my mind to it. I'm going to graduate as soon as I can, definitely before I'm thirty. 
2. I want to start having kids before I'm 30. I'd like to start having kids after I graduate. I kind of want them now... but I know myself, and if I had kids now I would never graduate. So in this case, these goals are in order. 
3. I want to teach high school. Again, this is sort of in order. I obviously can't start teaching until after I graduate, but teaching is something I really want to do and I really think I could be a great teacher and really make a difference in my student's lives. I want to help high school students. I want to be a teacher. 
4. I want to become a good cook. I'm not saying I want to be a great cook. Good is fine enough for me. I just don't want Chris to continually be expected to be the cook in our relationship (because he currently is).
5. I want to throw a party. Like a Superbowl party, or a surprise party, or a bridal shower, or a soccer party (for my soccer loving fiance). I just want to throw a party that people enjoy. 
6. I want to learn to sew. I know how to sew on buttons, use a sewing machine and mend things, but I want to be able to sew the things I've pinned on my Pinterest page. 
7. I want to travel outside the United States. Preferably to Scotland with Christopher because he is so in love with that place. But I just want to experience a new place. I've never been outside the US before and it's just something I'd really like to accomplish before I'm thirty. 
8. I want to run a 5k. Maybe. I just want to be able to do it with Chris, who told me he wants to run a marathon. There is no way I'm running a marathon, but I 5k I'll maybe do. 
9. I'd like to have a fit and healthy body. This is a life-long goal. I want a healthy body at all times. I want to always be at my ideal weight because it makes me feel good and healthy. 
10. I want to choreograph as much as I can. Teaching dance is something I'm incredibly passionate about. It feels as if it's a need. I need to teach dance. It's a necessity to keep me happy. I know I can do it. I know that I would love it. I will teach dance and I will choreograph as many dances as I can. 

Death of a Salesman

Yesterday I went to a play with my parents. Just me and my parents. It was fun. It was Death of a Salesman, which I've read like four or five times in high school and college classes, but I've never seen it done live before. I LOVED IT!! It got me excited to teach high school English and be able to teach about Arthur Miller's wonderful play! :)

If you want to see it, it's being shown at The Grand Theatre in Salt Lake City on the SLCC campus. It's a beautiful theater! You can find all the information you need here. Tickets range from $10 - $24. The show ends March 23rd, so go see it soon!!

...but if you go with your parents, be prepared to suffer the consequences. Last night all the could talk about was Biff and Willy. This morning my dad said I looked like I had a hangover (which, when I just wake up that is probably the worst possible thing to say to me or I'll be angry at you the whole day, keep that in mind Chris) because of Death of a Salesman. My parents are weird. But I love them! They really are the best parents ever! Why else would I be living with them at twenty-two? :)

My New Job!!

So the point of me moving back home was to make as much money as I could before I got married and moved back to Logan to finish school. I've had my daycare job since I've moved home but I've also done work for my dad's company and now for my mom.

My mom works for the school district in the testing department. My job is to go to the different schools in the district and test the ESL and ELL students to see how well they are learning the English language. Well for those of you who don't know, my major is English teaching with a minor in ESL...

I LOVE MY NEW JOB!! 

It feels really good to have a job that I like and that I'm actually really good at. I feel like a teacher testing students and I love it! It just feels right! Sure these are elementary age students and I'll be teaching  secondary age students, but being a teacher is something I like. I'm so excited to go back to USU to become a real teacher! I love my new job! 

Blogging 101

*NOTE: I do not consider myself an expert on blogging, I'm writing this for a presentation I'm doing.*

TOP BLOGGING WEBSITES (ALL FREE!!)

1. BLOGGER: One of the most popular! Is very user friendly!! It's owned by Google and is started through a Gmail account. (This is what I use)
2. WORDPRESS: Another major blogging website, easy to choose a theme and blog layout.
3. LIVE JOURNAL: This is also a social networking site where you can connect with other people through topics and schools. You can also participate in community discussions. 
4. BLOG.COM: This offers free blog hosting with unlimited bandwidth for free members. 
5. TUMBLR: This uses micro-blogging to post pictures, videos, or text onto your Tumblr page. 

There are many more blogging websites as well, you can read more about them here. 

Other websites to be aware of:

• WEEBLY: Create your own website for free! 
• LDS JOURNAL: An online, personal journal. 

Blogging is used for various reasons: journaling, photography, free-writing, crafts and DIY, fashion, news and personal writing. The above websites have special tools for every type of blog you would like to make, but some are more oriented to a single type. For example, Tumblr really focuses on pictures. It would be best for sharing photography of your own or photography that you find.

THE BEST WAY TO GET STARTED

The best way to get started on a blog is to do a little research on which blogging site to use. I've tried both Wordpress and Blogger. Blogger is my favorite because it's very user friendly and is very accessible to anyone on the internet. 

You also want to keep in mind what type of blog you want to create. People create fashion blogs, poetry blogs, business blogs, news blogs, craft/DIY blogs, and personal blogs/journal blogs. This blog is a personal/journal type, with a little big of everything else too. 

Once you have these two things figured out, it's just a matter of going online and starting your blog!

STEPS TO SETTING UP YOUR BLOG

Every blog site is different, but starting a blog is similar on every site. Most sites require that you use an email address to start your blog. Blogger is owned by Google, so you must have a Gmail account to start one. I am going to show the steps for setting up your blog through Blogger, but with all other sites it should be similar (I've also used Wordpress, and the steps to setting it up is the same).

The first step is the most simple, sign up! Each site has different requirements, but most need an email, your full name, birthday and then you create your own username, blog name, and domain name.

Start editing the details of your blog.

You can get to the above page on your blog by clicking on "Settings", and then "Basic". I'm pretty sure most blogging sites would have a similar setup. Wherever it is, "Settings" is the place to find most of the tools you need when first starting your blog.

I explored a lot with the tools on my blog to get it to look the way that it does. Starting it is so simple! All that's after that is pushing the "New Post" button and just start writing!

WHY BLOG?

I blog because I love to write. I feel blogging helps me express myself and my feelings while making me a better and more experienced writer. Blogging is a great way to also spread your knowledge to the world. My very cute friend Kalee has a fashion blog called Imprime Leopard. She uses her blog to spread her knowledge and passion for fashion with the rest of the world. (Check out my other favorite blogs by clicking on the link above, Favorite Blogs) 

USING BLOGS FOR JOURNALING

Blogging is wonderful for journaling as well. It's a great way to record your life. Everything is automatically dated and can be organized in different categories (or labels). You can also tell your friends and family to read your blog to share your life with them. My blog has journal aspects to it. I think it's a great way to share my life experiences with others. 

If you're simply looking for an online journal, I highly suggest checking out LDS Journal. I recently started an account with them (incredibly easy to start an account!) and I'm really liking it. What's nice about this is that it's totally private and password protected. You can access it anywhere there is internet. There are also options to buy a book version of your journal so you can keep it in your home. 

I've always loved writing in journals and my blog is a great way to keep writing. LDS Journal has also been a huge help to start a real consistent journal for me. I can type a lot faster than I can write, so writing a journal online is the best way for me to do it.


I love blogging! It has been hugely successful for me and I hope it can be helpful for you too! 

English Teaching

Yesterday I gave my little brother a five minute English lesson (that ended up lasting a bit more than five minutes). I had read over an essay he wrote on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne that he wrote for his eleventh grade English class.

I'm in college to become I high school English teacher. I mostly want to teach 11th and 12th grade, so this was a fun opportunity for me. As much as I love my brother, his essay wasn't that fantastic (although he later told me that he had forgotten about it and wrote it in the library before class).

But he still got a good grade on his essay because his first year teacher apparently doesn't know grammar or know what a thesis is. Because, as much as I love my brother, he did not deserve 10 out of 10 on a "clear thesis" when his paper didn't even have one.

So I gave him a short lesson on thesis' and on writing a good essay. I told him I was here to help him anytime he wants because I have million of papers from high school and college that can be used to teach English.


So it got me thinking even further. Why not put my short English lessons on my blog? It will give me more practice in becoming a teacher and can maybe help out some people along the way! I think it's a genius idea.

So from now one I will have a tab at the top of my blog called English Teaching that will display all my teaching posts and materials (because I already have some, thank you college). As I continue with college and graduate, the tab will have much more goodies and be much more successful. But for now it's just the small lessons of a want-to-be English teacher. :)

Month of Gratitude: Day 26

 I am so grateful that I started dance classes again today! I've missed dancing so much! I'm so happy that I get to dance again! :) :) :)

I hope my love of dance leads me somewhere. I keep looking for dance teaching jobs in Logan and I'm trying to intern with the drill team at Logan High. My minor is PE Coaching with a dance emphasis so I really hope that leads me to a dance teaching career! It's my number one goal in life!

I am also very grateful for my little brother for making cookies with me tonight because I desperately needed a treat! He also deserves thanks for driving to the store to grab oats for the cookies when we realized we didn't have any in the house. Thanks Nick!

Other Blogs I Feel You Should Check Out

I love blogging! That might explain why my dashboard says I have four blogs (this one, my personal one, a wedding planner one, and a story one that hasn't fully developed yet (no peeking!!)). Beyond doing my own blogging, I like to look at blogs of other people. So I'm here to share a couple of my favorite blogs that I feel are worth checking out.

http://www.graspingforobjectivity.com/ This one is probably my favorite. It's like the blog that I wish mine was. This woman is funny and writes about normal everyday life. She goes to blogging conventions and such because her blog is so popular. Wish I was her. Check out her blog!

http://diaframpton.blogspot.com/ Does anyone else watch The Voice? If not, check it out, if yes then you may recognize Dia Frampton from season 1. I absolutely LOVE Dia Frampton, as does my boyfriend Chris. For Christmas this last year I gave him tickets to her concert and I got him her CD. She's very talented and has a very unique voice. Here, check out her music video:

I love this song! So good! But I vote you also check out her version of Heartless by Kanye West. This song really boosted her place on the show. I tried to find the actual video, but it's a little difficult.

Well anyways, the above link takes you to her blog, which I recommend checking out simply because she is just the kindest, sweetest person. She's incredibly talented and humble about it. Her concert was incredible. 

http://imprimeleopard.com/ This one is cool because I grew up with this girl! This is a fashion blog and it's really cute. Kalee is a really nice, sweet, funny person and her blog is something that is very important to her. So definitely check it out! 

http://www.iheartsaltlake.com/ This blog is way cool. You may have noticed I have their logo on the side of my blog as well! So I'm currently living in the Salt Lake area and this blog is fantastic for anyone in Salt Lake or Utah or anyone wanting to visit Salt Lake or Utah. I'm still trying to get on their "Local Blogs" page, but currently I'm happy just exploring their site. 

http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/ I found this blog just this week and what I've seen, I've liked. This blog has a lot of great craft and home decorating ideas, which I personally don't need right now, but I will in the future (nine months till my planned wedding!). 

http://imalivewithnoregrets.blogspot.com/ She might not love me broadcasting her blog, but this is my old roommate and one of my best friends (and bridesmaid, she set me up with Chris, I owe her). She always makes me laugh and her blog is just fantastic. She hasn't written on it in a while and it's really just her personal life, but she always makes me laugh. So read it for a laugh or some fun. She's a really great person!

http://teachertakers.blogspot.com/ This blog is a lot of fantastic teaching tools! While I'm going into secondary education and this is for kindergarten, it does have a few things I can steal, and I find it great to hear her experiences with teaching. Hopefully when I get into teaching I can add my own teaching tips to this blog!

Well that's it for now. I know of more but they aren't very prominent in my life right now. Thanks for reading! I love my followers!!

--Kaylee

Why You Should Follow My Blog

Yes, this is all listed above by clicking on one of the tabs, but if you don't want to click on a tab... here you go!


1. It has pictures and videos!! I'm a huge fan of youtube and always find the best videos to share with my followers. I also use pictures in almost every blog post. I'm a visual learner, and even in reading a blog, I find that pictures really make it more exciting.

2. I spent a really long time creating my blog header. Ha ha. I'm just being selfish. But seriously. How cute is it with the little cow and everything?

3. It has a little bit of everything. I've described this blog as

"A blog about life skills and learning with posts about cooking, fitness, family, dance, teaching, crafts, organization, and life." 

4. I have about four years of college left and am already in debt with student loans (as is my fiance). If I can get enough followers and get the blog to make me a little bit of money, I'll feel a lot better about myself.

5. I'm young and am still learning all about life. I want to share my learning with you (hey, I am a teaching major).

6. I love movies, music, and television just as much as anyone, and have a tendency of sharing my opinion, thoughts, and feelings about the media with my followers.

7. If you're a dancer, I want to be a choreographer! Follow my blog and I'll teach you one of my dances!

8. I'm a Pinterest addict and can find anything you want to read about or learn. Just let me know what you want more of on this blog and I'll give it to you!

9. I have nothing better to do with my life and will probably post a couple times a day. That's a lot of knowledge you can absorb from just one site.

10. I love cows. Follow my blog please.

Distorted Perception

Ugh. So today the FLiP video I was supposed to do was called Optimal Fitness CST (chest, shoulders, triceps). It's a 90 minute video.... I gave up after 20 minutes. Seriously, I haven't worked out or done anything remotely active in months. So to bring myself to do a ninety minute workout doesn't seem pleasant, and proved to be too difficult for me. I did a bunch of crunches and push-ups afterwords to make myself feel better about myself, but it didn't really work.

Why is our society so focused on being thin? I had to teach a class on eating disorders and was shocked at all the facts.

"Up to 24 million people of all ages suffer from an eating disorder in the US"

....24 million in the US alone! And part of the reason why we're so obsessed with being thin is because of the celebrities being thrown at us on the covers of magazines! Something I learned while researching this though, was that those images are hardly ever real. In fact all magazines use photoshop.

Now I would say that Faith Hill looks great in either picture. So why do the magazine editors feel the need to make her arm slenderer? Our perception of beauty is severely distorted. I don't know if any of you saw the Dove videos that went around youtube. It showed a woman being transformed through makeup and photoshop until she was hardly herself anymore.

No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.

Well I think all my readers are beautiful. In fact, I want my readers to come to me and say that they know they are beautiful. Because you all are. Sometimes it's just hard to admit it. That's kind of what the FLiP program is about. It promotes positive thinking. Tamera's goal with this program is to train you to think positively about your body. Every video, she's constantly tell you to smile through the pain, train your body to like what your doing. Although I couldn't finish the video today, these videos are made to help you feel better about yourself. Tamera's videos are a really good workout for someone feeling down on themselves. I think they are fun and you can feel that you're really working yourself! I suggest you check it out, because this...

...is in no way an accurate way to analyze your own body. You are beautiful, even without photoshop. http://tamjams.com/flip_start_with_happy

And just for the fun of it... let's end with a musical number!! :)

--Kaylee

50 Things About Me

1. My name is Kaylee Ostrowski

2. I was born in California, but I moved to Utah when I was two and consider myself a true Utahan.

3. I'm a student at Utah State University (but am currently taking a year off).

4. I was born on the 4th of November.

5. I've been dancing since I was about four-years-old and hope to dance for as long as possible.

6. My major is English teaching with a minor in physical education coaching.

7. I have an older sister and a younger brother.

8. I think my parents are the greatest parents in the world.

9. I am in a serious relationship with the most wonderful boy in the world (his name is Chris).

10. I am a proud member of the USU Ballroom Dance Company.

11. I am also in charge of the USU Ballroom Dance Company Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/USU-Ballroom-Dance-Company/114584308643929 check us out!).

12. I love fashion and dressing in fun cute clothes.

13. I used to only wear black and still find black to be a necessary part of my everyday outfits.

14. I take my camera everywhere and try to take pictures of everything. If not my camera, I'll use the camera on my phone.

15. I own a Kindle Fire from Amazon and am a huge supporter!

16. My older sister graduated from BYU.

17. My little brother plays the tuba in the high school band.

18. My boyfriend is a soccer player and a huge Liverpool fan.

19. I have a list of places that I want to visit in every state in the USA, but I've only been able to cross of Texas so far, even though I've been to many different places. (I can explain this better: For example, I live in Utah, but my goal is to visit Zions and Arches, but I still haven't done that, so I can't check it off my list yet.)

20. The list mentioned above can be found on my other blog (http://kayleeroo.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-american-journey.html).

21. I have a secret addiction to Dance Moms and Toddlers and Tiaras.

22. In Dance Moms, I think Chloe is a better dancer than Maddie.

23. In Toddlers and Tiaras, I think "Honey Boo Boo Child" is hilarious and that Eden Wood is a sweet little girl.

24. I also love Psych, The Big Bang Theory, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and So You Think You Can Dance.

25. I have a problem with technology... I've broken nearly all my cell phones, an Ipod, laptop, and camera. (I'm nervously waiting to see if I'll break my Kindle. Crossing my fingers I won't!!)

26. With all my broken technology, I've simply gotten a new one.

27. My laptop wasn't entirely my fault. It was first my roommate's for slamming it in her car trunk and cracking the screen. It wasn't till months later that I spilled soup on it and wrecked the rest of it.

28. I'm realizing 100 is a large number and am switching it to 50.

29. I'm in the process of writing a book series, but it's a huge secret. Nobody knows what it's about but me.

30. I hope to publish a book someday (at least one, but hopefully my series will work out).

31. Chris and I are planning on getting married.... and we've already named four children (Calam, Mykell, Stella, and Huckleberry).

32. No, I do not have an engagement ring yet (much to my disappointment).

33. I am currently jobless (oh yay!). So if you know of any job in the Salt Lake Valley, hook me up!

34. I did read all the Twilight books. I actually liked them until I read the fourth one, to which my response was "oh my gosh.... what the hay am I reading???"

35. I have also seen all the Twilight movies and even went to the midnight premier of the most recent one with my roommates. I have to be honest, the movies suck. But they're kind of hilarious at the same time because all the actors suck at acting.

36. I've also read all the Harry Potter books and seen all the movies. I also am addicted to Pottermore. Now I'm not as big a HP fan as my sister, but I do love them very much.

37. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (more commonly referred to as "the Mormons"). I've struggled in the church sometimes, but it's just a part of who I am, and I love it (you're welcome to ask me questions about it and I'll give you the best answer I can or direct you to someone else with better answers).

38. I was in choir in high school and like to sing to the radio and in the shower and at church and such, but I really don't like singing in front of other people.

39. This summer I participated in Freedom Fire in Logan, Utah. I was one of the dancers. We were an opening act for Kansas!!

40. I've also danced with the Beach Boys.

41. While we're on the subject, I've dance in the Ballet West Nutcracker three times.

42. I hope to use my minor to coach a high school dance team.

43. I would love to be a famous choreographer. My biggest dream (that's probably un-attainable) is to choreograph a dance for So You Think You Can Dance.

44. One of my favorite books ever is The Great Gatsby. I think it's funny. I can't wait to be an English teacher and get to teach that book!

45. I love rice. I think it's delicious even just by itself. I could probably have it everyday, but not by itself, with something new added to it every night.

46. I've never been a huge fan of cooking (I find it a waste of time) but I'm working on getting better on my cooking skills for when I get married (which is probably next May).

47. I have zebra print... everything.

48. Black is my favorite color even though everyone tells me it's not a real color.

49. I really want to create a fun blog for people. And I hope this is it.

50. I love cows.