Pink October | Fashion Friday

ONESIES | PANTS | PACIFIERS* | BLANKETS | PILLOW

I had the idea months ago to do all pink Fashion Friday posts during the month of October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, as October drew closer I realized one rather large flaw to this plan. I don't own any pink. In my closet, I have a pink skirt, a dress with pink flowers, a few pink workout tops, and that's it. Nothing that I wanted to do for a fashion post (though my pink skirt has been featured before). 

But in the past few months, my home has become consumed with the color pink all thanks to the two newest additions to my family. So, seeing as I had no pink, I decided to take advantage of my children and the one thing they have that I lack... which is pink. 

Besides, isn't it more fun to see "fashion" photos of newborns than of a boring 26-year-old stay at home mom? I sure thought so. But in all reality, fashion posts are going to become more frequent on this blog, and I'm pretty sure once a month I'll feature these little ones instead of myself. I hope that doesn't bother anyone and if it does, I'm sorry but you'll just have to live with it. 

Anyways, as mentioned, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While my whole "Charity of the Month" idea continues to fail me, making my readers aware of different charities is still something I feel very strongly about. It is becoming nearly impossible for anyone to avoid being affected by cancer in some way. Whether it's a family member, friend, or even yourself, it's something that continually ruins lives and affects all of us. 

I would encourage you to reach out and do what you can for those who have been diagnosed with any sort of cancer. Make a donation. Visit your sick neighbor and bring them a treat. Take toys to a children's hospital. Do whatever you can this month to show that you care. Below are links to two major organizations that bring awareness to cancer. If you are able, make a donation and give hope to those who are in need. Thanks! 

Susan G. Koman - Breast Cancer 

American Cancer Society

MORE CUTE PINK BABY CLOTHES*:

Bonus points to anyone in the comment section who can guess which one is Zoey and which is Makell. This is another one of those tricky photos where I second guess myself... and I took the picture! 

*This post contains affiliate links all marked by an asterisk for your convenience.*

Suicide Prevention | COTM February 2017

Hello, friends! This month's Charity of the Month is actually multiple charities, all relating to depression and suicide prevention.

February was the month where I made the decision to live. I am a survivor of suicide and I believe wholeheartedly that suicide is a topic not talked about enough. It is the most serious thing to plague our world. It's never a joke, it's never something to be taken lightly, and it needs to be understood more fully.

This month I have a series of posts related to my personal struggle with depression and suicide. Every Sunday this month you can expect a new post about how I survived and have been able to cope. I'm not better. I'm not magically healed. But I've survived and I'm a warrior fighting to stay alive. And I'm never giving up.

The following charities mean a lot to many people and deserve our attention and support. Like any Charity of the Month, I encourage you to donate what you can. It doesn't have to be a lot, just whatever you can manage. Together, as a team, we can help make a difference. I'm not asking you to donate to all of these charities, do what you can, even if that just means sharing these charities with someone in need.

There are so many people out there who are needing help but will never show it. It is up to us to get this information out there and maybe, just maybe, we can save a life.

Before I get into the charities I want to share an image I found on Pinterest this past week. It speaks for itself.

SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE

If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, CALL THIS NUMBER. This number can help with suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression. Please visit their website and read about the warning signs. Educate yourself so you can help those around you, and possibly save a life.

You can donate to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline by CLICKING HERE.


AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION

One of the best ways to prevent suicides is to educate. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention researches the best ways to prevent and assist. They help those struggling with suicidal thoughts and those who have lost a loved one due to suicide.

There are many ways to help with the AFSP and you can learn about how you can offer your help by CLICKING HERE.


THE TREVOR PROJECT

The Trevor Project provides crisis and suicide prevention to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youths ages 12-24. In many cases, a suicide or crisis stems from bullying, which is something that I cannot stand. I am not gay, but that doesn't mean this charity is any lesser than the others on this list or doesn't deserve help.

To donate to The Trevor Project CLICK HERE.

CLASP

Clasp is the mental health awareness and suicide prevention charity for our UK friends. The above charities are American based because that's where I live. But to any of my readers in the UK, this charity is your best resource for nearby assistance.

CLICK HERE to donate to Clasp, whether or not you're based in the UK.

TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS

The final charity for this month was the February charity last year. It's one of my personal favorites and will always need and deserve our support. You can read what I wrote last year by CLICKING HERE.

Make your donations to TWLOHA by CLICKING HERE.

Guiding Eyes | COTM January 2017

Hello friends! Welcome to a brand new year of Charity of the Month! This year will be bringing in a lot of new things, but hopefully one of the main things is consistent Charity of the Month posts to bring awareness and money to many different and wonderful charities.

Today's post will, however, be fairly short, but will, hopefully, get the point across.

The Charity of the Month for January 2017 is Guiding Eyes for the Blind. This is a charity that breeds, trains, and distributes guide dogs to the visually impaired, free of cost.

I've only had one encounter with a guide dog. I had a class my first semester of college that had a blind man who always brought in his dog with him. It was a beautiful golden lab and the most obedient dog I've ever seen. I also will never forget the man himself, though his name is lost to me.

It was a class called "Media Through the Ages" and we focused on the different types of ways news and media has progressed through history. It was a fun and interesting class where we were able to learn about and experience different forms of media.

One class, in particular, we learned about silent film. We had the opportunity to watch one of the first silent films and experience something we're not used to. After the film ended, our teacher asked us about it and the blind man raised his hand and said jokingly: "I don't think those were made with the blind in mind."

He had such a humor about him and once even told us all about his dog, which I also don't remember the dog's name. He was an inspiring person to me. I'm sure we all take advantage of our sight, but there are people out there, good and wonderful people, who don't have our same luck, and many of them need help to get through, what are for me, simple, everyday tasks.

Guiding Eyes helps people without sight to find a friend and a support. These dogs are well trained to guide and assist the visually impaired, and Guiding Eyes happily gives these dogs to the blind for free.

But while it may be free for the blind, it is not free to train these dogs, which is why they deserve our help. It takes a lot of money to care for these dogs, but if we all contribute what we can, Guiding Eyes will have some extra help.

What Guiding Eyes is doing for the blind is incredible and we need to help them to continue doing their incredible work.

You can read more about Guiding Eyes and give your donation by CLICKING HERE. Remember, you don't have to give outside your means. Just give what you can and the combination of all of us together should do the rest.

Thanks for your support of Guiding Eyes! 

________________________________________________

Do you have a favorite charity you want to be featured as Charity of the Month? Let me know in the comment section below or send me an email. Thanks! 

12 Days of Service 2016 [Giveaway Closed]

It's back!!! I know, most of you are thinking "Was 12 Days of Service ever a thing? How can it be back if it's never been done before?" Well, it was done before. Back in 2013. It was meant to be an annual thing, but that never happened. Hopefully, this year kicks off it actually working as an annual thing... but we can only hope.

What is 12 Days of Service?

What a great question! 12 Days of Service serves as our "Charity of the Month" for December. But instead of giving to a specific charity, we are giving service to the people we love and our own communities. We often hear about 12 Days of Christmas from the song, but here on this blog, we devote 12 random days in December to giving service to others.

There are dozens of ways you can participate! (Ha, do you get the joke there? Because a dozen equals twelve? It's funny, I promise.) And there's no act of service too big or too small. Whether it's volunteering at a homeless shelter or making someone's bed for them, each act of service spreads love and kindness, which is the whole purpose of 12 Days of Service.

Here are some examples of what you can do this December to participate:

-Donate to Toys For Tots
-Write an old friend a letter
-Volunteer at your local food bank
-Give your neighbors Christmas treats
-Shovel snow from someone's driveway
-Organize a bake sale to raise money for your favorite charity
-Send stuffed animals to the hospital
-Make blankets for newborns
-Offer to babysit

Honestly, anything big or small you can think of is good enough.

While I've thought out my acts of service for the past month and have twelve ready to do, if you don't end up doing twelve, that's okay too. Even if you only do one, then you're helping make the world a kinder place. It's all about spreading kindness, and as long as that's what you try to do this month, completely twelve acts of service isn't necessary.

I am planning to write up posts about each of my acts of service. Maybe have a couple videos to go along with them as well. Don't forget to follow me on Snapchat and Instagram, as I will post photos and videos as I do my service. [Snapchat: cowgirlkaylee22, Instagram: _cowgirlkaylee_] My acts of service will be spread out through the whole month, not all in a row. Feel free to do your service however and whenever you like.

For my first act of service, I want to celebrate my amazing blog readers. I wish that I could blog full-time and give you all more. I love all my readers and consider you very close friends. So, to one of my friends I am giving away a $25 Amazon gift card! There is only one requirement to win the gift card: you must promise to do at least one act of kindness/service this month. (Sure there are other ways to enter, but that's the only important one.)

In the comment section below, make your promise, then confirm you did it in the Rafflecopter widget below. It's just that simple.

The giveaway will run only till the 15th of the month so get your entries in quick. Hopefully, the winner will be able to get their gift card in time to use it to buy themselves a Christmas present (or for any other holiday or special occasion you wish to celebrate this month). Or maybe you could even use your gift card to buy a gift for someone else, that could be your act of service. Entirely up to you, though. Personally, I'd use it to buy the books I have on my wishlist on Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 So get out there and do some service this month!! Spread a little kindness and help make the world a better place. 

Resolve - Charity of the Month November 2016

Hello, friends! Did you think Charity of the Month was gone? Well, you're wrong. It will never be gone. Helping people was my sole reasoning for starting this blog. So that's what's happening. It just struggles sometimes, because since my blog readership is low I feel like it doesn't make much of a difference, which is the exact opposite of what I should be thinking. We, as humans, should help other humans for the sake of helping other people. Even if we never make a dent in the real problem, a single donation is better than no donations.

That's my rant for the day. Just kidding, a lot of this post is a rant.

Anyway, November is weird for me this year. As many of you know, one year ago I had a miscarriage. And, as you also may know, I am not pregnant again. When it's been a year, I get asked occasionally (though I don't recommend asking anyone this) "Are you concerned about infertility?"

Infertility is a concern of mine. If you are curious, I am seeing a doctor this month to verify I don't have infertility problems since it has been a year since my miscarriage. Though I don't believe that infertility is my problem. I firmly believe a lot of it has had to do with never getting closure on my miscarriage, until July. And depression. That damn depression thing I have ruins a lot of things.

Sorry, getting off track here.

While I'm not sure if I am infertile, I do know people who are. And I know the pain and struggle of not being able to get pregnant. Trust me, I know it very, very well.

I recently found Resolve, the National Infertility Association and wanted to highlight them as the Charity of the Month for November.

Everyone should have the right to start a family. A lot of my religion is about families, which is what makes my particular situation so difficult, seeing as every Sunday they talk about families and kids... a lot. It's exhausting to sit there every week and not cry. And while the world finds pregnancy so normal and easy, it's not easy for everyone.

There are so many women out there who struggle to get pregnant, or can't even get pregnant at all. But people never talk about it.

This past year I had a miscarriage and my sister-in-law had a stillbirth. And no one talks about either of those things.

I understand why. It's because it's so difficult to talk about. I physically couldn't talk about my miscarriage for months because it was just too painful. Losing a child in any way is heartbreaking, whether you got to hold them or not. And it's something that needs to be discussed more. Because I know I'm not the only one. There are so many other women out there who have had a miscarriage, or a stillbirth, and have struggled to get pregnant again.

If you are like me and struggle to get pregnant, get yourself checked out. Don't procrastinate it like I have out of fear and pain. Make sure that if something is wrong that you know about it, so you can be prepared for the struggle. Don't suffer in silence.

And if you have infertility problems, know that there are options for you. And that you are not alone. Nor will you ever be alone in your struggle.

Resolve give you information, references, and choices.

Their website is filled with information. If you want to know more, I highly recommend checking their website and taking the time to do your research, because information is out there. If you are struggling to get pregnant, find the information that you need and don't procrastinate it. If you are ready to start or grow your family, then take action.

The three main things that Resolve does that I fully support are as follows:

• Raising public awareness of the issue of infertility.
• Breaking down the financial barriers that hold women back from getting infertility treatment.
• And offering support to all who need it.

If you are suffering from infertility I urge you to visit Resolve's website and get the information that you need. 

Now, whether or not infertility is an issue for you, I want all of you to CLICK HERE and make a donation to Resolve. (And bonus, through November 11th your donation will be doubled!!) For all you know, your donation could help someone start their family.  

And if you want to go even further, check out Go Fund Me where there are literally thousands of couples asking for donations to help them fund their infertility treatments. I have a friend who is currently using Go Fund Me to help her get the money she needs to help start her family. You could honestly make a difference in someone's life by the smallest donation. 

I'm so happy that I get to use my birthday month to raise awareness for an issue that is very close to my heart. Everyone deserves to start their family, but not everyone can do it without help. Every little donation makes a difference, no matter how small. So make your donations and maybe you'll help start a life. 

Stand Up To Cancer - Charity of the Month

Hey friends! It's a new month and we're attempting to get back on track for Charity of the Month. It's been a difficult year for me, I'm sure you understand, but I'm trying to make this blog more of a priority as we get into the final half of 2016. Although I am thinking each charity will be highlighted for two months instead of just one.

This month's charity is Stand Up To Cancer.  Cancer is just the worst. I'm pretty sure there isn't a person left on earth who hasn't seen someone go through cancer or have cancer themselves. I had my own cancer scare before my wedding, watched a friend go through chemotherapy for cancer, and had an aunt die from cancer. Cancer is the devil and I think if there's anything we can do to stop it, we should.

You can make your donations to Stand Up To Cancer by CLICKING HERE. The minimum donation about you can do is $35, however, if you download my new favorite app Charity Miles, you can walk, run, or bike and help donate to the charity as well!

If you want to join this blog's team on Charity Miles just search for DancingCowHerd and become a team member. If we're all running for Stand Up To Cancer this month we can really make a difference!

Any chance we have to help rid the world of cancer should be taken. It's a terrible disease that needs to be stopped.

Charity Miles Team!

Hey friends! So as you know I'm always looking for ways to give back. I've recently discovered an awesome app that allows you to help out a charity simply by walking. I've only used it once so far, so I'm not an expert but in this post I'll tell you all I know and how I've formed a team for us to work together.

So you can download Charity Miles on either your Apple or Android phone for free. When you open up the app it immediately opens up a list of organizations that you can choose to run or walk for. There are 37 to choose from and they are all wonderful!

As I mentioned before I have only used the app once and it was to go on a walk with Chris and Zoram. I let Chris choose and his pick was the American Diabetes Association, but you are able to pick a new charity every time you use the app. A lot of the charities are ones that I have previously or have planned to use for Charity of the Month. I'm thinking that if we can build up our team then we can just follow my pick for Charity of the Month and make a bigger dent in helping out an awesome organization. 

I'm getting ahead of myself, let's do a little more explaining.

The app uses the GPS in your phone to measure your distance. It can also use motion sensors if running indoors, but most likely it'll be less accurate. Personally I wish it could connect to my Fitbit and get my miles from there because I've been doing a lot of treadmill workouts. Maybe someday it'll happen. 

However, like with my Fitbit, there are always inconsistencies and room for error. So I wouldn't recommend using this solely to track distance for a workout. For me personally, I just let it do its thing and whether or not the numbers are completely accurate, I'm not going to worry about it. 

Walkers and runners can earn up to 25¢ and cyclists can earn 10¢ per mile. I realize this is not a lot, but as a team we can make a difference. (I promise I'll get to the team in a minute.)

The app is super easy to use. You just open it up, choose your charity, then start your walk. That's it. Insanely easy! When you're done you have the option to share your miles and progress on social media, if you want. This app is fantastic at not taking over any of your social media and posting things that you don't want to. 

I've also been able to connect this app to my Walgreens Balance Rewards account. Walgreens is amazing at helping out organizations in need and I'm able to get rewarded for my efforts using this app and taking care of my body through exercise. You can earn 20 points for every mile. Since I live in walking distance to Walgreens and it's my go-to drop in place, I love that I can get rewards in the store simply by walking, while also helping out charitable organizations. Seriously, how could it get any better than that? 

You can set reminders on the app as well so you don't forget to take your daily walk, run, or bike ride. 

If you have any further questions on this app you can check out their FAQ page HERE. 

Finally, let's get into teams. Because of my desire for Charity of the Month, I've decided to create a team for all of us to work together towards the same goal. Simply go to the menu bar, click teams then type in DancingCowHerd to find our team. I'm currently the only member (big shocker there) and the team page looks like this:

As I said, I've only used this app once while walking my dog, so our team mile total is very low, but I'm planning on doing a 5k soon and if I can find a good way to keep my phone on my person while I run on the treadmill at the gym every day (because I've been doing awesome at it), then my personal miles will go up. Also, hopefully, more people join our team and our team total will grow. 

Now I will continue to do Charity of the Month each month and if the charity I choose is one of the options on this app then I will be using it for the month. I would love if you joined me in choosing the Charity of the Month so we could make a bigger impact for the month, but you are always welcome to choose your own. I would never force you to ignore a charity you are truly passionate about. 

If you decide to download the app, please join our team and don't forget to track your miles. I would love to have you join my team and together we can make a difference. 

____________________________________________________________________

I am not affiliated with Charity Miles or Walgreen Balance Rewards programs in any way. I was not compensated and any views or opinions were my own.

Feeding America [May 2016 COTM]

Hey friends! I wasn't planning on doing a Charity of the Month this month (I've been having a few issues so it hasn't been around for a while), however it didn't feel right to not highlight anything. So today I wanted to help you find your local food bank.

If you go to the Feeding America website, on the front page you'll find an orange line which reads "Find Your Local Food Bank" and you can just insert your zip code in there and see what's around you.

One of the saddest things in the world, in my opinion, is that there are people out there who can't always eat food. I feel heartbroken every time I see food go to waste. And just ask my husband, I clean my plate every time I eat in an unconscious effort to never waste food.

So when you find your local food bank, I encourage you to follow their donations rules and help out any way you can. I know it's hard to think you can make a difference, but if we all pitch in we can make a dent in the problem and bring someone happiness.

To Write Love On Her Arms [February 2016 COTM]

Hello friends! This month's Charity of the Month is incredibly important to me. This past month I've been very open about my mental health. I have depression and social anxiety and I'm doing a lot recently to cope with it, as my recent miscarriage brought a new wave of difficulties with it.

But something from my past that I am always timid to share, but if you read my blog carefully you already know, in high school I attempted suicide. I cut myself. I was, and sometimes still can be, an emotional wreck.

But I believe that I am a warrior, that I've overcome my issues and can face all my new issues without being defeated ever again. And I believe that my past has made me stronger. But most importantly, I believe that there are many others who are like me who don't know how to become warriors, who don't know how to help themselves, and have the potential to lose the battle.

Those are the people I blog for, the people I strive to help. But I can't do it alone, and I'm so grateful for the many organizations that help these people as well.

One particular organization is To Write Love On Her Arms.

Quick disclaimer, I did not learn about this organization until I was already on the healing end, so I didn't not use TWLOHA as a resource to help with my depression. However, I truly wish I had known and had looked over their website to help me.

TWLOHA's mission statement is as follows:

 "To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery."

 By making a donation to TWLOHA this month you are helping people like me with depression and other mental health disorders to find the assistance they need. TWLOHA helps people to find the treatment that they need in order to become warriors and fight through. You would also be helping to break stereotypes and educate the world about mental heath disorders. 

More so than the other charities I promote and support, TWLOHA is incredibly personal and important to me. I truly hope you all take the time to look over their website and learn more about what they do, then make a donation to assist them in their efforts. 

If you yourself are struggling with depression, addiction, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts, please CLICK HERE to be taken to TWLOHA website to find resources and help in your area. You are also always welcome to email me and talk with me. I've been through it too. You aren't alone, and you don't ever have to feel that way.

I was not paid to promote or endorse To Write Love On Her Arms. These are strictly my views.

Dave Thomas Adoption Foundation (January 2016 COTM)

This year is all about bringing back Charity of the Month! To read more about my plans for Charity of the Month you can read yesterday's post HERE all about my 2016 blog plans.

This month is my mom's birthday and, fun fact, my mom was adopted. So in honor of my mom and my wonderful grandparents who chose to adopt, our charity this month is the Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption.

The Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption was founded in 1992 by Dave Thomas (yes, the Wendy's guy). Dave Thomas had one main goal, "To make sure every child has a permanent and loving family." Even after his death, this foundation continues to aim towards his goal.

I'll be honest, I don't know too much about adoption. But I do believe every child needs a home. Over this upcoming year you'll see a lot of the charities I chose are related to children. I care a lot about children and want to help those in need.

I've always been so grateful for my parents and everything that they do for me. I'm also grateful for my grandma and grandpa who adopted not only my mom, but five other children as well. My grandparents are amazing, kind people who gave a home and love to six children who needed them. I love them for the way the raised my mom into who she is today and I honestly love their act of kindness by adopting my mom.

Every child deserves to feel loved and to be loved by parents. That's why this month I'm supporting the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Thank you for what you do!

You can make your own donations HERE.

Welcome to 2016!

Welcome to 2016 and the new and improved "The Dancing Cow" blog page! I'm sure you've already seen the makeover, but what you haven't seen are the many posts I have planned for this year. This year is going to be BIG. I have so much planned and I'm being much more organized about it, so let's take a look at what you'll see this year on my blog!

CHARITY OF THE MONTH

This is the big one. When I first started this blog I knew I wanted to use it to bring awareness and donations to different charities. Somewhere along the way I got too discouraged since I'm almost always broke. But even if I can't always afford to give a lot to the charities I enjoy, I can still share them with you and still make a difference.

Every month there will be a new charity. This year is basically all planned out, but suggestions are always welcome and may even beat out the ones I have planned. If you do suggest a charity to me it will be featured on my Charity of the Month page where everyone can see it for all eternity. To suggest a charity just email me at thedancingcowblogger@gmail.com with info about your charity and how to donate. You can also write a guest post about your charity on my blog, just send me an email and we'll see what we can do.

By myself I can't make much of a difference, but with your help we can bring awareness to the many charities out there and help people all over the world that are in need.

FASHION FRIDAY

I say all the time that Fashion Friday is a thing, but it really hasn't been. This year I'm making more of an effort, but please keep in mind it probably won't happen every Friday. Especially right now when the sun sets so early, it's very difficult for me to get good enough pictures since I work all day. Just be patient with me and I'll do my best.

WRITING

I say it all the time, I AM GOING TO BE A WRITER. I am going to publish a book someday. But in order to do that, I should probably get comfortable with letting people read my writing. This year you'll be seeing a lot more of my writing up on my blog. I'm working on poems and short stories and I'm going to be sharing them with you! To easily find all my writing posts you can click HERE.

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

I have a YouTube page. It's been around for almost a year but you probably don't know about it because I haven't done much with it. This year I am planning on posting a video to YouTube every other Wednesday. All those videos I will automatically post to my blog as well so you have fast access to them, but you should also subscribe to my channel to get instant notice when videos are uploaded.

In addition to my planned videos, I am working to do vlogs of my daily life with Chris. Those videos will be a bit more random about when I post them, but I should have at least one a month. These vlogs are just going to be about our fun life together with Zoram... Zoram is our puppy. I haven't once said on this blog yet that we got a puppy. But we have a puppy. His name is Zoram Gerrard Farnes and he is adorable.

GIVEAWAYS

What kind of blogger would I be if I didn't have a couple giveaways? I probably will only have 4 this year, probably do it like a quarterly thing. Keep in mind that I am very poor so giveaways will only happen if I am financially stable and if this blog can get more sponsorship. Speaking of which...

 SHOUT OUTS AND SPONSORING

While this blog is about me and my life, it wouldn't exist without you, the readers. So I want to highlight you. Every month during my Monthly Favorite's post I will give shout outs to some of my favorite comments and followers from all types of social media. I honestly could not do this without you and you deserve to be recognized.

I do have a tab on my blog about Sponsoring. I offer a variety of ad sizes at different costs so you can have your own blog, YouTube page, or company advertised on this page. Now I'm not into blogging strictly for the money (which is apparent since I've been doing this four years and haven't made one cent) so 50% of any proceeds will go directly to the Charity of the Month. This way you can advertise your blog and help a charity at the same time. It's a win-win situation. Of the remainder, 30% will go back to you guys through giveaways. I may be poor, but I don't need money from blogging and I'd much rather use it on charities and you.

BEING HAPPY AND HAVING FUN

Last year was honestly one of the hardest years of my life. I have high hopes for this year, mostly because I'm going to make it great. I'm not going to wait around to do fun things or be happy, I'm going to be happy now. My theme song for the year is Tomorrow Never Comes by the Zac Brown Band and I am going to live my life doing things now, being happy now, because you never should put off what you could do today.



This year is going to be awesome! I already have a calendar with posts lined up and I'm so excited to share them all with you! Don't forget to follow my blog, and find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Snapchat so you can always keep up to date with new posts. I love you all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

The Automatic Millionaire Discussion Post

I still have a little bit of this book left to read. My goal is to finish it today... or it would be if it wasn't in my husband's car. Ugh! Anyways, it's the 20th so I'm giving you a discussion post! If you want a discussion post for the second book, Insurgent, let me know. I was think that since it was a "just for fun" kind of book, we didn't need a discussion post, but if you want one I'd be happy to create one. Oh, but I think our GoodReads page has a discussion post for it.

So far I have been absolutely loving this book!! I feel like I'm learning a lot and I've been very caught up in it and making changes in my life. With my husband and I at new jobs that actually pay good money (and my husband is killing it in sales) we're finally creating a financially sound base for ourselves. Reading this book came at a perfect time, and I'm so happy I chose to read it.

Alright, leave your opinions, thoughts, criticisms, etc. in the comments below and let me know overall what you thought about this book. I will include a few discussion questions below (hey, I used to major in English teaching, it's a part of me I can't forget) and if you have not read the book yet, I guess spoiler alert? It's nonfiction, it's not like we're giving away secrets. Although I think reading through the discussion may encourage people to read it, so I take back that spoiler alert.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(You don't have to answer the questions, feel free to talk about the book anyway you'd like, these are here to help you out if you need them.)

1. What's the most important lesson you learned from the book?
2. What story impacted you the most and why?
3. Does this book change the way you look at your financial situation?
4. Have you made any changes since reading the book?
5. Do you think this book will be helpful for future generations to come?

If this book helped you find a little extra cash, why not donate it to my Charity of the Month? 

Charity of the Month: Make a Wish

Today I'm moving to Texas, I wrote this post a week ago so I can't tell you how stressful today probably is for me, but I know how stressed I am now. So this post is going to be short and sweet. Hopefully.

I'm sure many of you have already heard of the Make a Wish Foundation which raised money to help kid's dreams come true. I believe this is an incredible organization and I am proud to support them this month! So here to show you just how awesome Make a Wish can be is one of my most favorite stories ever, the Batkid!

As I said this post is short, but I hope it helps motivate you to spread the word about the Make a Wish Foundation and maybe make a donation of your own. Donations can be make online on their website found HERE. Also be sure to explore their website for other ways to help this foundation.

Sorry this post is so short, I may right up another post this month about Make a Wish, we'll see, depends on when we can get wi-fi in our new place. Ha ha.

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:

SeeeMe

Hey friends! So this month I didn't have a Charity of the Month and I'll be honest, it was all because of laziness and stress. However, in class yesterday my teacher handed out cards for a charity banquet for the organization she works with and I knew I had to write about it on here and share it with my followers.

On February 19th at 7:00pm in the Utah State University TSC Ballroom in Logan, there will be a Hunger Banquet to help the organization, SeeeMe. It's $5 each or a group rate of 4 for $15. So if any of you are in Logan, please go and help out this wonderful organization!

Because of this, SeeeMe is the Charity of the Month for March and the rest of this month. My teacher told us all about what she does in Uganda to help out these kids and it is such an incredible organization! They honestly make every penny count in helping out these people. So please don't forget to donate by CLICKING HERE. 

I want to thank all my readers for your participation in Charity of the Month! It's still in it's beginning, rocky stage, but you are all a big help. Remember that all I ask for is $1 a month towards charity and together we can help change the world. THANKS!!

Charity of the Month: Reading is Fundamental

I am a college student working towards a degree in elementary education, but I was formerly an English major and before that a journalism major (I've been in college forever and still have like three years to go). I love books and reading, hence my Book Club, and I'm a huge supporter of teaching reading properly and promoting literacy.

For Charity of the Month this month I am promoting Reading is Fundamental who has a goal to create a literate America and give all children access to books. They have a lot of different programs and locations, but not in my area. But we can all still donate online by CLICKING HERE. The minimum donation amount is $25. You can also volunteer if you're in their area.

I love reading and as a aspiring teacher I want to help create a literate America. I currently volunteer with Read Today and help tutor a 5th grader on his reading twice a week. If you can't make a money donation, please try to volunteer to help others to read.

Thank you so much for reading and for supporting my Charity of the Month! 

Web Video Wed... Thursday: First World Problems Anthem

Okay, I'm sorry I forgot to do Web Video Wednesday yesterday. I was busy with my last final. But now I'm done with the semester! Yay! I also have a cold so I've been lazy. So your getting your web video of the week on Thursday, sorry.

I started this blog to help others. I was raised by my wonderful parents to always treat others with kindness and respect. I still believe that and I believe that since I am so privileged in my life, it is my right to help those in need. That is why I started this blog and do Charity of the Month, because I alone won't make a difference, but if I can get my readers to help me, together we can help change the world and make it a better place.

The following video touched me and I wanted to share it with you. One of the things I hate most is that there are people in this world who don't have food. It honestly breaks my heart. Especially in my job where I see how much the restaurant on campus throws out every night. They throw out tons of perfectly good food and it honestly angers me because there are so many in this world that have nothing and we just throw away what we don't want.

I think that this video is incredibly important for everyone to watch because some people don't understand what's out there and all they care about are their "first world problems" without knowing or understanding just how privileged they are.

So I hope that this video inspires you as much as it inspires me. Please share it with your friends, spread the word, and donate to my Charity of the Month to help others. And if you can't donate, please participate in 12 Days of Service to help the people around you and in your community. Even the smallest acts of kindness help. Thank you!

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.

12 Days of Service

Welcome to December! Doesn't December just feel like the most magical month? It always does for me. Instead of a specific charity for Charity of the Month my goal this month is to complete 12 random acts of service. I don't have the money to give to a charity right now, but I have an able body that is able to do things for other people.

This month I want to challenge you to complete 12 acts of service as well. We'll call it the 12 Days of Service. Please Tweet about it with #12daysofservice so we can see everything that people do to help others this month or leave a comment on this post. You can also talk about service that others have given to you!

Examples of Service:

• Clean up a neighbor's yard
• Clean your parents/kids bedroom
• Make goodies to give to neighbors
• Write someone a thank you note
• Write a letter to a friend or relative
• Make a meal for someone
• Shovel snow/rake leave/mow the lawn for your neighbors
• Offer to babysit
• Give away old clothes or toys to someone in need
• Run errands for someone unable to do it themselves
• Drive someone to their destination
• Send stuffed animals to the hospital
• Make homemade greetings cards for others in the community
• Visit a retirement home and hang out with the elderly
• Pick up garbage you find on the ground
• Write letters to soldiers
• Organize a bake sale to raise money for a cause
• Help at a soup kitchen
• Volunteer your time with others
• Help neighbors repair their homes
• Reddit Gifts Secret Santa 
• Toys for Tots

Got any other great service ideas? Leave a comment below and tell your story! 

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.