The best weekend...

I just have to mention what happened to me this weekend. 

My life was changed. For the better. 

It always is during this time of year....(and in October) 

Some (probably most) of you know what I'm referring to --- General Conference! 

The opportunity to sit in the presence (either physically or through the Television set) of apostles and prophets of God is incredible and I truly cherish the opportunities that I have to do this bi-annually. 

It's incredibly cool how this conference is broadcast through so many mediums throughout the world. Not only is it broadcast online, on television, and through the radio in English, but it's also translated into many languages for non-english speakers all over the place so that members everywhere can feel the spirit of the meetings. We are so lucky to have such great opportunities to spread the gospel through the media in this way every year! 

If you didn't watch it, you should. My personal favorite talk was by Dieter F. Uchtdorf who talked about gratitude. Go take a listen :) 

Because it's that time of year....

My whole childhood was spent reading books. Pages and pages and pages of everything that you could possibly imagine. Some of my very favorite books were compilations of poems from wonderful and fanciful writers like Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, and Shel Silverstein. 

The end of the semester is the absolute worst for me, and it seems that I'm never able to fully calm down from all of the stresses. I feel like I'm fighting against everything - time, my grades, etc. 

I'm sure you're feeling at least part of the same way too....so in honor of this mini war that we're all fighting - here's a poem that can bring at least a few seconds of joy! 

Go hug someone today :) 

Stop It.

I absolutely love Mormon Messages. This series of short videos with inspirational messages and wonderful, heart warming themes never ceases to make my day, and regularly watching them is now a special part of my Sunday morning routine.

I saw one this week that was especially wonderful and thought I would share it. There's something about seeing something actually happening that makes things that before were just words, real and tangible.

Take bullying, for example. Unless you've been bullied yourself you just do not understand the effect that it has on a person, and the emotional toll that takes place. No amount of words can display the powerful affect that it has on a person - at least to me. But watching someone being bullied makes it all much more real. 

I have younger siblings who have gone through experiences like those outlined in the video, and I have experienced some of these things myself. It is important that we make others aware of the tolls that seemingly harmless "jokes" and anonymous words have on other people. 

The talk that is shared in this message is absolutely wonderful, and if you don't remember much about it, you should also go find a copy online and read it. Then read it again. (Yep, it's that good) :) 

If you haven't already, please take a minute to watch this wonderful short message: 

Warning: You will most likely become very emotionally attached to these kids very quickly and there is a possibility that you'll cry if you're prone to that. Bring a tissue, just in case...

Google Chrome Knows Too Much...

It's crazy how well my laptop knows me. 

I feel like any time that I'm looking for anything that I need, I happen to see an advertisement on a sidebar of a random website showing me what I should buy. Google Chrome is a big pain because of that sometimes. 

For example: I got engaged at the beginning of the semester (WOO HOO!) and for a week or two before it was "officially official" (you know the stage - it's the worst) - I spent a good chunk of time looking at rings and wedding dresses, etc. online. 

A friend borrowed my laptop one afternoon and FLIPPED because all of the advertisements were related to wedding dresses, rings, and the like. She knew I was up to something before I could share the details for myself! 

It's really nice that advertisements are personalized, but is it too nice? Because while I once enjoyed it...I kinda hate it now...

My relationship with insanity is...insane

So the best and worst media that I use every day consist of a single disc and about 45 minutes. Doesn't sound too bad, right? I mean, 45 minutes is enough for two episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show (or Modern Family, if you feel like you actually belong in this era...unlike me). It's enough time to make a delicious meal, or clean the entire apartment! Are these the things that I do during those 45 minutes? 

Boy do I wish that they were. 

Those 45 minutes I spend in a mixture of satisfaction, anger, and pain. I spend them listening to the voice of my beloved Shaun T. - the most Insane man on the planet. For those of you unfamiliar with the man, here he is: 

He's always looking at you like this - with an intense look that says, "I KNOW you're taking another break. Stop that. Buck up. DIG. DEEPER." 
The worst part about Shaun T. is that although he's perfectly capable of ripping all of the workouts to shreds, he does them each halfway, and goes to one of his cast members to "show their form" while he sits pretty watching everyone sweat. 

Seriously Insanity is the worst. At least, in the sense that it makes me extremely tired, often sore, and sweaty at 6am when I can't even speak passable English correctly. However, it is also the best! I feel SO accomplished after conquering a workout, and I have a happy "pat myself on the back moment" when I realize I just finished a workout at 6am when everyone else in my apartment was sound asleep. 

The only downfall to the early hour is that  I can't bust out extremely loud music to pump myself up. All I've got is Shaun T.'s voice telling me to "Dig Deeper" and my old, smoker-lung grandmother breathing. If only I could do something like this regularly...I think I'd be more happy.....

The Best Cycling Class In The World....

^This definitely makes me miss the gym in Atlanta....

I don't know how to math...

I grew up learning that everyone always had special talents, and that we're all good at different things. This is DEFINITELY true, and absolutely applicable to the art of Math. 

Let's face it: math is difficult. It takes a certain kind of brain, a certain kind of patience, and a certain amount of class and brilliance that just didn't get passed down to me.  

I'm one of those people who pulls out a calculator to do simple math because the idea of working numbers in my head sounds like a joke. Whenever teachers say, "okay! You should be able to do this in your mind!" I die a little inside. Thank goodness I can do other things. 

I love the people who make the kid history videos. Their children know exactly how to explain just how bad at math that I am. And because I love them so much, I'll share this with you: 

please enjoy, and laugh. I'll sit here and appreciate the fact that my major helps me work with people, and not numbers. 

Because Everyone Loves "Hearing it first"

So there's this huge stigma about "hipsters" and how they love knowing music that no one else knows. You've all seen those Jimmy Kimmel videos where they ask attendees at music festivals if they're excited to hear {insert non-existent band name here} and they're like, "oh yeah. totally. they're way chill. love their vibe." etc. etc. (If you haven't, watch one. They're funny). 

Well, hipsters or not, I think that we all secretly love to be "that person" who is the giver of new music to their friends. My favorite song that I can always share with others that they will almost NEVER know is this one by Jason Mraz: 

I'm a huge fan of everything about this guy. His music is awesome, unique, and diverse, and I'm always snooping around to find more music from him. I found this gem on YouTube several years back and can't find it anywhere else because apparently it's only sold on iTunes in Canada. What!? Very Lame. Because of it's Canadian origin though, I pretty much always win in a "well have you heard THIS song?" battle. 

Now take a minute to relax and just listen to the beauty of this song/this man. Repeat as desired. You can thank me later. :) 

My dreams are coming true on January 31st....

So I've always been a big fan of all things Disney. Like, HUGE. The extent to which I hold high adoration for cheesy animation, predictable plots, and musical outbursts is absurd, but it makes me unique...right? Anyway, I'm always extremely excited every time a new movie comes out. When I was little, I used to watch new movies over and over again until I had every line memorized, and then proceed to try to sing or speak along with every word and note. (It got a little complicated when I tried to harmonize with myself, but it worked...kind of). I find extreme joy in singing out loud at the top of my lungs with these movies. Disney's newest gem, Frozen, is no exception. I don't care that I'm 21 years old. I still belt out the songs whenever I can and can't decide if I'd rather be Elsa, Anna, or the Charming Reindeer. (In reality, I'm probably more like the Reindeer, but I can imagine that I'd be the pretty princess if I want, because that's much more helpful to the self-esteem).

That's why when I saw THIS little gem on Facebook a few days ago, I flipped out.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/79835/sing-along-frozen-is-the-best-news-of-the-day

a Sing along!? It's a dream come true. Not only do I get to belt out the words as loud as I want, but I can laugh with all of the grade schoolers around me and come to terms with the fact that I'm loving the experience just as much as them...

Admit it. You'd kind of enjoy it just a little bit too...wouldn't you? See you on January 31st :)