Southern Soul

AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge

2014-02-11T15:16:00.001-06:00

I didn't do a good job of keeping the blog updated during this challenge, mostly because I totally underestimated how busy I would be with my teacher internship this semester. I have now completed my 24 day challenge, and I would call it a success. I lost 12 pounds during the 24 days, and my clothes are fitting a little looser. I think this was a good kick-start to weight loss.

I am going to continue eating healthy, following the plan that I used during the challenge. I also need to get into the gym more, but that is a time issue more than anything right now. I just need to make the time for it, which is hard for me to do.

I should have taken a before picture when I started the challenge, but I forgot to do so. Here is an after picture...

I still have a long way to go to get to my goal, but this was a good start.

Devotion from AdvoCare Day 2

2014-01-23T20:16:00.003-06:00

I didn't have time to upload this yesterday, but I found a great devotion on K-LOVE's Facebook page yesterday as part of their #30daysofprayer4newlife campaign. This prayer was written by Amanda Carroll, and it really spoke to me on multiple levels:

Father, help me not to cling to the old things in my life that I enjoyed but were a distraction from my relationship with You.

For Jesus said, "Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity." (John 12:25)

Lord, I know You want us to experience joy, just not at the expense of sinning against You. Father, show me how to love the life I live. Not the one that I design, but the one You have planned for me.

I love this prayer! I think that it is so powerful and so true. We live in a fast paced world that offers us many distractions. It is easy to get caught up in things. Even things that are not wrong or harmful in themselves can be dangerous for us if we allow them to take over our lives.

Food is a great example. Food is a necessary part of life. It is something that God created to provide us with nourishment and pleasure. If we weren't supposed to enjoy eating, why do you think God made such tasty things? But food can become a problem if we allow it to become too important or try to use it to fill a void in our lives that it should not fill.

This prayer can also talk about toxic relationships, TV time, money...ANYTHING that you allow to distract you from God. We need to daily surrender those things.

AdvoCare Challenge Day 2

2014-01-22T22:13:00.001-06:00

It has been a long day, so I am uploading this straight from my notes on my phone where I am tracking what I eat.

8:30 a.m. - Today did not get off to a good start. I woke up so late that there was no reason to even try to get to class on time, because, barring the invention of a time machine, it just wasn't going to happen. I chugged my fiber drink (still not my favorite thing) and even though I didn't really want it, I made a breakfast wrap with a whole wheat tortilla, turkey, and veggies. Not exactly breakfast food, I know, but it was good. I packed a quick lunch (so glad I took the time to prepare my fruits and veggies into individual bags and cups on Monday night. It saves tons of time.) And then I headed to class, knowing I was going to be an hour late (which I hate). But on the bright side, my radio was on point this morning. Hoping the rest of the day goes a little smoother.

10:30 - Spark

11:30 - Lunch Turkey sandwich on wheat with grapes and almonds

Devotion from K-LOVE (I will post this for you guys tomorrow.)

3:30 - Carrots with peanut butter

5:30 - Fruit cup

6:30 - pork, brown rice and veggies

I have not really been hungry today, but I haven't been satisfied either. I think it has more to do with being stressed and running around so much today. I didn't plan my meals ahead enough and ended up kind of grazing and overeating at dinner... But, tomorrow is a new opportunity to do better! Goodnight, and God bless!

Christina

AdvoCare Challenge Day 1

2014-01-21T21:20:00.004-06:00

There are lots of ways that I could do this, but I decided the best way to really let you see what the AdvoCare Challenge is like would be to break it down and tell you exactly how each day goes. Note that this is NOT an advice page and that I am NOT an AdvoCare coach. I am not an expert on how this challenge should be done. I am learning about it as I go, so I am sure there are days when I will mess up. In other words, don't follow my diet as your plan. Make sure if you start AdvoCare that you get a good coach to help you out! Most of the AdvoCare coaches that I know are awesome, so I am sure that you will be able to find a great one to help keep you motivated and on task to reach your goals.

Today's Devotion - Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"

I am going to be spending a lot of time over the next 24 days thinking about what I am eating and drinking and what is going on with my body. I am serious about seeing a change in my body, but it is important that I don't lose focus on God and His plan because I am too concerned about such insignificant things. There are lots of reasons that I want to lose weight and get healthier. I want to feel better and look better and have more energy. Those reasons are partly selfish. But I need to keep my focus on God's plan. How much better can I serve Him if I am healthy? How much better of an example for Him will I be if I feel better and have more energy to help others and share His love with others? I may be worried about what I am eating and drinking, but God is concerned with bigger things. I know that I can trust in Him and that He will help me be successful in this journey as long as I keep my priorities straight and rely on Him.

Today was my first day on AdvoCare. Here's how it went...

7:45 a.m. - I am not a morning person. At all. I am also not a breakfast person. I usually don't want anything to eat until I have been up for a couple of hours. I know that isn't good and that you need to eat in the morning to get your metabolism going, but that doesn't mean I like it. This morning, I was supposed to drink the AdvoCare Fiber Drink and eat breakfast. I did drink the Fiber Drink, but I didn't make it to eat anything (mostly because I was running late this morning). Also, the Fiber Drink totally filled me up and I really didn't want anything else. Now, I better warn you about this Fiber Drink. I mixed mine with water. It actually tasted okay (mine was the citrus flavor), but the texture (it was kind of gritty) was a little hard for me to get past. I am a really picky eater, so I basically just chugged the drink like it was medicine. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever had, but I am glad that I don't have to drink one every day for the next 24 days.

8:45 a.m. - I got to class, planning to eat some fruit for breakfast when I got there. Like I said earlier, I was running late, so I didn't really get an opportunity to eat anything because we dove right into some group work as soon as I got to class (I am in my student teaching semester and am currently taking my seminar class with all the other teacher interns). Despite not eating anything for breakfast, I wasn't hungry (which didn't really surprise me, since that Fiber Drink was so filling and since I usually skip breakfast anyway).

10:45 a.m. - Our instructor let us have a little break, so I mixed up a Spark in my water bottle. It tasted great, and it was great to have the caffeine since this is about the time of day that I start craving my first Dr. Pepper of the day.

11:30 a.m. - Lunch break! Being in these seminar classes (we get about an hour for lunch each day), I typically run through a fast food place and grab a burger or chicken tenders for lunch.

My typical lunch...which probably has enough calories for an entire day in it...

Last night, when I got home from the grocery store, I went ahead and fixed all my fruit and veggies in little snack sized portions so they would be easy to pack. I grabbed a few bags of veggies and a bag of fruit and tossed them in my lunch box with a turkey sandwich that I made on a whole wheat sandwich bun. It was actually way more filling than what I normally eat, and since I planned ahead, it didn't take that much extra time to pack it.

My AdvoCare lunch

Oh, by the way, check out how cute my lunch box is! I love Vera Bradley! :)

2:00 p.m. - The afternoon is one of my worst times when I am trying to diet! I always get hungry around this time of day and start scrounging around for something to eat. I had tossed a little 100 Calorie Pack of almonds and walnuts in my purse this morning, so I grabbed that while I was listening to a lecture this afternoon.

3:30 p.m. - I mixed up another Spark, mainly because I could tell that I was needing some caffeine (my addiction to Dr. Pepper is no joke, apparently).

6:00 p.m. - I finally got home from school and was a little hungry, but not starving. I probably should have waited (you're not really supposed to have 2 snacks between lunch and dinner), but I grabbed a little bowl of fruit (strawberries, fresh pineapple, and kiwi).

8:00 p.m. - I have always been a late eater, so I waited until now to eat supper because I knew if I ate earlier I would be starving before bed. I took my OmegaPlex Fish Oil pills and had a lemon and herb pork chop with steamed broccoli and carrots and a piece of wheat bread. You can find my recipe for lemon and herb pork chops here.

Now I just have to take my Herbal Cleanse Caplets (Holy cow, they are huge! Haha.) before bed.

Day one of my AdvoCare challenge is in the books, and I can honestly say that I have not felt hungry or deprived at all. I really think this plan for a healthier lifestyle is going to be a great thing for me and I am looking forward to the next 23 days!

Blessings,
Christina

Recipe of the Day

2014-01-21T21:11:00.001-06:00

Lemon and Herb Pork Chops

(this recipe serves 2)

2 butterflied lean pork chops
Lawry's Herb and Garlic Marinade with Lemon Juice
1 lemon

Slice the lemon and put the lemon slices into a quart Ziploc bag with the 2 pork chops. Pour in about 1/3 of the bottle of Herb and Garlic Marinade. Put the bag in the refrigerator and let the pork chops marinate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make a foil packet for the pork chops on a cookie sheet and bake them for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and open the foil packet so that the chops can brown. Return to the oven and cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until chops are done (they should be white all the way through when you cut into them). Serve with steamed veggies.

Let's Get It Started

2014-01-20T21:51:00.000-06:00

This year, instead of a list of New Year's Resolutions, I decided to make a list of experiences that I want to have in 2014. The first thing on my list was to complete the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge.

I ordered my challenge kit a few weeks ago and finally got the chance to go pick it up yesterday. Today, I planned my meals and did my shopping. Now I am ready to get started!

I am determined to fully commit to this plan for the next 24 days. I don't think it is going to be a miracle cure that will instantly make me lose 20 or 30 pounds, but I am hoping to lose a little weight over the next 24 days and I want to improve my energy and decrease my craving for all things sweet. I am also going to be training for a 5K over the next few weeks, so I am getting more active, too.

I don't just want this to be a cleansing of my body. I am also going to commit to a devotion plan for the next 24 days and will include Bible reading every single day.

I am going to be blogging about my experience - telling you all about what I'm cooking and eating, what I'm doing for exercise, how I'm feeling (from what my friends say, this AdvoCare Spark is supposed to be the best thing ever and should give me TONS of energy) and what I'm learning in my devotions each day.

I currently wear size 12 jeans (they are tight and I have a major muffin top when I wear them, though...ugh). I am not going to share my weight or measurements, but I will be reporting on if I have lost pounds or inches at the end of the first 10 days and at the end of the challenge so you can see my progress.

I have a great coach and some friends who have already done the challenge with great success, so I am looking forward to the next 24 days!

Now, let's get it started!

Here's to 2014

2013-12-31T20:08:00.001-06:00

I really don't do well with New Year's Resolutions. I typically sit down and make a list of things that I would like to accomplish in a new year, but I almost never stick to anything long enough to actually see those resolutions through.

This year, instead of resolutions, I am going to plan some experiences - things that I want to do and places that I want to go this year. I listed twelve experiences, one for each month of 2014. And unlike my normal resolutions, these aren't things that I have to focus on for an entire year (which is good for me because I can't focus on anything for very long).

January - Complete the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge
February - WinterJam with my little brother to see Lecrae
March - Dance Alabama! Spring Dance Concert
April - Braves vs Nationals game in Atlanta
May - Memphis in May with my Papaw Hoot
July - Mary Poppins at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery
October - Canton Flea Market with Mama
November - Alabama Football Game
December - Graduate from college!

Other events (which don't have specific dates yet)

The Color Run in Tuscaloosa
Participate in part of the Southern Literary Trail
Beach trip

Here's to a year full of great experiences and lots of fun times and great memories with family and friends.

Things All Sales Associates Wish Customers Knew

2013-12-08T23:55:00.001-06:00

Working in retail is...interesting, to say the least. Any job where you work for the public provides certain challenges, and working in a retail department store during the Christmas season is definitely an experience. I think it is good for people to have a job like that, to learn how to multitask and to learn what it means to provide good customer service. It is important for people to know what it is like to work on the other side of the cash register.

Here are some things that I wish customers knew:

1. I am here to serve you. That means that I am there to help you find the items that you are looking for and, if we cannot find them in the store, to help you order the color or size that you need. I am there to help you print out a bridal registry, to give you directions to another department or the bathrooms if necessary, to offer you coupons and show you the best deals each day, and to climb the ladder to get items off the top shelf for you. This does NOT mean that you are allowed to treat me like crap or that I am supposed to ignore every other customer in the store and solely wait on you for the entire time that you are shopping.

2. I do not personally own everything that we sell in the store, therefore I cannot give you a personal testimony about every single item.

3. It is not my fault that the coupon from the paper doesn't work on your item. Please do not get rude with me just because you didn't read the fine print.

4. I am just a lowly sales associate and have no authority to lower prices for you just because you ask me to. A dent on the corner of a box does not make an item damaged and will not get you 50% off (especially if I see YOU dent the box on your way to the register). Also, if you DO buy damaged merchandise at a discounted price, you CANNOT return it.

5. I do not have the price of every item in the store memorized.

6. It is my job to straighten up the store throughout the day and especially at the end of the sales day. However, the store floor is not a garbage can. Please be a decent person and throw you gum wrappers, leftover coffee cups, fast food bags, and candy wrappers away instead of just dropping them wherever. Also, if you decide that you don't want an item, but can't remember where you got it, at least leave it at a register and tell the associate that you changed your mind. Trust me, I will find the cowboy boots that you decided not to buy and shoved four rows back behind the pillows, and I will curse you under my breath when I do, whoever you are.

7. Just because you saw an item online does not guarantee that we have that item in-stock at the store.

8. When a Door Buster price says that it ends at 1:00 p.m., that means that you must check out before 1:00 p.m. in order to get that price. If you check out at 2:00, but swear that you picked the item up before 1:00, you are not going to get the Door Buster price. Also, I cannot honor that price the next day just because you still have the sales paper. There are rules, people.

9. If you have worn it, slept on it, or broken it, then please don't return it. However, if you do have a problem with an item breaking or tearing up (for example, if your coffee pot doesn't work right and it is a manufacturer problem), then feel free to bring it back and exchange it, but please tell the associate what is wrong with it so that we will not put it back on the shelf and sell it to another customer in it's damaged state.

10. I do not work on commission, but I do have an hourly sales goal that I must meet in order to keep my job. Therefore, if I help you for 10 minutes or longer (if I go to the stockroom to get items for you, help you dig through stacks of dishes to find a specific accent plate, scan every set of silverware that we carry so that you can see which one is the best value) and then you go to another associate to check out, I will secretly hope that you trip in the parking lot and break every single one of those dishes you just bought.

And one more thing... I know it is annoying when sales associates ask for your personal information, but I am required to ask for your telephone number and/or email address. I know that you have both, so don't lie to me. And if I don't get this information, I will get in big trouble. You can mark it as spam and unsubscribe as soon as you leave the store, but please share this information with me. A little junk email never hurt anybody, did it?

No More Waiting

2013-12-02T18:33:00.003-06:00

I just read a great blog post here. I have thought plenty about waiting. I have even written a couple posts about it myself (see Called to Wait). Lately, I have really started to wonder what exactly it is that I am waiting for. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted a husband and a family of my own. I have always been what others considered "smart" - I always made good grades in school and I am sure that people expected me to have big plans and dreams of a great and successful career, but I never wanted that. All I really wanted was to get married and have kids. Being a stay-at-home mom sounded (and still sounds) like Heaven on earth to me, and that was what I wanted to do.

But there is a problem with that ambition. It depends on a man deciding to ask me to marry him.

Like the article I linked above mentions, I have been taught that I should wait for that man. I don't wear a ring on my left hand because I am waiting for a diamond. I have learned how to be a good wife. I have prayed for that man and hoped for him to come into my life for years. People keep telling me that God will send the right guy at the right time, which is really easy for a girl who got married at 18 to say. I am not doubting that God can give me a husband, but I have to be realistic. I have no reason to expect that He will. A spouse is not something that God promised to everyone, and if you look at the numbers, there is no way that every girl in the world has a guy out there who is made just for her. (There are almost twice as many women in the world than men, and then there are guys who are gay or who just don't want to settle down, so there are going to be some forever single ladies out there. That is just a fact.) So, in reality, I have spent the first 26 years of my life waiting for something that might never happen. And that is a pretty miserable way to live.

I used to believe that girls were called to wait (I must have, I wrote about it), but now I'm not so sure that God wants us to do that. Of course, we are supposed to wait until marriage to have sex. That is definitely God's plan and design, but we aren't supposed to be waiting to LIVE. I say we because I am totally guilty of this. I keep putting things off, thinking, "I want to do that with my husband someday," or "If only I was married, I could do this," or "If I had a boyfriend, I would..." I am limiting myself because I am single, and that is not what God wanted from His children.

Think of all the things that I could do for God if I stopped waiting and started living! I don't have to have a husband to work for God. I don't need a husband to be involved in ministry. I don't need a husband to teach children about God. I don't need a husband to help the less fortunate or to make a difference. I don't need a husband.

Wow. Let that thought sink in for a second.

I don't need a husband.

I have always thought that I needed one. I have always thought that, for me to be happy and live the life that God designed for me, I needed a man by my side. But I don't.

It has always been hard to me to figure out what exactly a single woman is supposed to do. God created women to be the help meet for men, to love and support their husbands. So what is a woman without a husband supposed to do? I asked my pastor this one time and he told me to read the book of Ruth because both Naomi and Ruth were single. I know he meant well, but Naomi and Ruth were widows, and that is very different than being single. In fact, it is hard to find an example in the Bible of a woman who is in the position that I find myself in everyday. The woman at the well in John 4 was single, but she had been married and divorced many times. We don't know about the personal life of the woman with the issue of blood. Mary and Martha seem to be single, but we don't have much insight into their lives and how that particular struggle affected them. Esther was married to the king (not by choice, but still, she was married). Ruth was a widow and has a beautiful love story with Boaz. Jacob loved Rachel enough to work for her for 14 years before he got to marry her.

The two women that I seem to be able to identify with the most are Leah and Hannah. Leah was married, but to a man who didn't love her (in fact, the Bible says that he hated her). No matter how good of a wife she was to Jacob and no matter how many children she gave him, he never loved her. She waited for him to care about her, and he never did. She was never loved.

Hannah was married to a loving man, but was waiting on a child. To make things worse, she had her husband's other wife, who got pregnant easily, picking on her about it all the time. (Kind of like those people who constantly ask why you're not married. It is really, really hard to love those people and impossible to like them.)

Anna (the prophetess at the Temple in the story of Jesus's birth in John) was also waiting. She was waiting on her Savior.

We single ladies need to take notes from Anna. She was waiting on something that WAS promised to her. She was waiting for something that would absolutely happen and would change not only her life, but the entire world. Anna was waiting on a Prince that she knew was coming. Today, we don't have to wait for that Prince anymore. He is already here, and he invites us to be in a relationship with him every day.

Now, I'm not saying that it is easy to just give up on the dream of having a husband. I still haven't given up completely. I am reminded every single day (by my naked ring finger, among other things) just how single I really am. I am lonely. I want to be in a relationship. I want a husband. I want to have kids. And even though I finally decided that I couldn't bank on being a stay-at-home mom and went back to school to get my degree, I will more than happily trade in my future career to stay at home and take care of my husband and kids in an instant if that opportunity ever arises. I still dream about that and I still want it, but I can't put my life on hold for it.

It is easy to get mad at God and blame Him for never sending that guy that you always heard was promised for you. But think about it. Did God ever really promise you a husband? Or was that just people talking? Really think about it. Have you ever read in the Bible where God said, "And I will make a perfect person for each person who believes in me and all of you will get married and have wonderful lives full of romance and happy times"? I don't think so. If you have, I want to see what translation of the Bible you're reading, because it just isn't in there.

I have no right to be mad at God for not giving me something that I want. That's like opening all your presents on Christmas morning and throwing a hissy fit because your mom didn't buy you the exact brand of jeans you wanted. It is childish and it is completely ungrateful. God doesn't have to give us anything, but He blesses all of us with more than we deserve every day.

I know that I will probably always hope for a husband. But I am not going to wait for him anymore. I need to stop waiting for a man to complete my life. I need to stop waiting to live. I am almost 27 years old, and when I really think about it, I haven't accomplished much of anything in my time on earth because I have spent most of my years waiting for something. I have always wanted to wait for perfect conditions or perfect circumstances before starting something. But I am not going to get a second chance at life, and I don't want to miss out on life just because God didn't send me a husband. If I do, it won't be His fault. It will be mine.

Thanksgiving

2013-11-28T15:03:00.002-06:00

I am not typically one to be warm and fuzzy and share sappy sentiments. In fact, I know that I can be hypercritical about most things. But I do love the season of Thanksgiving. So, without getting too sappy, here's a list of the things I am most thankful for...

My parents, for everything
My little brother, for making me laugh on a daily basis
My grandparents
My extended family
My church family from Springfield, Fayette, Sulphur Springs, and Mt. Harmony
The opportunity I had to be involved with children's ministry at Sulphur Springs
MUW and my great professors
My mentor teachers at New Hope
My retail job (even on days like Black Friday)
My Aunt Wanda, for being the best roommate ever
The ability to cook (especially Thanksgiving specialties like turkey and dressing)
My (ever growing) book collection
Baseball, a.k.a. The Greatest Sport Ever
Alabama Football (Roll Tide!)
America and all the soldiers who have sacrificed their time and lives so that I can enjoy my freedom
Country music (especially the old stuff)
Being Southern
Big, comfy sweatshirts
Family recipes that have been handed down for generations
Family traditions

The Hissy Fit

2013-11-26T19:46:00.001-06:00

I have thrown many school-stress-induced hissy fits this semester. They look a little like this...

According to Urban Dictionary, a hissy fit is defined as "a sudden outburst of temper, often used to describe female anger at something trivial."

While hissy fits are not exactly lady-like, sometimes they are just necessary. They are also uniquely Southern. I am sure that women from every region have meltdowns at some point (because, honestly, no woman can be expected to get through life without falling apart every now and then), but the term "hissy fit" only applies to those ladies who are lucky enough to be from somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon line.

As a Southern woman, I can totally vouch for the benefits of throwing the occasional hissy fit. They aren't pretty, and I truly feel sorry for any witnesses or (heaven forbid) victims of irrational Southern female anger, but sometimes a girl just needs to let off some steam. And when you go to Subway during your already way too short lunch break and stand in line for twenty minutes only to find out that they are out of wheat bread and turkey (WHAT KIND OF SANDWICH SHOP RUNS OUT OF TURKEY???) sometimes you just can't help but to snap.

Not that being stressed makes it okay to rant and rave like a crazy person. It is never okay to take your anger out on others. Before you start thinking that I screamed at the Subway worker, you should know that my mama did raise me to be more of a lady than that and that I let out an annoyed sigh, marched out of the store, and reserved my hissy fit for when I was totally alone in my car. I am totally aware that having a hissy fit did nothing to fix the situation. Subway didn't instantly get more turkey and make me a sandwich after that. But having that hissy fit led to something else. After I did it, after I screamed and punched the steering wheel and kicked the tires on the car, I did something else. I laughed. And what is it they say about laughter? It's the best medicine, right? Right. Especially for stress.

We Southern ladies know that our hissy fits are not rational. We know that they are slightly ridiculous. And we usually laugh at ourselves after we throw them. But they are so engrained into our personalities (probably because we saw our mothers and grandmothers throw them from time to time) that we really can't help it.

So cut us Southern ladies some slack about our hissy fits, okay, y'all?

And, if anyone from Subway is reading this, don't EVER run out of turkey, okay?

Nutty November

2013-11-02T23:17:00.000-05:00

This month is going to be nuts! On top of having a 20 page research paper, my creative writing portfolio, and a major instructional unit due for school, I am trying to get a part-time job and I have to get 20 observation hours done so that I can begin my student teaching in the spring. I'm also going to be helping my parents finish remodeling their house and I am supposed to help my grandmother paint her bathroom. Add apartment hunting to that, and my plate is going to be pretty full.

I am determined to end this November in better shape than I am starting it, so I am going to be doing this 30 day Ab and Squat Challenge on top of my normal workout routine. (I really need a workout buddy for this so that I can't slack off just because I get busy.)

I may not get a chance to post much this month, but here are some of the things I am really looking forward to in the crazy, jam-packed month:

The Good Doctor presented by MUW Theatre Department - November 7-9

Alabama vs. LSU - November 9

Thanksgiving - November 28

The Iron Bowl - November 30

The Pumpkin Patch

2013-10-26T14:35:00.002-05:00

Country Pumpkins in Caledonia, Mississippi

Comfort Food

2013-10-25T17:36:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love about fall is that my family and I start cooking comfort foods. As soon as the first cold snap (which, in Alabama, really isn't that cold - but you would think it was ten below from seeing the girls walking around everywhere in over sized sweatshirts and Ugg boots), my mother starts cooking soups and stews and all kinds of cold-weather dishes. Here are a few of my favorite fall comfort foods:

Hamburger Hash for Two

This is one of my favorite quick dinners.

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 pound ground beef

1/2 small onion, chopped

Garlic Salt

Seasoned Salt

Spray a saute pan with cooking spray. Put ground beef, onions and potatoes in pan and heat on high. Stir in garlic salt and seasoned salt to taste. Cook until beef is browned and potatoes start to get crispy. Drain off grease before serving. We eat this as a meal by itself, or sometimes we will cook cornbread and tomato soup to go with it.

Buttermilk Cornbread

When I was a freshman in college, one of the guys in my Freshman Composition class was talking one day about how much he missed home and his mother's home cooking. He said that he'd been craving some good cornbread all semester. I should have cooked some for him (maybe I would have snagged him up - he was pretty cute), but instead, I told him that I could tell him how to make cornbread because it was easy. He seemed skeptical, but I wrote down the recipe for him and told him how to pick out a black skillet, and he decided that he would try it. He came back to class the next week and told me that I was a genius. He said that he'd made cornbread better than his mama's (I hope he never told his mama that). Cornbread is one of the easiest things to make. I have friends who are so intimidated by cooking, especially cornbread, because they think it is hard. Trust me, it isn't. Anyone can make good cornbread. The guy from my Freshman Comp class is my proof (He had never cooked anything in his life, ever. I remember telling the same guy how to do his laundry and how to get grease stains out of his jeans. Which really makes me wonder why he never did snag me up...maybe I reminded him too much of his mother? I guess I'll never know...).

2 cups of cornmeal (yellow or white - I like yellow, but either will work)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

Pinch of salt

1/2 stick butter

Spray a black skillet with cooking spray and place 1/2 stick of butter in the bottom of the pan. Place pan in an oven heated to 400 degrees to melt the butter. While the pan is heating, whisk together the cornmeal, milk, egg and salt. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little extra milk. Once all the butter is melted, pour cornmeal mixture into the hot pan and bake on the top rack of the oven at 400 degrees until golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a plate.

Note: If you don't want to buy a whole carton of buttermilk, you can use regular milk - just add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise to the mixture as well and you'll never know the difference.

They call this senioritis...

2013-10-17T10:47:00.003-05:00

I should not even be online right now. I have a paper due at 3:00 this afternoon and another due on Monday that I need to get finished before this weekend starts, but I am just not in the mood to be writing academic papers. I think I have officially hit the wall. I have gotten to that point where college is just a chore. It is no longer something I enjoy. It is my senior year and things are getting serious and this is now just a means to an end. This is my attitude about writing this paper right now:

So, instead of doing my work, I am going to take a little break to daydream about the future...

I am so ready to graduate.

If you know me, then you know that I have waffled a lot when trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up, but the closer I get to graduation, the more sure I am that I made the right decision choosing Secondary English Education as my major. I hate all the paperwork that accompanies being a teacher (it is totally ridiculous), but I absolutely love being in front of a classroom and teaching. It is a good place for me - I love the students and the subject that I will be teaching, and it is a job where I can have financial security and stability and still have tons of time off in the summers and on holidays to write and travel and do the things I want to do.

Deciding to be a teacher was not easy for me. I have a lot a friends who are teachers, and, although I love them, I have to be honest here...teachers get on my nerves. I can't tell you how many times I have heard teachers gripe about their jobs and complain about their pay and go on and on about how unappreciated they are. That bugs me. As a future educator, I am going into this understanding that it is a career that I chose. I decided that it is what I wanted to do. I believe that teaching is a gift and a calling, but it is not forced upon anyone. It is something that a person willingly decides to pursue as a career. So I don't understand all the complaining.

I am not going into teaching to become wealthy. I am doing it because it is a good, reliable career that will supply me with enough money to live comfortably while allowing me to do something that I enjoy. I don't expect to become rich, and I don't expect to be treated like a hero for teaching a child how to read. Yes, I hope that I will have a positive influence on my students, but I know that teenagers rarely tell you that you made a difference in their lives (mostly because it is not until later in life that they realize that the lessons you taught them were actually important). I don't need to be praised just for doing my job.

One of the things that I am most excited about when it comes to teaching is interacting with my future students. I love to see the look on a child's face when he or she really gets the point of a lesson. You can literally see the light bulb come on when you look into their faces and you just know that they are getting it. That is a great feeling.

I also want to show my students that learning can be fun. I am an English nerd, so I love to read and I even love a good lecture, but I know that most students do not like either of those things. With the help of one of my art professors, I have been creating active, art-integrated lesson plans to really help my students connect with the material that I will be teaching. I am so excited to actually get into a classroom and put all these plans into action. If you have ever seen the movie Freedom Writers with Hillary Swank, then you have seen the kind of teacher I want to be. It won't be easy to teach like that, but it will be so worth it.

I am also ready to graduate because it means that I can do a little traveling and a lot more writing. I love to write, but academic papers are not my thing. Creative writing is so much more fun, and it is hard to do that when you have so many other things on your plate and so many other due dates and deadlines to juggle. Hopefully, this summer will be my chance to get some major writing done (I am working on a novel, after all, and I need some time to dedicate to that. Gotta cross that one off the Bucket List!).

I have a huge list of things that I want to do, but here are the top ten things I am most looking forward to after graduation:

1. Going to the Memphis in May BBQ Competition with my Papaw
2. Reading a book of my choosing by the pool, just for FUN
3. Finishing my short story collection
4. Going to Atlanta to see the Braves play
5. Going to the beach
6. Finally running that 5K that I am always talking about
7. Finding a teaching job!!! (I should probably have this in the #1 spot, actually...)
8. Paying off my debts. I didn't have to get many student loans, but the ones I did get are not going to be around long, if I can help it. Trying to live as debt free as possible.
9. Landing a freelance writing gig with a newspaper or magazine.
10. Sleeping late. I can not wait to sleep late.

What A Girl Wants

2013-10-14T22:18:00.001-05:00

When it comes to relationships, I hate to feel like I'm super high maintenance or needy. I am a giver, and it can be hard for me to accept things (help, presents, compliments) from others. I try to act like I don't care about the sweet little romantic things that my friends' boyfriends do for them. I act like romance drives me crazy, like I think it is totally unnecessary and slightly sickening. Most of the time, my faux disgust is just a coping mechanism to cover the fact that I am turning into a bitter, jealous old woman (seriously, I am concerned about myself. I am SO on the road to being a cat lady.)

So, Dear Future Boyfriend (if you even exist), no matter what I say or how indifferent I act about the mushy stuff, know the following things are really the truth:

1. I want you to tell me that I'm pretty, especially when I'm just wearing jeans and a t-shirt and my hair is in a messy ponytail (so, basically, every day).

2. I like it when you call me princess, sweetheart, and baby.

3. Pandora beads for my bracelet are always, ALWAYS a good gift idea.

4. I actually do expect you to remember things like my favorite soft drink, candy, movie, baseball team and author. I know all those things about you, and we've talked about them, so you should know them about me.

5. Send me sweet good morning and good night texts.

6. Pay for dinner. Hold the door open for me. Pull out my chair at the restaurant.

7. I like buying you things, and I love that you appreciate things when I get them for you (so say thank you!). But never tell me that you can't accept a gift because it is too much or because I shouldn't have bought it. I bought it because I wanted to, and you not accepting it is insulting.

8. I will give you your guys' nights to go to the game and play poker or whatever, so I need you to give me my space for girls' nights every once in a while, too.

9. Picnics in the park or at the lake are my absolute favorite.

10. I love when you hold my hand in public and let me wear your coat or hoodie. It tells everyone who sees us that I belong to you, and I love that.

Also...
If/when you get ready to pop the question, I want it to be a special moment just between the two of us. No hidden photographers, no surprise parties, no asking on the jumbo tron at a ballgame (although those things are cool, I think a moment like deciding that you are going to spend the rest of your life with someone should be private). Got it? Good.

Last thing...do you think you could hurry up a little? Or maybe ask someone for directions?

Published

2013-10-13T15:55:00.002-05:00

I had one of my short stories published in the local newspaper, The Lamar Democrat, this week! I am pretty excited to see my writing in print.

It looks pretty good, doesn't it?

Girls' Day Out - Canton Flea Market (Bucket List #74)

2013-10-13T15:45:00.004-05:00

On Thursday, my mother, my cousin Michelle, and I went to Canton, Mississippi, for their annual fall flea market. If you have never been, you should go. I've been one other time, and I hope to get to go back next October. Going to Canton is #74 on my Ultimate Bucket List.

Canton is a really neat little town in central Mississippi. They have a really neat downtown area. It is actually where the movie A Time to Kill (based on my favorite John Grisham book) was filmed, so there are some pretty cool little tourist spots to check out on a normal day. Here is a shot of the courthouse (Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock have stood on these courthouse steps!)...

On flea market day, the entire town works together to host one of the biggest flea markets I have ever seen. They even let school out on that day. The entire town caters to the thousands of people (mostly women) who come out to see what all the different vendors have to offer each year.

It starts at 8:00 a.m. and lasts all day. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, because you are going to be doing a lot of walking. The vendors set up all around the courthouse square and move out a few blocks in each direction from there. They have crafts, food items, furniture, antiques, home decor items, clothes, jewelry...pretty much everything you can imagine. There are also food trucks and food vendors set up (you have to try the food at Penn's - they are famous for their chicken on a stick, which is a skewer of chicken pieces, dill pickles, onions and potatoes that is deep fried and definitely worth the calories).

Here are a few of the treasures that we found on this trip...

I love the grey chevron on this elephant. And, of course, I LOVE that it says Roll Tide!

My mother got this wood sign for the front door of her new house. When she finishes remodeling it, she's planning to paint the front door this color blue, so it will look great on the grey brick next to the bright blue door.

I love old things, and I was super excited to find this antique tool box for just $10! I snatched it up fast. I have no idea what to use it for, but I'm sure that I'll think of something.

We actually found this old toy bank at an antique store on the square at Canton and got it for my dad. It hold nickels, dimes, and quarters and counts them as you deposit them. It won't open until you have saved $10 worth of change, which I thought was pretty cool.

Please Wipe Your Feet: Confessions of a Doormat

2013-10-05T17:21:00.000-05:00

I have a problem. I am a doormat.

It’s not that I don’t have a mind of my own. Believe me, I am fully capable of thinking for myself and making decisions. I usually make good decisions, although I have my share of lapses of judgment where there is no explanation for the stupidity of my own actions. But I guess that’s the only way you learn, right?

My problem is not that I let others tell me what to think. My problem is that I an almost incapable of saying no in social circumstances.

This is a real, legitimate problem. It effects my relationships with people. I never ask them to do things for me, but they always are asking me because I am dependable and I almost NEVER turn them down. People call me all the time asking for my time and my money, and most of the time, I give it to them. It has caused me to be irritated, frustrated, and broke. Sometimes, I really wish I could just say no! And I wish that I didn’t feel guilty for doing so.

I have always been taught that, because I am a Christian, I should put others first. I should sacrifice myself and the things that are going on in my life to help and serve others when I can. I really do believe that helping others is important. It is a principle that Jesus taught us about by example. He cared for others. He was never too busy to stop and help someone in need.

But at the same time, Jesus doesn't want Christians to be doormats. He never let people take advantage of Him, and He doesn't want us to do that either.

You want proof? Check out the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42:

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Martha was a lot like me. She wanted to help people. And she was doing her best to do that. She enjoyed doing that. (I know it doesn't say that in the text, but from other stories about Martha in the Bible, I am pretty sure she was the original Martha Stewart. She loved to throw a party. And she was good at it.) But Martha had a problem. She didn't know when to stop.

I can absolutely identify with Martha. I know how it feels to be the busy one. I know how it feels to see a friend enjoying a moment and to feel jealous because I can't just sit down and enjoy myself. And for people like Martha and myself, it is easy to put the blame on that friend (Mary). We see her, just sitting there, and we think that she should be up doing something. She should be helping. After all, there is plenty to do, right?

But instead of scolding Mary, Jesus scolded Martha. He doesn't want us to get so busy helping other people that we don't take time to appreciate the blessings He is trying to give to us. If we always neglect ourselves, we can't really do any good when we try to help others because after a little while, our attitudes and good moods will wear thin. We will get overworked and cranky. And then we turn into bitter women who bark orders at other people and seem uptight and mean (NOT the image we need to portray as Christian women).

It is really all about finding a balance in our daily lives. We need to help people, but we can't allow people to take advantage of us. We need to sacrifice our wants sometimes, but we also have to take time to take care of ourselves (Jesus taught us this when He took the time to go pray by Himself - even HE needed alone time with God!). Each of us needs to be part Mary and part Martha (which is hard).

We don't need to be doormats, but we do need to own a welcome mat, if that makes any sense.

We need to be willing to help others, but we can't let them walk all over us. That's a hard balance to find. So, how does one do that? I still have no idea. But I am trying to figure it out.

Step one? Learning to say no. We'll see how that goes...

English Major Problems

2013-10-05T16:38:00.001-05:00

I do not share Calvin's enthusiasm for academic writing. #EnglishMajorProblems

Christina the Baker

2013-09-26T20:30:00.001-05:00

I haven't gotten to make any cakes in over a year because I've been too busy with school and everything else. The last one I made stressed me out way too much because I had homework and other stuff due at the same time that my client wanted the cake, and after about three emotional meltdowns, I decided that I better put off cake decorating until I get out of school. But here are some of my favorite cakes that I have made in the past.

I made this cake for my cousin's 17th birthday. I was really proud of the way the John Deere logo turned out on this one.

This cake was for a baby shower at church. The mother had decorated the nursery with puppy dogs, so I used that for the cake. I love the way it turned out.

A special little girl at my church requested this Barbie Horse Adventures cake for her birthday. She told her mother that I could draw anything (I love her confidence!) and said she wanted a picture of Barbie and her horse on her cake. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out, and most importantly, Ady loved it.

My little brother is a huge Red Sox fan, so I made him this 3D replica of Fenway Park for his 13th birthday. It was definitely a labor of love. I was still learning how to use fondant and this was the most ambitious cake I ever attempted. It doesn't look like the ones they make on TV, but Joe Paul approved of it and I was pretty proud of it.

This polka dot cake was for a bridal shower. I thought it turned out cute.

The Youth Group at church asked me to make a cake for their teacher, who loves to fish. I thought this one looked really good. He sent me a text after the party and said that the cake looked good, but that I should have made sure to make it a more realistic size so that it was like the fish he usually catches. I told him that next time, I would decorate a cupcake. :)

Little Mermaid Cake for Allee's Birthday

A friend wanted this cake for her sister, who collects mouse figurines. I thought the little mouse turned out really cute, although my mother had issues with having a mouse in her kitchen (even a cute little fondant one).

This cake was for a lady's 60th birthday. It was probably the biggest cake I have ever made. Each layer was a different flavor and it was so big that I had to haul it in three pieces and build it on-site, which always makes me a little nervous. I love the colors, though, and I think it turned out looking good.

My friend Joseph is an incredibly talented piano player, so there was no question about what he wanted his birthday cake to be for his 16th birthday. He and his father are also very particular, so I was stressed about making sure I got the piano keys all correct. I counted a piano keyboard at least three times before I formed these keys out of fondant and buttercream.

This one was for a softball and football coach's 40th birthday. I love the way it turned out.

My little buddy, Jackson, used to LOVE Thomas the Tank Engine. I carved this cake and pieced it together from a a loaf pan sized cake and a 9x13 sheet cake. It took me forever to build it, but it turned out looking really good. Jackson was happy, which is all that matters.

I love Scooby Doo, so I was excited to get to make this cake! I think it took me forever to draw Scooby and the Mystery Machine.

This is one of my most requested cakes. I have made this square, zebra layer cake for bridal showers, graduations, and ladies conferences. I love putting the pink trim on it, and I've also made it with red trim.

Going to the chapel (someday)

2013-09-26T09:16:00.001-05:00

I am destined to be around weddings, apparently. I have worked as a Bridal Registry Consultant, a cake decorator/caterer's assistant, and a floral designer's assistant. I have seen weddings from every angle, except from the perspective of a bride. Still, I have learned a lot from the brides that I have worked with in the past few years. Between that and the joy of Pinterest (I spend WAY too much time looking at Pinterest!), I have managed to plan a pretty fantastic wedding. Here are my top ten things that I MUST have at my wedding. Future husband, be prepared!

1. A lace dress

I have a total obsession with lace. I love it. And when I get married, I will be taking advantage of the opportunity to wear lace from head to toe.

2. Casual elegance

I've always wanted a simple ceremony where people feel welcomed and comfortable. I don't want a super stuffy or extremely elegant atmosphere.

3. An amazing (but simple) wedding cake

I'm a little picky when it comes to cakes, mostly because I have designed and made cakes for years. I want my cake to be amazing, and most importantly, TASTE amazing!

4. A themed groom's cake/table

My cake will be simple. His needs to be amazing. I want a cake that really shows who my groom is, but I also want to make sure that his table is what he wants. I had a friend get married who wanted Pineapple Upside Down cake for his groom's cake because it was his favorite, but his bride wouldn't let him have it because it wasn't pretty enough. It's his table, and whatever he wants, he's gonna get.

5. Live music

I love live music. I don't know if I want live music for the reception, when people are dancing, but I know I want a great little string quartet or something for the ceremony. Maybe the Lamb Family? They played at a friend's wedding a few years ago and were amazing.

6. An amazing photographer

The biggest part of my budget for my wedding will be spent on a photographer. This is the most important part for me. Future husband, even if you don't like having your picture made, you're going to be in thousands of pictures on this day. Be prepared.

7. Burlap and lace

I love the casual elegance of this look.

8. Something blue

Duh. You have to have something old (I have a little white New Testament that is supposed to go in my bouquet that I was given when I was born), something new (my groom will be responsible for this one), something borrowed (maybe my mother's veil?), and something blue (like my wedding date sewn into the hem of my dress). I love blue. It will be one of the colors of my wedding (unless something MAJORLY changes).

9. Homemade favors

I want every guest at my wedding to feel special, so I'm planning to have lots of homemade goodies that they can take home. Something like this...

10. No family helpers

Lots of people in my family do weddings all the time. My grandmother and my aunt both make wedding cakes, cater and have directed weddings before. My uncle is a florist. They are great at what they do, but I don't want this day to be stressful for anyone, so I am planning to have as few family workers as possible. I have worked with bridezillas before, and I do not want to become one, so I am planning to have everything done ahead of time and have my family be as stress free as possible so they can enjoy my special day with me.

Ten Books You Have to Read (I should know...I'm an English Major)

2013-09-25T21:40:00.000-05:00

One of the first things most people say when they learn that I am an English major is, "You must really like to read." I do love to read, and I am of the opinion that people who say they don't like to read are either lying, incredibly happy being ignorant, or have just not found the right material to read yet.

One thing I love about English and literature is that there really is something out there for everyone. I have friends who believe that Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is the epitome of what great literature is supposed to be, while I struggled through the first two chapters and used SparkNotes and watched the movie to see what happened because I just hated it. Have you ever read that book? There is absolutely NO action in it at all. Nobody moves. It was the most boring thing I have ever tried to read. And I really tried to like it. I really did. But I just didn't. That doesn't mean that I'm not a good English student. I can appreciate Austen's work, and I can learn from it, but I don't enjoy it. And that's fine. Because there are tons of other books out there that I do enjoy.

Here are my top 10 favorite books.

1. A Time to Kill by John Grisham

2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

3. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

4. Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin

5. The Giver by Lois Lowry

6. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

7. The Call of the Wild by Jack London

8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

9. For the Roses by Julie Garwood

10. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

How to pull an all-nighter

2013-09-19T14:17:00.000-05:00

First of all, I want to point out that all-nighters are not highly recommended and it is essential that you don't pull multiple all-nighters in one week unless you enjoy feeling and looking like crap. With that said, sometimes an all-nighter is absolutely necessary.

College life is about so much more than just reading and writing papers. There are events to go to, workouts to squeeze in, dinners with friends, visits with family, jobs and all kinds of other responsibilities on top of your course load. So when you're taking a full load (12 hours or more) and trying to fit everything else in, sometimes you're going to be down to the last minute and there's just no other way to get it done than to stay up all night working away. (Yes, you should learn good time management skills while in college, but even the most well-meaning, organized person can end up too close to a deadline sometimes.) And it is totally common to get overwhelmed (maybe you have 3 big assignments all due in the same week). Sometimes, you have to let the rough end drag, as my grandfather would say.

So, if you absolutely have to pull an all-nighter (which I have done many times in my college career), here are my suggestions.

First, determine if an all-nighter is REALLY necessary.

If you have a huge paper due TOMORROW and you haven't even started reading the book the paper is supposed to be about, then you need to pull an all-nighter. If you have a big test tomorrow and have been in class for most of the meetings and have taken decent notes, DO NOT stay up all night cramming. That is the worst thing you can do for yourself. You'll be stressed and ill when you go to take the exam, and cramming rarely helps your grade. The best thing you can do in that situation is read over your notes a few times, make a few note cards or a "cheat-sheet" to study the next day between your other classes, and make sure to get a good night's sleep. Trust me, you will do much better on a few hours of studying and 6 to 8 hours of sleep than 6 to 8 hours of studying and no sleep.

IF an all-nighter is necessary (because you put off a paper until the last minute and you HAVE to turn it in TOMORROW), then make sure that you get the most out of your time by remembering a few simple tips:

Find a quiet and comfortable place to work.

You need a few hours of intense focus, so you need to be somewhere quiet. You're going to be there for awhile, so you need to be comfortable (but not TOO comfortable! You don't want to fall asleep!). I have pulled most of my all-nighters at the kitchen table after my family has gone to bed. Just make sure that you are in a place where you can work without being disturbed or disturbing others (so if you live in a dorm and your roommate is not joining you for an all night study session, don't keep him or her awake).

Avoid trying to pull an all-nighter in your bed. Sitting there with your laptop might be okay for studying or doing homework sometimes, but for something like this, the temptation to just take a quick nap will be too strong and you'll probably end up falling asleep and not getting your work done.

Make sure you have enough space to spread out the materials you will need.

Sometimes all you need is a little cubicle and your laptop. Other times, you might be doing a lot of research and need a whole tabletop to spread out your stuff. Make sure you have the room that you need. My space in the kitchen often looks something like this:

Make sure you have the right materials before you get started.

There is nothing worse than sitting down and getting settled in and realizing that you forgot a book that you need. Or worse than that, getting done with your paper at three in the morning and finding out that you don't have any paper or ink for the printer. During my freshman year, I was pulling one of my first all-nighters when I realized that I didn't have any ink for my printer. The only place that I could go in the middle of the night to get some was WalMart. Visiting WalMart at 2:00 am is not pleasant (I was afraid for my life multiple times during that trip to get ink). So take the time to prepare and gather the materials that you know you will need in advance. It will save you a lot of time and stress.

Have some snacks on hand.

You can see my snacks (Skittles and sweet tea) in my photo above. I almost always have something when I'm going to be studying for long periods of time to help keep my energy up. When I study late at night, I usually have a Diet Coke or Dr. Pepper nearby for the caffeine (I don't do coffee). I know it isn't the most healthy thing, but this is something you should really only be doing a couple times a semester anyway. And if you're really concerned about calories, you can nosh on baby carrots or fruit instead of candy and chips. If you're working at a library on campus, you might not be allowed to bring food and drinks inside, but make sure you have something on hand just in case you get hungry. You can always step outside for a quick break and that will be better than having to walk all over campus to find a store or snack machine that's working late at night.

Start as early as possible.

This is just common sense. If you can start studying at 8 instead of waiting until midnight, you might actually get finished and be able to get some sleep before your class in the morning. I'm bad about waiting until my family all goes to bed, and you may want to do that if you live at home or with roommates who are going to be using the area where you study, but the earlier you start, the earlier you can finish.

Take advantage of all your resources.

I am an English major and a future educator, so many of my colleagues will balk at what I am about to say, but SOMETIMES it is okay to rely on SparkNotes and short-cuts if you have to. You're busy. Trust me, I know that sometimes you just don't have time to sit down and read 20 pages of The Canterbury Tales without being interrupted. So take advantage of resources. There are all sorts of websites (many available through universities) that offer tutoring or have information on different topics. You can find videos of people talking about different topics that will help you if you need to skip on some reading for time's sake. Sometimes, you can even find audio files of your textbooks so that you can listen to the chapters while you're working out or commuting to and from school. Also, make sure to pay attention when your professor posts something online or gives out a link for you to check out. Those usually have great study guides and can help you focus on the material that is really important.

Take breaks as you need them.

This is not permission to surf Facebook for 15 minutes every hour. You really should log out of Facebook and Twitter and stay logged out of them until you are done. I'm talking about getting up and walking around or taking a few minutes to stretch and get something to eat or drink or just close your eyes and breathe for a few minutes. It will help keep you as relaxed as possible and improve your focus.

Like I said, all-nighters are not something you should do all the time. They should be used in emergencies only (and yes, getting last minute tickets to the football game on Saturday and cancelling your plans to go study at the library is an emergency and does constitute an all-nighter on Sunday to get that paper turned in on Monday morning). College is about learning to prioritize and manage your time. Sometimes you will feel like you're doing a great job with that. Other times, you'll be completely overwhelmed. Just remember that YOU CAN DO IT! Don't get discouraged. We all have to take classes that are extremely hard (Hello? Spanish 3 and 4? I'm an ENGLISH major!), but you will get through it!

Dear Future Boyfriend

2013-09-19T13:33:00.000-05:00

I almost never do things like this, but...

Dear future boyfriend,

I want this.

Thanks!