Anything about Everything

Day 30 of 30 We made it!  The final topic for discussion this month: Why blogging? What's the meaning of the name?  Why did I want to start blogging? Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to write a ton of novels and share my creativity with the world. I started numerous novels, but never finished them. I would lose steam after I ran out of ideas - which was actually me just being lazy and not using my brain. I started blogging in college and loved how free and non-structured it was. I was able to get thoughts out and share exciting things that were happening on a platform that would not only reach my close family and friends, but also those on the internet that were looking for something similar. The one I ran in college basically cataloged my day to day as a senior in college - a lot of first "lasts." I didn't hold anything back, it was so exciting and SO scary.  After graduation I hung up my blogging chops until I rea...

Day 29 of 30 As we wind down, with one more day left of the challenge, I figured a discussion surrounding goals and goal setting would be appropriate.  With every month comes a new chance to start fresh. Sure, New Years is a great time to reevaluate what you want out of the coming year - but have you thought about breaking your goals down into monthly feats? It's less overwhelming, more attainable, and you feel SO accomplished when you cross stuff off!  So, what're some my goals for the next 30 days?  Keep blogging - 3-5 days a week Readjust my criteria for a new living situation  Get to the gym 4-6 times a week Enjoy every small victory, no matter what it is Start cleaning out some stuff in the house Keep my eating 80/20 - allow a few cheats a week (meals not days) Reconnect with 3 people I've lost touch with Save as much money as possible through the end of the summer Get to the cemetery at least once to visit Nana, Granddaddy, and Uncle Rob...

Day 27 of 30 Happy third to last day of the challenge!  Apologies for not posting one yesterday - it was a VERY long and busy day spent with my second family, so I decided to take a break for the day. So yes, day 26 is missing. It's okay!  Today's topic: A problem you have or have had in the past This one is a loaded topic - who DOESN'T have problems?! If you don't, then kudos to you. If you do and can relate to this one, also kudos. You're not alone! If you can't relate to it but struggle with problems of your own, know you are also not alone and that there are people in your life that are ready to help you through them!  Overthinking. Is this a broad issue with a crap ton of underlying little nuggets? Absolutely. I'm only going to discuss the surface, and perhaps discuss the rest at a later date.  I started to overthink about 6 and a half years ago. I was in (what I thought) a great relationship, with an incredible human bein...

Day 25 of 30 Here's to the final few posts of this 30 day challenge!  Today's Friday favorite from the challenge list is favorite Disney character. Not to be confused with Disney princess, as I love Belle and it's no secret.  So my favorite Disney character would have to be Stitch.    If you are unfamiliar with the concept behind Lilo & Stitch, you should probably get familiar and watch it as soon as you can. It's an adorable story, and while he starts off wild and unhinged, Stitch becomes the most lovable alien and family pet. He is not the most adorable when he's in his alternate state, but he grows on you. He understands how important family is (ohana), and how no one gets left behind. He loves unconditionally and has an issue when he's hungry (story of my life). I can relate to all of Stitch on every level. 

Day 24 of 30 We are down to the final week of this challenge. How exciting!!  Today's discussion: Prize possession you can't live without I could pull the typical "my phone" card.. because it's true, I can't live without my phone. It's the only way anyone can get in touch with me, as I don't have a land line.  But this is far more near and dear to my heart..  I cannot live without my book collection.  I have always been a bookworm, from a young age. I would spend my summer breaks at the library taking out a stack a books every few weeks - only to read them all and bring them back for more.  I have always had an extensive collection, mixed with everything from trashy romance novels to biographies. If my mind is in the right place, I can very easily focus my attention on a book and finish it in under a week. Lately, I have been very unsettled and unable to focus on anything that requires brain activity after work, so I haven'...

Day 23 of 30 History has always fascinated me. From a young age, my Granddaddy would tell me about things that happened before I was born, and ever since then, I have been obsessed with history. When I was in grammar school, I would spend a few days with my grandparents in Randolph, MA at their home. I would go to the National Archives with my Granddaddy on Tuesday, as he volunteered there weekly. It was during one of these trips that he showed me the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and I was forever attached to everything Kennedy. I guess it helps that I was born and raised in Massachusetts, huh?  I have always been intrigued (and saddened) by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. We will never know the truth - was the hit ordered by the mob? Did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone? Was there another shooter? Did Lyndon B. Johnson order the hit because he so badly wanted to  be president? When I heard that Stephen King had written a novel about t...

Day 22 of 30 As we wind down the last week of the May blog challenge, the topics seem to be getting a little more serious and heavy - I will do my best to keep things light and positive - because that's what Anything about Everything was founded on. Today's Discussion: How you've changed in the last 2 years I think this ties in amazingly with the overall energy of this blog. What have you done in the last 2 years to set yourself up for victories?  The last 2 years have been a bit busy for me, with a lot of soul searching and an understanding of what I want out of life. I have overcome some obstacles with ease, while others seemed to be harder than anything I have ever handled in my life. Being raised Catholic certainly helped me get through a lot of the last 2 years. I am not going to get preachy on you, but I know that I was not alone.  I'd say about 2 and a half years ago, I realized that I was in a deep and dark slump that no matter how hard I tried,...

Day 21 of 30 Today's challenge topic: First love.  Everyone remembers their first love. It's something that sticks with you, someone that helped make you who you are today - whether you are still with them or not. Someone who, for a brief amount of time was your world, supported your every decision, and never made you feel like you were worthless.  I met my first love when I was a child. I didn't know then that he would be my first love, and from what  I've been told, my parents hoped and prayed he would never be a guy I'd date. Well, life has a funny way of changing your path when you least expect it. He's not a bad guy, they just hoped for someone else for me.  We went to college together for a year. He's 4 years ahead of me, so he was graduating my freshman year. He would see me on campus and it was the normal joking and play fighting we'd had for our entire lives. I was never afraid to say hi - we'd known each other for YEARS (I am ...

Day 20 of 30 As time rolls on, we try and roll with the punches. Technology changes, so we roll with it. Societal norms change, so we roll with them. Today's topic of discussion is things I miss.  It's no secret that I miss growing up in the 90s and early 2000s. I didn't realize it during that time, but those years would be the best years of my life. We didn't live on social media, we didn't have smartphones. We COMMUNICATED with each other over the phone, or used T9 texting. Once they came out with phones that had full keyboards, well, we were so cool!  I miss when friends would call you up to come hang out, watch a movie. There was never competition on who looked the best, or who was hanging with who. It was so much more lax. I miss when you would go to the mall on Friday nights and see what boys you'd run into from school.  I miss when friends actually meant what they said and were honest with you when there were issues.  I miss not being conn...

Day 19 of 30 Being open and transparent on this blog is something I hold in very high regard. It is not easy at times - I am putting my life on the internet and while that seems to be common these days among social media outlets, it's frightening. I open myself up to gossip and mocking, trash talk and judgement. Something I've learned in this personal development journey is that worrying what others will think of you or what they will say about you needs to disappear. Living life for others is a recipe for disaster.  Today's discussion circles around regret. I believe the day 19 topic read: Discuss your regrets in life.  I pride myself on not having regrets, ever. Every decision I make, I am sure to calculate the possible outcomes, and how the decision will effect my life. There are times I make decisions in an emotional moment, but I am sure not to regret anything. Everything, as cliche as it is, happens for a reason. Sometimes we don't know what that reason is...

Day 18 of 30 Sorry this is so late today friends. It's been a long week - and I needed to take some down time last night instead of staying up to get this posted. But have no fear - because it's HERE!  So today's challenge topic is: Favorite Quote and Why. (Yep, a Friday Favorite!) My all time favorite quote is from one of my favorite novels by F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby. I am a big fan of the fall - if I could live somewhere, that had fall all year round, I'd be happier than a pig in poo. I love the crispness of the air, the activities, the smell of fall. I touched upon this in a previous post, so for a more in depth reasoning behind why I love fall, check out " Guess I'm Fallin' For You ".  This quote has a deeper meaning to me - mostly because it's a part of one of the best books written. The scene in which this statement is made, is a turning point in the story (not giving it away - ya'll can read it for you...

Day 17 of 30 It's funny that today's topic is highs and lows of the last year.  When I was a Resident Assistant my sophomore and junior year of college, our weekly staff meetings usually started with highs and lows of the week. Usually, the staff meetings were held on Thursday evenings, so this is just adorable. The last 365 days (May 17, 2017 to May 18, 2018) have been full of growth (both personal and professional), life changes, loss, victories, and dreaming one size too big.  2017 was a really REALLY weird year for my family. As I have discussed in the past, we lost 3 family members on the same side of the family within 6 months of each other. Having experienced something so earth shattering certainly put a damper on the year. But it also helped in relationship growth within the family and with close friends. We learned a lot about each other as a family unit, shared so many wonderful stories about my grandparents and my uncle, and truly made the best of a ...

Day 16 of 30 This week, I've decided to jump around on the challenge list. Today will be a post outlining my favorite Disney Princess and why she's my favorite.  Shocker... I'm a big Belle fan.  Growing up I was constantly cycling through Disney movies. At first, I wanted to be Ariel (red hair connection), then I wanted to be Belle. I was (and still am) an avid reader who can think independently of society and stand on her own as a strong individual. Belle was seen as odd in her little town, because she was not the stay at home wife who waited on her husband and his every beck and call.  When the Beast gifted her the library in the original cartoon, I was so excited. If I was gifted a library in a castle, I'd never leave EVER. I loved that gesture in the original. In the new, live action version, I was crushing on the beast HARD. I did not like, however, that he didn't gift her the library as a surprise, it was sort of like oh, here. But it was hard to ...

Day 15 of 30 This blog was started as a way to reach people who needed to know they are not alone in this world. It started as a sounding board for societal issues, and quickly turned into a safe, self love haven. That while I don't have all the answers, I do have some life experience. I am more than willing to share anything that will help others, especially if they can learn from my mistakes. I also hope to spread positivity, and today's post will be riddled with it.  I invite you to write one of these to yourself once a month, and see how your life changes. Be positive, let the words flow, and believe good things will come back to you. Hey girl,  Thank you for being true to who you are. Thank you for choosing your happiness over everyone else's. Thank you for believing you are on the right path to success, and continuing to learn improvements every day.  Thank you for not listening to the naysayers, for supporting yourself regardless of the backlash y...

Day 14 of 30 Today - 5 celebrity crushes.  Coincidental that it coincides with Man Crush Monday - I don't hate it. Below, you will find 5 of my favorite men and my reasoning behind why I drool every time I see them. The list is obviously longer than this, as I am always on the lookout but in order to keep this within the parameters of the challenge, we'll go with 5.  Man Number 1:   Jordan Davis The first time I saw Jordan Davis was when he opened for Chase Rice in November of 2015 in Lowell, Massachusetts. He was the first opening act, having just signed a record deal. I took one look at him and was like "eh.. not my type." Then, he released his debut album at the beginning of this year and well, my opinion changed. NOT my type at all, I don't particularly care for the big lumberjack type, but his personality (based on social media videos) is just the sweetest. It's true - personality can make a person attractive!  Man Number 2:   Ryan Rey...