AHH and taco bell

So I try to have posts scheduled in advance so in the rare chance I don't have time one day to write one, there still will be one up. Well, I didn't have a working computer to use for the past week and not enough posts written and scheduled so I missed some days. AHHH. It was my intention to never do that. I don't think I have enough readers (if any HAH) so hopefully no one was bothered. (Also I was so sad the last week, for a variety of reasons I don't care to get into right now, I'm sure all my posts would have been depressing and/or complaining)

To make up for it, I will try to have lots of posts ready to go tonight in case this happens again. Cause wriring from an ipod or tablet just is never fun or really an option. AND I will finish this post by a glorious story about taco bell. I was SO hungry and have been craving taco bell for weeks. So today I decided to go. I will now describe in detail how that went.

I excitedly drove to taco bell, knowing for the first time in days, my taste buds would be happy. After the longest 8 minute drive of my life, I went to pull in the entrance when I noticed a man walking on the sidewalk right in front of where I needed to turn. Impatient and annoyed, I stopped, but he waved me to go, which made me happier than a person whose name wasn't selected to participate in the hunger games. The drive thru had quite a line, so I drove up to the end of it. A guy walking from the car place next to the restaurant walked through the line of cars. He motioned to me silently asking if he could go and I let him. He smile/smirked at me as he walked past and it was then I wondered how some people could be so cute and charming while I was so awkward. I tweeted that thought, as one has to tweet everything that comes to mind. I watched him walk to the sidewalk up to the door and he started kicking at ice that wasn't there. I quickly stopped staring at him so he wouldn't see I was. I may have been too late. I'll never know. I had bigger things to worry about.

I was impatiently waiting when I saw a board to the left advertising two new freezes. Distortion, a sour lemon like flavor, and a tropical punch flavor I can't recall the name of. It was then, my choices became harder to make. As I waited for my turn, I contemplated my choices wondering if it was just me or if they really did move the drive thru speaker. I pulled up and rolled down my window, happy it rolled down, because I hadn't thought before then about how cold it was and the possibility that it might be frozen. After an awkward "Hi, how are you" conversation with the mystery girl behind the speaker, I ordered 2 beefy five layer burritos= my go to. Usually I only eat one, but today was a celebration. I then made the very impromptu decision to get a distortion freeze. Yes, it's 7 degrees. But I had to try. And it was the best choice. But more on that later. PLUS it was happier hour, so my freeze was only $1 and there is no reason to say no to a $1 freeze. Ever. I paid my $4.83 and excitedly drove to the nearest empty parking lot to eat in peace.

I found a spot, instagramed my food (cause that's what we do), and started eating. Boy, was it fun. The distortion freeze was so delicious. Much better than the baja blast, which I usually get. It was almost like mountain dew and a slushie in one. And that combo can't be bad. I then made sweet mouth love to my burritos, enjoying every bite. I started to become embarrassed because if anyone saw me they surely would have been uncomfortable and/or disturbed. I enjoyed it probably too much. But I didn't let it stop me. I ate everything. Then hurried home to use the bathroom, because come on, Mexican food does that to a person. But that is NO deterrent. Not one bit.

I later wondered what the 5th layer is. Meat, nacho cheese, sour cream, refried beans, and WHAT? Mildly alarmed I don't know what I ate, I would do it again in a heartbeat. And I plan to. Frequently. So if anyone wants to send me taco bell gift cards, I will be eternally grateful. Taco Bell is really where it's at. Mmmmm.

My (not so normal) Pet Peeves

We all have things that bug us. I just happen to have a lot. And some of them are super weird.

• When people drag their feet and don't pick them up when walking. ESPECIALLY when wearing flip-flops. If they're flopping, you're not walking right. Obnoxious. And lazy.

• When people eat foot wrong. Like not stringing string cheese and just biting it. It's not called bite cheese! And it changes the taste. Or if they just bite a kit kat instead of breaking it along the lines they place in the freaking bar. Or bite the fork/spoon. It shouldn't make a clanging noise. Drives me cray.

• When people use the wrong form of your/you're. Especially "your welcome" omg no, it's YOU'RE

• I don't know why, but I really get annoyed when the tv volume is on an odd number (unless 5). It must be OCD, but it's the only thing I'm like that about. I think it has something to do with the divisibility of numbers. Even numbers are more likely to go into other numbers, and 5's. It makes no sense. I'm aware.

• When people say "I know, right" It makes me cringe. It's so annoying. OR "Not gonna lie" Do you usually lie? Is there a reason you need to preface your statement with that? OMG or when people say "I seen that" No, you saw that. 

• Selfishness. When people don't think of other people and make decisions that negatively impact others without thinking, I just want to punch them. 

• Referring to girls as "chicks". Chicks are baby chickens. I am not a baby chicken. I find it so offensive. 

Those are some I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others!

How I Survive Being Poor

Ok, so I'm not exactly poor. But I also don't have a lot of money. And the past few years I have learned a lot of awesome tips and tricks that make my money go further and enable me to get by on less money than it normally would cost me. Here are some of my go-to tips.

DON'T GIVE IN TO THE IMPULSE BUYS
I'm such a sucker, especially when they place cool things near the checkout. Oh this gum looks good, I should get it! How about you don't, Steph, cause you already have 8 packs at home. Yeah, that's me. I used to buy anything that caught my eye. Now I'm known for walking around the store with things in my cart and putting them back once I think about it. If worse comes to worse (weird expression...) then I can go back and buy it another day. I like to think: Do I really need this? Will I use it? It is a good use of my money? It really makes me realize what is a waste of money.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR  MONEY
I have now resorted to keeping track of EVERY penny I spend in a notebook. It really helps to see where my money is going so I can see if I'm using my money the way I want to be. Using cash also really helps. Seeing your money go is way harder than swiping a card. The psychological aspect makes a difference! I'm much less likely to hand over cash than I am to swipe my card.

BE AWARE
Look out for deals. Check money saving blogs and check sites like groupon, which offers discounts on popular items, or retailmenot, which offers discounts for online stores. Coupons.com often has very high value coupons you can print from home. You can easily score freebies just by "liking" a company of facebook. Sure you can get a cheap magazine subscription, but you can get them free. I have at least 10 subscriptions I didn't pay one cent for. Don't pay for things you don't need to! I have a stockpile of a hundred razors I paid NOTHING for with coupons. I will not have to buy a razor probably ever again at this rate

Hold out for free shipping, or score a membership with a company like shoprunner which offers free 2 day shipping from many online stores (for free of course, a membership is $79, but I scored 2 years for free). Sign up for free membership programs which reward you for buying things you already do (or oftentimes offer free codes) I was able to score enough disney movie reward points after 2 years just from the free points (I probably entered 2 codes from movies I had already in my collection) to get Toy Story 3 dvd/bluray combo pack shipped to me for FREE.

Be wary of websites offering free items for your time. The one reputable website I've had a great time with is Swagbucks. You answer daily polls, find codes hidden on social media, fill out surveys, and complete offers for points that are redeemable for gift cards. It took a lot of my time, but in 2-3 months, I earned $75 in wal-mart gift cards, which helped pay for christmas gifts!

SPLURGE
What? Isn't that the opposite of what I'm trying to preach? Well, yes, but I think it's important to buy yourself something you really want once in awhile so you don't feel like you're constantly going without. And I rarely, ever, ever, EVER pay full price for anything. You can always find a good deal. Like the Clarisonic Mia 2 I had been eyeing ($150), which I was able to score for $69. A little waiting is worth a good deal!

STOCK UP
When something you regularly use goes on sale or you have a coupon, stock up. That way you can control your price point. For instance, say your favorite hairspray is $3 a bottle. If you run out, you're forced to spend $3 for a new bottle. However, if you catch a sale say 2/$5 and also have a coupon for $1/2, you can stock up and get each bottle for $1.50. (It all adds up!) I have a stockpile of items I frequently use and that way I'm able to pay less than retail price at any given time.

Also, stock up on clearance items after the holidays. After Christmas, Wal-Mart had their holiday items marked 75% off! I got a great deal on some kits and also some candles that weren't even holiday colors. It's a great time to stock up on decorations, too. After Halloween, I often score super cheap decorations I can use the next year. My collection has grown this way with very little money invested. I also love getting valentine's gifts the day after. 50% off the stuffed animals and candy. YES! I don't have a boyfriend or husband, so the people I buy for (my sisters) don't mind if their presents are a day late.

DON'T BE FOOLED BY DEALS
Yes, it's great to get deals, but if you're spending money on something you normally wouldn't buy, you're still wasting money. That's the problem I have with walgreens. They offer "free" items often, as you pay and get that amount back in a  register reward or essentially store credit you must use within the next week or something like that. It's nice to get an item for free, but if you don't need anything from walgreens, you're just using the credit to buy something you don't need. So it's really not a good deal. It's still your money.

BE CRAFTY
Make the best use of your products! Clean out old candles (really easy! freeze the candle so the excess wax just pops out and clean out with nail polish remover) to use as makeup brush holders or decorations. Use products for more than what they're designed for. One of my fave tips is using conditioner to shave. It's more affordable than shaving gel/cream (you can get a bottle for under a dollar AND you only need a tiny bit). PLUS it makes your legs super soft. All those magazines I get for free? I use them to make crafts with my sisters. And it's really fun! And free!!

DON'T BE BRAND LOYAL
Yeah, some products we use because we have found they work the best for us, and that's fine. I'm particular to my brand of deodorant. I'm wary of trying any other kind, so I stick to what works. (Better safe than smelly...and also my mom usually gets me 2 packs of deodorant for every holiday so I'm usually set! Practical isn't always fun, but if it saves you money, it's welcomed in my book!!) But also be open to trying new things. I recently got a great deal on Olay makeup remover wipes (1.68 for a 30 pack! Online coupons exist too people!!) They definitely aren't my favorite, but I will use them as opposed to going out and buying my favorite $6 ones from the store. Generic sometimes isn't always better, but a lot of the time it's the same. And certain things it really doesn't matter for. Like nail polish remover. I change my nail polish so often, the generic kind at wal-mart is just as good (as had the SAME ingredients as the name brand)

DON'T BE TRICKED BY DOLLAR STORES
You can get some great deals at dollar stores. My favorite is when they have name brand items!! Items like anti-dandruff shampoo have the same active ingredients as $6 head and shoulders--I even checked. Gift bags and cards (often 2/$1 and they have many options!) are also good buys. But there are some things there not worth the dollar you spend on them. Don't buy something because "it's only a dollar". If it seems low quality (a lot of the children's toys for instance) or you don't really need it, a dollar wasted is still a dollar gone. A lot of their generic pens and markers and not good quality and you can pay the same price for higher quality, name brand products if you wait for a sale or use a coupon.

Hope some of these help you. They sure have changed my spending ways! I can never imagine going back. I'll leave you with this, because I am NOT cheap. Cheap and frugal are two completely different things.
I don't mind spending money, but I don't like wasting money!

Am I too old for this?

I have discovered a teensy, tiny fascination with Disney movies. When I was a kid, I didn't have much of an attention span (I still don't), so to sit through a whole movie was not really a thing. (At least now I can operate a pause button, and trust me,  I do) So I thought since I had netflix, it would be a good opportunity to discover some classics. So here are some of my faves and what I think about them.

MULAN
This is one I actually have liked awhile. I always related to it. Because I would like to think in the exact same situation, I would do that exact same thing. Posing as a male to protect her ill father from having to serve in the war, Mulan spoke to my family-oriented heart. I also love how she didn't want what society expected from her. And she wasn't afraid to be who she wanted to be. Especially because being a girl was looked down upon. The songs are awesome, as well, which is a plus. ("I'll Make a man out of You" is my fave https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSS5dEeMX64 )

TOY STORY 3
I have liked this from the time it came out. And I also cannot watch it without crying or tearing up. I was young when the first Toy Story's came out and when the latest one came out, Andy was older and facing the same struggles with growing up that me- and almost my entire generation- is. I am not expert, but I'm pretty sure growing up now isn't the same experience it was for my parents. It's hard. I know toys don't have feelings, but when they're all headed for the fire and they just realize death is coming and hold hands, man that jerks at the heart strings. I cry just talking about it.

POCAHONTAS
I always knew and enjoyed the "Colors of the Wind" song, but I hadn't seen the movie (at least to my recollection) until last weekend. And I LOVED it. Pocahontas was so bad ass. She didn't want the life that was expected of her. (Plus she had a pet raccoon, which is just awesome. My sisters enjoyed that as well as they both like raccoons) She wanted more. She was open minded and taught her father and village about acceptance. I was a little disappointed with the relationship with John Smith, as he just left and then in the second movie they wanted different things so she went with the other John)

*Also side note, it is frustrating that these shows always portray the girl having to have a guy to be complete. But I did hear "Frozen" breaks the Disney mold with that one. So if that's true, that's much appreciated.*

MEET THE ROBINSONS
I haven't seen this in awhile, but I do remember liking it. Something about a homeless time travelling kid that realizes in the future he will finally be loved is super heart warming. Everybody wants some sort of sense of belonging. I can't imagine not having a family. It is what has kept me going. What got me to the place where I am. And the quote at the end is so inspiring:
"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney
Oh and Rob Thomas, the musical genius he is, sings a beautiful song for the movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaX5zr13wMs I remember listening to this song many a times when I was sad, and it is just perfect.

TANGLED
I love the songs in this movie (Mandy Moore has an awesome voice), but the best part of this movie is when she realizes she is being used by her "mother" who is really not her mother and finds her real family because I am just the biggest sucker for family. Not that mine is particularly the best example of what a family should be, but the idea of family is so beautiful to me. People who love you unconditionally and are there for you no matter what. And I'll take the few good members of my family over anything any day. And it's always a good lesson to remember to cut toxic people out of our lives. Get it, cut, her hair... anyone?

Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I have got to admit, there are some great life lessons in these movies. But I think they are lost for the most part on kids. They focus on the funny animals and catchy songs. And they could really do without using words like "stupid". Why do kids shows include vocabulary we wouldn't want kids saying?? That's such a pet peeve of mine having young sisters. It's hard to teach them not to say words that their favorite characters are saying. But still, they are better role models than a lot of the junk out there today. I'm glad to be discovering them when I'm old enough to understand the meaning behind the lessons.

SOCIETY IS EFFED

I can and probably will make multiple posts about society and societal expectations, but I thought I would start with this one. It has come to my attention fairly recently how messed up society is. The expectations forced upon us and the media influence is disturbing. It's like I had the proverbial wool pulled over my eyes for years. I feel like everybody needs to critically examine things, but I wouldn't have if I didn't really start to pay attention and open myself up to different things. And thankfully, the media did play a good role for once in that discovery. Maybe not mainstream media, but my youtube obsession has proved worthy in this case.

First of all, we have some wonderfully funny AND insightful comics. (ALSO, don't judge the videos on my descriptions. I'm so bad at describing things. Just give them a click, super worth it!)

JON LAJOIE

• This song, entitled "Pop Song", is a fake boy band that shows the stereotypical roles boy band members fit into and makes me feel like a fool for not realizing sooner everything is staged. Everything is about money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijr4rwb2WbE

• This short song, "Miley, you're a good girl" shows how Miley Cyrus (although I'm not a fan of the image she gives herself) is literally no different than any other star out there and how the public reacts to her

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2zbxM4EehE

BO BURNHAM

• "Repeat Stuff" is also about boy bands and how the media is set up. It really makes you think and feel so dumb for ever buying into it. (Aaron Carter really didn't love me?!) One deep line:

"I'm in magazines full of model teens, so far above you

                        So read them and hate yourself, and pay me to tell you I love you"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCVGpvzcHko

• "From God's Perspective" is a little different, not specifically looking at society, but more religion. While I don't personally buy into any religion, it offers a unique perspective, that "maybe God does not believe in you"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxc20saM8DA

All of these really made me think. We don't have the control over our lives we think we do. Everyday without being specifically told, we are guided to certain beliefs. Marketing teams work to make us want things and strive for ideals without even realizing it. It's disgusting to me the way we are manipulated without even realizing it. Judging others based on if they don't fit the societal standard set for us is so horrible. I'm ashamed I ever bought into magazine ads and commercials idolizing certain traits. It starts so young too. Advertisements are everywhere, with many being geared towards children. Stars are all airbrushed to look perfect at all times, and in reality, real people don't usually look like that. But that's what kids strive for. Skinny over healthy. Pretty over smart. It's a vicious cycle. Parents with self esteem issues passing it down to their kids. No one ever being happy with themselves. When we're all SO much more than our weight, our skin, our hair, etc. 

I wish something could be done, but I don't even know. Even if we teach our kids/kids close to us, it won't stop the majority of society from thinking the same way. 

Allegiant

*IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ALLEGIANT BY VERONICA ROTH, THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS, BE WARNED! I WILL TELL YOU BEFORE I GIVE THE SPOILERS*

So I enjoy reading. But I'm sort of picky about what I like to read. Young adult science fiction is where it's at. I heard about Divergent and had to read it. And it was SO good. If you don't know what it's about, in a nutshell, it's a dystopian Chicago set in the future where the society is split into 5 factions. Each faction stands for a value:

- Abegnation- selfless

- Candor- truth

- Erudite- knowledge

- Dauntless- bravery/fearlessness 

- Amity- friendship/getting along

When kids are 16, they decide to stay with their born faction or transfer to a new one. They complete initiation and if they're not successful become factionless, which is like being homeless. They view "faction before blood" 

The main character Tris decides to leave her faction and lots of struggles come with it. One underlying theme of the story is they are fenced in and she begins to wonder why they are kept inside. What's outside? What is life? Ok, that last question was mine. She has a trainer who she gets feelings for and a cute little love story emerges. (I honestly don't remember where the first book end and the second one begins) The second book Insurgent deals with them dealing with corruption in their city, which involves fighting. The last book Allegiant was released fairly recently and I super recently finished it. AND I AM MAD.

 *SPOILER* (Although I'm hoping if you're reading to this point, you've read the book)

The movie of the first book comes out in Spring and I was excited, but now I don't know how I can enjoy it knowing it ends so badly. TRIS DIES! What? That's like Harry Potter dying. It just can't happen. I made a video on this. I get books teach us lessons. Life's not fair. But that's why I want this book to be fair. Because in real life, we don't get happily ever after. That's why we live vicariously through book characters. They can do things we can't. Have lives we never can. And this is what would have happened in real life. I wouldn't be reading books if I wanted to deal with my real life. Sound emo, much? But really, I still wish it didn't end that way. And Four just goes on living his life. Like, obviously what else should he do, but it just doesn't seem right. We went through all this for nothing. Things could have worked out for the city the exact same way with Tris being alive. It went from being such a good book, to being a book that I want to kick. 

The main character MAKES the book. I've read classical books in English classes and when they kill off main characters, it's to prove a point or makes a big impression on the book. And I can understand that. But this was not the case. This is the first book I can recall reading and being so angry. Obviously, in books like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, we lose characters that are important and it's sad, but this is one I can't get over. Because Tris is what made the book so good. Her innocence. Her determination. Her will to do what needed to be done. And with her gone, even though the book is over, it's like what was the point of getting so attached to her? So we can be sad she won't get to live the life we wanted her to? She's not even real, but it hurts right in the feels. 

Back in the Game

It's 1 am and my poor vision eyes are squinting at the screen, scratch that I just got my glasses. I'm listening to Katy Perry's album PRISM on my iPod (so catchy, my 4-year-old sister got me into it!) and a blog post is JUST what the doctor ordered. I can imagine doctors actually prescribing that in the near future. Cathartic. I have been thinking so much lately I could probably dedicate hours to writing everything down, and maybe I will, but not all at once.

Since it's Tuesday (well, technically Wednesday now), I would probably usually feel like writing about Supernatural, as I'm completely in love and obsessed with the show. (Just ask my twitter or tumblr) But this week's episdoe "First Born" was eventful, but at the same time not. It mostly introduced new problems we will figure out through the rest of the season. Sam and Dean and fighting, which I'm pretty sure I heard they will be back together by next episode, so it was more of a filler. Dean and Crowley were hunting together which was interesting. I JUST started to like Crowley (and I've got to admit, his humor and lines are always spot on for a demon), and now he used Dean so he's back on my bad list. But Abaddon and Metatron are my first enemies at this point. Dean looks like he's falling apart and I think he needs something to keep him living because right now he's just going through the motions. Although, taking on the mark is almost definitely going to mean bad things. But at least it means more Dean-centered episodes. Not that I don't like Sam, I do, but he has been the focus of a lot of episodes recently. And I'm more of a Dean girl. *swoon* I'm not sure why I'm attracted to aggression.

If you do not like Supernatural 1) what is wrong with you? & 2) I'm sorry, but it is my all time favorite show. I discovered it on Netflix a couple months ago and watched all 8 seasons & caught up on the 9th season via hulu and sketchy websites in the period of a couple months. I also discovered Fringe and Dollhouse, which I've watched all of and also enjoyed. But hands down, Supernatural is perfect. So much more than I ever expected it to be, and the show that got me to be a full fledged member of a fandom. Live tweeting, tumblring (is that a verb?!), relating everyday life to the show...you name it. So if you haven't watched it, I recommend it! The story line progresses SO much over the seasons so don't judge it right away. I don't know why I'm trying to convert people haha. It's doesn't need help. But I think I will write some more blogs and set them to become live later because I am one chatty girl right now.

Woah

I stopped making youtube videos, and my lack of computer kind of led to this blog being ignored. BUT I definitely think I can benefit from it being back. Because I have a lot to say. And not a lot of people to listen/care/understand. So the format will be slightly different, and the point I'm at in my life is different, but I am back.

Some new obsessions I will likely be talking about quite frequently include Supernatural <3 and my distaste for societal rules and expectations. Because those are 2 things I think about A LOT.

Enjoy my ramblings.