tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31507390256630413532024-03-05T10:53:46.606-05:00the brooke diariesNotes from inside the mitten, written by a 19 year old just for you. Learning to survive living with two boys and a dog. ~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-52962862881687807782016-01-06T12:30:00.000-05:002016-01-06T12:30:19.301-05:00I'm dying.I decided yesterday to start making changes with this new year.<br />
<br />
I decided to start back up doing yoga. My goal is at least three times a week.<br />
I decided to cut out pop completely. I used to drink anywhere between 2-5 cans of Mountain Dew a day.<br />
I decided to add in workouts later on. I've never stuck to a workout longer than three or four days.<br />
<br />
This is all going to be a huge challenge for me, but I'm not happy with my body right now. I weigh the most I ever have in my life, and I know most of you will say I'm skinny still, and while that may be true, I can't fit my clothes and I know I'm not healthy. So I'm working to change that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qji3sV8DpKmElJcRoXsWnxorsgVQ5j5yHQLNG8x-YcOk2ozjpp9btjg192hZM9olHDLGfOrNZGS3njpzVdhya16_kOjgzT08O1FSYmEJD4r4SCW5Z3-BcQiof0iW5x7YMA7n3mWF93g/s1600/Me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qji3sV8DpKmElJcRoXsWnxorsgVQ5j5yHQLNG8x-YcOk2ozjpp9btjg192hZM9olHDLGfOrNZGS3njpzVdhya16_kOjgzT08O1FSYmEJD4r4SCW5Z3-BcQiof0iW5x7YMA7n3mWF93g/s320/Me.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
This picture is from February 2015.<br />
<br />
This was the day we moved into our apartment. I weighed around 125 and never worried about what I ate.<br />
<br />
The longer we live here, the more weight I seem to gain. <br />
<br />
I know I'm not pregnant so it's just a bit frustrating. It just doesn't make since I started a job close enough to walk to in August and have been walking to work 4-5 days a week.<br />
<br />
It's all very frustrating and I wish I could just go back to my freshman year weight. But that's like 115, and that's just not likely.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSTZtojc5-Cbn0jTw1COYjdPD-1ePDXaWwE82jW2ukUCHbe6HGgtJYD0h938b4r9F-Jy8fPuCaAmNlfIqsGjqTNrF0FNOKRx1h-YqwEj1CMp6zynHB90Ksc8WaNFb5ZzkWjOus2JTGdQ/s1600/12509338_537720019726412_2763915977595250937_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSTZtojc5-Cbn0jTw1COYjdPD-1ePDXaWwE82jW2ukUCHbe6HGgtJYD0h938b4r9F-Jy8fPuCaAmNlfIqsGjqTNrF0FNOKRx1h-YqwEj1CMp6zynHB90Ksc8WaNFb5ZzkWjOus2JTGdQ/s320/12509338_537720019726412_2763915977595250937_n.jpg" width="180" /></a>My goal right now is 125. <br />
<br />
I'm sick of having no motivation to get up and just move. I always want to sit and watch Netflix and eat when I'm bored, and I cannot continue that.<br />
<br />
My current look is to the right. This won't be my current look much longer, I promise that.<br />
<br />
I'm on a mission to get healthy and lose a few pounds.<br />
<br />
Yesterday was day one of yoga.<br />
<br />
Today is day one of no pop.<br />
<br />
Wish me luck in my goals, I'm going to need it.<br />
<br />
Feel free to drop some motivation down below, I could definitely use as much as I can get right now!~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-46459767752568883142016-01-05T15:14:00.000-05:002016-01-05T15:14:24.120-05:00I'm sorry.Hello to my favorite blog readers.<br />
<br />
I just wanted to apologize for being MIA once again.<br />
I seem to do this often and I'm going to try to make sure that doesn't happen anymore.<br />
I'm going to try to create a purpose for my blog, because until now, it's been about literally everything. It's crazy.<br />
I'm going to try to be more organized and focused. My priorities as of this second are: my boyfriend who is recovering from having surgery to remove his gallbladder, my apartment & job, my fur babies (I'll post about them soon), my weight & health, and my blog. I'm going to get focused and work on these things!<br />
<br />
Thank you for sticking around through the many gaps in my blog!~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-53848379910120636182015-08-27T14:00:00.000-04:002015-08-27T14:00:00.695-04:00My crazy, hectic life.Okay, I'm being totally serious here.<br />
<br />
My. Life. Has. Been. Crazy.<br />
<br />
So many things have been going on.<br />
<br />
I have moved out of my apartment and am now in the process of moving back in (yes, I'm crazy, I know).<br />
I have gotten a new job and am in the process of getting a second job.<br />
<br />
Do you know how crazy my life has been?<br />
It honestly has stressed me out so much. I've been breaking out so bad the last couple of months.<br />
I'm just happy my life is finally a little less chaotic.<br />
<br />
I just wanted to check in and say, I promise I'm still alive, and that I'm trying to get used to how my life is now and then find a time where blogging can fit in.<br />
<br />
I'll be back, don't worry.~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-80820420985251761382015-06-03T14:00:00.000-04:002015-06-03T14:00:06.860-04:00I'm crazy.Everyone has weird little things about them, right? Those little things inside us all that make us who we are. Or make us crazy. Or both.<br />
<br />
Either way, mine is that I'm way too organized. I love to plan, I love making lists, I love organizing things. I'm organizing crazy. Some of you might think that's not a bad thing, and for the most part, it's not. Unless you live with other people. Mostly guys. Who are not organized. It's a struggle.<br />
<br />
But anyways, let me just show you how crazy I am about cleaning. This is my typical cleaning schedule.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Daily cleaning:</h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Pick up all of the pop cans & dishes from around the apartment. </li>
<li>Unload the dishwasher (our dishwasher gets ran every night).</li>
<li>Load the dishwasher.</li>
<li>Empty all of the pop cans and put them in a bag for future bottle return trips.</li>
<li>Pick up the living room. </li>
<li>Clear off the kitchen counters. </li>
<li>Wipe down the kitchen counters.</li>
<li>Clean off the bathroom counters.</li>
<li>Wipe down the bathroom counters.</li>
<li>Pick up our room.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Weekly cleaning:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Wipe down the stove.</li>
<li>Wipe down the sink.</li>
<li>Wipe down the microwave.</li>
<li>Dust the top of the microwave.</li>
<li>Sweep the kitchen.</li>
<li>Sweep the bathroom.</li>
<li>Wipe down the bathroom mirror.</li>
<li>Vacuum the living room.</li>
<li>Dust the living room.</li>
<li>Cut out restaurant/pizza place coupons we get in the mail.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Monthly cleaning:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Clean the toilet.</li>
<li>Clean the bathtub.</li>
<li>Clean out the fridge, clean off the top of the fridge, and wipe down the entire inside of the fridge.</li>
<li>Clean all of the windows.</li>
<li>Clean all of the door handles.</li>
<li>Clean everything that I normally wipe down with water, with cleaning products to disinfect.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
Now you see why I say I'm cleaning crazy. My next project is to organize our closet because it's getting messy and I need to get rid of clothes. </div>
<div>
I know I sound crazy for doing all of that so much, but honestly, our apartment stays so clean with this schedule, and it only takes 45 minutes to do all of the daily cleaning plus about 20 minutes worth of weekly cleaning chores each day. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>What's your weird thing about yourself?</i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i>Do you have a cleaning schedule?</i></b></div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-9909558693161000562015-06-01T15:30:00.000-04:002015-06-01T16:32:47.370-04:00June GoalsI've never done these monthly goal posts before, so I decided to give it a try. I figured if I write down my goals (and will actually have to post whether I did them or not), it might be my motivation to set and complete some concrete goals. So here goes...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-sK7kTtGjIRvrUlqv2HC9nUzAkrEoFjGSa0LlfOW5euD8FDYoqZL7KI0gjH0-qVeU78x9b-qx_Sx1xkKAEre92KneI_LKXrQmi__ywKlK40yeVRgyYAyKoLmF2ZmSpIy9JgdomXOlT8/s1600/goals.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-sK7kTtGjIRvrUlqv2HC9nUzAkrEoFjGSa0LlfOW5euD8FDYoqZL7KI0gjH0-qVeU78x9b-qx_Sx1xkKAEre92KneI_LKXrQmi__ywKlK40yeVRgyYAyKoLmF2ZmSpIy9JgdomXOlT8/s640/goals.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3>
June Goals</h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Actually do (and finish) my 30 day butt challenge. </b>I've been working on this for about two weeks and I'm 7 days in. Do you see the problem here? I need to get on this and actually work toward finishing this. I'm giving myself until the end of the month because I <i>know</i> I will take off at least a couple days between there.</li>
<li><b>Work on finding new houses to clean. </b>I just started working for a lady I found on Facebook that cleans houses and I've finished training with her so now I get to work on houses alone. The only problem is, I need to find some houses to clean. So I'm thinking about putting up some flyers and posting a few statuses about my cleaning!</li>
<li><b>Finish Friends. </b>I've been binge watching Friends and I'm a little over halfway through season six, and there are ten seasons. I think I can finish it by then. </li>
<li><b>Set a bedtime & wake-up time. </b>I have the most irregular sleep schedule. Sometimes I'm in bed by 9:30, sometimes I'm still awake at 12:30. Some days, I get up at 4 when my boyfriend gets up for work, some days I don't get up until 10:30. I need routine in my life, so I figured this would be a good place to start.</li>
<li><b>Clean out my closet.</b> I have so many clothes I don't wear that I've been meaning to sell, but I don't feel like going through half of them yet, but I don't want to post the half I have went through until I finish all of my clothes. I'm hoping to sell over 50 articles of clothes.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Alright, there are my goals. I'll check back in at the end of this month or beginning of next month!</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>What are your goals?</i></b></div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-2244182377427721062015-05-26T17:00:00.000-04:002015-05-26T17:00:05.808-04:00Random Acts of Kindness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78FUTR58xrmrppuoqDTe_0WxX7iGHCWQBuBFEEI8QeFksrO9gChwolyzR69pvcvpfSPfSahtSdRJcOhDjJS8IOSCElQm_VYcnG6RVne1xHxdk_iwOaSoFl-FbftpSyg0JUinREmzGbGk/s1600/random+acts+of+kindness.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78FUTR58xrmrppuoqDTe_0WxX7iGHCWQBuBFEEI8QeFksrO9gChwolyzR69pvcvpfSPfSahtSdRJcOhDjJS8IOSCElQm_VYcnG6RVne1xHxdk_iwOaSoFl-FbftpSyg0JUinREmzGbGk/s640/random+acts+of+kindness.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Personally, I love doing the smallest, simplest things for people to make their day. My mom loves to do them as well, which is where I've gotten most of my ideas. I just thought that I would share these with all of you so that maybe you could make someones day by doing just one simple thing. Some may cost money, but there are many that don't!<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Leave a sticky note on a personal belonging just saying simple things such as "You're an awesome person," or "Have a great day! :)" It also makes people smile, especially when they're left wondering who left it. Or, similarly...<br />
<br />
2. ...leave one on a bathroom mirror or a mirror in a common place! Even the back of a door (provided you cannot get into trouble by doing so). Simply leaving a note on a girls' bathroom mirror saying "You're beautiful, you don't need this mirror!" is all it takes to make a person's day.<br />
<br />
3. This is my mom's specialty so I just thought I would share this with you. This one can get a little more pricey if you do it often, but it's so worth watching the reaction. If you go through a drive-thru, preferably before work/school, not around dinner time unless you want the potential of paying for a full family's meal, ask the person working the register how much the person behind you's meal will cost. If it's in your price range, hand over the money. Then while you're at the next window, you can watch their reaction from a safe distance, and that saves you from interacting with them, if you're concerned about that!<br />
<br />
4. Do a favor/small job for someone, and don't accept a payment, in any form. It only takes a little bit of time and it can mean so much to someone else who is maybe having a bad day or their check was smaller than they'd like, etc. It can help someone out monumentally.<br />
<br />
5. Write a note or letter to a person that has helped you out. Thank someone. Just think how happy you would be if someone did this for you, a thank-you out of the blue!<br />
<br />
6. A little bit similar to the last one, call or write a letter to a parent or parents, or even someone who has been a big part of you life. Parents, coaches, teachers, old bosses, pastors, etc. They've done a lot for you, I'm sure. Tell them you love them. You appreciate them. They're some of your biggest supporters so why not give them a little love too?<br />
<br />
7. This one is special to college students/people residing in some apartments, etc. If you live somewhere that there are coin-operated laundry facilities and you happen to have some extra quarters lying around, get the amount needed for one and put them in the machine so someone gets a nice surprise when they go to do their laundry!<br />
<br />
<br />
Random Acts of Kindness are one of the most simple things you can do to make a big difference in someone elses' life. Make someone smile!<br />
<b><i>What are some of your favorite RAK's to do?</i></b>~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-21468368384704824832015-05-24T19:40:00.000-04:002015-05-24T19:40:00.910-04:00Four ThingsI found this post on <a href="http://www.kimberlyschronicle.com/2015/05/4-things.html" target="_blank">Kimberly's site</a> and I loved the idea, so I decided to try it!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBGBXEMjswWbXqsgv-RlTYqsb3lfnOMa1R7qXPVHZrwXTCSCAR_k1nD7vO9WWMl_9yEmRydfOga0TtCERHlKkJybXJhzJxRZAp1eF9EwoRX0mLlC64YRs7Wukt2H7-D6LRkV2I96J07w/s1600/4+things.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBGBXEMjswWbXqsgv-RlTYqsb3lfnOMa1R7qXPVHZrwXTCSCAR_k1nD7vO9WWMl_9yEmRydfOga0TtCERHlKkJybXJhzJxRZAp1eF9EwoRX0mLlC64YRs7Wukt2H7-D6LRkV2I96J07w/s640/4+things.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Four nicknames:</h3>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>Brookie</b>: I've had this since I was little. Mostly family. Sometimes friends when they're being annoying.</li>
<li><b>Barookacka</b>: My friend Alisha & I started adding syllables to everyone's name one day in high school, and a bunch of the nicknames still stuck: mine, Alishasha (Alisha), Jennanana (Jenna), Kaylala (Kayla) Ashaley (Ashley), etc. We're strange.</li>
<li><b>Fancy Pants</b>: I was over a friend's house one day wearing some bright blue skinny jeans and his dad (he's basically one of us though) looked at my pants and decided my new name was Fancy Pants and that stuck with a few of them. It was also my Twitter name for a very long time.</li>
<li><b>Brooker Hooker</b>: I am so serious, two of my little cousins started calling me this while I was babysitting one day and I made the mistake of telling one of my friends and they like to tell everyone when they have the chance.</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Four Things in My Bag:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>Ibuprofen</b>: I occasionally have mom-like traits, like carrying around ibuprofen and tampons and pads with me in case anyone needs any.</li>
<li><b>Quarters</b>: I have a pocket in my purse specifically for quarters. No pennies, nickels, or dimes. Just quarters. The life of living in an apartment building and having to use laundry mats. </li>
<li><b>Movie tickets</b>: I save all of my movie tickets, and as of right now, I probably have somewhere around 30 from the past two years in my purse. On the back of each, I wrote who I saw it with in case I'm wondering stupid things like that.</li>
<li><b>A gross, disgusting mixture</b>: In one pocket of my purse, I made the mistake of leaving a pop-tart in it... Well, that broke, and there were crumbs everywhere. But I forgot about it. Then some friends and I went one a road trip and stayed in a hotel. We all took the little soaps and whatever. I put the conditioner in my purse... It broke open. It mixed with the pop-tart crumbs and made a disgusting goo that has crumbs in it...in my $150 purse. I still have no idea how to clean that out, so I avoid that pocket at all costs.</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Four movies I've watched more than once:</h3>
</div>
<div>
First, I would like to say, oh dear god, I have seen like every movie I've ever seen at least three times. How do I decide?!</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>All of the Fast & Furious movies</b>: Seriously, the greatest movie series ever. I have a deep love for every one of these movies. I've heard people say it's just some stupid movies about cars and half-naked girls and I absolutely despise that description. They are about family, loyalty, and maybe a liiiittle bit of cars. However, I know literally nothing about cars and I still absolutely adore these movies.</li>
<li><b>Without A Paddle</b>: If you haven't seen it, do it. Shaggy from the real people version movies of Scooby Doo, a hot guy, and a tiny little awkward guy are all in it, and it makes for a really entertaining movie surrounding a great storyline: three friends go on a camping trip that their now dead friend planned for them before he died. There are <i style="font-weight: bold;">so</i> many hilarious parts.</li>
<li><b>Big Daddy</b>: Early Adam Sandler movie. The best. I used to watch this every night as a kid. My boyfriend and our other roommate and I always make references to this movie while grocery shopping. <i>Microsoft went down three points</i>.</li>
<li><b>Coyote Ugly</b>: My guilty pleasure movie. Don't judge me for this, it's about a girl who moves to New York to become a songwriter and ends up working in a bar while gaining the confidence to become a singer and it's so great.</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Four favorite drinks:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>Mountain Dew</b>: Can I use this for all four? Because I drink waaay too much Mountain Dew. </li>
<li><b>Blue Kinky</b>:<b> </b>I hate almost all alcohol besides a few and this is one of the only ones I like.</li>
<li><b>Cherry Coke</b>: The second best pop ever.</li>
<li><b>Rum Chata</b>: Liquid Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The best.</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Four random things I'm thinking about:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>How much I love Sundays</b>. My boyfriend has the chance of working any other day of the week, and he switches days around all the time so I never know what days he's actually working or not, but Sundays, his work is closed. It's my favorite day.</li>
<li><b>What movies to watch when I wake him up</b>. He's napping right now, but when I'm done with this post, I have to wake him up so we can finish our movie day (which, so far, has been a Weeds binge watching day).</li>
<li><b>How hot our apartment is</b>. Or maybe it's not actually hot and I'm just overheating. Either way, I'm uncomfortable.</li>
<li><b>I should make brownies</b>.</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Four places I've travelled:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>San Diego, CA</b>: Seriously the best place ever.</li>
<li><b>Marquette, MI</b>: I love going up north. It's beautiful. The UP of Michigan is amazing.</li>
<li><b>Cumberland Falls, KY</b>: Such a beautiful place.</li>
<li><b>Delaware</b>: It sounds lame, but my mom's work paid for her to have an apartment there because she was working there four days a week, and I went for a week last year and had her super expensive apartment to myself all day. It was heaven.</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Four places I've lived:</h3>
I didn't move much until the past couple years (lived in the same apartment with my mom from age 6-18), so I'll just do after that.</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>Great house in Monroe, MI</b>: My mom and I lived in a nice and big house (4 bedrooms for the two of us and our two cats) for about a year, mostly while I was at college, so I wasn't there much but still.</li>
<li><b>My grandma's in LaSalle, MI</b>: It was a change going from always living in town to living 15 minutes from town in the country with no phone reception. I lived there for about six months (though I literally was not there for three months of that- couch hopping my friends' houses/the occasional night of sleeping in a friend's car or a hotel room besides we had money and wanted to adventure).</li>
<li><b>A friend's house in Monroe</b>: I moved in with my boyfriend who lived with a friend of ours and our friend's dad for about three months. </li>
<li><b>Our new apartment</b>: We moved in here on my birthday (Feb. 14th- yes, Valentines Day). I'm so happy we have an apartment now.</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Four TV shows I'm currently watching</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>Friends</b>: I've loved this show for year but haven't seen every episode so I started it on Netflix and I'm on season five now.</li>
<li><b>Breakout Kings</b>: My boyfriend and I started this together and it's a really exciting show! I believe we're on season two.</li>
<li><b>Weeds</b>: My boyfriend and I also started this together (yesterday) and we're on season two now. We have a problem with watching one show a time, we get bored of binge watching.</li>
<li><b>Orange is the New Black</b>: I finished both season on Netflix last summer, but season three will be out June 12th and I'm so excited!</li>
</ol>
<h3>
Four things I'm excited for this year:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>Road trip</b>: My boyfriend and another couple we're really good friends with are going on a trip to the other side of Michigan sometime soon!</li>
<li><b>Hopefully getting a kitten</b>: I love cats and I get to get a ginger kitten once I have a steady paycheck!</li>
<li><b>A great job</b>: I just recently started a great job, cleaning houses. I only work about one day a week right now, so that's disappointing and I'm not making much money right now, but once I start getting my own houses to clean (because I'm still technically training right now), I'll be working more and I'll have money finally.</li>
<li><b>OITNB Season Three</b>: Did I say this already? Oops.</li>
</ol>
<div>
I had a lot of fun with this post. If you do it too, leave your link in the comments!</div>
</div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-85164736945459285302015-05-22T08:30:00.000-04:002015-05-22T08:30:01.153-04:00Welcome to my new blog!Welcome to the first official post of The Brooke Diaries! The Brooke Diaries was previously known as This is Me until my recent name change that came with my brand new blog design!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFY591mVJleEaqHCqJRFRZUZuIRzjf1K2nMZTnpml3-IAwa9Mnbl3f8O7QJO92b0knenyol23Lwm2GA1heKBfW8lkXxvs9c_aSLsgppojD6ekqb41PhTprxK8TaSZrwQCW22DV5nf1xs/s1600/the+brooke+diaries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFY591mVJleEaqHCqJRFRZUZuIRzjf1K2nMZTnpml3-IAwa9Mnbl3f8O7QJO92b0knenyol23Lwm2GA1heKBfW8lkXxvs9c_aSLsgppojD6ekqb41PhTprxK8TaSZrwQCW22DV5nf1xs/s400/the+brooke+diaries.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Take a look around and see all of the changes!<br />
<br />
Here's some of the new things:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Brand new design! I made my own header and about me link (in my sidebar) and designed the whole page myself.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I have a newsletter! It'll be sent out weekly. If you want to join my email list, there is a subscription box in the sidebar just below my about me link. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>It's a lot easier to contact me now! Just below my header in my tabs, there is a contact form available.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>My Twitter and Pinterest accounts are now right in my sidebar for easier access to connect on other sites! Feel free to connect on these sites with me, I'll be happy to follow your blog as well.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I'll also be posting more regularly. I've started an editorital calendar to become more consistent with my blog, as well as being more prepared for the future of The Brooke Diaries.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I'm so excited about all of these changes! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Tell me what you think about my new blog! I would absolutely love to know your opinion on all of the changes! </b></div>
<div>
<b>What is your favorite & least favorite part of my blog? </b></div>
<div>
<b>What kind of posts would you like to see more of or less of?</b></div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-34789289054440852872015-05-07T19:13:00.001-04:002015-05-14T16:49:26.963-04:00The Easy Way to Start Doing Yoga<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKNPfGY-SFGD6g2bMtcv6QzRwBnDai_RSW_oUn3ARRS1t8eBVSkV2wSAO2U8fNF6-WirzD9LYMFhU7sCjZ_0HeVZ8cs8oSmjDwvxJsveHKnvr1iJCSixZxIHSVF23MzPGDjeGes0qcBU/s1600/The+Easy+Way+to+Start+Doing+Yoga.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Have you ever wanted to start doing yoga but weren't sure where to start? Here's some advice on how to start and where to start!" border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKNPfGY-SFGD6g2bMtcv6QzRwBnDai_RSW_oUn3ARRS1t8eBVSkV2wSAO2U8fNF6-WirzD9LYMFhU7sCjZ_0HeVZ8cs8oSmjDwvxJsveHKnvr1iJCSixZxIHSVF23MzPGDjeGes0qcBU/s640/The+Easy+Way+to+Start+Doing+Yoga.png" title="The Easy Way to Start Doing Yoga" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://aerobics.byu.edu/power-yoga/" target="_blank">source of yoga photo</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
About two weeks ago, I decided I wanted to start working out, but I wanted it to be something quiet since I live in an apartment building and something I could do at home. I had seen a friend post about yoga so I decided I'd give it a try. The first video I found, I loved! It was actually perfect because it was for lower backs and my back almost always hurts. It's super easy, it's only 20 minutes, and it's really relaxing! Take a look here:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0o0kNeOyH98?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
If you haven't yet, try it out! Let me know in the comments what you think about it!<br />
<br />
Later on, I also found a few 30 days yoga challenges. I haven't started any of these, but if you want to, I wanted to include these for you!<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXU591OYOHA" target="_blank">"Yoga with Adrienne" video: start here!</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wJtQjQ4HI8" target="_blank">"DoYoYoga: video: day 1: getting started.</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope you all have fun starting your yoga and let me know if you find any more 30 day challenges and I'll add them to the list!</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Let me know if you like these videos and if you decide to keep going with one of the challenges!</span></div>
<div>
</div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-21361302215792893562015-05-05T13:31:00.001-04:002015-05-14T16:49:00.307-04:00The Top 5 Most Amazing Recipes I've Found on Pinterest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz1ygYoTJ6Np6VblV6hMCnUsa7HkWkofxnsqpVfCpmQiFG516tGBzRuIgoyaFd_rdI7PqVPXbWcu1xNR1PAauF50_e4t6A97MyIZfIrYvZ8tx_lr8t25pzfWW6XFFUpPeQ5Qz5OyCkDY/s1600/Top+5+Most+Amazing+Recipes+Found+On+Pinterest.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz1ygYoTJ6Np6VblV6hMCnUsa7HkWkofxnsqpVfCpmQiFG516tGBzRuIgoyaFd_rdI7PqVPXbWcu1xNR1PAauF50_e4t6A97MyIZfIrYvZ8tx_lr8t25pzfWW6XFFUpPeQ5Qz5OyCkDY/s640/Top+5+Most+Amazing+Recipes+Found+On+Pinterest.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I love when I find a blog that has a list of a bunch of links to great recipes so I figured- why not share my favorite recipes with all of you- of course, in cool list form with pretty pictures. I've found all of these on Pinterest and I believe most of them are pinned on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brooketrouten/" target="_blank">my own boards</a>, so I encourage you, if you like these recipes, or even aren't a fan of these but want more, to head over to <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brooketrouten/food/" target="_blank">my food board on Pinterest</a> and check it out, and maybe follow me! I'll be sure to check out your Pinterest as well, and maybe follow you too!<br />
**<span style="font-size: x-small;">all pictures are from the original post- not my own!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.classyclutter.net/2014/07/slow-cooker-vegetarian-taco-soup-recipe.html" target="_blank">Taco Soup</a></b>: this recipe is actually a vegetarian recipe, but with this, it doesn't even matter that there's no meat in it! It's just that good. I do think it could maybe use a little more spice, but then it might as well be considered chili, but I really do love this recipe, and it's honestly the easiest recipe ever! All you have to do it take six cans and two packets and dump it in a crock pot and let it cook! That's it. I love it.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdsr0ZRw4Ye7HLWzide2kDTMaT9zFiS9XTDI7VaKDcbFJ64EdQ6_xFrFckbJCqqdEalnq7lT6l2cm9_CLMpvU8PtaNHe0OYFjpM20WiKjtZ8QcaH4HLBXVOIjoICs-sFUE6tUICOQOFE/s1600/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Slow+Cooker+Vegetarian+Taco+Soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdsr0ZRw4Ye7HLWzide2kDTMaT9zFiS9XTDI7VaKDcbFJ64EdQ6_xFrFckbJCqqdEalnq7lT6l2cm9_CLMpvU8PtaNHe0OYFjpM20WiKjtZ8QcaH4HLBXVOIjoICs-sFUE6tUICOQOFE/s400/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Slow+Cooker+Vegetarian+Taco+Soup.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/55028426668421396/" target="_blank">Crock Pot Tacos</a></b>: this recipe doesn't actually have a link to the recipe- I found it on Pinterest, but the link takes you to a website about home repair. The actual recipe is in the description of the pin (below the picture). It's really simple and easy to make, and it tastes great. I also love that there's no prep for this. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3e-X99QrZX0MktkVglrqnX5Eau4DexSD6pt4JAsA8ovOYQzh427e_DxRVmERnRl3yqsnPeFWkVXk19VnQ8MqTb_E6FUBCpKeXzrN18zAcnBVRZ2UMmCWPTfRADmmz4dN37E0ELKJQk8/s1600/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Crock+Pot+Tacos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3e-X99QrZX0MktkVglrqnX5Eau4DexSD6pt4JAsA8ovOYQzh427e_DxRVmERnRl3yqsnPeFWkVXk19VnQ8MqTb_E6FUBCpKeXzrN18zAcnBVRZ2UMmCWPTfRADmmz4dN37E0ELKJQk8/s400/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Crock+Pot+Tacos.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/baked-sweet-and-sour-chicken-with-fried-rice/" target="_blank">Sweet & Sour Chicken</a></b>: I absolutely love this recipe! It tastes absolutely amazing and even though it's a bit more time consuming, it's so worth it. I like this more than the sweet and sour chicken from <i>any</i> restaurant and the guys I live with agree! </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRB75I8BmmJn_9Gk9-JA0U8lhsx_xnmf9JellT1xOtusdloO_seIBJr-qb5peVdJIvG_2H5QLCrTAxmB1O8oxjv2g5jMM2I3wC0fSQbuZK3w8MjaXzqiXZT-Diwo6wl1XpZ8DUyo4E9Q/s1600/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Baked+Sweet+and+Sour+Chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRB75I8BmmJn_9Gk9-JA0U8lhsx_xnmf9JellT1xOtusdloO_seIBJr-qb5peVdJIvG_2H5QLCrTAxmB1O8oxjv2g5jMM2I3wC0fSQbuZK3w8MjaXzqiXZT-Diwo6wl1XpZ8DUyo4E9Q/s400/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Baked+Sweet+and+Sour+Chicken.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/brunede-kartofler-134606" target="_blank">Brunede Kartofler</a></b>: I have yet to figure out how to say the name of this, but it's so good! It's potatoes with a caramelized sauce (butter and sugar), and that may not sound good, but it is seriously my favorite recipe for potatoes, and it has so few ingredients that you can make it almost any time!</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMpQzvvgqFHradPshyphenhyphen2yhtRVQMGvsl_1l1YBGT3XQGZLaGyXbH2lJchZHvYYuvb0KUR05PY4uoM5i3INKinhaURCrAkj-Z4k6b3RMx0daNRtCxYwxJ1Y4fsXc4817LhvJl9-Cz5X-6F4/s1600/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Brunede+Kartofler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMpQzvvgqFHradPshyphenhyphen2yhtRVQMGvsl_1l1YBGT3XQGZLaGyXbH2lJchZHvYYuvb0KUR05PY4uoM5i3INKinhaURCrAkj-Z4k6b3RMx0daNRtCxYwxJ1Y4fsXc4817LhvJl9-Cz5X-6F4/s400/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Brunede+Kartofler.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://bargainbriana.com/pepperoni-pasta-bake/#_a5y_p=2173014" target="_blank">Pepperoni Pasta Bake</a></b>: this was my first recipe I made off of Pinterest and my roommates and a friend that was over ate so much of it. It's really good. The only thing that I had a problem with was that the noodles were a slightly colder temperature than the rest of the food. My boyfriend also suggested instead of mixing everything and dumping it in, to layer it instead. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YmP6HJYP2bCIUTpf8oobVfT6OZPpsvLGj5McqDiWhtq9juhpapA8zWAwhfMeuMnMxku4YASEMyvEQtcfsIJx0Ba72Yj6DS20ZnbqPVZz2-qmfUItHfC9Ujk09h3Uhqpwdv0CGCgShug/s1600/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Pepperoni+Pasta+Bake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YmP6HJYP2bCIUTpf8oobVfT6OZPpsvLGj5McqDiWhtq9juhpapA8zWAwhfMeuMnMxku4YASEMyvEQtcfsIJx0Ba72Yj6DS20ZnbqPVZz2-qmfUItHfC9Ujk09h3Uhqpwdv0CGCgShug/s400/Best+Pinterest+Recipes+Pepperoni+Pasta+Bake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are my favorite recipes I've found on Pinterest- and I hope you love them!<br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">What are your favorite recipes you've found from Pinterest? Feel free to leave links (as long as they aren't spam!)</span></i></b></div>
</div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-87142581653001952262015-04-30T15:52:00.002-04:002015-04-30T15:52:47.318-04:00Guess what!My blog is going to be going through some renovations!<br />
<br />
I haven't been using my blog much in the past few months, so I figured that a re-launch, if you will, of my blog was in order, along with a change in scenery (at least on my blog).<br />
<br />
Lots of things will be changing soon! Some things might include a new name, new look, and a weekly newsletter!<br />
<br />
Get ready for this blog to look a lot different soon, and not just in appearance.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here's a sneak peek of one change....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeX9RnVQ-CqZZeMhsVFtKIA8DFZilffYHLS0ow-8Dn3fXdiSsTO6BD1VIdwAuxKht-6GAyeY07T24JsvzgaW2Oclb7KClmwK8l7p2TefvTA3eRthUaFxXiWG-ScGomyh0CBBXXTnO4m4/s1600/the+brooke+diaries+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeX9RnVQ-CqZZeMhsVFtKIA8DFZilffYHLS0ow-8Dn3fXdiSsTO6BD1VIdwAuxKht-6GAyeY07T24JsvzgaW2Oclb7KClmwK8l7p2TefvTA3eRthUaFxXiWG-ScGomyh0CBBXXTnO4m4/s1600/the+brooke+diaries+(1).jpg" height="118" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-52187848800551338682015-04-19T17:20:00.001-04:002015-04-19T17:20:19.935-04:00The blogging struggle.I haven't blogged in a while... That makes me really sad.<br />
But do you know why?<br />
<br />
I literally just have <i>nothing</i> to write about.<br />
<br />
I have no ideas.<br />
<br />
I want my blog to be good and I want to blog and I think about blogging quite often but I just have no idea to write about anymore.<br />
<br />
I am stuck. I am in a blogging rut. I have bloggers block (yes, that's a thing now).<br />
<br />
Send help.~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-79239703342235727262015-03-04T13:23:00.000-05:002015-03-04T13:24:43.999-05:00Top Netflix shows {part 2}A little over a year ago, I made a post titled "Top Netflix Shows," which you can see by clicking <a href="http://brooketrouten.blogspot.com/2014/02/top-netflix-shows.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and it was a decently popular post so I thought I would make a part two and share with you some of my new favorites!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSfIEFYr8tfQSY6rtnFmqY-1zT3D2-_nViY-cXBprSaOL9_B-oJG-fcMeVSoxwWeWDt2EfJS7UiSCkuxgHyOQbIbRdkFO03aYFIwBq6tdGGn_8YrlmgPNw2yPemzt-kQqsutaXTGXN38/s1600/Some+of+my+top+faves+of.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSfIEFYr8tfQSY6rtnFmqY-1zT3D2-_nViY-cXBprSaOL9_B-oJG-fcMeVSoxwWeWDt2EfJS7UiSCkuxgHyOQbIbRdkFO03aYFIwBq6tdGGn_8YrlmgPNw2yPemzt-kQqsutaXTGXN38/s1600/Some+of+my+top+faves+of.png" height="320" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Once Upon A Time</b>: {rated PG} A few friends had recommended this show to me and I started watching it about two weeks ago and I am addicted! I'm not done with it yet, but there are three seasons of this show on Netflix and the show is still going, so there will be more added in the future. It's about fairytale and Disney characters that are cursed and sent to a town where no one remembers that they're actually characters until the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming comes to save everyone. It has such a great storyline. It's really interesting to see the flashback scenes of when they remembered who they are and you get to see what happened to the characters after their story ended. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>The Road to El Dorado</b>: {rated PG} This movie was one of my favorites when I was younger and seeing this on Netflix made my day! It's about two guys in search of treasure, specifically gold, and in the process, are mistaken for gods. It's entertaining, cute, and definitely a great movie.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Orange is the New Black</b>: {rated TV-MA (mature adult)} WARNING: this show is not appropriate for <i>anyone</i> younger. I'm sure you've all heard of this show. Something along the lines of "the crazy show about a bunch of lesbians in prison." I'm not going to lie, that is essentially what it's about, but it's also a lot more than that. I've seen a Tumblr post that explains it perfectly; something like, "It shows that everyone has a past, but everyone has a story." It's an addicting show, and season three comes out June 12.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Brick Mansions</b>: {rated PG-13} this was the last movie Paul Walker completed before he died {still makes me sad} and it was great. It's an intense movie and I was really excited to see that Netflix added it. Paul's character is a cop and has to bring down the man that killed his dad. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Friends</b>: {rated TV-14} because who doesn't love Friends? I was ecstatic when it was announced that Friends was coming to Netflix because I've loved this show for years and you get so emotionally invested in the show and their lives. The last episode will forever make me cry...</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>The Wolf of Wall Street</b>: {rated R} WARNING: this movie is also not appropriate for anyone younger. This movie is a very, very interesting take on Wall Street. It follows the life of a man that becomes the top man on Wall Street and involves a lot of drugs, swearing, sex, etc. It's a very long movie {three hours, to be exact} but I'd say it's worth it.</li>
</ul>
<div>
These are just a few of the more recent great things added to Netflix.</div>
</div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-26115855725005953612015-03-01T20:00:00.000-05:002015-03-01T20:00:45.148-05:00It's been awhile.Just today, I realized it has been nearly a year since my last post, and that makes me very sad.<div>
I'm really going to try to get back into blogging.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Just to catch everyone up on my life, have some updates on the life of Brooke!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Here's the newest picture of me. I feel like I look really different now.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_EbTQ_usEsO3mAnNqwHpywOcK8dAzEncP6JNvtg4Ua6QBilFpwE1paCJBZM03ERr1t4nABvOb3QZ_1Z_IQssGdFPR8ktiQlLn-95sup0TRZX_c4XXej5cUBExQ5U4Zk3MLv5x5_WFf8/s1600/11001811_415836908581391_5924242500107419370_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_EbTQ_usEsO3mAnNqwHpywOcK8dAzEncP6JNvtg4Ua6QBilFpwE1paCJBZM03ERr1t4nABvOb3QZ_1Z_IQssGdFPR8ktiQlLn-95sup0TRZX_c4XXej5cUBExQ5U4Zk3MLv5x5_WFf8/s1600/11001811_415836908581391_5924242500107419370_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>I've been dating this wonderful guy for three months (as of today). His name is Dom and we've been friends for about five years. He's wonderful.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzzK8Sk5iYzHsEQ1HFiRTwCsU-PMQLdt8l2wN3QGp7VVhvLBnK_tTIaJXRuXVFtjh-Y-nnTqJWrQe9-5UjAlV9YvXOCIT2d18nXVtgksnetqpDklg95LjeTeQzbWmtQd1n-zlmxmLvic/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzzK8Sk5iYzHsEQ1HFiRTwCsU-PMQLdt8l2wN3QGp7VVhvLBnK_tTIaJXRuXVFtjh-Y-nnTqJWrQe9-5UjAlV9YvXOCIT2d18nXVtgksnetqpDklg95LjeTeQzbWmtQd1n-zlmxmLvic/s1600/34.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-E1O91-6zhCcq6QvQp342vAjd1a7PSWipYQNX3hNFUfiZz9MA7nnAzEqOHDIGACbY31qaS9jvHRiaoN72TVKE8dXxLwAH9RBANQGFCj-QFS4a9VodLx5tRcxUulM00PtDMxTQVRuWzA/s1600/5+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-E1O91-6zhCcq6QvQp342vAjd1a7PSWipYQNX3hNFUfiZz9MA7nnAzEqOHDIGACbY31qaS9jvHRiaoN72TVKE8dXxLwAH9RBANQGFCj-QFS4a9VodLx5tRcxUulM00PtDMxTQVRuWzA/s1600/5+(2).jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_6V9mRQY4nIbTzZ_V3CCzQlN2CnKPF9EOJd6kohn7qhyphenhyphen2h-f7LtHw4VeS5rSc5NA25wMNGjhPPHEFQEvMk05KU6gulugVe_jIk5DSk3KYuQ2VuQzNsXHeTVZkKxV43d4i-dqYu8C2TY/s1600/10959577_415836871914728_3384329603210742418_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_6V9mRQY4nIbTzZ_V3CCzQlN2CnKPF9EOJd6kohn7qhyphenhyphen2h-f7LtHw4VeS5rSc5NA25wMNGjhPPHEFQEvMk05KU6gulugVe_jIk5DSk3KYuQ2VuQzNsXHeTVZkKxV43d4i-dqYu8C2TY/s1600/10959577_415836871914728_3384329603210742418_n.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
</li>
<li>My birthday is on Valentines Day, and this year, my birthday present was getting my first apartment with my lovely boyfriend and a friend of ours (those who have been following me for a while may also know him as Steven, my ex. Long story, but no, it's not weird for me.)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHTxk5zPI_t6nQ_ZYVkMGWyVS671QWvvrIuem3gpk07YvywPIPO-AQ2q7SXvzCLeGs-X5hQxYKhkgOyI49hyWAlg9HZJ8ReJZYM6whE7MGZMRJuJWA_X7o3PImpY4AaW-XnjeMus6VOc/s1600/10922860_415836841914731_6677250201696762553_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHTxk5zPI_t6nQ_ZYVkMGWyVS671QWvvrIuem3gpk07YvywPIPO-AQ2q7SXvzCLeGs-X5hQxYKhkgOyI49hyWAlg9HZJ8ReJZYM6whE7MGZMRJuJWA_X7o3PImpY4AaW-XnjeMus6VOc/s1600/10922860_415836841914731_6677250201696762553_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was our first apartment selfie and we were super excited.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li>I don't know if I had announced this on here last year or not, but I decided to not return to college after last year and I am now in the process of trying to find a job (it's really not fun, it's difficult). </li>
</ol>
<div>
So yeah, yay, life updates. </div>
</div>
<div>
Hopefully I'll be blogging more soon!</div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-83700733339662424812014-04-19T03:26:00.001-04:002014-04-19T03:26:15.259-04:00Video of the Week: How to Outsmart A RoommateThis is actually sponsored by a company for Her Campus' Study Break emails, but I just thought it was funny!<br />
In case you were wondering, basically all of the videos I use for my Video of the Week come from the HCSB emails. If you want to check out Study Break, <a href="http://www.hercampus.com/hc-study-break" target="_blank">click here</a>!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_Zs_WZJPNd0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-9094482058090806952014-04-09T20:20:00.002-04:002014-04-09T20:20:11.458-04:00Video of the Week: "Say Something" covered by PentatonixI have a deep love for this song, and this cover is phenomenal (isn't Pentatonix always, though?!). I hope you like it!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0dYlvdLdK9w?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-14907725589733638852014-04-07T00:32:00.000-04:002014-04-07T00:32:06.357-04:00Blogging deprivation.In case you haven't noticed, I haven't been blogging lately. I've been really stressed and I've had to make a lot of big decisions lately, so I have sort of put blogging on the back burner.<br />
<br />
I just wanted to share some info with you all!<br />
<br />
First of all, as much as I love the memories I have at Spring Arbor, I will not be coming back next year. A lot went into this decision and it's just best for me at this point.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to my next thing: I will be doing online schooling through SNHU next year, going into social media marketing rather than youth ministry like I was at Spring Arbor.<br />
<br />
And lastly, I will be moving back home!! This is my favorite one. Anyways, I'll be moving back in with my mom when school ends in May. I'll be living with her at least for the summer and possibly the first half of next year, and then I'll be getting an apartment with one of my best friends.<br />
<br />
I'm really excited to start this new adventure for my life. I can't wait to share all of this with you when it gets closer!~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-86939364573439561482014-03-27T18:28:00.000-04:002014-03-27T18:35:58.525-04:00Why I Don't Believe College is for Everyone.Being in college has given me some interesting insight on the world of college. I've seen people I know <i>for a fact</i> that are extremely smart, book-wise and common sense-wise, fail classes and such. Things like this have caused me to start wondering if college is actually right for everyone.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU3-80kUdVu4YDmJrF3FkIoK2DP7ARMksv4QCNtB6bvKRjawTuN_SKF_02kjwD_ZuwEaj_rtIqwZU5aXyZjUxtvoBStgdSyGido4Kge_qmlaF9le-syCYAAMJH8A8aobMifZtBWb7LL8/s1600/Why+CollegeIsn't+For%C2%A0Everyone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU3-80kUdVu4YDmJrF3FkIoK2DP7ARMksv4QCNtB6bvKRjawTuN_SKF_02kjwD_ZuwEaj_rtIqwZU5aXyZjUxtvoBStgdSyGido4Kge_qmlaF9le-syCYAAMJH8A8aobMifZtBWb7LL8/s1600/Why+CollegeIsn't+For%C2%A0Everyone.png" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Just a couple things I'd like to point out here.<br />
<br />
<b>College Con:</b><br />
Steve Jobs. The creator of Tumblr, David Karp. Mark Zuckerberg. The founder of WordPress (which many of you fellow bloggers use), Matt Mullenweg. The founder of Spotify, Daniel Ek.<br />
Do any of these names or sites sound familiar to you? You're looking at the names of five extremely successful people that <i>never graduated college.</i> Some of which didn't even graduate high school.<br />
<br />
<b>College Pro:</b><br />
The average high school graduate will make about $30,000 a year. Just by getting a bachelor's degree, this goes up to $45,000.<br />
<br />
<b>College Con:</b><br />
Those two numbers in the last example have been growing closer and closer together.<br />
<br />
<b>College Pro:</b><br />
Having a college degree makes getting a job a whole lot easier.<br />
<br />
<b>College Con:</b><br />
...that is, if you can find one.<br />
<br />
<b>College Pro:</b><br />
Most college graduates do not regret college.<br />
<br />
<b>College Con:</b><br />
However, some do.<br />
<br />
<b>College Con: </b><br />
Two words: student loans.<br />
<br />
This list alone makes me really think about college. Personally, I don't think college is right for everyone. I most definitely don't think that <i>anyone</i> should be pressured into going, especially right after high school. So many people fail out of college and after working for a few years, return and do <i>amazing</i>.<br />
<br />
I also don't believe that college is as worthwhile as many people say it is. The salary gap is closing slowly. Many college graduates cannot find jobs and the ones that do often have entry-level jobs regardless of their college degree.<br />
<br />
What are your opinions on this? I'd love to hear.~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-72653793050656857832014-03-19T10:50:00.002-04:002014-03-19T10:50:36.968-04:00My {fave} Ladies of Pinterest!I love Pinterest, just as I'm sure most of you do. My only problem seems to be finding the best pinners that I want to follow.<br />
<br />
I thought I'd help you all out with finding your favorite pinners by sharing some of mine! Introducing...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JwXPukEaAACw8dYRdvFjW5_sedo16R25BO11Y6lppn9oZZjptiUz6j4es1K9eXm0Q2iHSp4eQ1KM9SSPGWN09wIRs5fNa8wYZFl8Iaiv3LAcZWwR5namVrv6JU3s7_WYvX2em1zEENo/s1600/My+%7Bfave%7D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JwXPukEaAACw8dYRdvFjW5_sedo16R25BO11Y6lppn9oZZjptiUz6j4es1K9eXm0Q2iHSp4eQ1KM9SSPGWN09wIRs5fNa8wYZFl8Iaiv3LAcZWwR5namVrv6JU3s7_WYvX2em1zEENo/s1600/My+%7Bfave%7D.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Some are geared toward college students, or family-oriented, but I'm sure there will be at least a couple that you will <i>love</i>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here they are:</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/studentrate/" target="_blank">Studentrate Trends</a>: {not necessarily a girl, but the page is mostly for girls} This is by far my favorite Pinterest page. It's geared toward college students, though everyone can benefit from them. They have the best boards and they have boards for everything! One board, College Trends, they are also asking for people who would like to be pinners and it's my favorite board! It's super cool.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/cassbaby11/" target="_blank">Casandra Linden</a>: She has boards for everything, and as you can see, she likes glitter. and pink. and food. She has several food boards that she pins to the most often of all of her boards. It's the best. I even made a Facebook status about this {<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="color: #141823;">I love when I get on Pinterest and see that Cassie has been on because that means my entire homepage will be covered in food.</i>}</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/debclembuckert/" target="_blank">Deb Clem-Buckert</a>: she has a lot of great resources for bloggers like boards for different social networks, she has tons of food boards- my fave, and she has just about every other type of board you could want!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/adoseofpaige/" target="_blank">Paige Nicole</a>: she organizes her boards really well by naming them things like RECIPES: Slow Cooker, RECIPES: Lunch & Dinner, and things like that. It makes everything easier to find if you're looking for something specific.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/melanieeccles/" target="_blank">Melanie Eccles</a>: I love her Pinterest. She bakes, so there are always lots of awesome-looking desserts popping up. I love how she names her boards too {runner of miles, maker of meals, etc.} and I personally know her, so it makes it all the much better.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/hercampus/" target="_blank">Her Campus</a>: This is another board geared toward college <i>girls</i>. They have a lot of really fun boards and they coordinate all of them {every board cover is pink in some way!} very well. I love their Pinterest.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/bmd52/" target="_blank">Bailey Marie:</a> Bailey's Pinterest is largely family-oriented. She has a lot of wedding boards {my fave, I love planning my future wedding on Pinterest}, food boards, home-type boards, and kid-centered boards!</span></span>~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-69131149504449732492014-03-18T11:40:00.001-04:002014-03-18T11:40:29.990-04:00Video of the Week: Cats + Abs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsw1MSDkbwvf2Zm57L2IixYWKD640THZ9PNNCK2QW3HfMgQwI7slIDoBZtgkDUAlRIDJohKiaPpKm3n-_O5HU0b8AVH6w8O5YtsLVrdEWGTYxrMmOe0y7AfzkFNbqyM7fEtCRKw2vQWM/s1600/Video.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsw1MSDkbwvf2Zm57L2IixYWKD640THZ9PNNCK2QW3HfMgQwI7slIDoBZtgkDUAlRIDJohKiaPpKm3n-_O5HU0b8AVH6w8O5YtsLVrdEWGTYxrMmOe0y7AfzkFNbqyM7fEtCRKw2vQWM/s1600/Video.png" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This week for the Video of the Week, I've chosen a video done by <a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/" target="_blank">Cosmopolitan</a>. I received this in an email from the <a href="http://www.hercampus.com/hc-study-break" target="_blank">Her Campus Study Break</a> {love, by the way} and I was dying. It's the best video basically ever. Here you go, ladies ;-)<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BFW_QdcrBZ0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
You're welcome.~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-91677637853730801952014-03-17T19:59:00.001-04:002014-03-17T20:13:18.230-04:00Off the Beaten Path tour review!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8d0U74OG7KIzqoNIUe7kKp1xuY5kNNBX7QjrXKUSSYFupf8WSO6XfCbcBYxSQB_QIIjuE8ZfT7iYLdbspYPWAO-X2sNMz1hLTBGynrUm_t3fi_idX3NbxGwim_dQFWnEi03Lj4g3XUg/s1600/Off+the+Beaten+Path+Tour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8d0U74OG7KIzqoNIUe7kKp1xuY5kNNBX7QjrXKUSSYFupf8WSO6XfCbcBYxSQB_QIIjuE8ZfT7iYLdbspYPWAO-X2sNMz1hLTBGynrUm_t3fi_idX3NbxGwim_dQFWnEi03Lj4g3XUg/s1600/Off+the+Beaten+Path+Tour.png" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
If you're a fan of country music, this concert review is for you!<br />
<br />
Justin Moore, Randy Houser, and Josh Thompson are currently on tour together for the <b>Off the Beaten Path</b> tour.<br />
<br />
I had the pleasure of seeing them play in Ypsilanti, MI on the 15th!<br />
<br />
This was an interesting concert for me because none of these bands are particularly my "favorites." I love country music but these weren't artists I have ever really gotten into. I enjoy a couple songs by each of them, but I am by no means a die hard fan of any of these singers.<br />
<br />
I was pleasantly surprised, however, by this concert.<br />
<br />
<b>Josh Thompson</b> came out first, obviously. He has a genuine and unique sound to him and that is amplified when he's live rather than recorded. He got everyone into the concert very well. I believe Josh will just continue to get bigger and will be a big name just like Randy and Justin someday.<br />
<br />
<b>Randy Houser</b> was probably my least favorite of all of them live. I'm not a big fan of him normally and he didn't really sell me on his performance. He has a decent voice but he's not very engaging when he performs. I was a little disappointed.<br />
<br />
<b>Justin Moore</b> was actually my favorite. I love his southern accent and I think it's more pronounced live. He has an easily distinguished voice from others and I like that about him. He performs well too, even only for the little amount of time I stayed to see him (not by fault of Justin, just didn't feel well). He is a great performer and I would be interested in seeing Justin play again (luckily for me, he's playing at the county fair in my hometown this summer).<br />
<br />
Overall, it was a good concert. It could've been better {especially without the drunk people in front of us that spilled their beers, threw their trash everywhere, and then the girl that was passed out...} but I think it was worth it!~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-52700687102605625702014-03-08T16:43:00.000-05:002014-03-24T15:14:02.030-04:00Have the Best Spring Break- at home!<h2>
The College Diaries: Spring Break edition!</h2>
<div>
Thursday was my last day of class, meaning I'm on <i style="font-weight: bold;">spring break</i>! </div>
<div>
No more classes until the 17th. I'm too happy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In honor of this wonderful occasion, I decided to share a few things I thought would help share a few things to make your homebound spring break a little better!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For those of you not at home, you stink and you can have all the fun you want, so let the rest of us sulk and pretend we're enjoying ourselves at home.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLq6l16Es_qtslm7LZjGRwTVUh59iqxjFqPCAafUFqJ_56v1GdElX8hyqYeRW_0ppjXvnhQPu93c2dh6lwgu2mHkXvd80rAB-dMijGpAUUen7FkrCfN_qjRTMrcJLGQaFTm0A9OOWS30/s1600/TEXT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLq6l16Es_qtslm7LZjGRwTVUh59iqxjFqPCAafUFqJ_56v1GdElX8hyqYeRW_0ppjXvnhQPu93c2dh6lwgu2mHkXvd80rAB-dMijGpAUUen7FkrCfN_qjRTMrcJLGQaFTm0A9OOWS30/s1600/TEXT.png" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<h3>
Spend a day just hanging out with people. </h3>
<div>
Don't go out, don't watch movies, just talk. Heart-to-hearts have a way of making us smile, no matter what your talks end up being about. It's a great way to spend time with those hometown BFF's too (keeping those friendships are lifesaving).<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Buy at least one article of clothing for summer.</h3>
<div>
Prepping for summer is the best way to pretend winter isn't still among us. Get your mind out of this wondrous weather and into <i style="font-weight: bold;">summer</i>! :) Maybe even get rid of some old clothes you don't wear too.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Have a home-spa day.</h3>
<div>
Whether this means alone or with friends, have fun and just chill at home. Relaxing. Nail painting. Face masks. All that good, girly stuff.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Take a <i>good</i> shower.</h3>
<div>
If your college is anything like mine, which I assume it is in this way, your showers probably aren't the best so just take a nice, long, warm, <i>undisturbed</i> shower at home.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Have a movie day with your family.</h3>
<div>
They miss you and I assume you miss them, so spend some time actually in the same room and just laugh with them.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Start your own blog!</h3>
<div>
Join me and make your own blog! It's a great thing to do and gets your mind off the crazy, stressful times we so enjoy {cough, sarcasm} at college. You can even follow me! :)<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Have a backyard camp night with your best friends!</h3>
<div>
Once again, it's probably not warm enough to go outside, but if it is...</div>
<div>
Friends from high school are in just the same position you are, so set up tents or something and have a "night out" with your friends. Take a laptop out even, and have a movie night outside.</div>
<div>
If it's not warm enough: do it in a {warm} basement or a something!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<h4>
Have a great spring break! :)</h4>
<div>
*also part of my weekly College Diaries post*</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid356aEka3rF0RTq5sk1CPZeLzjGG6unBDKh5kZoL0Y3nAifRbdt_3VSt6hhMyWUhIQjsbl42rCvMpHDqAYGWxag4hju4Y_UHhpsjvwpIGbSBZwhmy4ZtK3vohmMewBPUB9K81yj8_MAQ/s1600/png.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid356aEka3rF0RTq5sk1CPZeLzjGG6unBDKh5kZoL0Y3nAifRbdt_3VSt6hhMyWUhIQjsbl42rCvMpHDqAYGWxag4hju4Y_UHhpsjvwpIGbSBZwhmy4ZtK3vohmMewBPUB9K81yj8_MAQ/s1600/png.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-9368536603363562552014-03-04T21:59:00.001-05:002014-03-04T21:59:18.132-05:00Things about Home.Being at college can be the best time of your life. Many people call their college their home.<br />
I'm not one of those people. My hometown will always be Home to me.<br />
Therefore:<br />
<h2>
ten favorite things: the place I call home.</h2>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #6e5a3f; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><div class="Endlessly-BeLoved-button" style="margin: 0 auto; width: 200px;">
</div>
</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #6e5a3f; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #6e5a3f; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><a href="http://endlesslybeloved.blogspot.com/search/label/ten%20favorite%20things"></a></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #6e5a3f; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #6e5a3f; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><img alt="Endlessly BeLoved" height="200" src="http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/ab42/endlesslybeloved/tenfavoritethings_zps53bd5130.png" width="200" /></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #6e5a3f; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #6e5a3f; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span></div>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #6e5a3f; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #6e5a3f; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span><h3>
1. My family is there. </h3>
<div>
My family are some of the best people in the world & I'd die without my mom. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll53/cutie_612/momma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll53/cutie_612/momma.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
2. My kittens</h3>
<div>
CrayPrin & Bazinga {Crazy Princess, for those of you that were curious where the name CrayPrin came from & Big Bang Theory is responsible for Bazinga} are the cutest little kittens ever. I love them to death. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll53/cutie_612/kittens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll53/cutie_612/kittens.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
3. The amazing people I call my best friends.</h3>
<div>
I love the friends I have at college, but once again, home trumps college. My friends at home are my rocks. I don't know where I'd be without these people. They know me better than anyone else. </div>
<h3>
4. My wonderful bed.</h3>
<div>
Let's be honest, a bed with a pillow top >>> dorm beds.</div>
<h3>
5. There are <i>actually good</i> food places.</h3>
<div>
I love food. A lot. And food I don't have to make is better.</div>
<h3>
6. I can actually go do things.</h3>
<div>
Being stuck on a college campus makes you appreciate simple things like being able to go out and do something.</div>
<h3>
7. I know my way around.</h3>
<div>
I actually like driving, but only if I know where I'm going, so home is a nice place for that.</div>
<h3>
8. I have an insane amounts of memories at home. </h3>
<div>
Good friends make good memories. Great friends make amazing memories.</div>
<h3>
9. I have a room to myself and can be alone when I want.</h3>
<div>
I love, love, love being around people, but let's be honest, sometimes you just need alone time. </div>
<h3>
10. I'm not in the middle of nowhere in a town that's biggest "store" is Dollar General and has a grand total of about five places to eat. </h3>
<div>
I miss good food that isn't McDonald's or a 15-minute walk away. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
{this is part of a link-up at <a href="http://www.endlesslybeloved.com/2014/03/ten-favorite-things-place-you-call-home.html" target="_blank">Endlessly Beloved</a>}</div>
~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-9754678539444865982014-02-28T11:28:00.000-05:002014-02-28T11:28:19.871-05:00Video of the Week: Rebellen.The Video of the Week this week is a great video from Rebellen: Rebel Wilson {Fat Amy} & Ellen Degeneres. Check it out! :)<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/boM8StceheU?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b><i>Do you have a video I should check out? Comment below!</i></b>~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3150739025663041353.post-28509322515258101202014-02-26T15:59:00.000-05:002014-02-26T15:59:50.979-05:00Depression.Being that I've been through it, I thought I'd share this blog post I happened to find with all of you.<br />
For anyone who doesn't know what depression is like, just read this post. The post is funny, unlike depression, but it's still extremely applicable.<br />
If you have struggled before, read this and try to appreciate that someone actually made me {and hopefully you} laugh while explaining the complete emptiness of depression.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html" target="_blank">Click here</a>.~Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18165962564909649063noreply@blogger.com0