Comforting and Cozy Drinks

I love a great hot cup of tea or coffee. A good cup of coffee in the morning makes me do a little happy dance and a great cup of tea soothes my soul. I love how coffee is great before a busy day and as a great pick-me-up but my hot strong morning coffee brings me so much peace. I also love a great cup of tea. I feel that tea has healing and therapeutic qualities. I turn to tea for stomach aches, cramps, headaches, sore throats, and general body aches. Tea is just magical!

Tea and coffee are just two of the things that I love that make me feel good. Jump at all opportunities to make yourself feel your best! You are important and you deserve to treat yourself. Sometimes it's just the little things that make all the difference!

Stay wonderful!

Good Morning!

Happy Monday!!

It's the beginning of a new week. I started my day off with some self-pampering. My face really needed to be exfoliated. My skin is so confused by this winter air. After a weekend of nice weather, it's back in the 20's this Monday morning so I really need to make sure my skin stays moisturized! Here's a link to what I use on my face: http://thoughtsunderpressure.blogspot.com/2014/01/pamering-days.html. For the rest of my body, I use Palmer's Cocoa Butter.

I also had a great green smoothie for breakfast. I found the recipe here.

1 cup pineapple chunks
2 handfuls of spinach
1 banana
2 cups of water
handful of ice cubes

My hopes for the day are as follows:

• I hope I don't freeze
• I hope I have a good day
• I hope that I get to work on time and the I'm not waiting for the bus for too long. 
• I hope I remember to watch How I Met Your Mother tonight. I always forget that it's Monday until about 9pm when I've already missed it.

For your listening enjoyment:

I hope you have a great day! ♥

Reasons to Smile: March 5th

• Morning Coffee! The last sip is always the best.
• I'm reading a great book. I'm reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm almost halfway through and I'm really enjoying it so far.
• I've been at my job for about a month now. It's been a great experience so far. I'm learning so much and I hope to continue to grow there.
• My Mom came to visit me this morning! We had a lovely chat before she went to work.
• Ordered a bunch of make-up to play with and I received the package today. I ordered it all from my own online Avon store. You can visit it here!
• I finally got to hold and see my diploma today! Physical proof that I earned my degree. I graduated and now I can put my proof on my wall!

Graduation: December 14, 2013!!

I have some great news! Ready? I am a college graduate!! On the morning of December 14, 2013, I walked across that stage and it symbolized that I've earned my degree! Finally!! It feels so good. I'm so glad that I was able to share that day with some of the most important people in my life.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that I'm done with undergrad. I made it! There were so many times when I wasn't sure if I would ever finish. But I made it. I changed my major a bunch of times, wanted to quit, wanted to transfer, and just give up. Some times it was hard to keep going but I knew that there was a finish line and the only way to get to it was to keep on keeping on. I really made it and this was a day I'll never forget.

I chose the quote "Still I Rise" for my graduation quote because I love the poem and I love Maya Angelou. I really wanted my cap to be a representation of myself. That's why I added the bow as well. I love quotes and I wanted to make sure I used a quote that fit how I was feeling. I'm so happy that I chose this one. It means so much to me.

I've grown so much and I've learned so much about myself and about life during my 3.5 years in school. This chapter of my life is over. It's a little scary but it's also exciting. College brought me so much. So many wonderful people have entered my life and my heart. I have memories and moments that no one can take away from me. I've learned how to take care of myself and how to make me happy. Although there were hard times, I've learned to love myself more and more each day. I'm so thankful for everyone who made my time there so special. I'm also thankful for the people who didn't always make me feel the best because often times, they made me realize that self care and my safe spaces are important. Everyone enters your life for a reason! I have no doubts about that.

I can't wait to see what life brings me next!

Communication

My favorite parts of the day are when I have the chance to talk honestly with someone. It doesn't have to be a specific topic or even a specific person. I just love being able to be in a conversation and having the opportunity to share ideas and talk about feelings and just generally be in a safe place that promotes healthy thinking. I'm finding that this is an important part of my self care. It doesn't even have to be with someone that I'm really close with--I love those moments when I can talk honestly with the people I care deeply about but I also love when I can talk honestly with people I've just met and with people that I've only known for a short period of time.

This past week, I've had two of those special honest conversations with people that I didn't know that well. Both conversations were about life and the future. We talked about goals and dreams and visions. It was wonderful. It also eased the fears I had of my future plans. I was very glad I had the time to talk to them. The conversations were great enhancements to my life and my spirits.

It's so important to have people around that you can talk to about what's important to you.  People with similar interests, goals, and values. I think it's great to have someone to vent to and talk about your day to. Conversation is important because sometimes they're magical.

Imagine an end of the day conversation over a nice cup of hot herbal tea. That's one of my reasons to smile. ♥

The Lorax

While babysitting this weekend, I made the wonderful decision to watch The Lorax. I had wanted to see it for a long time and I'm so glad it finally started streaming on Netflix. The kids and I loved it so much. I'm a big fan of Dr. Seuss's children's books. I think that they send some great messages. The Lorax teaches kids to be kind to the environment. It also teaches children to stand up for what they believe in and to speak for those who don't have a voice of their own--like the trees. If you see something bad, change it! I also really enjoy how it shows that everything in our world is connected. The small things really do matter! Don't forget that! You have no idea how much something you do today can impact the world you'll live in tomorrow. Check out the trailer for The Lorax. It's streaming on netflix and it's available on DVD!

Happy Weekend!

The first week and the last week of classes are always the mot stressful. There's just a million and one things going on. For me, I know that I have a hard time getting back into that school routine. No more winter break, no more sleeping in and HOMEWORK. I forgot all about homework in the few weeks I had off of school. Now I have homework everyday and deadlines and due dates. You can't just slip back into a routine like that so this weekend I'm going to work on getting myself organized. I'm finding that keeping myself organized keeps me afloat. I can't afford to be unorganized this late in the game. Graduation is just getting closer and closer. My eyes are on the finish line.

I'm hoping this semester goes well. My classes are all very interesting. The class I'm most looking forward to is Politics of Women's Health. The readings seem to be interesting and this class seems to incorporate a lot of the things I find interesting. I don't really have any complaints about my classes this semester but I know that I will have a lot of work to do this semester. I guess that's just the perks of being a student.

I love school but I'm so happy for the weekend to finally be here. These are some of the things that kept me smiling this week:

• my education
• seeing people I missed over break
• volunteering
• free food! (That's always a major perk of the first week of the semester)
• Some of my favorite shows are back! Modern Family, Scandal, and Grey's Anatomy all premiered this week!
• Downtime. I didn't have a lot of time to just relax this week but now they the weekend is here, I can finally unpack and clean and watch a few movies before my course load becomes overwhelming. 

I hope your year has been getting off to a great start.

Love♥

Vote No on 6!

(The Great Mia and Myself Letting Voters Know the Deal)

"Vote as if your life depends on it."

Newsflash: It does. It did and the way things are looking, it will. I had the amazing opportunity to stand up for women's health and reproductive rights. I volunteered with the Feminist Majority on the "No On 6" campaign against Amendment 6. If Amendment 6 had passed, it would place restrictions on access for women to abortion and would have deleted a right to privacy clause from the Florida constitution.  Thankfully it didn't pass. I don't believe that there should be any limitations on the decisions people make over their own bodies.

I was able to work with some amazing people during this campaign and I got to talk to a lot of people. What I've learned about volunteering with campaigns is that not every one is going to be on the same page with you and there's nothing wrong with that. You can't change everyone's mind. The goal is to let people know why this is important to you and to all of the people that are impacted by the issue and hope that they make the best decision. Not everyone will have a peaceful and calm conversation with you but I learned that you can't let those people get you down. I had to decide in those situations that I was not letting anyone keep me from standing up for what I think is right!

While volunteering I was able to talk to voters while tabling on campus and phone-banking. The above photo was taken on campus near one of the polling centers. We high-fived so many voters that day. I was only able to phone bank once for a short period of time but it was a real memorable hour of calling voters. A lot of us phone banking spoke to at least one older woman who had already seen this fight for reproductive rights and could not understand why it's something that's still being voted on. I spoke to several older women who sent me good thoughts and praises for fighting the good fight. Messages like those encouraged me to keep going and made it easier to deal with people who aren't so nice over the phone.

This was a great experience for me--one of the best from this last semester. I believed I grew as a person seeing how my small contributions can really make a difference.

December: Day 4

Your favorite Holiday drink: Pumpkin Spice Latte

I even had one today. Ignore the misspelling of my name. It's actually pretty close to my actual name so I'm not complaining. My favorite part is that Starbucks has their holiday cups right now. They say, "Rekindle the season." I love it! This latte was a very relaxing part of an otherwise hectic day. This last week of the semester is always so busy. I'm just trying to take it day by day.

Today I had my gender and society class that is always interesting but then I had to recreate my resume in under an hour for an internship showcase. I thought it would be simple but it proved to be a difficult task. I had the problem most people have of getting it all on one page and highlighting only the most important and useful aspects of your skills and experience. I'm so thankful of all the help I had but with 4 different people with 4 different styles helping me with my resume, I was going back and forth a bit--a lot actually. I'm satisfied with the end result though.

Then I had 30 minutes to go home change and get back to campus which can be hard using the university's public transportation but I did it! I looked and felt great doing it too!

Now I'll be up late studying and preparing for an ASL presentation tomorrow. I wish I had another one of those pumpkin spice lattes but I can see the finish line for this semester. I hope I get through tomorrow as successfully.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm always thankful for the wonderful people, events, things, and experiences in my life but today I really took a moment to think of everything that I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful for my amazing family. I don't know how I would survive without their love and support. I'm so blessed to have such a loving and supportive force in my life. This year, I spent Thanksgiving with my mom, step dad, and my brother and sister. It was a great day. We went to Busch Gardens and then had dinner together. It was a great break from some of the things that have been stressing me out lately. I really needed a great face to face chat with my mom. We missed our family in New York but we should be seeing them around Christmas time! :)

I'm thankful for the opportunity to be in college and all the experiences that have grown and are growing from that. I've met so many wonderful people. I've met people who have taught me some major life lessons because they weren't so wonderful.

I'm thankful for my friends. There are some people in my life who aren't blood related but feel like family nonetheless. Those friends are the ones that will remain in my heart forever. I would do anything for my friends and I know that the feeling is mutual. My friends help me get through the day! They know who they are.

Although I still have homework due on Sunday night. I still had these two extra days off during the week. Two extra days to just relax!

Thanksgiving represents A LOT. I like to focus on the aspect of being thankful. Although I only listed a few things, I'm thankful for so much. This is my favorite time of year. We get to reflect on so much and spend time with the people we love.

I want you to know that I'm thankful for you. I hope you had a beautiful and blessed holiday. If it's not a a holiday you celebrate, I hope your Thursday was fantastic!

-With Love♥

Happy Friday!!

It's finally Friday and I could not be happier. I've been super busy this week. I had two papers due at the beginning of the week, I was working on the campaign, I volunteered at the polls, I was all over the place so I'm really looking forward to relaxing this weekend. Here is what's been keeping my happy this week:

• I finished both of my papers on time! They haven't been graded yet but I know that I won't be getting any points off for late work
• I volunteered at a polling location on Election day with the USF Feminist Majority workers. We were advocating a vote "no" on a certain amendment but we were also mainly encouraging people to go vote. We were also helping people find their correct polling locations telling them what they needed to have before they were allowed to vote.
• I volunteered for the Barack Obama for America campaign. I love talking to people and meeting friendly people, especially when they're excited about exercising their right to vote. It's a beautiful thing. I spoke to students on campus, handed out posters and buttons, and I called voters in different states. Calling jobs are tricky. People don't like it when you call them. Especially if you're calling to campaign for the candidate that they don't want or if you're calling during dinner. I have experience with cranky callers and I was really excited because of what I was doing so I didn't really mind the rude people. They tone it down when you continue to be kind and respectful. It pays to be nice.
• I'm an intern at fitsmi.com and we've had a lot of new members join so that's really exciting! I got to welcome them all to the wonderful fitsmi community and I really hope that they can find a home there. It's really a great website to visit. 
• President Barack Obama was re-elected. I couldn't be happier. 
• On election night, Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay person to ever be elected to Senate. Mazie Hirono became the first Asian American woman to be elected to Senate. Tammy Duckworth became the first female disabled veteran to be elected to the House of Representatives. Mary Gonzalez became the first openly pansexual person to be elected to Senate. There are more firsts that happened with this election and they all are reminders that who we are matters and what defines us can't hold us back. We can do great things. You can do great things. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
• It's getting colder here in Florida. It feels amazing. I love this time of year! Cold weather means it's getting closer to the holidays and that means no school and that means more times to spend time with family! Love it!
• As always, my family and friends!

I think that this week left me feeling inspired and empowered. I got a lot of good out of this week but it has also taken all of my energy. I also learned a lot about myself during this week. I learned what it means to stand up for what I believe in on a larger scale than I ever have before. This week left me feeling like I've made a difference in my life and the lives of others. 

I hope you had a good week and that your weekend is even better! Love you lots! :) ♥

Happy Halloween!

This Halloween I got to dress up twice!. I dressed up the first time for the PRIDE Fall Formal Masquerade and the second time for a costume party. I didn't have an official theme for either of the costumes. I wanted to be a princess and I felt like one so that's what I was. In the first costume, my friend Mia(pictured) told me I looked like a rockstar superhero princess so that's what I am in the first picture. At the costume picture that the second picture is from, someone said I looked like little red riding hood so I'll go with that. I felt absolutely beautiful each time! I also had a great time!

I hope you beautiful today. If not, it's okay. I hope you feel beautiful tomorrow. Just so you know, I think you're wonderful everyday.

Goodnight January!

Where did this month go? I hope you've all had a great start to this year. I've been settling in slowly but surely. I'm just getting into the grind of things. I think it may be another great semester. All of my classes are interesting.
Outside of class, I think I had a great month too. I did a lot of community service this month. I also spent a lot of time with friends. It's been mostly smiles and a happy heart so I call this month a success!

reasons to smile

• family


• I met my new baby cousin today. He's 6 weeks old and the cutest thing ever. He's so precious!


• I just enjoyed a good cup of tea


• vacation is great. I really needed a break from school work to spend time with my family. Relaxing is great


• I'm seeing family that I haven't seen in over a year and I missed them so much. It's wonderful.


• I love the weather up here in New York. 80 degrees in the winter can be great but I prefer a cold Christmas


• I can hear the kids playing games and I'm happy that they're enjoying time with their family too


• I'm watching the Blind Side and that movie makes me feel things. Feeling are good.

Why did you smile today?

You're not alone

Where did the weekend go? I've been spending so much time looking at older posts and I saw and older one about hope. I want to do more like those. What gives you hope or what does hope look like to you?

smile.

I had a good day. I hope you did too.
I was looking back at older posts and I want to share some things.
Flashback of hope

Happy Friday :)

I'm really getting into a wintery holidays state of mind. I watched 6 Christmas/Holiday movies today with my brother and sister. I loved it! My favorites from tonight were "Frosty the Snowman" and "Yes, Virginia" featuring Neil Patrick Harris. I think that they're real good heart happy movies and today, they were my reasons to smile.

Happy December

Reasons to Smile today!:

• I stayed up all night and finally finished my paper!
• I got 100% on my stats exam!
• I took the best nap ever after I got back from all my classes.
• I am done with this semester! It's been a really good one

I hope you had a great start to your December. I had a small obstacle to overcome today but I know my battles and I know what I'm stronger than. I've missed sleep though so tonight I'm probably going to hug my zebra tight and go to sleep. Sweet Dreams. ♥

Reasons to smile: November 18, 2011

• went grocery shopping today and stumbled upon some great deals!
• it's Friday, the day i relax and catch up on Modern Family and Grey's Anatomy
• I finally got to register into all of the classes I want to take next semester
• I slept in this morning.
• I met a few friendly people on my shopping adventure. I love friendly smiling faces.
• I wore my purple flower today, it's my favorite.
• I did three assignments/quizzes last night for my Intro to Sociology class last night so i don't have to work on them this weekend. I got 100% on two of the quizzes and a 90% on the last one So I did a good job.
• This Friday marks the end of one of the last full weeks of the semester
• Had lunch with a good friend today :)
• I'm happy.
  

Big smiles tonight

I had a really big heart happy tonight. I'm part of an organization called A.N.G.E.L.S, Inc. and tonight we went to a place called Hope Lodge.

Hope Lodge is a treatment center for elderly cancer patients. We used out talents and did some performances for them, played bingo, danced, and had pizza and ice cream to top it off. It was so much fun. It was so beautiful seeing them so happy and appreciative of us being there and helping out. There is nothing better I could have done tonight. I love seeing happy and smiling faces. I could tell that they enjoyed our company and now I'm going to sleep with a happy heart and a smile on my face.

I hope you always find a reason to smile!