What I've Learned Working Two Full Time Jobs

When one of my ex-coworkers/friends told me that my old job was looking for a temp to fill while someone was on maternity leave I was a bit hesitant to go back. "But," this person said, "You could really use the money. Pay off your loans! Save for a new car. Do whatever. It's only for three months."

I reluctantly agreed. I knew I needed another job and my friend was right. I could really use the money to get ahead. So I decided to accept the job. Woo! When I went to sign all the paperwork and meet with my old boss (now boss again) I was told the position was going to be full time.


*Cue record scratching*

WHAAAT?

I seriously thought about running out of there right then. Imagine my car peeling out in a cartoony fashion.  But then I thought well, I already know all the procedures. Not much has changed since I've been away. And it's not manual labor, I should be okay, right?


Right?!

I ended up accepting the job since it was only going to be for 90 days. Let me tell you, it's been a bit of a tough one. I tend to get really grumpy towards the end of the week. John's gotten a bit fed-up with me at one time or another but I was too tired to care quite frankly. Still, I feel I've been learning some valuable life lessons with all this extra jobbing.


Sleep is Overrated
You really don't need that much sleep to function at an appropriate level. Yeah, you may look like shit more often than not but you'll still be able to do your job(s), eat, shower, and maybe read a page or two from a book.

When You're So Tired, Even Sleeping for 20 Minutes Will Do Wonders
I take a nap on my first lunch break and for the hour between the two jobs. It is amazing how refreshed and ready to go I feel after taking those naps.

You Can Teach Yourself to Fall Asleep Almost Instantly
When you're really tired and there's only so many minutes or hours until you wake up again getting to sleep quickly can be really important. I've always been an easy sleeper. I can sleep just about anywhere but I do tend to be a light-to-medium sleeper. Now, when I know I only have a few minutes or hours I can go to sleep in less than 2 minutes and I can tune out annoying distractions, waking up only to my alarm.

Coffee is More of a Mind Thing than an Actual Caffeine Thing
I find that coffee doesn't do much to help me stay awake. Never really has. But there is nothing like that first hot cup of coffee as I'm getting into work to perk me up and get me ready for the day ahead.

You Can Get Used to Anything
The first two weeks were hell. Like, seriously. But now that I've gotten used to it and what to expect it's gotten a lot easier. Especially with my routine. Wake up, go to Job 1, sleep on lunch break, sleep after Job 1, go to Job 2, go home, sleep, wake up, rinse, repeat.

When You Have No Free Time You Tend to Save More Money
The first two weeks I worked I didn't even go to the grocery store. John and I were in awe when we realized how much money we still had in the bank from not spending it needlessly.

It Sucks So Much Until You Get that Double Paycheck
I'm always dreading going back into work(s) the next day but payday is like winning the lottery. It's easy to forget how much working so much sucks. Especially since I'm throwing that whole extra paycheck to my loans. Sure I don't really get a bunch of fun money but knowing that I'll have one less monthly bill to pay is the best feeling.


I'm sure I've learned a slew of other things but my brain is a bit too fried to think that hard. For now, I think I'm going to go to Zzzzzzzz.

Poteet Strawberry Festival

On Saturday, John and I went to the Poteet Strawberry Festival. This festival has been around since 1948 and though I've been plenty of times when I was younger it's been a while since I've been as an adult. And John's never been at all. So we decided that we'd go and check it out, eat some strawberries, and hope it didn't rain on us.

I was pretty hungry when we got there so we bought a smorgasbord of festival food including: frito pie, steak on a stick, and a gordita.

After we stuffed our faces we walked around the grounds and ended up at The Ford Experience. It was basically a section so that you can check out of their Ford cars, trucks, and SUVs. Like most festival events they had a place for you to sign up to win a car but what was different about this whole Ford Experience was they also had different little stations for you to go to also. They give you a card and you go to each station and they have you perform some sort of activity. Then they punch your card. When you've finished you back to the beginning and you can get some free stuff. We did all of the stations and each station had their own little gift too. We ended up with a mini hand santizer, a T-shirt, a key chain, and a phone charger for the car...each! At the end we both ended up getting little insulated lunch boxes. It was actually a lot of fun!

We did the rides after and since we had so much stuff only John was able to get on the Cliff Hanger.

Also, I don't trust carnival rides.

We walked through all the vendor booths, saw some bulls and sheep, and contemplated buying an actual strawberry plant. After doing a loop we decided to head home. Since we still had tickets though we ended up buying a bottle of strawberry wine, a turkey leg, and a funnel cake to take home with us. The funnel cake had strawberries on it and was the only strawberry thing we ate at the festival. The wine wasn't even for us, my dad had asked for it.

So even though we didn't eat strawberry everything we had a fun time out there. Next up? Fiesta perhaps?

Favorite Blogging Apps - Organizing

Today I'm continuing with some more apps and websites I use to help my blog be the bestest it can be. This time we're focusing on keeping everything organized.

When it comes to my blog, there are a lot of different apps and websites I use to get everything in some sort of order. I think organizing everything I have: pictures, half written drafts, and ideas is one of the easiest things to do because there are so many apps & websites that you can use with almost no effort on your part. Here are some of my favorites apps/websites and how I use them. Oh and they're all free to use!

Google Keep - available on Web & Android

Google Keep are like Post-It Notes on your phone. But unlike Post Its you can add pictures, hyperlinks, reminders!, lists, audio recordings, and label them for even better organization. You're also able to change the color of the note which makes for super easy color-coordinating. I use Google Keep for just about everything! It's so easy to use that it ends up being the app I open first. I make grocery lists and To Do lists for everyday use but I also have an ongoing list of blog posts ideas, a list of posts that need to get written, pictures I have to take for posts, materials I need to buy for a specific post, just whatever! The colors make the widget pretty to look at on your phone too (I have a Galaxy S5).  What's great about the phone app is when I'm browsing the internet and I see a picture of something inspiring I can "share" it to Google Keep where it will automatically save the picture. Or, if I come across a blog that I like but don't have the time to add them or read all their posts I'll add the hyperlink to Google Keep and it will add a clickable link as well as a picture from the page. This can obviously be done with any website not just blogs. It makes it easy to go back and look at things later without having to copy & paste the URL into your internet browser.

Google Drive - available on Web & Android & iOS

Google Drive is like your own personal 15G flash drive that you never have to remember to take with you anywhere. As long as you have a Gmail account you can access Google Drive and I highly suggest you utilize it. Drive is similar to Dropbox in that it stores files, documents, pictures, and other things but with Drive you're also able to make documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, forms, drawings, and probably a million other things, all within the app. So for someone who didn't want to buy Microsoft Office (yes, that's me) you can open and create .doc documents in Google Drive.

I use Google Drive in my everyday life for making budget spreadsheets, keeping track of my work hours & vacation days, as well as storing a current resume, generic cover letter, and other random stuff that could come in useful. For the blog, I have half written or just really, really rough drafts of posts that I haven't written out in full. I also have a list of writing prompts in case I get writer's block and I need a quick topic to get the juices flowing. Google Drive also stores your Google Photos which is nice since I use Blogger. All of my blog photos are right at my fingertips. Google Drive is easy to use, multipurpose, and an organizers best friend.

Google Calendar - available on Web, Android, iOS

Perhaps this one is a bit of a throwaway but I cannot even begin to tell you how much I LOVE Google Calendar. It's just so easy to add events, reminders, and share you calendars with others. I love all the color-coding that goes on too. What's even cooler is that if you have actually use Gmail as your email Google Calendar will automatically add things to your calendar when it sees dates and times in your inbox. It's pretty nifty.

In real life I share my work schedule with John because him asking me when I was working next got old real fast but I also have a Bills calendar, Birthdays, Fun Stuff, Appointments, Books, and Movies & TV calendar. Yup. I use Google Calendar to track everything I watch and read. For the blog I use it to see what posts I'v done and I use it to plan any upcoming ones. Looking at posts by month helps me see if there are any trends or reoccurring themes I can utilize. It also helps me see how often I post book or TV/Movie reviews. I tend to have those posts on standby and I don't want them to overwhelm what few readers I have or make my blog seem boring.

Dropbox - available on Web, Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Blackberry, & Windows

Dropbox is similar to Google Drive. It's a cloud storage system that allows you to add, sync, and look at your files from any mobile device or desktop. You receive 9G of storage free when you sign up. I keep a lot of rough drafts, ideas, and graphics that are pertinent to my blog on Dropbox. There's not really much to say. It's easy to use and you'll have whatever you need right at your fingertips.

Trello - Available on Web, Android, & iOS

Last but not least, Trello. Trello may look similiar to Keep but this is a whole 'nother beast. Trello allows you to make lists and then cards within each list. Then each card can have hyperlinks, text, pictures, and you can even add members for collaborating. The system within a system within a system keeps all projects neat and orderly.

For the blog I have different cards for different topics and ideas. For example one card is for DIYs I want to work on and write up. When you click on the DIY card you'll be met with my ideas which are called a "list" but is within the larger label of DIY. Then, if you click on a specific list, let's say Painted Pot, you'll see a list of the materials I need, a picture of what I want the finished product to look like, or a hyperlink to the instructions. It may sound a bit complicated but once you get using it, you'll find that it makes organizing projects a breeze.

I also use Trello as a makeshift editorial calendar. You can see that each month has it's own "list" and then cards within the list. You can also add labels to your cards. For me, green is link ups; orange is a reminder to schedule the post; yellow is when guest posts are due. Obviously you can do what makes you happy but I find it so easy to glance at the year in this way and if I don't end up doing a post I can simply drag and drop it into another month. I type the dates on the left and put them in order so I know which posts are coming up, due soon, or if there is no date which can easily be moved around. I don't collaborate on my blog or have a group but if you do I would suggest you give Trello a try for that. It would make projects and ideas between people easier to see.


So that's it. It was kind of a long one but hopefully you've been introduced to a new application. I love trying out new organizing programs. Digital organization is my THING. So if you know of something I should try it out please, please, please leave it in the comments!

Past Present Future - Vol. 1

I've been saying for months that I need to delve into my personal life more. Well, I figured that this Past, Present, Future series would be a great way to start to get more comfortable with the idea of everyone knowing my life. So here we go.


First let's get the bad outta the way: My paternal grandmother had a stroke and was hospitalized this past week. She's stable and doing better now. When John and I went to see her we were able to understand most of what she said and she was aware of all the people visiting her. Besides family she's had tons of visitors. One of my aunt says that she gets self-conscious about her hair when there are "guests" in the room. She hasn't dyed it in a bit, ha. She's very strong and mostly she wants out of the hospital. For now, we're all just monitoring her and waiting to see what comes next.

Now onto some lighter fare. 

My mum celebrated a birthday this past week. I treated her to Olive Garden. We usually go there for my birthday but we hadn't been in quite a while. I cannot get enough of their deliciously buttery breadsticks. And their salad dressing. Mmm. She hasn't told me what she wants her gift to be so I haven't bought her anything. I know it may sound weird but we're really not a "surprise" gift family.

I joined the First to Read Penguin program. I was able to enter the drawing to read two different books before the drawing actually took place. I was surprised when I was selected to read one! It's called The Wrath and the Dawn. It won't come out until May but I'm pretty sure it has changed my life and my YA standards. Be on the lookout for the book and for my review - both of which come out May 8th. I cannot recommend it enough!

I also received my next Blogging for Books book. This time I chose a cookbook and I got it in the mail yesterday. I cannot wait to try some recipes from it because they look a-maze-ing. Beautiful photos, delicious recipes - what more could you ask for?

In trying to revamp my closet, I signed up for the Unique Vintage Dress of the Month club. I should be receiving the first one on Tuesday. I CANNOT WAIT. I'm going to be impatiently waiting by my door until FedEx comes. And if they get there after I leave for work I'm going to have John bring it to me so I can see it, try it on, and touch it. Kidding. Sort of.

Yesterday, John and I went to the Poteet Strawberry Festival. Poteet is a little town about 45 minutes south of San Antonio. The festival first started in 1948 so it's really well known here. I had been many years ago but John had never been. You'll get an entire post about it but the gist is that they serve strawberries a whole bunch of different ways. Chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry shortcake, strawberry wine, strawberry ice cream, strawberry jams, etc. They also have bands, crafts, games, and other festival stuff.

It's officially been a year since we've gotten Boyboy. He's such a diva. It feels as if he's always been part of the family. I love that John taught him how to cuddle. He's totally cool plopping himself onto the couch and bugging you until you rub him.


Reading: The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen (for the millionth time)
Watching: Parenthood & Bob's Burgers
Listening to: I just newly discovered Valerie June
Needing: A Nap
Wanting: Coffee & Ice Cream
Something I'm Looking Forward to: We have a New Orleans vacation planned! Woo! I need a vacation sobad and I cannot wait to relax and eat delicious food.
Five Good Things That Happened This Week: 

1. Got Paiiiiid.
2. A nice lady at my job gave me the rest of her salad. Hah. She forgot to take it home & wanted me to eat it before it got soggy. It was a kind gesture and the salad was delicious!
3. It rained some so my orchid (which is still alive!) & the Japanese Boxwoods received some good rain water. 
4. John took Boyboy to the vet and everything is good and healthy. 
5. I took over the @thebloglife101 on Instagram on Saturday. It was a lot of fun!

Japanese Boxwood Baby Bushes

I've been saying for about a year now that I would like to start a garden and really start taking better care of our lawn and backyard. Well, about two weeks ago we decided to start making our house look cuter by planting some baby Japanese Boxwood bushes. You've probably seen these bushes around before. They're great for pruning into interesting shapes.

They grow really full and dense which is another reason we picked these. Our neighbor kids are constantly throwing stuff into our yard and trying to poke our dogs through the chain link so once they grow it'll be harder for them to do all those annoying things.

We got our bushes at a Lowes sale. They were 3 for 10$ so they are super tiny. We know that with the great soil we have they'll grow in no time.

We bought the bushes on a Sunday but by the time we got back home it was already too dark to plant them so John planted them when I was working the next day. You have no idea how much I love him for sparing me this grueling work. Our side yard or whatever it's called was a bit of a mess.


First he had to clear out all the debris and rocks that were in there. Dead leaves, trash, weeds, old roots, whatever.

Then he trimmed the trees that are already growing there. We have an orange tree that hadn't been trimmed in a while. We don't eat them because they are really sour so we never knew that the tree has HUGE thorns. Apparently thorns on citrus trees is a common thing which was a surprise to me. So that's what most of those branches are from.





This is what the finished product looks like. Because our dogs like to dig we had to add the fencing around the edge so the bushes have a chance to grow. Eventually, we'll be able to take it off.

They look so cute and the area looks so nice and clean. I can't wait until they grow.

Juno

Juno
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Written by: Diablo Cody
Edited by: Dana E. Glauberman
Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, J.K. Simmons, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner

So what's the prognosis, Fertile Myrtle? Minus or plus? 

Plus, plus, plus! And in this instance it's not a bad thing.

Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) finds herself 16 and pregnant after having sex with her friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). As all teenagers do, Juno thinks she has the whole situation figured out, making an appointment for an abortion as quickly as possible. Sitting in the waiting room, Juno realizes she can't go through with it and instead makes the decision to place the baby up for adoption. Her friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby) suggests looking for couples that are "desperately seeking spawn" in the Penny Saver.

Juno ends up settling on Vanessa and Mark Loring, whose believably pretty photo in the paper seems to seal the deal. When Juno meets Vanessa and Mark, we see that the couple are opposites in almost every way. Vanessa is uptight, sterile, clean-cut, and wants a baby more than anything else in the world. Mark on the other hand, wants to relive his younger days of being in a rock band, traveling the world, and staying home to watch horror movies. Whenever a direct question about the baby is asked of him, he smoothly deflects.

When Juno finally tells her parents that she's pregnant, they uncharacteristically (for a movie) do not yell, throw things, or threaten Paulie. They take it as calmly as possible and vow to love her and support her through it all. This loving support is refreshingly different and only enforces the fact that the movie isn't about Juno getting pregnant - it is about who she becomes in the choices that she makes.

The indie soundtrack only helps to add to the feel of the movie. With lyrics of love, longing, and belonging together there is never a doubt that this movie is much more than a comedy. It is deeply emotional and touches on a tough subject in a poignant way.

My favorite scene and probably the most tear-worthy is when Vanessa runs into Juno at the mall and asks to feel the baby kick. At first, nothing happens and we see Vanessa visibly deflate. Perhaps she is not mother material no matter how much she wishes otherwise. But when Juno tells her to talk to the baby Vanessa gets on her knees and starts talking to the baby through Juno's engorged belly. The smile on Vanessa's face captures our hearts just as much as it captures Juno's. We know in that instant that Vanessa would be the best parent any child could ever ask for. This moment alone would make the movie a winner but luckily for us there are many more of these little optimistic moments strewn throughout the movie.

The movie stands up to multiple viewings and all these years later I'm still glad I own it on DVD. I give it 5 out of 5 popcorn.