February Goals

January literally came and went so fast. In the middle of the month, I hit a pretty bad slump that really made me re-evaluate the direction my life is heading. I love finding the silver lining in poopy situation. It made me re-evaluate if I still wanted to be a Massage Therapist, wanted to sell oils, wanted to continue living in Iowa, stuff along those lines. Serious life decisions were made in a two week slump because I chose to use what was a not-so-good situation for me and turn it into something positive. While I still have a bit to figure out, the ball is rolling and some decisions have been made on what I want to do. Declaring goals, however how small they may be, is something that will help me move in the right direction.

p e r s o n a l :

- Do more yoga

- Meditate more

- Read at least one book to help me grow spiritually


e s s e n t i a l  o i l s  +  m a s s a g e :

- Sell at least one kit

- Hit 1,000+ OGV to help me grow to Senior Star

- Love on my people and help educate them

- Get everything ready for a Sip and Sniff next month

- Look into room rent to start my business

- Get a firm business plan in place


b l o g :

- Post at least twice a week

- Rename?

- Redo entire theme

- Hit 100 views per day

- Grow my Bloglovin' following


For me, it's really important to declare goals. I love have something to work towards and having it written or typed out gets me all the more inspired to go out and actually get those goals crushed.


What goals do you have for the month? Season? Year? Let me know! I seriously love hearing what people are working towards!


-Kristina

c u r r e n t l y . . .

I've loved doing these 'currently' posts. Not only is it something for people to get caught up on, it's something that I can look back on to see what I was doing and what was going on at that time. I looked back on a few of them recently and at times, it's been like, "Oh wow. Who is this person?" and it's just been a crazy thing to look at. Seriously though, I love it.

Making : Essential oil concoctions. I recently signed up for Young Living and am LOVING the benefits from the oils and using more natural products around my home. I'm kind of obsessed now. Let me know if you want to become obsessed too!

Cooking : Sauteed veggies! Soooo many sauteed veggies! Mushroom, peppers, and zucchini sauteed in coconut oil with some thyme, sage, pepper, and onion powder. Mmm!

Eating : Lots and lots of kiwi and blueberries. I recently started the FODMAP diet due to my tummy issues and so far, it seems to be working. These two fruits are some on 'the good list' that I love.

Drinking : More water. Since starting my massage job, all they serve is water. Hy-Vee serves so many other drinks that it's easy to choose something other than water.

Reading : Lots and lots of posts about essential oils. I'm still so new to them and just want to learn all the things!

Watching : Once Upon a Time and Inside Out is on repeat. Thanks to me, of course.

Wanting : More oils. There's just about a million (not really, but almost) different oils and cleaners that I want to try but don't have moneys. You should see the list I have on stuff I want to order. It's kind of ridiculous.

Playing : The game 2048. I. Love. It. So. Much. If you don't want to get addicted, I highly recommend not playing it.

Wishing : For another puppy. I have been looking at chiweenie pictures, waiting for the time to be right so I can get another furbaby.

Enjoying : Life. So many wonderful things have happened since I last posted. I bought a new car which I love. I honestly don't think I'll ever get another vehicle besides a Kia ever again. I graduated college with an Associates degree in Massage Therapy (woop woop!) and have a big girl job at Massage Envy. I'm saving up to buy my own house in my hometown. Things are just going very well!

Waiting : For all my stuff that I ordered to come in. I feel like I'm constantly waiting on oils or crystals to come in. I recently ordered Pocahontas and am so stoked for it to get here. Come on, postal service!

Trying : To not be such a procrastinator. Or so flaky. I know I am. I know my faults. I acknowledge them.

Needing : To do more yoga. I've seriously been slackin'.

Smelling : Bath and Bodyworks aromatherapy scent 'Stress Relief Eucalyptus Tea.' I don't think I could ever tire of that scent.

Feeling : Content. There's things that I wish would hurry up and happen or things I wish I could change, but I'm content knowing that everything will happen when it needs to and that everything is in God's hands. His plan is more important than mine.

Thinking : That I need to stop being such a night owl and start being more of a morning person.

Knowing : That I'm right where I want to be.

-Kristina

Owning a Dog in College: Why it was the Right Move for Me.

As many of you may or may not know. I have a dog and I can't imagine how my life would be if she wasn't here. When I first got her,  I got a lot of grief from just about everyone. "You're only in college." "Where will you find the time and responsibility to take care of her?" "Won't that take you away from regular college life?" are just some of the comments people would say to me when I first got Addie. I ignored every single one of them. And I'm so glad that I did.

Before I got Addie, I was in just about the darkest place that I've ever been in my life. I just moved 4 hours away from my family and the dogs that I already had. I wasn't making very many friends and I could see myself going into 'self-destruct' mode. I was freaking out, frantically searching the internet for any type of home therapies, work-out, or distractions... Anything. Then, I stumbled upon the benefits of a 'therapy dog.'

The more I read about how a dog can help people with anxiety and depression, the more I got into searching for a new dog. After a few weeks of searching, I found her. I found my then 3-month-old puppy in a town an hour away. I spoke to the breeder and picked her up a few days later.

The first few months of having her was tough because she wasn't used to being away from her litter mates and I wasn't used to taking care of something so dependent on me all by myself, but I digress. Even the first few months of struggling with her there was therapy to me and I started noticing a significant difference in my mindset after the first two weeks of her being there. A month after getting her, one of my friends committed suicide and I had no one. Except Addie. And she was phenomenal at knowing what I needed.

When I bought her, I knew it would be a challenge. I knew it could get expensive. I knew it would be worth it. For me and for her. I cared for her. She cared for me. I knew I was responsible enough to care for her. I knew I had enough money to care for both of us. It was a bit of a struggle juggling work and school with my new puppy, but I made it work because not only did I need it and deserve it, she did too.

After a year of having her, with the help of yoga as well, my depression and anxiety was significantly better. All of those people who gave me so much grief for getting her came up to me again. "She is such a great dog. You did a good job." "I've noticed such a difference since you've gotten her. You seem much happier." "That dog has done you a world of good." ...You know, I knew she would.

After almost three years of having Addie, the progression has continued. I love that dog as if she was my own flesh and blood. She's the first thing and the last thing I make sure is okay every single day. Taking care of her and letting her care for me has nurtured my mind and soul in a way that I can't even describe.

Even now, people will sometimes give me grief for getting my dog when I did. I know that getting any animal in college is not the right move for people. Getting a dog young is not for everyone and not every person or animal has quite the same success that Addie and I have had, but it can be done. I know getting her was the right move. I'm a much better person with her here. I'm a much happier and healthier person with her here.

Please don't give people grief if they decided to get pets in college. It may just be the best thing for them. I know it was for me.

What kind of pets do you guys have?

Sincerely,

       Kristina

c u r r e n t l y . . .

It's been so long since I've done one of these posts and I love to do them. Not only for others to read, but I find that they are wonderful for me to look back on to see what I was thinking or feeling a few months to a year ago. Has it been that long already?

Making : Lots of decisions. As my life progresses, i find I'm making more and more adult decisions and I'm not quite sure if I'm making all the right ones.

Drinking : More and more hot tea... mmm...

Reading : More and more blog posts! Leave yours below!

Wanting : A Kit Kat.... I'm a simple person.

Wishing : For a new pen. My favorite one just exploded.

Appreciating : My life. Way too many people take theirs for granted and lately, I've just been appreciating simply being alive.

Wasting: Money. I guess it's not really wasting. Paying for my CAT scans and my 'oscopies' is just starting to get very expensive.

Waiting : For answers. So many things need to be answered...

Liking : The new coffee mugs at Target. Seriously though. Have you seen them yet?! Go. Look. Now. Please.

Loving : My new car. Let me tell you. Going from a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am to a 2015 Kia Forte is a HUGE jump.

Marvelling : The leaves changing. Besides spring, this is my favorite time of year.

Needing : Honestly, some support. Something significant happened to me and there aren't a lot of people I can talk deeply about it to and it's been a struggle to deal with.

Smelling : The Tea Thyme melted wax scent from Wal*Mart. It is a wonderful scent to transition from summer into autumn.

Thinking : About how much I have to do before graduation in December. Woof..

Knowing: That I am one step closer each day to having the life I've been dreaming of.

Feeling : So many things. My mind is deceiving me at the moment. So confused!

Anything new going on with you? I'd love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

        Kristina

Music : My Passion.

For me, music has always been a huge part of my life. My main passion. No, I'm not talking about the stuff that you hear on the radio these days. I'm talking about good ol' classical and instrumental music. Singing. Band instruments. Orchestra instruments. Yeah. That stuff.

From a young age, I knew I wanted to play the french horn and the cello. Oh, how badly I wanted to. In 6th grade, I signed up for trumpet. In the middle of 7th grade, my wish came true to play french horn. My senior year, I took private lessons and signed up for orchestra, but for viola instead of cello. Cue in world's smallest violin.

I signed up for choir and never looked back. I was in select choirs, show choir, Women's choirs, ensemble contest, and even was good enough to make the Iowa All-State choir my senior year. heck, I even did a year of college choir and landed a solo.

They say that if you play some sort of instrument, you have a better IQ and tend to do better in school. I don't know about that whole IQ thing, but I was still average in school. Bubble bursted. But I digress. Maybe I did better than I would've without the music trifecta. I do know that high school and middle school wouldn't be as wonderful for me if I decided not to play instead.

A lot of my classmates decoded not to join music until later in their career and deeply regretted not joining sooner. Seriously though, learning music is one of the greatest joy and best escapes. I don't know where I'd be today without playing and performing.

Even today, I still want to learn. At this point, I can sing, play the trumpet, french horn, mellophone, and viola. I'm teaching myself piano as we speak. I'm learning guitar when I can. I'm obsessed with learning how to play my ukelele. After I graduate, one of my presents I want to give myself is a cello. Mark my words, I will be a fantastic cellist someday.

At 21 years old, I still want to do things like this and learn things that I've always wanted to learn. Heck, my cute, little grandma is slowly learning how to play piano, too. Moral of this rambly story, it's never to late to learn. It's never too late to pursue a passion. It's never too late to learn a new coping mechanism and escape. Whether it be knitting, a sport, trying to write a book, go out and do it. Learning music is what I love. Go do what you love.

Sincerely,

             Kristina

P.S. what are some of your passions?

Graduation is near!

This is something that I am so incredibly excited for : GRADUATION. I have constantly been in school since my parents first enrolled me in Kindergarten, so that fact that graduation is creeping up is something I am overjoyed about.

December 18th of this year is when I finally graduate and become a Licensed Massage Therapist and can start working to become a Certified Pre-Natal and Labor Doula. Words cannot explain how excited I am to open my business and start doing even more good in this world.

These are things I have long since dreamed of dating back to when I was that little kid in Kindergarten. Helping and comforting people is what I love to do and I'm so happy that my dream is finally becoming a reality.

People. Stuff like this is possible. Hard work truly does pay off when you let it.

Sincerely,

            Kristina

The End Goal for My Career

This is something that I've been thinking about for a long time and is something that I've changed my mind about probably a million times. When I was little the answers went along the lines of doctor and veterinarian and back then, I really wasn't far off from what it is now.

I always knew that I wanted to go into health care of some kind whether it be people or animals. I have jumped from profession to profession, college to college before I actually figured out what I really wanted to do. My majors went from Nursing to Occupational Therapy to Undecided to finally landing on Massage Therapy. Funny thing is, that isn't my end goal. My dream profession would be... Wait for it...

Massage Therapy, Doula, and a Midwife.

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With Massage Therapy, the profession is build your own schedule. It's something that I love to do because I know it helps people. It's something that I can work with and can open doors to being a Doula and Midwife.

With being a Doula, I've known for years that this is something that I want to do. I love pregnancy. I love pregnant people. I love the birthing process. I know that this is something that I'm going to be in love with and enjoy doing for the rest of my life. I can't wait to dive in to get my certification.

With being a Midwife, this is the last thing I'll go to school for. I know for sure that I want to do the other two, but this one is sort of my pipe dream if I have the proper funds to do. Everything about pregnancy and birth from being a doula would apply here. I love everything to do with it.

I know that all of these things go hand in hand and I'm so happy they do. I love all aspects about all of these things. Health care and holistic professions is what I now know that I have to and want to do. Although I'm still in the beginning stages of my career path, I'm excited as to where I'm going to end up.

If you have any tips for me on any of these things, be sure to leave a comment below!


Kristina.

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

Hello everyone! April was way too busy for my own good. Lots of stresses come with moving, school, and work and finding free time and time to do homework is hard. I have to schedule both of those things for crying out loud. For any of you interested, here's what I've been up to and am currently doing for just about everything.

Making : Lots of DIY's. I moved home and my room doesn't feel like my room, so I'm always looking for more ways to spruce it up.

Drinking : A lot more of iced tea. Iced, unsweetened tea in the Spring and Summertime is my favorite.

Wanting : A bunny. Oh, how I would love to get a fluffy bunny.

Playing : With my puppy. She's the goofiest little thing.

Wishing : for a different cage set up for Quinn. The regular large-ish rodent cage just looks so tacky to me.

Enjoying : that I'll be done with college in December. Bring on graduation!

Waiting : for my month off of school. I'm in desperate need of a vacation.

Liking : being home. So much money has been saved just after this one month!

Loving : all of the blooming plants.

Marvelling : At how beautiful Iowa can be. Driving to and from home to Sioux Falls three days a week has really made me all the more appreciative of my home state.

Needing : An iced caramel macchiato. It's been way to long since I've had one and might be going through coffee withdrawals. 

Smelling : All of the wonderful flowers that are in bloom.

Thinking : About the weather. Spring weather is my favorite.

Knowing : That I need to get homework done. Come on, December.

Giggling : At customers. They've just been so nice and funny lately.

Feeling : Achy. I've been going to the doctor a lot lately, so we'll see what happens there

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

Hello again! I hope you all are having a wonderful year so far. I don't want to jinx it, but this Midwest weather is slowly becoming wonderful. Come on, Spring! Come here! Come here! Come here!

This month was a weird one for me. I'm slowly starting to become happier and realizing the most wonderful things that life has to offer. Given how I've looked at and experienced the past few years, this feeling and revelation is different and new and I'm welcoming every bit of it. In this new light, these are the things I am currently experiencing.

Making : life improvements. I'm starting to change my way of thinking about everything and being more positive and more happy. This time I'm trying to improve my ways of thinking, it's working and I'm liking it.

Wanting : my room at home, but for a weird reason. Back home, my room is in the basement. I've been wanting to do more exercise that has to do with cardio and jumping and whatnot, but I don't want to disturb my neighbors downstairs.

Needing : to find a new church. Mine went through some major pastor changes and the new one are changing the way that it's always been done. I'm more of an old fashioned church service type of person and I don't like where the pastors are taking the church. Words cannot explain how sad this makes me.

Thinking : about graduation from college. It's so close, yet so far away.

Feeling : Peaceful and happy. The new outlook that I have mentioned many times is helping with the anxiety and depression. I haven't felt like this in years.

Smelling : flower scented candles. I am more than ready for Spring to be here.

Cooking : Baby bella mushrooms. My favorite thing to fix into everything that I make.

Drinking : Cherry Coke Zero. I can't seem to kick the soda and I am obsessed with this stuff.

Reading : Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It's like a paper Pinterest. I can't stop.

Giggling : at the cute little old people and children who come into work. they make my heart happy.

Wishing : for rain. Bring on the rain.

Enjoying : my pets. Addie and Quinny are so cute. Hedge and Puppy have been eating dinner at the exact same time every night for over two weeks.

Wasting: time. The end of my school quarter is coming up and I have a million things to do. I don't know where to start

Waiting : rather impatiently to move home. I just want to be in my home at my work with my friends. I need stability for a little while.

Liking : crafting. I don't have much time to do it, but enjoy it when I have time.

Loving : worshiping and praying. I think becoming closer to God is making my shift for a happier and healthier life a lot easier. Loving me some Jesus!

Knowing : that I get to go home this weekend makes my day all that much better.

What are you currently up to?

Have a blessed day!

              Kristina

21 Things for My 21st Birthday.

It's so crazy. In a week, I'm going to be 21 years old. 21. Like, what? That's another year closer to being a real, live grown-up. Since my birthday is so close, I've been thinking about what I want to get for my birthday and in all honesty, it wasn't that hard to come up with a list. Is that bad?

1. Gold iPhone 6.
2. This Planner.
3. The Entirety of the 'Zoella Beauty' line.
4. Anything elephant.
5. Sephora gift card.
6. Canon 60D.
7. A guinea pig.
8. This Massage Table.
9. A trip to London.
10. Target gift card.
11. A Beautiful Mess's e-course 'Blog Life'.
12. 'The Giver' DVD.
13. Seasons 2-4 of 'Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood'
14. Tickets to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
15. A meal from Archie's. I'm drooling thinking about their mexican cheese balls..
16. A nice hookah.
17. Sears gift card.
18. Seasons 3-10 of 'Friends'.
19. To not live in my apartment anymore.
20. Money in general. Hey, it's my birthday. I'll want what I want to.
21. For you to follow my blog.

What do you want for your birthday?

Much love,

        Kristina

#Blogtober14 Day 18 // Share a Secret...

This prompt is super hard. I tend to be a pretty open person, so coming up with a secret is really hard. Without further adieu, here is my b i g secret!

I'm thinking about launching some kind of homemade product. Details aren't for sure and I'm not even certain if I want to do it or not..

I'd love any sort of feedback on what to do or if you have your own products or business!

Tomorrow's prompt: What Makes You Happy

Much love,

        Kristina

#Blogtober14 Day 17 // 10 Things I'm an Expert at...

Out loud to other people, I never try to claim I'm an expert. Then, people have expectations. And hold standards. And can judge and be mean and that just sounds horrible. For today's prompt's sake, I'll toot my own horn and claim to be an "expert."

-Correcting grammar and spelling.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. If you want to be taken professionally by a profession or any sensible person really, use proper punctuation and correct spelling. Grammar counts.

-Packing.
I'm seriously a champ at packing and space saving. I like to cram things into cubbies or boxes to save space for other things. I look at packing like a it's one, big puzzle and Lord knows how I love me a good puzzle.

-Forgetting things.
I forget things so easily. You can tell me something and no more than five seconds later, I'll forget. I need to write things down or it won't get done.

-Avoiding phone calls.
I hate phone calls. For some reason, they scare the crap out of me and make me anxious. Not seeing things makes me so nervous and not making eye contact with the person I'm talking to freaks me out.

-Getting ready super fast.
I tend to run on the slightly late side. When you run on that side, you need to learn to get ready fast. Time management has never been my strong suit.

-Pinterest-ing.
I'm a master pinner. I started on Pinterest shortly after the site launched. As of today, I have 17 boards and 9,696 pins.

-Procrastinating.
I've always been a procrastinator. There's just something about waiting till the last minute to get something done that I just can't get enough of.

-Keeping up-to-date on my subscriptions.
I love YouTube and I love blogging. I have so many subscriptions to each that I can't stand to miss a day. If I miss a few days, mark my words I will get caught up and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me.

-Planning.
Although I'm a procrastinator and forgetful, I'm very good at planning. Especially when it comes to events and gatherings. I love putting things together. Again, another puzzle.

-Making googly-eyes at babies and puppies.
Babies and puppies might very well be my favorite things on the planet. They're just so cute and cuddly that I can't help but be a high-pitched, hyper mess when I see them.

Tomorrow's prompt is "Share a Secret About You..."

Much love,

         Kristina

#Blogtober14 Day 16 // Fall Fashion

First off, I apologize for my absence. I had a lot going on with moving, starting school, and not having internet, but not to fear! I'm getting back into regular posting! For whatever posts I missed for this link-up, I will make up in November since I missed some of my favorite prompts.

As you may know, I'm doing the #Blogtober14 link-up and today's prompt is 'Fall Fashion' and one thing that I've been loving for Fall is chambray! Below are three ways that I love to style chambray.

Outfit #1 is one is probably my favorite way to style chambray. It's super cozy and is full of basic staples that any and every closet should have. I love how the gold accents give the outfit a bit more of a 'pow' so it's not so neutral color based. I like to leave the chambray completely unbuttoned to show the white shirt as well as rolling up the sleeves. I wear this outfit more than I care to admit.

Outfit #2 is my runner up to the first one. It's a more casual outfit that I like to where going out shopping with my girlfriends or going on a coffee date. I love the pairing of the light and dark denim look and surprise, surprise, I paired it with gold accessories again. I can't help it. It's a serious obsession.

Outfit # 3 is a little more dressy, but still comfy and something decently warm to wear in the fall. I love the look of the skirt with the chambray. I'm not the biggest fan when it comes hats, but I can't help but make an exception for this outfit.

Seriously guys, I promise to get back to posting regularly.

Tomorrow's prompt: I'm an Expert at...

Much love,

           Kristina

Blogtober14 // If I Won the Lottery...

Oh my goodness! It's finally October! October is easily my favorite month out of the year. I don't like the cold, but I simply love watch the season change from summer to fall. It's so beautiful.

So I decided a while ago that I was going to find a link-up for October and write a blog post every single day since I don't like doing the typical "30 day blah-dee-blah" stuff. This month, the link-up comes from Taylor Grace Wolfe and HeleneInBetween.

The first prompt is "If I Won the Lottery..."

Since I work in a gas station, getting asked what I'd do with the winnings is something I'd get asked on a regular basis. One customer told me a story about how he put his numbers in 15 minutes after the drawing and wouldn't you know it, his numbers got drawn. Just his luck, right? But anyway it got my thinking. What would I do if I won the lottery?

The first thing I'd do is pay off all of my student loans. That is my biggest concern now and would still be my biggest concern when I won the lottery. Knowing that I wouldn't have to worry about them would be a huge relief.

Secondly, I'd buy myself a new car, a Ford Fusion to be exact, and a smallish-sized house that I can fix up and call my own. These things may sound lame to some people, but even thinking about someday being debt-free and financially stable gives me such a sound mind.

And lastly, I'd go on vacation; One place with my family and then travel Europe with my best friend. Travelling is something I hardly get to do at all anymore and I have so many things that I want to see and experience: London, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Australia. The list goes on and on.

What would you spend your lotto winnings on? A vacation? A house? Maybe even investing? Let me know below! I'm so curious to read your answers!

Here is the list of daily prompts!

Much love,
        Kristina

Pros and Cons of Being the Oldest Child

Being the oldest child has a lot of perks, but it also has a lot of downfalls. Having conversations with my friends who aren't the oldest don't seem to quite grasp what being the oldest child means. Here is my take on what being the oldest means.

Pros:

• You get ALL the new clothing! You have no one older than you to get hand-me-downs from.
• You get to embarrass them from memories of them being younger. You seriously remember most everything and they hate you for it.
• You get to help be the leader/teacher. Most older siblings tend to have more leadership skills and trust me, it's in the oldest's blood to be a bit more bossy.
• You have someone to blame things on. I got in trouble by myself for three years before my sister showed up. They always think the youngest at the time is always the angel so they deserve some of the blame too.
• You get to watch them grow. I love thinking back to when my brother and sister were cute little toddlers and when they used to be nice and super cute with all that adorable baby fat. My youngest sibling is now a freshman in high school and I still picture him as a two-year-old carrying around his Blue's Clue's notebook.
• They look up to you. It's a nice feeling to know that they will, do, or have looked up to you.

Cons:

• You automatically get blamed for everything. I don't know if this is true in every household, but every other oldest child I've asked will say the same thing. Parents go out and house isn't clean when they get back, they blame the oldest. You aren't just accountable for your actions while they're gone, but your siblings as well. Even if they are old enough to stay home by themselves. It's still your fault.
• You have to be more responsible. This one goes hand-in-hand with the "blamed for everything" one. The oldest is automatically presumed to be more responsible and because there's that pressure to be more responsible since your the oldest, it can get pretty stressful.
• They look up to you. This one has it's cons too. Knowing that someone is looking up to you is a lot of pressure. They are pretty much your shadow, so one mistake could cost them as well as yourself.

So there you have it. I love being the oldest, but at the same time, it's one of the most stressful positions you will ever be in. Are you the oldest? Youngest? Middle child? Let me know!

Much love, laughter, and happiness,

           Kristina

5 Happy Thoughts for Monday | Week Four

I've come to love making these posts. Listing things that makes me happy helps me to reflect on when times weren't so crazy and hectic and help me be a whole lot more thankful for what I have.

1. Space Heater.
With the colder months being right around the corner, I am thankful for this nifty item to make sure my hedgie is always warm and not on the brink of death from being too cold. Thank you, space heater. You will be saving my exotic animal from hibernation for yet another year.

2. Fall.
Fall is my runner-up favorite season, coming in close on spring. I love the deeper colors, feeling all snuggly, the lovely feeling of switching from iced coffee to warm coffee, and of course, playing in the crunchy leaves.

3. High School Friends.
Over the weekend, my best friend from technically middle school came into town. It was so wonderful to see her. With most of my friends not being home and being alone most of the time, I've come to re-appreciate my friends. Especially the ones that have been around for a long time.

4. Mini M&M's.
I've been obsessed with these things for months now. I bought a tube of them awhile ago and rekindled my love for them. I like to buy the large bags of them so they are always handy if I'm feeling slightly munchy for something sweet. I kept the tube and use that to serve up my serving size. Without that tube, I'd demolish half of the bag in one sitting.

5. My daddy.
Tomorrow, on September 23, this man will be aging another year. He's always been a fun-loving, rather involved parent and always has your best intentions in his mind and heart. It only seemed fitting to mention him this week. Happy birthday, Daddy. I love you.

Circa 1993. One of my favorite pictures ever.

Proud to be a Hufflepuff.

CAUTION: MAJOR HARRY POTTER NERD ALERT BELOW! This post is also in honor of Hufflepuff Pride Day on September 18th.

Hello. My name is Kristina and I'm proud to be a Hufflepuff.

Now some of you you may ask, "A WHAT?!" No, you heard me correctly. A Hufflepuff. If for some odd reason that I won't be able to comprehend you don't know what a Hufflepuff is, let me enlighten you. "Harry Potter" is a 7 book series about a boy, Harry Potter, finding out he's a wizard and makes super awesome friends, learns about magic as well as his past, fights the forces of evil, and is sarcastic along the way. If you haven't read any of the books or seen any of the 8 movies, I encourage you to do so because quite frankly, your missing out.

Anyway, in "Harry Potter," there are four houses in the magical school of Hogwarts that you are sorted into and is more or less your school family for the next 7 years: Gryffindor (the brave-hearted), Hufflepuff (the kind-hearted), Ravenclaw (the smart-minded), and Slytherin (the cunning ones). Like everyone first obsessed with the series, I wanted to be in Gryffindor, where all the main characters were sorted. It wasn't until after the last movie that I realized that I belonged to Hufflepuff more than any other house. At first, I didn't want to be because everyone thought it was the lame house. As I further searched the meanings and values of Hufflepuff house, I couldn't imagine belonging anywhere else.

You may belong in Hufflepuff,

 Where they are just and loyal.

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,

 and unafraid of toil.

For a little insight as to why Hufflepuff is quite possibly the best house, Hufflepuffs are fair, kind, patient, and hard-working. We love feeling cozy in our environments and have a little more appreciation to the earth, as our dormitory has many windows and tons of greenery, almost like a Hobbit Hole.

If that's not enough convincing on why Hufflepuffs are amazing, our house is right next to the kitchen and in the video below, J.K. Rowling herself explains why Hufflepuff is your favorite.

Which house are you proud to belong to?

Much love, laughter, and happiness,

                 Kristina

To read more on Hufflepuff or other Hogwarts houses, visit: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hufflepuff

DISCLAIMER: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions stated are honest with no intent to infringe on copyright with Warner Brothers or J.K. Rowling. Strictly a fan post.

5 Favorites YouTubers.

If anyone truly knows me, then they'll know that I love YouTube. I'm obsessed with watching videos, have made a few myself, and am subscribed to almost 200 people. This past year to six months is really when I got super hooked. Since YouTube and Bloglovin' take up most of my free time, I thought it'd only be fit to share with you my top 5 favorites of all the favorites when it comes to YouTubers.

1. Zoella.
I only discovered Zoella about 6 months ago. I was instantly hooked. She's an honest, silly, gorgeous, british person that I can connect with and relate to on so many levels. Zoella makes beauty, fashion, and lifestyle videos and also blogs. She makes videos that I genuinely enjoy and always look forward to her uploading whether it be on her main channel or her blog channel. She's so lovely. She also has the cutest little guinea pigs.

2. Shaytards.
There are so many things I can say that I love about the Shaytards. Shay, his wife Colette, and their 5 children make vlogs Monday-Friday. There's just something about their family that is funny and amazing to watch. Shay has this very outgoing and creative personality so it's always exciting to see what kind of content he'll put out. FUN FACT! Shay and Colette have been making daily vlogs going on 6 years!

3. Meghan Rienks "Meghan Rosette."
I've found Meghan through a collab that she did with Eleventh Gorgeous about a year ago and honestly, I like her more than them. She's only a couple months older than I am. She's got this hippy-esque, free spirit vibe and is super down-to-earth and silly that it would just seem absolutely wrong not love her, so she definitely deserves her spot in my top 5. She makes beauty and fashion videos and has helped me to understand makeup so much more. Thank you, Meghan.

4. Aspyn Ovard.
Aspyn is a YouTuber that I found through Meghan, funnily enough. She makes beauty, fashion, and DIY videos. I love her sense of fashion and how she edits and puts her videos together. Like Zoella, Aspyn is a person who I can relate to in a lot of aspects and since I can relate, it makes her videos that much more enjoyable for me.

5. Brittney Lee Saunders.
Most of the other YouTubers that I mentioned are quite mellow compared to Brittney. I enjoy her videos for their hilarity and her 'tell it like it is and I don't care what you think' personality. She is so spunky and outgoing and I just love her. I found her only 3 months ago and I'm so happy I did.

So there you have it. My 5 favorites. Quite frankly, I don't see this list changing much soon. These guys are much too fantastic. I love you all.

Much love, laughter, and happiness,
                 Kristina

5 Positive Things for Mondays | September Week 1

Mondays. Everyone seems to hate Mondays. Something I want to and will. I will guys, I will. Is to write down 5 positive things on Mondays to start the week off right. The positive things will consist of anything that makes me happy or things I'm looking forward to. Personally, I absolutely love Mondays. Monday is my favorite day of the week. So I guess we better get to it.

1. My dog, Carter.

Seriously, I love this dog. He is my first dog and the biggest sweetheart. Not only do I love him unconditionally, but today is his 13th birthday. Happy birthday, my beautiful boy. I love you.

2. My job. The new one.

Usually, my job kind of sucks. I work at a Hy-Vee in the gas station in my hometown before I move. A couple days ago while at work, I got a call from a Hy-Vee in Sioux Falls that I applied at so I could try to transfer. The scheduled an interview for today, September 1st. 15 minutes later, they called back and told me that I didn't have to come for the interview and they were just going to go ahead and hire me. I'm so thankful for not having to travel and having a job for when I move.

3. Living at home.

When I decided to move home from being in Ames, I was scared for how it was gonna go. I was sacrificing a lot of my freedom and it made me uncomfortable to do so. Now that I've been home for 3 months, I've come to appreciate a lot of things back home such as free food, free rent and utilities, and being around my family, childhood friends, and my family pets. I'm going to miss it all when I leave again.

4. My job. The older one.

I've worked at Hy-Vee for 3 years. I've worked at 2 stores: my home store and Ames #1 C-Store. Right now, I'm back at my home store since I'm currently living back home. I'm loving seeing all the familiar faces of my managers, coworkers, and fellow town folk. I'm definitely soaking it all up.

5. My hometown.

Growing up, I hated how small my hometown was. Not even kidding, I grew up in a town of less than 10,000 people with surrounding towns with much less people. It was beyond boring in my middle school to high school years not having much to do besides go to Wal*Mart and driving around since we were obviously "too mature for the park." Now, after living and travelling to much bigger places, I've come to appreciate the small-ness, the safeness, and the friendliness and the citizens. Hospitality is becoming much harder to come by and I'm glad to be living in a place where most people still have it.

So there you have it. Take a moment to think about 5 positive things in your life. I challenge you. Start your week off right.

Much love, laughter, and happiness,

            Kristina.