4 Things I Want To Stop Seeing

#1. I want to stop seeing lists of reasons why I should unplug. Reasons why I should sign off facebook, and why I should put my phone down.

I get it, I do. But I’m sorry, for me, the pros of social media and connectivity far outweigh the cons. Being able to keep in close contact with my best friends and family all over the country is important to me. Group texts have changed my life.

love my groupt text with my mom & sis

So no, I’m not deactivating my Facebook. Stop obsessively taking videos with my phone at concerts? Sure, that can be a 2014 goal, I like that. But I’m just not giving myself ulcers over the amount of time I have my phone in my hand.

#2. Those lists referring to age. "40 things to do before you’re 40, 20 things never to do in your 20’s, 15 things I never thought about when I was 25." Can we just stop? It’s overwhelming, unnecessary, and half the time these list/articles things are contradicting themselves. One will urge you to go travel the world while you’re still young, and the other will warn you against frivolous spending: you better be saving your money in your 20's.

Sadly, I didn't land myself a six-figure job out of college, so no, I cannot simultaneously save money and travel the world, while holding a full-time job. If anyone has figured this one out, please pass on the secret.

#3. Those lists pertaining particularly to relationships and dating. These infuriate me. Lists of ways to spark your relationships, 20 great pick-up lines, ’23 things that let you know you’re in the right relationship'.

My first reaction when I see these is extreme confusion. What makes all of these random online writers experts on this delicate topic? Everyone is different, every couple functions differently, has different morals and values – that’s what makes dating and marriage such a beautiful thing.

me & my main man

#4. The freaking fitness lists. 10 tips to lose those last 10 pounds. 5 ways to not gain holiday weight. Or my person favorite – 20 tips to lose weight before your wedding.

Sigh. Don’t get me started on this one. Eat right. Stop eating empty calories i.e. sugar. Drink a lot of water. Get up and move from your desk. Throw around some weights. LISTEN to your body, and find out what works for you. These lists are so general and off-base it’s nauseating.

There is no quick fix that is healthy and natural. Just remember that.

this quote just felt right.

I get that buzzfeed has and always will be a list-type website. That’s cool – usually their postings are for humor, mainly containing pictures, and this has just always been their motif. But why, oh why are SO many other websites now featuring list-type articles? Whatever happened to the lost, beautiful art of writing out actual paragraphs, using actual facts, and making valid points instead of rattling off absurd opinion-based vomit?

That is my rant. Maybe I'm just being a romantic. Nonetheless, cheers to 2014 being the year these obnoxious lists stop clogging up my newsfeeds. Fingers crossed.

K

Snapshots

My new favorite place to write by far is up on my rooftop deck. No matter how hot it may be, the breeze up here always makes it bearable. Nothin' like soaking up some sun while writing my afternoon away.

I realized recently that we are already halfway through July. In my mind, that's halfway through summer. So this weekend I tried my best to capture a few artsy pics of the sweet summer memories that we made. Friday we spent time at a coworker's house down on the water, and it was absolutely beautiful. Last evening was more time on my deck - no surprise there.

My wonderful Aunt surprised me with a giraffe windmill decoration for our new place last time I was home, and I finally got it set up yesterday. It definitely adds to the experience of our deck; everyone loved it!

Have you guys tried those Chobani Bites? They are smaller than your average Chobani greek yogurt, and have a pretty cool variety of flavors. I bought a four pack last week....

And of course I had to add an extra kick for my mid-afternoon boost at work. I'm a fan.

I stole another workout from Brooke - this is becoming a common theme - as my Friday morning run had to get postponed due to thunderstorms.

For time:
-80 situps
-70 air squats
-60 mountain climbers
-50 burpees
-40 jump squats (I did jumping lunges instead)
-30 hollow rocks
-20 push ups
-10 burpees

 The above workout took just over 20 minutes, and was a nice little sweat to start off the weekend right.

This made me laugh... especially as I'm a little upset tomorrow's already Monday. After a four-day weekend last week, two days just doesn't seem long enough. Favorite part of my day so far today? 7 miles in the park was nice, but I was pretty pumped to be able to ride my bike down to Safeway to grab some groceries this afternoon.

Save that environment. Save that gas.

I need to shower, I smell. This has been a lot of fun. Tell me either 1. your favorite Chobani flavor or 2. your favorite part of your day so far.

Cheers!