Dream Job #2

I am back again with another Dream Job.

For some odd reason, I became obsessed with the Bachelor and the Bachelorette last year.

Reality t.v. really drags me in and I love to think its real life and that none of it is staged. 

(I know I am probably crazy for thinking that.)

 

If I could, I'd love to be Chris Harrison, the female version. He seriously gets paid to dress in a suit and say "this is the final rose..." but I have a feeling he does some serious counseling with the contestants. This would be a great way for me to use my counseling skills and be on reality t.v.

I know it's a stretch, but I'm hoping my roommate moving to California will make her become a big producer and she will ask me to appear as the host for the next reality dating t.v. show. I also just say a theme in my dream jobs revolving around relationships and matchmaking. I always said I wanted to be a relationship counselor so I guess it makes sense. 

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Pinterst: Inspiring Quotes

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Dream Job

Well, we got cable this past week to keep our Internet bill from jumping up by $40 dollars. It really is a horrible time to get it as we have 3 weeks of school left which is filled with papers, finals, and great spring weather. I am reminded how much more productive I am when there is not t.v.

Despite that, I have loved having the opportunity to watch some of my favorite reality t.v. shows and my number one as of lately is The Millionaire Matchmaker.

I love Patty and I love match-making. The woman can be harsh and scary at times, but she has sass which is something I admire. I wish I could have her career of matching those looking for love together. I feel like I could use both my business and psychology degree in a career like this one.

Some things I would do differently than Patty:

1.) Not yell at my clients.- Yikes! This woman can be so scary when her clients do not follower her rules. Yes, they agree to the rules, but I do not know why her anger increases her clientele.

2.) Only match millionaire's- Everyone needs to find love, I am not limiting that to those with big wallets.

3.) The Call out- The poor women that come to her call out's. I do not think some of them even see it coming. I definitely would be more open to who I select and not just disregard those girls who do not fit perfectly.

If only this job wasn't taken....



 

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Reframing

In counseling class this week we are learning about Reframing.

This is taking something negative and turning it into a positive.

For example: You got a bad grade on a test (Negative)---> This is an opportunity for you to learn what you need to work on to get a better grade next time (Positive)

 

An exercise in my book said to take things you think are negative about yourself and change them into positive, so here I go:

 

Stubborn to Firm in decisions

Unpredictable to constantly changing

Impatient to ready to tackle things head on

Character of habit to know what I like

This is actually much more difficult than I thought. I've spent a week thinking of negative things, but I tend to do a good job of seeing the positive in myself (see I just did it!).  Overall, I think it is important to remember that every negative can be turned into a positive with your choosing.

 



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My Current Status

If you could not tell from my last current status, I was having a rough time.

I was experiencing a break-up that came out of no-where for me and him. It was my decision, but I was not expecting to make it. The whole situation was confusing for me and I know him, but I believe the decision was for the best.

I sometimes wonder why certain people are allowed close to our hearts when they may not last. I've experienced heartbreak before, but this was unlike one I have ever felt. It reminded me that my heart has some interesting stories it could share.

I still find myself asking why and was it right, but I'm leaning on the belief that time heals all wounds. I've also been leaning on faith and trust in God.

I've been finding myself fearful of my move to Seattle. I have yet to find a place to live or a person to live with and that makes me nervous. I haven't had to worry about finding someone to live with for the last four years and now I am moving across the country to no home and few people I know.

My faith is at its strongest right now and I am trying to rely on God's timing.

Through the ups and downs you find the place you run to in need of help, I am thankful God is that person and that he always welcomes me with open arms.

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First Impressions

I thought it would be fun to go and look at the first impression I had with my family and friends. So here is the Rachel they met.

Family

Sister: I wanted a brother but I was very excited to have a real life baby of my own!!!!

Mom: beautiful inside and out, funny, caring, to the point, ditzy and so lovable

Friends
Michelle (roommate and 1 of the trio): Well, I don't really remember when I first met you, but when we were in small group together and didn't know you very well I thought you were very kind, sensitive, innocent, pure, strong in your faith, and confident in who you were and what you wanted out of life and relationships. That is not to say that you are not any of these now - because you are! That is just how I viewed you then. i still view you as possessing these qualities, I just know a lot more about you than what appears on the surface ;)

Tessa: Ok. So first impression of you goes all the way back to my first memory of us meeting back in the 3rd grade. Well we were both 3rd grade rock stars and Mrs. Rhyne presented us with an assignment of what I believe was a more intellectual version of "Show-and-tell" because after all, show-and-tell is for babies, so she "upped the anty." I used the Blaque cd intro to make an unforgetable show of God knows what...I literally have no idea what I was presenting, but I knew it had to be entertaining (I was a performer even then). Well, well, well then comes along Miss Rachel Jones. I have a vivid memory of what you brought for show-and-tell. Under the disillusionment that anything could get passed me, you made a vallant attempt to pass off a Mary-kate and Ashley signature as a valid relic. This however, was definitely not the case for I owned that very same book with those very same signatures. I knew the truth. That was a fake. Whoever came up with the idea to lie to get friends was smart. Most often a friendship based on lies backfires tremendously. This friendship that we share is going to last a lifetime. As a 3rd grade girl on her own journey toward justice I did what any peace seeker whould do-I called you out on that shit. I remember walking up to you with no regard to who may over hear such a confrontation and set the record straight-you lied about your show-and-tell. I had the proof at home and was more than willing to bring it in to educate the rest of the class (and the world) that your Mary-kate and Ashley book was not the only one with personal signatures. Well, being as stubborn and pig-headed as you are, you kept your stronghold on your falsehoods. Well butter my buns and call me a biscuit. You lied again and again. When is enough, enough?! It's all a blur after that but hence a friendship was forged. Not too much has changed since then. Maybe your lies have become more lighthearted and even easier to detect. I probably let more things go and enjoy your tales. All in all my first impression of you was definitely a memorable experience.

Kaitlin: When I first met you, I thought you were really cool, but I was unsure if we would get along so well because we both had stubborn personalities and clashing beliefs.

I think this is a fun series that I will try to continue. I have known most of these people for a while and some of them my entire life. I appreciate each of these women and love the friendship they have blessed me with over the years. Hope you had some laughs like I did.

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Favorite Song Lyrics

"I know who I am my dear, I'm a wanted man.

The world I see looks good from here, right from where I stand.

Together we could disappear, I'm a wanted man.

So come and get me."

-Needtobreathe "Wanted Man"-

 

"When you find yourself alone in times of trouble, reach inside you and above you.

There's nothing He can't heal."

-Ben Rector "Hank"-

"I never knew that I could love someone the way that I love you."
-Ben Rector "White Dress"-

"This isn't easy, this isn't clear.
And you don't need Jesus till you're here.
The confusion and the doubts you have up and walk away,
they walk away when a heart breaks."
-Ben Rector "When a Heart Breaks"-

"All along it was a fever,
A cold sweat hot-headed believer"
-Rihanna "Stay"-

"Love that will not betray you, dismay or enslave you
It will set you free, be more like the man you were made to be.
There is a design, an alignment to cry
Of my heart to see, the beauty of love as it was made to be."
-Mumford & Sons "Sign No More"-

"Don't let anybody tell you who you are
It's okay to let go, you're that shooting star
Remember all you wished for
Believe it will be true
You will never find yourself anywhere else,
You'll find yourself in you."
-Everlife "Find Yourself In Your"-

 



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So one time I went on a date with someone I met online....

Do you ever have those stories to share that you are too scared to out of the fear of judgments that will come your way? Well, this is one of mine. The title gives you a little insight into what I am going to share.

In August or July (can't remember the exact month), I met up with a guy I had met online. We connected through this chat thing and both lived in the Indy area so we decided to meet up. Smartest move I've ever made? Probably not, but I want to let you know I didn't just go into this naively.

Here are the steps I took to ensure I was safe and not meeting some Wacko:

1.) Admit to my friends what I was doing: This was not easy. My friends were kind and acted cool about it, but I think they thought I was a little crazy. I even told one of my guy friends since he was going to be living in the area we were meeting at. From there, I asked my friends if they would have dinner at whatever place we were having dinner. Did I tell my date that? No, I thought it would be a better date to have in the future. I did slightly mention my friend was hoping to run into me. Little did he know both of my friends walked by us to check him out while we were eating.

2.) Admit to my parents what I was doing: I'll admit this was not my original plan. I will also admit that I do not do well keeping secrets from them so when they asked what I was doing Saturday night I admitted I had a date. And when they said with whom, I said with some guy I met online. They then proceeded to freak out and I think my dad told me to take my pepper spray which I did not do.

3.) Met in a public place: We met at a restraint filled with people. Public is always better than private. More people to see what is going on if anything crazy was to occur.

4.) Got there late: I'll be honest this was not in my original plan, but a good idea in the long run. If he was a wacko, my lateness may have made him leave. It also gave me a chance to have an idea where he was and to check to make sure he was not lying about his age. In my case, he was not. He was older and then berated me about my age the rest of the night. Best date-not so much.

Overall my advice is to be smart. If you've met someone online, make sure you have everything covered. These situations can turn into scary ones but they are also becoming normal. I encourage you to talk with someone about what you are doing and where you are going along with telling them you will call them on your way home. This covers your back in case something crazy happens. Just be smart and safe!

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Top 10 Favorite Songs

As I was bored at work the other day, I started thinking of the songs I love in life. So here are my top 10 favorite songs of all time.

1.) I'll Be by Edwin McCain-It may be cliche, but I can totally see myself dancing to this song on my wedding day. It's always been my number one favorite song.  

2.) Our Song by Taylor Swift-Defines my high school career. I remember spending many days driving with my windows down blaring this song.

3.) Shine On By Needtobreathe- This song always inspires me for whats next. It says don't forget me, but I'm going on to something new. It's a great song when starting over or moving on.

4.) It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion- This women is great; the song doesn't really mean anything to me, but I love it.

5.) Yours to Hold by Skillet- This reminds me of my first spring driving with the windows down going anywhere I could.

6.) Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle- When I was a little girl, I used to flutter my eyelashes on my Papa and Dads cheeks to give them butterfly kisses.

7.) My Desire by Jeremy Camp- This is my faith song. Always my desire to be used by God for his Kingdom.

8.) Set the World on Fire by Brit Nicole- Another faith song. Hoping I can use my passion and career to burn bright for God.

9.) Roll To Me by Del Amitri- This is that feel good song that you can play on repeat over and over again.

10.) 22 by Taylor Swift- It's the song about my current age. Love it and not ashamed to admit it. 

Just so you all know, this post took me 3 weeks to write. I thought it would be easy, but it was hard to find 10 songs that my most favorite.

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Things I Learned From My Parents

With graduation right around the corner and my move to Seattle, I have been reminded of all that I am thankful for. My parents happen to be in that category so I thought I would write about the five things I have learned from each of them.

 

Mom

1.) Hospitality-This woman knows how to throw a party and welcome anyone into our home. I appreciate that this rubbed off on me. I think it's one of the reasons I am a great hostess and why I love to have parties with people over.

 

2.) Stick your ground- You could say we are both stubborn. We get stories wrong, but insist our version is wrong. While stubborn is seen as a negative characteristic, I see it as a positive in this case. She has taught me stand up for what is right and to have standards.

 

3.) Royalty- I always joke how my mother thinks she is the Queen of England mainly because she likes fancy things and is from England. Never did I realize she was reminding me that I am the daughter of a king and that I am royal. From this, I always strive to be treated right by any human being and help others to do the same.

 

4.) Comfort when needed- I used to get so upset when my mom would not comfort me when I was crying sometimes. I could be having the worst day, crying in my room and she would just let me be. Little did I know, it taught me how to overcome struggles on my own and how to accept comfort when I don't want it. She is the woman who hugs me when I say no and leaves me to be when all I want is a hug. It sounds twisted, but I appreciate it so much. She doesn't let me dwell on things too long and when she thinks I need to spend time crying it out she hugs me and makes me cry. The woman is sneaky!

 

5.) Find a man who will laugh at all your quirks- My father is my mothers second husband. It may have been a rough road to find him, but she did and it is evident how much she loves him even though he drives her crazy. I love when they start laughing because of the silly every day occurrence's and when they can't stop kissing each other despite how grossed out my brother and I am. She has taught me to wait for a man who will treat me the way my father treats her.

 

Dad

1.) Leadership- My father taught me a lot of leadership qualities over the years: know how to listen, be reliable, lead when least expected, remember who the number one leader is. He has led me and that leadership has allowed me to lead others.

 

2.) Work hard- My dad is passionate for music, an industry that is difficult and rocky. He continues to pursue his dreams and it has rubbed off on me. My work ethic is crazy ridiculous and I think it has to do with the fact he makes me pay for the things I really want.

 

3.) Financial Stability- Despite how much I hate these talks and always leave in tears, his obsession with finances has helped me be a better steward with my money. Sure, I still have a lot of room to improve on this, but I am much better than I was 4 years ago. He has taught me the value of money and the effects it can have on you when you do not use it right.

 

4.) Creativity- He and I two-peas in a pod. We love music, we love art, we get crazy ideas. He has allowed me to find a love for music on my own despite it is his passion. Our creative minds connect us.

 

5.) Room to make my own mistakes-Sometimes all I want is for my parents to tell me what to do, yet they still make sure I am the one who makes the decision. It can be frustrating, but it has made me the person I am. They trust me and have faith in me; especially my dad. My mom is the advice giver, but he is the one who listens and gives you that nugget of knowledge every once in a while.

 

I wouldn't be who I am today without the love and support of these two. They are my number one fans and accept me for me. Love you mom and dad!

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My current status

Sometimes life is just hard. It's filled with hurt, pain, loss, and confusion.

It can seem never-ending and it is filled with constant questioning.

Is this right? Is this wrong? What if? Why? What's the point?

And sometimes the answers take time to form.

And sometimes that time is years in the making.

With the time you wonder, is the difficulty worth it?

How will I know when the answer comes?

And then I am reminded each day the sun rises and sets.

Each day a life is a given and a life is taken.

Each day a tear is shed and a smile is shared.

Each day an angry remark is made and forgiveness is given.

Each day is new and holds a different plan.

And that plan is decided by a strong and mighty individual.

I do not always have the answers or the understanding, but I have the faith that someone is watching over me and mapping my life out. I may not always agree with what is in store for me, but I know it all contributes to the person he wants me to become.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."

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Favorite Concerts

I completely miss the days of boy bands and girl groups along with the awesome concerts they held! So of course I have to dedicate a blog post to my favorite concerts I have attended.

 

1.) Needtobreath- Freshman High School Year

This is my favorite Christian Band that I saw play at a small church in Cloverdale, Indiana. At the time, I had never heard of them and was not sure what to think about them, but then they ended the night singing one of my now favorite songs called, "Shine On." It was so beautiful and the words touched me.

 

2.) American Idol Season 1-Middle School 6th grade?

Seriously, one of the greatest opportunities in my life! I watched this entire season and loved Kelly Clarkson. It was my dream after attending this concert to make myself appear on that stage. Many years later, it is still a secret of mine to do it, but American Idol has not come to Indiana yet so we will see if it happens. Plus, the judges kind of stink now.

 

3.) N*Sync-4th grade?

Oh these boys were my favorite! Yeah, backstreet boys were great as well, but I had a thing for Lance Bass when I was a little kid which also meant I was super surprised when I found out he was batting for the other team. Oh well, he's too old for me. No Strings Attached was a great tour!

 

4.) Celine Dion-Senior Year of High School

By far my top favorite concert. This woman is amazing and she's hilarious. She is the one artist who I truly felt connected with her audience and gave the best encore-3 times at the end of the show.

 

5.) Jeremy Camp-8th grade and Junior Year of High School

I loved Jeremy Camp in high school and I saw him perform twice once with Toby Mac and the other with Matthew West. His love story is the real life A Walk To Remember and he chose to pursue his relationship with God like Landon did in the movie. Great Christian Concert.

 

 

Those are my top 5 favorite concerts.

 

I wish I could see Gavin Degraw, Taylor Swift, and The Spice Girls in concert and add them to my list. Oh, and S Club 7!

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Favorite Movies

I have been thinking about my favorites in life recently and I want to share them with you all.

Today I am going to share my favorite movies.

 My love for Jennifer Lopez started with this movie. It also created my love for Weddings and my phase of wanting to be a wedding planner for a while. She's organized and a sucker for love. I think I always wish I could be her. This is a chick-flick so if that is not your thing then do not watch it. Also, this movie is played on TBS and TNT every so often so you don't even have to buy it!

 Sandra Bullock is great! And Ryan Reynolds...SEXY! This movie makes me laugh, cry, and want to fall in love in an inconvenient way. Oh, its also one of the reasons I ended up Washington. The movie was set in Alaska so I tried working at a camp out there which eventually led to me looking at camps in Washington. It will always have a special place in my heart and the never-ending "Are you CRAZY?" quote my best friend and I say all the time.

Mandy Moore is another of my favorites; I would choose her to play me in a movie any day! A story about a girl trying to find love with a nagging mother. Maybe I think this is my future with my mother when it comes to finding someone to marry?

  Some people say this movie is depressing, but it cracks me up. Plus, I love when Steve Carrel sings "Let my love open the door" and cries. I am definitely a Steve Carrel fan!

I know this one may seem random, but I love the scream movies and I thought the 4th one was the best. It starred so many big names and had the biggest twist ever. They may be scary, but they are also hilarious!

 

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Reading List

I have been finding a lot of books that I cannot wait to read this summer.

Here's what I plan on spending my free-time doing:

 Columbine by Dave Cullen

Since high school, I have spent once a year reading about Columbine and the tragic event. I think I am just curious of the thoughts that went through the two students heads as they planned this event and the aftermath. It may sound grim, but I guess its just my way of preparing myself for the type of people I may encounter when I receive my counseling license.

The Westboro Baptist Church has created so much controversy over the last couple of years and I am looking forward to hearing the thoughts of an individual who once was one and now lives on the outside of it. 

I read about this book in a magazine and I was instantly drawn to it. This mother celebrates her last days with her family and chooses joy over sorrow. It is sure to be an inspirational book.

This book intrigued me because it was written by a girl who is my age. Yeah, she got a book published out of writing something for fun which is something I have always inspired to do.

  It's about your first love, how can you go wrong with it?

 This is another book about the Columbine tragedy. It looks inside the death of one of the students and how her faith was always present.

Do you have any suggestions of books to add to my summer reading list?

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Throwback Thursday

I have finally decided to participate in throwback Thursday. I really only looked at all these pictures after trying to see if my best friend and I had changed at all since high school and sadly we look the same. Maybe just a little bit older looking.

 

Summer of 2009 going into College. This was a night of epic bowling and ice cream. Oh, and locking my keys in my car and my dad calling the cops to get them out. My friend Eric made sure to capture the entire episode of me waiting, freaking out to my dad, and the hilarious cop!

This was March of 2009 going on our small group Senior trip to IKEA and Crossroads church in Ohio. It consisted of our small group leader driving over many curbs and my roommate and I not buying one thing at IKEA. I think we were both overwhelmed and had no idea what we needed for a college dorm room.



 

Well, this face just describes how I felt every time I did math in high school. It was stressful and confusing. Math has never and will never be my thing. I can barely count without using my fingers. And fractions? Well, just don't give me any!



 May 2009-This picture is freaking me out. 4 years ago I graduate high school with purple streaks in my hair. Now, I will be doing the same thing and getting the same picture except without my brother as he is celebrating his Senior Prom the day of my graduation. It's crazy to think he will have the exact picture of this since he is graduating as well.

 

 

 Winter 2011-Who's crazy idea was this? Oh, right, mine! Michelle and I watched a One Tree Hill episode where they dressed as super hero's and I thought we should do the same. We went down our hall and collected girls and told them to wear ridiculous outfits. This is college in a freshman girls dorm.

 

 

 Look at Michelle and I! We were just babies. This is freshman year for us at Anderson University. It was the first time I had met her whole family and I wanted to impress them so bad. I slowly realized there are too many of them to impress. But, let's talk about my outfit. It's not horrible, but it is odd.

Our first Anderson football game. That goofball and I have been best friends forever and still take ridiculous pictures like this. I sure do love this girl!

 Here's the three of us Freshman year at some kind of school event. Who would have thought we'd become best friends and roommates. Man, I'm going to miss them.

And of course a super cheesy one to end on!

 

Throwbacks are fun, but kind of sad. Who let me take a walk down memory lane and create sad emotions inside of me. Wait, guilty again!



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Wish List

I am getting that itch to shop which usually comes every so often.

Here are some of the things I am wishing for:

Jean Dress from Target $20.00

I am a shoe addict

This is the perfect run out of the house to class sweater

Perfect for summer

Bro Tank $30.00

Graduation Shoes $20.99

These beauties just got to me and I plan on walking around the house in them all the time to guarantee I will not trip on stage as I walk across.



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Favorite Blogs

Since I started blogging, I have started following many blogs. While I'd love to name all of them, I do not have all day to discuss why I love each of them.

From My Grey Desk

I stumbled upon this blog from another one of my favorite blogs that I follow. Lauren has a weekly link-up called High-Five for Friday which I love reading. She also has a great fashion sense and perfect hair.

Left Brain Right Brain Pug Brain

I love this blog. If you love fashion, pugs, and healthy food then you will love this blog. Not only do you get all that, but you can also look at the fabulous photography this girl takes.

The Daily Tay

This is one of those blogs that will always cheer you up. Taylor has humor and wits, plus she loves sharing pictures of her god and Chicago city life.

The Life We Have Been Given

This is a blog about a mother and I love it. I first came upon Jenny blog from a facebook post about her love story with her husband. It is beautiful and a must read.

Crowley Party

Alycia is wonderful; she has fashion, loves her husband, and has a new job that she is thankful for. I cannot remember how I came across her blog, but she shares her faith a lot and I love reading her thoughts along with catching up on all her instagrams.

Lovely Little Things

Jessica is great. We are close in age and I love the variety in her posts. She loves the outdoors and being fit; she also loves her boyfriend and family. Her posts are so encouraging and filled with pictures.

Follow them and read along!

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April List

So I would say I did most of these, but I changed some of them.

March List

1.) Actually watch March Madness this year or at least one game! I got a little of the games; I never watched a game from start to finish, but that is pretty good for me.

2.) Do a Seventeen magazine toning workout each week. -Half scratched off. I did one week of this and the workout I chose killed my abs, which means it worked!

3.) Wear my hair up!  -I mainly accomplished this because I was lazy with doing my hair.

4.) No caffeine! Yes, super over-achieving here, but I think I can do it. Well, I tried to do just coffee. I did okay, but not great.

5.) Invite a friend over for dinner each week.-Not even close.

6.) Eat out less- Qdoba, we can no longer meet once a week even though I love you so much! -I did decent at this.

7.) Blog 4 times a week and participate in blog hopping events. This was what I was most successful at. I actually came up with lots of blog ideas because I only blogged 4 times a week. I never thought about saving blogs to post later. Write it now, post late-Genius! 

April List

1.) Plan out what I am going to wear the night before. I always get panicky about what to wear in the morning so hopefully planning it the night before will help.

2.) Continue blogging four times a week and work on getting more followers.

3.) Eat at places in Anderson that are not chain restaurants; Yes, Qdoba, we still cannot be best friends this month.

4.) Enjoy the warm, spring weather when it comes.

5.) Wear more makeup. I want to find the look that is my signature go-to.

6.) Do better at my health challenge.

7.) No Soda this month-kill me now.

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