Favorite Things- 2016

I kind of missed an entire year of favorite things. So, to sum up, here are my favorite things of 2016.

Bath/Body Products

One of my favs

I am obsessed with Lush bath bombs. They're on the expensive side (especially considering I can't actually fit my entire body in to my tiny bath) but they are wonderful and have made me love taking a bath.

I found a cheap foundation I really love Maybelline's Fit Me Matt & Poreless Foundation. Pretty much all I've had around me are drug stores and I'm just getting used to wearing makeup more frequently since High School, so this has been great.

Books

 

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is a beautiful, wonderful, sad book that made me cry ugly tears at the end and now I have a slight hatred for the author for making that happen.

I probably would have more if I hadn't spent the year reading textbooks and if I had free time I watched TV instead. Next year.

TV

The Librarians is one of my favorite shows to watch. Which is surprising because it is fairly cheesy, but I love their adventures. The TV show is a spin off of The Librarian movies starring Noah Wyle. There is adventure, action, and I find them to be a lot of fun.

Stranger Things is a show pretty much everyone has talked about since it was added to Netflix. Because it is awesome. 1980's, nerdy kids, good music, and sci-fi are a lot of the things I love.

 I also have really liked watching Grand Tour, with the former hosts of Top Gear. I missed seeing them and was really excited when it was announced they were going to be on a new show. Sorry BBC, you effed up.

Movies

I haven't seen many movies this year, partially because they tore down my local movie theater to build a Meijer. And my rentals have been far and few between because, well... Netflix. But one new movie I did see this year was The Magnificent Seven. I love a good Western and it had been quite a while since I'd seen one. It's worth a watch.

Shameless Self-Promotion

Wait, how did that get here? But I truly do love my candles. Otherwise I wouldn't make them and use them every day. Really, it's an obsession. They're book/fandom/nerd themed. Occasionally I'll put up other stuff, like when I had dinosaur ornaments up for Christmas.

Other Stuff
I graduated with my Bachelor's degree! Cum Laude, bitches! The work to get my degree sucked but I'm glad I'm done with it.

I would probably have more but I have a child clinging to me and crying because I don't know why. I hope you had a good 2016 and will have a better 2017! Because the internet says 2016 was basically a dumpster fire of a year. I don't disagree that much, but some things were good at least!

But I'm Not Even in the Theater

I had a weird dream last night that woke me up this morning around 4am. I got a part in a traveling musical and I was very excited. For some reason my dad was bringing me to the venue for the first show. First I couldn't find the dressing room and when I finally found it the men and women shared some kind of weird locker room that was all toilet stalls and on the other side of the room showers. No lockers. And then I panicked because I didn't know my lines. We had no dress rehearsal and I hadn't learned my lines yet and as I realized this I woke up in a panic because I was unprepared... I didn't even know for sure what show I was in. I think Fiddler on the Roof, which is weird because I've never seen it, or it could have been Les Mis which would have been better because that's all singing and I at least know those songs. 

Here's the thing... I've never done musical theater. I haven't done a play since I was a Junior in High School so I have no idea where this came from. But apparently that didn't matter to my 4am mind. I woke up sweating and panicking because I didn't know my lines. WHAT.

I think my subconscious is worried I'm unprepared for something, though I'm not sure what that is. It would be great if my brain could tell me what that is exactly because I have no idea. Blissful ignorance is better, brain... trust me.

Student Loans Hit Again

You know the not so fun thing about graduating? Loan payments start. I just graduated and have been told that in less than a month my substantial loan payments will start up. Because I only had 2 classes left to take (1 in summer, 1 in fall) so my grace period started when the spring semester ended. I haven't even been able to get a job with my degree yet and I already have to start paying on it. So I've been spending my child-free evening applying for every job requiring a Bachelor's Degree in the area and checking in to Master's Degree programs. I need a drink.

On a fun-ish note I've had a couple childless hours and have been using it to watch the classic Christmas movie Die Hard. Because it IS a Christmas movie. The internet agrees.

I'M BACK!

After working full-time, going back to school to get my degree, and having a baby (all at the same time) I'm finally back at this writing thing because I GRADUATED! I don't know if you can tell by the all caps but I'm really excited about it. I've missed writing about things that haven't been assigned to me by a professor. I don't exactly have THAT much more time in my life, but it's a good 8 hours a week anyway.

The best news is I can read something again that isn't a text book. Don't get me wrong, I love learning. I just missed reading something fictional. The first book on my list is A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. I haven't read the full first chapter yet but I really like it so far. So the plan is for the book part of my blog and the sometimes funny-ish part of my blog to start seeing more of me again. I do have to warn you that I was a political science major so getting out of the "everything is political mode" is why I haven't written much the past couple of years. Nobody wants to listen to my political opinion. Everybody goes to Facebook or Twitter if they want political opinions that don't matter.

Also, I sell candles on Etsy now so there's that. www.introvertedstudio.com will take you to the store. They're pop culture/ fandom/ book themed. I just have a few scents for now and will be adding more on later. Because candle making and the start-up costs are kind of expensive! Just ask my husband... actually, no. He just gets mad about it. But I love candles!

Well That Didn't Go as Planned

I decided I needed to start getting healthy again so I wanted to go for a run today while my mother-in-law had The Kid. I live in a small town and the only "gym" is the fitness room in the local Rec Center which I'm pretty sure was closed because there weren't any cars in the parking lot when I drove by, not even staff. I tried to put my phone in my arm band only to realize that the last time I used it I had my old (smaller) phone and it wouldn't fit any more. Next my running shoes were from pre-pregnancy... when my feet were smaller... because my feet grew a half size. I can't use my treadmill because the part that keeps the front bar that holds the monitor is missing, so I put the too-small-stuff on anyway and ran outside where I feared bears because we have those around here.

 This is the look of accomplishment...
and exhaustion. Mostly exhaustion.

So that didn't go like I imagined it in my head, but I did it. I got out there anyway and my lungs are still burning over an hour later and I kept thinking about pizza and not running anymore. So I did a happy dance to "Shake It Off" when I got home, I'm having pizza for dinner, and I feel like I've accomplished something. The hardest part is going to be doing it again.

This "Parenting" Thing is Weird

I've been having an interesting time lately now that The Kid can walk. I walked out of the room today and came back to all of the tissues pulled out of the box. From a shelf I'm not sure how he reached. It was in less than a minute, guys. Is he a ninja?

Also, he just pooped in the tub for the first time recently and I'm still amazed at the gross things I have to clean up that if it was not my kid I'd be telling their parents to get lost. And then try not to throw up.

I bought him a new push car lately and he likes it a lot but he looks so smug every time you push him around in it. Like he knows he's in control and you are his slave. I mean, it's basically true so I can't blame him there.

He looks cute but that looks saays

"I'm in control, here"

And for some reason I deep cleaned my bathroom this weekend... because I wanted to and not because people were coming. I even cleaned the outer bowl. Am I... am I an adult now? Or is this spring cleaning and this is just my body's way of saying it's going to be spring for real now? I'm hoping for spring, but being an adult wouldn't be the worst thing... as long as it doesn't interfere too much with fun stuff. Because what is life without fun?

What Year is it?

So I'm pretty sure I missed some stuff. It's kind of like I just spent time on the TARDIS and the Doctor dropped me off at the wrong time... as he does.

OR... a kid and classes has made this "writing thingy" a non-priority in my life. The TARDIS sounds more exciting, but my teething kid did bite my shoulder tonight while trying to chew on my shirt and I almost cried. So I don't think I would do well in the Doctor's stressful situations.

This kid ruined my body, 

but strangely in a way I don't mind.

But Liam (my bebe) is almost 1 now and has a fairly nerdy bedroom. My house is a disaster and my body will never be the same. Lots of stressful health-related things happened during my pregnancy so if anybody wants to chat about pre-natal diabetes and pre-eclampsia testing and/or thyroid stuff comment or send me a message because I feel like a professional. I'll be back more often eventually.