Wednesday, April 29, 2015

The Guy Behind the Blog | 3


Happy Wednesday friends!

These posts are the ones I look most forward too because I get to share Joshua with you!  I love listening to his responses!  He sounds so excited and proud when he answers, and it is fun to see if I know the answer before he says it!  Sometimes I am right, and sometimes I am totally wrong!  Either way, Betsy who founded the Peony Project knows what she is doing and you have to check out her April edition!  Now, here are Joshua's responses to some pretty interesting questions!

1 // Has Starbucks ever spellled your name wrong on a cup? If yes, what's the craziest way that someone has spelled it?

Starbucks???  Who goes to Starbucks??  They spelled my name wrongs at Wendy's!  "JOSHA"

2 // Who would play your wife/fiance/girlfriend in a movie or TV show about your lives?

That girl from Sex and the City.  Sarah Jessica Parker because she is a thinker like Tricia is!

3 // What is your proudest accomplishment?

Never giving in to peer-pressure.

4 // What is your favorite holiday and why?

Thanksgiving because it isn't over commercialized and people still understand the true meaning of "Thanksgiving."

5 // What is your favorite breed of dog? If you don't have a favorite breed, describe the characteristics of your ideal dog (or cat)!

Rottweilers...and....I don't know.  I like all kinds of dogs!  Rottweilers and Boxers because they are very loyal, obedient dogs.  


There you have it!  What does your guy behind the blog think?
Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Tuesday Ten | Brain Foods

Happy Exam Season friends!

I realize that sounds like an oxymoron, happy and exams, but we are all almost free!  We just have to hit the books, study hard, and pass the final exam!  You got this!  One of the things I like to do while I study is snack.  Snacking is not always a bad thing, but if you are going to snack, here are some healthier options!



Whole Grains
Whole grains are so good for you anyway, but they are even better at helping you focus.  The ability to concentrate and focus comes from the adequate, steady supply of energy - in the form of glucose in our blood to the brain.  Whole grains slowly release glucose into our bloodstream, helping us stay mentally alert.  A plus: they are super yummy!

Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is also a yummy brain power booster!  Not only does it help by improving memory, but it also increases blood flow to the brain, increasing alertness and clarity. The darker the chocolate, the more benefits your brain will receive.  Besides, everyone has a sweet tooth!

Oily Fish
I love fish!  I love different varieties of fish too!  For oily fish, salmon is a really great choice.  It is a little on the pricey side, so sardines are for us college students.  They are good for healthy brain function, the heart, joints and general wellbeing. Oily fish contains EPA and DHA in a ready-made form, which enables the body to use it easily. Eating oily fish also helps decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.

Blueberries
Blueberries are a summertime treat, but they also improve short term memory!  Blueberries and other colorful berries are a great snack to munch on pre-exam.  Not only do these flavorful snacks reduce the level of toxins in your bloodstream, but they also contain phytonutrients and antioxidants that improve blood flow to the brain and enhance neural activity as well.

Tomatoes
This is another one of my favorite summer treats!  Summer to me is a mater sandwich (tomato and mayo on bread)!!  Not only are tomatoes yummy, they can also help protect against the kind of free radical damage to cells which occurs in the development of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's.  Tomatoes are great for you in the long run, and when they taste that good, why wait?

Coffee
I love my cup of coffee in the morning, and it is no secret that the boost of caffeine helps get you going!  Coffee is great for an energy boost when you are feeling drowsy before an exam, but it is even better for you than that. More and more research is emerging to suggest that drink coffee may help prevent diabetes and lowering the risk of liver disease!

Broccoli
Joshua will love this because he loves broccoli! Broccoli is a great source of vitamin K, which is known to enhance cognitive function and improve brainpower. Broccoli has the most positive effect on memory retention, meaning it is most likely to help you achieve better grades. Eating this yummy vegetables raw is the best way to get the optimal nutritional benefit, since cooking it often cooks out the nutrients your body and your brain need most!!

Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are fun treats to make around Halloween, but they also help your brain! Just a handful of pumpkin seeds a day is all you need to get your recommended daily amount of zinc, vital for enhancing memory and thinking skills. That means pumpkin seeds are handy all year long!!

Bananas
Bananas are a great and easy snack to eat while you are running out the door!  They are also a great mid-exam snack!  Three hours is a long time! Bananas highlight potassium, an essential mineral crucial for keeping your brain, nerves, and heart in tip-top shape. This sweet treat is perfect to help boost your concentration!

Water
This is super essential not only to our minds but also our bodies!  Water is important because while you are drinking coffee for energy, the coffee is actually depleting your body of the water it needs.  Remember to stay hydrated during exams in order to stay at the top of your game!  

Good luck on your exams friends!!  I know we are all going to do great!!

What foods will you be munching on this exam season?
Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,
 




You can check out my sources here, here, here and here.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Last Day of School


Several months ago, I posted about my first last day of school at NC State. I never thought I would make it, but here I am at the last day of class in my undergraduate career. I have spent seven years working toward this achievement. Seven years of finals, summer school, excitement, disappointment, and new challenges. Looking back at my first move-in day at NC State, I feel like I was a baby. So much has happened in my life since that day that it is hard to believe that I am at the end of this journey. I am finally reaching the next steps.

2 weeks before classes started freshman year, 2008
I started NC State as an Aerospace Engineering student, and I graduate in two weeks with my degree in Agricultural and Environmental Technology. I know I have spoken a lot the last few weeks about my upcoming graduation, but this is the biggest step I have taken in seven years. If I decided to detail my college career for you, we could be here for days! I have been a student in three separate disciplines, a member of multiple organizations across the board, and I have made and lost many friends! Three of my friends today are friends that I made seven years ago, and we feel like we have come a long way! Some of my friends have left to be with God, and while I miss them every day, I am glad I have the extra angels helping me along my way. 

Trip to Los Angeles, summer 2011
This has been a journey. There is no better way to describe it! God has guided me and lead me to this point in my life, just as He will lead and guide me for the rest of my life. He brought me to Joshua, my best friend and love of my life, just as He brought me to agriculture, several semesters before I actually listened. I have met amazing people, and I have met people I would have rather not known. Every step has been a step to this moment!  I am finally crossing the finish line!


XOXO,





Wednesday, April 22, 2015

My Favorite Things | Books

Photo Credit

Hello friends!

I love to read!  Some of y'all know that when you look at my GoodReads!  I have a lot of books that I love, but I only have a few favorites!  They are books that I cherish and reread every couple of years! 

Fiction

Photo Credit
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rolling
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Non-Fiction

Photo Credit
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist
The Lipstick Gospel by Stephanie May Wilson

Classics

Photo Credit
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dracula by Bram Stoker
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

These are my favorites!  I revisit them and I have many different copies of each!  

What are your favorite books?
Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,

Monday, April 20, 2015

Weekend Snapshot


Happy Monday friends!!

So I never did one of these in March, but not to fear, I am starting them again!!  Since I graduate in 19 days, I am hoping I will have some more things to post, because my weekends start to get pretty busy!!  Either way, I am super pumped about this past weekend!

Weekend Snapshots

1 - Sisterhood Retreat
This weekend was my fraternity's Sisterhood Retreat!  YAY!  We went to Myrtle Beach, SC and had a fabulous weekend!  We played on the beach, and ate dinner at Villa Tuscana!!  It was just the weekend I needed before I start the long haul to graduation!  A chance to get away, and breathe in the salt air!

2 - Shark Teeth
Myrtle Beach is infamous along the East Coast for having a lot of shark's teeth.  It is supposedly the place where sharks go to die.  That being said, I found some beauties this weekend!  These are just the two biggest!  They were crazy big!  When you find them that big, it is hard to believe they are real!  

3 - Feet in the Water
Best. Feeling. Ever.  I love to just stand in the ocean and let the waves wash over me.  This is therapy for me.  To just walk up and down the shore and look at what the waves wash in, is absolutely perfect for me.  This weekend though, the water was so cold!  It was crazy!  Some of the girls went swimming, but I was perfectly happy in the knee deep area!  My legs and feet feel so exfoliated now!  

4 - God's Not Dead
I had a moment on Sunday where I was writing a response to an ethical video about climate change.  The directions had said that this was not an "I believe" paper, and she would count off if we defended our beliefs.  I didn't think much about that until I watched the video.  This video basically said that Christians were too ignorant to realize that the earth was undergoing a climate change and we were causing some it.  The man in the video started our by talking about how "white, evangelical Christians" are so stubborn they will only listen to "their own kind."  I could not watch this video and keep my beliefs quiet!  I definitely did not give my professor the paper she wanted, but I felt like I said things she needed to hear.  As a Christian, my moral and ethical beliefs are formed and based off my beliefs of God.  I am not saying I don't believe in climate change.  I am just saying that it is pretty ignorant to believe that because I have faith in God, that I don't believe science is real.  It was a "God's Not Dead" moment for me.  

A Look from Last Week

On My Mind | 5
Free Ad May

Pinterest Finds

With warm weather on the way, I am super excited to try this lemon scrub!
I have senior pictures coming up, and these tips might really help!
I am looking forward to reading these post-graduation books!
I totally want an herb garden!

Featured Blogger






Julie Ann from Just Julie Ann is a favorite of mine!  I love seeing what she is up to, and her posts are always so inspiring!  She also has amazing pointers on organization and even life!  If you haven't visited her yet, don't wait another minute!  









What did you find this weekend?
Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,






Thursday, April 16, 2015

On My Mind | 5


Happy Thursday friends!

These posts are quickly becoming my favorite!  It is super interesting (to me) to see what all happens and changes every few weeks!  I love it!  It is also interesting to soak up the things that are staying the same.  I really enjoy reminiscing!  

So I finally bought my graduation cap, gown, tassel and announcements!  I have them all in my apartment, and I am getting super prepared for graduation (May 9th) which is coming up quickly!  After this week, I have one more week of classes and then two weeks of exams.  I know y'all will be thrilled when graduation is over because then I will have to find new topics to focus on, but I am soaking this up!  


Last Tuesday, I got to go to the NCSU Ladies in Red Spring 2015 concert!!  As some of you know, I used to sing with the Ladies in Red (I am the first soloist), and I loved my time there!  LOVED IT!!  I was so excited to see these ladies perform, and it just so happened that this was the release of their new EP.  I had to buy one, and it is awesome!  As a Lady Alum, I got to perform with the girls and sing our alumni song, "Sh'Boom."  It was so much fun and definitely a great way to start the week!!



So this weekend is my fraternity's Sisterhood Retreat!  It is also our Senior Goodbyes!  It is hard to believe that in two weeks, I will have my last official meeting with these girls!  At first I was hesitant about going on this retreat, but after our meeting on Tuesday, I am really excited!  We are heading to the beach, which is totally awesome, because I love the beach!  This should be an adventure!


Last weekend, our friends got hitched!!  At the beach!!  They had a beautiful wedding, and we were all so excited to see these two tie the knot!  I was the Maid of Honor, and this was a really great experience for both me and Joshua.  With out wedding a few months out, we saw a lot of ideas we loved, and a lot of ideas we want to avoid!  It gave us a great way to look at weddings and decide what we want ours to be like!  Our official countdown: 170 days until we are married!


Yesterday, my class took a field trip to the NC State Swine Unit!  We got to hold the little piglets!! They were so sweet, and as a farm girl, I definitely enjoyed seeing all the pigs!  The only part about this farm that I didn't like was how the pigs' feet never touch the dirt.  I grew up on a small farm, and I love how different my farm was from this one.  This was an awesome experience, but it only solidified my belief in the way I was taught to farm.  Yes, the NC State Swine Unit is more efficient, but I like the idea of a happy little farm better than an efficient one.  The best part of this experience though was that my decision to switch to agriculture was validated even more.  I love agriculture and farms, and it was a beautiful thing to see everyone one in my class (including the manly men) hold and love on these little piggies!

What is on your mind?
Like I said, let me know!

XOXO,




Friday, April 10, 2015

Free Ad May!


Hello lovelies!

A few months ago, one of my favorite blogs, The Blue Dishes, offered a free ad month, and I thought...that is a terrific idea!  I recently advertised my blog on Oak + Oats and saw a pretty good response!  If you are like me (a broke college student) it can be a little out of my price range to spend much more than $10 a month on advertisement.  That is one reason I really fell in love with Haley's idea!  

I have been blogging since 2013 and I have had a lot of changes - a new blog site in 2014, an engagement, a degree change and so much more!  I am just starting out, but I think that is where a lot of us are: the beginning!  I want to work with other blogger - both new and veteran - and I totally agree with Haley that the best way to do that is to offer a free ad month!  

Starting May 1st, I will fill my sidebar with your blog advertisements!  I am super excited to meet you all and I hope this will be a total success!  All you need to do is the following:
  1.   Leave a comment saying something like "I want to participate in your Free Ad Month!" which will help me get the ball rolling!
  2. Shoot me an email at likeisaidlady@gmail.com with your name, a link to your blog, and a short bio about yourself - I want to get to know y'all!!
  3. Attach a 250x150 advertisement (I use a program called PicMonkey and it is super easy and awesome!)
That's it!  All emails to me will need to be in my inbox by April 25th and then you can sit back and relax!  This opportunity is for everyone so all you have to do it let me know you want a space!

This should be a great opportunity for all blogs - new, old, big, small - and it should be fun to get to meet all new people and start following y'all lives more closely!  I know I am looking forward to it!

Are you going to participate in my Free Ad May?
Like I said, let me know!


XOXO,

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

The Liebster Award

Hello friends!!  

I won an award!!  The Liebster Award!!  I recently received a message from traveling blogger, Sue Oxley from No Fixed Abode 4 Sue, nominating me for a Liebster Award! The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to fellow bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers (in some kind of social media platform) and are working on growing and developing their blog - trying to build their readers, which is me!  As a fellow traveler, I immediately hooked on to Sue's European adventures!  She spends a lot of time in London, but I was totally fascinated by a post about her trip to Budapest in Hungary!  I traveled to Romania several years ago, which is close to Hungary, but divided by a very significant cultural feud.  Still, as soon as I finished the post, I was ready to book my flight back to Eastern Europe!

There are essentially 6 rules for this award:


1.  Link back and thank the person that nominated you
2.  List 11 facts about yourself
3.  Answer the 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you.
4.  Nominate 11 blogs/bloggers who themselves have 200 or less followers.
5.  Think up 11 different questions for the people you are nominating to answer.
6.  Notify your nominees and provide a link to your post so that they know what to do.






Here are my 11 facts about me:
  1. I collect coffee mugs from the places I have been
  2. I love cats more than dogs
  3. I love babies
  4. I hate mosquitoes because they make me itchy
  5. I am terrified of crickets but I am brave enough to own a snake
  6. I love being home
  7. I wish I had longer (or any) fingernails
  8. I kill all plants that I bring in my house
  9. When I say I am going to clean, it really means I am going to decorate
  10. I am super messy with my stuff, but I will easily organize your stuff
  11. I sing all the time; the car. the shower. the grocery store!

Here are my answers to the questions from Sue:
  1. Where is your favorite holiday destination, and why?
    • I don't really go on trips over the holidays.  I am a holiday home-body!  lol  I think the most recent trip on a holiday is our trip last summer.  We went to Walt Disney World in Florida over July 4th.  That was a lot of fun, and Disney has great fireworks anyway, but July 4th - they were SPECTACULAR!  
  2. What do you hope to achieve by blogging?
    • I like to think that I am documenting my life.  I thoroughly enjoy looking back over my posts at the end of the year, therefore I feel like in 5 years, I am going to enjoy it even more!  Plus I am going through such a big changing period right now (and I know I am not alone) and I am hoping by writing it all down, it will help me understand and remember every piece of this step.
  3. Have you ever considered living in another country for a few years, if so where?
    • Yes!  I would love to live everywhere!!  lol  Not even kidding!  I love to travel so I keep trying to convince Joshua to just pack up and live somewhere new for a year!  He is not falling for it though!  If I had to choose - I would want to live in Alaska for a few years and try homesteading.  I don't think I would be good or useful at it, but it would be a great experience!
  4. What are you currently reading?
    • I just started Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty!  She is one of my favorite writers and this was actually her debut novel!  I hope I love it!
  5. How do you generate ideas for your blog?
    • OMG!  I am so bad at this!! I joined up with some blogging groups that offer prompts each week, and I kind of read what is going on with all my blogging friends to find some inspiration!  I try to blog consistently, but I am constantly facing that "I am so tired and stressed with life I don't know what to write about" phase.  Luckily, I lean on my blogging friends for support!
  6. What would be your ideal meal?
    • The kind with food!  Not even kidding!  I don't have an "ideal meal."  If it is good, it is ideal!
  7. What 6 people would you like to invite to dinner at your house (dead or alive)?
    • Can I say no one?  I don't want to clean and cook for that many people!!  lol  If I have to pick though...I'd pick Jesus, Mary Shelley, Albus Dumbledore, FDR, Socrates, and my Daddy Boles!
  8. What new skill would you like to learn this year?
    • I'd like to learn how to play the trumpet...or how to hand write beautiful calligraphy!
  9. If you were Prime Minister/President of your country, what would be the first thing you changed?
    • The lies.  That would have to stop.  I feel that if I am going to ask you to lead my country, I need to trust the words that come out of your mouth...not question them!
  10. What is the best gift you have ever received?
    • Joshua gave me a beautiful handmade silver bracelet right before my second Ladies in Red concert.  We had only been together about a month...but we already knew...it was serious!
  11. What is your favorite social media to use and why?
    • Pinterest!  lol  It is not really social but I love looking up new ideas to try!  I use it for decorating, crafting and even reading!
Here are the 11 bloggers I nominate:


And finally, here are the questions for my 11 nominees:
  1. Where is your favorite travel location and why?
  2. Do you collect anything, and if so, what?
  3. What is your favorite book?
  4. How did you name your blog and what is it about?
  5. How do you advertise your blog?
  6. Do you have any children/furbabies?  
  7. If you could hop on a plane this second, where would you go and why?
  8. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
  9. What is your favorite treat?
  10. What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show?
  11. How do you generate ideas for your blog?
      

    Tuesday, April 7, 2015

    Currently | 2

    Happy Tuesday friends!

    It is April!  Crazy!  Easter is over and the next  decorating topic of my home is graduation!  Then summer!!  Too hard to believe!  Last week, I was totally lazy with my blogging, and I apologize but it was a holiday, and I was busy spending time with my family!  Y'all know!  

    So this is my second installment with "Currently" by Dearest Love and Anne in Residence, and this is a little late!  Sorry, but I figured that I would finish it anyway because I enjoy it!  
     photo CurrentlyApril_zpsyaikuu3g.png

    I am currently...

    Exploring the housing market with SmartPhone apps!  Joshua and I are house hunting for our move home, and we are learning a lot about house buying.  Joshua has been here before, but I haven't so this is all new for me! 

    Wish listing a KitchenAid!  I have a bridal shower coming up, and I am starting to get excited about seeing people I love!  I am also hoping that we get a KitchenAid!  lol  As  much baking as I do, this would be an awesome added piece to my kitchen!  Silly, I know, but still exciting!

    Wearing my Rainbows!!  That doesn't sound like much, but my toes are so ready to be exposed again!!  Sunshine on my feet - best feeling!

    Sipping a yummy cup of coffee of course!  Now that the season is changing, I am also getting excited about iced coffee!

    Writing the procedure log for my final proposal draft for my GIS class!  This isn't exciting in any way shape or form except that once its finished, it will be the end of my GIS class...which means...the end of the semester is approaching!! 

    Excitement!! I really enjoy doing this, and it is a great way to keep a record of what is going on in my life!  One day I will look back at this time with fond memories!!  If you are interested in participating in next month's "Currently" the prompts are designing, enjoying, ordering, celebrating, and tasting.  So if you haven't already, go check out Dearest-Love and Anne in Residence to see what they are into currently!

    What are you exploring, wish-listing, wearing, sipping, writing currently?
    Like I said, let me know!

    XOXO,

    Thursday, April 2, 2015

    April Goals


    Happy April friends!

    Time is FLYING!!  I graduate May 9th, get married October 3rd, and I cannot slow down the clock!  I am definitely soaking up every minute of it, but still!!  Too fast!  Here is a quick review of March's goals!

    March Goals

    1 - Go to the Gym Once a Week
    This is a resounding "NO!"  I never even drove by the gym!  State's gym has started a strange new policy where you have to pre-register for classes that used to just be walk-in.  I don't know at 2 pm is I want to go to Zumba at 7 pm, so needless to say this didn't happen!
    2 - Go to (at least) 1 Wine & Design class
    Nope!  I didn't even look at what classes they were offering this month!  It is sad because I was super pumped to do this, but I never made the time!
    3 - Cook (at least) 1 Meal at Home a Week
    Yes!!  I did do this!  I actually fixed a lot of yummy things at home, so this is a success!
    4 - Participate in LYBS Blog Challenge
    I am crossing this one off because I accomplished two of the four.  You can check them out here and here.  These were the two I was excited about, and that is why I am counting this as a success!!  
    5 - Have 2 Weekend Snapshots
    How about no?  I didn't even have one Weekend Snapshot!  My weekends were kind of normal and not really exciting!
    6 - Acquire Some Sponsors (Maybe Even Host a Free Ad Month??)
    This is a success but I can't tell you why yet!  More to come, I promise!!
    7 - Make More of a Social Presence

    So this month was a little weird because, like I said, I have a lot going on!  Hopefully, I will do better with my April Goals!

    April Goals

    1 - Go without digital technology for 1 hour a day
    2 - Take more pictures
    3 - Stick to April blogging schedule
    4 - Stay organized and on top of things
    5 - Enjoy my last month of being a student
    6 - Get some reading done

    So what are your goals this month??  
    Like I said, let me know!

    XOXO,









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