♫ My Halloween Playlist ♫

Halloween is finally here!!
Just like we have a list of favorite Christmas Songs...I have my own list of favorite Halloween Songs.
And I listened to it while making these delicious Monster Cups

You know you love the captions ☺

• Tocatta in D Minor
• Halloween Theme (the movie)
• Danse Macabre
• Michael Jackson'sThriller (it must be the video so I can watch the zombie dance)
• Pirates of the Caribbean Theme
• Dvorak's Symphony #9 in E Minor
• Peer Gynt's In the Hall of the Mountain King
• Harry Potter Theme
• The Phantom of the Opera
• Masqurade (from Phantom)
• Ghostbuster's Theme
• Berlioz Symphony Fantastique, Dream of the Witches Sabbath
• Berlioz "Dies Irae" Funeral March (pretty sure this is also in a Star Wars scene)
• Mugorsky's Night on Bald Mountain
• The Funeral March
• The Nazgul theme from the Fellowship of the Ring

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!!

Neon Splash Dash!

I ran in my first 5K last night! I put it on My List (click here) of things I want to do someday....then remembered I hate running (I prefer hiking, biking, walking), so I never really committed to that goal.

Then this spring, I got invited to do a Heart Walk (like the night before). So I spontaneously participated in my first 5K! I loved the rush and thrill that I got by joining in with so many people.
So I decided I'd like to do another sometime.

When I heard about the Neon Splash Dash (click here), I was totally on board. This was my kind of 5K:
At night, wearing glow in the dark stuff, getting spayed with glow water, music playing, and just fun! It was for all types of runners and all ages. You could even dance through the glow stations ☺

After the first glow station

While running/walking☺, I began thinking about how things like this motivate and enable most everyone to get out and participate in healthy activities. I saw children, strollers and even people in wheel chairs. I felt appreciative, inspired, thrilled... and motivated to do more.

Those colored pillars at every glow station reminded me of a scary scene in the Never Ending Story.

So next up, the Color Run 5K (click here) January 26th!!
Instead of glow water, we'll get color powder thrown on us while we run!

Already excited ☺

I Voted

I know it's not a super huge deal to you guys, but I'm pretty proud that I actually voted in this election! Many of you will shun me after you read this...but I didn't vote in the last 2 Presidential Elections, or any of the others during their duration (I think it's been about 10 years actually...)

I'm not proud of this, but I did have my reasons. One is not living in AZ (where I'm registered to vote) for either of these elections and being too caught up in other things to get an absentee ballot in time.

But I also don't like politics. I feel that most politicians just aren't worthy of my vote...
And I get frustrated because we can be so biased and choose to only see and hear what we want to see and hear. I also have issues with the whole Electoral Vote deal. I just feel like the people's voice is better represented through Popular Vote...

However, I took a Constitution Class this year for my teacher certification and I would feel hypocritical if I taught my students to be good citizens and actively participate in elections if I didn't do it myself. Plus I really wanted to vote in this election.

So I made the effort to make sure I was registered and actually applied for the early ballot.
I also did my best to educate myself on the candidates and propositions. The process was quite strenuous for me, haha! But I did it. I chose my votes based on the things I personally value as an American citizen.

So now that it's over for me, does that mean I can avoid all the political campaigning now??
Hey, a girl can dream ☺

Good luck to the rest of you in your voting endeavors!

Ducks in a Row

Various dating experiences and conversations have inspired this post.
I don't believe in dating people to "fix" them. I'll admit, I do have a tiny bit of a Savior complex but I've learned it is not good, so I draw the line.
People often say "Just give the guy a chance" in spite of certain unattractive qualities

• Unemployed, not going to school or getting some sort of training 
• Floating around, not progressing, especially in relationships
• Lots of other stuff, but this list is enough

Such things result in lack confidence and unhappiness.
Their sob stories will make me feel compassion, but I won't feel any attraction...at all.

People have their excuses, but I'm not a fan of excuses
(well except for my own excuses, but hey, I'm working on it ☺)
I am a huge fan of people who make things happen in their life. 
I believe in finding what you are passionate about and expressing yourself through those things. I love it when we discover what we are good at and run with it! These experiences boost our confidence and make us more interesting and attractive.

I know we are all a work in progress and we shouldn't put off dating and relationships while we make something of ourselves or work through our issues.
I've learned it is not necessary to go through such things alone.
But I appreciate people who value themselves enough to seek opportunities to grow, work to fix their own issues and make things happen in their life.

So, let's just get our ducks in a row, shall we?

Took this picture while visiting the Idaho Falls this summer

Stop making excuses and just do it. Amazing opportunities will open up. 

Broken Vows

There are times in my life when I come across current trends, and even though everyone is doing it, I decide many of them are not for me. I may even decide it is completely ridiculous, so I vow I will never do it. I can think of many times that I have done this, actually. But then something funny happens. For various reasons, I begin to warm up to the idea...and eventually I join in on some of these trends.

Examples:

• The Twilight Books sounded pretty ridiculous to me. I vowed I would never read them. I held strong for 2 years while friends, family and roommates obsessed over these books and tried to convince me to read them. Then one day, I caved. I read them and saw the movies...and am pretty dang excited for the last film to come out next month ☺
• I thought of blogging as a Mormon mom trend to show off pictures of their little darlings, family trips and successfully cooked dinners and stay connected with family and friends. Obviously not my thing. Then 2 years ago, I saw how it could also be a great outlet for me and began posting away. It quickly became a favorite hobby of mine.
• The 80's clothing styles are coming back. YIKES!! I sure did vow that I'd never wear those colored jeans. *Ahem* I bought some over the summer...and I love them. However, I still vow to never wear those floral jeans. Or any of the printed ones for that matter. Except for maybe those polka dotted ones...

So what's my latest broken vow? Pinterest. I vowed I'd never join. How I perceived Pinterest was mostly Pins about crafts and recipes. I'm not into crafts and I'm not much into cooking these days, either. Then a few months ago, I started clicking on the links you guys posted to Facebook. Some of them looked pretty funny or interesting. Then I clicked on other Pins...and other Pins...
I discovered there are tons of Pins that I am interested in! So I began to warm up to the idea more, until finally...I did it.
Folks, I now have a Pinterest Account. I don't know what to say for myself.
Except Happy Pinning to ME ☺

Here's a new vow I don't see myself ever breaking:
Does anyone like the current Robin Scherbatsky fashion? I used to like her clothes, but these last couple seasons of How I Met Your Mother, she's been wearing those loose, airy, button-up blouses.
I'm seeing those EVERYWHERE in the stores now. They look too masculine for my taste.
I vow to never accept that fashion trend.