Quit Complaining!

Happy first full day of Fall! Fall is absolutely one of my favorite times of the year. The sights, the smells, the cozy sweaters & cute boots…I love it all! I especially love the gorgeous Fall weather. We’ve been having such beautiful days in my area, I even decided to take a walk his morning. I just couldn't resist spending time outside! I’m even sitting outside on my patio as I write this :)

As the season changes, I feel I need to be doing a bit of changing myself. Lately I’ve noticed I’ve been a HUGE complainer. I complain about work, I complain about being broke, I complain about my weight…I’m just full of complaints! And who the hell likes to be around someone who complains all the time, am I right?? The thing is I complain about all of these things, and yet I do nothing to try and make the situations better. I just complain instead of making an effort to change. All of my close friends and family know that I’m very unhappy at my job. It’s not what I expected when I graduated from college, and I do complain about it a lot. I complain that I’m always broke, yet I catch myself spending money on things I don’t need. I complain about my weight and being unhappy about the way I look, and yet I don’t exercise and I definitely don’t eat healthy. These are ALL things that can be fixed if I just make the necessary changes. My work situation would be very difficult for me to change, but I can at least try to make the best of it during the time I still have to endure it instead of making everyone around me miserable when I talk about it. The being broke & wanting to lose weight things are both situations I can absolutely change if I do something about it.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that I no longer want to be a complainer…I want to be a do-er! I want to do what needs to be done to get myself where I want and need to be instead of complaining and doing nothing.

On that note, I hope everyone is having a fabulous Fall weekend!

Here I Am

Well, I’ve decided to start this thing up again. I haven’t had very good experiences blogging in the past, mostly because I get discouraged because nobody reads it or I don’t have any followers. Nevertheless, I’ve decided that my writing a blog shouldn’t depend on who reads is and how many followers I get. It should just be about me writing about my life or whatever I want to write about, and if people read it that’s a plus. So, here I am. I even revamped and gave my blog a new look :)

A lot has changed since I last wrote over a year ago. I think the biggest thing that happened was that I moved out of my mom’s house and got my own apartment. I wasn’t sure if I was ready when I did it, but once all my stuff was in my place and I started unpacking, I knew it was the right decision. Sure, I probably didn’t save up as much money as I should have and I’ve never been good with budgeting my money…but no better way to learn, right? Just kind of throwing yourself into the situation and hoping for the best. So far it’s been great. I’ve been living here since May of this year, and I’ve loved every minute. At first it was kind of lonely (I don’t have a roommate, just me), and I’ll admit I cried the first night when I tried to go to sleep. It was a BIG change for me. Ever since I was 13 and my mom and I moved out of my grandparents’ house and into our own place it’s always just been my mom and me. My parents divorced when I was a baby, and my mom has never remarried. I think I kind of felt in a way that I was abandoning her, leaving her alone. She wanted me out of the house, there’s no doubt about that…but I still couldn’t help feeling kind of guilty. Needless to say, the guilt is GONE! I absolutely love having my own place.

I’ve also started dating an amazing guy that I honestly think is the one I’m going to be with for the rest of my life. I know, I know…it’s WAY too soon to know that for sure. But I figure if both of us feel that way after only being together almost three months, there must be some truth to it. His name is Chris, and I couldn’t be happier. He makes me feel the way no other guy has, and I’m so lucky to have him in my life. I’ll save how he and I met for another post, but if I could describe it in one word it would be “fate”.

There you have it, my first post after over a year. It’s like riding a bicycle, right? ;)

Ways To Uncomplicate Life

I saw this list called "100 Ways To Uncomplicate Your Life" online, and thought I would share my favorites. Enjoy!

1. Don't try to read other people's minds.


2. Get up 30 minutes earlier so that you don't rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to explain why you're late/get fired.

3. Get 8 hours of sleep so you can think more clearly.


4. Don't try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.


5. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years.


6. Focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others.


7. Stay home this Saturday, and finish off that nagging chore.


8. Fill up your gas tank when it's half full.


9. Don't drink alcohol when you're tired, sad, or mad.


10. For just one day, imagine that everyone's intentions are good...because most people's are.


11. When you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Don't let it turn into more than it is.


12. Know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities. 


13. If you're holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go.


14. Don't eat when you aren't hungry.


15. Be yourself.


16. Say NO, unapologetically.


17. Avoid drama.


18. Never go to sleep angry.


19. Leave work at work.


20. Don't envy others.


21. You don't need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships.


22. Don't look for reasons to be angry or sad. Look for reasons to be happy. You'll always be able to find plenty of each.


23. Forgive and forget. End of story.


24. Don't let your imagination run away with you.


25. Let go of perfection in others.


26. Let go of perfection in yourself.


27. Don't try to help those who refuse to help themselves.


28. Drink more water. 


29. Slow down. 


30. If a relationship is over, let it go. 

Happy Hour, Latin Nightclubs, and Pure Laziness...Oh My!

This past weekend was so full of fun I can barely contain myself. SQUEEEE!!

Anyway…

In all seriousness, it was a pretty damn good weekend. I got to spend it with good friends, meet some new people, and forget about anything and everything that’s been bothering me lately.

Friday night was what my friends from work and I like to call “Payday Happy Hour”. A group of us from work have been getting together every two weeks and going out to different places to have a little fun and unwind. Nothing wrong with that, right? So this past Friday we went out to a bar in Arlington. One of my friends from work invited some of her other friends along, so we had a pretty nice sized group. Got to meet some new people, possibly got a little too drunk…good times. And you bet your ass we’ll be doing it again in two weeks!

Saturday night some friends and I decided it would be fun to go to a Latin nightclub. We started the night out at a place called Café Citron in Dupont Circle. It wasn’t a bad place at all. Great music, good drinks, and of course the male patrons weren’t too shabby either. I loves me some eye candy ;)
After a couple hours we decided to go to another place called Bravo Bravo right down the street. It was much bigger than Café Citron, and the music was a lot different. At Café Citron, they played a variety of Latin and hip-hop/top 40 music. Bravo Bravo had all Latin music. I was so TIRED by the end of the night. Dancing to Latin music is definitely one way to burn a shit load of calories. One of my friends and I were dance partners pretty much the whole night. She and I had no idea what we were doing, but we had a lot of fun anyway. We basically made up our own way of dancing. Of course, we stuck out like a sore thumb, but who the hell cares!

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! I didn’t do shit on Sunday. I was too tired from the night before, and I think Friday night had caught up with me too. I was supposed to go to Reston Town Center with my mom and one of her friends for brunch & shopping, but I just couldn’t get up the strength to drag my ass out of bed. My mom was nice (even though I’m a horrible daughter and didn’t go!) and brought me back a delicious cupcake from Red Velvet Cupcakery. My god, it was pure bliss.

Mmmm...cupcakes

Besides getting fat on cupcakes, I may have watched eight straight hours of Law & Order: SVU. Quite possibly. Yeah. It happened.

I’m not ashamed. I got to watch 8 hours of this guy…

Mmmm...Christopher Meloni

So, can you really blame me? I didn’t think so.

Okay, one more picture...

Well, helloooo Detective Stabler...

I Don’t Know What To Title This Without Sounding Bitter...

Because I most definitely am NOT!

I don’t really know what the word for what I’m feeling would be.

“Left behind”, perhaps? I mean, that’s two words, but who really gives a shit.

I guess I should explain where I’m coming from with this. Last Friday, a very good friend of mine got engaged to her boyfriend of three years. A few months ago, another good friend of mine and her boyfriend got engaged. And, of course, Facebook friends have been getting married/engaged left and right over the past couple months.

Could it possibly be bothering me because I’m newly single? I would think that’s a definite possibility. I can’t go a day without thinking about my ex-boyfriend while friends are planning weddings with the men they want to spend the rest of their lives with. I’m worrying about if I’m ever going to find “The One” while they’re worrying about who to seat together at the wedding reception.

You get the picture.

Like I said, I’m not bitter. I couldn’t be happier for my friends who have found love and the person they want to share their lives with. I just start to wonder if it’ll happen for me someday. I haven’t had much luck in the relationship department. I’ve only had two serious boyfriends. Both were long-term (one for three years, the other for two), but for some reason those relationships just weren’t meant to work out. I’ll assume the reason is because I haven’t met the man I’m supposed to be with yet. Those relationships were just practice for the “real deal”. That’s what I’ll keep telling myself, at least.

Yeah, I know…I’m only 24. I’m still young and “shouldn’t be worrying about that kind of stuff.” Easier said than done, my friends. Watching the people around you having successful relationships while yours crumbles is difficult to deal with…and it makes you think crazy thoughts. Irrational, crazy thoughts.

Makes you think about calling up your most recent ex-boyfriend and telling him how much you miss him and can’t stop thinking about him and want him back, even though you know things will never work. You know…just an example.

On that note, how about some Michael Bublé? Perfect song for the moment…

When Allergies Attack

Most people equate the arrival of Spring with warmer weather, the sun setting later in the day, and flowers and trees starting to bloom. Me? I equate it with itchy eyes, constant sneezing, and sinus congestion. Yes, friends…allergy season has arrived. Unfortunately I fall victim to it every single year. It all started on Friday. I keep some allergy medicine at work so I can take a pill every morning when I get to my office. Usually the medicine I (used to) take worked like a charm, but for some reason it decided not to work on Friday…great start to my weekend. I barely made it through the day. My eyes felt so swollen and I couldn’t stop sneezing. Let’s just say it’s a good thing I didn’t have any plans for Friday night because I probably would have had to break them.

I think I’ve finally found an allergy medicine that works for me, which is good. Most of the ones I’ve tried make me drowsy and unable to function. I went out to the CVS this morning and got myself some Claritin D. I took one when I got back home, and I can honestly say I haven’t felt drowsy at all. Success!

Besides the attack of the allergies, I had a pretty productive weekend. My mom and I ripped up the carpet in our spare bedroom and put down tile flooring on Saturday. We have three cats, so we keep the litter boxes in the spare bedroom. Of course, our lovely (and I use that term loosely..) cats sometimes decide they don’t like the litter box and would use the floor instead. So we figured it would be a MUCH better idea if there was tile instead of carpet in that room for easy clean-up purposes. Plus, it kind of makes the room look nicer. The people who lived here before us had a dog, and I think it liked to pee on the carpet in that room. So needless to say, the carpet in there wasn’t that great to begin with. We worked pretty much all day and finished around 6:30pm. It definitely wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be!

I did laundry literally all day today. I never realized I had so many damn clothes. I picked out a few things that I never wear anymore to donate, but I think I need to go through again and pick out some more things. Besides the laundry, my room needs some more work. It’s really an “organization” issue. I have a problem with not putting things back where they go, so the room gets cluttered. This problem must be solved!

Well, I’m off to prepare myself for another work (and hopefully stress-free) week. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Non-Negotiables

About a month or so ago I went out for drinks with some friends from work. In the midst of the drinking and laughter (and more drinking), the subject of "non-negotiables" came up. For those who might not know, non-negotiables are must-haves you look for in a boyfriend or girlfriend. So essentially if someone you're dating does not have these qualities, it's a deal breaker. Most of the friends I was with are in relationships, so the conversation quickly came my way. Honestly, I've never really thought about it. Strange I know, but it's true. Seeing as non-negotiables are usually pretty important things, I decided to sit down and give it some serious thought. So, without further ado...

Kayleigh's Top 5 Non-Negotiables

1. A sense of humor. I love a guy who can make me laugh, and in return I want to be able to make him laugh. Being too serious is a big no no.

2. Likes to go out/experience things. I love going out and having a good time, so it's only fair if the person I decide to make a part of my life does too. Going out to nightclubs, parties, restaurants, movies, concerts/shows, traveling. Along with that, someone who doesn't mind just relaxing and spending quiet evenings alone every now and then.

3. Wants kids. I'm only 23, so of course I'm not thinking about having kids anytime soon. However, I definitely want to have kids someday. A guy who wants kids is definitely a must.

4. Politically Liberal. To quote something I read online (because it sums up how I feel about this EXACTLY): "I may be able to have sex with someone whose views on the world are diametrically opposed to mine, but I can't BE with someone who thinks abortion should be illegal, or that brown people are stealing our jobs, or that gay people shouldn't get married."

5. Friendly and social. I dated a guy who wanted nothing to do with my friends. Yeah...not good. I want a guy who can hang with my friends and actually wants to get to know them (they ARE a part of my life, after all). 

Of course, I have more than only five non-negotiables. These are just some of the really important ones. 

So let me ask you...what are YOUR top five non-negotiables?