Snail Mail Love

We live in a day and age where the post office is dying.  Sad, I know. How can you help to resurrect them? Send some snail mail!

One of my favorite things to do is to send fun mail to my friends. And by fun, I mean mostly tacky. I like to think that by sending little notes, it makes the day a little bit brighter for one of my friends. I know getting mail that doesn’t have a monetary amount that I owe always cheers me up!

So, go look for some fun postcards, or some cool cards and leave a friendly note and something you think will cheer a friend up. And support the post office! Snail mail is totally better than e-mail! And if you are sending them mail, chances are that you will get some wacky mail in return! It will make the walk to the post office or just your mail box a little bit brighter! I promise!

And if you want some snail mail, feel free to email me your address! I love making your day a little bit better! analise.bluemel17@gmail.com

More to come!

I know I have been terrible at blogging on a day to day manner.  But  I promise you I spend a good chunk of my day thinking about new blog posts.  I’m going to be posting a new one in the next couple days but while you wait for that how about some ideas for some blog topics?

Traveling Lady

Oh man. Someone remind me that flying is both faster and more comfortable the next time I decide to take a bus!

I’m totally nerding out and watching Lord of the Rings.  What else is a girl supposed to do?    Almost a five hour bus ride means I’ll make it almost through two of them!

Before I left,  my wonderful step dad gave me some pepper spray to ward off the weirdos. So, bring it Chicago.  I come armed!

Chicago

This weekend is going to be a weekend of firsts!  Tomorrow night I will be hopping a ride on the Megabus.  I’m heading to Chicago for the weekend with some of my closest friends!  I’m a bundle of nerves tonight to say the least!

I’m stoked to go to some of the museums and roaming around the city in general!  Who wouldn’t be excited about seeing some of the coolest Egyptian exhibits or the world’s largest t-rex?  So, if you want to keep up with my adventures this weekend you can follow me on twitter (@analiselaughs) or on instagram (@analiselaughs).  I’m sure I will be posting some fun pictures and enjoying a fun filled weekend with the girls!  

 

And if you guys have any recommendations of places I should hit up while I’m there comment or tweet me!  I’ve never officially been to Chicago to explore so I am going to be a lost little bird without your wonderful help and guidance!

Till next time! <3

Books! Books! And more books!

I don’t know about all of you wonderful people who follow my blog, but I for one absolutely love to read!  I have my nook (love it!), and several bookcases stuffed to the brim with some well loved books.  I used to buy all of my books new.  I had the notion that I didn’t want a book that somebody else didn’t want anymore.  A few years back, one of my good friends changed my mind (Thanks for that X!)

 

He introduced me the his Traveling Library. (http://www.bookcrossing.com/) And I have come to love this!  I get the chance to read my book and leave my mark and then watch it travel to someone else.  I look at it now as a gift.  Especially if it is a book I really loved reading.   For some of us, certain books have a profound meaning and leave a very clear mark on how we view the world.  What could possibly be better than sharing that experience with someone else?    And you don’t have to give the book to somebody you know.  You can leave it at your favorite coffee shop.  You could hand it to a stranger on the subway.  Just make sure you have added that book to your account on BookCrossings and you are set to see where it travels to!   And you never know what kind of experience someone else will have with that book.  You could very well help them deal with a tough situation or brighten a dreary day!

 I have also discovered Half Price Books in Cedar Rapids, IA (http://www.hpb.com/).  They carry a wide variety of books.  Looking for some new recipes?  They have you covered.  Want to read up on the Civil War?  Check.  Want to get some reasonably priced movies or cds?  Absolutely!  (Be careful that you don’t bring broke college brother with you though….They might find several things that big sister just might pay for!)  I have bought several books from them.  And the price difference is astounding.  Books I have bought previously in the same condtion are literally half the cost.  Man, I could have bought way more books had I known about this place sooner!  And if you are a book hoarder like myself and find yourself drowning in books you can sell your books.  They buy all books.  And with the money that you get…you can buy MORE books!   I highly recommend hitting them up if you have one in your area.

My book goal for 2013 was pretty intimidating when I first set it.  A whole whopping 40 books.  I don’t know why I thought it sounded like so many at first.  It’s almost May and I currently have 19 books read.  That puts me ahead right now!  I just have to keep it up and I should be able to blow my goal out of the water.  I use Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com) to track the books I have read and the books I am currently reading.  You can join book clubs, add your booky friends, and get some great (and bad) recommendations on what you should read next.  It is a great reading tool but be careful you don’t spend all of your free time reading reviews on Goodreads.  Make sure you are acutally reading the actual books!  

I think I am going to start reviewing some of the books that I have read on my blog.  So, keep your eye out for those posts!  And you if you guys have any recommendations on what books I should read, hit me up in the comments or email me! 

 

I just finished reading Breaking Night.  Highly recommend.  One of the upcoming blog posts will be a review of this book!

Giving Back

As everyone has heard, something terrible has happened today.  In the last mile of the Boston Marathon two explosions occurred around 3 p.m. today.  There are two confirmed deaths and many more injured.  The Boston Marathon mile marker 26 was dedicated to all of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary.

In this time, I urge everyone to give back in any way that you can.  You can donate money, you can give blood (wherever you are located this is something that helps numerous people), if you are close you can volunteer your time at the local Red Cross center.  Please, please, find a way to give back.  We need to stand united in this time of tragedy.

http://www.redcross.org/ Red Cross is a great organization and they can help you find a way to help out in times of need. 

Just remember.  The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.

20 Things I Love

 

20. Gardening.  Random right?  I’m not very good at it but I love all the colors that some fresh spring flowers have!  And they smell great!

19. Chocolate oranges.  These need to be available year round.  Seriously.  Between me and Tim, we would keep them in business.

18. Strawberry Smoothies.  There is nothing more refreshing than a fresh strawberry smoothie on a hot summer day!  Yummy!

17. My clarinet. Yes.  I still play.  I love that it still gives me opportunities to createmusic.  Especially playing in the Washington Municipal Band in the summer!

16.  Lord of the Rings.  Need I say more?  You need more?  Okay.  Viggo.  Mmmmm.

15. Golden Retriever Puppies.  Nothing and I mean nothing is cuter than a cute, active puppy.  And they have that adorable puppy smell!  :)

14. The ocean.  I have always pictured my perfect life by the ocean.  With a baby blue bike and a puppy and a great book.  Oh and a cute basket for all my awesome Farmers Market buys!

13. Crafting.  I love being able to make gifts for my friends and family.  Just adds a personal touch!  And it’s

so much fun to see what you can create!

12. Journals. I have a journaling problem.  Sometimes I buy journals that are so pretty I have a hard time wanting to write in them.  I always want to write the best things in those journals.  So, they sometimes sit unused for awhile!

11. Rainy weather.  It’s refreshing.  I love that it feels like a fresh start.   And it brings green  grass and flowers! 

10. Clouds.  I love a bright blue sky peppered with white fluffy clouds.  Finding the fun shapes is a great way to pass the time!

9. Traveling.  Spending time in new places is always a great adventure!  I’m actually visiting Chicago for the first time by myself (aka without my mom!) and I’m stoked!

8. Running.  I used to haterunning and then I started  building it up.  The more I run, the more I love it.  Until I sprained my ankle.  It’s put me out of commission temporarily.  And the weather is perfect for running! No!

7. Photography.  I love being able to capture a moment in time.  How many people have a knack for that?

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6. Vintage shopping.

5. Pink.  Nothing quite adds a pop of colorlike some neon pink!

4. Red delicious apples. Yum yum yum!

3. Mumford and Sons.  These men are such remarkable musicians.  No matter what sort of mood I am in they always make my day better.  :)

2. Reading.  Books can take you virtually anywhere.  You just have to pick up the right book and you can be transported anywhere!  :)

1. My family and friends. My support system.  I love them.

 

Getting Fit

I’ll start this out with a brief bio I suppose.  I am 23.  My name is Analise and I’m in school for Graphic Communications right now.  This is my story on how I am changing my life habits.  Read and comment.  I’m always looking for inspiration and if you need any then let me know! 

 

There is nothing harder than saying no to that extra serving of chocolate cake or turning down your favorite pop (trust me…I have a hard time saying no to diet pepsi!)  but in the end these are just small sacrifices to make for your body.  Now, I’m by no means perfect but I am always working towards being better.

 

Since I moved back home a year ago, I had reached a really scary point with my weight.  I was almost 200 pounds.  Living with roommates in a college town certainly didn’t help!  We went to the bars several nights a week, McDonald’s was our friend.  And come on.  Who on earth would buy fruits and veggies when you can whip up some delicious pasta and have some ice cream for dessert?  There was no mom there to shake her head at my poor food choices so I kept right on making them. 

 

Near the end of my time in Cedar Falls, I did discover a love for biking!  Cedar Falls, IA has to have the best biking trails I have ever seen!  Over 90 miles and it is all scenic.  If you are an avid biker I would highly recommend checking that area out for sure!  I didn’t change my eating habits when I started biking so it was pretty rough at first.  Once it started to get better my bike got stolen.  Boo people.  I didn’t buy another bike because it was a matter of weeks until I moved back home.  A move I was both dreading and anticipating.  My mom is my best friend and most avid supporter.  And my step dad is a great support/motivational person to have in my life.  

And sure enough, they have stepped up to the plate.  Cutting a significant amount of junk food out of the house has helped.  We buy a lot of fruit and vegetables.  And whenever junk food is present in the house, Tim makes sure to eat it so that I don’t have any temptation.  At least, that is what he says…  I secretly think he just really loves E.L. Fudge cookies!  The best part, is that whenever I go to make a bad choice, they remind me of the commitment I am making to myself.  And some weeks I need a LOT of reminding!

 

Those changes alone lead to some pretty quick weight loss.   I don’t remember the exact number but it was enough to motivate me to really start working out.  I asked for a yoga mat for Christmas and have recently started hitting the gym regularly.  Running is becoming my friend.  Slowly…but we’ll get there eventually.  So, here I am.  I am officially down to 165.  I only have 30 more to go to be at my goal weight.  

 

If anybody needs a support system let me know.  I’m more than willing to be a running buddy or a workout buddy.  Or if you just need somebody to tell you to put  that cupcake down!  :)  I’m here because I know how hard it is.  And to remind you that you aren’t alone. So, go hit the gym and enjoy that salad.  In the end, it’s totally worth it. 

Golden Eyes.

Golden eyes. One of the few sweet moments where Zoey isn’t being a spaz.

www.rocktheshotforum.com

Weekly Writing Challenge: Mail It In

Reblogged from The Daily Post:

No matter how long you’ve been blogging, there is always more to learn. As part of the Weekly Writing Challenges, once a month, we’ll be highlighting a feature in the WordPress.com Dashboard and challenging you to incorporate it into your blog. We want to help you take full advantage of all the tools available on WordPress.com to make your blog the best it can be  — and to make your friends jealous of your web wizardry. 

Read more… 601 more words

I love this idea!