Life Hacks

So my excuses for missing the last three weeks of posting are as follows:

January 19: studying like a maniac

January 26: wrote my exam and had a soccer game and was exhausted from studying like a maniac

February 1: we had our winter carnival at work the weekend prior and I just was not feeling sitting down and typing a thing

All the days in between that I could have posted something: just plain lazy

This brings us to today, February 8. I wish I could say that after all this time of having this blog I have learned a thing or two about preparation and "deadlines". I say "deadlines" with the little quotation marks because let's face it, no one is sitting here telling me I have to have something written and that Publish button pressed each Monday and watching to make sure I actually get it done. The deadline is just me telling everyone I'm gonna post something every Monday and whether I do it or not is up do me. So I am sorry for disappointing you the last three weeks, you can stop crying your tears of joy now, I'm back. Back and unprepared to post something, as always so put the donut down and stop your emotional eating. Or at least pick something better than a donut. I would also like to add that I have been sick since last Wednesday and could have used that as yet another excuse NOT to post something, but I have all you loyal followers to think about and so I put my health second today and my blog first. And any logical person would have probably used their sick time lying on the couch watching Netflix (I started watching Gilmore Girls for the first time. I'm hooked and already on season 2 after three days) as time to jot down some ideas for their blog, but no, not me. I just laid on the couch except to go to the walk in and to the grocery store (needed more popsicles and apple juice). 

Are you interested in knowing how the exam went? I did say I would keep you posted. So here goes. I got a 91%. I tried to relearn my ENTIRE four year degree including origin, insertion and action of every single muscle. Because I didn't have to take the course prior to this exam, I had no idea what the format of the exam would be or the length of it, so I was pretty stressed. Ian helped me to study for about an hour and a half before I left to write the exam. Ian could have also got a 91% on this exam. SERIOUSLY. Oh my gosh, the invigilator says "Okay, there are 60 multiple choice, and you have an hour." I almost died. I stressed and cried and stayed in for days and days all for 60 multiple choice questions???? Ahhhhhhhhh I was so mad. But oh well, onto the next step which is taking a group fundamentals training course. I tried to take it this past Saturday but it was cancelled because not a single soul registered for it, plus I was sick. But now I have to miss a big ski-dooing weekend in Neepawa that I was looking forward to with Ian and some of his friends. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do!

So what to write about today... One person did suggest I write about tacos (Graca) and let's face it, that is a pretty solid idea, because who DOESN'T like tacos?? Plus I just got a new iPhone (6S.. you should see the pictures this thing takes OMG they are brilliant) so I can finally use the taco emoji. Maybe I'll write about them another time, though, because tonight I'm going to supply you with some life hacks. The Laura kind. AKA things that are really not life hacks at all - just general things that you probably don't think about.

Let's get started then.

Laura's Life Hacks

1. If you are watching a series on Netflix, use your iPhone and plug it into the TV. Why? Because new episodes don't automatically start and you don't accidentally watch 15 hours of TV in one sitting

2. Floss every night. That way, you don't get caught in that "I haven't flossed in a while" state where it hurts to floss. Plus the dental hygienists and your dentist can tell.

3. Make sure the phone is totally hung up before you complain about the person you just talked to. Double make sure you don't just accidentally hit speaker phone and they are still on the line. This mostly refers to landlines where you actually have to physically hang up the phone.

4. Cereal is an anytime food. Sometimes, nothing is more satisfying for supper than a big bowl of cereal with just the right amount of milk while you sit on the couch and watch an episode of Gilmore Girls (or your show of choice).

5. Never wash your bed sheets on a Sunday. Yes, it would be nice to start the week off with fresh sheets, but there is nothing worse than going about your day and forgetting they are in the wash and then 11:00 bed time comes around and your bed is sheet-less and your sheets are wet and in the washing machine. At least if it's a Saturday night you can throw them in the dryer and watch TV or read a book or do just about anything for the extra hour you have to wait to go to bed with your fresh sheets. 

Or if you're just more successful at life than I am, you probably have more than one set of sheets and can totally just disregard what I've said. 

6. Pay your bills on time.

7. Being an adult is hard. But remember when you were a student.. you couldn't go home from work and do absolutely nothing all night just because you felt like it. You probably had to study or read or do an assignment or do group work or get to sleep early so you could make an exam etc etc etc. Enjoy the freedom of being an adult, it outweighs the hard parts like cooking supper (you don't even have to do that) and remembering to exercise once in a while (you probably did that when you were a student to avoid doing school work, but now you actually get to do it on your own time because you feel like it!)

8. I think I've mentioned this before... Have a bunch of cookbooks that you've told yourself you'll cook every single recipe in? Go through your cookbooks with sticky notes and mark the pages of things you do want to try. Then when you're feeling stuck for an idea of something to make for dinner one night, you've got your idea right there! Make shopping for ingredients easier by writing on the sticky note all of the ingredients you don't usually have at home, so you know what you need from the store.

9. If you have flour and water and some lime juice, you can make homemade tortillas. I made them from +Thug Kitchen Team. They were super, super easy and tasted way better than the store bought kind (that I haven't really liked for my entire life so I was surprised that I liked these, but hey - anything homemade is gonna rock, right?!)

10. Don't sweat the small stuff. 

11. Okay, this last one is mostly just a complaint about people who call our office.... When you are calling a business and you know you are going to need your credit card number.. Don't call while you're driving. First of all, the calls are never that clear and it's hard to understand you in the first place. THEN we need your credit card number and either have to wait for you to pull over or we are just on the other end praying you don't crash... while we ask you to repeat the numbers 1000 times because you keep cutting in and out. Remember 10 years ago when we didn't all have cell phones and you just waited til you got home to make phone calls? Try doing that again. 

That last one made me think about how nowadays we are looking for instant gratification and fast results and quick communication. We all just need to take a step back, a deep breath and live a little bit more in the moment.

So, until next time when I tell you about my big plans for June (hint: I'm hopping across the pond for an adventure and I'm dragging Ian with me!!!!) or maybe I'll just write about how glorious and wonderful tacos are.

dream big dreams, be reckless

-L