All Things Erin

Happy Tuesday!

Life here in Casa de Kitley is caarraaayzzyyy!  We're all having serious cases of vacay brain.  Vacay brain is a serious medical condition with symptoms including:

• compulsive list making aka my snack list/shopping list/packing list all seem to converge in my food journal
• laundry cycling-usually I'm the culprit of leaving my clothes in the dryer for minutes days after they're done, but not now!  I'm plugging and chugging my vacay needed clothes in and out of the washer and dryer like a champ!
• Needless spending-I NEED that new OPI Race Red nail polish and I won't sleep until I find it.  Do I need another $10 a bottle red nail polish?  Nope, but vacay brain says I do!
• Penny Arcade at TD BANK-Does anyone else save all their coins and then go to Penny Arcade the week of their vacay to cash in their change for some vacay moolah?  It's one of my favorite vacay traditions!  I usually end up with about $50.  Not. Too. Shabby.
• Forgetting to drop things at the dry cleaner-I have about 3 dresses out right now and I forgot about 2 more...maybe I'll feel ballsy and wash them by hand?  Or maybe I'll ask Deb?  Probably gonna do the latter because she's better at that than me.  Apparently you don't use Dove Pink soap to wash a Lilly?  WHO. KNEW?
• Staying out of the Deb's way-This is kinda all the time but amplified during Week-Before-Vacay.  Better not to disturb.

Anyway, I hope your life is as crazy in a good way as mine is right now.  I'm super pumped for vacation and can't wait for some much needed and well deserved R&R.  Today's July Blog Challenge is Five Things You Love About Yourself.  Pretty easy because I believe in tooting your own horn every now and then.  Self confidence is key people.  I once heard the saying (from a wise New Jersey boy...so you know it's true)

source

I completely agree.  I feel like we are taught (especially women) to toot our own horn, not pat ourselves on the back, well guess what?  Life is hard (get a helmet.  I miss you Boy Meets World) and every once in a while we need to say, Self, you did good today.  It's just healthy.  Some people call these daily affirmations, I call them just getting through the day.  Ladies and Gents, let's give ourselves a pat on the back and toot our own horn.

*Side Story*-When I taught dance, I used to conclude every class with having my students give themselves a round of applause, pat themselves on the back and toot their own horn.  I mostly taught the little baby ballerinas so we would actually clap in a circle, pat ourselves on the back, and make a train whistle motion.  Corny?  Absolutely, but also necessary.  Kids need to know that they did a good job and that they are improving because of hard-work--not just plain talent.

So here are some of my favorite things about myself.

My Master's Degree

Hell yeah I'm proud of myself!  I worked my booty off for 5 years to earn that gorgeous piece of embossed paper.


I like my determination.  I like that I work hard and don't quit until I get what I want.  I know what I want and what I deserve and I won't stop until I get there.  Sure I drive myself insane, but at least I have drive.

My feminist self.  I love being a feminist.  Feminists don't hate men.  We just want to be treated as equals.  We want to live in a world where we can walk down a street at 4 am and not worry about getting attacked.  We want equal rights in health care, family life, work life, and politics.

Being a special education teacher.  I love that my job allows me to help children develop, grow, and learn everyday.  It's such an important job and I'm glad and humbled by the fact that I get to be a part of their lives.

My sense of humor.  I love making people laugh.  It's one of my favorite things to do.  If it's by tripping (something I do mostly in sneakers...I've never tripped in all the heels I've ever worn), or by saying crazy off the wall things, or by making comments about things--I just love making people laugh.  I think making someone laugh is like giving them a little brain vacation.  Temporarily, they get to leave the sad moment they're in and laugh.


*Bonus*

My blonde hair!  In case you haven't heard the song yet, Miranda Lambert wrote a song called Platinum it's all about the joys of being a blonde.  I like that people underestimate blondes--because I like proving them wrong.  I like being a tough cookie and working hard to prove myself.  Below you can find the link to the song...it's amazing!

You'll love it!  Promise on my blonde hair!  Who wouldn't love the lyric What doesn't kill you makes you blonder?  Platinum!  Did you get my pun?  I'm a dork?  I know :)

Hope you have a fab day!

xoxo,

E