Sweet? Irresistably so? HA!

Apparently, I have Scarlett over at Confessions of a Shieldmaiden fooled. I have been honored with the Irresistibly Sweet blog award. Not many describe my blunt force of honesty as sweet, nor my opinionated and quirky personality, definitely not irresistibly sweet, at that. I could list several profane substitutions to the description, but instead I'll be honored to take it and keep the smile on my face.

In order to complete my acceptance, I have to list five guilty pleasures of mine... guess I'll need to narrow down the field, huh? Next I have to pass this award on to three other Irresistibly Sweet Bloggers. That one may be hard as well, I haven't been in the blog world long, so I'll do my best... I promise.

Guilty Pleasure #1: Music. Oh my ever lasting affair with music. Ever since I remember, I've been jamming out to tunes. Whether it comes from a tape cassette, compact disc, mp3 player, radio, computer, my phone, or just the station in my head, I'm almost always jamming out to something. I'm a true believer in music effecting emotions and being able to help turn a good day better, or a bad day good. I am always searching for new artists to listen to and often go to many local shows to see the up and coming amateurs. I love music, I always will. I even changed my major in school to add Music Industry, ya know... just in case.

 Guilty Pleasure #2- Writing. I've kept a journal since I was about 8 or 9. I still have that old thing somewhere and have tried to keep all of them since. Granted lately I've been more into the blog world, there's something pure about still writing everything down on paper. I write whenever I can. There's always a journal and a notebook on me, because you never know when you're going to hear a great quote or get that good idea for a story or a poem. I love writing, it's my passion and I hope to get really good at it someday, until then, I will continue to practice.

Guilty Pleasure #3- Gaming. Now, I still remember when I played an Atari for the first time. I whooped Donkey Kong's arse and I was hooked. Through the years I have been privledged to be able to play on many systems, whether I was at an arcade or at a friend's house. I play everything. My computer is always being upgraded to support the games I play online and when I need to let out some aggression, nothing helps better than grabbing a controller and popping a game into the console or CD-ROM. I will also lump in RPG's here. Yes, I roleplay. I play on twitter and forums. I've also participated in live action games, granted I haven't done that for awhile. Along with this, board games. I love board games. From cards to Trivia Pursuit to Candyland and Sorry. I love all types of games and they will always be my guilty pleasure.

Guilty Pleasure #4- Boy Meets World. I have been watching this show forever! I quote it all the time and I just can't help loving every re-run. I followed Corey and Topanga in all their flirting, break-ups and make-ups. I have every episode on my lap top and I am just in love with this show. "I married a moose, we don't need counseling" -Eric "Plays With Squirrels" Matthews. :D

Guilty Pleasure #5- Literature. I'm studying it for a profession and it's definitely a big guilty pleasure. When I have the chance to toss a text book aside and hide from the chaos that is my constant every day life, I usually can be found curled up with a book. I dream of having my own library someday. I also collect old books when I can, I love the vintage look of an old classic on my shelf.

Whew. That was a hard task to complete. Now onto the next one... naming 3 more irresistibly sweet bloggers.

1. Natasha over at The Heroine's Domain. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Natasha a lot better over the last year and she is most definitely irresistibly sweet. A fellow writer and vegetarian, her blog is filled with great reads, good advice, inspiring advice, and little geek world updates. I look forward to her posts every week.

2. Jen from Life is Good in the Land of Jen. We've only met once, but we've talked on twitter a ton. Jen is an awesome person and I enjoy the smile her blog posts and tweets bring to my face. I hope I get to move out to Washington and get to know her better.

3. Laura at Talking Muffins, she hasn't been around for a little bit but she's a good writer. From her you're sure to get good news on the pharmacy world and lots of good reads. Also, if you're obsessed with shoes... she probably has more, no kidding. We have never had the pleasure of meeting and we're polar opposites, but we have a connection that is unstoppable. I rarely go a day without talking to her at least once. Also, spam her and tell her to go to school at NDSU. :)

Thanks again for the award! I hope to continue diving deeper into the blog world and living up to this award some day. :)

2011 Hopes and Dreams

"I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout how to give and take.
But since I came here,
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake" -Yeal Naim

It's a brand new year and hopefully by the end of it, a brand new me. I haven't been writing much lately and I feel really bad for it. I don't know if it was the holidays, school, work, or just my own unmotivated depression, but I just have not been sitting down and doing what I promised myself I would work more on. So far in the past week, I've been able to catch up on some sites and a few other projects. I'm sorry I've neglected my blog, I'm changing that I PROMISE.

Alright, now on to the hard part... resolutions. These are all necessary and I believe if I can achieve even half of them, I will be better for it.

1. Go to class and STUDY!-  I know that this should be a given, right? I'm paying for college and I'm already late in the game. I shouldn't be making stupid mistakes like sleeping in or just skipping class. Truth is, this last semester I was not on my game in the very least. I didn't give my all and that really reflected in my grades. I need to go to class everyday and study for the tests. I need to give my all in school, this is my future and in return, the future of my children. 
2. Convert to a vegan lifestyle- This past year I was a vegetarian for 4 months, I felt healthier and I even lost some weight. I slipped back into my old ways during vacation and never got back into it. So this year, it's all or nothing. I am moving on to being healthier and yes, it's about the animals and the environment, too.
3. Go Green- I have set up the house to start recycling. I don't live in a house, so it's a little more difficult to get everything out but, it's not an excuse. I am sick of taking the trash out everyday and I know that a family of 5 recycling, makes a difference. Along with going vegan, I will also be purchasing environment friendly products or making my own. It's going to be a transition and it will take some getting used to, but I think as a family we will be able to lessen our impact on the enviorment.
4. Pay bills on time and follow budget- I know, it's another no brainer but, what can I say? I'm a bit irresponsible with money and have dug myself a little hole because of it. I want to grow up before I'm 30 and have mountains of debt that my kids will still be paying off when I die. I have a budget set up now and my accountant of a mother will be helping me stick to it, here's to hoping I can.
5. Exercise 4 times a week- This just needs to be done. I'm overweight and it's bad for my self-esteem and my health. I want to lose 60 pounds by the end of the year and I hope I can.
6. Write a novel- Whether it's a scrapper or just a portion of it. I want to really get into my creative side and start writing something more than just fan fictions or poems. 
7. Blog twice a week- I need to keep this updated, I think it will not only help me personally but it will let my writing take off as well.
8. Quit Smoking- I need to do it, it's a burden in my life and it's yet another thing that is making me unhealthy. So, before the end of this year I want to rid myself of this vice.
9. Be clutter free- I have too much of it in my house, I'm going to get rid of it all before we move at the end of May and I want to start fresh. My home should be my sanctuary and I am determined to make it that way.
10. Rigorous Honesty- That's right, no more white lies or stupid stories that aren't true just to make myself look better. I don't need to do it and no one needs to hear it. I think it will help me with my fear of confrontation as well. So, don't ask me a question you don't want the honest answer to.

There you have it. My list of resolutions. I am determined, now let's hope I don't lose that in the following months. So far, this is my first blog post of the week. I'm sick, so I haven't worked out yet this week but hopefully tomorrow I will feel more up to the challenge. I have made all vegan meals since Monday. Unfortunately, the two blizzards that left us stranded inside prevented me from getting the ingredients earlier. I was able to say goodbye to all of my greasy and yucky eating habits though, and I'm on the road to becoming a new, healthier and hopefully, better me. Make sure to check out Good Kitchen Magic to see Scarlett and my adventures in cooking and also going vegan. Much love and I hope 2011 brings good things for you all.