{Just Get Over It}

Jealousy. Greed. Envy. We all go through it. There are always going to be things that other people have that we want, whether it be material belongings, a certain look, their lifestyle, or their relationship with somebody.

Most of the reasons that I feel that people dislike someone is because of jealousy. They want what the other person has, can't get or achieve it, so hence, they hate that person for it. That shouldn't be the way that the world revolves. Instead, we should be happy for the things others have. 

Women especially have this problem, and make it into an even bigger problem. A woman will see another woman that is skinnier, "prettier", richer, or that just seems happier, and automatically hate that woman over jealousy. Women want what other women have. It's as simple as that. You could be a woman that grew up just getting everything you ever wanted because your parents had money and still have hard feelings towards another woman who wasn't given as much, but just looks happier. And that same woman that looks super happy could be jealous of the woman who was just given everything in her life. It's a vicious cycle, ladies. 

I am definitely not innocent in all of this though. No woman is. Being women, we love competition and we seem to make everything a competition, whether it be how white your teeth are, how your kids behave, how nicely your house is decorated, or how cute your pictures are. 

We all just need to give up. Just give up already! Face the facts. You'll never be as skinny as that girl at the gym. Your kids will never behave as well as that mom's at the grocery store. But guess what, they have insecurities too and probably think that they will never have your cute, unique fashion sense. 

We need to stop wanting what other women have and doing whatever it takes to achieve it. Don't want it just because someone else has it. Want it because it would improve YOUR life in a positive way and is the best thing for you. 

Let me tell you a few of the positive things that I am proud of in my life. I met the love of my life at 18 years old and married him one month shy of 20. I bought my own car at 19. My husband and I live in an adorable 3 bed/2 bath house. I love my job. I have amazing friends that I still get together with here and there. Michael and I have happy, supportive families. And I could go on and on about the good things in my life. Or I could be the person that chooses to complain that we have to move out of the house we're renting in 2 months and pay the same price for a one bedroom apartment (crazy, I know). I could complain about how the heater and gas gauge don't work in my truck and I have to push super hard on the door to get it open. I could also complain about how my teeth will never be white enough, my hair never thick enough, and how I don't have the body that I desire, but why would I? Those comments put myself down and make it awkward for everyone else around me when I complain. I'm trying to look at the positive things in my life and be happy for what I have and who I am. 

So lastly ladies, love yourselves. Love each other. Be nice. Stop with the drama. Stop being selfish. Stop making things a competition. Look for things that you can do for others instead of looking for what others can do for you. If you ask someone for a favor, return that favor. It would be greatly appreciated. Show others that you care. Make things about others, instead of yourself. I can promise you, your life will suddenly be much better and you will be so much happier.

{Why I Don't Want Kids.....Right Now}

I can’t even count the times that I have gone through this conversation:

Person 1: “So, when are you two going to have kids?!”

Me: “Actually, probably not for another couple of years.”

Person 1: “Oh…really?....Why?”

And then I have to tell them my personal reasons for not wanting to have a kid the second after I get married.

So, I decided to just let everyone know what those reasons are and my opinion of why I do not want a kid right away.

However, I do not want anyone with kids or who had kids young to take this post offensively. I do love kids. It’s just not for me right now. And I’m sure you wouldn't give your kid(s) up for anything and will never regret having them, however, everyone is different. So, without further ado:

1.       I love Michael and I’s spontaneous date nights.

See, Mike and I usually never plan dates nights. They always just...happen. I mean, we plan the bigger events, but we love getting home, noticing we have nothing planned for the night, looking up show times and just deciding to do dinner and a movie or just going shopping. However, I feel like we won’t have much of that once we start having kids. Our date nights will have to be planned in advance so we can get a babysitter or we will just take our kids with us if we really want to go out and can’t find a babysitter for the night.

2.       Sleeping in

Boy, do Mike and I love sleeping in on our Sundays. Once we have kids though, forget it, at least until they are old enough to watch over themselves. We would be waking up whenever they do to feed them, make sure they don’t fight or hurt themselves, and all of the other responsibilities that come along with being a parent.

3.       Working and Earning Money

Personally, I LOVE my job. I love what I do and I love my coworkers. I look forward to seeing them every day and all the laughs we have together. I love being able to work and make my own money, instead of leaving my husband to go to work every day, pay all the bills, and make extra money for me to spend. I love that I am able to contribute, help pay bills, help pay off debt, and earn some money that allows us to have fun as well. I think it is going to be very hard for me when I am a stay at home mom to not be making some sort of money. However, I have engrained in my mind that I will never be that wife that makes her husband stress about money. Even if I am only making $100 a month selling homemade quilts or something (totally random, I know), I want to be doing something to help contribute. Today, I was talking to one of my coworkers about her, her husband and her son, and her choice to work. I am honestly very impressed by her decision to go to work every day to make a better life in the future for her family. That is very respectable to me. It is very true though. Although she may not be able to spend every waking moment with her son, she is working hard to be able to give him and her husband an easier life. I feel like that will very well pay off a lot better in the long run. Same goes for my mom. Although she doesn't work a lot because she is VERY busy taking care of so many kids and donating her time constantly, she still finds time to be an awesome, dedicated Realtor and bring in a good amount of money.  I respect working moms very much. (However, I know there are moms out there who physically can’t work, and that is 100% understandable.)

4.       Vacations

Yes, you can still take vacations with your children, but it’s not the same. A trip to the beach before you have kids entails sun tanning, sleeping in, and doing pretty much whatever you want. When you bring the kids along, it’s a constant worry about if they have on enough sunscreen, making sure they don’t get lost or drown, bringing all of the toys along, etc. I am positive my parents enjoy their vacations 150x more when they are alone instead of bringing all of the kids along. Not to mention, vacations without kids is A LOT cheaper too.

5.       I want to just spend time with my husband

Michael and I have only been married for 5 months now. I am still getting to know him and still loving finding out new things about him. I want to spend some time, just him and I, for a while before we start a family. Once you have kids, they are there forever. So, I want to wait a couple years or so before we start a family. I love just having a family of two right now.

I am just going to go ahead and stop there though. I have a few more reasons, like kids are expensive and watching other people’s kids is already enough ‘kid time’ for me, but I better stop before this list gets too long. Again though, nothing is wrong with having kids young, having a lot of kids, or having kids in general. I’m just saying why it’s not for me RIGHT NOW. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with any of my reasons of not wanting a baby right now. I love kids and one day I will wake up thinking “I’m ready” but that day won’t be soon, unless God plans otherwise. One thing I know for sure though, is that Mike will be one amazing father and we will make some cute babies!

{What I Gave Up By Getting Married}

I have heard numerous times that I would be/am giving up a lot in my life by getting married, especially getting married young. I always ignore these comments (or have something to say back to them), but tonight I decided to finally admit that I actually did give up a lot by getting married to Mike. So, here are the things I gave up because I got married:

1.       Super awkward dates

I don’t think Mike and I have actually ever had an awkward date. I love that I get to go on a date a couple times a week with the same guy, we always have a blast, and I never have anything to worry about. I am more than happy saying goodbye to those awkward relationship starters.

2.       Weekends alone

I mean, yes, I had my friends that I would hang out with, but when you’re a single girl, the main thing you are looking for on a night out is a cute guy. And there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that. It was actually pretty fun. But then at the end of the night, I would go home alone wishing that I found the man of my dreams already. And when my friends were busy, I wouldn't really have anyone to hang out with. Now, Mike and I spend time together all the time and I am so beyond happy!

3.       Paying bills on my own

Actually, now that I am married and out of the house, I have a lot more bills to pay than when I was living at home. Well, WE have a lot more bills to pay. However, having two incomes makes it so much easier to pay bills for some reason. You just don’t feel like you are doing everything on your own. And if it costs me more money to be able to be married to Mike, I think that is so worth it.

4.       Wondering if I am beautiful

It’s nice hearing every day that I am beautiful no matter how I look. And I know that sounds super cliché, but he does tell me every single day that I look good or I’m pretty or beautiful. A lot of men just think it goes without saying, but I love that my husband says it to me.

5.       Dancing with “randoms”

If there is a party that has dancing, I’m there. I love dancing my heart out at parties, even though I know I’m not very good. But I love it, especially themed parties. A lot of times, being a girl, when you go to a school dance or dance party, you wonder who you are going to end up going with and dancing with. You think about how you want to be good at dancing and not embarrass yourself. And most of all, you want to have a good time with whoever you are dancing with. I absolutely love dancing with my husband. We just get each other, move well together, and just have a blast. My favorite two times dancing with him was at the Uprising Paint Fight and our first dance at our wedding.

6.       Relying on my parents for everything

I mean, I still go to them for a lot. But now I have to keep my own house clean, cook my own meals, buy my own groceries, budget our money, and all of those other duties. And Mike definitely makes that easier for me. And when I say easier, I’m meaning like makes it the easiest ever for me! He takes care of our budget and always helps me with all of the chores. We now rely on each other and I love that about our relationship.

7.       Sleeping alone

I like having something or someone next to me in bed. When I lived with my parents, it was either my dog or my stuffed giraffe, usually my dog though. I love being able to curl up next to my husband in bed with his arm around and feeling so safe and comfortable falling asleep for the night.

8.       Being selfish with my time and money

Instead of spending all my money on clothes and going out like I used to, I now am more careful about what I spend my money on. And I know a lot of people would have a hard time with this, but it’s pretty easy for me. I gladly saved up a few hundred dollars to be able to buy my husband another gun. I do that because I love him. I would rather spend my money on him and my time doing things for him. I feel like that is true love. Being married to Mike has made me want to not be selfish.

9.       My lack of self confidence

Now, this hasn't left me completely. But I have definitely felt a lot more confident being married to Michael. That kind of goes along with the “feeling beautiful” post a few paragraphs up. He makes me feel funny, pretty, sweet, and just overall amazing. He has definitely boosted my self-confidence by a ton. I just feel so loved by him. And I can’t help but show it by the huge smile he puts on my face.

10.   Dreaming of my Prince Charming…..because I found him!!!

I used to day dream about the perfect man/husband all the time. I wanted him to be tall, funny, sweet, athletic, fun, and of course handsome. I wanted a man that made me feel beautiful and incredible. I wanted a man that got along with my family and whose family welcomed me in. I wanted a man who still took me on dates and kissed me all the time. I wanted a man who I could watch play sports and feel proud that he was mine. I wanted a man who would hold me tight, kiss me on the cheek and tell me he loves me. I found that man. I found the MOST PERFECT man for me. Michael Anthony is the man of my dreams. I met him, wanted him, asked him out first, and somehow convinced him to marry me. I love that I never have to wonder again when my Prince Charming will come into my life. I now just have to look over and see him standing right next to me.

So, I did give up a lot by getting married, however, I don’t think any of them will take any getting used to. Marrying Michael was the best thing that ever happened to me.