TeamMates

I wanted to share a quick post about something I am very passionate about.

If you live in Nebraska, you have likely heard of the TeamMates Mentoring Program.  A couple of years ago, I decided to sign up and subsequently was matched with a sweet, beautiful girl who was finishing up third grade. Fast forward a couple of years and I now have the privilege of seeing an incredibly intelligent, caring, and driven fifth grader every week.

Tonight, Lincoln put on a wonderful recognition dinner honoring the mentors and mentees. Dr. Shane Lopez, author of Making Hope Happen was the speaker. Dr. Lopez shared on the importance of causing a "ripple of hope" for the people in our lives, and the dramatic effect that it has.

It was inspiring to see the testimonies of graduating mentees and the impact that their mentors have had over their lives.

Long story short, my heart is very full and it made me so thankful that Lincoln is a city that has people willing to be there for it's children. So, I would like to encourage EVERYONE to join in this amazing opportunity.


You can find out more about how to get involved HERE. Help double the impact!

*Note..TeamMates has chapters in Nebraska, Iowa AND California. If you aren't in any of these areas and believe your city could benefit, YOU could help start a chapter! 

I promise you will never regret becoming involved with this organization. Check it out!

Singles Day - Trevor

Last year I found out about Singles Day on Kelly's Korner and absolutely was obsessed with the idea. According to her blog... NINE couples have gotten married/engaged as a result of this. NINE. That actually seems like a lot. Anyways, regardless, this is just really fun and so naturally, I want to be involved.

My single male friends are beginning to dwindle, but I harassed two of the remaining into letting me feature them on the blog. Most of you looking at this will not know me, therefore I do not expect you to trust my opinion, but here it is anyways. These guys are great. I have known both of them since before I knew how to walk, and I spend a considerable amount of time with them as well.  I cannot say enough good things about the both of them... so I will let their entries speak for themselves.

For the purpose of the link- up, I am going to do two separate blog entries.

TREVOR

Lincoln, NE

Alright... here are the basic facts about Trev:

Age: 27

5'9, 165 lbs

Trevor graduated from UNL and manages part of a crop dusting business.

Interests include family, friends, watching movies, a good book, concerts, being outside (though he does not consider himself to be an outdoorsmen), and sports/fitness. Trevor is an outgoing guy and currently the only girl who has him wrapped around her finger is his 18 month old niece. :)

Trevor is looking for a good Christian girl, someone who shares a few of his hobbies, but also someone with different interests so he can try new things.

So... here he is! 

The above and last pic is Trevor and I at a concert a few months ago.

 I would like to add that I really appreciate Trevor. He is such a wonderful friend to me and someone I truly enjoy spending time with. Trevor is hilarious, caring, and a great person to talk to about anything! 

So..ladies.. if you want to know more about Trevor or get in touch with him, comment on this post or send an email to sweetandmodern@gmail.com 

Singles Day - AJ

Last year I found out about Singles Day on Kelly's Korner and absolutely was obsessed with the idea. According to her blog... NINE couples have gotten married/engaged as a result of this. NINE. That actually seems like a lot. Anyways, regardless, this is just really fun, and so naturally, I want to be involved.

My single male friends are beginning to dwindle, but I harassed two of the remaining into letting me feature them on the blog. Most of you looking at this will not know me, therefore, I do not expect you to trust my opinion, but here it is anyways. These guys are great. I have known both of them since before I knew how to walk, and I spend a considerable amount of time with them as well.  I cannot say enough good things about the both of them... so I will let their entries speak for themselves.

For the purpose of the link- up, I am going to do two separate blog entries.

AJ

Engineer

Lincoln, NE

AGE: 27

If you are thinking this guy look familiar, it may be because this isn't his first round with Singles Day. AJ was my Singles Day guinea pig last year. Unfortunately, last year didn't work out...but that's not stopping me from trying again! :) 

As I mentioned before, I am a little bit biased on account of AJ because...he is my cousin. AJ is one of my favorite people. Not only is he my cousin, he is also a wonderful friend. AJ is one of the funniest people I have ever met in my life. Luckily, I get to spend a lot of time with him and so I will vouch for the fact that he is smart, hilarious, caring AND has a wonderful family! 

AJ with some of the previously mentioned wonderful family!

 AJ & I at a wedding a few months ago

If you want to know more about AJ, comment on the blog or send an email to sweetandmodern@gmail.com

End of the Year Wrap-Up

I debated for quite awhile over this post. I wanted to talk about all of the new products I received for Christmas, and ooh and ahh over my new Naked2 palette (more on that next time), but then I realized it's December 30th. After tomorrow, 2013 will officially be in the past.

And I got a little bit sad. 

Like every year of life, there were a lot of ups and downs. Many disappointments, tears, and let downs. However, I believe there were even more moments of pure happiness, love, and success. 

As I was reflecting on 2013, I started to beat myself up a little. Some of the mistakes I made (as recently as...yesterday) were some of the same mistakes I vowed I wouldn't be making at the beginning of 2013.   But, here I am, still dealing with the same failures, and still trying to erase some of the same wounds. And honestly, it's upsetting. Why cant we just BE better. Why can't we automatically learn from our mistakes and correct our future? Why can't we avoid pain, even when we see it coming? 

The only answer I can come up with is...because... we are human. We aren't perfect. Sometimes we have to make the same mistake 500 times before we learn how to avoid it. Sometimes we have to give ourselves the time we need to grow and heal. Sometimes we shouldn't rush it. And most of all...sometimes we shouldn't be so hard on ourselves. 

2012 was a bad year. I am not a fan of being a negative Nancy, but it legitimately was one of the hardest, most painful years of my life. But as I have discussed and wrote about before, because of that year, I grew as a person, emotionally and, more importantly, spiritually. I couldn't have gotten through that year without my family and friends, who were there to encourage me and love on me until I wanted to be "me" again. And because of that year, I understand that no hardship, trial or pain is without a purpose. More often than not, we cannot see the "why" or "how" in the present. But sometimes we are lucky enough to look back...maybe a month later, or maybe 5 years later, and see God's plan. And more importantly, how he loves us enough to protect us from things we can't even see.

So, coming into 2013, I was a little bit gun shy. I was hesitant about what the year would bring. I was scared of who I would be, or more importantly, who I wouldn't be. And while I am trying to learn more about that very topic every day, I am okay with the small and simple realization that I know I have done at least one thing this year: progressed. Progress certainly doesn't equal perfection, but it also means that I am moving forward, even if just one step at a time. 

In conclusion, the only resolution that I want to make for 2014 is to extend more grace to others. The kind of grace that Jesus extends to me every hour, every day of the week. I know I don't give it enough. I certainly don't deserve it from the people around me, either. Even still, it's there. The only way we can truly grow, truly learn from each other, truly heal, and truly thrive in relationship with others is by pouring the kind of grace, love, and humility into each other that Jesus so openly gives to us. 

And it's not easy. So I think I have my work cut out for me. Of course, I would love to lose 5 pounds as well. But as long as the Oreo franchise doesn't go under in 2014...that isn't happening. 

Thank you to the people reading who I would affectionately call "mine." Thank you for loving me and showing me grace in 2013... I can't wait to spend 2014 with you! 

Love, 

The 10 Best: Winter Edition

I hate the cold. I despise it. But everyone knows the best way to counteract a negative attitude is with positive thoughts! I preach this concept to the parents and families I work with everyday, so maybe I should try it out on my own. So, in honor of it being 10 degrees in Nebraska today, this is my best attempt at regaining some happiness:

1.  Clothing Staples

Goodbye short shorts, hello leggings, boots and oversized sweaters! Did you skip the gym because you didn’t want to develop hypothermia? Eat a few too many pieces of pie at Thanksgiving? No worries, no one will know in your stretchy pants and massive sweater (see below). 

*Note: I am not advocating skipping workouts or binging on dessert. I am just saying, it happens. Also, clearly she didn't skip her workout...or eat any pie.

2. Ugg Boots

I feel like this has become a controversial topic. I see lots of articles circulating on facebook about the cruelty that goes into creating a pair of Ugg boots. Honestly, I didn’t watch any of these videos. I don’t know how my Ugg boots came to be, but I do have one question. For those who think they are hideous, or simply do not support how they are made: have you ever put your feet into a pair of Uggs on a -10 degree day? It’s heavenly. It’s soft, warm and cozy. It's everything I want in the winter. Don’t judge.

3. Lights. Everywhere.

Christmas lights are so romantic. I love it. My neighbors deck their house out with lights. The only thing that makes driving around freezing your butt off enjoyable is seeing all of the lights sparkling everywhere. It’s a Winter wonderland.

4. Family gatherings

This could be true of just my family, but we undoubtedly gather more in the winter. There is an obvious correlation between this season and the holidays, but never the less, it goes together. I will tolerate the snow, ice and wind chill for some extra quality hours with the people I love the most!

5. Glitter

As referenced HERE, this time of the year is when I feel it is completely appropriate for adults to incorporate a little more glitter into their lives. Eye shadows? Nail polish? Clothing? Yes please.

6. Snow days

Only if I get one. Snow days are a beautiful thing. They allow you to curl up on the couch, read, watch movies, and cuddle without feeling guilty about doing nothing else. I mean… you cant, right? Doing anything else on this day would be a hazard to you and everyone else. I have noticed that the adult, working world does not readily embrace snow days. These are somewhat a thing of the past, but they are still awesome.

7. Sweatpants

To be honest, I wear sweatpants year around. I am always cold. But there is nothing quite like the feeling of coming home for the day, out of the cold, and putting on a pair of sweat pants. The best kinds are the ones that are old…and preferably were worn during high school track.

*Note: this is not meant to be an attractive look.

8. Hot chocolate (or any other hot drink)

I love hot chocolate. I love most hot drinks. But in my opinion, this completely loses its appeal when its 90 degrees out. If you are my Mom, you are still drinking coffee, all day long, all year around. But.. I cant do it. Drinking something hot on a summer day is more likely to make me break out into a sweat then induce enjoyment. Winter is the time. Bring it on. There is no better way to get warm then a cup of hot chocolate (or coffee). And sweatpants.

9. Smells

I know I am not the only one who does this, but I work my scents around the seasons. In fact, just today, I changed my soap to Vanilla Bean Noel. To me, Vanilla represents all that is home  & holidays. Even for myself. During the Winter I  break out my Burberry pefume. It just smells like winter to me. Also, this is the time of the year that I start randomly burning cinnamon sticks and switching out all of my scentsy fragrances to holiday scents. Ahhh. I love it.

10. The food

Who am I kidding, I need my leggings because of the extra calories I am consuming. Winter is  the best time to bake. The kitchen gets warm and cozy when the oven is on, and a warm cookie tastes 100x better when its snowing outside. And soup? I love. It is my favorite. I want to eat soup all day, everyday.... in the winter. All kinds. Holiday baking, holiday treats… special foods that your family only makes during the winter months? It's delightful.

The truth is, I could find triple the amount of things that I hate about Winter. But that's ok, whenever I am cursing my numb, dry and cracked hands, while trying to remove a 4-inch layer of ice from my windshield, I will break out this list. And smile…to myself. 

High Five for Friday!

Hello Everyone! Happy Friday!
Today I'm linking up with Lauren for High Five for Friday!

This week in highlights..and no particular order....

1.) Starbucks Peppermint Mocha 

On Tuesday I had my first Peppermint Mocha of the season, and let me tell you, it was delightful. It was dreary and freezing cold here in Nebraska, and my Skinny P.M., coupled with a heartfelt conversation with one of my favorite people, made Tuesday a wonderful day! 

NOTE: on Wednesday I turned around and had an ICED P.M. Hey 60 degrees! Nice to see you!

2.) Morning Drives. 

This is literally the worst picture ever. Do these ever turn out ? Especially on a phone? Some of the sunrises this week were breathtaking! (Or maybe I was just tired. Either way.) 

3. Experimental Baking

Last night was a "bake night." I always have the baking itch, but I can't do it every week...for a few different reasons. The primary being that I will taste test. Frequently. And I will taste test the finished product until it is GONE. So, I have to have a destination for the goods in mind, or I'm not making anything! Last night I experimented with a from-scratch vanilla cupcake and a delicious frosting that I ended up putting lots of random things in (molasses? peanut butter? almond extract?...why not.) 

I wasn't satisfied. These will be attempted again. 

Hope everyone had a GREAT week.. and a wonderful upcoming weekend! 

Weekly Favorites

It's time for some weekly favorites. 

Let's dive in. 

1.

Dark Chocolate Almond milk. I have a problem. I HAVE to have something sweet after I eat a meal. Have is a term I use loosely, but seriously. It doesn't matter if I am completely full. Just something. Like a piece of chocolate or candy. Or peanut butter. Anyways, this stuff is delicious. And it's a pretty healthy alternative to a bowl of ice-cream. 

2. 

Kale. How is this so good? It is. During the week I basically eat three things... scrambled eggs, cereal, and chicken breasts. It's the easiest and quickest things I can prepare for myself. Chicken gets boring on its own, and kale is the perfect side dish. I toss it around in a skillet with some olive oil and garlic for like TWO minutes. Seriously, so fast. And it is SO GOOD. 

3.

Target's Cartwheel app

One of my friends told me about this a few months ago, and I love it. As if I needed another reason to love or go to Target ( I don't), but this is an added bonus! Target basically rotates around different items (everything..shoes to grocery) and they put a discount on the item. And then during check out, the cashier scans your app bar (my favorite part). Plus, it makes it all the more fun and exciting when something you need is discounted. It's like a scavenger hunt. Actually, not at all, but I can't think of a better comparison right now. Sometimes the savings is very minimal, and sometimes it is actually a great deal! Either way, I'll take it. Reality is, I'm buying it either way, so, sure I'll take the 50 cent discount. Thanks Cartwheel!

Side note: I am not going to explain how this app works. If you don't have it and claim to love Target, you need this app. Download it and figure it out.