Time Management

Remember the silly little post I wrote a couple of weeks ago? The one that was a letter to some imaginary fairies that I wish would smooth my life over?

Well that little letter got me thinking, and then I got all determined to do it myself if the fairies weren't going to do it for me! It's been kind of a whack-a-mole process, because I did take a weekend to totally demolish the mess in my room, but whilst I did that, school textbook reading and even assignments slipped out of my fingers. And then I was trying to pick up the pieces from that, and I realize how quickly my "turning mission papers in" date is coming, and now I'm trying to tackle that. It's exhausting, folks!

Something you need to know about me is that time management is one of the very most difficult weaknesses that Heavenly Father gave me in this life. It is something that I really struggle with. Like, my patriarchal blessing even addresses this problem! For whatever reason, I cannot look at a list of tasks to accomplish without going, 

Like, I was telling this girl in one of my classes a few weeks ago about all the stuff I had to do when I got home. You know, small talk. And this girl is a really nice girl. Like, college buddy kinda girl. And she was like, "Emily. Chill. That's not even that bad.."

And I kinda went,

And realized that she was right,

but it didn't change the fact that all of those little tasks still looked like one big mountain to me. 

So yeah. That's what I deal with on a daily basis. It's fun. 

And I'm trying to work on that, and make that weakness a strength, because you know what they say in Ether 12:27! :)

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that  humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

So that's my life right now. Sorry I haven't been very exciting lately. It'll get better once I turn in my mission papers.

Like, 

 

For reals. So that will be fun. :)

10 Things You Might Not Know About Mimi:

1. I had arthritis when I was six. I had days when I couldn't move my joints in order to get out of bed, and my parents would have to pick me up, and I screamed because it hurt so bad. I don't remember a whole ton about it, but one thing I do remember is sitting in the doctor's office, and she was talking to me about practicing loosening my joints by walking around at home, and I didn't want to, and she said that I couldn't ride the school bus if I didn't, because I had to walk up stairs to get on a schoolbus. That made me cry, because I guess I really liked riding the schoolbus.

2. I sleeptalk and scream. The other night I tried to explain to my mom that I had lost a snake that I needed to keep in a basket. I was very frustrated. Yeah, I don't know either.

3. When I was in junior high, my two favorite movies were Napoleon Dynamite and Hairspray. {coughcoughweirdocough}

4. When I was in sixth grade, I was determined to show the boys in my class that I wasn't "last pick in PE" material, so at before-school recess, I totally scored at touchdown when we were playing two-hand touch football. I scored coolness points, but I also scored a monsterous nosebleed that sent me back home before the schoolday even started. Girl power.

5. I have never met a celebrity. I did make eye contact with Quentin L. Cook one time, and he waved at me. It was pretty much cooler than meeting a celebrity. Hashtag you're jealous.

6. When I was little, {sometime between the ages of like, 7, and, 10?} I went through a phase where every night before I went to bed, I would pray: "Please bless that when I wake up tomorrow, I will be a princess that lives in a castle with a horse. If you can, please bless that it will be a white horse. Please bless that I will have princess dresses, and a maid." For reals. I was kind of disappointed every morning.

7. My great great grandpa was Charles Shumway, a prominent leader in the Mormon Trek.

8. My grandpa was one of 19 children, all from the same two parents, all living together, none adopted.

9. I used to love rollerskating, and just about every birthday I have, I ask for rollerskates so that I can get good at it again, and I think my parents think I'm joking when I wish for that.

10. The other day, my math teacher had us all say where we would travel if money weren't an obstacle. I said Italy, which is pretty true, but later on I thought that I would also want to travel to all of the DisneyWorlds and DisneyLands in the world. Now it's a tie between Italy and Disney. It's a good thing money is an obstacle, because how would I even decide between those two?!?

I'm the backpack, loaded up with things and knick-knacks, too. Anything that you might need, I've got it packed for you!

1. My fun floral backpack from Target! I shelled $30 for that sucker last semester. ($30 doesn't usually leave my pocket without a fight.)

2. My math notebook. Maybe a red chevron pattern will motivate me to take notes in that forsaken class. 

3. My beloved Barnes and Noble planner!! That is the only place I will buy planners, because those are the BEST. The best, I tell you.

4. That little pouch holds my less-used-money-related things: spare cash, spare coins, Staples gift card, Sephora membership card (that I have used a grand total of 1 time, goodness they're expensive...), Costco membership card, Starbucks gift card, Forever 21 gift card, two Harkins passes, Bath and Body Works gift card, Charming Charlie gift card, and fingerprint clearance card. Whew! That's a doozy. Most of those gift cards have like, $2 or less on them. But I don't have the heart to throw $2 away...

5. That is my notepad that I use to write down my lists. Shopping lists, to-do lists, lists of essay topic ideas... I use it a lot.

6. That little wallet is my favorite thing!! It holds my most-used-money-related things, like my debit card and my Sally's membership card (haha, I use it kind of a lot...) as well as my drivers license, my temple recommend, and--whaaaa? MY CELL PHONE. Yeah. On the other side of it is a clear plastic-y area with a little strap to hold in my iPhone just perfectly! I can even use it when it's being stored in there-- check that Instagram, make phonecalls, even charge it! While it's in my little wallet holder! I'll take 2! (And I really did take 2, heehee. I have another one in grey.)

7. That's my file folder, so that I can hold all my homeworks and notes and syllabuseseses... (syllabi?) in one place.

8. Pencil pouch. It has lots of compartments, so I hold lots of things in there, like pens, pencils, highlighters, tabs, post-it notes, index cards, and my flash drive. And the creepy cat image doesn't hurt either. {wink}

9. The last pouch is my beauty emergency pouch. It has my favorite lotion, cuticle balm (because dude. i have cuticles from the devil.), gum, my favorite lipstick (don't hate), lip balm, lady supplies, hand sanitizer, and pressed powder. You need anything? I got you covered. For reals. Try me.

So that's what's in my "pa-pack". Keaton says you're supposed to say backpack that way. Guess it's what the kids are sayin' these days. Anyway, I'm heading back to school tomorrow. I'm taking a computer applications class, a child development class, a diversity in education class, and a math (booo. boring.) class. Also I'm taking a Book of Mormon class in institute. Gotta get ready for that mission! Whoo hoo!

Okeedoke. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight.

P.S. Oooh! Also, guess what?? I got another job! One that I actually actively wanted! I don't get to start until about the beginning of February, though. Boo. Sad.

I guess I'll let you in on my New Years Resolutions

I don't like sharing New Years Resolutions, because then people watch me and check up on me and get all kinds of rude if I don't reach my goals. GURL. How many times have you made impossible New Years Resolutions, and NOT reached them?? Fooools.
So just keep that in mind. I'm not going to totally reach all of these. Ain't nobody got time fo' that.

Also, I don't like to make my goals super rigid. Let's face it. January 1, all we think about is "Reach my goals! Must reach my goals!" But by January 25, it's only practical human nature to put them in the back of our mind and think, "Must. Finish. Paper. For. Tomorrow. Think. About. Nothing. Else." We just have to be realistic.

So, here's what I'm aiming for this year.

1. No more cavities! Did you guys know that I am a cavity magnet?? I get them almost every time I go to the dentist! I take care of my teeth pretty dang well, but we can all do better {except Jadyn Maree-- that girl probably makes her dentist feel like a plaque monster. ;) }
2. Exercise regularly. I make this goal every year, but every year my expectations are too rigid {RUN EVERY DAY. FOR 30 MINUTES.} No. Not going to happen in my life. I don't even like running. HOWEVER. I will tell you. I have started running with my dog the past week, and I love it! I think the key is to take someone with you, and someone who you won't measure yourself up to. I used to try to run with my mom. I love that woman. But I can't stand running with her. She has been running regularly for years and years, and when I come every once in a while and say, "Hey! Let me come with you!" and I end up going, "HEY! *GASPPP* WAAAIT UPPP!" the entire time, it doesn't feel very good. But my sweet Choxie always stays at my pace, if I want to walk instead of run for a while, she is fine with that, and she is also fine if I want to stop in the middle of the grass at the park and give her a belly rub. Best. Running buddy. Ever.
3. Spend money wisely. I used to be really good at this, until I started college. You guys. It's bad. I buy unnecessary things. Go to QuikTrip too much. Buy shoes I don't need. And now that I work at a clothing store where I get discounts galore, I spend money there, that I don't need to spend. But right now, especially since I'm saving for my mission, I need every penny I can get. I am mostly so disappointed because I used to be bargain/budget QUEEN. I was the thrift shopping MASTER. I was the snacks-from-home COMMANDER. And now, I'm getting that back. GO TEAM.
4. Eat more fresh food. Ahh. Another thing that changed once I started college. Oh the processed foods. Ohhhh the 32 oz. Diet Dr. Peppers. Ohhh the super quick french fry runs before work. Sad. Sad, sad, SAD. TEAM BRING BACK FRUITS AND VEGGIES AND GRAINS AND LEAN MEAT AND DAIRY AND WATER.
5. Spend every day immersed in the scriptures. You guys, I have been reading the Book of Mormon again. I have been trying my hardest to pull all of the principles and lessons and Christlike attributes out of it that I can, and let me tell you, I have never gotten so much out of 1st Nephi. Whew! I love that book.
6. Straight A's this semester? Yessir. I was so sad, because last semester, I was taking four classes, and I got A's in all of them EXCEPT DARN ALGEBRA. And I didn't even come close with that class. I got a C. Eww. And I think that if I had been more focused during lectures, and put forth more effort to go to math tutoring, and do the practice problems at home, I could have done so much better. Sigh. BUT, this semester, I am bringing in the big guns. I can do straight A's. We got this.

The end.

"Butterfingers" and finals weeks.

Hey all.

I thought I would give an update on my life lately. 

Right now I'm writing a paper for my education class, with band-aids on all of my fingers.

I kind of feel like Junie at the beginning of Spy Kids when his sister kept calling him Butterfingers, and he always had to use that wart cream and wear band-aids. 

BUT MINE ARE NOT FOR WARTS. Let's clear THAT one up real quick. Mine is just because I am sick of the change in weather drying up all of my cuticles and giving me hangnails. I put Neosporin on all of them, and I figure that in the morning, I will have good-as-new cuticles. However, I just remembered that I have to go to Sally Beauty Supply AND the high school to pick Keaton up from an activity in like an hour... Hmm. Gloves are back in style now, right?

Anyway, I'm really happy because it's almost the end of the semester. I have class tomorrow, and various finals next Tuesday and Thursday, and then I'm done until mid-January! Hoorah!

Oh yeah, and I'm for sure going on a mission next summer. I talked to my bishop on Sunday, and I am getting all ready, taking mission prep, reading the Book of Mormon over again, studying Preach My Gospel, and soon I will get onto filling out my papers. I counted the days, and I can turn my papers in on Easter Sunday. Isn't that kind of perfect? Well, let me tell you, I can't wait for Easter Sunday. And I can't wait to get my mission call and find out where I'm going. And I can't wait to turn nineteen in July and serve the Lord in some far-off land (or nearby state, whichever) for 18 months! This is certainly the best thing that can happen to me right now. I am so thrilled. {smile}

Also my dear friend Jessica is getting married next month, and me and our friend Leah are going to be her two maids of honor (we are so cool that she couldn't possibly choose between us{wink})! I am super excited for this cute girl and her darling fiance, Adam, to get married in the Mesa Temple. They are so precious together:

So yes. That's my life right now. Please enjoy this GIF of me and my BFF Katie having a jam session, while I finish writing an essay and scream of madness.

French braids and math class and dandelions, oh my.

Today, I woke up and got ready for school. 

As some of you may know, I'm kind of obsessed with hair. 

I love to play with it. I haven't worn my hair the same way twice to school at all this year. 

Which isn't that impressive considering I only go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

But I could do it differently every schoolday for the rest of the semester... I'd be willing to bet the rest of the year if I wanted to. 

Easily, actually.

I have a few hairdos up my sleeve. 

Especially now that I am beginning to master the art of French braiding my own hair.

Here is what I did to my hair today, and I daresay I am quite proud of it.

It's a French braid going from my bangs to my crown, and then a high sock bun. And I gotta say, those sock buns are little buggers, because it is quite a challenge to get those things to stay hiding inside my bun. It's embarrassing. Like, "Oh, hey, your bra strap is hanging out" embarrassing.

But I had it tamed all day today. Hooray for me.

I was a little peeved, however, because in my public speaking class, my presentation group told the teacher last Thursday, while I was gone, that I would provide an outline for our presentation. And when I walked into class today, she wanted it now. 

I was like, "Hey, thanks you guys. Feelin' the brotherly love."

Lucky for their sorry hides, I had by chance taken notes on everything we were doing for our presentation, and those notes were acceptable unto our teacher. They are so lucky I'm a good student.

Kind of.

Observe me ditching part of math class because I couldn't stand to hear any more words like "algorithm" and "vertical asymptote".

It's okay. Only one more semester, and then I don't have to take math ever again.

Then I raced out of math and ran to my precious truck, Florence. "We're going home, Florence!" I would have exclaimed if it weren't for the nutcases in the parking lot who would have given me strange looks.

I drove down the road, well on my way home. Then when I passed the Gilbert temple, I was like,

Ah nuts. I had forgotten that I needed to take my fingerprint clearance card to student services so that they could make a copy of it so that I could get my service learning hours done for my education class.

I couldn't do it the next day. I had to turn around and go back to the school.

Yuck.

But it was all okay, because look what I found when I went back to the school?

 A dandelion! These are only my favorite things! 

Needless to say, I made a wish.

I can't tell you what it is though. Duh.

Then I went home, and my home teacher came with his lovely wife and we talked about Dallin H. Oaks's talk from the April conference when he said, 

"Yet some erroneous people think that these marvelous physical attributes happened by chance or resulted from a big bang somewhere. Ask yourself, could an explosion in a printing shop produce a dictionary? The likehood is most remote. But if so, it could never heal its own torn pages or reproduce it's own newer editions."

I absolutely love this quote. Our physical bodies are marvelous! How can it be that they are not divinely created, heaven sent? There's no denying it that they are God-given gifts.

Goodnight, my happy little friends!

(Oh yeah. Last night I bought a lovely bright red lipstick, and I cannot keep myself away from it. It's hard enough not letting myself wear it to school. How can I resist it's brightness?)