In the spirit of the June 12x30 Challenge: Try Something New (which is almost over-where did June go?) I decided to ask my June sponsors to tell us about a time they tried something new. Also, Kimi Who and The Lunchbox Diaries even went in to add a special treat-a $20 Starbucks gift card! Maybe you can try a new drink if you win?
It's kind of humorous, how even as a strong and independent woman who has learned multiple times, through mistakes both my own and others, not to wait for a man-I find myself doing it anyway. Dating over the years has taught me a few things, and usually it all comes back to the whole 'he's just not that into you' thing (even though a lot of my old reasons in that post no longer hold water with me). If a guy wants you, he'll make it happen, you shouldn't have to wait around like a fool trying to decide whether he does or not.
However, sometimes I think you need to throw the rules into the wind and blaze a newer braver path. There's no reward without a little risk, is there? This time it's different. I'm not waiting around blindly for what I want. Instead, he's been very clear with me from the get go about what he plans to do, how he feels, and what is happening along the way. It's kind of remarkable, this full honesty policy we're working with, and I think that makes all the difference with people. It's nice to find someone who can be as blunt and honest as I can-it's really remarkable.
But one thing is for sure, I'm caught. I want to see what happens next, and I trust him enough to give it time and know he's working on it. Here's hoping the time goes by quickly, and things fall into a great place for the both of us again.
This week's song:
Caught
by Florence + The Machine
It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do
To try and keep from calling you
Well, can my dreams keep coming true?
How can they? Cause when I sleep I never dream of you.
As if the dream of you, it sleeps too, but it never slips away
It just gains it's strength and digs its hooks to drag me through the day
And I'm caught
I forget all that I've been taught
I can't keep I can't keep still
Pulled apart against my will
It's the hardest thing I've ever had to prove
You turn to salt as I turn around to look at you
Old friends have said, the books I've read say it's the thing to do
But it's hard to see it when you're in it because I went blind for you
Then you leave my head, crawl out of bed, subconscious solipsist
And for those hours deep in the dark, perhaps you don't exist
But I'm caught
I forget all that I've been taught
I can't keep I can't keep still
Pulled apart against my will
And I was thrashing on the line
Somewhere between desperate and divine
I can't keep calm, I can't keep still
Persephone will have her fill
And I'm caught
I forget all that I've been taught
I can't keep I can't keep still
Pulled apart against my will
(x2
Musical Mondays is a weekly linky party where you can share songs or other music-related posts each Monday and link up with the linky. Then you can enter the monthly giveaway and visit the other music posts linked up. To join us:
Write a blog post sharing music or something music-related.
Include the Musical Mondays button (code below) and/or a link back.
Link-up in the linky below.
Visit other Musical Monday links in the linky.
Enter the Giveaway below.
This month's giveaway is going to be a book, about music, because I decided to combine to things I love-books and Musical Mondays! So you can enter to win a copy of Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield. Giveaway is open Worldwide and ends on July 1st at 12AM. Entering below agrees to all terms and conditions within the Rafflecopter.
"One thing I’ve noticed about the French that ties into food culture is the fact that there are far fewer obese people in France than there are in the US. That’s not to say there are no overweight people because there are a bunch of very unfit, heavy folks walking around. But truly obsese? I can count them on one hand and I’ve lived here over 3 years… France has the lowest obesity rates in Europe. To give you exact figures, 38.5% of men and 26% of women in France are considered overweight (it’s about double that in the US). And in the US, nearly 35% of adults are obese. Yikes!"
♥ Diane from Oui in France wrote a great piece on What We Can Learn from Eating Like the French, and there's a lot of good information in there. I really like how she's put this post together with actual facts and sources, and lots of great tips to help us eat better too. Goodness knows I'm working on eating better!
"Social media gives everyone the perfect opportunity to let the world view your life — but only the pretty parts. And I think that is such bull shit. Sure, my life is good, and yours probably is, too, but so what? I have no interest in having a pissing contest with the entire world about the pretty parts."
♥ Colleen from Lunchbox Diaries got with the real talk in her post titled Complaining vs. Bragging vs. Real Talk (?!) and I couldn't agree more! I don't want to read about how everything is hunky dory with you all the time-because NO ONE is happy and perfect 24/7. Sometimes I want you to bare your soul to me and get real. That's how we connect.
"I don't think there's a more cheesy and sweet romantic line than "your heart is a diamond" but that's echoed immediately by the less glamorous reality of diamonds--this heart is a diamond because it was crushed together by 'pressure'. The lyrics acknowledge the darker side of the person that he loves, and then go on to say "I will wait and stay"."
♥ Alex from Haifisch linked up a post for Musical Mondays about a song that's touching her, and then she got very real with us about how she's getting help for her PTSD. I'm proud of her, and I love when song lyrics just reach in side and bond with some part of you, even when that part is a hard part sometimes, it's cathartic.
"I am notoriously bad at studying. As much as I try, I never seem to be able to do it successfully. I can get myself all prepared to study, and spend two hours working without actually getting anything done. Three years of college down and I've still not figured out the best method for myself to retain information. It all depends on the class, and it feels like my grades are often actually pre-determined by some sort of big scary beast that I have no control over."
"The thing is, recognizing and then respectfully terminating toxic friendships is an important step in achieving your goals. Getting rid of toxic friends says a lot about how much you respect yourself and your dreams – as does letting toxic friends stick around."
♥ Torie from Call It Adventure wrote a really great post about How to Recognize a Toxic Friendship, and what to do about it. I love Torie's posts, and this one is so so so true. I've been there before, it's just something that happens and sometimes you just have to move forward without what may ultimately (and unknowingly) be dead weight.
I've been watching the way that I spend my money as I am looking to change some of my negative spending habits. One of my largest expenditures each month is health and beauty products - shampoo, deodorant, face wash, razors, etc. I've heard a lot about the so-called "Pink Tax" - the idea that women are willing to spend extra on products that are pink, are "made for women", or seem more cutesy for lack of better term. As much as I like pink, I like having extra money much more and so I decided to investigate and see if I could walk away from the store with a few extra dollars in hand.
I've read several articles pertaining to the Pink Tax and decided to try researching those specific items and comparing their prices for myself. I chose to compare Target's prices since that's where I purchase the majority of my items. I went into this whole blog post with the thought in mind that I was going to raise hell about the cost difference and throw some feminist fit or something. But guess what? I found that the supposedly higher cost of pink is a myth...
Let's compare these two similar Degree brand deodorants...
Women's
Degree Dry Protection Shower Clean Invisible Solid Deodorant
Health Concern: Body Odor
For Use On: Under Arm
Scent: Fresh
Product Form: Solid
Capacity (volume): 2.6 Oz.
Men's
Degree Men Dry Protection Extreme Blast Antiperspirant & Deodorant
Health Concern: Body Odor
For Use On: Under Arm
Scent: Fresh
Product Form: Solid
Capacity (volume): 2.7 Oz.
According to Target.com both of these products cost $3.99 + tax. Now, to be fair... the women's deodorant contains 2.6 ounces VS that 2.7 ounces in the men's. But let's be realistic here: How often do you actually get everything out of a deodorant container? I doubt that .1 is really going to make a difference.
In my search, I noticed that there aren't very many deodorant brands that are marketed and/or designed for both genders. Brands like Secret cater to women whereas Old Spice caters towards men. The idea behind those brands is that Secret often comes in floral, "feminine scents" while Old Spice produces stronger, musky "masculine scents". So to be fair, it's hard to compare prices when you start comparing completely different brands.
In this case, I don't really see a Pink Tax. I don't feel like I am paying more money for the "preferred" or "feminine scented" deodorant. But let's try comparing some razors - something that legitimately comes in pink or otherwise more girly colors.
Women's
Gillette® Venus Sensitive Sensible Disposable Razor
Package Quantity: 1
Number of Pieces: 1
Includes: Razor
For Use On: Whole Body
For Hair Type: All Hair Types
Battery: no battery used
Care and Cleaning: Rinse with Water
Men's
Gillette Mach3 Sensitive Disposable Razor
Package Quantity: 1
Number of Pieces: 1
Includes: Razor
For Use On: Whole Body
For Hair Type: All Hair Types
Battery: no battery used
Care and Cleaning: Rinse with Water
These are similar, disposable razors made by the same company, Gillette. The Venus and the Mach series both claim to be "sensitive and sensible", have the same number of blades, are for all hair types and useful on all parts of the body. Besides color and some otherwise aesthetic differences, they are the same razor. Even the packaging is similar!
Each razor is listed on Target.com for $3.99 + tax - no pink tax here.
I Don't Feel Cheated.
Do you feel like you are paying more for cute products? I honestly thought that I was - so many people swear by this pink tax. I'm sure I could find some discrepancy somewhere if I tried hard enough, but the numbers don't lie. When you make legitimate comparisons and only put similar products against similar products made by the same company, the pink tax is a myth.
Is this always the case? I doubt so many women would be in an uproar about this if there weren't some real cases out there. I have seen the pictures where price comparisons have been done in the past and see the noticeable price inflation on women's items for myself. But in my research, I just don't see it (and remember, I went into this post expecting to find it).
Hooray, Giveaway!
Well, since there's no price difference, I will send one lucky winner a package of their very own pink razors! The giveaway below is for U.S. readers only (sorry, I am not sending sharp things internationally haha).
Starting a blog is completely overwhelming. There is SO much to do, so many options to choose from, and so much pressure to get it right. That's why Helene of Helene in Between and I got together to discuss how to start a blog.
Tips for Starting a Blog Helene: First, remember this is your online space. You can mold it into whatever you want. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You can get all the details worked out. Have an idea of what your blog is about and why you want to blog. Is it just for fun? Do you want to make money? Do you want to share your life? Whatever the reason (you can change it later) but it's a good idea to think about it.
Angie: Purchase a domain name. While it's easy and free to stick with your basic NAME.blogspot.com or NAME.wordpress.com
when blogging, I highly recommended that you purchase a domain name.
My domain name only costs about $10 a year, and it seems so much more
legitimate when people visit www.mysocalledchaos.com.
It also looks a lot more professional when it comes to advertisers and
companies that want to work with me. Starting right out with a domain
name shows that you mean business, and it helps you make sure you can
actually purchase the domain name you want, because later down the road
you could go to buy one that reflects your blog name and find out that
it's been taken.
Helene: Pick a platform. This can be a tough decision. In my opinion, you have two basic options: Blogger or Wordpress. I am not a Wordpress user. For me it was confusing and a lot of work. But I have heard some great things about Wordpress. Essentially, you own all of your content. I like Blogger, you get free hosting, it's easy to navigate and it's simple to change your layout. Check out why I use blogger.
Angie: Stick with a clean design.
One mistake a see a lot of newbie bloggers make is their design-both
of the main page and the blog posts. If it's too hard to read, people
wont read it. Keep it clean and easy to read and it will encourage
people to actually read it.
I recommend you pay close attention to the following:
Fonts: Whimsical
fonts are okay for your blog title or possibly for headers, but don't
use them for your actual content. They're hard to read and discourage
people from actually reading everything you have to say. Stick with a
good classic and clear print font for the actual post.
Colors:
Make sure you keep your colors easily contrasted-dark writing on a
light background or light writing on a dark background. If you have a
pink background and yellow writing it'll be too hard to read and people
generally wont bother.
Formatting: Make sure you format
your posts. Split it up into paragraphs (like you'd find in a news
article or a book) instead of one giant blog of writing, and add photos
where you can to split up the text. It makes everything easier to read
and helps keep your reader's interest.
Sidebar: It's
super easy to get that sidebar jam-packed with everything you want to
showcase, but it is also a huge turn-off to readers. Just showcase the
important stuff, and if there's more stick it in another page that you
can just link to.
Angie: Think about the direction you want to go in.
You don't have to commit to writing about only one thing for the
entire life cycle of your blog, but it's good to know what direction
you're going in. Is this a lifestyle blog where you'll write about lots
of different things? Is it a family blog where you're going to talk
about your kids? Do you want to share more recipes and cooking than
anything? Direction is good. It's not set in stone, but it definitely
helps you stay focused on the theme of your blog.
Angie: Create social media profiles for your blog.
Social media is perhaps the best marketing tool there is these days.
Make sure you create a Facebook Page, Twitter account, Pinterest
account, Instagram, etc. If you already have all of these accounts,
consider making your usernames fluid so that they match your blog and
are easily associated with it. For example, since my blog is My So-Called Chaos, I use the handle mysocalledchaos on nearly all of my social networks. It's easy to associate, and easy for me to tell people how to find me.
Helene: Sponsor. If you're interested in getting your blog's name out there, this is a great way to do it. No, it's not the only way, but it helps. Sponsoring allows you to have your blog "button" (which is on the right side of my blog and links back to your blog). People will click that link and find you. Other options include sponsoring or advertising with other bloggers: guest posting, giveaways, social media shout outs, etc. Still up in the air? Check out why sponsorship works.
Angie: Start making friends with other bloggers.
One of the best things about blogging is the community it builds.
Take the time to go out and meet other bloggers so you can start
building your community. Comment on their blogs, join linky parties or
Facebook groups, etc. The more you interact with other bloggers and
their blogs the more likely they are to interact back and come visit
your blog. Bloggy BFFs are real, and amazing to have!
Helene: Write for you and do whatever you want. It's your space, you don't have to follow the rules!
For more tips and tricks on better blogging, check out Angie's New Blogger Series!
I'm offering one lucky reader a free Caffeine IV In-Post ad spot! That's a $45 value! Enter below:
By now you should know that I am a co-host over at the blog swapping blog, Chaotic Goddess Swaps. My partner in crime is the fabulously talented Beth over at Printcess. We've been friends for so many years, and it turns out our working relationship is just as great because we balance each other out. I design and market while she plans and keeps everything in good running order. I'm so grateful for that because I have very few organizational skills. lol
If you're not sure what a blog swap is, it's where you get matched up with another blogger for a themed swap. You get to know your blogger, and then you each send each other packages within that theme. It's so much fun! Recently we hosted our Favorite Color Swap, a swap where you send your partner a box of goodies in their favorite color. I was matched up with Erin from Erin Everyday, her favorite color is Purple and she loves elephants. See what I got her HERE.
My favorite color is Teal, and here is what she sent me:
The package included a turquoise bracelet, a wood glittery bird, a small stuffed turquoise elephant (funny thing, I almost bought her one like this but they didn't have any in purple at the store!), a cute little birdhouse (with glitter inside and a floral roof), a clipboard with a floral background, and some turquoise skull earrings (man, I have a think for these little skull beads!). It was such a great package and she really picked, and it looks like she made (did you make the wooden things Erin?), things that I totally love. She was such a great partner!
Thank you SO MUCH Erin! I love it all!
Want to try swapping with us? We just announced our Local Flavor Swap-a swap where you are matched up with someone else in another location and you each send the other a box full of goodies that are local to your area. It gives you both a taste of somewhere different, and it's so much fun! There's also a giveaway right now to celebrate the announcement, the lovely Creative House Shop has offered one lucky winner a Custom State Mug from her shop! Don't miss it!
Hey, I saw this cool link-up over at Chasing My Extraordinary, who linked me to the host-Helene in Between! Like my pineapple picture above? I chose it specifically because of Helene's pineapple picture. Themed? Yes please!
So this is a fun little link up about things you might not or probably don't know about me...
- I own 300 bottles of nail polish and my nails are almost always bare. (Thus why I'm selling about 100 bottles HERE)
- I blog daily while at work, but very very very rarely when I'm at home. It's just too hard to go from my work computer with my ergonomic keyboard and three giant monitors to my little laptop with it's 13" screen.
- I'm the most disorganized person. I don't use my planner I bought, my house is in a constant state of clutter, and I'm always feeling like I'm running around with my head cut off trying to keep blog stuff organized. I'm working on this. lol
- My typical style is jeans and a graphic T-shirt, but I also love a nice flowing sundress.
- I wear a shaper top everywhere. It's an issue, I know it, but I just don't feel comfortable if I don't have it on.
- When I was 16 years old my grandfather made me a deal. He said if I lost 100lbs and kept it off for 6 months he'd pay me $2,000 or put it towards a new car. You'd think that would have been a motivator, but I think my damned rebellious spirit took issue with it and I never did. I found out Sunday that this deal still stands... I just don't know how to feel about it.
- I've only had one lasting monogamous relationship, and that was my very first one. We were together for about a year and a half. I had one other relationship that was about that long, but he wanted to be "Polyamorous"... For him that meant he was keeping his options open. Other than that, I get a few months out of them-not for lack of being great at being a partner, I really am, I just pick the wrong guys. It's a pattern.
- I'm extremely impatient. Yet I'm always waiting for things. WTF is up with that?
- I buy things and then never use them. Thus, the 300 bottles of nail polish and planner I never use... Or my gym membership...
- I seriously don't know how to budget, but I'm buying a house and doubling my outgoing, so I really need to learn.
- I'm incredibly loyal. Not to the point of being a doormat anymore, but I'll pretty much stick by you unless you give me a really good reason not to.
- I'm both an introvert and an extrovert. No really. I want to go out and make lots of plans to, until the time comes to actually go out and then I just wish I could stay home. However, if I then go out I have a great time... But then it takes two or three days at home to recover. Haha!
- I love to cook, but hate cooking for just me. I want to cook for other people.
- I learned to type with a double space after the period and I cannot break the habit no matter how hard I try.
- My thumbs bend at backwards at almost a 90 degree angle. "Hitchhiker Thumbs"
- I am easily susceptible to food advertising. If I see a really effective ad or photo, it doesn't matter if I don't even have to like the restaurant to suddenly crave it. Such as a double cheesburger from McDonalds (ew) or Animal Fries from In-N-Out. Neither place I eat at or usually want, but man that one ad will get me obsessing. (While writing this, I literally stopped and went to In-N-Out because Shawn set me this link and number three got me bad. lol)
Back at the end of May I was able to go visit my best friend in Edmonton, AB. He moved to Canada almost a year ago, and it was my first trip up to visit. One of the places we visited? The Muttart Conservatory. We're both HUGE plant/flower nerds, so it was so much fun to go through the four different pyramids and look at all of the pretty plants.
The first pyramid we went into was the Tropical pyramid. It was filled with all kinds of tropical plants, including something called a Corpse Flower, or if you want to get technical, the Amorphophallus Titanum. It is called a corpse flower, because when it blooms it smells like decomposing flesh, and we were informed by another patron that he had been there the week before when it was flowering. They then chop it off as it starts to wilt (probably due to smell), and they only bloom every 7-10 years, but you can see how it looks as it's growing before flowering in the next photo after this one:
There were so many gorgeous flowers in there. So many I'd love to fill my home with (definitely not the corpse flower), and the pyramid was wonderfully humid and tropical. I also enjoyed taking a great shot of Josh's new friend Chaslee as she took selfies for her boyfriend who is back in Chicago. It was a great time!
Check back later, as I'll have photos from the other four pyramids over the next few weeks. :)
