The Blogmopolitan Quiz Part 3

I'm linking up again with Two Thirds Hazel for pretty much the coolest link-up imaginable. I tried to fill this one out as fast as possible because I typically put waaay too much thought into these things! So fun!

things learned

today I am 23 years old. although I definitely don't want to be one of those people who gripes about being old while still in my early twenties, I feel a little freaked out by 23. I know for a long time, I thought I'd have my life all figured out by 23. but I don't. I don't really have anything figured out, but I have learned a lot of things, especially over the past year.

A Starbucks birthday cake pop is the best way to celebrate.

while I may go into 23 still telling people that I'm 21, here are 22 things I learned about myself, relationships, and life while I was 22.

one: it's okay to say no, and to express what you really want.

two: and a follow up to number one, it's okay to not know what you're doing with your life, and it's okay to say that out loud [still learning this one]

three: moisturizing your skin is the most important thing in the world. or, well, it's up there.

four: love doesn't always work out. this was probably the hardest lesson I've learned over the past year, but also one of the most valuable.

five: I am a girly-girl. I think for a long time I tried to think I was "one of the guys," but I finally learned this year that a) I am not "one of the guys" and b) it's okay to be girly.

six: feminism is not about female supremacy. I think this past year, I learned that I am a feminist.

seven: being an auntie is the best thing in the whole wide world.

eight: it's okay to not be okay.

nine: being strong doesn't mean you're not hurting. it means that you can face your hurt with bravery.

ten: sometimes champagne is the answer:

eleven: people watching is sometimes the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

twelve: Dr. Seuss is pretty much the best philosopher in the world.

thirteen: sometimes you don't know what you like or don't like until you try it. so try it.

fourteen: you won't meet your future Mr or Mrs Right on some dating app. you'll need to download and delete the app several hundred times before you realize this.

fifteen: it's important to never stop learning.

sixteen: be yourself. the truth about who you are will always come out, so you may as well be you from the start.

seventeen: it's okay to keep reading seventeen magazine. but it's also okay to exchange it for a cosmo. you do you.

eighteen: that thing that you waste all of your time doing? it's not time wasted. it's what you should be doing.

nineteen: in the end, things won't matter. invest in relationships, not retail. (wow, I'm deep)

twenty: going to bed early is AWESOME.

twenty-one: Beyonce, hot chocolate and a good book are usually a good cure for anything.

twenty-two: learning to love yourself is the hardest thing you may ever do. but it's also the most important.

there's my list! what are some of your life lessons?

favourites

here's a little friday fun! my five favourite cheerful places to look at when I've got free time or need a laugh!

1. #myfriendsaremarried - omg, this is seriously the funniest tumblr. as a single girl with a lot of married friends, this blog is basically constantly reading my mind.

2. ps.heart - this blog is a) incredibly beautiful b) written by two beautiful lovlies and c) my inspiration when I can't find my creativity. check it out!

3. anna akana - I love Anna's thoughts on life. she's smart, funny and a feminist. she's recently exploring making short films and I'm loving all of her twisted creativity.

4. fitsugar - way to make fitness look glam, fun and fabulous! I love reading articles on here. it motivates me and keeps me interested.

5. sexplanations - Dr. Doe, a sexologist that I adore (and pretty much want to be when I grow up!!), explains sex concepts in a clear, frank way - plus she's hilarious and goofy.

share the love - tell me what your favourite cheerful websites are!

how to get up early to work out

I am SOO not a morning person. At all. Buuut... I much prefer being finished my workout early in the day so that I can have fun in the evening. Getting up before work to work out has proven to be incredibly challenging. So here is how to get up early to fit in a work out in 15 easy steps.

1. set around 500 alarms the night before.

2. tell your roommate to call you at 5:45 am so that you really can't avoid the workout

3. argue with your roommate about why she should get up at the crack of dawn just to make sure that you do.

4. learn to deal with the fact that you're an adult and have to be responsible for your own wake up times.

5. go to bed really, really early. so you can get up at the earliest time of day and feel energized and ready.

6. Lay in bed for 45 minutes wishing you could fall asleep.

7. Watch 3 episodes of Sex and the City since you can't sleep anyways. Start drifting off as you contemplate whether you love or hate Miranda.

8. Wake up to your first of 500 alarms. Turn off all of your alarms because you're sooo going to get out of...

9. Wake up an hour later and realize you totally haven't made it out of bed yet. If you get up now, you can still fit in a 45 minute Zumba video before work.

10. Bargain with yourself for fifteen minutes. If you just get up and go for a light jog for 30 minutes, you can totally have the full-fat latte at Starbucks.

11. Holy crap, now you've only got half an hour. If you really think about it, you can only work out for 20 minutes because you have to get ready for work after and you really don't want to be late.

12. Maybe you can fit in a quick power walk. You did wake up early, after all.

13. Nah. Decide that if you just eat healthy for the day and try to walk a lot while at work, you can skip the work out.

14. Sleep for 15 extra minutes.

15. Have the full-fat latte at Starbucks anyways. Decide you'll start tomorrow because "Thursdays are a better day to start a fitness/diet regimen anyways."

remotivate

About a year ago, I hit an incredible milestone. I had lost 100 pounds. I didn't use any programs, any diet pills or any juice cleanses. It was just me + myfitnesspal + paying close attention to what I was eating... and, obviously, exercise.

This was a huge accomplishment, and I was incredibly proud. It took me about a year and two months.

When school got out that spring, and I no longer had random gaps in my schedule, it became harder to go to the gym. I was also working more, which meant that I could afford to eat out more often. In addition to that, my anxiety began to grow (for seemingly no reason) and food became a comfort source once again for me. The pounds began to creep back up on me, and by the end of the summer I had put on about 40 pounds. That's TEN pounds a month.

When school started again in September, I committed to taking better care of myself again, but it became harder and harder as much anxiety blew itself completely out of control. Over the 8 months of school that just passed, I gained about 30 pounds. Which means I've gained 70 of that 100 pounds back - and I hate it. I want to get back into it. I'm in a wedding in August and I want to be happy to be in wedding pictures, not ashamed and hiding behind others.

So I've re-started my journey yesterday - it's hard because I'm going through a breakup and I'm broke. But there will always be excuses and I can't let that get in my way! Soooo... I've decided to start another series on my blog! /Weightloss/Workout Wednesdays! And today's post is about my three favourite ways to motivate yourself to work out.

Find a buddy: working out with friends, for me, means that a) I'll actually go to the gym and b) that I get to have fun while working out! I think it's been shown that working out with friends can really improve one's fitness.

Get some great music: I cannot do cardio without music. Right now, my go-to workout music includes Stars Dance (Selena Gomez), Fancy (Iggy Azalea) and Grown Woman (Beyonce).

Use an app: I use myfitnesspal (find me! my username is robineyy). It's an awesome, user-friendly app and website. It also syncs up with a Fitbit or newly a Jawbone Up (and I'm thinking of getting one!). It's great to have an online weight loss community to keep you accountable and it's also great to have as a guide for food and fitness.

So those are my re-motivation tips! What are yours?

currently

a fun list of the things I currently can't get enough of

[watching] Game of Thrones. This season has been incredible!

[reading] Lean In for Graduates. Sheryl Sandberg has some incredibly insightful thoughts.

[listening] to Dreams by Boots + Beyonce. So so so addicted.

[making] a schedule for my blog posts for the month of May! Exciting things coming!

[feeling] a little lost, confused, sad, excited and relieved. Lots of stuff going on. 

[planning] fun things to do when I visit my home town later this month!

this is the plan!

[loving] my amazing coworkers. 

some of my crazy aforementioned coworkers 

chill out!

I am SO excited to introduce a new series on my blog: mental health mondays! Like most of my ideas, this one came to me in the shower - I've been so excited + planning ever since! I'm starting off the series with my favourite ways to beat anxiety in the springtime!

As all y'all know, I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and in general struggle with anxiety during the day-to-day. I think a lot of people deal with anxiety and in a lot of ways our society tells us that we need to perform + be at a standard that isn't really achievable. This creates so much stress and anxiety, and the problem is cyclical: the more anxious we become, the more our performance suffers, so we become even more anxious. We become anxious about controlling our anxiety (or at least I do!) and ensuring that we don't seem anxious. One awesome way to beat this cycle is to [essentially] take a time-out. Doing whatever you love is going to make everything a little bit easier. These are some of my favourite ways to take a time-out during those high anxiety times.

If you have five minutes: When I only have a short period of time to calm the hell down, I pour myself a large glass of water, listen to my favourite song + give myself a temple massage or practice deep breathing. I won't do any work or talk to anyone for the duration of the song and just focus on calming down and taking care of myself. Some mini-me-time.

If you have half an hour: When I have a real break, there are a few different de-stressers I like to hit up. Taking a quick, brisk walk really ups the endorphins and makes me feel better. Sometimes I'll watch a 20-minute episode of a tv show if I really need to be mindless. Other times I'll call one of my besties or my mom and get a quick pep-talk. It's ideal to find something that will distract you from the anxiety, and also get some happy-hormones flowing. Connecting with others, laughing at the Mindy Project + getting exercise are all great and non-time-consuming ways to do this!

If you have a few hours: When I have a free evening or a few free hours (especially if it's been a really high-anxiety day) I will hit up a hot yoga class. Yoga has been scientifically proven to ease anxiety - yoga stimulattes the vagus nerve. Calming down that flight or fight response is what really works to ease anxiety (more info here). If I don't have the $$, I'll practice a few simple positions at home and focus largely on deep-breathing. When I'm at home (in BC), a long walk by the ocean is another chilling-out favourite. Alternatively, if I'm super wiped out, I'll light a candle and watch a movie or read a book. Just taking that down time can really help with the "high anxiety exhaustion." 

Starbucks is always my fave back-up plan on stressful, busy days.

I'm so thrilled to be posting this first mental health monday post! if you have a topic you'd like me to write on for a mental health monday, tell me in the comments below! what are your favourite ways to deal with anxiety? I can't wait to announce more exciting changes for On the Shoreline - coming soon! 

Blogmopolitan Quiz 2

I was so excited to find out that Erin had done another Blogmopolitan Quiz! So much fun to feel like a celebrity. I'm basically Beyonce. Right?

(you can click on it to make it larger)

So much fun!

ualberta class review

It's reading break! yay! That means I'm halfway through my last semester at the University of Alberta. Woah. That's insane.

Although I would definitely argue that I've learned a lot more through non-academic university experiences (student groups, who I am as a person, student governance, how I react to stress, etc), the last five years of my life have been filled with some really great classes and instructors - so here's a list of my favourites.

First Year Classes

Medical Microbiology & Immunology 133: I had super low expectations going into this class. I'd been aware that I loved pathology for a long time, but I wasn't prepared for how much I was going to enjoy an entire class spent on human disease. LOVED it. The prof, Judy Gnarpe, totally made the class. I think this was my absolute favourite first year class.

Psychology 104/105: To be honest, most 100-level classes are not so fun. They're really broad and the general science ones were incredibly boring most of the time. And even though psych 104 and 105 were not an exception to this, these classes convinced me to change my major from biology to psychology. This, obviously, was quite the life-changing decision.

Second Year Classes

Anatomy 200: This was an incredible class. The prof, Dr. David Begg, was one of the most incredible profs I've ever had. He inspired me to pursue what I love in life instead of what I think is expected of me. Also, the class is super fun. Hard average? Yes. Hilarious sex jokes from a professional anatomist? Also yes. I mean, I've always been a bit of a macro-physio nerd so this class was right up my alley!

Psychology 233: Personality psych is by far the most fun of all the psychs. As y'all know, I'm pretty obsessed with personality theories, so this class was fantastic for me. I think the number is different now though. Seriously the best second year class I took by far. And I also took it with my favourite prof ever, Jennifer Passey, and her sass made the class even more enjoyable.

Psychology 275: Brain and behaviour was one of the most fun classes I've ever taken. It piqued my interest in neuroscience and physiology. I definitely recommend it if you're sort of interested in the brain or in where human behaviour really comes from. I also recommend that you take it with a Singhall. :)

Third Year Classes

Biology 321: Despite the fact that biology is my minor, there isn't much of it on this list. Mechanisms of Evolution, however, was the most fun bio class I've ever taken. The prof, Heather Proctor, was hilarious, smart and captivating. I loved this class - AND there's no lab. Praise.

Pharmacology 305: This class might have been the most fascinating class I've ever taken. Titled drugs of abuse, this class studied the mechanisms of addiction. I felt like throughout the class I was making a mental list of drugs I would try and drugs that I most certainly would not try. This class was really hard, but definitely worth the mental effort. Our prof (Martin Davies) was hilarious and the subject matter was obviously pretty interesting.

Psychology 305 (Special Topics): Social Influence. This class actually takes the cake as the very, very best class of my degree. It was fascinating and fun and I feel like I learned so much about how marketing works. Honestly, I didn't ever skip this class because I didn't want to miss a thing (and that says a lot because I am an avid class skipper). You wouldn't believe the way we influence each other - and sometimes don't even realize it. Everyone should take this class. Of course, it was taught by my absolute favourite professor Jennifer Passey. Seriously. Take this class.

Psychology 339: Abnormal psych is every psych student's pride and joy. So much fun - it's all stuff you actually want to remember. Symptoms of this class include walking around like you can diagnose any person's oddities and deciding that you have a new disorder every week.

Psychology 365: Advanced perception blew my mind. It's like proving that your whole life is one big optical illusion. It was really fun, really interesting and the prof, Karsten Loepelmann was one of my very favourites. In fact, I purposely took all of the classes he taught because I liked him so much. I recommend this class to everyone - but it is certainly not easy!

Psychology 375: As a follow up on the second year brain and behaviour class, this class dives into cognitive neuroscience. I learned SO MUCH in this class and I didn't even realize it. It's definitely not an easy class but Dr. Jeremy Caplan is one of the best professors that ualberta has on staff. This class sparked my interest in research and allowed me to explore my interest in normal brain function.

Psychology 377: And how could I put 375 on this list without mentioning its sister course? This class provided an in-depth look at the neuro side of brain dysfunction and disorder. It had a really cool component where we got to watch a movie about a psych disorder and then write a paper on it. This was a fantastic class.

Fourth Year Classes

Psychology 403 (Special Topics): This class provided an in-depth look at the neuroscience of memory. This class makes the list for three reasons: 1. The content was incredible and fascinating. 2. The prof, Dr. Jeremy Caplan, is on my list of favourite instructors. He cares so much about students and the material and that really makes all the difference. 3. This class was organized in such a way that it may have prepared all of us for graduate school. Also, in this class, I became convinced that I might have an over-sized amygdala. If I ever get an fMRI done I'll let y'all know.

Psychology 403 (Special Topics): I'm currently taking this class - we basically get an in-depth look at different therapies and get to practice on each other. It's so much fun and our prof (Roy Frenzel) is a clinical psychologist so we get to learn so much from him. This class is helping me to revisit my "diagnose everybody" phase - except this time I'm diagnosing everybody's conversational style with a different form of therapy. It's also prep for grad school, like the other 403, but the counselling kind, instead of the neuroscience kind.

Psychology 494: I took ergonomics because it was taught by Karsten Loepelmann, and when I signed up for this class, I didn't even know what ergonomics were... and I came out of this class judging the design of everything everywhere. This class was about studying how to create things for human use. Despite the fact that we spent a little too much time talking about plane crashes (anxiety, anyone?), this class was extremely interesting and way more fun than I'd ever guessed it would be.

You made it to the end of my list! Sorry for the cray-cray long post. So you tell me - what have your favourite classes been?

High Five for Friday

It's Friday! Yay! This weekend I'm going to a retreat with the executive of my student group and I'm really excited. I'm giving a mini workshop on nonverbal communication and I have about a billion improv games planned - I'm sure my fellow executives (all introverts) are probably just thrilled. lol. Oh well.

Today I'm linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for a five greats from the past week post called High Five for Friday! Yay! Here are my five: 

1. I got a sticker from Aerie Real's new campaign - they're no longer retouching their models which is really exciting to me. I hope this means we're one step closer to letting go of the ideals of photoshop altogether.
   
2. This week I managed to get ahead in my classes. I don't have any midterms or assignments now until after reading week, so I'm resisting the urge to slack off.
3. It's currently international week at the university and today was also Chinese New Year - I got to see some really fantastic lion dancers! They were seriously fantastic; I couldn't look away! Hence the poor photo quality. 
   
4. This week I went to see Dallas Buyers Club with one of my besties. It was absolutely incredible and I definitely recommend seeing it if you are into pharmaceutical history, AIDS prevention/treatment or if you just enjoy an amazing and emotional plot.
5. Today was filled with really good chats with friends. These hands belong to an inspirational and incredible friend of mine. I love Henna. Also she's holding a glass jar and I'm pretty much obsessed with glass jars so I forced her to let me photograph her hands! :) 
   

Hope your week was filled with many high points and have a great weekend!

procrastination list

I'm procrastinating on studying for my Cell Bio final, and I thought I'd share my procrastinations with y'all.

1. I just counted how many lip glosses/lip chaps are on my desk. The answer is 5. Is that necessary? I don't know. It's an addiction I can't fully explain... especially the lip gloss thing, because I hardly ever wear it (I hate it when my hair sticks to my lips). 

2. I tried to make banana bread, and after I mixed it all up I realized I don't have a bread pan. Soooo I tried putting it into muffin tins. It really didn't work out. Looks awful, but tastes amazing, so I guess it's not a complete lose.

3. I really appreciated reading through this. How many of these things apply to you? 

4. In the spirit of counting things at my desk, I also have 9 notepads on top of my desk. That's not including the ones in the boxes under my desk. I know, I know I don't need that many notepads. but they're kind of my favourite thing to buy for myself. They're so pretty, I just can't resist.

5. I can't quite get enough of this mash-up, despite the heavy influences of my least favourite song ever. What do you think? 

Well I guess it's back to cell bio for me. Happy exams, friends!

thanksgiving

Fall is definitely my favourite season. I love the cooler weather, the clothes, the colours, the smells, the FOOD... I love it all! This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, and I'm really appreciating having some downtime. Despite the fact that I'm not really doing anything for Thanksgiving, it seemed like an oh-so-appropriate time to make a list of the things I'm very thankful for.

1. downtime
2. salted caramel hot chocolate
3. candles
4. peace
5. long talks with my mommy
6. crunchy fall leaves
7. cozy scarves
8. my kitty!
9. sleep (I seriously fell asleep at 10:30 pm the other night!
10. "youngest" and her onion
11. grace
12. laughing with friends until your abs hurt
13. eggs

Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?

September Favourites

I love lists, as you probably know, so I thought I would make a list of my favourite things from September! With pictures!

Studio pants from LuluLemon

these are seriously the most comfortable pants on the face of the earth. if it was socially acceptable, I would wear them every day.

credit

Pumpkin Pecan Waffle Candles 

this is definitely my new favourite candle from Bath & Body Works. it smells like pie and happiness

credit

Vanilla Almond Crunch Granola

this cereal, from Archer Farms, is amazing. if only it were a little healthier... 

credit

Tennis Courts

Lorde's newest single from her album Pure Heroine is on repeat on my iPhone these days. Don't be weirded out by the incredibly creepy video. 

And here are two of my favourite moments from the last little while:

this is a shot from my dear friends Eric + Jessica's wedding in August. I absolutely love this picture. Credit goes to my amazing friend Kirsten Buyer Photography.

and this last picture is from the Fairtrade Town launch! Yes! that's right, Edmonton is now a Fairtrade town. It's hard to believe sometimes, when you're part of a movement, that the end goal will be reached. But this is proof that some ambition and a lot of hard work can change the world.

I'm Still Here!

I know, I know... it's been so long since I've written - I cannot even begin to tell you how busy I've been! With surprise family visits, weddings, an emergency trip to Calgary and my Chicago trip coming up, I have hardly sat in front of my computer for this whole month!

I can't believe that summer is almost over! I'm feeling a little spoiled because everything I wanted this summer to be has happened - I went to Hawaii, I worked part time, I had a lot of introspective time, my mom [and sister!] came to visit, and I'm going to Chicago! August is really flying by, and I am about to start my fifth and final year at the U of A. It's so sad/exciting/crazy to think about.

Although I have much to say, I don't have a lot of time tonight. So, here are some wonderful things that I've been loving lately:

A u g u s t   F a v e s
1. nude nail polish
2. high thread count sheets - seriously life changing!
3. chocolate ice cream eaten from a teacup
4. studio crops from LuluLemon
5. vanilla + fig candles from Anthropologie
6. late night talks with my mommy
7. this inspiration: {taken from Pinterest}

Girl Crushes

Although I'm a very independent individual, there are a few women out there who I really look up to! Here's my list of girl crushes!

NUMBER ONE: Beyoncé Knowles 

If you've ever talked to me, you had to know this was coming. I LOVE Beyoncé and everything she stands for! I look up to her because she is strong, she is always empowering others (especially women!), she is a great role model, she avoids cheap drama. BeyBey works hard, is an amazing and talented artist, and is a very glam style icon. I adore her - it's definitely on my bucket list to see her in concert!

NUMBER TWO: Amy Poehler
Amy is one woman who I truly look up to and aspire to be like. Firstly, she is HILARIOUS. I love that she's a goofball - but she's no slacker! From producing AND writing AND directing AND starring in her own tv show (and yeah, I have a secondary crush on Leslie Knope) to her YouTube channel, Smart Girls, designed to empower young women, to being involved in the feminist movement, Amy just doesn't quit. She inspires me to be weird, be goofy, be independent - to be myself. I admire her so much!

NUMBER THREE: Emma Stone

Something about Emma just screams friendship! She's so down-to-earth and chill while maintaining a really cool persona - lets face it: we all want to be her bff. Plus, I love her style! I think my favourite thing about Emma is that she really promotes being yourself - no matter how messy and weird you think you are.

NUMBER FOUR: Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama is my favourite first lady. She's so into fitness, empowering women and she's also a hilarious goofball who is incredibly intelligent. I love that she's trying to make a dent in American childhood obesity - also, can I just say it's like a huge dream of mine to work out with her!? I think she's a great leader, an excellent mother and a wonderful wife. So, I have a total girl crush on her!

NUMBER FIVE: Rachel McAdams
Rachel McAdams is my beauty and style icon. She is so naturally beautiful, and I love her classy, girly style. She can pull off any look she wants to, and does so with grace. I also love watching her movies - I think she's such a fantastic actress. She's dramatic, funny and charming all at once! Love her!

So, it's your turn! Tell me in the comments below: who are YOUR girl crushes?

Things I Believe in Today

My week started with a little bit of much needed relaxation, and I thought I'd make this happy little list 

I believe in extra extra large cups of coffee and extra spicy chai tea lattes.

I believe in staying in bed for a whole weekend.

I believe in dreaming out loud to your closest friends.

I believe there is always time to enjoy the little things.

I believe in eating cookies, trying on dresses and painting your nails.

I believe in never giving up hope, even when everything seems to be hopelessly falling apart... and staying true to yourself, even when it seems impossible.

Turn up the Workout

I've been back from Hawaii for just about a month, and I'd been struggling a lot with getting back to the gym/nutrition routine. I decided to make a new workout playlist to get inspired! Happy running!

taken from Pinterest

June 2013 Workout Playlist

1. Wop - J. Dash ft. Flo Rida

2. Come & Get It - Selena Gomez

3. Ooh La La - Britney Spears

4. Live It Up - Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull

5. Tonight I'm Getting Over You - Carly Rae Jepsen

6. The Other Side - Jason Derulo

7. I Love It - Icona Pop

What songs inspire you to get your sweat on?

June Goals

I'm really super good at setting goals. I have been since I was quite young - even in elementary school, I was constantly aspiring to improve myself through goal setting.

Following through on my goals? That's another story. I'm a person who loves the start of things... and when things get normal, I get bored. I think the best way to ensure that I meet my goals is to create accountability: by posting my goals on here, I feel some responsibility to ensure that they happen!

So, here are my goals for the next month:

[1] blog more frequently

[2] get my desk/office space sorted out and organized

[3] drink more water (~8 cups a day!)

[4] stick to my budget!

[5] practice storytelling on the blog! This could be a huge disaster... we will see!

[6] start (and finish) one creative project this month!

[7] have an honest and open conversation about what's going on in my heart with at least one person

Updates!

/ / currently / / 

[watching] Modern Family!

[reading] The Jesus Calling Devotional

[listening] Kid Cudi's newest, "Indicud"

[making] goals for the summertime

[feeling] stressed & exhausted

[planning] on getting better at journalling! {and blogging}

[loving] the warmer weather! {in Edmonton? yeah right!} an uprising of girly creativity in my heart!

In 2012 I Resolve To

1. Be real in my faith by constant prayer + adoration, and by choosing to serve the Lord instead of my selfish desires.

2. Stop eating beef - beef production is one of the leading causes of global warming.

3. Stop drinking pop - that stuff's nasty. Still don't know if this includes iced tea.

4. Seek to be Galatians 5:22-23 + seek the spirit's leading in this!

5. Create a budget and stick to it.

6. End an unhealthy friendship that I should no longer be maintaining.

7. Put on a purity ring + mean it as a commitment to God.

8. Stop biting my nails.