JSJ – Page 6 – The Starling's Journey

The Best Birthday!

June 1, 2015 by JSJ

Happy Monday folks! I hope you had an awesome weekend!!

My first weekend as a 25 year old was super eventful and a blast. A few hiccups along the way but they can make things more interesting so it’s all good. We’re here, we’re safe, we’re happy. Life is amazingly beautiful.

The most beautiful thing happened to me last week though, was on my birthday. I didn’t have a party or anything and actually we didn’t even go out to dinner until the next night. It was the best day though because My husband gave me the most wonderful birthday gift.

A little background story:

I had been complaining to Andre himself about how hurt my feelings were that I was seeing lots of cards I had written him just tossed about around the house. I even saw some on the floorboard of his car! My love language is words of affirmation so to me, it was basically like seeing my heart and soul just dumped out all over the place without a care.

Flash forward to two weeks later when I open my birthday gift and saw this:

I immediately burst into tears when I saw that what he had done. He had taken a few of the cards I had written him and turned their cover artwork into a collage around words I had written him, cut out and rearranged into his own message to me.

My heart exploded. Turns out, the cards I had seen in all those random places were the ones he was collecting to use, just not in a very organized way, ha! The only chance he had to work on it where I wouldn’t know or find it were his breaks at work so it had taken him about two weeks to complete from beginning to end.

He had taken the time to put such a creative gift together for me that centered around the thing that makes my soul thrive, heartfelt words. It was such an act of kindness that touched my spirit in a way that I have never known before. I needed that. My heart had been a bit overwhelmed, not necessarily in a bad way..but not a peaceful way either. It was weird but not. I don’t know. My birthday can be a weird time for me. I start thinking on such deep levels, I can go a little cray!

But then, I felt light as a feather because Andrew gave me the most beautiful thing a person can receive, the overwhelming joyful experience of being loved.

I am so thankful for my husband who continues to show such great love for me on new levels, constantly.

Sending you all massive amounts of good energy today. Praying for such great love for each and every one of you all, too.

Here’s to another beautiful week, filled with lots of gratitude and joy ♥

Walking on Water

May 29, 2015 by JSJ

Most of you reading probably know that I’m from a mid-size beach town on the east coast. Having grown up at the beach I always find it astonishing when people have only been a handful of times or even not at all. If you’ve never been, then the physical experience I’m about to share won’t be relatable but the message I think is for everyone. It jumped out at me one October day last year on one of my final trips to the beach as a resident.

When you’re walking away from the ocean, it looks like you’re walking on a treadmill. You’re moving forward towards (more) solid ground and there is a force behind you taking out the old and bringing in the new- literally changing the ground you’re walking on right before your eyes.

But at first glance, it seems you’re going nowhere.

With my 25th birthday having just passed, I can’t help but think about how far I’ve come. I can’t help but think of sweet Nikita. I can’t help but think of all the ups and downs I’m sure are to continue to come as the year continues to progress, just like in years past. But this year, and forevermore, I want to hold on to this reminder that as the years pass, although there will be times where it seems like: We are going nowhere. Things aren’t changing. No one cares…

The fact is that no matter how good/smart/organized/efficient we are, we never truly see the whole picture.

There are forces all around us that we can’t see that are working for our aid, not just against us, as sometimes it might seem. This is true, but it is still up to us to keep moving. You see, if you stand too long on the ocean’s treadmill like surface your feet will sink into the earth as the waves move in and out, as though you were standing on quicksand. It becomes increasing harder to move forward…but still– not impossible. As long as one keeps moving forward, a more solid ground will be found.

So as we continue to move full speed ahead through this year and beyond, I challenge you (and my own self) to take a second look. A deeper look. To forever stay positive and hopeful. To believe that everything can work out for your greater good. Believe that the old will flush out, the new will come in and you’ll be standing on solid ground when all is said and done – even if it doesn’t look that way in the present moment.

This message came at an exceptionally perfect time for me because at the time, I was about to make my first move away from my hometown, my family and the sea. Something I was excited about, but scared of all at the same time. Although this encouragement came in 2014 and I’m sharing it in 2015, it’s one I want to carry with me for the rest of my years because I believe it to be relevant no matter where you are in life. My hope is that you might be blessed and carry it with you as well.

One of my current favorite photos of a hometown beach. Luna in the corner shining ♥

I would like to express great gratitude for the beach, the ocean and all its many wonders and life lessons.

**Joining Miranda for Coffee Chat today!

25

May 27, 2015 by JSJ

Today is my 25th birthday.

new baby jlynn with her granny

For some reason I’ve felt the need to post something and even had some things to publish but…nothing ended up feeling quite right.

This morning, I happened to stumble upon a piece of paper from high school. In chorus my senior year, our director Mr. Bron had us write our name on a blank piece of paper and pass it around the room. We were to all write encouraging things about whomever had been passed to us. Everyone wrote something about everyone then they were retuned and we got to keep ours.

I have been feeling weird today (I can think of one reason..) but everything else is just I guess a range of emotions about what birthdays mean. I suppose they are the day (as you get older) the universe of culture has you stop to celebrate, only to leave you reflecting on what it means in the future. It’s overwhelming me a bit so I think it’s no coincidence I found these pieces of paper (actually 3 stapled together), today.

Happy birthday 1 yr old jlynn! Smash cakes were a little bigger back in the day I guess. And No that’s not a ghost in the back that’s my granny ha!

I sat down on the patio and began reading through what the people I hung out with most in high school had to say about me. About this girl who was 1/2 100% real- totally there, and 1/2 hidden away. See, I was dealing with things but when I competed in a pageant or went to school, I could be myself more than anywhere else. I decided to stop competing in pageants when it got to be too much and luckily the year before that was when I graduated so it didn’t do too much damage on my grades. Although, if I’m being honest, I was a terrible student. Simply awful at math.

I’ve been talking a lot here on the blog about my past self and my new self – and then here on these few pieces of paper, they meet.

Princess tea party for 9 yr old jlynn

I can see the life of that girl I used to be played out in the different fonts and ink shades that dance across the pages. The first, home to a gigantic, purple “JLYNN” right in the center. “Write your name big enough?!” begins one excerpt. It makes me laugh. They were all anonymous but some, I’m able to identify. I find a passage from one who stopped speaking to me years ago, promising eternal friendship. I see bits from people to whom I was not their cup of tea, obviously trying to find nice things to say about me, but succeeding. Even those make me smile. And then there are the glimpses into those pieces of me (no Britney pun intended) to which I wanted to keep.

I realized, spelled out on these pieces of paper was a phase of life.

Some things don’t stay with you through your life but some do. Some things we can choose, like whether to be a kind person or a mean person. And some we can’t, like a friend who is done with the friendship or the loss of a loved one. Today, I find it easy to think of a world of unknowns. A life lived without anxiety of my past (what does that even mean?!) but also without anxiety of the future. I know I won’t always succeed in that, but I do want to hold on to those pieces of me that I’ve chosen and always want to choose to keep, regardless of how gentle or rough the waters may be.

I have a heart filled with such gratitude for this seven year old reminder to stay positive, choose kindness always, and that life is an ocean of waves that just keep rollin.

JLYNN

(a few of my favorites)

“The representation of the meaning of the word ‘joy’ is what describes my perception of her.”

“You are so well spirited and it is amazing how you are so positive most everyday.”

“Your beauty is true, inside and out. I will never forget you and appreciate your listening ear and your heart.”

“You are such an awesome, caring person that would always stand up for the underdog and your friends.”

“You are incredibly down to earth and so sweet. You are never afraid to stick up for others.”

(This one might be my favorite. I’m pretty sure was written by my friend Matthew)

“You are one of the most kind hearted people I know.”

I’m looking very forward to my 25th year with great gratitude for where I’ve been and what I’ve learned. I’m proud of the understanding of myself that I have thus far and can’t wait to discover more as my world continues to change on the journey of life.

I hope you all have a beautiful May 27th. ♥

My Whole 30 Journey: The Experience

May 14, 2015 by JSJ

***I could have broken this up into part 1, 2, 3, etc… but I just put all my overall experience here (for the most part). Skim through, read what looks interesting, come back…however. But most anything you want to know about my overall Whole 30 experience you will find here in this post. Anything else, check the links below for the rest of the posts from this series.! xx

The Whole 30.

Wow. This has definitely been a wild ride. What I thought was just going to be a food experiment turned out to be an emotionally stimulating experience that has brought about a new level of maturity in me that I couldn’t be more grateful for.

In my last post (‘What now?’) I talked about going through the Whole 30 evaluation checklist and I did, but before I get into that, I want to talk about a something else that is super important to think about before starting this experience.

REINTRODUCTION.

For me, this was kinda like pregnancy. They say it’s 9 months then you get into it and then you find- actually it’s ten. I haven’t experienced this firsthand but I’ve read the blog posts. I was so scared about the meal planning prep part that I glazed over reintroduction and totally wasn’t ready. Physically with my food options or mentally. That is totally on me yes. Combine that with our trip to the beach and I was just all kinds of messed up.

So. With that being said, I have to be honest and say that I tried reintroduction and did not succeed. I’m kindof ok with it though because my main focus wasn’t really trying to track down the source of something problematic happening. I kinda just went back into eating beans and rice and that kind of thing whenever I wanted but waited on bread until I got home from beach.

I would recommend anyone wanting to do this to take reintroduction into account before starting the program, while still in the planning stages.

It’s important! Even though I wasn’t looking for the cause of a specific health problem, I do in some ways feel like (in the smallest way) I fell a little eentsy bit short of my goal. I still feel successful but I will most definitely be paying more attention to this should I do this again.

MEAL PLANNING.

This is also super important to think about before starting but I thought it best to include my thoughts on this in tomorrow’s recipes post so stay tuned!

So on to my evaluation…

Not going to lie, I was hoping to see some improvement in my pms symptoms but I didn’t. That was kinda a bummer but I did have so much going on that week and the stressful situations just seemed to pile up so that could have been a contributor. I didn’t see improvement in my pms but lets talk about where I DID see improvement…

***highlighted in red are my original program goals mentioned in my first post, ‘Thoughts on beginning the Whole 30’.

• Leaner Appearance
Although I appear smaller because of my leaner appearance, I was able to do exactly as I said I wanted which was to maintain/gain. On my last day I weighed in at 1 lb heavier with my weight flocculating between 1-5 pounds heavier than my first weigh in over the course of the 30 days. Victory even despite the fact that 95% of people end up losing weight on this program. I was doing 30-35 minutes of yoga 3x week.

• No more chronic fatigue
I wouldn’t really say I had chronic fatigue in the way that a lot of people experience it but I most definitely feel more alert all throughout the day.

• An improvement in your specific symptoms or condition
I had been experiencing a chronic chest tightness for a while. I had an xray done of my chest not too long ago and everything was fine. A shoulder massage would relieve the discomfort a bit but I have had a significant reduction in the tightness to the point where I barely feel it, if at all. This is probably my most favorite thing I noticed.

• More optimistic
I’ve always tried to be a pretty positive person but I can honestly say I feel more optimistic about my own self if that makes any sense? I feel like I proved something to myself. I’m proud of myself I suppose :)

• You respond better to stress
I don’t think I 100% have won this battle but I certainly feel more equipped.

• No more anxiety
This is another one that I don’t think I’m 100% there yet but I have had zero panic attacks in the last 30 days and have had only a couple hypochondriac moments which for me is amazing. My husband will tell you I’m always thinking my arm is going to just fall off or something and there has been non of that! Ok except for those couple of times. But progress is progress!

• No more sugar cravings
I can honestly say my sugar cravings are under control (VICTORY!!!!!). I was able to identify them early on and learn myself. It’s important to pay attention to all aspects of your cravings. For me, I noticed I craved sweets first thing in the morning and right before bed. I recognized that, stopped allowing myself sweets (fruit) in the morning and at night and I no longer wake up with that “gotta have OJ or I will pass out” feeling. I also don’t even really feel hungry at 11pm-12am any more. They say eating before bed is ok for people who have a hard time gaining weight so I don’t mind eating before bed (10ish) but I was tired of craving chocolate and ice cream at midnight for sure.

• Improved self esteem

• Improved self confidence
Both of the above things are very true for me. I said I was going to do this and I did. I didn’t stray from the program once. Not when everyone was eating pizza and sweets in my face during eater (I even resisted my FIL’s famous stuffing!!!!!!!!!) and not when I was stressed as all get out and there was tons of Easter candy left out and about as my mind tried to tell me it would ease all the frustration. I resisted and stuck to my goal. Definitely a boost of self esteem and confidence in the self disciple department.

• You remember things more easily
Strangely enough, my husband even commented on this!

• Your focus is improved
I’m not sure if this is a physical side effect or if this is just because I have improved self esteem and confidence but either way I have felt somewhat like super woman lately in the focus department…

• You fall asleep more easily

• You sleep more soundly

• You awaken feeling refreshed
After the chest tightness improvement, this little trio of sleep improvement is my favorite. All of these things are true in every sense of the word. My husband has noticed and it has just been wonderful. Waking up no longer takes me an hour but I can pop right out of bed and get to my day. I’m even able to wake up earlier! Anyone who knows me knows this is NOT the norm. Sleep improvement is awesome. You should try this program for that alone.

• Your energy levels are consistently high

• More energy to exercise

• You can go hours between meals and still feel ok***
I am modifying this a little bit because this has never been an issue for me. My issue was that I could go for what seemed like forever without eating and be ok. Then suddenly, I would be starving. Quick glass of orange juice and I would be fine. That is not the case any longer! I have a more consistent body hunger clock I guess you would call it and I love that!

• You have a healthier relationship with food
I definitely have a greater appreciation and respect for it for sure. This program has changed the way I look at food without a doubt. It showed me that it’s not the food I have an issue (or disinterest) with, it’s the navigation of my circumstances. I do think I need to work on breaking my traditional breakfast food standards though. I just have a hard time wanting to eat anything for breakfast that isn’t considered breakfast food. There is progress still to be made!

• Reduction in disordered eating habits
meal skipping!

• You practice mindful eating

• You have learned how to read a label
I have definitely dipped my toes in the understanding and importance of food ingredients. I can’t lie though, I have gained a bit of a distrust for the food media but I plan to touch on that later.

• You learned how to cook
And people actually liked it! A foundation for cooking confidence has surely been built.

• You don’t use food for comfort
Week 3 success!

• You are no longer a slave to sugar ~~and carbs~~
I am still a slave to pizza. I think about it all the time.

• You know when you’re hungry and when you’re just craving

• You have fewer cravings

• You have coping strategies to deal with cravings

• You naturally have more variety, color, vitamins and minerals in your diet.
Although balance is something I am still working on!

• When you indulge, it’s deliberate
I did have a few coconut date balls on Easter…

• You have healthy habits to pass down to your kids

• You are more knowledgeable about nutrition

• You have new cooking skills

• You have a whole new good food recipe repertoire

• You have learned how to make mealtime prep organized and efficient

• You know how to make a health goal and stick to it for success

• You have a new nicer food vocabulary

• People come to you for advice

All of that in 30 days.

And to be honest, I don’t even feel like I was the best at this! To see the full evaluation checklist check out this page on the Whole 30 website. When I went through it, I couldn’t believe how many things it was shaping up to be. Things that had improved without me even noticing! The sleep one was probably the most surprising because it took me so long to realize haha!

One thing I wouldn’t do again? I wouldn’t do this over a holiday. Even if you think you can, even if it’s an “easy” holiday. I managed. I succeeded. But I think I made things a lot more difficult for myself as well.

Any other important advice? Don’t forget about reintroduction! So if you’re planning to take a trip after the program, make sure you budget 12 or so extra days to be completely through.

Would I recommend this program? YES. I do think this program is geared more toward people who have overeating issues but that doesn’t matter. If you go into knowing what you want from it and remain true to the program, you’ll get what you want out of it. I sure did. I recommend this program because it’s not just about food. It’s so much more than that. For me, what I thought was just a 30 day nutrition program to get me off bad food, and started on better eating habits, turned into a month of self discovery about the way I deal with circumstances in my life, overcoming anxiety and taking notice of the ease of putting off your feelings only to take them out on something totally unrelated. Buuut, I achieved my food goals too. ;)

Would I try this again? Absolutely. I plan to actually. Not sure it will happen this year but if it does I’m thinking September. Now that I know more of what to expect I imagine the process will be a little more simple next go around and I will feel more confident in what I am doing as opposed to it feeling more like trial and error. The crew over at the Whole 30 describes it as “a learning tool designed to help you figure out which foods make you more healthy…” As I’ve said, I didn’t get into it to pinpoint a specific health issue, I just knew I wanted to get away from the sugar and processed foods. I think the next go’round I will pay more attention to this aspect of the program.

Would I say I feel like my “life has changed?” Yes. I would say yes because this program empowered me mentally and physically. I’ve learned to give myself grace, and not beat myself up so much. I’ve seen my self discipline at work and also learned a lot about the food industry in general. My interest in food is at a place I never thought it would be and I feel like this is only the beginning. I would call that life changing, but I suppose we shall see! I don’t think I’m exactly where I need to be but I also have no intentions of jumping back into the way I was eating before. I’m going to take what I have learned and experienced and apply it. In all aspects of my life. And I can’t believe I’m saying this but…I might actually post about food here.

I hope all of my success even in the midst of hardship has encouraged you! To wrap up my Whole 30 series I have a list of the recipes I used throughout the month coming at you next. Like I said, I will also be talking about meal planning. That may be my last “Whole 30” post but I do in fact have some more thoughts on food I’ll be posting soon.

Thanks for traveling this journey with me even if you’ve just been skimming through. If you plan on trying this and have any questions please hit up the comments below or my contact page and shoot me an email!

Love to you all!

Thoughts on beginning the Whole 30
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Finishing the Whole 30: What now?
My Whole 30 Journey: Recipes

What are you passionate about?

April 27, 2015 by JSJ

Hello sweet friends!

I hope you all are doing well and have had the most wonderful April! I’ve been somewhat MIA this month and for many reasons but I’ll be getting into more of that over the next few weeks :)

One of those reasons though (as you can see!) is my new blog design! Vaida at Don’t Tell Anyone Designs gave me exactly what I asked for and was so easy to work with. My first blog design was a premade template I found on her etsy site. After working with her a little there and seeing all her beautiful custom work on her webpage, I knew I wanted to use her again.

Simple&gentle. A clean slate with the breath of personality. Lighthearted, yet contemplative.

This design embodies everything I am about right now as well as this blog. I want this space to be a place for the heart above all else. Not just my heart though, yours too.

I’ve recently been asked (by myself and others) what it is I am passionate about. I’ve been stumped. That sucks to be (exactly today!) one month away from your 25th birthday and feel like you have no passion in life….but the more I contemplated…the more I realized that I do have passion in life. It’s just not a typical ‘career’ type of mindset.

I’m passionate about kindness. I love being kind to others and seeing others be kind.

I’m passionate about compassion. Towards all living souls. And it makes my heart happy being around others who feel the same way.

I’m passionate about joy&happiness and spreading it. Making someone smile and feel special is the absolute best.

I’m passionate about allowing others to be themselves and discover who that even is, without judgment.

I’m passionate about Love. And that’s what I’m here to share.

So, no, with this new design does not come fewer grammatical errors or run on sentences. Sorry. ha! I can say though that much like the new life Spring breathes into us all, my heart has been renewed over this last month and I am so happy to share it with you. I’ve added a new page up at the top titled “The Journey” that tells a little more about me and the blog, my journey.

There may still be a few kinks to work out so bare with me. I’m always trying to do stuff myself and making a mess of things so forgive me! I’ve also got a few more new additions coming soon but surely over the next couple of days everything will be as it should be.

I hope you feel loved today! If you don’t, if you’re going through some things and want to chat, check out my contact page and please send me an email. I would love to love on you and whereas I might not have any answers for what you’re going through, I can send some good energy for sure and it never hurts to feel like you’ve got some support when winds are rough :)

love to you all.

Confusion, Belief and Grace.

March 25, 2015 by JSJ

Does anyone ever feel like they are awesome at helping other people stay organized but terrible at keeping their own life together? What does that say about me, that I feel that way. I’m always so interested in the science behind our brain and how it works altogether but on an individual level as well. Like- how our brains work partnered with who we are.

I’ve said before that I’m a very go with the flow kind of person and I am, but I believe in balance in all things and I just feel like I’m trying to learn the art of stability at 24 years old. It’s a task that I believe is 1000 times more confusing as an adult than as a child in this culture with all the unimportant bullshit shoved down our throats by all sorts of media outlets on the regular. But I suppose, what isn’t more difficult to learn as an adult than as a child. Come to think of it…be careful what you’re letting your kids watch and listen to because they’re being fed bs too…

but that’s a different blog post.

I don’t know. The way I feel right now, it’s all very confusing. I’m challenging myself in more ways than one in my life right now and I have this overwhelming anxiety that I won’t be able to keep up…with myself? I don’t know.

Perhaps I’m learning a lesson in believing in myself, but also how to give myself grace.

Time will tell right? Or maybe not.

Ugh. Here I go again..

Year in Review

March 20, 2015 by JSJ

I had intentions on completing this questionnaire I found a while back in January. I wanted Andre and I to do it together but words aren’t really his thing so I decided I would do it on my own then just never did. I beat up on myself for a while for it but then I decided, why not still do it? The first 40 questions are to review 2014 but by this point, I’ve let that year go…but there are still 10 questions left. 10 questions that prompt you to look to the future. I know it’s already March and there have been some bumps in the road so far but I still have time left in this year to make it count.

I said I wanted to use this space as accountability for my own self. As an encouragement but also as an aid. To remind myself of what I’ve committed to so that I might become the best version of myself possible. A woman my husband is proud to call his wife and that my future children would be proud to call mother. Some things are farther in the future than others but every journey in life is one step at a time and you’ve got to start somewhere.

What do you want the overarching theme for your 2015 to be?

I mentioned this in a past post but my “word” or “theme” for this year is growth. I want to see a growth in my character, self esteem, my faith…just all around.

What do you want to see, discover, explore?

I guess I would have to say my new area. After living in a town your whole life where you pretty much know how to get everywhere to totally new surroundings..it feels weird for sure. My dream travel goal right now would be a driving trip from my state (NC) to Alaska but if I was going to choose something more immediate I would say my new town!

Who do you want to spend more time with in 2015?

I’d like to spend more time with my husband. We see each other everyday and we do spend time together but I would like to make it more intentional. Even if that’s just a walk in the evenings on his nights off. We’ve been caught up in the “work work work!” “gotta do!” I think a little much and I’d like to get back to the organic pleasure we get out of just being around each other rather than focusing on the “business” partnership a marriage can become.

What skills do you want to learn, improve or master?

I would really like to expand my yoga practice and I would like to see improvement in my sign language. I took a class last year and really felt like I was getting somewhere (I’ve explored this as a career option) but then “work” took over and I didn’t make it a priority to immerse myself in the culture of the deaf community. That is key because just like anything else, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. Speaking of which, I would also like to get back into music. I used to sing all the time. Then I stopped because of some of the emotional things I went through a while back just really took the spark out of it for me. I felt undeserving (of anything in general really) so I just shut down almost everything. I’m feeling more alive than ever and I want to find that spark again. I can feel it’s still there. I’ve also convinced myself I can teach myself to play the piano. I’ve even borrowed a keyboard and instruction book from my bff Alicia! I guess we’ll see! ha! There was also talk between Andre and I of juggling…may or may not follow through on that one.

Which personal quality do you want to develop or strengthen?

Confidence. It’s just recently come to my attention that I have little to no confidence. I have always known that I have a love for myself somewhere, but I want to find that oasis and drink up!

What do you want your everyday life to be like?

I would like to find a routine. Something I do everyday that I can count on. Even if that’s just having a cup of tea (no coffee please!) every morning or something. I’ve never felt like I’ve known stability. Not even as a child (with my parents not being together and whatnot) so I guess I would like everyday life to not necessarily be “routine” but I would like it to feel stable. solid.

Which habits do you want to change, cultivate or get rid of?

I suppose I have a really bad habit of giving in to defeat. Not really like, trying something and failing though, because most of the time I will give in to the spirit of defeat before I’ve even really began something and I will call it “overwhelmed”. I know getting “overwhelmed” happens but I know that I can differentiate and I would like to start making an effort to do that.

What do you want to achieve career-wise?

Well this is a tough one for me because…get ready for it…I want to be a stay at home mom when I grow up, but we aren’t “family planning” at the moment. I have never really had anything else I’ve wanted to do. You can say I’m not very ambitious if you want but I really don’t care. Some people have ambitions of making all the money in the world and to me that is absolutely crazy. To make a goal surrounding something that in a day could all be gone. I suppose you could say the same for a child or a family but there is an energy there that can never die. And should you be blessed to have your children outlive you, there is legacy in that. Not all people choose careers based on money, there are people who choose based off passion and they leave a legacy in that which is wonderful. I suppose I’m just most passionate about family. And I’m not at all saying that all people who have money have no love in their life or that people who stay at home can’t make money. I’m just saying I’ve always known I wanted to be a stay at home mom and the motivation money can provide has never changed that. I suppose if I had to choose a career goal it would probably be to make some decisions on something I can do to bring in some income from home. I know blogging can turn into that but I think maybe I would like to write a Children’s book. I’ve had an idea for years now and I just might look into how to get that going. I may have already started ;)

How do you want to remember the year 2015 when you look back on it 10/20/50 years from now?

Oh wow. Um. I guess as a cornerstone. A moment in time where I shook loose all the chains of my past and took steps towards a new chapter in life. A caged bird truly freed.

What is your number one goal for 2015?

My number one goal. Geeze. That’s tough. If I had to choose just one (because there are many) it would be to grow in love so much that others can’t help but feel loved even from simply being around me. I think I truly believe in love and it’s power. Love for others. Love for the environment. Love for yourself. So I guess my number one goal for this year is to Grow. But mainly to grow in love. I think that’s the key to watching everything fall into place.

I’m really glad to have completed that. It feels good to look forward with hope. Although times will undoubtedly be tough at one point or another, it feels good to look forward with hope.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I’m sending you lots of good energy and love :)

***Linking up with Miranda today for Coffee Chat!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! : A Dirty Dancing Recast

March 17, 2015 by JSJ

Ok so I was debating on waiting to post this until August for two reasons:

1. The anniversary of the movie’s release date

2. The star’s birthday

But when thinking about if I had anything to write about for St. Patrick’s day, I thought it would be cool to switch things up a little so I decided to post this Dirty Dancing recast on St. Patrick’s Day in dedication to one of my favorite Patricks of all time, Patrick Swayze. May he rest in peace!

Via

So the idea behind this recast is a scene for scene, line for line, step for step recreation of our beloved Dirty Dancing with new faces playing the same characters. Andrew and I came up with this one night and we still think it’s brilliant. Maybe you will too. It’s star studded so beware, this is pretty Alist-tastic but it’s all good because this is for fuuuuunnnn!

Johnny Castle: Channing Tatum

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This was certainly the hardest choice for me because no one will ever be Pat Sway, but Andrew (after MUCH lobbying) convinced me that he would be the best choice. I suppose. He can dance, we all know that. But can he really be the bad boy? The misunderstood boy, yea, ok. But Johnny Castle bad? Andre seems convinced but I think I would have to see an audition tape. Buut then again, that might just be my Patrick Swayze bias so I will have faith in Andrew’s casting here.

Baby Houseman: Lea Michele

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If you disagree with me on this, we pretty much can’t be friends. Ok only kidding but seriously, this would be perfection! Although baby doesn’t sing, we know Lea can dance too and she’s a natural born performer who can pull off that “innocent feistiness” with ease.

Jake Houseman (Baby’s dad): Tom Selleck

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Andrew and I both agree this guy could step up to the task of playing Dr. Houseman. Oh and the mustache stays.

Marjorie Houseman (Baby’s mom): Susan Sarandon

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This is a no brainer right? She’s got the look, beautiful, amazing actress. I think she would be on everyone’s Dirty Dancing recast list!

Lisa Houseman (Baby’s sister): Sarah Silverman

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The character of Lisa is actually pretty hilarious. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Lisa is practicing for the talent show. It makes me laugh out loud every time. And how she’s still singing even after Johnnys walked up on stage and all the other music has stopped. Ha! I love it. I know she could slay this part.

Penny Johnson : Allison Holker

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Allison is super awesome. I’m a huge fan. I fell in love with her back in her So You Think You Can Dance days. Not only does she have the “Penny” look, but she also has the moves. If you need proof check out this routine she performed with her husband (and former SYTYCD alum as well!) Stephen “Twitch” Boss on Dancing with the Stars…where she’s now a pro! Did anyone else watch the premier last night?! If you did, you saw her rocking it out as usual. Just youtube her. She’s amazing.

Neil Kellerman: Dave Franco

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Andrew and I went back and forth about this one because he said Dave Franco is too good looking but even though that’s totally true (he is very good looking) he can also be a goofball and not take himself too seriously which I think is the most important thing to have if you’re going to play this part because Neil was definitely a goober who took himself way too seriously in a hilarious but not over the top kinda way.

Max Kellerman: Tom Wilkinson

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I think he would actually be pretty hilarious as Max. He may have to wear contacts though ;)

Tito Suarez (band leader): Snoop Dogg

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So, Snoop is not as old as Tito’s character but Andrew was really excited about this casting choice and I can’t help but agree, it would be awesome. This may ~~or may not~~ have been the inspiration behind this entire recast.

Billy Kostecki (Johnny’s cousin): Thomas Mann

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My favorite Billy scene is in the end when he’s dancing with Lisa. I love it. Am I slowly figuring out that Lisa is in fact my favorite Dirty Dancing character?!

Robbie Gould: Joshua Bowman

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He is just so. ahh. Not only is he handsome, totally looks the part, but we already know he can play a spoiled brat (with a totally convincing American accent) because of his (amazing) job as Daniel on Abc’s Revenge!

Vivian Pressman: Catherine Zeta Jones

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CZJ is such a timeless beauty. There’s no doubt that the character of Vivian was beautiful…but I’m pretty sure Catherine wouldn’t have any trouble playing the saucy, vindictive vixen role either…

Dirty Dancers: There are about 8 credited Dirty Dancers and I think I found some pretty qualified people..

Twitch&Sasha I know I already shared a Twitch video earlier with Allison but I had to show this one because Sasha is in it too and I would choose the two of them just based on this dance. I love the concept of hip hop to slower music. This dance was so fun to watch and it has a little bit of “dirty dancing” in it as well so theres that :)

And any one of these people

or these people !!

So there you have it. My dirty dancing star studded recast. I’ll have you know I was drinking a beer while putting this post together and I’m probably drinking one as you’re reading this!

***Have a wonderful day of drinking should you so choose but please remember to be responsible by not getting yourself into dangerous situations (especially alone or around people you don’t know) and taking cabs! If you want to put your own life in jeopardy then really that’s your own choice but please don’t put someone else’s life at risk adult or child by getting behind the wheel under the influence.

Love to you all and HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!!

Snow Day!

March 3, 2015 by JSJ

I titled this post Snow Day but it really should be called Snow Week!

After our trip to my hometown the week before last (which I still haven’t written about and I need to because I have another thing to cross off my bucket list…!) we got back to our house and it was like the Universe just wanted to tell us to slow down because the weather started going crazy!

It may not be alot to some of you, but my little beach bum heart swells so much at the sight of snow. I’ve seen it before and participated in snow sport trips but I’ve never walked out my own front door to a straight up winder wonderland!

(And for those of you wondering, I didn’t edit that photo to make it blue, my sweet husband woke me up at the crack of dawn so I could see all the snowy goodness in my favorite light of day. Everything turns this blue hue in the evenings as well and I just love it! I loved seeing the earth look like this with all that untouched snow. It was so serene. Cold. But serene.)

We got back from our trip late Saturday night (we originally planned to leave Sunday morning but thought we’d get an early start), had a chill day Sunday preparing for the week of getting back into our routine (lol), Andrew worked Monday then was off Tuesday because the snow started! It was off and on then we got a load of about 6 or 7 inches on Wednesday night and it covered the ground well into the weekend. It was awesome.

We made a snowman with my brother in law’s fiancé who was here visiting for a few days and got snowed in! yay!

Some of these photos are blurry because I didn’t think to wipe off my iphone camera ha! also because- iphone4s camera.

Me, right smack in the middle looking like a giant goofball! I was so excited about the snow!

After she went in for a nap (she’s from up north so I think she was getting the biggest kick out of me and Andrew being so excited haha!), Andrew and I had an adventure around our property and pretended we were in Narnia (which we watched later that day of course).

I can’t lie, I had soo much fun and it was so beautiful but by the weekend I was ready for the warm weather and routine to find it’s way back into our lives! I hope you guys had a great week last week and weekend. I’m looking forward to sharing about my trip back home although I took like…zero pictures. I promise I’m working on that..as you can see by today’s photo overload ;)

Love to all of you!!

Sunday Brunch// 003

March 1, 2015 by JSJ

If you follow me on instagram (@jlynnjustad) you know that I have been away from the computer and out in the SNOW! Yep. That’s right. My newly relocated beach bum heart was getting filled up to the top with playtime in the snow with my fam and cozy cuddles with my husband (who was off work for 3 days because of the weather and whatnot). It was SO much fun. It even snowed a little bit in my hometown! It never really snows there so any little white patch on the ground is amazing. I’m glad they got some snowflakes too! I’m trying to get back into my routine now that my vacation time here at my new home is melting… ;) I did have some time to enjoy some posts from some of my favorite blogs this week. Here are some of my favorite articles from this week! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a beautiful week!

Politics365: Why I have a problem with Kylie Jenner’s dreadlocks

Not sure if you heard about what went on with Giuliana Rancic’s comments about Zendaya’s locs at the Oscars (I think it was a party, not the actual awards ceremony) but if you haven’t, a quick google search will get you up to speed. Do your own research of course but I would encourage you to consider this perspective. I think this article is beautifully expressed. You can feel the sadness and the frustration. It wasn’t in response to the comments made about Zendaya specifically, but it answers some questions (I think) about the anger of the comparison (By Giuliana Rancic) of Kylie Jenner’s “edgy” dreadlocks classification vs. Zendaya’s “oil&weed smell” classification.

Afternoons with you: Friday Thoughts.

I love this girl’s blog. She always comes across to me as so real and genuine. When she shows up to her space, It’s because she wants to write. I don’t ever feel like she has any other agenda other than just to share and connect. I loved her words and little reminders on anxiety this week and I needed them! Thanks to Ashley for this encouragement!!

My New Lines: Whole 30 Results

This woman has such a sweet heart. Her posts are always so full of love but I must say, I was so excited to see this pop up on my bloglovin feed! I’ve been thinking about doing this program so I loved reading about Sharlee’s experience with it!

Along Abbey Road: 5 Magical Movies to Watch on Netflix

I love these Netflix lists Abbey posts! I love her blog in general but I always end up watching at least a couple things she puts on these lists and enjoy them! I’ve got Claire Danes and Sandra Bullock movies calling my name when I get my next bit of down time. You should also check out her A Random Thing or Two-sday posts because they are always hilarious and fun.

Ok so I only have four today but that’s ok because Monday or Tuesday I will make it up by overloading you with pictures of snow.

Yay!!

LOVE YOU!

Sunday Brunch // A Series Intro

Sunday Brunch // 002