Lessons from the Office> Post 2

I know I forgot to post about the office last week, I was going through a bit of a blogging stupor and didn't really have much to say. I have recently started watching the office series all over again, from the very beginning. I started with the Pilot episode in Season 1 and I am in the middle of Season 2. I just finished the Halloween episode, pretty classic. Some of the best things about the office is the relationships. The show has so many great relationships, of all types you can think of. One relationship that I have loved following from beginning to the end is that of Angela and Oscar.
Those two just seem so completely different from each other. Throughout the series you see how they have a different set of values and beliefs (as opposite as you can get), they have different styles, different opposing opinions and are just opposite of each other in every way. In the end, they are great friends and their friendship and weird commonalities (when they are both dating The Senator) develops into a bond that really can't be explained unless you watch the entire series.

You can just see the weird relationship they have from Oscar's facial expression. 

Here is where they are stalking the senator trying to figure out if he is dating another man.  

In the end the thing I love most about Oscar and Angela's quirky relationship is that they don't really give up on each other. Oscar is there for Angela when she needs him, and Angela accepts his help. Angela, although she is hurt after her divorce, trusts Oscar enough to tell him her deepest secret. 

I think that is the beauty the writers of The Office came up with, they have these beautiful relationships that can teach you deep meanings about your own relationships and provide you insights you may not have originally though of. 

If you haven't watched all of the office yet, go check it out. The entire series is on Netflix. 

XO

Caitlin

Twenty Six things I learned by the age of Twenty Six!

Today is my 26th birthday! It feels weird to be this old. When I was younger (about 12-13 which was 14 years ago!) I never imagined my life would have turned out the way it has. I guess that is the beauty of it all, because in the end I am so grateful that my life has ended up this way. Of course I have had my ups and downs, through it all I have learned some valuable life lessons which I am of course going to be sharing with you. I am older and wiser now, which means I can share advice.

1. Love more. You will never regret doing this.

2. Finish your education. It has taken me 10 semesters (that's five years) to finish mine and it is totally worth it. 

3. Live your religion. If you don't have one yet check out mine (click on the button that says I'm a Mormon at the top). Mormon's aren't as weird as you think. But, whatever religion you are don't go only on Christmas and Easter. Truly live your religion. 

4. Smile. People are more likely to want to be your friend. 

5. Date the kind of guy you want to marry. That's how the whole thing works, trust me. 

6. Take care of you body, your body is the thing that gets older quicker. Take care of it now, when you have time. 

7. On marriage: Be fiercely loyal. Probably was the best piece of advice I received.

8. On Marriage: Spend quality time with each other, date nights, cuddle nights, etc. 

9. Live in the moment. (Goes along with 7 & 8). Don't regret something you didn't do. 

10. Not everyone is perfect. The only thing we all have in common is that we are all broken, in some way or another. Be kind. 

11. If you are a spender, learn to save. If you are a saver, learn to spend. (especially if you are a spender and you marry a saver, it helps in the long run).

12. Pray. God is always there to hear us. 

13. Be a friend. Call someone out of the blue, smile in the hallway, help someone on homework or at the grocery store. 

14. Brush your teeth twice a day! (Very important folks)

15. Eat less sugar, it really doesn't fill you up for very long and then you are hungry sooner and you gain weight faster. 

16. Buy the car that makes you happy, even if its an older model. You'll be getting in that car everyday, you might as well be in a car you like. 

17. Donate your money. But be careful to who you donate it to, not all charity funds end up in the right hands (unfortunately)

18. See Wicked at least once in your lifetime. 

19. Marry the man who opens your door for you, no matter where you are going or who you are with.

20. On Marriage: Most likely you will argue, its human nature (refer to number 10). Learn to be the person who says "I'm Sorry", instead of "I'm Right". 

21. When a meal you have planned for and prepped for suddenly turns sour, order pizza. 

22. Be yourself, nothing says you better than you. 

23. Do what you love, and more of it. 

24. Keep your home clean, it usually means you are less stressful.

25. Make your bed every morning, helps with number 24. 

26. Read, broaden your knowledge. Learn something new everyday. 

Well there you have it, I have a lot more ideas I could have written but I didn't want to go overboard. Thanks for reading. Have a great Monday.

XO

Caitlin

Why I like the bachelor...

Most of the time I really don't know why I like this show. Seriously. I watch it and I just think, its so fake, I mean really why am I wasting an hour of my time watching it. But I watch it anyway and I figured out, finally, why I like it so much.
Also it really is fake, if you keep up on bachelor media outside of the show both Lauren H and Kylie (the one who thought her name was being called when it was really Kat) spoke out about how the producers manipulated them and in Lauren's case, edited the conversation to the point that it wasn't what had really happened at all. You can listen to what their comments were and then some back story from Jason and Molly Mesnick (former bachelor and his wife) on this podcast. It is really interesting information. Also you can read reality steve's blog. He comments every week on the bachelor and gives spoilers for the whole season (so yes I already know who Juan Pablo picks in the end). Only go to his site if you want extra details on the bachelor, if you want to keep who JP picks in the end a surprise then don't go to that link. I have warned you.
The reasons why I like the bachelor:

1) The dates. Although the dates are extremely outlandish and something that normal people wouldn't be able to afford (in most cases), I think they are fun and usually give me ideas on what to do with my husband. For instance Clare's 1 on 1 date in the first episode is a date that can easily be accomplished in Utah. Sledding and then hot tubing, with a romantic dinner. Easy to do, if you can find a hot tub. Zack and I don't really do a whole lot when it comes to dates so its fun to watch the show and get ideas. Kat's 1 on 1 date from that episode is also something we can do, they did the electric run at Thanksgiving Point. Zack and I met at Thanksgiving Point so it would be sentimental to have a date there. Some of the dates, like bungee jumping off a bridge, or building is something I would never do so recreating those dates in our love life is out of the question. I think it is fun to get out of the apartment every once and a while and go on a real date with Zack, we love adventure and trying new things so the bachelor gives me lots of ideas to try.

2) The process. Most people think its ridiculous to fall in love in twelve weeks and get engaged at the end of it but Zack and I did it and I know plenty of people who have been engaged in an even shorter amount of time. In the right circumstances and setting you could easily fall in love and find the person you want to marry in just 12 weeks. Zack and I started dating in November, by January 21 (yesterday was our two year anniversary of when he proposed) he popped the question. On April 27th we were married. It worked out great for us, and I'm not saying it will work out this way for everyone, but I believe it could work.

3) Bachelor couples. I love following the couples who actually made it from the show. Jason and Molly, Ashley and JP, Sean and Catherine, Des and Chris, Trista and Ryan. I just love following all of them and their success as couples. Sometimes the show works, you never know what can happen.

4) The girls. I like to follow the girls after the bachelor. This is where you can really tell what is going on with the show and that most of them are just there for the tv spotlight. I also still can't believe that we are getting girls who are crying over the process, after 25 seasons you would think these girls know what they are getting themselves into by now. Every season we have someone complain about the process saying its so hard, and I don't think I can do this. Really they should know what is going to happen and they should prepare themselves before they head out.

Well there you have it, the reasons that I still like to watch The Bachelor. Even though I know its fake, and manipulated I think that it can still work, and I hope Juan Pablo and find the girl he is looking for. Unfortunately, in my opinion, I believe he is only there for the spotlight and will most likely break up with the girl he chooses quickly after the show airs. Hopefully I am wrong, we shall see.
Anyway, hope you had fun watching the bachelor last night and will tune in for Sean and Catherine's wedding on Sunday. Should be good entertainment. Happy Juanuary...

XO
Caitlin

Lessons from: The Office

Hi guys!
I am excited about today's blog post. It's a new series I am doing called "Lesson from: The Office". I am actually going to post this series up every Friday. After reading through my list of regular blogs I have found a common theme, almost everyone loves the television series "The Office". I am constantly seeing references, quotes, and other mentions of the T.V. show in all the posts I read. After about a month of reading blogs and discovering this I decided I should dedicate an entire set of posts completely and solely to the show.
In this series I am going to just pick out some quotes and inspirational stories that I learned a lesson from, and share my own personal wisdom with it. Hopefully its a hit.
So without further ado:
Life Lessons from: The Office.

The first one comes from the Finale. I loved the finale. It was so great and the show closed so well. Of course I cried because the office has been such a huge part of my life but I knew it had to end. This quote comes from our friend Andy Bernard:

I love this quote! It's so true. For me it really just said to live in the moment. Following Andy's character throughout the series you find that he is constantly thinking about what is happening next. I used to be like this, (and I kind of still am). I would always say stuff such as "when I am married I will get this accomplished", "when I graduate I am going to be better at this...", "when we have kids we are going to..." etc., you get the point. I didn't do it a lot but I always was concerned with the future. I would put things off and say that I would accomplish it better at another point in time. 

When I finally realized what was happening, I noticed how many good moments I was missing out on because I worried about the future. I never fully enjoyed the here and now. The worrying was getting to me and kept me in a constant state of unhappiness. 

I finally stopped worrying so much about the future and I started focusing on the day at hand. When I did this I started seeing the beauty life has to offer and I realized that I am living in the good old days. 

Lets all take a lesson from Andy and remember to just live life by the moments it presents us with. 

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away."

A great quote to help us remember this lesson. 

Enjoy your weekend. 

XO

Caitlin

30 minute at home workouts

I am excited about this post! Since December I made a new goal to be more healthy in my every day life. I wanted to change my lifestyle and generally be more active and happier. I am comfortable in my own skin and everything I just wanted to be healthy.
I do all my workouts at home. I am thinking about investing in a treadmill, and until I do YouTube has become my best friend. All the workouts I do are found on YouTube:

1) 30 Minute Cardio Kickboxing- Cafemom Studio Workouts. This is my favorite one, its a great workout and I do this one probably three days a week right now. Its a great workout.

2) 30 Minute Cardio- Cafemom Studio Workouts. Another great one, pretty low key but gets your heart moving. I know I am not a mom but these workouts really are for anyone.

3) 30 Minute Calorie Burn Workout with Weights- Cafemom Studio workouts. Another good one to mix up the other cardio exercises. I like to do the weight training and conditioning. I got some 5 pound dumbbell weights from Target a couple of years ago and they work great.

4) Fat Burning Cardio Workout- Fitness Blender. This one is 37 minutes long, but its a great workout and really gets your hurt rate up fast.

5) Ultimate Workout for Belly Fat Loss- Fitness Blender. Also good.

6) 30 Minute Fatburning cardio kickboxing workout- Hasfit. Also good, I really like the kickboxing workouts.

7) 15 minute beginning weight training workout- HasFit. Really good one just to get you started, especially if you haven't worked out in a long time.

That's all for my daily workouts. I usually do some others in there and I try to do cardio every other day and weight lifting on the other days. I don't work out on Sunday and I just get a workout in as soon as I can. If I do it at the start of my day it makes it so much easier in the long run.
Hope this helps get some of you motivated to get a healthier lifestyle.

XO
Caitlin

How to organize your college binder

Hi guys! I am excited to do this post and I have had this idea for a while now. I am graduating this semester (as if I haven't told you guys enough already) and I have finally found some great systems that work for school organization. Let's get started!

First off my supplies:

I have two binders (both come from Target), class divider sheets, sheet protectors, Important Dates printable, and Class Overview printable. 

Here is the setup:

I store them here in my desk. The orange and pink box is a file folder box which I use to store paperwork, more on that system later. The pink binder is for my Tuesday/Thursday classes and the blue binder is for my Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes. 

Lets take a look inside the blue binder:

First thing you see when its opened:

Class divider sheet. I found them on Pinterest here. I put in the class abbreviation as well as the full title on the divider. 

Next thing you'll see is my divider tabs. I divided each class up into two sections: Notes and Handouts. The last section (the yellow tab) is my To Do List spot. 

My dividers themselves are these awesome plastic ones that have folders so that I can stick papers inside. This works great to store tests, scantrons, returned assignments, etc. I love that because the polka dot binders from Target didn't have an inside pocket like most binders do. 

Behind the divider you find my important dates sheet:

I love this system because I have all of my important dates for the semester right up front and I glance at that page every time I open the binder. That way I don't miss anything and I know what is coming ahead. 

Behind that I have a class overview printable that shows some information on classmates, the teachers email and phone number, etc. I found mine on pinterest. 

Next I have the class syllabus. I put in a sheet protector so that it would last longer.

Every class I have hands out a syllabus and I print mine off so that I can refer to it often throughout the semester. 

My sociology teacher also created a class calendar so I printed that off as well:

Basically anything I would want to look at everyday I printed off and put in a sheet protector. This is useful because then I know what chapter we are on for the day and I can read it ahead of time. 

This same teacher also posts all of the study guides for all three tests. I printed them all of so while she is talking in class and while I am studying the chapter I can highlight the terms that are going to be on the exam. 

I then have notepaper for all the notes I take in class. All of the above is under the first tab Soc 1010 notes. 

The next tab is handouts and currently I don't have anything in that tab. 

The next thing you see is the divider for my next class:

I love all the cute dividers on that site I showed earlier. Seriously the greatest. 

Behind the first tab I have the following:

Class syllabus.

Class calendar. His is set up differently but it's still the same concept. 

Notes. 

That is all behind the notes tab. Then behind the handouts tab I have this:

It's a style guide on how to site information in the SAA style which is the style used by archaeologists. Most teachers use APA or MLA but archaeology has its own unique guide. 

The next section is my to do list tab:

I have a divider that says Assignments to do now, and the next divider is for assignments to do later.

I usually would put assignments that need to get done over the weekend in the to do now spot, and the later one is used for final papers to be handed in at the end of the semester. 

So there you have it folks. My 2014 spring binder set up. My pink binder is the exact same thing only for the other classes. I just used a one inch binder for both days and so far it is working great. I love this system because now all I have in my backpack is the binder for that day and my books as well. It helps me to stay organized and I am loving the sheet protectors. I don't really use sheet protectors all that much but I am finding that they are great to make sure my loose papers don't get all beat up. I am getting an Erin Condren planner this year to use for school and its supposed to ship to me next week. I can't wait for it to get here so I will be even more organized. I hope this was helpful for some of you and I hope that you are having a great first week back at school.

XO

Caitlin

Last Semester

I haven't posted in a while and I only have one excuse. It's a legitimate one all the same: College. The semester started on the sixth and I have just been getting used to the routine of how things are going to go this year. That is usually how I spend my first week of school, making sure everything is order, buying/ordering all of my textbooks, checking on the amount of homework I am going to have and setting up a routine that will work for me. This is probably going to be one of my easiest semesters. I am only taking four classes and only two of those are required for my degree. They all have a really intensive reading load that will keep me busy, but luckily I like my major so I like reading about the topics my professors assign.

I have got a little system set up as far as organization goes which I think I will share with the blog world tomorrow, I just have to make sure my pictures are decent. Right now I am currently waiting on the arrival of my Erin Condren planner that I purchased for the year. It's been crazy trying to remember all of my important dates without having an actual planner in hand. I have the one I used last year but its just to big, its pretty much binder sized and I don't like that because I can't carry it around in my backpack with my other binders and books. I decided on the Erin Condren planner after reading a bunch of reviews and watching reviews on Youtube. I figured it would work the best for me. I will share more how I use it after it comes, hopefully soon. 

Well that's all for now folks. Tune in tomorrow for my post on organizing the semester. 

XO

Caitlin

Why I love Downton Abbey

Hello all and happy Friday. This weekend is going to be epic, Downton Abbey airs Sunday night at 9pm. I can't wait. I have been looking forward to this date since the end of the third season. Here is why I love this show:
1. Maggie Smith


She is just classic and makes any movie or TV series better. Harry Potter would not have been the same without her as Professor Mcgonagall. What I love about Maggie Smith is that she becomes the character that is acting. In Downton she is plays her characters innocence so well that you would hardly guess she fought off death eaters storming Hogwarts castle. She makes you believe that she is the character and that is what I love about her. Her clever comments make me laugh and she isn't afraid to speak her mind or her opinions.
2. The couples.
Following all the couples is like following a reality TV show. Mary and Matthew, Lady Grantham and Lord Grantham (Robert and Cora), Anna and John, Mr. Carson and Ms. Hughes (although they aren't a couple I secretly really want them to be), Tom Branson and Sybil... the list could go on. Each of them have qualities to their relationship that I admire. Anna is a fighter, never gave up on John. John is so humbled that Anna wants to be with him. Matthew is so gentle compared to Mary and her hot head. Mr. Carson and Ms. Hughes are just running the downstairs staff while in the meanwhile seem to have this close intimate relationship that nobody else understands. The couples are what make the story for me. I found a quiz on facebook titled "which downton abbey couple are you?", so of course I had to take it.
My answer:

Anna and John Bates. I loved this! I am so happy we got them. Here is the description that came with it.
You may not call your man "Mr." but your relationship is most like Anna and Bates'! You have stood by your man with unswerving devotion and been a true partner, helping him through his hardships. Both of you want the best for each other and are willing to sacrifice your own happiness for the other. But if you're blessed with, finally, a bit of good fortune, neither of you should have to sacrifice happiness. May you continue to find it in each other!
We haven't really had to sacrifice a whole lot but I have stood by him and will continue to do so with unswerving devotion. Zack is the love of my life and I am so grateful I have him.
3. Breaking Social Norms
A lot of Downton Abbey is about social norms and how the characters of the show are breaking them. Lady Sybil Crawley first did this in Season 2 when WWI broke out by training to become a nurse. Her father, the Earl, was against it because of her rank and felt that her being a nurse was beneath her status. Later she ended up marrying Tom Branson, the chauffeur, and her father threatened to cut her off from the family fortune. Thomas Barrow is attracted to men, something completely forbidden and discussed in season 3. Had Thomas been exposed he could have gone to jail. Edith writing to the newspaper and having a regular column. Lord Grantham protested to this because of what Edith was writing about, women's rights. Downton Abbey does a great job of showing us what life was like in the 1900s. From the time Titanic sank to after the war the show is breaking boundaries and helping viewers to think more critically about the circumstances they see. I heard that Season 4 has a bit of a controversial scene (I wont spoil it for anyone, if you must know just Google it), I like to follow how the characters react to tough situations. This is one thing that attracts me most to Downton Abbey.
4. Character development.
I feel that the writers did a fantastic job in this area. I feel a true connection to the characters and I cry when they cry. I am happy when they are happy. I am furious when things don't go the way I think it should. This is something I look for in a T.V. show, good characters and people that I can connect to. Even though Downton is created in a different time and place, I feel that I can connect to certain characters and that makes me want to root for them. If I am rooting for them then I am going to watch the show.
5. Costuming.
I love the costumes, and the details of the costumes.
From Mary's Wedding Dress

To cousin Roses unique headbands. The costumes in the show are great.

I could really go on and on about why I love Downton Abbey. These are just a few of my favorite and I can't wait until Sunday for the premiere.
Last but not least, I found a quiz on what Downton Abbey character are you. My results:




I must like Anna Bates for some reason.
Well that's it for today. Enjoy the weekend, and I hope you tune into PBS for Downton Abbey Season 4.
XO
Caitlin

Resolutions

It's that time... again. I have a really hard time with resolutions. I really stink at making them and I am even worse at keeping them. I love writing things down so of course I write them all down somewhere, I leave sticky notes, I post them on the fridge, etc. I do all the things the experts say we are supposed to do when it comes to goals. However, I only last about twenty minutes before I am onto the next thing.
The one resolution that I did complete last year: ride a ferris Wheel, check. Did that at Disneyland.
A goal on my list I almost completed: watch all three Lord of the Rings movies (I know I haven't seen all of them yet, some of you might be offended. Sorry.). I watched the first one, and the hobbit. Although the hobbit doesn't really count as part of the lord of the rings trilogy I enjoyed it.
My list wasn't super exciting, I just had a few things on there that I wanted to do that I have never experienced before. Loosing weight wasn't on the list at all and I liked it that way.
My new list for 2014 will be the same, only I think I will stick to 10 things and that is it. My 2013 list had 20 things, no wonder I didn't finish them all. Okay here we go:
1. Watch all three Lord of the Rings movies (yep back on the list for 2014, I will see them all this year)
2. Watch the second hobbit movie
3. Read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I have always wanted to read this book, maybe I should make it into a book club for the blog or something.
4. Visit Range Creek Canyon. It is this really cool Freemont Indian site that was found in Utah and has been undisturbed since the Indians left the site. Meaning it looks like they could have lived there only yesterday. This year I am going to go visit it.
5. Blog more. I really want to blog a lot more, and grow it into something grand. Since I started my blog on November 27 I have had 2,800 pageviews. That is a lot, and comes down to about 77 pageviews per day. I am in love with the fact that people are reading my blog and I am excited about that.
6. Open an etsy shop. I have mentioned this before a few times and I am hoping that I get it done this month.
7. Visit Zions National Park, again I have never been here before so I want to go see all the beauty of it.
8.  Read my scriptures every day,  I haven't been to good at this and I want to better my relationship with God.
9. Keep my fish alive. We got a Beta fish last month, and I have a bad track record with fish.
10. Graduate from college. This is happening folks, 2014. I can't wait.

I am excited to get started on my resolutions and enjoy the experience that comes with trying new things.
What are your resolutions?

XO
Caitlin

2014 > New changes, New experiences

This is my motto for 2014. Happiness has always been something that is hard for me to come by. Depression makes it that way for me, but when I decide to make the choice to be happy, I only have one person to blame when I am not. Me. So this year, I am choosing happiness. 

Zack and I are excited for 2014, we have some great things ahead of us. I graduate this year, we are going to Zions national park (I have never been before), Zack is heading off to some cool places for his work, and we are just going to enjoy our lives together. 2013 was a great year, busy and chaotic. 

2014 will be different, much different and through it all I am going to be happy. 

XO 

Caitlin