March 2014 Book Club

You guys! Sorry this is so late! I have a 20 page paper due tonight at midnight and only have 5 pages written, ahhh! it's okay though I will get it done and if it isn't done I will turn in what I have. Anyway... The book for this month was Mindy Kaling's book. So I know I put up some discussion questions and all but I wont be following all of those, just so you know.
First off, I love this book. She was so funny.
Favorite Office Kelly Moments:
I love when Erin tells her to go be mean to Jessica, its great when she makes Jessica feel all awkward. I love the Diwali episode, which is all about Kelly and her relationship with her co-workers. I love in the season finale when she finally ends up who she was supposed to be with the entire time. I hate how she is dating Ryan who treats her like crap sometimes, but yet I know they are perfect for each other. I love how her new year's resolution was to get more attention, so funny. I almost considered that one of mine. I love that she pops in for some great one-liners and then you don't see her for the rest of the episode. I just love Kelly, she is great.
What my life book will be called:
Why is everyone so short? Being tall is sometimes the worst
What its like being married to a ginger: The truth about red-heads.
Puppies: they solve everything.
That's all I can come up with right now but I know that whatever I did decide would be totally worth it.
I don't really have any friends I wonder about. The great thing about my life is that Facebook started to get popular right after I graduated high school in 2006. This was back in the day when you had to have a college email address in order to sign up for Facebook. All my college friends signed up and we all added each other as friends. I found a bunch of high school friends and then since I haven't ever wondered about somebody I was friends with back in the day. In fact, my two best friends Amanda and Laura, I am still friends with. We have known each other since 7th grade and have been friends for that long as well, its been so fun watching each other's families grow and its nice having them around. I love them dearly and its great that we live so close now.
I love talking about my marriage to other people. It has been the single greatest thing of my life. Zack is awesome! Being married to a ginger rocks! He takes such good care of me, has supported my hopes and dreams, listens to me vent for hours after I get home from a bad day at work. He seriously is the best and I am so lucky I have him.
I know that isn't a great review for the book, but I have been so busy with school lately. I also interviewed for a new job yesterday (which I am hoping I get) and it was a long interview process.
Well if any of you blogged about the book be sure to link it up down below.
XO
Caitlin
P.S. you can also leave comments, I love comments so leave some about your opinions of the book. Thanks!

March 2014 Book Club Discussion Question

Tomorrow I am headed out of town, to good old Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have a professional conference that I am presenting at there and I am really nervous about it. I will probably blog all about it tomorrow night while I am at the hotel, I mean hostel. We are probably staying at a dinky little place but hey what can I do, school is paying for it so I take what I can get.
Today I am going to post the discussion questions for the first book in our book club: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. Check out this page here, for more info regarding the book club itself. If you haven't read the book yet, don't worry there is still time to do so before the discussion. It was a really quick read and I was rather surprised by that. Mindy is funny and keeps  you engaged in the book. Remember that in a week from tomorrow (March 28,2014) I will post my review of the book and will do a link party so you can link your review to the book as well. I can't wait to hear all of your thoughts.
Discussion Questions
1) I loved that she included a list of alternate titles for her book after the intro, "Sometimes You Just Have to Put on Lip Gloss and Pretend to be Psyched." made me laugh the most. If you wrote a book about your life what would you have the titles be? (I cant wait to hear from all of you on this one, I bet you guys have great ones in mind)
2) Mindy talks about how her friend who she still wonders about later on in life, a friend she clicked with and got her started with her love of comedy. Do you have a person like this in your life? Someone who influenced you a lot and your thinking, yet you haven't seen or talked to them in a while?
3) I love the chapter titled "The Exact Level of Fame I want" and the details that she put into it. What is the exact level of fame you want?
4) Day Jobs, this was one of the more funny parts of the book for me. I related because I have gone through jobs so frequently lately. What has been your most interesting day job/part time work/ temp job?
5) Of course she talked about The Office in her book, how could she not? I love Kelly, and the role she plays in The Office. What are some of your favorite Kelly moments from the T.V. Show
6) I love the section on marriage and hearing her thoughts about in. How do you show others that you are "psyched" as she puts it for your marriage? How do people who know you, know that your marriage is the bomb? What would you say to someone if they asked you if marriage is worth it?
7) Finally what photos do you have of yourself on your phone? Cause lets face it, we all have photos we never share via instagram or Facebook. Maybe if you are brave enough you can share a few with us... I sure will.

Can't wait to hear all of your thoughts and of course you can write an overview of the book as well and your opinion on it as a whole. I just loved it.
XO
Caitlin

Flight 370

I have become obsessed with this missing plane. I don't know why but I am just so fascinated that in the year 2014 a flight is completely missing. Read this article here if you don't know what I am talking about. The latest news is that some information was put into a computer just before the jet turned around off course. Read that article here.
I think I have been so fascinated with the whole thing because I feel like LOST is being played out in real life:



It doesn't help that I am re-watching all the seasons and I just finished the third season.
I have so many questions about the whole plane as I am sure the rest of the world does. For instance didn't the passengers have cell phones? And if they did why didn't they use them? And since we haven't heard from them does this mean that they are being held captive? I don't know.
I have been following the news on the fight wondering what could possibly become of all these people.
Some people have suggested using the apple id and track the phones to see if we can find the plane. Also I don't know why I am clumping myself with the search committee when I clearly am not doing anything to help them except reading every new article published about the plane.
It's so interesting to me. It is interesting to watch how the world is coming together to find the plane. 25 countries are currently helping the search committee.
I don't have any opinions on what happened to the plane. I think that a lot of speculations are happening and unfortunately we don't have enough details. I am praying and hoping for the passengers aboard that they will be safe. What a scary thought, aboard a plane and all of a sudden its not going where you thought it would and you have no control over changing that. So I hope that everyone will be safe and things will be okay.
What do you think about this news story?
XO
Caitlin

Simple Closet Organization

I have had this post in my draft section of my blog for a while now. I just needed to get my act together and actually organize my closet. I didn't have the motivation, I knew that it needed to be done and my sanity would be saved. Before now my closet was so unorganized and chaotic. I was trying a bunch of different methods and none of it was working. So I took some before pictures so you can empathize with me, and then I pulled everything out of my closet.
My goal was to reorganize it with supplies I already had in my home. I don't have the money to go out and buy new organizing bins or materials so I wanted to just use supplies already in my closet. I also started this project at 7:45 PM at night. A little late so I had to do it rather quickly and make it simple yet functional.
Here are the before pictures:

Those towels. Toppling over like that,not working at all. That box in the corner, I have no idea what is in that and why I am keeping that. Two empty bins on the shelf's? Why wasn't I using that? Definitely needed to be reorganized. 

My husbands shoes everywhere, my shoes everywhere. 

Don't even know where that towel on the ground came from. My shoes over flowing from the bins, a bag on the ground. 

Sheets just bundled in the shelf, not even folded. Pillows taking up valued space. Too many tennis shoes, I didn't need all those pairs. 

A lone shirt on the top shelf, what is in those bins? I have no idea. 

Bags/ purses/scarves/ belts. Empty hangers everywhere

The full effect. BEFORE the organization process. 

I since emptied the closet, went through all the bins and purged through a bunch of stuff. I had three trash bags of stuff to throw away. THREE. That is a ton of stuff, glad I got rid of it. I also donated one bag so that felt good.

Next came my favorite part. Putting everything back into the closet. 

I started with my boots. Matching them up, I need to find some old magazines to put in so that I can keep the top from flopping over. 

The shelves are already better. I keep my jeans that I wear the most folded on the top shelf as well as some of my pencil skirts. I then put shoes on the shelves. The blazers I wear the most often are on the right. 

In the crates are my hats and belts and scarves. The shoes look much better and who doesn't love a great polka dot bag. 

I moved the pillows up to the top shelf and one day I will get that pig out and use it. I know the comforter looks messy, I will fix that later. 

Husbands corner. Ha ha. I love how he just gets a corner. 

I filled the empty bins with the linens. Our apartment doesn't have room for a linen closet so I turned the storage bins into my linen closet. I need to get some cute labels for them. I keep the towels we use the most on top so they are easily accessible. 

I put my husbands shoes in the bins, I think he doesn't really care. I just like them corralled in one place. I put his work boots on the top because he uses those the most. 

And the top shelf. My workout clothes are in the space, makes it easier to find and some miscellaneous items are in that crate. 

Although this organizing project wasn't really that much of a difference I feel so much better about our closet and in the end that is what matters right. 

XO

Caitlin

On Blogging

I am a bad blogger. Why? Well because its 9:15 pm on a Saturday night and I am posting a blog about what is going on in  my life. That's awesome. Also I think I have a grand total of three readers, who actually have read every post I have written (Thanks guys you rock, whoever you are). So therefore I should do more link ups, participate in those more, comment on other blogs more to get more readers, so forth. However I feel kind of like a stalker when I post a comment on someones blog who I have no clue who they are, etc. I don't know it just feels weird.
I am also not very crafty, although I should be. I have intentions to be, and an unopened box with some supplies for a craft project in it that should be opened, however I just don't ever get around to that stuff. Probably because I graduate in 7 weeks, and have two papers to write by the end of the semester that are 20 pages long each and I am working 30 hours a week which is way more than I normally do. So yeah, I am a bad blogger. I have hopes and dreams for this little blog to grow and one day I will be better at it, for now, I am terrible and that is just the way it is.
XO
Caitlin.

My Dating History> Mostly for my own sake

Summer Love, happened so fast...

My first love. I was 16. I was working at a scout camp (story of my life) and met the cutest boy. He had glasses, was kind of a dork but kind of loved me all the same. We would play footsies under the table at meal times. We sat next to each other at every meeting. He was the best. We played in the forest all summer just us and it was so fun. Summer ended, and so did we. It was good while it lasted. 

Freshman movie night... 

My next love. I was 19 and just about to finish my first year up at Utah State University. That year was full of drama, somehow all the girls from my floor/dorm that year and I have managed to be Facebook friends. Even after we were horrible to each other. By March I was pretty sick of that scene and wanted to branch out more. This was in 2007. I went to FHE and met a cute boy. He had brown hair and blue eyes. He was a twin and I couldn't tell him apart from his brother. But eventually I got the hang of it. One night a group was watching Arachnophobia in the dorm room and I joined. He was there. He saved me a seat next to him, I sat down and "pretended to be scared" of the movie. I mean the spiders looked so fake that it wasn't that scary by the end, I just hate pop outs. By the end of the movie he put his arm around me. I was thrilled. Then he IM me over yahoo messenger and asked me out that week. We went out for a month. Then the semester ended, and so did we. Long distance relationships never worked. We went on one date when I got home from my mission, sparks just weren't there for us anymore. 

Summer Love, happened so fast...

Again, I was at scout camp. This time I was 19. My friend from Freshman year convinced me to come work at her Scout Camp. I went, her best guy friend was there too. We started dating (the guy and I) and it was mostly a relationship formed out of convenience. He was my first kiss. He left on a mission and I wrote to him for about 6 months. Then we ended. Now that friend of mine married him, they have a cute baby who I love and another one on the way. We are still really close friends, which makes me happy. 

This one time, at Band Camp...

I was in marching band at Utah State. Here's proof:

Ha Ha Ha. I loved it. 

There was this guy, a trombone player. He hung out with all my friends and I. He kissed one of my friends one night in the spring time, she freaked out sort of. Then he started seeing me. I left on my mission a couple of weeks later. He said he would write to me, that lasted a month. He started dating my best friend at the time. They got engaged three months after that and married three months later. Nobody told me about it. I was on my mission expecting a letter in the mail and never got one. I then checked Facebook one day at the Library (bad idea) and found out they were married. That was fun. 

This picture was taken after I found out they were married. Luckily I was happy. On the mission and having a blast. Love all these Elders. They were great, and so good to me. Even when I started crying randomly for no good reason. 

Spring Time fling...

When I got home from my mission I met a guy at school. We dated for six weeks. He got way to physical way to fast and I just said whoa and backed out of that relationship. Good thing too. 

Do you want to build a snowman....

After I went through a horrible summer, I started work at a call center. Met some awesome people who I am still friends with. One day our boss hired a couple of people. On training day this one guy with glasses (I have a thing for glasses, apparently) sat next to me. My friend said to him, don't trust her (speaking of me) she's crazy... That lasted a week. I instant messaged this guy and we became friends. He was kind of dorky, talking about monsters in alley ways while taking out the garbage and other things I had no idea about. I kind of liked him, a lot. My friend convinced me to ask him out, so I did. That date lasted a long time. We didn't want it to end, so we made sure it never would. I have been dating him ever sense. 

Glad I can still put a smile on that cute face. 

XO 

Caitlin

Resolutions Reminder

It has been two months since January already! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. I am surviving in school, Girl Scout cookies are coming today, and I have a great job! I couldn't be more pleased with how the month is turning out. Although it is coming on quickly, I am headed to Albuquerque, New Mexico for an Anthropology conference in three weeks. I am really excited. My partner and I were one of the few research teams that were accepted to the conference who are undergraduate students. We have a lot of conferences we are presenting at this month but the one in New Mexico I am most excited for.

I still haven' decided on grad school quite yet. I am keeping my grades up so that if I want to attend I don't have to worry about that. In the meantime, I was looking over my resolutions I made at the beginning of the year to see how I am doing. And I must say, I am doing really well. 

Here is the original list:

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. 

So far I have done, 5, 7, 9, and 8. Although I haven't been reading my scriptures every day I have improved my relationship with God. In the works I have 1, 3, and 4. Number three is part of the post I put yesterday about my BOOK CLUB! You all should come join me, seriously. This month's book: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. Has been really good. Surprisingly it is a quick read, I am almost halfway done and I started it Wednesday night. So if you want to join, the book is super quick and she is funny. The F-word is in there a couple of times so sorry about that...

I am impressed that I already have 4 of the 10 goals I set for myself done. I am pretty sure I am not going to do number 6, I decided that an etsy shop just wasn't for me. All the other goals are still in the making. Including Lord of the Rings, I watched the first movie (more on that later). 

How are your new year's resolutions going? Any progress on that checklist?

Have a great week everyone, and for those of you at Utah Valley University, have a fabulous Spring Break.

XO

Caitlin

Book Club 2014

 I decided to make a book club. Basically its just an excuse for me to read books and post my opinions here and then give any readers who want to join a chance to post their thoughts as well. The books I have chosen are in a wide arrange of topics, and authors. I will post my thoughts of the book on the last Friday of every month and since we have only been in March for five days we can start right away. Oh and I will post some discussion question ideas to get your mind's rolling the Friday before the review goes up. I have only picked books through September, so if anyone has any ideas please comment so I can include them for October, November and December.

March 2014: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

April 2014: After Hello by Lisa Mangum

May 2014: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

June 2014: The Giver by Lois Lowry

July 2014: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

August 2014: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

September 2014: Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin

I am super excited about this and hearing all of your thoughts. 

XO

Caitlin

SPRING

I feel like Spring is almost here! It makes me so excited and I really can't wait. The weather has been super warm, I mean for Utah and I guess the rest of the country since everyone back east is still having ice storms. Some days it has been 60 degrees, it has been so lovely. Next week is Spring Break and although I have a busy workload so I don't drown in school work come April, I will still be trying to have some fun. We were going to go to St. George, but since we were just down there I think we will stay at home. I want to get out and see some things, explore,  and possibly go on a couple of hikes. Hikes are great this time of year and beautiful.
A few things changed at my job, I'm still doing the same thing I just got switched to another floor along with the majority of the sales guys at my old floor. That has been fun, work is closer to home now so I like that.
Juan Pablo's season of The Bachelor is almost over, thank goodness. I have only watched a few episodes but after a while I got so bored with him. He was a little all over the place this season and I didn't understand how he came up with the "rules" that he did.  I am glad it's almost over and The Bachelorette will be on soon.
Also ABC released the cast list for Dancing With The Stars. I cannot wait to see Drew Carey on the show. That is going to be epic, and I most likely will talk about it a few times here on the good old blog. ;)
I have a few projects I am working on, including re-decorating our laundry room, organizing our master bedroom closet, and re-vamping my home office. They are all in the making, so it might take a while to actually get them posted and up and running on the blog.
I know posting has been all over the place lately, I swear once school is out I will have a normal posting schedule (maybe)...
Happy Hump Day
XO
Caitlin