Saturday Seven

Saturday Seven

* weekends
* warm days
* counting all of the change in my purse so that i can buy two ice cream cones
* find people to create writing groups with
* teal nail polish
* Lush's Volcano foot mask
* Sarii & when she visits <3


I also love that Google has a Pac Man theme going on right now :)

Curious Tuesday 5/18

 Curious Tuesday

 

Gala Darling started a new weekly thing called Curious Tuesday where she asks a series of random questions that she and her readers answer. Since I sometimes feel the need to have prompts to get me writing, I decided to post my own responses here. I'm not sure if this is going to be a regular occurance. But either way, if you do Curious Tuesday, too, be sure to go on over to GalaDarling.com and let her know!

 

1. Who is your #1 crush? I have so many different crushes guys, I'm sticking with my go-to. It shouldn't matter that he isn't real or that I created him: Jonah Burroughs

2. Have you ever tried online dating? How did it go? Any tips? Yes, I have. This is definitely going to be a topic I'll need to touch base on some time, perhaps in the near future. I can't say it's worked out very well for me so far, but I'm not giving up. My last venture left me a little too heart broken, but actually it kind of broke down my independant-woman-I'll-just-stay-single walls and made me want to look looking. Tips I'd have: Be very clear as to what you are or are not looking for. Also, don't be afraid to send people messages. Worst case scenario they don't respond, but just remember that might! And that might lead to a lot of good times.

3. Are you sentimental? Do you keep the things other people give you? I am very sentimental. Sometimes I try to keep it to myself, I get very nostalgic. I look over old pictures a lot. I do keep things that other people give me, and sometimes I have a hard time letting go.

4. As a child, what were your primary interests? I had a lot of imaginary friends and imaginary boyfriends. I loved playing outdoors and riding bikes and swimming.

5. What are your top 3 guilty pleasures? American Idol, the Twilight series (I know, I know!) and taking lots of naps.

Life is Short

my friend Ari's kid, Trent, enjoying rice with his hands
because, why not?

Life is short, so only eat the best tasting foods, wear the best looking (or most comfortable) clothes, and spend time with the people who you enjoy the most. Let's take a moment, right now, to appreciate being alive. If you are reading this now, you are alive and that is a blessing.

- this marks my return to blogging. It's been a long month and a half, but I'm coming back strong-

<3. Melanie

Sunday Seven 08

Sunday Seven
(and alliteration edition!)

I've been taking it way easy these past few weeks, drinking orange juice, blowing my nose a lot and reading books. Oh, I've also been working and whatnot. But not writing. And barely thinking. Anyway, here's that I loved this week!!!

♥ Simply Orange juice

♥ sick days

♥ SPRING

♥ Silly glasses

♥ staying in bed

♥ sleeping in the middle of the day

♥ Saturday pay

Things To Do When You're Sick

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Things To Do When You're Sick

* drink a lot of Simply Orange juice
* catch up on blogs
* send someone a care package (and keep the germs away from it!)
* watch an extra lot of TV
* watch New Moon (or really, catch up on movies)
* IM people on facebook/ google chat
* drink a lot of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water
* eat Popsicles
* write silly lists
* track down the last name of an old old friend
* take many showers
* look up yoga poses for Bronchitis (or whatever illness it is perceived that you have)
* attempt yoga poses (I haven't done this part, yet...)
* think about eating lots of fruits and vegetables
* feel bad that it's sunny outside and you're home and your dog has those puppy dog eyes and you can't take him for a walk because by the time you pass your neighbour's house you'll probably be out of breath
* wish you weren't out of breath so you could clean your room
* buy new books and read them
* give yourself a manicure
* don't change out of pajamas
* complain on facebook about how terrible you feel
* take some more naps
* watch music videos on youtube
* make smoothies
* blow your nose even though there's nothing to come out
* do a lot of coughing
* cut back on talking
* take lots of ibuprofen
* look up ideal computers on the internet (because youve spent so much time on your laptop you are typing faster than the screen can show the letters you type)
* wish there was a lot more ice cream in your freezer than there is (read: none)
* bribe people to buy you orange juice
* reschedule all of your plans indefinitely
* go to the doctor and tell them what your diagnoses is
* take extra vitamins (and realize you should always be taking them)

Book Suggestions

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I have piles of books in my room, a small stack in my personal drawer at work and a line of them in the back seat of my car. I've been rereading my favourites and ignoring the books I own that I've yet to read. And still I find myself at Borders too frequently to even count, wondering what I can read today. So I'm asking for book suggestions. My personal Penny suggested Steinbeck's East of Eden, so that's on my list. I just bought The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addisen Allen.

A few other books on my to read list:
Some Place to be Flying (I'm actually half way through...) - Charles de Lint
Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Geek Love - Katherine Dunn

So tell me, what books should I add to my must read list?

Breathe Me

Breathe Me

Help, I have done it again
I have been here many times before
I hurt myself again today
And, the worst part is there's no-one else to blame

Be my friend
Hold me, wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small
and needy
Warm me up
And breathe me

Ouch

I have lost myself again
Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found,
Yeah I think that I might break
Lost myself again and I feel unsafe

Be my friend
Hold me, wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small
and needy
Warm me up
And breathe me

Good evening! I am sick this evening and about to curl up into bed and hope that sleep will come and make me well enough to work two jobs tomorrow. Yes, silly me decided to go back to scooping ice cream as well as my current salary job. I love it. But I don't really love all the hours. Regardless, I thought I'd post a song in my absence. I was recently made away of this song earlier over dinner with my friend Krista. I think it's very pretty and the lyrics are relatable, at least during certain times of life.

Song by Sia. I haven't had the chance to look at the site just yet, beyond just the main page. But it does look festive and colourful! Watch the video here.

xoxo,
Melanie

You Ought To Love Your Job

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You Ought to Love Your Job

It's hard, I know. The "daily grind" takes over, boring us while we pay pills, mow the lawn and struggle to find the energy to cook dinner. Suddenly it's months later and you feel as if you haven't accomplished anything except paying those bills and passing time. All of a sudden you're twenty-five (or older! insert your crisis age here) and you're paying school loans even though your current occupation has nothing to do with even attending college.

Or is it just me?

You find yourself dealing with the mythical (and yet very real) quarter-life crisis and you don't even have the money to buy that Harley like your dad did during his midlife.

You ought to love your job. Most people settle for misery because it is work. A paycheck is involved, this economy doesn't want you to work. I'll be the first to admit I don't love my job, but luckily I don't hate it. I've had my fair share of lying managers, drama filled co-workers and sexual harassment.

Despite all of this, (though luckily my current job lacks all of the aforementioned drama) there are moment while I'm at work that I feel very grateful for where I am. It has nothing to do with the paycheck (although I am also very grateful to have a job) or the benefits (again, I couldn't appreciate this more), the enjoyment I get from my job have everything to do with simple occurrences during the day.

Here are a few examples of those times during my day when I feel as if I absolutely love my job: when my manager is in a super good mood, when the bank buys is lunch, every time I finish reading a novel or a writing a blog entry, the house lunches I spend exploring downtown, extremely grateful customers, sweet old ladies, when a customer brings in hot chocolate, when I am able to finish drafting a letter or complete a Moleskine or make after-work plans with co-workers. We won a "display" contest for the current free gift and I absolutely love when amazing songs come on the work radio (it consists of the best combination of Elton John, Lady Gaga, Counting Crows and Plain White T's).

So here's the deal; forget for the moment about why you hate our job or what you'd rather be doing. Instead focus right now on what you love about your job, and let me know. I'd love to hear it.

Ten Ways to Make Your Work Day Brighter

Ten Ways to Make Your Work Day Brighter

Wear perfume you really love.

Write anonymous notes to your co-workers.

Put extra special love and yumminess into your bagged lunch.

Wash your face on one of your breaks. Exfoliate and tone, or use a face mask during your lunch.

Suck on chocolate covered altoids.

Make a list of your favourite customers / co-workers / people.

Pin up an inspiring picture, or a photograph of someone you love by your work space.

Match your nail polish to your shirt every day.

Take a "smoke break" and stretch your muscles or do a few yoga poses.

Bake something at home and bring it in to share with everyone.

A Sort of Confession

A Sort of Confession

Penny Days is about HAPPINESS. It's about finding it and creating it and living a life worth living. It's about the magic in every day life, the same magic we are often too busy or too absorbed or too blind or too confused or too sad or too anything else to see. It's about taking that feeling you get from reading an incredible piece of fiction and manifesting it into your real life. It's about how I am managing to do these things.

So now for my confession; I am not happy. I've been struggling with depression and anxiety for years and only recently have I begun to heal from these struggles. I don't intend to post entries that are simple ranting about my problems, nor do I wish to explain how my depression is not circumstantial (a fact I had to explain to my baby brother a month ago when I tried to confess to him that the medication I was on was just not working). He's twenty-one by the way and not so much a baby at all.

The reason I'm bringing this up is to come clean, so to speak. I have no interest in pretending I am someone I'm not, and I want to reflect that my hope for this blog is that it motivates me to find happiness and to be happy and to create magic and love every day. I also hope you'll join me on this journey and maybe even benefit yourself.


♥
Melanie

Things That Might Make Me Feel Better

Things That Might Make Me Feel Better

This was a list I found in my Moleskine, not intended to be used as any sort of blog post but I believe it's a good example and representation of who I am and also who I want Penny Days to be. This blog is designed to be a reflection of myself, but also I want it to be so much more than that. I want it to be documentation of how I change and how I become (become who? you ask! Why I'm not sure yet. It's all part of the process!). But I also want it to be something that you can read and relate to. I want it to be a resource for someone who might be going through something similar to what I am going through. So I made this list as a reminder of things that I love and things that I can do to help bring myself out of the ruts that I get into. My problem is that I never really feel like doing anything when I'm sad or anxious or overwhelmed. But right now, I am just focusing on the list.

Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream
Hiding out in libraries
Bying a new book
Taking Chance for a walk
Going out to dinner with a friend
White Zinfindel
Reading blogs
Yoga
Naps
Manicures
Swimming
Make a mix CD
Write a letter to someone I haven't heard from in a while
Read a book by SARK
Make lists
Listening to music
Leave love comments on Facebook
Cover myself in glitter
Do handstands
Spend time with a toddler

Do you have a go-to list of things that cheer you up? What are your favourites?


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Saturday Seven 07

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♥ Saturday Seven ♥
A whole lot of lovin' this week...

♥ Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
♥ Phone calls from my friend Juli who I haven't heard from since November
♥ Watching Trent (My friend Ari's two year old boy) experience Indian food (mostly he just ate rice/ spilled it all over himself and the floor)

♥ Pushing Daisies, which happens to be one of my all time favourite television shows. During one of the extras, Bryan Fuller (the creator) mentions that he's a huge fan of Amelie, which explains where a lot of the aesthetics from the television show come from.
♥ Buying a yoga mat - I am one step closer to taking classes!
♥ Impromptu sleepovers in the middle of the week -- especially when they include make your own ice cream sandwiches and Indian food for dinner
♥ All right, Indian food has to go on here. My favourite meal would be: Vegetable Samosas, Garlic Naan, Chicken Tikka Marsala with a Mango Lassi to wash it all down. I've currently been craving Indian more than normal lately.

We will return to our regularly scheduled programs on Monday, which will include semi-regular blog postings from now on. But in the mean time... what did you love this week?

♥
Melanie

Sunday Seven 06

(I got yelled at for taking this picture
on my phone. Silly. Either way, I WANT!
I told Shaylin it was going to be my
Maid of Honour dress for her wedding.
I hope she didn't think I was kidding.)

Sunday Seven
Seven whole days with lots to love <3

♥ Green Smoothies - I've been trying to make them every morning. So far I succeeded in two morning this past week
♥ Having a Saturday night date night with myself (it's necessary guys, seriously). Time Traveler's Wife + a meatless sub with everything + the living room to myself + lots of pillows and blankets = awesome
♥ Zumba! - an update of my experience to follow later this week
♥ My Hello Kitty Humidifier
♥ Lunch and Boston dates with Lindsay. This makes no sense considering my love for Italy, but today was my very first experience on Hanover St. which is part of Boston's "North End" also known as the extremely Italian part of the city. We didn't eat there, unfortunately, but that doesn't mean I left Boston without a Cannoli!
♥ Lush's Coco Lotion - I'm convinced that coconut oil is a miracle oil. Either way this stuff makes my skin so soft!
♥ Gmail Chat - I shouldn't use this function at work, I shouldn't use this function at work, I shouldn't use this function at work...


What did you love this week, guys?

♥ Melanie

Taking The Week Off

Taking The Week Off

Okay, so the title is slightly misleading, I have no upcoming vacation week that I'm making use of (though I wish I did. It would make my time this week much more productive. Either way, I'll have to make due). But I've vowed to not make plans with anyone this week, which is unusual for me. There are nights I feel panicked and too alone, annoyed that my friends are too busy to hang out. There are nights when I invite myself on dates (well, you know, less formal of course) with my brother and his girlfriend. I text everyone I know, I wonder what they're doing, I force myself out on long drives that end at Borders with blended drinks and stacks of books. I must admit first that I have made a few exceptions to this "no plans" thing, as I have plans on Wednesday night with K*, my friend I haven't seen in what feels like years. And also I told my mom I would partake in Zumba with her at her gym tomorrow (which is good considering taking a Zumba class is part of my 25 of 25 list -- that has yet to be posted, because I've yet to complete the making of it)

But regardless. I wrote a huge list in my Moleskine this afternoon of things I could do on my break week. Nothing on this list is any different than the usual lists I make of things to do. Except I have the intentions of actually attempting them. Making bread is on this list (and also part of my 25 of 25. Coming soon, I promise) as is writing lots of blog posts and watching movies I haven't seen. Or watching Gilmore Girls which I've seen many times (and am currently watching). I think that knowing I am not making plans makes me feel calmer than knowing there is no one to make plans with. I (possibly) won't deny plans if someone else wants to make them, but it's nice to be by myself for a while without feeling like I need to be doing something else. I am also taking this time to explore Google Docs. I'd like to take Chance on many walks and take a yoga class. I've been figuring out my finances, and creating a budget that I hope to stick with. It's only the beginning of the week and I feel so productive! I will report back at the end of this week my findings (or failures or productivity rate).

If you could take the week off and escape responsibility, what would you do?

Okay, so, irrelevant but necessary: I cannot recommend Lush's Coco Lotion enough. My skin is so soft, I can not even comprehend right now. During the writing of this blog entry, I have stopped at least ten times just to feel my hands.




*Since I have too many friends with the first initial of K, this person will be renamed KK.

Sunday Seven 05

Sunday Seven
a little bit of loving from each day.

* Away We Go - this movie was beautiful and sweet ♥
* Boston, Massachusetts. Especially Newbury Street.
* Blueberry buttermilk pancake flavoured CUPCAKES. - from Sweet.
* Hanson . They have an album release date (Shout It Out comes out June 1st) and their song Your Illusion is playing in the trailer for Nicholas Sparks'/Miley Cyrus' new movie The Last Song
* Going out for Indian food. I can't even describe how much I love it.
* Adventures to LUSH. Especially when they do the hand treatment.
* The countdown until Spring. Seriously guys, I start this countdown on January 1st each year. TWENTY SEVEN days!!

What did you love this week?

Valentine's Day 2010

(the BFF & I)

Happy day of love, everyone. I'm not really a fan of Valentine's day. This mostly because it has never applied to me, at least not in any un-platonic way. But even so I don't think this is a reason to be bitter about the holiday. Sure you can show your love to your significant other/ best friend / dog / flowers / family any day of the week, but why does that mean you should ignore a day specifically celebrated to spread the love? So if you have no one else to send your flowers, sit down and read Gala Darling's blog post 100 Ways You Can Start Loving Yourself Right Now and take the time to actually do so. I realize this post is quite late in the day, but the night isn't over and there's always time for yourself. ♥

Photobooth Pictures

I absolutely adore photobooth pictures. I love cramming into the seats and making faces while the flash blinds my eyes and I can't stop giggling with who ever it is I am with. My friend Kateling asked me on AIM earlier about photobooth pictures online. I came across this site where you can upload pictures from Flickr, Facebook or your own computer. It's created by Shutterfly and you can buy these photostrips for $2.50. Who wouldn't love this site?





If you're interested in real photobooths or wish you find your true love Amelie style, you can go here and search photobooth locations (aside from the ones found at malls) in your state.

Sunday Seven 04

Sunday Seven
the weekend love list

* Oreo cookes
* Picking up my BFF from Logan Airport
* Rita's character on Arrested Development
* Yoga pants (like these from Old Navy)
* Filing taxes
* Gala Darling's Guide to Radican Self Love
* Spending time with my brother and his girlfriend, taking the Silver Line to Downtown Crossing from Logan Airport just to go to 7/11. Coldstone Creamery. Random pictures

What did you love this week?

The Miss List 01

I am extremely nostalgic to the point where if I begin to list aspects of life I miss or if I start to go through pictures I cannot stop myself. I miss places, people, songs, feelings, everything.

What I've decided to do is two things combined into what I will call the Miss List. First I am to list things I miss that I can reclaim and make changes toward reclaiming them. I plan to report updates on this as they happen.

Part two consists of listning current parts of my life that I know I will miss. This way I can learn to appreciate what I have right now. It's a hard thing to do, but it's absolutely necessary. So here goes.

Things I Miss That I Can Reclaim
dancing
writing
taking pictures
livejournal communities
being healthy
looking good in picture
yoga

Things About Now That I Will Miss
Chance
reading at work
not paying rent
eating pizza daily
wondering WTF is going on with LOST
Trent at *two* years old
being 25
Kat as a teenager -- while she still has time to hang out
walking with Chance and Kat
cranberry bogs

I thought about adding another list, one that consists of aspects of my life that I will not miss once they are gone. It would be called Get Out Of My Life. But I decided to wait, such negativity can wait another day or so.

What do you miss that you can get back? What parts of your life right now do you know that you'll miss in the future?

Laundry Days

You know those days when you have an entire list of things that need to be done? Those days when you're wearing miss-matched socks or granny panties because you just don't have one more piece of clean clothing? And it's you're day off but there are errands to do. Why would you want to spend your day off buying milk and cereal and going to the post office? Don't get me wrong, I am truly in love with grocery shopping, and I enjoy the scent of freshly laundered clothing, but I don't want to spend my day off catching up on "chores" I was too tired to finish (or even start?) on work days.

I'm always looking forward to a day off so I can "get things done" and then when it comes down to it, I'd rather get dinner with co-workers or see Avatar with a girl I haven't seen in forever. Isn't that how we all are, though? How do other people manage it? How does my mom manage to work ten hour days and still cook dinner and do the dishes and fall asleep watching Dr. Oz? I work one full shift and don't have the energy or drive to do anything else. How am I suppose to inspire myself when I just want to take a nap? Of course, it's too late at 5:30 to nap if I ever want to sleep that night. But what else am I do to?

I write pages and pages of lists and articles in my Moleskine while I'm at work. Yet somehow I can't translate those entries into something real or tangible. I miss writing. I miss the characters and the words and the feelings. And you know what? I'm not going to stop missing it until I do something about it. How simple does that sound, really? But it doesn't feel that simple. It feels like even thinking about writing is too much to do once I get home. I had a whole blog post scribbled in my new blue Moleskine that I needed to post yesterday. Why? Because it was Groundhog's Day, and that post was inspired by ground hogs everywhere. And also it was inspired by winter. But what's the point in posting now? Everyone's already forgotten about Punxsutawney Phil anyway.

So I'm sitting on my bed in the middle of laundry cycles thinking about how I could be straightening my hair. Or cleaning. Or writing. Writing what? I wonder. I can't inspire myself. Not yet, not right now. I want to be able to. I want this blog to inspire me. (Though it has gotten me to write more than I have been writing at all lately). I want to figure out how to inspire myself.

Tell me; what inspires you?
<3

Radical Self Love

Dear February, we have never been friends. Though you've always been the shortest month, your days seem to stretch on forever. In grade school and high school we had "February vacation" a week away from school and even that break wasn't enough to make me feel any differently about February: It's the longest emotional month of the year. It's cold and dark and by the time February comes I'm so tired of winter I feel like I'm suffocating. My Valentine's days are always so lonely that I've taken to trying to ignore it the best I can. Punxsutawney Phil comes out February 2nd and usually tells us there will be six more weeks of winter. We all groan, which is ironic because spring doesn't actually start until almost seven weeks after.

Gala has decided to make February the month of Radical Self Love and I'm making this post in order to expression my support in her February project. I honestly thought her post was going to be about the physical aspect of Self Love, but I can't say I'm disappointed with the way she seems to be steering. My February is already filled with plans of visits. The BFF will be here next week, and Lorelle (of Pheonix Rising) is visiting the weekend after Valentine's day. This means that my month will automatically be busy, but I should come before all of this business. I am more important than that.

In the spirit of Radical Self Love, February, awesome friends and the excitement and anticipation I have for Spring, I plan to write and post more, eat healthier and try out some yoga. Expect to be updated, but in the mean time let me know: What do you think of Gala's idea? Isn't it time to love yourself?

Sunday Seven: A Day Late, A Buck Short

Sunday Seven
(a day late, a buck short*)

1 Kat, my faux-sister slash neighbour (also pictured above)
2 High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
3 Bowling
4 Lady Gaga
5 Making Thai food (Garlic Basil Stir Fry on Wednesday night)
6 The Lovely Bones (the beautifully done movie, and yes I did read the book)
7 Not That Kind of Girl (my new favourite blog)


* Blink 182 - Dammit

Live more. Write more. Move more.

This is Chance. He's about nine years old and loves taking walks and chewing on rawhide bones. Actually he's obsessed with those bones. He needs a new one every day, even when he isn't finished with an old one. The other night when I was letting him back into the house I asked, "Where's your bone?" and he ran off the porch and began barking at the stairs. Unfortunately it was late and I could not see beneath the stairs so I had to give him a brand new one inside. I'm unable to take Chance on very many walks during this time of the year, because by the time I get home from work it's dark out and it's always cold. This weekend was moderately un-cold (and by that I mean slightly above freezing).

There are a few blog-related things I decided on the two walks that Chance and I went on this weekend. The first is that I miss taking pictures and I decided that most pictures on Penny Days are going to be my own. Taking pictures is incredibly therapeutic for me but I seem to never really do it any more. It forces me to find beauty in what's around me in order to take the time to really, carefully show it to someone else.

The second is more life related and really, it's not some huge epiphany. It's not even news to me. I turned twenty-five a couple months ago, and I've decided to make 2010 the best it can be. I had the same thought last year, with slightly different numbers of course. I need some sort of motto, something I can live with and make into my life or at least my year. LIVE MORE. WRITE MORE. MOVE MORE. Can I handle that? It seems almost too vague. But I'm trying. Right now I'm trying with this very post.

Happy Sunday everyone, I have to go figure out a certain stance I have with a certain boy. Wish me luck because, uh, I'll need it. (This does involve me living more. And also, facing certain anxieties, and potentially moving more. Ha. Ha)

Saturday Seven 02

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SATURDAY SEVEN

* Arrested Development
* A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1) trailer
* Girl Scout Cookies
* Greek Yogurt (my personal favourite is Chobani)
* Convincing the drunk BFF to call Chace Crawford
* $4 prescriptions at Target

The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus

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Go see this movie for all of these reasons (& many many more): Heath Ledger, Magic, Side Shows, Wanting to Run Away, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, The Devil, Evil, Lily Cole, Imagination, London, Immortality, Love. It's the best movie I've seen in theaters in a while. <3

Saturday Seven 01

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Saturday Seven

Reflecting on the seven things I loved the most about this week.

* New England Aquarium
* Rant - Chuck Palahniuk
* Giant Cupcake shaped cakes
* Monday night Karaoke at Sam Diegos
* Teal nail polish
* Managing to sell something to the least likely customers
* Looking at furniture at Target and Ikea

What did you love this week?

10 Less than Usual Resolution Ideas for 2010

I meant to post this a couple days ago, but as it's winter and I work in customer service, etc. etc. I've had the worst kind of head cold. But that's all right, because I'm surviving on orange juice and episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. As usual, I've yet concrete "Resolutions" for 2010 but I came up with a list of ideas for resolutions that aren't your typical lose weight, join a gym and save money type goals.

* Start your own Cheese of the Month Club. Or anything of the month club, really. For me, January's would be Brie. I would try a different meal at least once a week, deciding what ways to incorporate Brie into my every day life.

* Take more bubble baths - Everything about bubble baths excites me. The bath bombs from Lush will leave you smelling amazing, and some of them even make you shimmer. You can take a nap in a bubble bath, light candles, listen to music or read a book.

*Try out a new hairstyle - You don't even have to cut it. Try a new, semi permanent colour, buy a crimper or experiment with braids.

* Write more letters - Snail mail seems to be a dying art these days, but who doesn't love opening their mail boxes to letters hand written to them? Find a penpal online or head over to Yes and Yes and read Sarah Von's post on letter writing.

* Learn a new language - Why not go for something not taught in the usual high schools? Sure, I could re-learn Spanish, I took four years worth of classes. Or I could learn (or re-learn, sort of. i took a semester way back when) Italian and learn different words for lots of delicious Italian foods. Or I could learn French and watch French movies and try to understand what they're saying.

* Incorporate more colour into your wardrobe - most of my wardrobe is blacks and blues with some teals and purples mixed in there. I might have a pink shirt, and maybe one red. But really? I need to switch it up a little bit. Colourful clothing makes you stand out, and it gives you more to accessorize with so why not, really?

* Go on more dates - with everyone. Your significant other, that boy who works at Borders, your best friends, yourself. Make it a point to schedule some alone time with the people who are important in your life.

* Capture more moments - on film and video. Write about your day. Record your life.

* Leave more comments on blogs - I'm terrible at commenting on blogs, but I know how much your words can mean to the writer, so I'm determined to try. Voicing your opinion can be relieving. You can spark a conversation or make a new friend.

* Start new traditions - for holidays and non-holidays alike, traditions keep a certain level of comfort while making your lives and friendships a little unique at the same time.

What are your less than usual resolutions for 2010?

09 Experiences of 2009

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I find it so easy to just not reflect on the year passed. While blogs are busy with list making and reflections, I am so good at ignoring holidays such as New Years. We all know that resolutions are mostly crap. We know that years are so long, so much is put into one year, that what are we

New York!! - in late August the BFF and I went on an amazing adventure to New York City. We took the Fung Wah bus, stayed in Chuck Bass' hotel (The Palace), maneuvered the metro system, and had two nights of general amazingness

My First Kiss - It was awkward and weird and made me question my sexuality, but I was nearly 25 at the time, and it was about time for this experience.

My 25th Birthday - a weeklong event that included the BFF staying with me, hanging out with my brother and his girlfriend (I lovingly refer to them as GA or Georgia), discovering that White Zinfendel is my alcohol, becoming immortal, getting lost in Boston, pumpkin cheesecake and a basement party that included drinking boxed wine out of Diet Coke cans.

Taking Charge of My Mental Health - it's been a long time coming, and I am certainly not there yet, but I've actively been making changes that have decreased my anxiety and depression. It's an amazing experience and I'd reccommend that anyone who thinks they might have issues to try and do something about it.

Landing My Current Job - I started 2009 unemployed, but two short weeks into the year Mutual Bank hired me as a teller. One year later, I've worked in three different branches and gone from part time teller to full time teller. I enjoy my job, more than I thought I would before I began to work at a bank. It's not my favourite, and I don't intend to make this into a career, but it's been a lovely job to have. I've met some amazing people, I have some pretty sweet benefits and within the past month or so I've been able to read lots.

Starting This Blog - This is a brand new adventure. I've decided to make this into a blog, form it as I form myself and see what comes of it. I know I've started blogs before, and I've yet to even really advertise this one, but I have a good feeling about Penny Days and all that it will bring me in 2010.

Peaceful Meadows - When I was sixteen I got a job at the best ice cream place in Plymouth, Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream. I spent five years on and off scooping ice cream for tourists and regulars alike. Earlier this year I was working only part time at the bank, so I decided to go back to Peaceful Meadows part time. I had forgotten how much I loved working there. Sure, it's food service, there are crazy customers and cakes to frost. But I loved knowing people's orders and writing Happy Birthday in red icing. I worked by myself during the day and danced around listening to top 40's music. It was a good time.

Pushing Daisies - I can never express how much I love this show. The last few episodes aired earlier this spring, and the dvd was released months later. Every time I watch an episode I am reminded how much I love the Pie Maker and Itty Bitty and Lonely Tourist Charlotte Charles and every single other character on the show. I love the bright colours and strange characters, I love Ned and his adorableness, I love Chuck's wardrobe. I love the humour and the awkwardness, the magic and Jim Dale's narration. It's a great show, and it was really a shame that it was canceled.

Driving In Boston - I used to refuse to do it. Drivers in Massachusetts can be insane, and I know Boston mostly by walking and taking the T. But there were many times this year I braved the streets. Armed with my GPS I drove through tunnels, picked up friends at South Station and Logan Airport, and I even drove through Brighton and Cambridge without even panicking.



and, as a bonus, here are the ten most amazing experiences of my past decade (2009 experiences listed here not included...)
graduating high school. (and college!!)
grad night 2003 - Disney World
all of the amazing times with my close friends i've met online (ohio, texas, tulsa, washington, THE CONFEDERACY)
mayfest 2005
california <3
ITALY
all of the jobs i've had happened in this decade
meeting Hanson
co-writing an awesome novel in 3 months
Harry Potter