These are A Few of My Favorite Things

So, who is this 31 year old single female that likes to date and blog about it you ask? Well, I’ve told you a lot about the things I do and learn and about the people I meet, but what about me? In the summer concert for the youth orchestra I conduct, we decided to theme our music around movies this year. One piece we played was a medley from “The Sound of Music.” Ahh, I love that movie! And that music! As the words to the songs replayed through my head for days and days, I got to thinking about how much I like it when my friends blog about their favorite things. Also, I’ve been really thinking about some of my own favorite treasures lately so I thought that a post about me wouldn’t hurt eh?

Well, what do 31 year old single women like…besides men? Probably the same things you like! Okay, here goes. To begin with, a girl’s always gotta be on her game right? I mean, you never know when Mr. Right is just gonna pop up before you. As a result, it helps to have good breath...just in case. ;)

I recently purchased the “OraBrush,” “As Seen on Youtube!” from my local Walmart. Haha. I thought I would try it out and you know what? It has quickly become one of my most favorite possessions…a definite must have! Who knew that even after brushing your tongue with a toothbrush, all that nastiness was still on there?? Try it. You will never go a day without using it again!

Okay next. I LOVE to hike! I love my hiking gear. Not only do I feel all pro, but it has also been beneficial in aiding my hike as far as comfort, safety, and endurance are concerned. So, a good backpack filled with essentials for anything that could possibly go wrong is also a must have, along with some good shoes. But, I am not here to talk to you about either of those things today. Nope.

I recently purchased a new…GPS watch! It is the Garmin Forerunner 110 and I LOVE it!! If you are into exercise at all, it is fabulous!! It has great reviews and many functions. I love the heart rate monitor that also calculates calories burned. In addition it informs you of your distance, pace, time, etc. Really, it’s been so fun to have as I hike or run (I’m kind of into running lately too…just ran my first 5k on Saturday!!).

Along the healthy lines, but much cheaper…has anyone tried out the True Delights?? Wow!! The Blackberry Pomegranate is definitely a fav amongst my people. Sure they look like little rice cakes which may not sound appealing but I’m telling you, they are truly delightful! Haha. I convinced a guy friend to give ‘em a try and he was hooked from the first lick! Great snack, low calories! It gives you crunch; it gives you sweet; it gives you a happy belly!

You know that I am a music lover. It’s who I am. I also like free things. So, while the iphone4 I recently purchased was not so free, I do love the free apps. My favorite so far, is Pandora!! I always love to find new artists and have had a hard time in the past finding people who may not be as well known but have a similar sound to those I like. Ahhh, Pandora is the place! Check it out. It’s the best!!

Now, back to food…a true love of mine! One of my favorite places to stop on my breaks from work, is Great Harvest! I love their hot chocolate! But really, sometimes I just go get hot chocolate because you get a free slice of fresh bread with every purchase! I’m not talking about a sissy slice either! These are big manly pieces of heaven! Honey whole wheat is my fav…with a nice cup of hot chocolate and whole milk! Hmm, delightful! If you have one nearby, stop in…even if it is a hot day! It’s the middle of July and I had some today! We had been parted for far too long and I forgot how much I cared until I stopped by today.

Well, that’s just a few of the things I like and take daily pleasure in. Life if good and it’s even better with some good material things that brighten your day and make things easier or more pleasurable. Speaking of which, I have expressed before my love of reading. I am currently reading, “Peace Like a River.”

So far it is absolutely fantastic!! I am about halfway and would be happy to recommend it if you need an addition to your summer reading list. Thanks for stopping by! Please share some of your favorites in the comments section. What am I missing out on??

Here I Am

Sorry to leave you hanging! People keep asking when I was going to write again and I just wasn’t sure, but here I am. Sooo, a lot of changes since we last met. Back then, I was just diving into my new world full of all new social circles, and worried about what the future would hold. Well, it holds me for one. I’m still here. I’ve survived the big barrier crossing and am beginning to enlarge my social circles once again. And I like it.


The change with the greatest impact for me was switching church congregations. It shouldn’t be a big deal, right? But it is. It’s hard. Especially when it is the result of getting too old for your previous one and then being kicked out. I was comfortable there and I had friends. Sure they were all several years my younger but we had some good times. Our time for parting was finally at hand however. Many of them were moving on with their own lives as I needed to also. The mid-singles ward just seemed so daunting and scary! It was depressing really, to think of having to belong to such a congregation. That was, until I looked at it differently.

As I have mentioned many times before, our experiences in life really are what we make them. Look at the people who experience great tragedies and hard things. Many learn from the experience and are grateful, while others become bitter for the rest of their lives. In this situation of mine, I chose to see it for its good rather than the negatives that might be involved. I have seen many others in my situation however, who do just that…they make it harder than it is and can only see the negatives. So, since it has been my goal to look on the bright side of things, today’s post is all about the good part of evolving and progressing on to a mid-single’s ward.

First of all, you never know what you are missing until something different and maybe better for you comes your way, right? Well, I didn’t know how badly I was missing company with those in my situation but I really was. It is sooo nice to now be surrounded by professionals who know who they are and where they are going with life. That is not to take away from the younger crowd. They are well on their way; it’s just nice to be around other people that are also established in life. Most seem confident, intelligent, and fairly driven. I like it.

Next, switching wards at this particular time was actually quite a blessing for me. I wasn’t the only one getting kicked out of my ward. No, there were hundreds…literally. My new ward was pretty big to begin with. Over the last couple of months, it has grown by over 100 members. These are younger people just like me, who needed a place to go. Many were unsure what to think about moving on to this ward but most have been good sports about it. So, each time I go to church or an activity, I meet someone new. I am starting to recognize quite a few people and I also spot a new hottie just about every time as well. I know right? Who would have thought! And I don’t feel bad about looking either because I know they are at least my age or older. :)

While there are many my age, there are also quite a few who have been there a loooong time and are much older. Many of these are well, “interesting.” It is easy to get caught off guard by this crowd and see only them and wonder what you are doing there and what your future holds. Many thoughts come to mind like, “am I really one of them??” “will that be me soon?” etc.. On the other hand, it gives one cause to be grateful for one that you are different and that we are all unique and add our own flavors to the crowds we establish ourselves in. Life would be boring without the contrasts of different personalities and lifestyles. So, I watch them, I smile, and I am grateful!

Finally, (for now) this ward makes it so that there is always something to do. They have activities and events going on at least 3 to 4 times a week. So, if I have nothing else going on, it’s always nice to go on a ward hike or check out sports night, etc. Living a social life really requires getting out and doing something so this has been great for that. They even had a relationship/dating activity a few weeks ago. It was actually very well attended and interesting. I always enjoy the reminders I get at these to help myself become more dateable and ready for marriage!

As for the rest of my life, I have been trying to enjoy each day! I go hiking 3 to 4 times a week and always find it refreshing and rejuvenating! Sitting on the top of a mountain provides a great place for meditation and I’m kind of in to that lately. I learn some of that at the weekly Tai Chi classes I have also been going to. I’m loving it! I love learning how to use my energy in a positive way and to learn more about myself and my energetic make up! It’s great!

Men on the horizon? Yeah, a few. I think I was extra blessed for making the big switch so for once in my life, I got a HOT home teacher! (For those who don’t know, the men in each church congregation are assigned in pairs to visit each family in the ward monthly to give them a short spiritual lesson and check up on their overall well being.) I actually spotted him country dancing the other night as well. Sure he was with a girl with him but no big deal. He’s not married or anything! And, when he recognized me he gave me a hug and introduced her. So, we will see.

As mentioned above, there are several others in the ward who are just trying to get up the courage to come and talk to me! And as always, I have a few set up possibilities so we will see if those come through. Lastly, I’ve been meeting a few guys at country dancing! Wohoo! Guys ask me to dance ALL the time now! I love it! The other night, I danced with at least 3 guys in a row who all had the same name. I was starting to think it was a joke. One of them kept running into me the rest of the night and promised to find me on facebook. That is yet to be seen but it was progress. Good men are finally starting to show interest. I think I am finally beginning to figure out how to change the song I’m putting out there. Or the vibe anyway. I’ve been sending off the wrong one all this time but not too worry, life is a learning process, right?!

As a side note…I have a funny story. I said that I have been country dancing frequently lately. Well, I decided that it is a dangerous sport! A few weeks ago I got DROPPED!! They guy as dipping me and totally couldn’t pull me back up! Guess it’s time to recommit to that whole diet thing, right? Thirteen pounds to go until my goal!! The same night, another guy almost broke my arm. Then, last night I was dancing with this guy who was super good. We were showing a few other couples how to do some moves. So fun! BUT…the totally punched me in the nose! It seriously brought involuntary tears!! It still hurts today…pretty sure it’s bruised! I didn’t let him see that it hurt though. Once we actually danced, it was sooo much fun!! So, good times…but dangerous as well. Seems like all good things in life are the same way.