Gator Update #3

Hello hello! Here we are again for another Gator update.

These past 8 weeks few by but also felt very slow. Did anyone else feel that too?

I took two classes this past 8 week semester and I felt as if I was riding the struggle bus almost the whole semester. I loved these classes but I struggled with how to consume the information and how to take notes.  By week 7, I gave up taking handwritten notes and just read the assigned readings and did the assignment. If I needed to refer back to the text, I just pulled the textbook up in another tab. That seemed to work well and it ended up not taking up every precious moment I had to spare. 

Here are my thoughts on the two classes I completed:

Interpersonal Communication

I had no idea what to expect with this class. I thought I was pretty good at communications due to the fact I have been communicating (i think) efficiently for the past 30 something years. This class blew my mind. I truly enjoyed it. There are so many nuances and things that go into communication that you don't think about that made communication so complex. There were a few Ted Talks we were required to listen to that correlated well to that weeks lesson. Overall, this class was awesome. I highly suggest you take a course like this if you have the chance. 

One of the Ted Talks we watched was with Amal Kassir and she said “the greatest distance you can travel in the shortest amount of time is by asking someone their name.” This stuck with me and really made me think about small talk and others. 

Managerial Accounting

Again, just like with Interpersonal Communications, I had no idea what to expect with Managerial Accounting. I knew what accounting was and I knew what the word managerial was but together I had no idea what it was. This class too was super interesting and I felt like I really enjoyed it. It was definitely hard but rewarding. I did have a few panicked moments when I realize the answer I got didn't match what everyone else got in the discussion question and after reviewing how they did it and how I did it, I was able to see my mistakes.  Overall another great class. 

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Both classes had really responsive professors that would respond to my (sometimes panicked) emails quickly and were really helpful. Being a professor for an online class has to be hard and to tell you the truth, sometimes I don't like the professors but these two were awesome. 

Whew! I am glad this semester is over even though I really enjoyed these classes. Spring break is until the 28th and then I jump back in for 2 more classes for the last 8 weeks- Payroll Accounting and Spreadsheet Concepts. I am really excited for Spreadsheet Concepts. This course is going to be really beneficial for my job since I use Excel almost everyday. 

Did you miss my previous Gator Updates? Check them out here: First 8 Weeks and Second 8 Weeks

[[Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think- Albert Einstein]]

International Women's Day

 Today we are celebrating women and all their amazing accomplishments. Now I think we should celebrate this everyday but its pretty awesome that we have a whole day and month to ourselves. Women are resilient, tough, brilliant, innovative and kind. We are hard workers, creatives, and problem solvers. Be proud of where you are at this moment and everything you have gone through to get to this exact point. 

Here are some of my favorite quotes for International Women's Day:

Check out this website for some great resources for International Women's Day. Linked here.

[[Who runs the world? GIRLS!]]

Friday Favorites- Feel Good Friday

Happy Friday!

It's the first Friday of March (how in the world did we get here?!)

As always I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites. 

Before I get into my Feel Good Favorites, I have a personal feel good story. Just an small update- I shared last week I needed to get colonoscopy this week. I got a good report! YAY! 

On to the Feel Good Friday Stories:

Sweet Adoption Story/// I love a great story about adoption and this will give you all the warm fuzzies. Sometimes you have no idea how much of an impact you are going to make on a child's life and  how much your life will change for the better. You both will be forever grateful for each other.

Houston Furniture Store/// This is from when Texas was digging out from that freak blizzard. Mattress Mack, owner of Gallery Furniture, opened up his furniture stores to people displaced with the storms. He provided a warm place for people.  Bravo Mattress Mack!

Girl Scouts sell cookies to ALL 50 states/// If this isn't inspiring, I don't know what is. This Girl Scout troop is unique, it is made up of girls that all live in a shelter in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Good job girls!

Wholesome Memes///Heart eyes you NEED to see this!

and just because everyone loves grilled cheese, check out Grill Cheese Social. Mackenzie will have you drooling over these really unique grill cheese recipes. You NEED to check this out. 

What good things happened to you this week? 

Did you miss my posts this week? Book Reviews & Let's Talk about Money

[[When you focus on the good, the good gets better]]

 

Lets Talk About: Money

Welcome to my new quarterly series- Let's talk about.... 

This first subject is something that I have become really interested in and I believe with the right education about it, you can make all your savings goals come true.

I wish money education was taught more regularly in school. 

There I said it. 

I did not need to learn how to square dance or play the recorder. Money lessons are so important and the fact that they are not taught in school (at least the public school I went to) makes me sad. I (and so many other people) would have benefited and maybe not have made so many mistakes with money.

My mom taught me a lot about money when I was very young. I did great with money until I went to college. Those years, I seemed to forget everything I knew about money. Looking back, I realized I just wanted to keep up with everyone else and I was trying to fill a void that was unfillable at the point in my life. I have learned from those mistakes and I am still currently learning about money. I think you can never stop learning about money and what you can do with it and what it can do for you.

I have come up with some money rules that I have personally used over the years. I may not always follow them to a 'T' but I will always come back to them some way, some how. 

1.    You don't have to buy something in every store you walk in.

        I have no idea where this came from but in my teenage years, I had this notion that every store I walked in, I had to buy something. It was really weird. I wonder if I saw this on TV or heard someone talking about it. 

2.    Stop buying unnecessary crap

         You can go into Target/Home Goods/Micheal's and walk out with the ONE item you went in for. Its hard, don't get me wrong but think about what you can put that money  towards if you didn't spend it on something you didn't need.  

3.    Save money

        This should be something you do but I heard a staggering statistics from Bankrate.com, that 65% of people don't save money. SIXTY FIVE percent!? That is crazy. I might not have always contributed a lot to my savings accounts but I always had some type of savings. 

4.     It's not about how much you make, its about how much you save

        Having a big salary doesn't guarantee that you will save a lot of money. Most people who make a lot of money, spend a lot of money too. If you start saving just $5 a week when you're in your twenties, and you don't touch it, with interest and inflation, you will have a lot of money come retirement time. 

5.     Invest in the stock market early and leave it there 

        Just like saving money, invest in stocks too. Research stock companies that you have an interest in- like Apple or Home Depot- then invest in those companies. Little by little you will start to accumulate more and more stocks. Robinhood and Computershare lets you buy portions of stocks to make it even easier to start.  

6.    BUDGET- make one and stick to it

        I am guilty of not always following my budget. I think you need to make realistic budget that fits your life. The Budget Mom has great tips to start a budget.

7.    Any extra money you get (birthday, holidays, gifts, etc) you should save some of it; not spend it all

        I call this money- bonus money. This money you weren't expecting and if you didn't have this money, you wouldn't miss it, in theory. Keep this extra money in a savings account and see how much you can accrue in a year. This goes for tax returns and stimulus checks too!

8.    Set up sinking funds

    What are sinking funds you ask? The best thing ever. This is a separate account that you allocate your savings to each month and then you use the funds for a certain savings goal. For example, I pay my car insurance twice a year. I set up a sinking fund for that so I can save for it little by little. Once the bill comes in, I will have enough money to cover it. Then after I pay the bill, I start all over again for the next car insurance bill to come. Budget mom does a great job of explaining it more, click here. 

9.    Do your own research about money

        The best way to learn anything is to google. Then you will have an infinite amount of resources on-line. You can ask friends and family about money advice but ultimately it comes down to you to make decisions about your money. Dave Ramsey, The Budget Mom, Nerd Wallet, Investopedia, Nerds Guide to Fi, and The Budgeting Wife are just some people I follow and trust about money. 

10.    Think about your future- where is your life going

        What you know about money will help you or hinder you with your future. If you know in 5 years you want to buy a home or change jobs or relocate, you will need money for that. If you know of some ideas that you possibly want to do in the future- then you will be able to start saving towards those goals. 

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Now I am no money expert and all that I have shared is things I have learned through trial and error over the years. I also have to give credit to my Mom for teaching me at such a young age about money and how to save. 

How is your relationship with money? 

[[when you create a plan for money, you give money a purpose]]

PS.  I am not sponsored by any of the people/link I have in this post. THOUGH if anyone that I did link would like to sponsor me, I would LOVE that! :) 

Book Reviews

Happy March! 

I wanted to start the month with something really exciting! 

Book Reviews! 

I read these 6 books between January and February. I have to admit something; its something that I never thought I would actually admit. I LOVE audio books! I have been so resistant to them for so long but they are so darn convenient. One drawback for me with audio books is that I need to be doing a mindless task while listening to the audio book. 5 out of six of the books on this list I listened too. I highly recommend all of these books. 

How to be an Artist- Jerry Saltz ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a fun book. Part how to book, part memoir, Saltz talks to all types of artists and provides fun and easy to follow advice how to find what brings you joy in your art. 

Bad Blood- John Carreyrou ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This true story was crazy but so enthralling. Elizabeth Holmes was able to secure millions of dollars for her startup company Theranos and then things start to go wrong. Some of it, dragged on through the medical terminology but overall a really great book. I listened to the audio book and the narrator was really good.  

Greenlights- Matthew McConaughey ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Alright, Alright, Alright. You NEED to listen to this book. Matthew McConaughey narrators it, need I say more?! This audio book makes it like you are sitting across from him and he is telling you not only his story but giving you some pretty great advice. I couldn't stop listening to this. 

Eight Perfect Murders- Peter Swanson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love a good mystery book and this is probably one of my top 5 favorites. Twists and turns and it will keep you guessing all the way to the end. You need to read this- its that good. 

Southern Lady Code- Helen Ellis ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love a book that makes me laugh out loud. This audio book is read by the author and her anecdotes and true stories are a perfect light read/listen to take your mind off the craziness. If you are looking for something fun, this is it. 

Big Magic- Elizabeth Glibert ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the third time I am reading this book- 2016, 2019 and 2021. Elizabeth Gilbert narrators her book and I LOVE when the authors, narrator their books. This is the type of book where every time you read it, you pick up something new. Lots of great ideas for your life. 

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Whew! I think I am out of my book rut that I had in the middle of January. I am so excited to see what I can find to read next. I read/listened to all these books on Libby. Using my library card, I am able to access a huge selection of books. 

What have you been reading lately?

[[Reading gives us someplace to go, when we have to stay where we are- Madison Cooley]]

Friday Favorites- Dear February

For this week's Friday Favorites, I am linking up with Erika and Andrea AND I am doing something a little different today. At the end of each month, I write a love letter to that month and reflect on the past 30 days. There are so many times we fly through life without really thinking about it; I love to look back and see the good and the bad of the month.  

Dear February,

We need to have a little chat. You need to shut the snow machine off. We get it, the furry rodent saw his shadow and he called for 6 more weeks of winter but couldn't we have done like a mild winter. I did love looking at the snow looking all pristine right after it fell but it caused so much destruction in the South and even us Northerners are fed up with it. This year is starting to follow suit of 2020 and I hate to say its a mess. Please and Thank You! Moving on...

If I’m being honest, I really disliked this month. Usually I LOVE February but this year, I felt like was one of the hardest months I’ve had since the beginning of the pandemic. I struggled and fought through this month. I took breaks from social media on the weekends because I felt overwhelmed by it. Social media has been in this weird lately. I feel like influencers have been odd lately; I know they have a job to do but sometimes they post things that I feel is thoughtless and they clearly are not reading the room to see what is really happening in the world right now. 

There was one influencer that really pushed me over the edge and this was even after weekends of limited social media. There is a pregnant blogger who’ve I’ve been following for years and she posted a story just the other day that made me REALLY upset. I know she was expressing how she was having bad morning sickness in her first trimester BUT it hit me really hard. I was angry and upset due to my own not feeling like myself but the difference between her sickness and my sickness is that hers will end; mine will not. 

                      “I was kind of convinced I’d never feel like myself again” 

I started thinking “ what about the people with chronic illnesses that can never feel like their old selves again? They have mourned or are mourning their past selves.  What about the people struggling? What about me? When can I feel better again? Why can't I feel better ALL the time not just sometimes? How many other people saw thing and were having a bad flare day and thought to themselves, I wish I could feel like myself again. 

I got to the point of tears and I know that it wasn’t her intention to make me feel that way but seeing that on a bad day of mine wasn’t good. Having a chronic illness sucks and its no secret that you have good days and bad days. I try to remain optimistic on my bad days because I know they don't last (that long) but I didn’t choose to become sick nor do I wish this on anyone, sometimes things hit you harder some days. 

Another thing that made this month hard for me was some symptoms of my chronic illness- Crohn's Disease reared it’s ugly head. Now these symptoms started last month but they were here and there. This month they were much more consistent and it made me sad. I have gone almost 2 years without major symptoms and for them to come back EXACTLY how they were previous to my surgery really made me upset. As I am writing this, today’s weird symptom was brain fog. It’s been the worst, I’ve ever experienced. I literally forgot words today and had to change sentences to avoid the word I couldn’t think of. 

As I mentioned in my What’s Up Wednesday post, next week I am going for a colonoscopy. It’s about my TENTH one and I don’t know whether to make a joke about it (is this one free because it’s #10) or I should be sad because I’m 33 and I’ve had ten of these already along with many other types of tests. I think I flip between joking about and being sad about it. With COVID restrictions, this will also be the first time, my parents will not be allowed in the hospital to wait with me. That makes me sad. I will have Penelope the flamingo (the doctor even asked me if she was going to be there!) but its not the same. 

One exciting thing happened this month:

My office (at work) is just about done! We have been doing a COVID remodel to make it easier to be socially distance between employees and customers since the fall. My office is the last phase of it and I am so HAPPY! 

The transformation has been unbelievable. I started out with an office with two desks, green over head cabinets, sponge painted grey wallpaper and an ancient air conditioner unit. over the past 15 months, I have transformed it into a modern looking space  that is cohesive and makes me really happy. I said good bye to the wallpaper (which wasn't that bad), the ancient air conditioner unit and hello to one solid color on all 4 walls, a brand new air conditioner unit and clutter free area. I am so excited to move back into my office. 

I have loved sitting at my temporary desk due to the people watching and the company but I am ready to get back. I am hoping today I can move back in! 

February, I am glad to see you go. You did have some bright spots but for the most part you were a mess. Lets make a clean break and leave this behind us. 

March, I am ready for you, please be good!

Love, gabrielle

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whew. well that wasn't a typical love letter was it?! I try to be as real and truthful (#reallife) as I can be on here because I know I am not the only one having a hard time. Being honest about how I am actually feeling can be hard for me- I'm stubborn- but I know it will help me in the end by getting it off my chest. 

I am looking towards March with hope and joy in my heart and lots of prayers it will be better. 

Did you see my posts this week? WGJ vol. 14 and What's Up Wednesday

[[Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes its a little whisper that says "We'll try again tomorrow"]]

What's Up Wednesday

when snow was fun

Happy Wednesday! I hope you all are safe and warm where ever you are. My heart is still aching for the South and what they are currently thawing out from last weeks crazy snowstorm. You are all in my prayers.I am linking up with Sheaffer  and Shay today to share what I have been up to:

 What I'm Eating
All types of SOUPS with all the bread

What I'm Reminiscing About
When we didn't have snow and we had mild winters. 

What I've Been Loving

Soups, hand warmers, fuzzy blankets, Dove Milk Chocolate

What I'm Dreading

Nothing?  I am pretty content with my life and what is happening right now. 

What I'm Working On

School work and new ideas for here. 

What I'm Excited About

Spring! Not seeing snow on the ground/ in the forecast. 

What I'm Watching

Reels on Instagram. They are so darn addicting.

What I'm Listening To

Spotify and Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson.

What I'm Wearing

Every winter sweater I own. HA! 

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Homework for the last full week and getting ready for the new month ahead

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month

Spring and a break from school! 

What Else is New

Not much. I have been having some odd symptoms that I am pretty sure are linked my Crohn's Disease. I have to have a colonoscopy next week so I am just praying everything goes well! 

What are YOU up to?

Let me know in the comments below.

[[She is strong...but she is exhausted. R.H. Sin]]

WGJ vol. 14

snowy views

HELLO end of February! I am back with another mixtape, volume 14! This one has a fun mix of different genres and some old favorites. Let me know know in the comments below what are your favorite songs!

WGJ vol. 14

Somebody's Gonna Love You- THE WLDLFE

this time last year- Nightly

fools- Foster, Sody, Sarcastic SOunds

Saved Me- Chase Rice

Like A Man- Dallas Smith

Near Mrs.- LANCO

Mason Jars & Fireflies- Canaan Smith

Tough Ones- Cooper Alan

These Are The Nights- Making April

Cute Without The "E" (Cut From the Team)- Taking Back Sunday

Always Going to Love You- Florida Georgia Line

Some Things Never Change- Dallas Smith, HARDY

Chasing After You- Ryan Hurd, Maren Morris

Give- Tom Butler

I Want Love- Gryffin, Two Feet

Miles- Tiera, BRELAND

Life Rolls On- Florida Georgia Line

pov- Ariana Grande

Glad You Exist- Dan + Shay

That's You- Drew Baldridge

What A Girl Will Make You Do- Craig Campbell

Famous Friends- Chris Young, Kane Brown

Listen Here.

[[Be Messy and Complicated and Show Up Always]]

 

Friday Favorites: Keep Going edition

WOAH!

Did anyone else have a week?! Its okay to admit it; these short weeks are usually the worst and for some reason this past week was even worse than expected. 

This week kicked everyone's butt including mine. I am hoping and praying and wishing for a more calm and collected weekend and upcoming week. I hope that we can start to move forward from the mess that this week was and focus on the good that this week brought- even if it was just being able to wake up in the morning. 

My wish for you is that you overcome any struggles that you might be dealing with, with grace and strength and foresight that things will get better and you will have better days. These trials you are going through right now are giving you your strength and clarity to see what is coming for you. You can get through it and you will. 

Just a reminder when things get tough, 

You are a diamond and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

You got this and whatever else that comes your way. 

Did you miss this weeks posts: Diary #14 and Let's Make A Plan...

How are you doing today?

Any fun plans for the weekend?

[[you are strong, smart and you got this!]]

Let's Make a Plan....

2009 to present

I am a classic Type A personality in some respects and a Type B personality in other respects. One thing my type A personality has always loved was planners and being organized. I think it was back in the 4th grade when it all started. We were given these blue and spiral bound planners to keep track of assignments- it was in that year, I fell in LOVE with planners. I loved the idea of having your life in one place basically. 

Since forth grade, I used a planner of some sort; not always consistently but it was always around. After college, I used it to keep track of my work schedule (when I was working part time ) and other random things, like when my favorite TV shows were on and when my library books were due. 

It wasn't until about 5 years ago when I started really using my planner to keep track of important things: how I was feeling, what I did that day, anything important happen, etc. My planner acted as journal and its been life changing. Being able to look back on a certain date and see what I did, what I was wearing and other little details that in 3 months, I would never remember, was super helpful.

All my planners have been paper. I know what you all are thinking, girl it is 2021. I just can't get into the groove of using my phone's calendar as a planner. My brain doesn't compute the fact that I can store things in my phone. I think I like having the actual physical planner and for me to look back and take notes and see my handwriting.

I have tried so many different planners over the years. Some I loved, some I hated  and other I was indifferent about.I always had a little planner I carried in my purse AND a larger one I left at home; I always with a planner just in case.   I have tried expensive planners, cheap planners, put together yourself planners but after a lot of trial and error over the years I have found one that I have used (mostly) consistent for 3 years now. 

2019 2020 2021

Erin Condren Daily Petite Planners 

These have been perfect. I love the daily layouts and the full calendars for each month. These are also broken up into 4 planners- 3 months per planner for a more manageable size and feel. 

The purse planner I am using is:

Simplified by Emily Ley 

I was excited for Emily Ley to release her line at Staples. I always wanted to try her planner but I could never get my hands on it. This little purse one is okay; I wish the boxes in the calendar were a smidge bigger. 

Other planners I have used in the past:

Sugar Paper Planner

This was 2017 and I think I got this from Target. I loved this planner. It was so pretty- the blue and gold. There was a ton of room to write everything I wanted too. I kept pretty meticulous notes every day. My favorite part of this planner? The monthly sticky note of my monthly goals. 

Erin Condren Life Planner

I used this back in 2015-2016 and I actually liked the format and size. The wire binder and the removable covers annoyed me. So precise in my daily notes. I also didn't like the year set up- it ran from July 2015 to December 2016. It was like a student planner plus an extra 6 months. Kinda awkward.

ARC customization planner 

This was a good idea in theory. I used it in both  2012 and 2014. You bought a little pretty notebook cover for these and you were able to add and take things out easy. I wasn't that great in 2014 about taking notes but in 2012 were just precious and so specific. 

Anthropologie Weekly undated planner

I used this back in 2011 and while I wasn't the busiest person back then this was perfect. It was a short and fat sized planner (landscape orientation) Really pretty color pencil illustration on the cover and then throughout. 

Staples Student Planner

2009-2010 I was back in school and working 2 part time jobs and this was absolutely perfect. I am pretty sure they never made this exact one ever again but for what I needed it for, it worked great and had a lot of room to write all my assignments and work schedule. 

My purse planners

There is just under 10 years of literal history here. Dates, appointments, reminders , birthdays-all in here, just waiting to happen. 

My Outfit Planners

Prior to 2019, I used to write down what I wore each day in my planner. I try to wear all my clothes that I have and this was the perfect way for me to keep track of favorite outfits and provide a record of what I was wearing. Having a planner dedicated specifically to my outfits has been a game changer. 

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Looking back at my planners and randomly reading the different entries gave me some great trips down memory lanes. Using my planner as a journal has been pretty awesome- I love the little insights and thoughts I wrote or sticky notes I had left in them. I am so happy I have kept these over the years; I wish I was just as diligent for prior years- I would have loved to see what I was writing in Middle and High School.  HA! 

Do you use a paper or digital planner? 

Do you keep a journal as well?

Let me know in the comments below!

[[The details are not the details. They make the design. -Charles Eames]]