A festive little story

Sorry for the little hiatus there. I've been pretty busy lately, and when I come home I just want to veg out. I've been slacking.

So, Jeff's been in Seattle for work the past week. My best friend lives in Seattle, so I was originally going to try to make it out with him, but it was really short notice between the time they told him he was going and the time he left. So I've been home alone since last Wednesday with the Groobs. It was kind of nice to have the house to myself at first (I've been on a SATC binge...whenever I'm by myself there are always a million movies and shows I want to watch that Jeff isn't interested in, but I always end up watching something I've seen 10 times over again. Go figure.) but I'm excited for him to come home tomorrow. This is actually the longest we've been apart since 2009, when I first moved to Delaware.

Speaking of which...did you know Jeff was a sailor when I met him? He wasn't in the military; he was what's called a Merchant Marine, which basically meant that he worked on huge ships that were mostly transporting various things (I think he said one was transporting cars to Europe...the last ship he was ever on was transporting military equipment to Iraq, which terrified me...not only because he'd be in war zones, but because his ship was going through Somalia during that whole pirate fiasco). That's actually how I met him...he'd get lonely on his ships, so he'd talk to random people online just for something to do. By the time I met him he was ready to quit and go back to school, because he didn't want to be constantly coming and going anymore. A lot of his trips were for months at a time...some of them stayed relatively local, going up and down the Delaware River, but a lot of them were international. This means that he got to see the world, which is awesome, but he got tired of it pretty quickly.

By the time we started dating, Jeff was done sailing, and didn't plan to go back. He had gone back to school for teaching, and was doing really well. We spent the first six or so months of our relationship long-distance - he was in Delaware and I was 5 hours away in PA. Every weekend, he'd drive up to PA to visit and drive back home on Sunday night. About six months into our relationship, I moved to Delaware, and we temporarily moved in with his mom and stepdad while we looked for an apartment. Since he was in school and I had just moved here, money was pretty tight. After much discussion, Jeff decided to do one more sailing trip over the summer, because his license was still valid and it pays really well, so we'd be able to move into our own place when he got back and he'd be able to make it back in time for school to start again. I reluctantly agreed, but this meant that I was going to be living with his family by myself for the summer. Luckily, his family is one of the warmest, most welcoming families I've met, so they made it easy on me. His mom and I started a little routine where I'd work my bartending shift and then go to the gym late at night, and then I'd come home around 2 AM and we'd watch Big Brother After Dark together. It was weird, but nice. Jeff and I had limited contact during that time, because something about the areas he was in made it hard to talk on the phone, but we'd email each other daily and at the end of each email we'd write corny song lyrics to each other. It was cute and lame, and we were super excited to be reunited when he came back. And we've been (consistently) together ever since.

It's funny to look back on the first few years of our relationship and think about how far we've come and how different our lives are today. I can't imagine what my life would be like now if I hadn't met Jeff...I definitely wouldn't still be living in DuBois, Pennsylvania (which is where my mom lives, and where I was temporarily living when I met Jeff...though, not with my mom) but I'm honestly not sure what I'd be doing or where I'd be. I think about how lucky I am to have ended up where I am all the time. I don't know if I believe in fate, or that things turn out the way they were meant to be, but I can't really imagine being any happier anywhere else or with anyone else. How's that for a Valentine's Day story for ya? :)

But I don't FEEEEEEEEL like writing!

I don't. Sorry! I'm being a lazy turd this week. Back next week, have a killer weekend!

@khdskjh!!!

I had a post planned for today, but then I discovered this:

Yep, that would be a nail, lodged firmly into the tire of my brand new car. Excellent. I actually probably wouldn't have noticed it until it had gone totally flat, but a warning light went off on my dash and I nearly lost my mind, because I had no idea what it meant. So I did a google search, and the general consensus seemed to be that it was either a tire pressure alert, or it indicates that your break fluid is low. I didn't notice any of my tires looking flat, so I kind of scratched my head and went into work, hoping it would go away (responsible car owner that I am). It was still there on my drive home, so I got out my car to take a closer look, and there you have it. Jeff's out of town (which was, in part, relating to my intended post) and I sadly have no clue how to deal with such an issue (which makes me feel really lame, so maybe I'll learn a lesson from this), so now instead of writing a post, I'm off to Pep Boys to see if it can be repaired (pray for me). I'll be back with a real post tomorrow, unless I'm able to find the guys who did our roof, in which case I'll be in prison for curb stomping them.

Weekend Wrap Up

The weekend has arrived! I've been thinking it's one day ahead of what it's actually been all week, so this week felt l-o-o-o-o-n-g. Tonight we're going out for drinks with some of Jeff's old work friends - our next door neighbor (who also works with Jeff) offered to DD; what a treat! Tomorrow I'm going to try to drag Jeff to Ikea for some frames and maybe a couple of house plants, and then maybe we'll catch a movie after to make up for the Ikea torture. I don't know why he acts like he hates Ikea - when I first moved here, I had never even been to one, and he was obsessed. Now he acts as though I'm asking him to to carry me upstairs to bed because I'm too tired to walk (which is certainly not something I do, MOST DEFINITELY not every night). And on Sunday my friend Amber and her boyfriend Rob are having a Super Bowl party. I'm bringing these, and Jeff has elected to stay home to catch up on TiVo because he has an actual anxiety attack when it gets backed up. That guy. Have a stupendous weekend. Here are your links:

• J. Crew is offering an extra 40% off of their final sale styles right now, with some already at 50% off! I'm eyeing up this, these, and this.
• I don't have a pressure cooker, but this looks good.
• I already got my tax return and stashed it in savings, but I'm treating myself to a new pair of booties. Currently I'm torn between these, these Sam Edelman classics (I think regardless of what I choose I'm going to go with black, but I also really like these in the saddle leather color), or these.
• Oh, HELL yeah.

My Winter Essentials

I've noticed lately that when I come home from work, I put on the same outfit every day, snuggle under the same blanket, and slip into the same nightly routine. Something about familiarity makes the cold, dreary winter easier to bear, I think. Here are the essentials that have been getting me through 'til spring:

J. Crew Factory Shearling Slippers (no longer available)

They're super cozy, and the pop of red makes me happy.

Everlane Boyfriend Sweatshirt

I seriously wear this sweatshirt pretty much every night. The material is pretty heavy so it's nice and warm, and it looks pretty polished for a basic sweatshirt so I feel less frumpy in my nightly leggings/sweatshirt uniform.

Asos Wool Scarf (no longer available)

This scarf is big and as cozy as they come.

Lou & Grey Essential Leggings

I've mentioned these before, and I stand by 'em: these are my favorite leggings, and I live in them at home.

JR Watkins Shea Butter Lemon Hand Cream

(Oops, I think the link goes to the body cream, but I'm pretty sure it's the exact same thing in a bigger tube.) Winter does a number on my skin, especially my hands since I'm constantly typing and always forget to wear gloves. I keep this cream at my desk at work, and it keeps my digits silky smooth. Plus, it kind of smells like fruity pebbles. And it's Paraben and dye free!

Kleenex Cool Touch Tissues - Available literally anywhere.

I'm disgusting, and my nose is constantly drippy when it's cold out. I always have tissues on hand, and these are the bomb because they have menthol or something in them that's just a tiny bit cooling and keeps your nosy from getting all raw when you have the sniffles.

Faux Fur Throw

Not the exact one I have, but very similar. I can't imagine anything being cozier to snuggle up with on the couch while watching @Midnight (our new nightly ritual...except we're old and lame, so we TiVo it and watch it the next evening at an earlier time), except for perhaps a certain white fluffy dog I know.

Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm
I subscribe to one of those monthly beauty sample boxes, and this came in my shipment last month. I like it because it keeps my lips soft and smooth without creating a gunky buildup, which most lip balms seem to do and it really bums me out. Softlips cherry will always be my #1, but if you're feeling a little fancier and are looking for a summery, tropical scent, this balm is pretty solid. 

How to Kick Seasonal Depression

I wrote this post on Seasonal Affective Disorder a year ago today. Last year was a brutal winter - tons and tons of snow combined with shockingly cold temperatures made it a hard year around here for just about everyone. I get to feeling down right around the middle of January every year, and typically stay that way until around the beginning of March, but last year it was worse than normal for me and it led me to brainstorm some ways to head it off at the pass this year. When I look at the way I felt this time last year compared to how I've been feeling this year, it's like night and day. There are some things that contributed to that that I don't really have control over - the weather's been much more mild this year, for example, but I thought I'd share some tips that I feel have contributed to my sunnier outlook this year.

1. I feel like this is the most important thing out of all of these to do - stay active - During winter, I tend to go into hibernation mode and curl up under a blanket, leaving only to go to work and to take bathroom trips. It seems cozy at the beginning of winter, but quickly leads to feeling sluggish and bummed out. I think it's important to try to do some kind of actual activity each day - be it a project around the house or a trip to the grocery store, just moving around will make you feel better.
2. On a related note, be productive - This past Saturday I was sitting in my kitchen, doing what I love to do (sipping coffee, playing on the internet), no worries or cares, when I felt that bummed out feeling start to creep in out of nowhere. I immediately hopped out of my chair and begin cleaning my kitchen, which led to me deep cleaning my appliances and scrubbing my floors. The distraction took over the bummed feeling, and when I was finished my kitchen was sparkling clean, which also improved my mood! Two birds with one stone! I think that a big part of my depression problem stems from boredom, so just getting up immediately and doing something fended off the gloom. And the feeling of accomplishment is hard to beat.
3. Think about exercising - That's all I've done, and it's helped me! (Har, har)
4. Get outside - I know it's freezing out there and it feels torturous at first, but pick a sunny day and do something that involves being outside for a little while - take a walk, go to a winter festival, shovel your driveway if you have snow, build a snowman. The fresh air will breathe some life into you and the exposure to the sun is vital if you get seasonal depression.
5. Socialize - It's so easy to get wrapped up in your own little solitary cocoon when the weather is awful and you just want to lounge in sweats and watch Netflix, but social interaction can be really refreshing. It'll also get you out of your head a bit, which is always good.
6. Plan ahead - Plan a couple of fun activities to look forward to throughout the winter. Whether it's a trip to somewhere warm or just a night out with friends, having something to be excited for definitely staves off gloomy feelings.
7. Bring some life into your home - I'm not talking about making babies, though if you wanna go in that direction it's definitely a mood lifter (heh). I'm talking about foliage - get some green, living things (plants, flowers, trees) and scatter them throughout your house. It brightens everything up and improves the oxygen in your home. Try not to get too bummed when you inevitably kill them. And by "you", I most definitely don't mean "me".
8. Bring spring inside - I like to do this by punching up my decor a bit with some bright throw pillows or knick knacks and lighting some fresh-smelling candles. This is one of my favorite fresh, floral scents.
9. Buy a car - just kidding. But if you have several thousand dollars to just throw around or, ya know, if your car unexpectedly dies on you one day, it definitely doesn't hurt!
10. Spice it up - I've been trying out a bunch of new recipes recently, and the variety has helped keep things interesting. Again with the boredom - keeping my mind active has helped distract me from feeling bummed.
11. Set yourself up for success - Around midway last year, I opened a savings account specifically for Christmas gifts. A big part of my funk in January has to do with feeling guilty for spending too much on Christmas and having to pay off my credit cards for the next several months. By tucking away a small amount each month (I actually put a bigger chunk into my main savings account, and have a smaller part of that chunk automatically transferred from my main savings into the Christmas account each month) I'm able to save up a pretty generous amount by Christmas, and I don't even notice it's gone. Plus, if I end up not needing as much as I have saved I can either just transfer the rest back into my main savings or carry it over for the next holiday season. Having money set aside took a huge amount of stress off of me this January.

I hope everyone's having a decent winter, or if you're feeling down in the dumps I hope some of these tips are able to help, at least a little. Depression sucks, seasonal or not, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. If all else fails, know that you're definitely not alone and there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. Et cetera et cetera, corny corny.

Winter Tunes

Do you guys want to know my deeply scientific method of creating my monthly Spotify playlists? I go to my 'Liked From Radio' playlist, where Spotify collects all of the songs I've given the thumbs up to while listening to their steaming radio, and I add anything that I'm not already sick of to the list. That's it. Sometimes this ridiculously lazy strategy miraculously compiles a brilliant playlist, full of ups and downs and smooth, flowing rhythms. Sometimes it ends up creating a big stinky bag of suck. At any rate, here's my most recent playlist:

Mid-Winter Playlist

Montezuma - Fleet Foxes

Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes

Sweetest Kill - Broken Social Scene

5 Years Time - Noah and the Whale

Pull My Heart Away - Jack Penate

Life is Life - Noah and the Whale

Broadripple is Burning - Margot & The Nuclear So And So's

Eyes - Rogue Wave

Man On Fire - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Perth - Bon Iver

West Coast - Coconut Records

Yamaha - Delta Spirit

Can You Tell - Ra Ra Riot

Bloom - The Paper Kites

Bloodstream - Stateless

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings - Father John Misty

Come Under the Covers - Walk The Moon

Portugal - Walk The Moon