Facebook has been inundated with ice-bucket drenching in support of ALS. I think it's refreshing to see my newsfeed have a more macro-focus than micro-focus.

In recent years (arguably since the dramatic "timeline" transformation), I've seen an incredible shift on facebook from communication with one another (remember looking at Wall-to-Wall's?) to unbridled self-promotion. Quite often, my newsfeed reads like this: Look at me! I got a job! I got a 4.0! I got engaged! Look at my new shoes! I got married! I had a kid! I got a dog! My kid got a 4.0! I lost weight! Look at me!

Thanks a lot, "like" button. I'm looking at you, Zuckerberg.

I'm not just pointing fingers at others; I make posts like this, too.

I also sincerely enjoy staying up-to-date with friends' accomplishments, and wishing them congratulations for every milestone along the way. I have some awesome friends! Many who live too far away - who I wouldn't keep in touch with if not for social media. Thanks, Zuckerberg!

It's just, at what point are we taking our individual, personal, messy lives and marketing each moment? Transforming each instant into a picture-perfect, cleverly captioned (and hashtagged!) blip -- desperately seeking the most possible "likes."

Sometimes I feel like scrolling through my newsfeed is like watching individual self-made highlight reels. 

Ask any athlete, any player and any team can look good in a highlight reel. My junior year, my Bucknell basketball team was 7-21 (still love you guys!), but if you only watched our highlight reel, you would have thought we were NCAA-tournament bound. We weren't.

But we looked good doing it, amirite?

We decidedly did NOT shoot 100% from the floor that year - but you couldn't tell from watching the highlights. Did every single one of my facebook friends just have the most amazing weekend ever? Really?! Anyone else have a weekend full of laundry and catching up on sleep? Just me? Is everyone else I know feeling blessed and happy and ecstatic and surrounded by loved ones? Nobody is even slightly anxious? A little discontent with their current situation? Feeling a little let down by the people around them?

At what point is "filtering" our lives down to likeable flashes inauthentic? Ten years from now, are you going to look back at a really hard month in your life and think to yourself, "Wow, during that entire period, I posted nothing but duck-face selfies and pictures of my manicures."

I obviously think you should have some type of filter for what you post--for example, you shouldn't post things that could hurt other people, and some private aspects of your life are better left out of a public forum.

But you also don't have to have a picture-perfect timeline. You can have a fun, fulfilling weekend without documenting it online. You can post about things bigger than your own achievements and find balance. You can be happy, with or without "likes."

I worry for the kids spending their formative years growing up in this social media age of constant comparison - as Teddy put it:

{source: pinterest}

So, hate all you want about the ALS Ice Bucket challenge - but, for me, it's pleasant to see people post about causes - things bigger than their own little lives - in a public forum. Not to mention ALS is a horrible, debilitating, disease (watch this video if you haven't already - I find it promising over 14 million people already have.)

I was nominated for the ice bucket challenge opted to donate. First off, I rather bathe in a pool of spiders than post a video of myself online. I can't even listen to my own voice mail without cringing. Is that really how I sound? Eek.

More importantly, it's a wonderful cause. If there's any bandwagon I want my newsfeed to jump on, it's the "let's help cure a terrible disease" bandwagon instead of the "#selfiesaturday" bandwagon. Let's just hope we can stay off the "incoherent political rant" bandwagon for a little while longer.

Mondays Can Be Happy Too

The jury's still out on this one, but I'm thinking of starting a blog series called "Mondays Can Be Happy Too."

There are many reasons not to do this:

a. I've never had a blog series before (sounds like quite the commitment)
b. That name kind of sucks (there's really no ring to it - totally non-hashtaggable)
c. I'm usually better at pessimism vs. optimism (ex. complaining about moving, complaining about traveling, complaining about traveling again)
d. Can Mondays really be happy?? Is the name not only un-catchy, but also a bold-faced lie?

Regardless, here is my first attempt. This may just be a one-time post, in which case, the world will continue turning (or so I'm told).

I wrote in this Monday inspiration post about how Monday gets a lot of bad press. I'm determined that it can be a, you know, tolerable weekday. I'm not saying Mondays are going to feel like lounging on the beach in Maui (unless you happen to be doing that on Monday - if so - we are all ferociously jealous) - I'm just saying we can give the day a chance. We don't have to roll out of bed and feel a sense of imminent doom. Or at least I don't think we have to.

Without further ado, I present to you: two solid reasons why your Monday can be incrementally happier.

Reason 1: No unwanted naked people

Look around you. Maybe this is around your office, around your home, around an overstuffed airport (#businesstravelersproblems). Are people clothed? Are you forced to look at the stark naked bodies of strangers?

Because yesterday, on a SUNDAY, as I was walking downtown in the lovely city of Madison, Wisconsin, I saw not one, not two, but FOUR stark naked individuals. Just strolling around. I guess they weren't 100% naked - they were all wearing shoes. AND NOTHING ELSE.

I saw them not once but TWICE when innocently wandering the streets (eating froyo, duh). It was not a pleasant experience. Actually, it was the opposite of pleasant - it was downright uncomfortable and well, squeamish.

Thus far, this has NEVER happened to me on a Monday. Rejoyce!

Rather than share a picture of the cringe-worthy nakedness - here is the Madison capitol building aglow:

Reason 2: This puppy exists

Meet Hops. Hops is my friend's Burnese Mountain Puppy. Isn't she adorable? Hops enjoys socializing, biting furniture, puppy modeling, and, in general, being constantly adorable.

Hops' interests do not vary based on the day of the week. She is perpetually cute (and happy!), even on Mondays. Let's all take a lesson from Hops. Except for the biting furniture part. That would be a weird thing to get into, regardless of the day of the week. 

Me + Becky + Hops

So, if nothing else, hopefully you can enjoy two reasons for a happier Monday. Here's hoping. If all else fails, you're closer to Friday than you were an hour ago - go you!

Just in: Moving sucks and always will

I want to take the bold stance that I'm always going to loathe moving. Is there any worse pre-planned activity?*

Moving starts with packing which (newsflash) starts with organizing. JUST KILL ME NOW. At home, I thrive while living in a disorganized state. My boyfriend once (endearingly**) called me "a little ball of entropy" because I would enter his immaculate apartment, and, within minutes, everything would be in a state of utter disarray. Who needs to know where their checkbook is? Not this girl!

Moving is the universe's cruel way of reminding me that living a disorganized existence is not sustainable, and should be immediately rectified.

You also have to deal with this strange contradicting desire: on the one hand, you want to obliterate all your worldly possessions; on the other hand, you find yourself oddly justifying why you should keep your most obscure belongings.

Torn between the mindset of Henry David Thoreau and the mindset of a first-class hoarder, you live in a restless state of discontent, each possession simultaneously disgusting you and tempting you to keep it forever. How could you possibly part with your planner from senior year of college?! The memories! While packing, these were real thoughts that passed through my mind as it teetered on the verge of insanity:

"Hmmm...what's the easiest way to pack this stupid blanket? Maybe I'll light it on fire with a blow torch!"

"I don't know what this key does, but I guess I'm moving it" (as I toss into a junk drawer full of probably dried-out sharpies - can't get rid of those! I might become crafty yet.)

"I hate to donate these huge gold dangly earrings...if I want to be Esmerelda one year for Halloween, I'll surly wish I still had them."

"I probably should have thrown away the Walmart liquid eye liner 18 months ago." (toss in trashcan)

"I obviously can't get rid of my mini Bop it! key chain."

"I need to admit myself I'm just never going to be the girl who uses nourishing cuticle oil." (toss in trashcan that is now entirely holding unused bathroom products)

don't worry, I only threw out one Essie nailpolish. The first step is admitting you have a problem....

Don't get me wrong, I did discover some hidden gems while sorting through my piles of useless crap. My nightstand drawer is (apparently) where technology goes to die. Hello Blackberry charger! Also, remember when webcams were separate from computers!?

I didn't.

I also used this drawer (apparently) for important documents. Title of my car! Tax information! Newspaper clippings of my favorite Dear Abby columns! Not my passport, though. That was in my "junk corner" under a broken picture frame. I wish I were joking.

Anyway, we're done! (we = me and Stephen!) And by done, I mean, our apartment looked like this last night:

definitely ready to entertain

No more UHauls, no more dollies, no more broken elevators (don't get me started), no more lifting furniture up 3 flights of stairs.

Let the unpacking begin!

*I'm fully aware there are many things worse than moving - going to the E.R. to get stitches, being diagnosed with a terrible illness, getting in a car accident, etc. But you don't plan on those things. This is something you plan on, months in advance, but is still 100% horrible. It deserves some type of award for being that planned for and that bad.

**Maybe it doesn't sound endearing to you, but I'm going with it.

Throwback Thursday: Classic Reads

Since childhood, I have been an avid reader. I distinctly remember being so absorbed in my Full House paperback books at the bus stop that I would continue reading them while boarding the school bus and stumbling to my seat. Although I became more socially aware over the years, my love for reading has not wavered.

As an aside, I carried a trombone onto the school bus in fifth through tenth grade, which makes the "reading while walking" second-grade version of me surprisingly (and unfortunately) not the least cool former version of me.

I follow quite a few contemporary authors on facebook or twitter (Jen Lancaster, Emily Giffin, Jennifer Wiener) so I find myself reading new books rather quickly. I recently read Kristin Newmann's memoir What I Was Doing While you were Breeding and it made me want to pack my suitcase and travel the world for months on end. I've been recommending it to every girl I know, especially those in their twenties and thirties. 

I love new books, and gravitate towards witty memoirs that read like a series of blog posts. Even so, a part of me also will always miss my Nineteenth Century English Novel course I took in college. So, with that in mind, I decided recently to return to my English-major roots and read some classic literature. Although the two books I chose were neither nineteenth century nor English, they were, in fact, novels. Check out my reviews below and let me know if you have ideas for any must-read classics!

Slaughterhouse Five, or The Children's Crusade by Kurt Vonnegut

After finishing this classic, my first thought was, "Why hadn't I read this sooner?" First off, it's a super quick read. If you have light plans for a weekend, or a plane trip coming up, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this page turner.

Inspired by his own survival of the horrific Dresden bombing, Vonnegut sets the fictitious soldier Billy Pilgrim in the midst of World War II. The story is an interesting mix of historical and creative. There are gruesome, sobering details of the war and of the bombing, but also whimsical depictions of time travel and extraterrestrial life. 

One of my favorite parts is Vonnegut's introduction written in his own voice, where he narrates how he came to write of this haunting experience. He was afraid of writing a war story that would glamorize war, and details how this novel got its alternate title (The Children's Crusade.) This intro beautifully sets the stage for the fiction to come. As an aspiring writer, I wish more authors gave similar glimpses into their thoughts.

Favorite quote from the book: "Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why."

P.s. If you thought to yourself, "What's the Dresden bombing?" don't be embarrassed. The first time I learned about it was coincidentally while reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. (What are they teaching kids in school these days?!) So, scooping up a copy can up your history knowledge as well. 

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Set in pre-revolutionary China, Pearl S. Buck beautifully tells the story of a humble farmer, Wang Lung, beginning on the day of his marriage to quiet wife O-Lan. Through the ups and downs of many years, from newborn babies to devastating famines to lavish wedding feasts to funerals, you follow this family on their unforgettable journey.

I challenge you to read this work without empathizing for the Chinese women - whereas sons and grandsons are celebrated and rejoiced (yes, I spelled that with a "y" the first time I typed it), daughters and granddaughters are referred to as "slaves" and often sold into slavery when the times get tough.

Even though it follows a Chinese farmer and his family in a time before electricity, it's incredibly relatable. I love the theme of Wang Lung never fully being at peace, and always having some source of discontent. Isn't that life?

This is not as quick of a read as Slaughterhouse (but also not as long as, say, Grapes of Wrath), and I'd argue it's definitely worth your time. Don't just take my word for it - Pearl S. Buck won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 for this work of art.

--

And if all else fails, pick up some J.K. Rowling. It is Harry Potter's birthday after all! :)

Maybe Victoria's secret is a lie

What can I say about shopping for a bra that hasn't already been said about navigating the nine circles of hell?

Generally speaking, I think the entire industry is a racket. Every time I go to Victoria's Secret, they desperately try to convince me I'm a different size. Even though for the last decade of my life I have been a consistent 36B.

"Oh no, I think you're a 34C!" They say while forcing a 34C into my dressing room, putting it on the largest possible setting, and insisting I try it on for a surely forthcoming life-altering experience.

And as I begrudgingly emerge from the dressing room the Victoria Secret angel is all, "It's perfect! Isn't it better wearing a size that fits you? Most women are wearing the wrong bra size, you know."

And I'm all "I can't breathe."

Perhaps the size I've been wearing since I was 16 will work? Maybe I am one of those few rare, precious females who is, you know, WEARING THE RIGHT SIZE?

I know it's like a one in a million chance I could possibly know what size clothes I wear without the assistance of an associate who is currently wearing more makeup than I cumulatively own.

But, come to think of it, I've been wearing the same shoe size since I was 16 too. And shirt size. Why is your product so mysterious I need to have a scantily clad stranger wrap me in a tape measure each time I enter your store? And, if most women are wearing the wrong bra size, and most women are listening to you when choosing their bra size, at some point doesn't that suggest that you're sending inconsistent messages? It's almost like you're just convincing us to buy more products. Wait a minute...

Fun fact: there are a lot of sizes that are almost exactly the same. This is actively used against you to make you feel like an ill-informed helpless loser who couldn't possibly pick her own undergarments without the guiding light of your Victoria's Secret guardian angel. For example: a 32C and a 36A are almost the exact same thing. Especially depending on how you adjust the band. Weird, right?

"8 out of 10 women are wearing the wrong bra size" is a mantra shouted from the tops of the fashion world, trying to make plebeians shell out handfuls of hard-earned cash in a desperate attempt to be included in the 20% of womankind who know what they're doing.

But you know what? It's the 21st century. Gone are the days when women spent their lives mending the socks of their hardworking husbands à la Death of a Salesman. Thousands of women are graduating college each year and making waves in the workforce. I just think there's a chance those same females may have figured out what size of clothing they wear on a daily basis.

So I'm going to go out on a limb and make this claim: 8 out of 10 women are probably wearing the right bra size, and 8 out of 10 Victoria's secret sales people are probably lying to you.

And that is my latest conspiracy theory.

a humbling experience of which I recommend

I'm writing this while sitting in the laundry room of my boyfriend's apartment. You see, there's a tornado warning out there and this is an interior room away from windows. There was somewhere around zero tornado warnings the first 3 summers I lived in Wisconsin, so I'm happy to report that in the first summer when Stephen lives here we've already had a handful. (his first winter here broke coldness records.)

I did make the mistake of starting a load of laundry (when in Rome...) and now every time the washer (which I'm sitting inches from) makes a weird noise (constantly), I perk up thinking I'm hearing a funnel cloud coming through the windows.

In short, I thought it was high time for a blog post.

I crossed something (big) off My 101 in 1001 List: I completed a triathlon!!

I forgot to wear my blue jeans

I tried the Wisconsin Triterium Triathlon in Verona, Wisconsin on Saturday! (results here to prove I'm not lying - and for my dad who surely misses looking at box scores. :) )

Overall, I will say: it was hard. But worth it.

Let's start with the swim. Everyone told me before the race "Open water swimming is really different, you should try it before the triathlon." Did I? Nope. But, it wasn't all because of pure laziness. Open water swimming can be dangerous if you're alone, and, as I knew swimming would be a challenge for me regardless, I was comfortable with practicing in a pool and just mentally preparing for the open-waterness.

For me, the weirdest part of open water swimming is how you are just constantly touching other people. Arms, legs, feet, hands, all flailing around in murky, unclear water. Also, weeds. But, I managed to finish respectably with others in my group. (probably in the bottom third but decidedly in the bottom third). Also, I repeated the mantra "It's better slow and alive than fast and dead" in my head. That proved oddly motivational.

The bike course? I should have tried beforehand. I cannot overstate the number of hills in the 11 mile bike route. Hills on hills on hills. I'm convinced this course is the hilly-est stretch in this mid-western, ostensibly FLAT state. (Hello, tornado warning.) Hills for days.

Biking was by far the most humbling component of the experience. I just kept getting passed. They do this thing at tri's where they marker up your body. They write your bib number on your arm and one calf, as shown:

post race gun show (note: although this pictures suggests otherwise, I was not sponsored by lululemon ;) )

On your other calf they write your age and an "S" for sprint or an "O" for olympic (longer distances). So, I got the joy of watching women pass me on bikes.....and knowing that they were 55 years old. Countless females passed me who were over 40 as I struggled my way up the endless hills. Did I mention there were hills?

Did the older triathletes have road bikes and was I one of few people riding a hybrid? Yes.
Were they also better bikers than me? Absolutely.

my bike and Lake Monona

So, I will say I have a long way to go until the Tour de France but a little dose of humility now and then never hurt anyone!

After the misery of the bike, the run felt much better! Not that I did great (actually, I ran at a pretty slow pace for me), but I got to end on the note of passing people versus being passed.And I was beyond happy to cross the finish line in one piece!

Overall, I enjoyed the experience, and if you're looking to find a new, fun thing to train for that isn't exclusively running, I highly recommend you try a tri. Feel free to hit me up with beginner questions! (I'm no ironman.)

Shout out to my two friends, Ainsley and Fran who completed the race with me! And to Stephen for waking up at 5:20am to come support us! Another lesson learned: next time, we should take "before" pictures.

Monday Inspiration: 101 in 1001

The internet is overly saturated with people absolutely hating on Monday.

Sure, waking up this morning and realizing it was time to go to work felt a lot like watching Portugal score an equalizer in the last second of the USA game yesterday (womp, womp) but, you guys, Monday comes once a week. And I think all the "negative press" about Monday online isn't helping me make it through the day without an exorbitant amount of coffee.

Thus, in an unprecedented move I give you: my best attempt at an inspirational Monday post!

view from Devil's Lake

I have been inspired to compile a "101 things in 1001 days" list. I originally heard of this idea from Mackenzie over on Design Darling and spent about 1001 days thinking about how I should write one. Quite literally. Mackenzie just wrapped up her first list and started her second list, and that's when realized that if I was casually thinking about starting a list for 2.75 years, maybe I should, you know, start one.

The goal is to come up with 101 new things to try in the next 2 and three-quarters year. So, not quite as dramatic as a Bucket List (death is not the deadline), and not quite as stressful as a post-it to-do list that lingers on my desk and taunts me every hour of every day. I'm all for happy mediums.

I haven't come up with all 101 items yet, but am tracking them on this newly created page of my blog, and wanted to share a few today.

1. Try stand up paddle boarding 

My proximity to beautiful lakes and my negligible amount of time spent doing water activities on said lakes is embarrassing. I'm determined to take advantage of Wisconsin's lovely lakes this summer. And stand up paddle boarding can't be too hard, right?

8. Tour the Madison Capital building

I've taken somewhere between 15 and 987 pictures of Madison's iconic landmark since moving to Madtown in July of 2011. Have I ever gone on one of the free tours offered every hour on the hour? Nope, though I've opted to eat brunch over looking it's exterior countless times. I'm determined to change that (and have brunch after the tour.)

this 8:30pm over-the-weekend picture of the Madison Capital brought to you by the summer solstice

10. Read 20 new books. Including Jane Eyre 

As an English major, the fact that I've never read Jane Eyre is essentially a dirty little secret. I'm pretty sure Bucknell would evoke my degree immediately if they ever found out.

15. Finally watch The Matrix

To indelibly avoid hearing the ever-prevalent question that has haunted my adult life, "You've never seen The Matrix!?!?!?"

21. Visit at least 3 new states 

Using the "if you stepped on land in the state, you were there" criteria, I have 36 states down and 14 to go. Does this mean I might be dragging my boyfriend to Idaho with me soon? Quite possibly.

My goal is to complete my list by the end of June - so be sure to check my 101 in 1001 days page for updates! More posts to come as I finish the list and (hopefully) start checking items off!