Movies I love (Musical)

As stated in my non-musical movies blog, I had a hard time choosing just 10 of my favorite movies, so I cheated and made a list for musicals and non-musical movies I love. Be warned: this will not be your typical list of musicals. I definitely have a different taste when it comes to movies. These are in no particular order, just alphabetical. Enjoy!

Burlesque

Rated PG-13

Contrary to almost everyone I know, I am a big fan of Cher movies and I like her voice. I am also a Christina fan. With those two in this movie, of course I was bound to love it. The music is amazing, and it gets stuck in my head every time I think about the movie (I'm putting on the soundtrack right now). The storyline is good, and it's just a very entertaining movie.

Grease

Rated PG-13

I would assume that most people my age had their first musical experience with Grease, just as I did. I watched this quite a bit as a child, and it just brings back good memories. I have always wanted to live in the 1950s, so I love watching the movie and admiring the costumes and set designs.

Hairspray (2007)

Rated PG

This is one of those movies that I watched every day when I first got it. I should probably get a new DVD because it skips sometimes, but it's good for now. One of the things that made me instantly love the movie is the fact that a bigger girl was the main character - and it was a positive role! I have been big my entire life, and I had never seen a bigger girl in a positive role until this movie. It made me feel better about myself and made me realize that my weight wasn't holding me back - I was. This movie was definitely an eye-opener for me and it makes me feel good every time I watch it.

Happy Feet

Rated PG

This was another movie that I watched every day when I first got it. I actually like to watch this movie when I'm feeling sad because it's just so cute and uplifting. I never had an opinion about penguins before, but now I think they're super cute and I kinda want one....haha. Anyway, the message in this movie is like the message in Hairspray, and it's so positive and happy :)

High School Musical (all of them)

Rated G

I'm not even ashamed these are on the list (I have loved Disney Channel movies my entire life). I also love Zac Efron and I'm not afraid to admit it. One of my best friends from college loves these movies too, and we actually performed a duet of one of the songs for an event at school. These 3 movies are my go-to movies when I'm sick. Now that I've typed that sentence out, I've realized that unless I'm watching movies with someone else and that person requests one of these movies, I don't watch them unless I'm sick. For some reason they just make me feel better and make me happy.

The King and I

Rated G

This is my favorite musical. I honestly don't know why, but I just love this movie so much! My freshman year of high school, my choir teacher decided that we would watch this movie, so we did just that. I instantly loved everything about it and have loved it ever since. The story is amazing, and it gets me every time. The costumes are fantastic, and it just makes me think I am in Siam in the 1860s. It is a long movie, but it is worth the watch.

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Rated PG-13

I think the reason I know this movie is because we performed some of the songs for a choir concert. I had never read the book (until 2011) or seen the Broadway Musical. I instantly fell in love with the music and had to see the movie. I remember being obsessed with the soundtrack and I watched the movie as often as I could. To this day, I try and push myself to hit all of Christine's notes, but I just can't. One day I will come to terms with my alto voice and not make a fool of myself trying to sing super high notes (especially when I haven't warmed up at all haha).

Pitch Perfect

Rated PG-13

A capella music has always entranced me, so I was excited to see a movie all about a capella music. I had just really gotten into Pentatonix before this movie came out, so I was even more excited about it! The music is so catchy and fun, and the movie is hilarious. It can get a bit inappropriate in a couple spots, but it really is just a fantastic movie and I couldn't be more excited for the second one to come out in May!

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

Rated PG

So. When I went to PCHS, we didn't have a set choir teacher. My freshman year it was the band teacher, my sophomore year it was the middle school teacher for the first half of the year and then the band teacher again, and my junior year we got a new teacher who stayed for a few years. ANYWAY. My sophomore year, the teacher we had first semester tried telling us how the choir used to be super amazing and great and had all these trophies - just like what happened in Sister Act 2.  The entire class knew he was lying just to get us motivated, but he ended up motivating me to watch this movie.

This movie is really inspiring and it fills me with so much joy whenever I watch it. I clap and sing along like I'm actually at the concert in the movie haha. I love stories about a bad class that gets a really good teacher and everything is better. I also wouldn't mind having Lauryn Hill's voice for just one day...

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Rated R

At first I didn't like this movie because it looked SO fake...but then someone told me that was the point. After that, I watched this movie all the time! I never got nauseous by any of the gore except one time when I was eating while watching the movie. Other than that, it doesn't phase me (which is good because I'm the biggest baby when it comes to that stuff). This definitely isn't a movie for the family, but it is a good one to watch with friends who can appreciate what went in to making this great film!


Have you seen any of these musicals? Which is your favorite off this list? What is your favorite musical of all time? I would love to read about it!

XOXO

Jen

#DearMe

I've seen a lot of YouTube content creators make videos talking to their younger selves. I think they're really interesting, so I want to do one too (except a blog because I don't make videos)! To fill you in, I'm writing to my 8th grade, 13 1/2 (hey, half ages were still important back then) year-old self. I had just found out that my dad's job was moving us to Florida at the end of my school year (well, he moved a couple months before my ma and I did).

Dear Jenny,

First thing, you will go back to 'Jennifer' once you hit college and then 'Jen Harris' because you just have one of those names. Anyway, you just found out that you are moving to Florida this summer. As if starting high school wasn't scary enough, you have to start high school 1,200 miles away from everyone and everything you know and love. You've thought about running away, but know that will never work. Let me give you some hints about why Florida will be one of the best things to happen in your life:

• You will meet some of the best people in your entire life
• You still talk to quite a few at the age of 26
• Your best friend, Amanda, will invite you to church with her
• You will go and LOVE it
• You will join the worship team and commit your life to God
• You will travel with your choir to Epcot and perform at their Candlelight service
• TWICE
• You will have the opportunity to learn a wonderful foreign language that isn't offered at LPHS
• You won't actually LEARN anything (except 'Ich habe Hausaufgaben') until college
• You will have the best birthday (slash going away) party ever
• People really do care

Now I'm going to talk about some of the things that will upset you, but you will make it through:

• *9th grade bully* and his friends won't be teasing you after 9th grade
• You don't see them (except in passing) for the rest of your time at PCHS
• You actually don't get teased much at all after 9th grade
• One of your closest friends will turn out to not be who she says she is
• You will lose the friendship, but it's for the best
• There will be A LOT of drama with an online friend and real life friends
• Everything turns out just fine

You are anxious and nervous for nothing, honestly. You will be kicking and screaming just the same at the end of junior year when you have to move back to Michigan. Yes, you will move back to Michigan. You finish high school with (most of) the people who went to elementary and middle school with you and you will go to college! I won't write any more about college right now, though...maybe later.

Overall, Florida was amazing and not a day goes by that you don't think about it (when you're older). You actually can't wait to get your life together so you can move back and stay there forever.

Embrace it. You will definitely miss it when it's gone. Live it up and make intentional friends. Don't sweat the small stuff because it won't matter in 10 years (why do you think the negative part is shorter?).

You are worthy of so much, so don't settle for anything less.

-Jennifer

If you could write a letter to your younger self, which age would you choose and what would you say? I would love to read about it! :)

XOXO

Jen

Movies I Love (Non-Musical)

It can be hard for me to sit and focus and watch something for long periods at a time, but the right movie can do just that. Here is my list of the top 10 (non-musical) movies I love.

I am not putting these in an order because that is impossible (it was hard enough getting it down to 10, which is why there is a separate list for musicals), so I will just have these in alphabetical order.

The Fast and the Furious (all movies)

Rated PG-13

I know this is more than one movie, but they're all so good. I am not into action movies AT ALL, but these ones keep me interested the entire time they're on. The first movie was actually the first movie I saw in the theatre and I didn't get up once during the movie because I was bored. 

Finding Nemo

Rated G

I don't remember if it was this movie or Monsters Inc., but one of the two was the first DVD I ever had. All I remember is having them at the same time, and I would watch them on my dad's XBOX because we didn't have a DVD player yet.

I've always liked family movies because I'm not into a lot of stuff that other people are (violence, sex, horror, etc.). This movie is super fun and silly and makes me feel good after I watch it.

 
Mean Girls

Rated PG-13

This was a movie that I received as an Easter gift...before I even saw the movie. I loved it the first time I watched it, and I love it now. This is a movie that has so many great quotes, and my friends and I have had conversations with just Mean Girls quotes before. It's so great, and such a funny movie!

Mermaids

Rated PG-13

This is my favorite movie of all time. I grew up watching this movie, and I could watch it every day and never get sick of it. I don't know exactly why I love this movie so much, but I just remember watching the VHS over and over and just being a child. This is one of those movies that no one has heard of, and that excites me because I get to tell them about it. Not that it's the best movie of all time, but it really is just a good movie.

Monsters Inc.

Rated G

As I stated in Finding Nemo, one of these movies was my first DVD ever. I remember playing with the menus (they had games and special things the menu would do) on the XBOX and really enjoying the movies. They made me happy and were a good way to pass time (this was when we had dial-up, no smart phones, and I wasn't allowed on the internet every day).

Mooz-lum

Rated PG-13

I only heard about this movie because the offical twitter page followed me. On my personal twitter, I hate when people I don't know follow me, so I almost blocked them before checking them out. I'm so glad I checked them out.

Every American can remember where he or she was on September 11th, 2001. This movie is about am African American Muslim family during that time. It is such a fantastic movie, and it sheds some light about what happened to some people during that time. It definitely isn't a feel-good movie, but it is so amazing and eye-opening.

The Parent Trap (1998)

Rated PG

I'm just going to say it: I'm a Lindsay Lohan movie fan. I own a few of her movies, and they always entertain me.

I have always thought it would be super awesome to have a twin, and this movie did not help keep those thoughts away haha. I have always wanted to switch places with my non-existent twin and see what happens. I'll never know, but I can live vicariously through this movie.

The Shawshank Redemption

Rated R

I can't remember the first time I saw this movie. I know I was an adult, but I don't remember anything else. Man oh man...this movie is just so good! It definitely is not the movie for everyone, but the story is so amazing, and it definitely pulls you in once you start the movie.

Sky High

Rated PG

I used to babysit my cousin's children, and they had this movie. When I babysat, the boys would always want to watch a movie. They chose this one a few times, and I'm pretty sure I objected, but I ended up really liking this movie. It has a totally predictable ending, but it's still super entertaining.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Rated PG-13

This is another movie that I watched a lot growing up. I will argue that this is Leonardo DiCaprio's best role. He played his part so wonderfully, and he is so convincing. I believe I read online somewhere that when he went to his first awards show after this movie, people were expecting a mentally handicapped boy to show up (I know, I know, everything on the internet is always true). This is an absolutely fantastic movie, and it gets your emotions going.

Have you seen any of the movies on my list? What's your favorite on this list? What's your favorite movie ever? I would love to read about it! :)

XOXO

Jen

Apps I Love

I got my first smart phone back in 2011 and it was a Blackberry. I am able to upgrade my phone every 2 years with my phone company, so I got an Android in 2013. I loved my Blackberry and would still have one if they had better apps. Anyway, I have compiled a list of 10 apps that I absolutely love. I specifically left out social media apps, which means these aren't the 10 apps I use the most, but I do use these a lot. There is no specific order, so I'm going to just list them alphabetically:

Duolingo

Android, Apple, Windows

I started studying the German language my sophomore year of high school. You would think that I would be pretty fluent by now, but I most certainly am not. At the top of my game I probably BARELY had an Elementary proficiency haha. Anyway, Duolingo is such a fun way to learn languages! You can complete as many lessons as you want a day, and the app will send you a notification each day so you don't forget. The sentences you have to translate are priceless, so it's also funny to use :)

Handcent

Android, Apple

When I first got my Android, I was talking to a friend who works for Verizon and also has an Android (she helps me out so much with everything phone related haha). She told me so much about my phone and which apps to download. Handcent SMS was one of them. It's an app that takes over for the texting app that comes on your phone. You can customize it however you want. I thought the messages that came on my phone were boring and not pretty, so I downloaded this app and made everything beautiful!

This app is SUPER confusing when you first download it. It took me a lot of exploring and asking questions to someone who knew the app well to work it out. If you have questions, feel free to ask!

iHeart Radio

Amazon, Android, Apple,
Blackberry, Windows

Music makes me incredibly happy. The only times I'm not listening to music are when I'm sleeping, showering (weird, right?), and watching TV (sometimes the TV is on a music channel). I actually never used iHeart Radio before getting this phone, and I can't remember why I downloaded the app. I'm so glad I did, though. Whether I'm shoveling show, power washing the deck, working out, or doing the dishes, I have this app going.

I love the different stations you can create (using a song or an artist) and the different artists it plays accordingly. I have discovered quite a few new artists because of this app :)

LEO 

Android, Apple

This is a website that I learned about while in my community college German class. It is one of the best German / English dictionaries out there, and it is very helpful when I am stuck on a word or short phrase. The website also allows you to translate from German to many other languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Polish).

The website also has a training section that I haven't used, but it looks interesting!!

 



Lucktastic

Android, Apple

I honestly don't remember how I heard about Lucktastic, but I am so glad that I did! This app is like a game. Every day the app loads scratch tickets and you "scratch" them. You can win tokens or actual cash! So far, I have gotten a check for $12.50, and I have $10.50 on my account now that I'm hoping to rack up and get more before I claim it. With the tokens, you can claim instant prizes, which I have used to get two $50 Amazon gift cards. I didn't believe it at first, but it really works. I have gotten it two different times, and I am amazed it works each time haha. There are other gift card options (Applebees, Nike, Dominos, etc.), but I like the Amazon gift cards the most.

If you want to download the app and start getting free stuff, click here! :)

Malwarebytes Antivirus

Android

I am super thankful that I have never gotten a virus or malware on my phone, but I have gotten both on my laptop. My dad used to be an IT, and he was able to always save my computer when I messed it up. One of the things he had me download on my laptop was Malwarebytes Antivirus. It scans for malware and can get rid of it. Since it works so well on my laptop, I searched for an app and was lucky enough to find it!

The app scans my phone every day, and I can also schedule it to scan whenever I want. It lets me know if anything harmful is on my phone (text messages, apps, emails, etc.), and does a really good job of making sure I don't mess up every electronic thing I own ;)

Nextrack

Android, Apple

This is a wonderful workout app, also called Nexercise or Challenges. I think with the new updates it's only called Nextrack, but if you see Nexercise or Challenges anywhere, it's the same app. I track all my workouts on this app. I turn it on when I start and let it run in the background, or I can log a workout after I do it. It's connected to mPOINTS* and I love using that with it. It's a good way to stay accountable and it's fun to challenge your friends and try to stay at the top of the list for the week!

 
Photo Grid

Android, Apple

I don't usually like to edit my pictures, but I do love putting them into a collage. This app is really easy to use and it allows up to 15 photos per collage. I can get a little camera crazy, so that's a nice option. I also think the background options are adorable AND it doesn't put a watermark on the collage when you're done. :)

SWORKIT Pro

Android, Apple

I just stared using this app, but I love it so much! I will say that I paid the $.99 for the app because I knew I would love it. There are over 170 different exercises on this app and you can choose a pre-made workout, or you can create your own! You can choose interval time, how long of a rest between exercises, how many exercises you want to do, anything. It's really easy for a super beginner (like me) all the way to an expert (future me...hahaha). This app is also connected to mPOINTS*

The same people are behind this app and Nextrack (Challenges). They are really great people and are super easy to talk to. If you have any problems at all, they are eager to help you and make sure your problem gets fixed ASAP.

Timehop

Android, Apple

As stated in my past and future life blog, I get nostalgic easily. I am super sentimental and love looking back on my life. I am one to post...more frequently than most...on social media (I'm really working on posting less), so I get really excited to look at my Timehop timeline every day to see what happened in past years. I also REALLY miss college, so it makes me happy to see how much fun I had while I was there. It's really great to see where I was then to where I am now!

*mPOINTS is a loyalty program used by hundreds of leading mobile apps to reward you - the user - as a 'thank you' for staying active with their content. You do not have to use mPOINTS to use the apps listed above. mPOINTS has a lot of physical rewards (yoga mat, kindle fire, t shirt, amazon fire tv, etc.), along with plenty of gift card choices (amazon, dominos, wal mart, home depot, etc.). You can also enter contests to win bigger prizes ($100 gamestop, groupon, starbucks gift cards, etc.). Lastly, you can choose to donate your points to different charities (make-a-wish, american heart association, ASPCA, american cancer society, etc.). You can collect mPOINTS easily, so it may not take too long to save up for what you want!



What are your favorite apps? I love using new apps and seeing the amazing things people actually come up with! Are any of these apps new to you? Did I convince you to download a new app? I would love to hear about it all!

XOXO

Jen

Pizzelle

Pizzelle cookies have a special place in my heart. I know that sounds silly, but they are so much more than cookies. Growing up, my grandma would make these for the entire family, and we would hang out at her house and spend time together while making cookies. I'm not sure where my grandma got the recipe or why she started making them, but I know I will continue making them for my family. Even though she isn't with us anymore, she will live on through all of us who knew her, and these cookies, which my brother and I call 'Grandma Cookies' :)

We have had our Pizzelle maker for years, and I haven't used it as much as I would like to (I can't find our exact Pizzelle maker on Amazon, but I found this one, which looks good). Although, I guess it's a good thing I haven't used it much since these cookies aren't healthy haha. Our Pizzelle maker came with a recipe book, so I used the basic recipe from that book to make these (I made a couple changes).

I made 2 batches, and with the 2nd one I added an extra teaspoon of vanilla. I didn't add the anise seed to either batch. You'll also need some wax paper and a plastic spatula.

Since I'm lactose intolerant, I used lactose-free Blue Bonnet instead of a regular stick of butter for the first batch. I know people who are lactose intolerant or who have a problem with gluten stay away from recipes like this, but there are always substitutions. Experiment and see what works for you! :)

When mixing the dough, be warned that it may get really thick the instant you start mixing (I just put everything in 1 bowl and mixed it all together). It also may not - my second batch wasn't nearly as thick. Here is what you should have before and after you mix the ingredients:

Since the Pizzelle maker only turns on or off, I plugged it in to heat up while I was mixing the dough. It was probably heating up for about 5 minutes before I started using it. The thicker the dough, the longer you want to leave it on the maker. With the first batch, I had the cookies cook for about 1:20 (1 minute and 20 seconds). With the second batch, I had the cookies cook for about 1:05 (1 minute and 5 seconds).

After this, I got them off with a plastic spatula and put them on the wax paper to cool. Once you finish the batch (or two), store them however you want. My grandma used coffee cans and bread bags, so I used a bread bag :)

Pizzelle Cookies

• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 c flour
• 1/2 c butter (melted)
• 3/4 c sugar

Wax paper
Plastic spatula

Mix together ingredients and spoon onto maker. Once cooked, use plastic spatula to transfer them from the maker to the wax paper to cool. Store in container or bag.



Do you have a family recipe that is special to you? I would love to read your story in the comments!

XOXO

Jen

Past and Future Life

I miss so many things about my past: walking to and from school with my best friends, riding the bus, staying up all night spilling secrets with my best friend, friends from school, being on a worship team, student life camp,  choir concerts, grandparents day every Monday after school, Saturday mall days with my grandma, spontaneous trips to the tattoo/piercing shop (this may or may not be how I got my lip pierced), playing outside until the street light came on, walking barefoot everywhere, all-nighters with best friends writing papers and cramming for tests, joy-riding, hanging out across the street, random dance parties with my roommates...the list can go on forever (and this is already a long list).

I am probably the most nostalgic person I know. I have all my yearbooks set on a table in my room, ready for me to look at whenever I want (which I do probably more than any sane person should...haha). While I'm happy with where I am now, I am super sentimental, and like to keep everything to remind me of what I've done. When I actually think of all the things I was able to do while growing up and in college, it amazes me. I certainly haven't done an outrageous amount of things to make other people jealous of my life, but I've done so many things that fill me with so much joy.

Sometimes I get really sad when I think about how I'm never going to do most of those things again. Other times I get really happy to see how happy I was. I was definitely sad at different points in my life, but I mostly remember how happy I was and how those experiences shaped me into the woman I am today. And I quite like the woman I have become.

While thinking of the past gives me mixed feelings, I don't know how I feel about my future. I never know what to expect, so I really try to not think of it often. To be completely honest, thinking about my future scares me. I think if I even had a little bit of a plan I would be okay, but I don't. It's also weird to think that I had all this time to plan for now, and I'm still not ready. Will I ever be ready? I'm sure one day I'll think back to now and laugh at what I thought (and be embarrassed for putting it on the internet), but for now I'm just going to try to stop worrying.

I don't know where I'll end up, but I do know that I will be happy. I can't wait to continue making memories and then look back on them in a few years and just be happy with who I am and who I was.

Do you think of the past often? What do you think has had the greatest impact on your life? I would love to hear all about it :)

Here are my high school yearbooks, just in case you thought I was fibbing ;)

XOXO

Jen

Winter

It's really hard for me to not complain about the snow. I think I liked it when I was younger, but now I dread it; it just makes a big mess. I'm not in the position in my life to move to another state without snow, but I hope to be in that position before I die haha.

I feel terrible because all I do is complain about the snow and winter, so I'm going to try and write some nice things about winter in general (feel free to throw these in my face the next time I start to complain):

• Shoveling is a decent workout (definitely not the best, but it helps)
• I can hydrate as I'm shoveling by eating the snow (I usually come in and drink water, though)
• I'm going to be so buff or really skinny by the time I'm done shoveling all the snow we keep getting (maybe I'll be skinny-buff)
• Snow looks less ugly on the trees in the woods in my backyard (I've never thought snow was pretty)
• It's not hot outside (I hate being really hot and really cold...haha)
• It's cuddle weather (not that I have anyone to cuddle with right now, but that's not important)
• It's not as dark during the night (I'm petrified of the dark)
• I get to work on my balance whenever I walk outside (It hasn't helped - I still have terrible balance)

 

You read that list quickly, but know that it took me about 30-45 minutes to come up with those. I know it's all sarcastic and funny, but there is some truth in all of them. While I'm still no fan, seeing this little list of things is making me try to put a smile on my face when I think about what's happening outside these walls that surround me.

Anyway, Snowmageddon 2015 hit us last night, so here are some less ugly pictures that I took:

How do you feel about winter and snow? Feel free to comment and give me some more reasons to not hate it ;)

XOXO

Jen

Yoga

All pictures are from the Instagram account yogainspiration

As mentioned in my 2015 goals blog, I am doing a 30 day yoga challenge. I did day 23 today, and I'm really enjoying it! Erin (the woman in the videos) made this challenge a few years ago, so no one is able to suggest anything now, but she took suggestions from the people watching them at the time and catered the videos to what people wanted. There is so much variety and it is nice to have something new to look forward to each day.

I can't do quite a bit in the videos, but I have other things I've learned that I can do until she goes back to something I can do. I'm decent at the stretchy part of yoga - not really the poses part of yoga. Either way, I feel so much better, and I really enjoy doing yoga every day.

I found this website that lists 38 health benefits of yoga. Here are some that have happened to me since I started:

• Improves your flexibility

I wasn't very flexible before, and I'm probably not very flexible now, but I sure do feel like I am! I noticed this within the first 10 days of starting yoga. I can now get deeper into the stretches and it feels so much better.

• Makes you happier

It sounds silly, but it's so true! I think it has a lot to do with seeing results after such a short period of time, but I really do feel happier now that I'm doing yoga every day.

• Relaxes your system

Oh my word. After day 1 of this yoga challenge, I felt like an entirely new Jen. I've talked before about my insomnia, but this helped SO much. After the first video, I was in bed for 13 hours! I definitely didn't sleep the entire time (how great would that have been?), but I can't even remember the last time I felt that good. Now, I was super sore when I finally got out of bed, but just the fact that I was able to rest for that long was amazing.

• Increases your self-esteem

Even on the days where I don't like the yoga video or didn't feel like it helped me, I feel better because I know I tried. I have also talked about my self confidence issues, and I feel better about myself knowing that I'm trying.

•  Eases your pain

I have lower back pain because of my weight. I would guess that I carry about 85%-95% of my fat in my stomach, so it puts a lot of pressure on my back. Within the first week, I felt that pressure go away. Not completely, but it definitely doesn't hurt to lay on the floor anymore.

I am so incredibly happy I have started consistently doing yoga. I encourage you to try yoga and see if you feel better. I'm not trying to say it's a cure-all, but who knows how much better you can potentially feel after taking just 15-20 minutes out of your day to pamper yourself.

If you have done yoga before, have you tried any of the different types besides traditional? I would LOVE to try aerial yoga, but I don't think I'd be able to do it. It looks absolutely terrifying, and I know my adrenaline would be pumping like crazy (I'm not an adrenaline junkie). I'm getting nervous just thinking about trying it haha.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know! I would love to talk to you about anything :)

XOXO

Jen

Tumor-versary (Central Giant Cell Granuloma)

*Remember when I said I wanted to work on getting my blogs between 300-500 words? This isn't one of those blogs.*

2010
I had my top 2 wisdom teeth and a couple bad teeth removed. Those couple bad teeth were from the bottom of my mouth, and one was on each side.

2012

I noticed the bottom left space was squishy and the right wasn't. I had no clue what that meant, but I didn't have dental insurance, so I just didn't worry about it. Well, that squishy spot started growing. Before long, it was big and noticeable. When my mouth was closed, there was a big bump on the left side of my lips. I don't know how people didn't notice it, but only 3 people said something to me while at school that fall.

When I came home for Thanksgiving, my ma noticed the bump, so I had to show her and my dad (I was planning on telling them later in the week). They were furious that I hadn't mentioned anything before then. I knew money was super tight, especially without dental insurance (I didn't know it would end up being covered by my medical insurance), so what was I supposed to do? Anyway, we got hooked up with the dental office where I got my teeth removed, but I had a different oral surgeon.

I first saw my oral surgeon during Christmas break, and she was amazing. She was super nice and didn't make me feel bad about my teeth. She was super laid-back and told me everything up front. I had to have a lot of tests, x-rays and random stuff done before I could get the squishy thing removed, so I was at the hospital and / or dentist office multiple times a week for 3 or 4 weeks.

2013

Have you ever had a biopsy done? Waiting for results has to be the most nerve-wrecking thing I've ever experienced. I would much rather have results right away, especially if they are bad. The scenarios I made up in my head were driving me insane, but I couldn't stop. I can't even put into words how bad those 2 weeks were. Fortunately, the squishy thing was benign and we had a name for it: Central Giant Cell Granuloma. CGCG is a benign tumor of the jaws, and is twice as likely to affect women than men. While they are most common in people younger than 20, I was 24 when I was diagnosed. Aggressive tumors (like mine) have a higher chance of reoccurring. If you're interested in reading more, here is the Wikipedia page (or ask me - I am more than willing to explain what I know and experienced).

Since my tumor was reoccurring, we had to take some action to prevent that. I needed to see a hematologist, but since I was on such short notice, I had to see an oncologist instead. As if that wasn't scary enough (even though I knew it wasn't cancer), she Googled it right in front of me. I had done some extensive Googling myself, so I told her everything I knew. With the little bit of research she did, she decided that interferon injections every few days would be my best bet. The only problem was they had a flu-like effect. I was really hesitant because I had a super busy semester coming up, so I was hoping there was another option. She threw in nasal spray, but she was pushing for the shots. I met with my oral surgeon, and she decided to go with the nasal spray.

We scheduled surgery one week after my results, because I had spring semester starting in 2 weeks. In my surgery, every tooth the tumor touched had to be removed. I had a total of 6 teeth removed in the surgery. When the surgery was over, I had no teeth on the bottom left part of my mouth.

The tumor was pretty big (about 3cm X 3cm - which I know doesn't sound big, but it was in my mouth...that's huge), and it was by some nerves. My oral surgeon said she didn't hit a nerve, but since she was so close, the nerves froze up in order to protect themselves. I had absolutely no feeling on the left side of my chin or the left side of my bottom lip. There were quite a few times I had drinks on my shirt and food on my face :( haha.

To use the nasal spray, I had to do one squirt up a nostril each day, while switching nostrils every day. To make sure I wouldn't get confused or forget, I bought a calendar and put it on my fridge at school. One of my roommates, Katie, had a lot of fun with my calendar, and this is what I came home to one day:

It was really funny, I'm not going to lie. I still get a smile on my face when I see this picture. I was on the nasal spray for about 2 or 3 months.

In May, after I got home from school, I went to my oral surgeon for another check up. I had an x-ray done, and everything looked really good. There was absolutely no sign of my tumor coming back, so she was happy - as was I. Here is my x-ray from that visit:

It's weird seeing my mouth with no teeth, but it's even better seeing my mouth with no tumor :)

2015
I still don't have teeth on the bottom left half of my mouth. I didn't realize how expensive they are. I'm trying to save money to get some teeth, but I still need to fix the teeth I have. I do have dental insurance now, but it only pays up to a certain amount, which I am going to exceed pretty quickly.

My lip and chin are still numb, but not numb at the same time. I don't feel when water or toothpaste drips down my lip and chin (until it's too late), but I can feel whenever something else touches those places. I still have faith that I will get full feeling back, but even if I don't it's better than where I was before the surgery.


I have a few notes that I wrote on Facebook that I can transfer over to blogs if any of you are interested in reading them. Writing has always been an outlet for me, but it was even better this time around because I couldn't talk for a while.

I hope you enjoyed reading my story, and if you have any questions or comments, please let me know! :)

XOXO

Jen

Ebates

I was extremely hesitant when I first heard about Ebates. I had no clue what the company was, and I didn't understand how they could give me money back after I bought something. But I did some research and decided to make an account by using someone's referral link.

When you first make an account through a referral link (I'm not sure if it's the same with just going to the website), you get to choose a $10 gift card to a store that you want (I think they have 5 or 6 options). If you make a $25 transaction through their website within the first 3 months (I think it's 3 months), you get that $10 gift card. If you don't, then you don't get that $10 gift card (I learned that the hard way).

My first purchase was on a pair of Toms, and I spent $59.00. The link on Ebates I used to go to the Toms website gave me 10% cash back. I figured I was buying them anyway, so it wouldn't hurt to try. A few weeks later, I received a check in the mail for $5.90. While that's not a lot of money, it's $5.90 more than I expected to get back. They only pay you every four months, so don't expect to get paid right away.

How it works (taken from the Ebates website):

It really is quite simple. Just like almost every other online shopping center, we get a commission from the stores when you make a purchase. Instead of keeping that money - like almost all other sites do - we share it with you!

Ebates is partnered with so many different websites, so there is a good chance you can get money back for what you're buying if you just go look. It really is that simple. Different websites have different cash back amounts, so you can choose the one you want (some even offer coupons for free shipping). If you want to sign up, here is my link. If you have more questions, I am more than willing to answer them for you. I am no expert, but I sure can do research if needed ;)

XOXO

Jen

2015 Goals

I feel like resolutions are meant to be broken. I hate making resolutions. I know they're the same as goals, but using the word 'goals' makes it seem more attainable to me. I have never kept a resolution, but I have kept a goal. It's all in my mind ;)

Here are my goals for the year:

• Blogging
• Get a schedule
• 1 or 2 days a week
• Write less
• 300-500 words per blog (this will take some time)
• Have better topics
• I will take suggestions
• Figure out blogspot website
• Add social media links
• Figure out layout / design
• Loving myself
• Be happy with my body at all weights (but still focus on losing weight)
• I've been working on this for over a year. Read more about it here
• No more pop
• I used to not drink it at all, but now I drink it again. NO MORE
• 5K
• 45 minutes 
• Consistent exercise
• I just started this 30 day yoga challenge last night (I LOVE IT)
• Art / Music
• Cross stitch
• Do more
• Latch hook
• Do more
• Crochet
• Learn
• Knit 
• Re-learn
• Piano
• Learn
• Practice
• Singing
• Practice
• Reading
• Do more
• Here is a link to a reading challenge for 2015 that I'm excited to try. Let me know if you try it!
• Electronics
• Limit phone usage
• Limit computer usage
• Limit TV usage
• German
• Practice
• I'm on a 42 day streak on Duolingo :)
• Bible
• Read more
• I would love suggestions for reading plans

This is a lot more than I thought I would write, but I get really excited when I look at this list. I have faith that I will stick to these and be able to check them off this list at the end of 2015 :)

What are your goals for the year? I would love to read them!!

XOXO

Jen