{Real Talk} The Meaning Behind the Title

Hello bloggers,

So when people ask me what the title of my blog means, I always direct them to the about section. But then a few people have asked, yeah you want people to say their thoughts and not hit the literal backspace button, but what does that actually mean? No one had really asked me that before, so I guess this is where I decided to explain it more in depth. I have always wanted to live my life with no regrets, #NORAGRETS (for all of those We're the Millers fans out there, thanks Dan for showing me that movie), but my meaning of living life with no regrets is different than most people that I know. Most people my age are all about the trend #YOLO; the partying, drinking, doing crazy things, because "you only live once". To me, I take that literally: you only live once. So why waste your life doing things that get you no where? To be honest, 90% of my friends party to a degree. But they know that while I will join them every once in a while (mostly to be DD and make sure they're okay) I have no desire to have that constant lifestyle. My version of that means to do positive things. Not things your liver, lungs, and brain cells will hate you for later. Volunteer, give back, do things to help other people. Coach a team, surprise someone with a gift, make a difference. What do you want to be remembered for? That person who graduated from high school and college but never grew out of the partying phase? Or that person who touched the lives of the people around them. Because trust me, it's hard to have a reputation for both.

When I was in middle school I went to a camp where the theme was "Live Like You Mean It". Apart from coming home with a crush and  eventually new long distance middle school boyfriend, that phrase has always stuck with me. I actually have the t-shirt and it still fits! That is what YOLO means to me, you want to live, like you mean it. Don't get me wrong, I like to have fun and no I'm not anti-alcohol or whatever. I don't look down on people who do party or whatever because like I said, most of them are my friends. Many of them my close friends. But that just isn't how I want to live my life. The constant array of parties. It's not for me.

Why? You may ask. A lot of people would answer: oh because you're a goody two shoes or oh it's because your religious right? Actually neither of those are the reason. I don't consider myself a goody two shoes, because I still love and embrace people who do that instead of sticking up my nose to them. And trust me if you think that I am judge-y or biased to people, I recently won biggest sweetheart at work. A place with all different kinds of college kids, many of whom party, but I have shared my outlook to them and while we agree to disagree it's not something that would make me care about them as a person any less. And yes, thank you genius I am religious, but opposite from what people think I don't not participate in those activities because I am afraid I will go to hell. I actually think it is a waste of time and a waste of your brain cells. I have met so many people in life, especially being in the healthcare field who are now dying of diseases caused by their partying years: smoking (yup even hookah counts: look it up), drinking, having tons of unprotected sex. It all has destroyed their lives. And yes I could die from something that isn't caused by one of those things, while someone who has done all of them could outlive me by a long shot, I would just rather not take that added risk. Anyways that is what I mean when I say "don't hit the backspace button": don't live your life in a way where you are going to regret things. I hate when people say "I wish I would have done this differently" or "if I could change one thing about my past it would be xyz" because there is a reason and a plan for everything. Whether you are religious or not, it's the truth. So the next time you are about to do something whether it's drink so much you black out, have sex with a stranger, or even just something you're unsure of, think about what the future consequences could be.

This weekend my younger brother is graduating from high school. And apart from the fact it just makes me realize how old I am and how proud I am of him, it also makes me think about that moment when I transitioned from high school to college. Everything changes. For all you graduating high school seniors, this is the time to think about what direction you want your life to go. Think about it when someone offers you a random drink at your first college party. Think about it when you are close to hooking up with a guy you barely know.

So what do you think? Do you feel like you have lived your life to the fullest? Share your opinion, I'd love to hear. And don't take this as I am "preaching at you", because I don't do that. You clicked on this page and read this post, remember? You go out there and live your version of #NORAGRETS but this is what it means for me. (And yes I am a little obsessed with that movie).

Thanks for keeping up,
- Olivia

#BookWorm: Vanishing Acts

Hello bloggers,

So I just finished another book called Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. It was really good! I love Jodi Picoult and with her books typically I either really like them or I don't like them at all. This was one I really liked! The premise was about a woman who does search and rescue for a living and her dad gets arrested randomly on the account of kidnapping. It is a really interesting story and as most Jodi Picoult books, it has lots of plot twists!

Overall I found the plot super intriguing. There were parts where they talked about old desert folk tales that I didn't really find necessary and kind of dragged. Some people don't like how the author switches between points of view of different characters, but I find that so interesting with these books and I think it is important to understand the whole story instead of just one point of view. I would probably rate it a 8.5/10 overall and would take off because of some of the more dragging parts in the book and the ending kind of leaves you hanging as well.

If you are looking for something to read, I would recommended almost anything by Jodi Picoult! This one was interesting if you have never read it, but Nineteen Minutes is my favorite book of all time, The Pact is amazing, and Change of Heart is another good read.

I'm now in the middle of Wicked, and can't wait to share my thoughts on it when I finish! Have you read Vanishing Acts? What did you think about it? Any other books you recommend to read?

Thanks for reading,
- Olivia :)

Birmingham, AL

Hello bloggers,

So I spent this past week in Birmingham, Alabama. I never thought I would find anything to do in Alabama, but we did! The first day we came in, our good friend Andy met up with us and we watched his softball game before he showed us around the city a little bit. We had dinner at a really delicious place called Newk's, similar to a Crisper's. It was really good! Then we walked around the Samford campus where Andy goes to school. It was a beautiful campus! So many gorgeous buildings and the grounds were kept up really nice. Unfortunately that night, I got super sick. TIP: don't let your fiance turn the air conditioning to "on" instead of "auto" or you will wake up freezing with an awful sore throat. Bleh. Anyways I basically spent the next three days in bed, watching ABC Family (thank God for cable) and old movies, eating soup, and sleeping. Except for Madi's 21st Birthday which we spent by trying out a local BBQ place (a must-do to when in Alabama) called Jim 'N' Nick's Bar-B-Q. It was delicious! A little pricey (about $15/person), but for his birthday it was so worth it! We both got the grilled chicken breast and corn on the cob, and I got mashed potatos and gravy. Yum!

This trip we did things a little differently. Since we stayed in one location for a majority of the time, Mrs. Franek suggested that we rented a house for the week through VRBO instead of staying in a pet friendly hotel. It was a great idea! Conveniently located less than ten minutes from the hospital Madi was working at this week, and in the historic district, the house we stayed in (pictured above) was so adorable! It was a great choice because I was able to have time to try out some really delicious crock pot meals, which I will post about later when I get to take pics of them! Madi even loved them! It helped save money on going out to eat frequently.

After finally feeling better, I actually got to do some exploring on our last day
in Birmingham with Madi and Nike! First we went to Railroad Park, which is a super modern park and has really cool recycling tips and energy savers posted throughout the park. It was a great place to go and read a book, go for a run, or walk with your family. Definitely a must see if you go to Birmingham! After that I really had
wanted to go see the Botanical Gardens, since that is something we do in a lot of places that we go. They were gorgeous! I loved the Rose Garden and took at lot of pictures there. They also had some really cool fountains. That night we went to the movie Neighbors with Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, and Dave Franco. It was hilarious. Totally inappropriate. But hilarious.

This morning we headed out and stopped by Chattanooga, TN so I could make a run to McKay's of course! If you haven't heard from me already, McKay's is a used bookstore in Tennessee that is AWESOME. Has so many books that are not printed anymore like Boxcar Children and Babysitter's Club. So amazing. We stopped by Lupi's for lunch, my favorite pizza of all time, and hit the road for Florida! After a long day of traveling, we made it home! All in time to do a 5K tomorrow morning, work a shift, and then go to a wedding tomorrow night! Bleh. My life is way too crazy.

So is there anything we missed that is a must do in Birmingham? Anyone else ever been to McKays and love it as much as I do? Let me know!

Thanks for keeping up,
-Olivia :)

DIY: Graduation Gifts

Hello everyone,

It is that crazy time of year when there are graduations of all kinds! My family has a variety of graduates: high school, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate all in this year! In the month of May alone, my older brother David, younger brother Reegan, and best friend Kari all graduate! Yay congrats Class of 2014! Luckily I will be joining the crew in August when I graduated from the University of South Florida! Go bulls ;) I decided to make something a little more creative than just giving a card and here is what I came up with!

What you'll need:
- Construction or card stock paper
- Scissors
- Tape or glue
- Box of some kind

TIP: Card stock paper is more sturdy, but I didn't have it at the time.


1) Take the box and build it, if it isn't already built.
2) Trace the size of the box onto black paper as shown in the picture.
3) Tape or glue the paper to the front part of the box.
4) Create a square that is about an inch longer on each end than the top of the box you chose.
5) Use something circular to draw the button on the cap.
6) Take a strip of whatever color tassel and make frayed ends by cutting them with scissors at different lengths about two inches up.
7) Tape the tassel underneath the button.
8) I used a piece of paper as a "diploma" and wrote on the inside
instead of a card then taped it with a little bit of tape and tie the diploma with a thin piece of paper. And wal-ah!

TIP: To make it a little more distinct, instead of putting 2014 on the boxes in different colors, you could put the school's logo or letters on it by printing it off the internet and cutting it out, but I did not have a color printer available.

I was able to find boxes that were the perfect size to put some tissue paper inside, a gift card, and the little diploma. Do you have any creative ideas that you have come up with for graduation? How many people do you have to make gifts for?

Thanks for keeping up!
- Olivia