Monthly Mayhem 3.0

Wow.
It has been a hot minute since I have done a Monthly Mayhem. But, as my recent post suggests, this is really what it is all about. Just a quick note, you may notice some changes around the blog... mostly because I can't remember where I stored anything...like color codes and watermark pictures (oops!). Also, since we have been together 3 years (that's insane, by the way!) I figured it is time to stop counting months. So, 3.0 for our anniversary month and next May will be 4.0 and so on... alright, now on to the good stuff.



May was actually a pretty crazy month. We are both crazy busy at work as we head into the "busy season" of the mortgage industry.  As an Account Manager 2 that equals a lot of overtime for me! He is still capped at 2 hours of overtime a week as a Credit Consultant... lucky ducky.

The biggest news this month is that John graduated! Wooohoo!!! The current plan does involve more school for him in the future, but for now, we will enjoy the break that this provides. Oh yeah, and he graduated with a 4.0 GPA!




But... before graduation commenced we of course had to go see Captain America: Civil War the opening day. Made for a bit of a busy weekend but it was so worth it. I can't get over how much I loved this movie. Captain America is my all time favorite super hero.



Which would explain why even though I got the Captain America shirt you see in the collage for my birthday in April, I have already worn it at least 5 times. I literally have to force myself not to wear it every day. Thanks Kohls!

John and I have also really gotten into puzzles recently. Actually, what happened is that I was cleaning our extra bedroom and I found a puzzle that I had bought for him while we were dating. I was tired of it just sitting in the closet so I said, hey lets put this together.... and now it is hanging up in our bedroom! We decided if we were going to spend a lot of time and effort on a puzzle we weren't just going to put it back in the box!

Which also lead to our next puzzle... we were looking up puzzles on Amazon that we could frame when completed and we came across this gorgeous Thomas Kinkade puzzle. We finally finished it but can I just say going from a 750 piece puzzle to a 1500 piece puzzle is not the best idea in the world?



Despite the fact that it took ages to complete and it was pretty difficult (John has sworn of Thomas Kinkade puzzles indefinitely) I am so happy with how it turned out. It is now hanging up in our kitchen and I love it.

Is it weird to have your house decorated in puzzles? I hope not because.... that's the plan.


Personal Accomplishments this month:

I finished Personal Progress as a leader.
I also made this Batman Cup Cozy for a friend. I actually (sort of?) came up with the pattern myself by using a perler bead pattern for the bat signal and modifying a cup cozy pattern.




As it is our anniversary month... and I haven't done one of these since 2014 (seriously??) I'd like to take a look back at the 3rd year. A lot has changed. I feel that John and I have both grown immensely and I am really proud of the people we have become. I am extremely lucky to have John for a husband, I am not a mother but he had chocolate covered strawberries delivered to me at work since I will be a future mother someday. How sweet??I want to continue to grow... I know I for one  have a lot to work on but, I am excited to be able to do it with my best friend at my side.

Life's Little Lessons: Priorities

I have some shocking news for you all.

I am not my first priority. . . and neither is my husband. 

and guess what? I'm not his. 

If I had kids, they wouldn't be my first priority either. My Lord and Savior and Heavenly Father are my first priority.

Does that mean I don't care about myself, my husband, or my future kids? Of course not! They are still priorities, just not my number one. They are all important.  

My priorities go a little something like this... God, John, (kids would go here),Family,  Friends, Me. and so on and so forth. 

Does this mean I let others walk all over me? No. Not for the most part, and when I do, its not because of misplaced priorities, its just because of my people pleasing personality. 

If I was in a harmful situation, then of course I should get out of it, even if its done by one of my higher priorities. 

The wonderful thing about priorities is that they all fall into each other like a Russian Doll. God doesn't want me to neglect my husband, my husband wouldn't want me to neglect our kids, our kids will want to see their family, and so on and so forth. 

Additionally, the priorities actually help each other out. If I have a good relationship with my heavenly Father, I will have a better relationship with my husband. Better relationship with my husband equals a better relationship with and example to my future kids, etc. All of which help my mental health.

It is important to keep priorities in perspective.

Especially in this world, where we are lead to believe that grades define us. 

Where being successful means having a big house, a fancy car and a lot of money to blow. 

Where we are constantly bombarded with ads and articles telling us that it is all about us. That we should be our number one priority. 

Can you imagine a world where everyone acted like that? If you don't believe me think of one of the "best" and kindest people you know... or just think of Mother Teresa. Does his or her goodness come from making themselves the priority or from making God and/or others the priority?   

Take a moment today to really ponder what your priorities are. It will help guide you and actually reduce a lot of stress. For instance, being reminded that school isn't my number one priority is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders!

Your priorities don't have to be in the same order as mine, but really think on them and maybe even write them down for future reference. 

P.s. I've decided to call these little rambling posts of mine "Life's Little Lessons"... Even if they aren't lessons for you, they are lessons for me! That I'm either learning or re-learning/emphasizing/remembering. 

Marriages Are Sacred

It makes me sad to see so many marriages failing.

You see it everywhere you turn. On the news, on facebook, etc. 

I realize that no marriage or relationship is perfect and there will always be some (hopefully small) issues. 

I think a major issue a lot of marriages have today is that we forget about the sanctity of marriage. 

I mean, think about it, wouldn't we put forth more effort, try to be more understanding, more loving, and more selfless if we were reminded daily that our marriage is sacred? A sacred promise between us, our spouses, and God. I know I would. 

I would be much more understanding, forgiving, and just all around put more effort into being a better wife. I would make sure that I was building John up and doing everything I could to ensure his spiritual health.

And I know he would be doing the same for me.

Even if you don't believe in God , you still made a promise. A pretty huge one.

A promise to another human being which should not be taken lightly. I think promises these days have lost their meaning but that's a whole other issue. 

Don't get me wrong, we already do these things, but  some-days we forget. I won't speak for John but 

sometimes I get caught up in our own little world and I don't take the time to consider John above myself. Sometimes I don't take into consideration that our marriage is something sacred. Something to constantly improve. Something that takes priority.

And I think we would all do well to remember that.

Thats why I made a picture that I can print out and/or keep on my computer to remind me  daily. Feel free to use it, and print it out, just don't pass it off as your own, please!

What would you do differently if you were reminded daily of the sanctity of marriage?

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Monthly Mayhem: The Greenwood's Fifth Month!

Hello all!

I know I am a tad late on getting this up but hey, better late than never, right? 

So, without further ado...

So, we have officially made it past the 5 month mark! Woo! 

So, what's been happening in the month of October? It was a crazy month!

~ We continued going to school

~We enjoyed October's General Conference 

~We packed, and packed and packed

~We enjoyed some quiet time with the return of some of our favorite shows

~I had an emotional breakdown during the Cory Monteith/Finn Tribute episode of Glee.

~We MOVED into our very own house!!!!!!

~Decided not to move cable over to our new house

~Had some issues getting internet services transferred to our new house... 

~We unpacked, and unpacked and unpacked

~ We made quite an extensive Black Friday shopping list! (yikes!)

~ My temporary work position ended (sadface)

~We got internet back! Yay!

~ I started looking for new job

~We dressed up for a Halloween party at our church

~ We handed out candy to trick-or-treater's

So, its been quite a busy month! But here's to many more wonderful months together. We may drive each other crazy sometimes but, in the end, we love each other more than anything, and that's what counts. 

I can't wait to see what month 6 brings! It being our first 6 month mark in November, we should celebrate, right? ;) 

Now, I have a question for you! Do you like these posts in list form or story form better? Leave your answers in the comments below!

The Best Thing for Your Marriage

In my opinion, one of the best things you can do for your marriage is to...

delegate the chores. 

Photo Credit: Google Image Search

(I can't find the original image)

I know what your thinking... Really? Thats one of the best things? But, yeah... it really is. 

Because when you don't...

well, one person ends up doing everything and then they start to resent that fact.

Think about it, how many people do you know that one person ends up doing all of the housework. 

Cooking, cleaning, laundry, dishes, etc, etc. 

It becomes exhausting.

And then that person starts to get a little mad, a little exasperated, a little spiteful.

If one person ends up doing all the work, it ends up putting a wedge in the relationship. 

Thats why its so important to delegate the chores early in the relationship. There are a couple of ways to do this...

1. Make a Chore Chart- and switch out the chores every week or month. This is great because you know exactly who does what and you both end up doing the same thing. That way, one person is not always doing a specific chore.

2. Assign Chores- for life... or at least a year. This is the method we use for now just because there are certain things each of us hate to do. For instance, he hates doing dishes and I hate vacuuming. 

3. Daily Dos- Talk to each other everyday (or when stuff needs to be done) about who's doing what. Like after dinner say.. "You load, I'll unload?" I think most people do a little of this but, if you want to make this your whole system then go for it!

Personally, I think its important to have a system, but, you have to do what works for you and your spouse.

Also, just help each other.

Remember, you married this person because you love them... and part of loving somebody is being selfless and doing things just because you know it will make them happy.

Just try to remember that one person should not be doing everything... stay at home parent or not.

Goals, Goals, Goals.

Good morning ladies and gents,

I've had so many things come to mind that I want to do. The list goes on forever. I have so many goals, especially after getting married. So, I thought it would be useful to write down some of my goals and tips for how to achieve them. 

Health Goals: 

1. Drink More Water- 

So, I kind of hate drinking water. Its a horrible habit, I know, but I usually drink apple juice or really just ANYTHING rather than water. But, I know I need to do it as it will help me feel more energized, give me a healthy glow and all sorts of good stuff. I have a few tips. 

-Drink 1 bottle of water for every other juice/soda you have 

-Use no/low calorie water flavor enhancer like Dasani Drops I received some from Influenster (courtesy a free VoxBox) and they're pretty good! I definitely suggest them! 

2. Run a 5K- 

I talked about this more on my other blog so, I don't want to go into too much detail. About why I want to do it, so you can read that here. 

Tip: Exercise even if you don't feel like it (unless you're legitimately sick)

Knowledge Goals

1. Learn Spanish -

I want to learn Spanish because my husband speaks Spanish pretty well and wants to teach our future children.So, I don't want them to be talking secrets in a different language just because I won't be able to understand them! Since I have a while to learn this, I still need to come up with a specific plan. 

Tip: Memorize a "word of the day".

2.  Improve Memory- 

I want to improve my memory so that I will be better at learning. It will just overall improve my life. 

Tip: Memorize something each day or play memory improving games (gotta love apps).

Business Goals:

1. Get a Job- 

This is pretty obvious, I would like a job to make some extra money for us! Its a long and hard process but, it will be worth it in the long run 

Tip: Don't give up!

2. Make More mark. Sales- 

My goal is to eventually be a mentor and to do that I need to consistently reach a certain sales goal. 

So, if your in direct sales, I have a tip for you: 

Tip: Have great customer service.

3. Be More Active on Activ[n]ation- 

As some of you may know, last year I started an online literary magazine. I really love it, but, I've kind of hit a plateau. So, I'm going to start working on getting submissions and making it more, well, active.

Tip: If people aren't coming to you, find them.

Personal Goals: 

1. Be a Good Wife- 

One of my number one goals, after getting married, is to be a good Godly wife. I've found a few posts that I really like about being a Godly wife, you can read one here, courtesy of pinterest.

The People Pleasing Monster

This is going to sound incredibly simplistic but, do what is right for you/your relationship. 

Why am I saying this? Well, I've recently had some married/divorced friends tell me 'You shouldn't feel that way yet' or 'Your doing that already?.' I know that they are half kidding/mean well but, its really been eating away at me. I know I'm being sensitive but, this is my marriage, not yours. 

Its really gotten me thinking... 

John and I need to do the things that are right for us, when they are right for us. We can listen to other people's advice and take it into consideration but ultimately, it is what we feel is best (after careful consideration and prayer, of course).

And of course, most of us know that. But, its the actual doing it part that's hard (at least for me, not so much for my husband). I've spent my whole life doing what other people told me was the right thing [Note: That did keep me out of trouble, and I am incredibly grateful that I listened to my parents guidance growing up] that I don't have a lot of experience in completely defying what other people advise me to do because I feel something else is right. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense to anybody but myself.

I guess what it ultimately comes down to is my intense desire to please people. I'm a people please-er and honestly, I need to get over that. Not that there is anything wrong with being a people please-er or wanting to please but, for me, it can sometimes inhibit the things that I really want to do or that I know is right. Ultimately for me, I need to please God. That should be my main goal. And I can't let my people pleasing tendencies get in the way of that. I've got to stick to my guns, so to speak, and not feel so bad when I do. 

So, that's my goal. Its going to take a little while but that's okay. I have to take it day by day.

I have a lot of self-improvement to do.

Thats life. 

We should always be striving to be better, to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. 

If your still with me, thanks for reading, and I hope you pulled a little advice from this. 

From those of you skimming, my advice is: 

Do what is right for you and your relationship.

Don't let your people pleasing ways get in the way of God's will for you.

Strive to be better each day. 

Put a Ring on It...

Hello there! 

Today, I'd like to discuss rings. Yes, rings is still in the pre-wedding category but, some girls who are a little less girly, and some guys don't know a  whole lot about rings, engagement and wedding rings to be exact. So, consider this a crash course in Engagement/Wedding Ring Shopping, Q and A style. (P.s. I know some of these are pretty basic, but most have been asked to me by a friend.) 

Photo Credit: Dawn Photography

Should I get my finger sized? If so, where should I go? If you and your significant other are talking about getting engaged seriously, then I would highly suggest going ring shopping together. That way, you can get your finger sized and your significant other will know the types of rings you like. Trust me, rings are not one style fits all! And yes, it is important to get your ring sized before the proposal that way, you don't have to take it off for two weeks to have them resize it (trust me, you're not going to want to do that), or have it fly off your finger and loose it like I did. (We did get my finger sized but, they accidentally ordered the wrong size! Thank goodness my husband took out insurance on the ring!). To get it sized, I suggest doing it at one of the stores where you are looking at rings, such as Kays, Zales, or you local jeweler. 

Does it matter if it says its a "promise" ring? Officially, no. I mean, who is really going to know except for you and your future husband? However, because they are not labeled as engagement rings, they do not come in a  wedding set, which means it may be harder to find a  wedding band that fits it or looks good. 

Wait, I have to have a wedding band too? Yes, the way girls rings work is that you have an engagement ring that you wear all throughout the engagement, and then during the ceremony, he puts on the wedding band on top of your engagement ring. Some of them are just plain bands that you can get welded to your engagement ring, or you can get an interlocking band (which is what I did), where the engagement ring and wedding band kind of hook together to create a bigger middle section of the ring. 

So, do I have to buy a set? No, but seeing as you will need both and band and an engagement ring, I would say it is generally easier to buy them in a set. 

What happens if I don't really like a lot of rings at the jewelry stores? Well, most of the places like Zales and Kays will have Create Your Own options where you can choose the band, the diamond size, and have them set it. Also, most places should be able to special order changes to a ring. Like what we did with mine, which was make the middle diamond a circular diamond instead of a marquee and changed the color from gold to white gold. Don't settle on a ring just because you think you have no other options. 

What's the best way to go about ring shopping? Personally, I think the way we did it was great. But, of course, I'm a little biased. What John did was take me shopping, just browsing to kind of see what I liked and what I didn't like. He didn't want me to try anything on yet though. So, we did that for a while... got my ring finger sized, and then he took me into Kays and he had picked out 3 diamond rings for me to try on, and I picked out of those 3 what I liked the best and then he sent me away to do some shopping of my own so that I wouldn't know whether or not he bought it. (I did end up picking the most expensive out of the three! What can I say? I have expensive taste!) I'm not saying that you have to do it exactly like this, but I think both being involved in the process is important, especially for the initial ring shopping and keeping an air of mystery about the ring and the proposal is also important. 

How about the guys? How do I/we pick out his ring? Well, his is a bit easier, since usually its done after the proposal. And, generally speaking, guys don't care as much about the surprise aspect. So, get his ring finger sized and find one that he really likes. I know for us it was important that it was strong and made out of the strongest metal we could find: Tungsten Carbide. He also had opinions about the style of the ring. But basically, he picked it out and I paid for it. Now, you are getting married so, your money is becoming joint so, I don't know if it matters as much who buys his ring but, for me it was important that I did because,  he does so much for me. 

Above All: Pick the ring that's right for you! 

Anymore questions? Leave them for me in the comments below! 

Pre-Wedding...Bliss?

Let's talk about what happens before the actual wedding. 

The proposal is like this high point of excitement and as the first plans take shape its still pretty fresh and you're excited. But then, you start realizing things... like, how much its going to cost to make your dream wedding come true, the fact that its nearly impossible to get your bridesmaids all together in one place or for them to agree on the style and cost of a dress.... and the realization that there are about 200 things that you need to figure out that you haven't even thought about before. 

Not to be a Debbie Downer or anything, but Pre-Wedding is super stressful, especially if you are planning yourself and on a budget. I'm telling all of my friends "Just elope!", however, I know that only 1% of them will actually do it. Most of us have been dreaming about what our wedding will be like since age 10. 

But here's the thing that nobody tells you: It never turns out exactly how you pictured it (unless you're a millionaire, in that case, invite me to your wedding ;) )

Do you want to know a secret? That its okay. Its okay if your wedding isn't perfect. Its okay to be stressed before your wedding. Its okay if one of your bridesmaids flakes out. Its okay if you have to switch maid of honors. Its okay if you have to switch locations. Its okay if you have to pick up your marriage licence the day of the wedding (yes, that happened). 

Because, that moment you walk down the aisle, all that matters is that your groom is standing there smiling (and/or crying), waiting to share your vows so that you can spend the rest of your life together.  

Photo Credit: Dawn Photography