Five on Friday: Christmas Break Highlights

It's been a few weeks since I've joined in with Natasha, Christina, Darci, and April for Five on Friday.

It's my last Friday before I head back to work, so I thought I'd share some Christmas break highlights.

one. Right before Christmas, my mom found some old journals of hers.  They were from the first few years of my parents' marriage and from when we (the kids) were little.  She totally would have been a blogger had blogging been around in the 80's.

Anyway, she read some of them on Christmas Day, and it really made me feel nostalgic and sad.  It was sweet hearing about my parents when they were first married (and they were YOUNG- my mom had just turned 21 when she got married, my dad had just turned 25) and hearing about us as kids, but then it was weird.  I can't imagine being in your fifties and going back and reading about these moments that seemed so mundane from 30 years ago.  You always hear about how time flies, and I can only imagine how true that must seem when you are going through journals from 30 years ago.

I've kept a journal since elementary school.  I was pretty consistent in middle school and high school, but I am so embarrassed of the crap I wrote in those.  It's so dramatic and stupid, but at the same time, it's kind of cool to see my emotions and thoughts from age 10 and on.

It's pretty embarrassing just looking at this thing.  You can see my lame tastes from 1997.  Except BSB, because that is never lame.

So my long drawn out point is, even though sometimes I feel like blogging is more of a chore than enjoyment, I do love the idea of being able to look back on these years to see just what in the world was going on in my life.  

Because sometimes I still have no idea what's going on right here, right now.  Let's be real, ok?

two. I finally read Gone Girl.  HOLY CRAP.  If you haven't read this book, please stop what you're doing and read it now.  I started it on Christmas Eve and read it all in that day.  It took me about 1/3 of the way through to really get in to it, but once I did, I could not put it down.

Like, seriously...I don't understand how people can come up with such amazing stories and write them so well.  I am so jealous of people who have that talent.

And if you haven't read it, I won't spoil it, but I'm also in awe of the way Gillian Flynn can make you hate characters so completely, but still feel so sorry for them at the same time.  Also, I keep going back and forth between loving the ending and hating it.

I might have to do a separate post on this book.

via

three. The day after Christmas, I got to meet up with a sweet friend from college and her husband.  {Hi, Melissa!!}  They moved out to Oklahoma a couple of years ago for her husband's job, and I miss being able to see her more often!  Plus, they were telling us about their small town, and I just can't even imagine.  Y'all gotta get back over here!

I wish I would have gotten a picture of us, but she was on crutches and I know how miserable they can be.

Next time, Melissa, we're getting a picture.

four.  For our January book club pick, we're reading Divergent.  I'm really excited about this because I've heard good things about the first book.  I also feel like I am super behind the times, though, because I still haven't read The Hunger Games trilogy.  Or seen the movies, but whatever.

five.  I started a new skincare routine thanks to this blog post and also hearing my mom tell me about the benefits of coconut oil and apple cider vinegar.  She uses both, daily and in various formats.  Anyway, I have terrible skin.  I still breakout and my skin tone is still uneven.

I am using apple cider vinegar as a toner and coconut oil as a moisturizer.  I am pretty happy with the results so far, but I'll report back after a month or so.

I'm pushing 30 (hold on while I vomit).  I can't be having wrinkles AND acne, okay?

And I'm out.