Landed State Farm Job!

Man! Where do I even start....?

Things have changed so much since the last time I wrote. To say that things have changed might even be an understatement. I would have never seen me here a few years ago.

Okay, story time!!

First of all, I am working in a new place! State Farm! Yes, I am now an insurance agent. Honestly, if you had asked me if it was possible for me to sell insurance three years ago, I would have most likely said that you were crazy! However, here I am, selling insurance on a daily basis. Please don't take this sarcastically. It is a pretty good damn job if you  ask me. I get to work Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Most weekends off and a pretty good pay. However, it was still pretty unusual for me to think I could ever work in this business. Anyway, it isn't my dream career, but I like it and I can live with it. However, I am not saying that I am going to settle. I am going to strive to become better. I am going to be a self employed woman one day, whether it is writing, making YouTube videos or doing something else. I want to get to a point where I am my very own boss.

Anyway, how did I land this job, you ask? Well rather practical if you ask me. It is pretty strange. I was working as a receptionist at a senior living. My hours weren't cutting it, so I decided to ask for more hours. Of course that didn't go as planned, for I started having to work in the kitchen, as a waitress.... Yes, I couldn't believe it either, I went from being a receptionist to being a waitress. I hated it, for those few months that this arrangement lasted. Working part time as a receptionist and part time waitress, well that was the most miserable time of my life. I started looking for other opportunities. I started sending my resume to employers. Applying online to random companies. I even went as far to look for jobs on Craigslist (almost got scammed, don't do it!).

One day we were at my State Farm agent's office, making changes, or a payment, not sure; when I noticed that there was an empty desk in the back. I asked our agent about the girl who used to sit there and apparently she didn't work there anymore. I asked him, very jokingly if he was hiring! He started laughing and asked me to send him my resume and so I did within the minute!

A few months went by and I hadn't heard anything from my State Farm agent. I decided to give him a call just to check. When I got around to speaking to him he ended up referring me to another agent in the area, she called me a few days later letting me know that she had received my resume from one of her agent friends. She left a voicemail on my phone. I was so happy when I heard it, this was the opportunity of a lifetime! I called back and scheduled my interview for the day after. I was actually hired on the spot, contingent that I pass the required licensing tests.

That brings us to today and me writing this. So there you go, the story of  the day.

Until next time,
Andy

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I read this book a few months back. I had been stalling to write or film a review on it until now. Honestly, never in my life had I read a book that made me feel the way this book made me feel.

It took me approximately two months to finish reading it, but I did it. Before I go on, let me give you guys the gist of the book:

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Doesn't that already sound intriguing? The reason why I ended up picking up this book was because one of my very favorite BookTubers recommended it. Wait, that is an understatement, she pretty much worshipped this book!! So I wanted to know what the hype was all about. I ended up picking it up during one of my random visits to Barnes and Noble. Best decision I made.
Reading it was really difficult, not because of the reading level or anything, but because of the actual events that happened during the book. It was very emotional and heart retching. Also, the first 200 pages or so went by so slow! I ended up getting the audiobook and that is how I got through the first part of the book. After that it was just a page turner. The things that Claire goes through are just horrible, the things that Jaime goes through! Man!

By the end of the book I was bawling, yes bawling! I had never read a book that made me cry at that level. I was so moved and disgusted by the events leading up to the ending of this book. I applaud Diana Gabaldon for writing this master piece and taking the risks she did, but then again, this book wouldn't be what it is without the events that happened.

If you are wondering, yes I did watch the first season of the show on Starz. I will write the review on that series pretty soon so stay posted!!

Always,
Andy

Life and its unexpected turns

I know that I have been absent from the blog lately. More like absent for the past two years! Talk about slacking off and procrastination!!

I always had this blog on the back of my mind, thinking about what I should write if I ever did write again. My life has changed so much since the last time I wrote on here. I don't have a chance to write a long post now, but I can tell you I will come back. There are many things that I have planned for the near future. I want to keep you posted on my life and get back to this blog.

Until next time,
Andy

I am making my way back!

 

Hey Everyone!

It definitely has been a while! I am not going to make an excuse on why I have stopped doing everything I was doing before (videos, blogs, etc.) because honestly I just haven’t been feeling it! I haven't had the inspiration and motivation I would usually have.. You get me? 

Anyway, I am also not going to say that my videos will be a certain way or on a certain day because we all know that it is not going to happen. For some odd reason, I couldn’t stick to my previous arrangement so I decided to take this arrangement slowly. I figured I can slowly get into it and then figure out the harder things as I went.

 This post is just going to be me talking, nothing special nothing important. I just wanted to talk. I’ve been doing much thinking and much figuring things out. I have had some internal conflicts with myself. Things I would rather not discuss. I found that I need some sort of passion to get me started on this and for me to actually stick to it. So I have been searching and searching and I believe I found something I might have that passion to drive me to film very often. I hope I am right because I do enjoy making videos and writing. So I will for sure try to keep to my schedules.

I won’t be giving out any details on anything else. I also want to let you guys know I want to keep my life mostly private so you won’t learn much about what is going on in my private life anymore.

I’ll see you guys soon!!

Always,
Andy

A little surprise about our candle business

It has been much longer than a couple of weeks since the last time I bothered to write something for the blog. Truth is, I have been caught up with so many things in life.

First of all, our business, we finally registered everything and I am proud to say that soon you will be able to buy our candles online. I am crossing my fingers that they will be online by the end of the month. That makes me so happy! Honestly, I never imagine a day where I would be able to manufacture and sell a product made at home by me. It is something I could only dream of.

My husband has helped me start this business and now we are closer than ever to having this dream come true. Point of this post, is that in the past couple of weeks we have been working very hard on getting all the paperwork together and building up enough inventory. We need enough inventory of candles for when we start selling them online.

I'll go a little over on how we will be selling our candles. They will be on a website online, not our own website yet (We have to wait a little longer for that). You'll be able to choose your scent and the size you want your candle to be and then click add to cart!

I don't want to disclose any more information about this because I want it to be a partial surprise for everyone. However, if you do have any questions feel free to ask them down on the comments below. I'll will answer all of your questions!

If you want to stay tuned on what is going on with the candle business you can now follow us on Facebook:  Magic Tree Scents

Thanks to everyone that has been supportive and followed us this far in our journey,
Andy

Time Organization

Life is so much busier when you are an adult. I have recently noticed that my time has significantly shortened, at least it feels like it. I figured I would write a little about this.

I haven't had time to do my blogilates, I believe I mentioned this before, it is the way that I work out. With my time shortened lately I can't do my videos and I end up very tired at the end of the day. I thought that I should come up with some things and tips to fix my schedule and my time organizing because it is getting to a point where I ended up backed up in my chores and in my other duties at home. (i.e. My writing and videos).

I want to clarify something before I go on. I have not put any of these tips to use yet. So I do not know if it will have a positive change in my actual schedule. I can come back in a couple of weeks and let you know if they worked for me.

Time Organizing Tips:

• To begin, first I must start to get up earlier. Honestly, I have never been an early riser, I am for sure not a morning person. However, I believe that it is essential to wake up early everyday and go to sleep in a timely manner. Whenever I wake up early I ended up squeezing in a nap during the day. BAD!! I mean if you are really tired, a ten or twenty minute nap is fine. However, not an hour nap.
• Second, get into a routine. I understand that sometimes routine gets boring, but I am not saying everything has to be a routine. If you just get in the habit of doing the things you must do throughout the day, eventually you will be able to do everything like if it was nothing. For example, I am trying to get into the routine of at least doing one load of laundry a day so that I don't have to struggle at the end of the week with a ton of dirty clothes.
• Third, stop procrastinating. Yes, you do it, I do it. We tend to like to procrastinate and then blame it on "I don't have enough time," I do this too much so I figured that is the easiest way to get more time. Just get what you need to get done, done!
• Fourth, find something fun to do. When you are getting things done in your day, find something fun to do so that your day doesn't seem boring. I like to listen to music, watch YouTube videos, or read a book. I know that this sounds not productive and you feel like this must be a waste of time if you are trying to save time. However, I believe that this will actually help out. I think this because sometimes we don't get things done because we don't feel good about our day or ourselves, or we are bored.
• My last tip for today is, prioritize. Make a list of everything that you have to do and then do the more important things first. Get the things that matter the most (or maybe if they are going to take longer). If you have an idea of the important things that you need to get done, you'll get them done and time will be enough.

I have not tried this because well, I am a normal person and it takes time for someone to get into a routine. I have tried this in the past week and so far everything is looking good. I will let you guys know how everything works.

I just wanted to share this with you guys and I hope you guys find these helpful.
Andy

The Fault in Our Stars book review

You guys probably know by now that I love my movies. Ever since I can remember I have been going to watch movies, just to tell you that I saw every single Harry Potter Movie at the theater. That's like, how many years? Eight? I am not sure, anyway, I want you guys to know that I am not only a movie lover, I also quite honestly love to read. I just hadn't had the chance to read recently, you know, getting married and all. Boy, do I have to make a post about everything that changed in my life recently? (Comment down below if yes! If you don't want to know, tell me down below too!)

Anyway, I love to read. I actually used to write many book reviews before, so another book review was long overdue. If you guys want to check out my other book reviews, I will link them at the end of this post.

A couple of days ago, I read the book everyone has been raving about: The Fault in our Stars. Yes, I gave in into peer pressure and read it. It took me two days to read it, but that's okay, it took me 2 and a half weeks to read the Twilight Saga, sorry off topic again.

I am sure, one way or another you guys have heard of the Fault in Our Stars, either by watching the trailer of the movie (That's how I found out), or reading a review, or walking in to Hot Topic. Point is, you might have heard of it. It is a love story of a cancer patient and it takes so many turns. Honestly, I don't think there is any more to say about it. It is a touching love story of a cancer patient who falls in love with a cancer patient survivor. You follow the two characters (Gus and Hazel) through their adventures and self-fulfillment. I found it very sentimental, but I didn't cry! If you read or saw the movie Sister's Keeper and liked it, you will like this one too.

I am sorry that I can't tell you anymore, but I don't feel like this story has much explaining. I know this comment alone might discourage you from reading the book, but don't let it. There are just some books that are hard to explain, you are just going to have to read this book and find out yourself.

Andy

My other book reviews:
Thirteen Reasons Why
Cirque du Freak/ Cirque du Freak Review on last book
Before I Die
Bloodline
MockingJay
(Don't Judge, these are from 2010)

PS: Here is the trailer for Fault in Our Stars in case you haven't seen it.