Mean Girls: Bloggy Edition

I'm going to hop up on my soapbox here, so I thought I would launch this post with one of my favorite scenes from Mean Girls:

A Lot of Feelings
Mean Girls at MOVIECLIPS.com

Why do girls think it is okay to tear each other down?  I'm not saying that it is right for high school girls to do this to each other, but it's understandable.  But in blogland?  We're all adults here, or at least I was under the impression that we were.

I haven't been a victim (yet), but some of the sweetest bloggy girls I know and follow have been.  Girls that have done nothing except share a part of their lives with the world and received upsetting, horrible comments on their blogs, in their email and via Twitter.  It is not okay to tear someone down in any form, least of all the internet where bullies hide behind a veil of anonymity.  It is not okay to make someone feel worse about their life so you can feel better about yours.   

If you're reading this and you're someone that has felt the need (and maybe personal satisfaction?) in tearing someone else down via the internet, step back and think about it for a moment.  Does it make you feel better to act like such a bully?  All it does is hurt the person you are attacking.  Think about taking all of that negative energy and turn it into something good.  Or just sit there for a moment, take a deep breath, and close your browser.  If you don't like what you are reading, don't read it.  If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all.  Treat others as you would like to be treated.

To anyone who has fallen victim to such attacks, I know you have probably heard this from lots of people, but try let it roll of your back and remind yourself that their words have not so much to do with you, but with themselves and their own unhappiness.  We all have so much positive to bring to this world of blogging - unique insights, views, life experiences and opinions.  I'd hate for the negative of a few to ruin the positive of many.

Thanks for the love!

via

Thanks to everyone who commented on this post!  Through the comments of everyone, y'all were able to articulate everything I was trying to say, but didn't necessarily get out in the post.  Much love to all of you!  Thanks for being such sweet bloggy friends.  :) 

Monday Musings (aka: Random, Random, Random!)

Hey girlies!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!  I have a whole bunch of random to throw out into the universe, so hang with me...

Steelers are headed to the Superbowl...

Image via espn.com

Woo hoo!  Heath Miller is my homeboy, for reals.  Anyway, super excited that the Steelers will be in town for the big game.  While my dad has informed my siblings and I not to expect that he would be getting tickets to the game (I cannot believe that he wouldn't pay $2K per ticket. haha - kidding!), we are still going to try to seek out some Steelers parties/rallies.  No one is looking forward to it more than my sweet Ava, who is quite possibly the biggest 4 year old football fan ever.  So funny!  She got to school today and told her teacher all about how the Steelers beat the Jets and now we need to beat the Packers so that we can WIN the Superbowl.  So cute!

Best find of the week...

Yumilicious.   OMG, so ...wait for it... yumilicious.  Ha!  Sorry, I had to.  Anyway, Ava and I went for a break from running errands yesterday and I had the red velvet fro-yo.  If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw my tweet a couple of weeks ago about Sonic's Red Velvet Cheesecake Blast.  I put just a few cheesecake bits on my fro-yo and it tasted almost exactly the same.  Yum, yum!  Here's Av with her chocolate with sprinkles.  They have several DFW-area locations and a couple of others.  Their location here is within walking distance of my office.  This is going to be dangerous - especially this summer!

Currently sick of...

People beating the shit out of my car in parking lots.  I came out of World Market yesterday to a HUGE scratch/dent in the side of my car from someone hitting it with theirs.  So.freaking.rude.

Our downstairs heater being out.  It went out Thursday night - which was one of the coldest nights of the year.  Fantastic.  We are waiting on a new something-or-other to come in, it is supposed to be here today.  So, I am waiting for a call to head home so they can get that sucker up and going.  Rotating space heaters is getting old.

Sister beach vacay...

So, my sisters and I are trying to plan a weekend trip to somewhere warm and tropical, which is proving to be excessively difficult.  Our middle sister is a Labor & Delivery nurse and in school pursuing her NP degree, so trying to do it around her schedule is ridiculous.  Also, we're trying to do it this spring and we have waited WAY too long - flights are expensive and hard to get to pretty much anywhere tropical.  We thought about doing a Bahamas cruise, but everything I am reading online says the weekend cruises are on crappy boats with sub-par food.  Has anyone done a weekend cruise out of Florida?  (don't care which port)  We wanted to do Bahamas because it stops somewhere each day, but now I'm reading that a large portion of the time the boats can't even stop at the private island because of rough water.  Boo.  We may be putting this sucker off until the fall. 

Giveaways...

I try to always post giveaways on my sidebar, but I wanted to call these out in a post because they are super fun:

• Wine-a-Rita Party in a Box from Megan @ In This Wonderful Life
  Yum, yum, yum!  I'm majorly kind of wanting a Peach Bellini right now.  Basically, Wine-a-Rita are box mixes that you combine with your favorite kind of wine (sparkly, flat, or otherwise) to create different drinks such as the above mentioned Peach Bellini, CosmoRita, Wine Glace', and SenorRita.  Megan also mentioned that they have a new flavor coming out in February.  The winner will be announced next Sunday, 1/30.  Details available here.
• $50 Your Choice Giveaway from Neely @ Life of Neely
  To celebrate 300 followers, Neely is giving her readers a $50 gift card of your choice to one of her favs - Target, Starbucks, Sephora, Anthropologie, LuLuLemon, or Banana Republic.  This one ends next Monday, 1/31.  Details available here. 

Image via weheartit.com

Currently loving...

You, my sweet followers!  Thanks to everyone for reading, commenting, and sharing your insights and thoughts on my blog posts.  It makes me so happy that I have such a great group of girls that I can rely on for support and feedback.  Big cyber hug to all of you!

I won! I won! iwoniwoniwoniwon

Okay y'all, I have spent the last 20 minutes looking for a picture of Sid Caesar from Vegas Vacation when he won the round of Keno after years of playing and losing because that's how I feel.  I finally won!  Woo hoo!  Happy Christmas surprise!

Thanks SO much to Meg over at Life of Meg for hosting the giveaway for this little darling:

 

A holiday apron from Lover Dovers Clothing.  You can read more about it here.  (Sidenote - Meg didn't ask me to do a plug, but I wanted to because this apron is awesome)  

I can't wait to get it, it is so adorably cute!

Getting to Know More About You

Thanks so much for all of the great responses to my 'tell me something interesting about you' challenge.  It was so fun reading all of the facts about everyone!  I thought I would post them here, but to see who wrote them, you'll have to click on the link to visit their blog.  Kind of an impromptu blog hop, if you will.  Check them out here:

I once threw up underwater while scuba diving ...yes it's possible...i think ppl were afraid i was going to pull my mask off underwater to puke. so they all threw their hands around my head..(to keep my regulator in) but hello i'm not stupid....you suck in underwater /o a regulator you die! haha

I was riding horses before I could walk.  I was also in ballet and did pointe, I could walk better in toe shoues thank I could flat footed.

I am a certified sign language interpreter.  One time I was with a deaf friend and we got pulled over ( I was only going 5 over); I was signing/explaining to her what was happening when the cop came up to the car and he just assumed I was deaf too. I didn't correct him and I didn't get a ticket because he had no idea how to communicate with me.

When you mentioned your OCD tendencies like the red/green issue and how you start lists over if you mess up, I literally felt like I was reading my own interesting facts.

I don't have a uvula

I'm obsessed with lists, too!  I write a list almost every day, and the main thing it accomplishes is guilt.  Ha!

I was a ballet dancer too until 8th grade and quit for the same reason.  When I watch any ballet performance, I get sad I quit too!  And I am also OCD about my lists looking good.  Thank goodness I discovered Google tasks and Outlook to do lists so I can just type them! 

I was voted 'Most Likely to Marry a Millionaire in High School' and I haven't seen my dark brown hair in 6 years!

When I read most books (school books, reading books) I always highlight, underline and write in my books.  There is barely a page that doesn't have any writing on it.  I really love it, and re- reading what I wrote also makes me happy!

I hope everyone enjoyed the fun facts and maybe found a new blog (or two) that they will enjoy reading!

Without further ado, the winner is...

Laura from Cowboy Boots & Baby Booties!

I was cracking up reading her fact.  Laura - email me to claim your prize (applesfalling@gmail.com), which is a very cool (or warm):

Zebra Tervis Tumbler with Black Lid!

I am so super obsessed with my Tervis Tumblers and thought this zebra one was super cute.  Congrats Laura!

I also have two honorable mentions, so I'm going to send you ladies a cup of coffee!  Well, not exactly, a $5 Starbucks card so you can go get one of these:

The Honorable Mention winners are:

Jennifer from Crying Over Spilled Milk
Your fact was very fun!  Especially since your Halloween costume was a Gold Digger.  Too perfect!  :)

- and -

Alethea from Noble's Book
Anyone with interesting tips on how to wiggle out of a speeding ticket should be rewarded with Starbucks!  :)

Don't forget to email me (applesfalling@gmail.com) your addresses so I can send you your goodies!