5 Zoom Interview Tips

Greeting to everyone in the self induced hostage situation aka lock down aka quarantine. Days have no rhyme or reason... I even thought today was Saturday so there's that. People are either working or looking for work and everyone has either lost their minds or are in the process of losing it. People are also learning new things like Zoom which is similar to Skype, FB video call, Snapchat video call, Google Duo, and other services of the like but lets be honest...Zoom is killing the game at the moment. Hopefully they're continuing to fix their bugs and back doors security issues but that's a different story told by my cyber security friends. Just do yourself a favor and make strong passwords that don't match any other passwords....also two step authentication...it's worth it.

Anyways along with zoom chats and zoom doctor appointments, comes zoom job interviews. It's been brought to my attention that it's just as weird and awkward as in person interviews, but with a few tweaks, you'll be more comfortable and nail that interview on your own turf rather than theirs.

So the biggest thing that needs to be decided is whether you're taking that interview on your phone or your computer. Now if you're like me and haven't really used your laptop since college, chances are that your phone is newer than your laptop. Sometimes when you go to use your laptop, it has to do hours of updates because it hasn't been turned on in more than a month...and still take five minutes just to get to the desktop that feels like a million years. For that reason, I prefer to use my phone and the Zoom app, so on that note:

1. Mind your background - with you being on your own turf interviewing for a new job, your environment is important. It sounds like common sense to not have your dirty laundry in view but there's also people ingesting disinfectant so I'm going to say it anyway. Pick a spot in front of your wall. Avoid windows especially if the light it coming in through the curtains.

2. Snag a tripod from somewhere - With it being a job interview, you want to make a good impression and that doesn't include a visible selfie stick or a selfie stance or the constant moving or repositioning. Use a coffee table, tv table, stack of books to prop it up at eye level. Or use one of your essential trips to an open store for a small tripod. I have one from amazon and it came in handy for much more than outfit shots.

Mine is unavailable but this is similar

3. Mind your angles - Selfie connoisseurs know their proper photo angles but that's not what I mean. If you want to get away with a nice top and sweats or pj bottoms, you have to angle them correctly. If you are like me and have a significantly size bust, you probably don't want the camera angled down too much to show 11 miles of cleavage. So before your interview, figure out your set up and angle to feel your best up top and down below the camera.

4. Notebook and pen - The nice part of doing online interviews is that you have more resources at your disposal. Sometimes the interviewer will send you questions beforehand or I'm sure you can research typical interview questions as YouTube is your friend. Write down your answers and have them within your eye sight or other notes or questions to ask during the interview. The interviewer will appreciate the effort and initiative.

5. Water - What I've noticed with online conversations is that regardless if it's work or play, when we are talking, we talk a frigging lot. So have a little water near you in case you need it because you'll want your voice to be clear and not end of coughing because you're super dry from answering questions back to back.

Now I want to make note that if you choose your phone rather than a computer for zoom. Please keep in mind that if you get a phone call during this, your mic and sound will get cut off. I found that out the hard way but it's not the end of the world. Just tap ignore on the call and move on.

So while we adjust to the new normal for the time being, we might as well adapt and manage. For those on the job hunt, I hope this helps because I have a feeling that even after this is all over, some of these new aspects of the job market are going to stick. More is going to be digital rather than in person. Call it a  hunch but that's what I think...Stay healthy and get the job.



In the meantime, here's some of my other posts:

Tales of the Tank - Quarantine Essentials - https://bit.ly/TOTTQessent



or some non-pandemic posts:

Torrid Trip - http://bit.ly/2020TCoat

Medical Guide Part 1 - http://bit.ly/DrRxtips1
     Medical Guide Part 2 - http://bit.ly/Med2appt

Good Reads and the Like - http://bit.ly/Yareads22




Like? Give a girl a follow on Bloglovin
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Or Instagram
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Tales of the Tank - Quarantine Essentials

Since the Corona Virus aka Covid-19 has taken over the world about as fast as Love is Blind, the self induced hostage situation has started and half the population has freaked out and the other half, at least in my area, is still like meh which has led to grr. I will even admit that I started out that way too despite being a text book high risk person. I fell for the 'it's basically the flu' hype and once I pulled my head out and started keeping up with the CDC rather than such and such station, I've made my adjustments and continued on the self induced hostage situation for weeks...because days mean nothing anymore.

So anyways, if you're confused about the title, Tales of the Tank. Let me quickly explain, I love my bags and need them sturdy and a bit Marry Poppins-ish so that I'm relatively prepared for whatever the day throws at me. Peeps with quite a commute know what I'm talking about. So now that  you know, I have a few more posts like these and I'll pop them down below.

But any-whoville, I've juggled a few sizes and style and lately for at least the past year or two, I've been a die-hard backpack purse user. On top of that, since we haven't been hit with a full country lockdown, there are some times where I've needed to go out as safely as possible. So here's a few things that should be in your bag if you have to leave home for essential reasons:

1. Wallet- I don't usually carry cash because regardless of global viruses, IT'S DIRTY AF. If you have a debit or credit card, use it. More cards are becoming contactless rather than using the chip that sooo many love (insert sarcasm). Look for this symbol on your card and it should work if the place uses them. OR if you're super fancy or live in a bigger city than me, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay, just use something other than cash please.

2. External battery/ Charging cord - I will never stop carrying at least one of these around. No asking for a cord or looking for an outlet and risking sitting less that 6 feet from some random person.

3. Hand Sanitizer - As an avid and loyal customer to Bath and Body Works, this is the hand sanitizer I have and use because one, I have it and two, it's all gone as far as Purell is concerned. Now, according to the CDC, hand sanitizer is still good if it has 60% ethanol alcohol or 70% isopropanol alcohol so that physicians perform surgery. BBW hand sanitizer has 68% isopropanol...so it's not enough for surgery but maybe enough to pick up some laundry detergent and a swiffer wet mop. Now if you are out or everywhere is, there is a DIY on the Pinterest for 70+% alcohol and aloe vera gel mixture. Use at your discretion. [[If you can also get your hands on clorox or lysol wipes, it becomes very handy to have in your car.]]

4. Medication Pouch - I have this on me anyway. Remember I mentioned that whole high risk thing? Yeah, totally feel like a class A idiot but I've made a call to make sure that my meds are in and on hand. Also thank you Tylenol and Tylenol Sinus because these allergies and sinuses have also been hella bad.

5. Notebook/Pen - Yes I use my phone for notes, but I remember more when I write it down. Like if it's not written, it doesn't exist. So for the times that I've needed to go out, I'll write down where I need to go and what I need to get done. Plan it out, execute, and back to the hidey hole. Also don't need to ask for a pen to sign for receipts. Boom.

6. Extra Mask - Regardless of how you feel about the current times or how much it does or does not affect you, there are millions of people who are at high risk. Some are elderly and some are immunocompromised and those people can be of any age. ANY. AGE. The thing is that we don't walk around with neon signs. So please just be a good person and wear a mask of sorts. Paper, fabric, bandanna, whatever. You aren't required to care but a good person cares for someone else like they do themselves. And now I'll descend off of the soapbox.

And there we go, so wherever you are, I implore you to not pull a me and dismiss the severity of what's going on and stay well. Hopefully you're able to work from home and social distance without hoarding. Check your sources for news or multiple sources and if nothing else, the CDC is easily accessible.


In the meantime, here's some of my other posts that don't have to deal with a global crisis.

Tales of the Tank - The Clutch ~ http://bit.ly/TOTT50Cal

2020 Starting Out - http://bit.ly/2020TCoat

Medical Guide Part 1 - http://bit.ly/DrRxtips1
 and Part 2 - http://bit.ly/Med2appt



Like? Give a girl a follow on Bloglovin
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Or Instagram
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Setting the Tone for 2020

As I write this at the end of January, I find myself reflecting on this trial run of a month because where January usually lasts roughly three years, for me it flew and I'm trying to decide if that was a good thing or not. See I spent a good portion of the month running around helping out some family that had been in the hospital and then a rehab hospital afterwards. Thankfully everything turned out well and I had some time to do what I procrastinate to do which is clean out my email.

Way way way back in the day I wrote a post on cleaning up my email from coupons and offers in an effort to not go overboard on the spending, especially with store credit cards. I'm also pretty sure that was the last time I had a good clean up on it. But while going through and unsubscribing and things, I found out that I had Torrid cash to use. 

Now I usually have to order online but the city I was in, steadily getting a bit of cabin fever, there was a store I could go into. So while someone went off to therapy, I took it upon myself to get some therapy of my own. Low and behold there was also a massive sale on clearance which happened to include workwear. If you are of the curvy and/or plus size variety, you know that: 1. It's hell to find good office wear; 2., It's expensive as hell; And 3., it NEVER goes on sale. So I was on it!

I found a few great pieces for work and a BEAUTIFUL coat that was well over $130 but good old clearance sale had my back and I was able to get it for about $30. The blazers being on trend were a divine intervention because mine never quite fit right and the one good one I have needs to be dry cleaned where these are machine washable and look fantastic even when I'm not wearing a "good bra" and that says something. 

Even more so, the store associates were wonderful. I had questions on the regular sale, the clearance sale, the when-are-swimsuits-coming-in questions. I talked to a different person each time and they were not only helpful, they were super nice about it. That's not always the case for me at Torrid. I have a draft from a while back talking about how I don't get to shop in store that much but when I do, the experience is horrible and I stick to online. Around that time I'd been to 4 stores in three states when I was travelling and my memory is when I stopped an associate to ask a question, she looked at me as though I killed her dog. I dropped my stuff and left. 

So having this great experience made me want to hug these people and thank them for really just being nice especially when they weren't aware about being interrupted by hospital staff at all hours of the night and day. It renewed my faith in especially the plus size community because out here in rural communities, you have a small town, small mind mentality a lot of the time and I hope to encounter more of this wonderfulness this year as I make some decisions for the year, so stay tuned for that. 

Have you had an instance like this? Good or bad? Tell me because I want to know. 

Check out some of my other posts...

 My Medical Guides - 1 ~ http://bit.ly/DrRxtips1  and 2. ~ http://bit.ly/Med2appt

Good Reads and the Like ~ http://bit.ly/Yareads22

Hello I'm Shrill Too ~ http://bit.ly/ShrillToo

Give a girl a follow on the Instagram

http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

and on Bloglovin

http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

6 Tips When Your An Incubus of Viral Plague

First off, major kudos to you if you caught the reference in the title. But in case you haven't heard or experienced there's two strains of the flu going around among other annoying infections of the sort. As I'm writing, I've called into work because my compromised immune system is now battling an actual disease. Thankfully, don't think it's the flu, but I won't go into the gross details but I figured, since we're here. Let's make it not gloomy and depressing as possible.

I know this is easier said than done. 

So here's some nice pick me ups that have worked for me and that I even need to work on to get through this round of viral plague.

1. Soup - first and foremost you need something in your system to help it along and if you can't keep it down at least it's there to keep you from dry heaving. I don't care what anyone says, dry heaving when you have nothing to vomit is the worst bodily experience. So if you don't have a recipe or roommates or someone to make you any, always keep a few in the pantry.

2. Water - room temp is the best - I'll admit that I'm bad at this normally but I'm trying to pick it up today while I'm constantly losing moisture. Don't go ham because it's heavy and it'll definitely revolt but keep sipping.

3. Tea - now if you've read back a ways to my remedies - there's no tea shortage at my house. Chamomile is my go-to but I'm currently babying a lemon ginger tea. It's definitely different but it's hopefully doing it's thing.

4. Feel good movies - When I'm sick, I tend to abandon my strong independent senses and become a whiny mess. I hate sitting in miserable silence so on goes the movies. Personal favorites: The Holiday, Phat Girlz, and Disney movies of course...right now of course it the live action Beauty and the Beast on the Netflix. Because who doesn't need the Beast singing in their life? I can't tell you how many times I've listened to Evermore. (also if you need a good cry during said movies, just let it out)

5. Rest - I'm terrible about napping but it's really not good to be stuck on the phone all day or in this case on the computer and it's definitely something to work on because let me tell you I. AM. DRAINED.

6. Pj's - Being sick is already uncomfortable and you aren't going anywhere. So whether it's your old college sweats and a t-shirt or some actual pj's do what feels right and add some fuzzy socks to the feet that you've already lathered some Vicks on.

What I forget, still, is to listen to my body and I'm sure others do the same. I've already felt guilty this past weekend because I didn't do much of anything. But my body has. So in the name of the better you this year (yes I'm also kinda saying this to myself), let your body heal! I've already made a deal so that if my symptoms don't get better I'll call the Dr asap. ***update - I went to the doctor and definitely not the flu, bad stomach bug***


How are you feeling? What do you do when you're sick?



Need a little something something else to read?

Best of 2017 - http://bit.ly/17BestYa
Blue Mascaras - http://bit.ly/2wnrtRc
Bra Talk - http://bit.ly/2ezvzOM

(Lol I promise - I didn't plan on all of those starting with a B)

Winter/ Christmas Tag - You're it!

Hello and Happy after-Christmas day everyone. I hope that everyone had a good holiday. Emily and all her wonderfulness at The Weird Girl Life had tagged me in a tag for fall but obviously that one hasn’t showed up and I will have to save it for some time. That got me to thinking that I had a saved post from last year and BEHOLD!!!! I did and I still have some time to send this out to the world. Now past me didn’t think to save the blogger who did this tag or else I’d have it all kinds of plastered so if you’ve done this tag and think you may have done it, comment me and let me know!! (And then when fall comes around as it always does then I’ll have a different one then.)

1.       What is your favorite Christmas/ Holiday film?
It has to be National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Always watched it with my dad and it’s hilarious!

2.       Where do you usually spend the holidays?
Usually with my familia

3.       What’s your favorite Christmas song?
  I’m a bit of a nerd so I’d have to go with Star in the East. It’s a song we did in choir and you can seriously look up any high school or college all state choir and find it. It’s different but I love it.

4.       Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?
  Lol I used to. My dad’s side of the family usually celebrated the ‘noche buena’ so we’d all go over to my grandma’s house and pretty much have a party. Young and adult were up all night. Now that we’re older we have more of the party than present opening

5.       Is your Christmas tree real or fake?
Fake – my house is kinda small and so far I can only keep a cactus alive so full out tree is probably not a good idea

6.       Favorite winter scent?
It was Twilight Woods from Bath and Body Works FOR YEARS!!!! Up until they discontinued the scent so now…Marshmellow Fireside – still from Bath and Body Works

7.       Scarves or Beanies?
Scarves. I still love wearing beanies but I can’t wear those to work

8.       Favorite Holiday drink?
Hot chocolate duh

9.       Favorite Winter/Holiday essentials?
lip balm, scarves, and boots

10.   Favorite winter activity?
Movies and blankets – would like to say Netflix and Chill but soooooome people get the wrong idea…

11.   Do you use advent calendars?
  I did this year and it was fantastic!!! My boyfriend gave me my gift early so that I could enjoy my NYX lippie countdown. So worth it.

12.   Candy cane or gingerbread men?
Gingerbread man. Not the biggest fan of candy canes unless it’s a fruit flavored one

13.   Without cheating, can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph

14.   What made you realize the truth about Santa?
I realized he was real because I have the friggin Christmas spirit yo! Don’t even try to fight me on this.

15.   Hot Cocoa or Apple Cider?
I don’t mind apple cider and I think it’s really good when someone else makes it. I’ve tried and it doesn’t work so Hot Cocoa for me

So here's the whole enchilada as far as the questions are concerned. There's still time for the the spirit towards the end of the year so go for it and let me know that you did it so I can read your answers too!!! Or you can do what I did and save it for later ;)

1.       What is your favorite Christmas/ Holiday film?

2.       Where do you usually spend the holidays?

3.       What’s your favorite Christmas song?

4.       Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

5.       Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

6.       Favorite winter scent?

7.       Scarves or Beanies?

8.       Favorite Holiday drink?

9.       Favorite Winter/Holiday essentials?

10.   Favorite winter activity?

11.   Do you use advent calendars?

12.   Candy cane or gingerbread men?

13.   Without cheating, can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

14.   What made you realize the truth about Santa?

15.   Hot Cocoa or Apple Cider?

In the meantime, check out some of my other posts...

The Blues of my Life - http://bit.ly/2wnrtRc

Bra Talk - http://bit.ly/2ezvzOM

Smell Good Stuff - http://bit.ly/2vT879v
Travel Reality - http://bit.ly/2travelwoe

Bra Talk

There are days...... and then there are days where circumstances dictate what has to happen for that day. As a plus sized woman, there are certain standards that society will always be violated and for those that are offended, sorry your life sucks. It took me a long time to be comfortable with myself and every now and then, sometimes I gotta smack myself and remind myself that I’m fabulous. I had one of those moments this morning.

Aside from being B3 (Big, Bad, and Beautiful), I have always enjoyed the size of my chest, my bust, my rack of power if you will. I was a B cup in 6^th grade and have only leveled up from there. But like any great power comes greater responsibility and I take it very seriously in the bra department. These girls need the support to be properly and tastefully on display and for that, I don’t mind spending a decent amount of money on quality bras from Lane Bryant. Nothing against Victoria’s Secret, but they don’t carry my size in store and if I’m going to spend an arm and a possible leg on bras, I want to be able to try them on before I buy them so thank you Lane Bryant for taking my money willingly in exchange for great bras that don’t stop working and are pretty too.

Since learning about and dealing with my new disease, I’ve been trying to keep an open mind and a closed wallet, however, my biggest complaint about losing weight is that my bras don’t fit right. I prefer padded and underwired and anyone who wears this combo knows that if it doesn’t fit, you will most likely be in pain. And I have been because with all the changes happening to my body and lifestyle, I can’t afford to replace them and then find out that I’d need to change them again. So I went to the only store I would and could go to and made a choice to try a bandeau bra slash bralette.

maurices carries straight sizes and plus size bralettes!

I’ve seen them everywhere on the interwebs and they are all the rage, but I’ve always been under the impression that they weren’t for me because I’ve normally seen them on smaller women with smaller busts. Finding these in my size at maurices was a surprise and a sign to bite the bullet and not knock it til I try it, especially considering these cost, literally, a third of what I would pay for a regular bra.

With the inflammation in my joints, there are some days where I can’t put on a bra because my hands can’t and won’t grip it. So here I am trying these little barely padded, no wire, basically tube tops and half of me is wanting to smack myself for going out in public for fear of rejection and ridicule. The other half was the half I listened to because I was able to mentally smack myself harder with the fact that if it feels good and it looks good, then it could be a beautiful relationship.

This style is cute and probably the most comfortable thing to wear on my ta-tas

And guess what? As I'm writing this.... this is my first day not just wearing it in public, but at work in a professional atmosphere and so far it feels wonderful.  I’m comfortable and the girls aren’t going wild without wires. My mind is going, if it feels great now, what about in other outfits for regular wear like sleeveless, razorbacks, scoop necks, off the shoulder, spaghetti straps, etc????? The possibilities are endless so take it from me, take a chance and try it, whatever ‘it’ may be.



And in the mean time, catch up on some of my other posts....

Smell Good Stuff - http://bit.ly/2vT879v

June in Summertime - http://bit.ly/2uD9o4o

Modern Window Shopping - http://bit.ly/2sG527o

Thou Shall Smell Good

This may seem trivial but I kid you not, my best friend and I had a legit long discussion about this topic and I found that this was a situation that I need remedied. We’ve finally come to terms with the fact that we are closer to thirty and yet still don’t feel like we’ve met many of the traditional adult milestones yet let alone feel like adults.

I had that smacked on my forehead recently while cleaning out some drawers. I’m really working on downsizing and while the idea of minimizing is kind of appealing, I don’t think I could go all the way. But I know I have way too much junk. In that same area, I have a rather deep drawer for my makeup and my smell good stuff. That’s when it hit me….I have one bottle of perfume. Of actual perfume. It was a Christmas gift in college, I think, because it’s one of the Ed Hardy perfumes.

So I have this one bottle of perfume and I remember only using it for special occasions because it was the only one I had. As a person in the arts, for rehearsals, recitals and performances I had to smell good. My mom had always told me that there is no reason to not smell good. Also with being a larger than the average girl both width wise and height wise, smelling bad was a stereotype I wanted to make sure I didn’t fall into. So I had body sprays. My store of choice as it is for many youngins and ladies of the like, Bath and Body Works. And from the looks of my drawers, it looks like it’s the only thing I do wear. Japanese Cherry Blossom, Paris Amour, A Thousand Wishes, as well as a few that have been discontinued like the Wild Madagascar Vanilla, Twilight Woods, and my Blushing Cherry Blossom circa 2009. I don’t have to tell you that I’m a fan of the buy 3 get 2 free sale…or sales in general…..or knowing when the sales come because one of my best girlfriends keeps me in the loop or lets me know when my current addicted scent is going to be discontinued….(Thank you Bona and I love you so much :D)

Obviously it’s a lot and it’s not that I don’t use them, it’s just a lot. In high school, I had one at home and one at multiple places in school. In college, I had one in my car and backpack as well. Now I have a spare at work, a mini in my purse and car. I’m also not a person just to do one or two spritzes either. Ya gotta do the body, the pulse points, the nether region and the hair. It’s ok to do that because it’s not as strong as a perfume and doesn’t last as long, especially when you had dance class, marching band, swim practice, theatre rehearsals under stage lights, etc. I used it like my life depended on it and for performances I’d use the real deal.  

But now that I’m not in school, a lot of my extracurricular activities graduated to extinction with my academic life. I still wear them and have no problem wearing it but I don’t feel as great when I’m working the Tahitian Paradise body spray while my boyfriend is wearing Versace Cologne and I’m 3 whiffs from attacking him, just saying. Ladies who know, will know that there is nothing wrong with a man that smells good.

But I’m not a kid anymore and I’m not a student anymore. I’m finding myself in between young lady and lady (insert throwback to Brittney's Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman). So why does it matter? Everyone’s seen the memes about starting from the bottom with Lip Smacker and now we here at Mac Lipsticks.

Gotta love the power of the Google

I kinda feel like I’m missing out on that part so to help me out I’m experimenting with some scents. Helping my bff in the estrogen department by going to Ulta to get a refill on his Dolce and Gabana Light Blue cologne, see the trend?? I picked up a roll on perfume from Kate Spade. Small enough to not cost an arm and a leg and for now I like it as a good summer scent so we’ll see how it goes. But I think it’s time to grow up a bit.

Travel Reality - the Straight Up UGLY

One of the highlights of my 2016 year was being able to visit my sista over on the east coast. We'd been planning it for over a year, so despite the beginning of my illnesses, I was bound and determined to go even if it killed me.

So what had happened was...

The airline we took was one my sister, my bff who also came, and myself had never heard of. Spirit. Now I know that some of you are thinking, wellll there ya go. We had no idea and I've been on a plane maybe 4 times in my life. But my bff and I had things planned. We'd pay for checked luggage and have our personal items. We were planning on taking post wedding pictures in Philly, so I had my Maid of Honor dress and my good makeup and hair necessities all for it to never show up when we landed.

You always hear about things happening to luggage or see how airlines in general handle luggage behind the scenes, but when your airline gives your luggage to a different airline at an international airport and they can't find it, you may start to panic. The customer service rep in the claims department even said there was a possibility that it could have gone out of the country.

We arrived Sunday, called everyday, bought everything we needed with kept receipts which was about 1500 between my bff and I because everyone knows plus size, big and tall anything is not cheap. They finally found my luggage in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday of our stay. Flew it out to the airport but had to Fedex to my sister's house. But!! It rained and the FedEx sticker came apart from the wet luggage and was found in New Jersey. We finally have it returned on Friday and we were leaving again on Sunday.

Now with needing to purchase a week's worth of life from underwear to hair and makeup for the wedding pictures, my bff and I were ready for a fight if we had to pay for another 2 carry-ons on top of what we already paid the first go around. Thankfully it wasn't necessary but the bruises from carrying that bag through security and having that bag checked literally 6 times at security was brutal. AND guess who missed her flight home on the last flight of the day to Dallas? Mind you, it was 4 in the morning on top of it.

Time passes and we have been working on our claim for reimbursement. If I can tell you anything about any sort of claims, it's these main points:

1. Keep your receipts and make copies of said receipts. My bff handled this like a pro because both of us had copies of the receipts for EVERYTHING, even the paperwork and email correspondence.

2. Read the instructions carefully. Everything has a timeline and in our case, it also needed to be notarized.

3. If you need to mail it out, spend a few bucks to get it registered or certified mail. Someone on the receiving end has to sign for it and that was our saving grace because le bff sent it certified and had proof that Spirit claims received when they tried to deny our claim saying they didn't get it in time.


Needless to say, though my luggage is trashed from how it was handled and then being left out in the rain, I've learned a very valuable lesson. Pack smarter and learn to pack tighter to fit things in my carry on.



For happier posts, check these out!

Monthly Favorites - http://bit.ly/LApril17F

Tales of the Tank - http://bit.ly/TOTTBackpack



Follow me on Bloglovin - http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

Coffee or Tea

I'm not having issues but I'm having issues. With me progressively on the previously mentioned mend, there's a lot of adjustments to be made and more so with my stomach. Living out west, I've grown up and enjoy chile and just spicy food in general. Those are easy to say that I need to calm down on the hot sauce and salsa, but when I was having my morning coffee after coming home from the hospital, it was tragic. My stomach was not liking it for some reason but it yelled and hurt until I was in the bathroom.

Now I'm not a complete coffee snob. I have a Keurig and a french press, but I've been at home where it's a standard coffee pot with Dunkin Donuts coffee or Folgers or 8 O'clock Coffee from the local Dollar General and all is still well with the world. And no, I don't drink it black because I enjoy flavored creamer and DUH. I love the smell and enjoy the taste in the mornings.

It's been a staple in my life for a while I believe, mainly, because of my grandparents. My grandpa started me on coffee at a young age with cookies. He's used the same cups for coffee for as long as I can remember and starts a pot anytime we walk through the door. Not too strong and not too light with a few cubes of sugar with creamer and we are set for a good couple hours of chatting.

Because Google knows how we roll

Tea is a whole different story because there are two categories, hot tea and iced tea. Iced tea is not iced tea with out a proper southern amount of sugar.I didn't get into drinking hot tea casually until college with the help of a few of my friends. We dubbed ourselves las señoras. (hey!) And we'd have tea at someone's house, the theatre, Chinese restaurant, etc. But of course after college, people grow and move and I'm glad we still keep in touch. (We needs the chisme every now and then and don't get us started on the Selena movie and award season.)

I love Chamomile or like I've mentioned in my remedies post, Manzanilla. It's a great relaxer for  me so I can't really drink it in the morning to wake up and get the warm fuzzies. I've tried a couple teas, Earl Grey was a bit much at least by itself and I found Breakfast Tea was not my cup of tea.

I know people put honey or cream or milk but I don't know what goes where. Where does the line draw? For strong coffee, I know to use the powdered creamer instead of liquid. Don't use a flavored creamer when you have already flavored coffee.

WHERE ARE THE RULES FOR TEA?!?!?!?!

There's so many varieties and they have different things and some don't have caffeine, and yes I need caffeine. There's a thing called loose leaf tea. Is it better than tea that's bagged? How much do you use? How long does it need to steep? What are the requirements to add honey, milk, or creamer? Is that even a thing?

With all of this said, the hunt is on for my cup of tea because it's terrifying to think that the coffee deprivation may be permanent, but my mornings are empty and void of the wonderful, slightly bitter, taste of one of the miracles of life that made my morning routine. Trust me, I need a routine. So any tips or teas to try or tea recipes are greatly appreciated in the mean time. :]

Life Said I'm Sick

Ok, I can't say that I've been just spastic with posting or even my social media presence and I've gone back and forth on whether to go into this topic. When it comes to my health, I tend to be a lot more reserved and it tends to make me a bit of a hermit. But with a bit of debating, here I am putting myself out there on the interwebs where nothing is ever really deleted.

Now that my dramatic moment has passed, here's the sitch. My last couple posts were vague about what is going with my health. There's been a lot of pain, a lot of medications, and a two week stay in the hospital to get some answers about what has been going on. My diagnosises: lupus and blood clots. Neither of these run in my family on either side, and definitely can't be cured with my typical remedies, so this was a big surprise but after looking for answers for a couple months with no real path, getting this information was a huge relief.

Sadly these aren't all of my meds

I've still been out of work because I've lost so much strength and the side effects of my meds aren't exactly a walk in the park either. I've got a couple specialists that I'm working with to get me back to as normal as possible but it's a hard pill to swallow (pun intended) knowing that my previous normal will never happen again. I know lupus is more manageable now than it used to be, but it's still a lot that needs to be watched and researched. The blood clots just suck. Thankfully they haven't moved to my lungs or heart, but from what I was told, my legs are "covered" in clots which doesn't help my swelling or pain and was more than likely caused from my birth control that I was taking for my PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) for the last ten years.

To say that my life is changing is understatement. The great thing, and I'm super proud of myself to see this, is that I have an actual diagnosis and something to research. I'm that person that has to know what I'm into and it turns out that I know people who know people who have experience especially since I can't turn to family. And maybe through writing and adding this to my blog life, I can help someone else who is just finding out as well and is starting the journey too. So if anyone has any ideas, or tips, or resources in handling and managing lupus, please please please let me know.






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Check out some of my other posts that are not medically related
Tag! You're It - http://bit.ly/ThisorThat17

Fall Faves - http://bit.ly/FallTFaves16

Tales of the Tank aka my purse - http://bit.ly/TOTT50Cal

The Full Figure Picture Still Going Forward

http://weartv.com/news/local/local-boutique-saves-the-day-after-a-teen-is-fat-shamed

I came across ^^^ this article ^^^ on the facebook of a friend. I've never been to Florida or even heard of this store but this story really hit me in the feels.

Mother and daughter go to find a dress for Homecoming and the sales rep gives her the signature up and down look at her daughter and shuts her down. It may not have been a harsh as Regina George getting told to go to Sears after not fitting in a size 5, but trust me when I tell you that it feels like that and about 99 times worse. After getting nowhere with corporate, a boutique was able to find a fabulous solution.

Now Grace Tennyson, the author of the article, mentions that Megan regular wore junior size clothing in that store. In my mind, there really shouldn't have been an issue at a department store but in this case it was and Megan was shut down completely and publicly.

I remember having this moment in high school trying to find a dress for Homecoming my Senior Year. I was nominated for Homecoming Queen and so proper formal attire was required. Nothing made me more nervous because at that time there wasn't a store that carried plus size formal wear that I could afford. I could have tried the prom store but I wasn't about to ask my parents to fork over $400 for a dress that I couldn't try on and that option was more than likely plain black....Hell, I didn't even buy either of my prom dresses at the prom store, and online shopping wasn't an option with dial up.

Forgive the picture - It's the only one I have that's mainly full length and pretty sure it was taken on a 35mm film camera and I needed to hide my cousin for obvious reasons. But you get the point...

I was plus size then, and now, but I was also taller than the average girl so I already knew trying to find something floor length would also be slim to none. After driving 4 hours away to the city, I could only find one dress that was semi appropriate, though my dad hated it, and it required some adjustments on my body's part, the shapewear and the strategies to keep the gorgeous fishtail front from riding up too high when I walked. And I don't recall being helped by an associate at all. Not when I was grabbing the displays off the walls to check at the tags to pray that there was an XL. Not when my mom had multiple dresses thrown over her shoulder while I changed in the dressing room hating life because it was too short off the floor or too short and close to the lady bits or cut just low enough that the school would complain about my chest making a bigger appearance than me.

To be honest, I got lucky. I wasn't the only plus sized nominee that year and we all had the same problem whether we admit it or not. Now did we make it work? Of course because we do that and are used to it. I loved the dress and enjoyed the day. Have I worn it since? absolutely not. Just like my high school graduation dress which was also a bit too short and too low cut for a sundress and my prom dress was about 4 inches off the ground that I was able to buy off of a friend of the family who wore it as a bridesmaid dress. We made due with what we had.

Granted, Tennyson doesn't mention how much the dress was before or after the fitting but the important part is that someone cared enough to make this young lady feel special and beautiful whether she is considered a straight size or plus size. High school is hell enough whether we know it during or realize it years after. So for this owner, I tip my metaphorical hat and give you much applause because there's a lot of us women now, who weren't able to have that option then and those who still don't now. And yet, you made the effort to show that this girl should most definitely feel like a million bucks and the pictures in the article show her believing that she is worth the million bucks.

“I think that everyone is beautiful and should feel that way.” - Deborah West, owner of the boutique

It goes to show that there is progress out there. It still seems slower than molasses on a white Christmas morning most times, but it's still progress. Stories like this are the shining light of hope. We, as curvy or plus or full figured or the B3s, have some more options now that weren't there before and I know that it will grow even more so that less people, girls and boys and everyone in between, don't have moments like so many of us, including Megan, had. I hope that she went to Homecoming and rocked the ever living Hell out of that dress with the gusto that comes with feeling like a rock star.






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Posts like this:

Operation Ducks in a Row - Relationships and Life - http://bit.ly/10GTWODIAR

Tag! How much is my face worth? - http://bit.ly/MyFaceis

10 Pokewalk Essentials (because I'm a nerd like that :] ) - http://bit.ly/10PokeWalk

Tales of the Tank (aka my Purse) My 50 Cal Clutch - http://bit.ly/TOTT50Cal

Operation Ducks in a Row - Relationships and Life.

The question is not do you like or love him, the question is do you like yourself with him.

So I've been out of commission for the last few weeks and it's given me too much time to think and ponder. Sadly, I didn't get much writing done but I had done a lot of reading and a bit of coloring. (Major shout out to my sister who found the coloring book that I was looking for from my faves post - LOVE YOU!)

Check out my masterpiece that is SFW lol

Check this out on my Instagram - Check the sidebar -->>

Like I said, I've been doing a lot of reading. Blogs, articles, books oh my! It's been great to hold my focus and ignore the state that I was in. My most recent book is one that I picked up on a whim since Hastings has gone belly up, the sales have been phenomenal so I perused the rows and found 10 Girls To Watch by Charity Shumway. 

I won't lie when I said that the cover caught my eye, but picking it up and reading the summary helped say YES FINALLY A BOOK ABOUT SOMEONE MY AGE! Don't get me wrong, I like reading books about people who are younger and older but to have a book about a twenty something struggling through life was something I definitely needed to read.

I'm almost done and I don't want this to turn into a book review just yet, mainly because I haven't finished it and also because there was a thought that popped up a couple times and it struck a cord. In terms of like, love, and relationships, the main character, Dawn, was told by her woman of wisdom that it's not so much about who you are with romantically, it's more important as to how you like yourself when you're with them.

It reminded me of a post I did a while back about thinking positively. My boyfriend is a happy-go-lucky type of guy and is constantly looking at the brighter side of things. Me....not so much. You can read up on that here but it gets me thinking about relationships with people and with life. Not to boast, but thinking over the course of my relationship, I've liked myself more and more in terms of looking for and thinking more positively and for that I thank my beb. But from there, it makes sense to look at the other relationships in life.

So my recommendation to you guys is:

1. Find this book and read it. I think it's wonderful and something that us twenty somethings, who haven't quite led the life that we pictured or planned out, can relate to.

2. Look at your relationships, friends, significant others, jobs, life situations. Do you like who you are in these relationships?

I've been going over some of the relationships in my life and some are going great and there's definitely some areas that I need to break up with....just need some time and this duck will get in line.




Check out some of the other ducks I'm determined to get in a row

Saving - http://bit.ly/ODIARsave
Cutting My Store Card Losses - http://bit.ly/ODIARccards
Stop Complaining - http://bit.ly/ODIARwomp

Maybe the beauty route is more your thing
How much is my face worth? - http://bit.ly/MyFaceis


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My Pissed AF Playlist

****Reader discretion advised. There may or may not be language that would not be considered lady-like and by that I mean... get over it PDQ before you continue****

My Bff sent me this on FB and I was like RIGHT?!

There are days and then there are days where you are glad that you can't blow things up with your mind. And then even worse when you question if you'd feel bad. I've had my fair share of days where people try to say that it's just one day, not your life. There's times that I can listen to my awesome boyfriend and look at the bigger picture like I did in this post. And then.....then there are times where I just need to be mad as Hell. Call me petty, an Aries, a girl and no I'm not on my damn period either so don't even try to pull that shit. I'm just fucking pissed... for whatever assortment of reasons.

It was Arnold in Terminator 3 who said that anger is more useful than despair. And yes it can be. Look at feelings and plans carried out due to vendettas and plots for revenge and sometimes you can even use it to come out victorious on top of the world when you apply angry to productivity and sh!t....

This was not one of those days. And for days like those, I turn to music, especially. I'm sure everyone does because it, literally, can be the only thing that meshes with what your feeling. So to share this notion, I've found a list of some of my fave mad-at-the-world songs that I have and continue to blast at home, in my car, etc. And yes, a lot of these songs are older but does matter? No bitch it does not but it does tend to make me feel better after a bit.


I'm Not Ok, I Promise - My Chemical Romance.

Crawling - Linkin Park.

So Sick - Flyleaf

Call Me When You're Sober - Evanescence

The Sharpest Lives - MCR

Go To Church - Ice Cube/Snoop Dogg (when he was still D-O-Double G)/ Lil Jon

Rollin' in the Deep - Adele

Lil Homies - 2Pac

Knives and Pens - Black Veil Brides

Move - Ludacris

Disturbed - Down with the Sickness

In the End - Linkin Park

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor - Drowning Pool

Everybody's Fool - Evanescence

Nightmare - A7X

Runaway - Linkin Park

The Change - Evanescence

The Unforgiven - Metallica



Now don't get me wrong, I am all for positive thinking and reinforcement. I am on the road to becoming a more positive person. HOWEVER COMMA, I am also a person who has had that tendency to bottle things up until it blows like Mt. St. Helens. I do believe it's important to acknowledge that anger is a feeling to be dealt with. Regardless of the reasons for being super f*ckin pissed, it is not something that has to stay with you. So I am a firm believer in the power of music.

More often than not, in extreme negative emotions, mad-as-sh!t or sad AF, we are isolated and alone. In the back of our minds, we know that it's not true but the feelings suck. So build that playlist and blast it because it's easier to feel better when you hear someone going through that same emotion. Genre doesn't matter and this isn't the end of my playlist either but it helps. So get your YouTube on, or Spotify, whatever your poison is and look some of these up if you haven't heard it.

Now that I have that off my chest, here's what else has been going on in life.

Beauty 
Life Lessons
Finances

And I'm new to Bloglovin' so let's keep in touch