A phone call with Grandma

For those that know me, you may not be surprised at the fact that I was inspired by a phone call, which made me quickly drive home, and immediately pull up my blog to begin this post. I talk to my grandparents every two weeks or so. We mostly talk on the phone, but we also talk via gmail chat (yes, they are that cool), and sometimes we Skype. 

As I'm sitting at the dining room table drinking my homemade fruit smoothie and watching a stinkbug out of the corner of my eye, my mind is playing back the conversation I had with my grandma today while walking downtown. The conversation wasn't out of the ordinary. We typically talk for over an hour and we discuss our lives, the weather, the future, the past, and any random thoughts we may have. Often, my grandpa will appear in the background with a sarcastic comment, which always gets us off track, but I look forward to those moments. 

The lovely g-rents 

So, why write a blog post if the conversation wasn't out of the ordinary? Well, I want to recognize my grandma, along with all of the other members in my family. Family is my rock and to be honest, whenever I think about my family or talk about my family I often become emotional. I can't imagine my life without these individuals. Each member helps complete me. I know I may sound dramatic, but when thinking about it and reflecting, these are the words that come to mind. It's so very important to recognize the individuals who complete you. I don't mean sending flowers or presents, I mean taking an hour to have a phone conversation, or scheduling a Skype conversation, or sending a quick email or text. Consistently making an effort to keep these individuals in your life because you want to; because you love them. 

There are a few family members in which I haven't reached out to as often as I would like. While talking to my grandma today, I recognized that and today I make that change. 

My grandma doesn't know how inspirational she truly is. I've never met anyone who gives without ever complaining. I've never met anyone who can lift me up so high, yet be honest when necessary. At the end of the day, she understands me. She can read my thoughts just by my facial expressions and she always knows what to say at each moment. Every second I have with her I'm learning. I'm learning how to be a better individual and how to help make this world a better place. The incredible thing is she doesn't try. It's natural to her and those individuals are truly a gift to this world. I'm so blessed to have incredible grandparents, incredible parents, incredible siblings, incredible friends, and an incredible family. No one is perfect and our relationships with each other are not perfect either, but man, there is so much good, there is so much happiness, there is so much love, and I want to take more time to recognize all of that.

It's simple to get caught up in the negative, to become 'too busy,' or to put others on the back burner. Focus on the positive, lean on these individuals when the negative becomes overwhelming, always take time to reach out, and never put anyone on the back burner.  

Appreciate. Love unconditionally. Open yourself up. Lean on others. Ask for help. Help others. Express feelings. Spend time with these individuals. Make an effort.

To my family. I love you. So very much. I appreciate you. So very much. 

"I'll talk to you soon."

Xoxo, Jodi Leanne.

   

New Dove Advertisement

As many of you probably know, Dove has a new advertisement. The Dove Campaign is known for advertising wonderful messages to individuals all over the world regarding beauty and self-image. The Dove Campaign isn't afraid of showing us how inaccurate the media can be when it comes to the 'perfect image.' Media puts so much pressure on all of us to have the perfect skin, the perfect smile, and the perfect body. What the media chooses to ignore is the fact that this 'perfect image' doesn't exist. Sure, it exists when you upload a picture to PhotoShop and airbrush like a mad man, but that isn't realistic. Individuals take great measures to try to fit the mold the media has created and it's incredibly scary. By creating these advertisements, the Dove Campaign is beginning to change the distorted image the media is portraying and is touching the lives of many.

My dear friend Brittany posted the advertisement on my wall and I was immediately impressed and smiling. I've been told before, "what you see when you look at yourself isn't accurate." Our perceptions of ourselves are rarely the same as what others see. We tend to see the flaws first and put all of our energy into them instead of pushing the flaws aside and seeing the beauty within us. The exercise done in this advertisement shows exactly that.

Here is the advertisement:

So, here's a challenge for you.

Take two minutes each day, look at yourself in the mirror, and say three things you like about yourself out loud. It can be something as simple as "I like my choice of earrings" to "Man, my bum looks good today!"

My turn:

1) I really like my hair today. It braided well and is extra shiny!

2) My eyes are green today for some reason, but they're pretty and big.

3) My skin looks clear today. (Thanks to Dr. Lily!)

Compliment yourself. Love yourself. Respect yourself. Take care of your body. Take care of your brain. Give your body proper nutrients. Be active. Love your body. Love others.

Spring Break Recap

Hey there,
I just returned from my Spring Break! Instead of going to a warm climate, I decided to spend my Spring Break in Michigan with family and friends that I haven't seen since Christmas. Let me tell you, it was a wonderful decision and it was oh so hard to get on that plane to come back to Virginia. The eleven days were busy and I was able to see many individuals. It was perfect, perfect, perfect!

Here are a few photos to help recap my time in the mitten:

While waiting for my flight to Detroit, I snacked on Twizzlers and an Iced Vanilla Latte, yum! I looked down and realized how much red I was surrounded by! The lady next to me even made a comment :)

My second night in the mitten, my dad and I went to an Irish Pub and enjoyed a few cocktails and Guiness. We watched a few of the March Madness games, watched our brackets fail, and lost terribly at three rounds of Keno. It was nice to spend time with him and hold a lengthy conversation. I miss him terribly when I'm away, but we talk twice a day!

Of course, I made sure I brought my workout on Spring Break ;) As a member of Anytime Fitness, I was able to use the gym in my hometown. My dad also has a treadmill in his apartment, which was nice, but boy did I stink up that guest bedroom haha!

My fourth night in the mitten, I cooked dinner for my dad and brother Evan. I made an Italian dish with whole wheat pasta, creamy vodka sauce, and breaded chicken. It was delicious! Ever since I started my nanny job, I've kind of been forced into learning how to cook and to be honest, I've learned to really enjoy it! 

My sunglasses snapped in half at the airport on my way to Michigan, so Jake and I spent a half hour at Target trying on multiple sunglasses and these are the ones I decided to buy! They're retro, white, and fun :) I almost bought a pair of red velvet heart shaped sunglasses for kicks ;)

I spent a few days in Mount Pleasant, which made me miss CMU terribly, but I'm glad I'm able to visit when I can. My visit consisted of a long stroll to the grocery store with Jake on a sunny day, a nice home cooked dinner, movies in bed, trail mix, fro-yo, dollar bowling with the WW boys and friends, a lovely Bird visit with my old roommate Erin (top picture), a long run downtown, a game of darts, and sleeping in! 

My dad and I took an afternoon to visit Evan at college, University of Toledo. I wasn't able to spend as much time as I'd hoped with Evan, but any minute I can have I will take. I miss not being closer to him, and the rest of my family. Evan has grown into an outstanding man and I just love him so much. 

Adam and his girlfriend Sarah also came to the mitten for their Spring Break and it was nice to spend time with them as well. Sarah is such a doll and joined me for a night out with friends (above picture) and it was a blast! My friends adored her and she brought many laughs to the night! I miss her already.

A night out with Leandra is always a fun night. She joined Sarah and I for a night of karaoke. Leandra and I were best friends in high school, lost touch, and have recently let each other back into our lives. When I have the chance to come to Michigan, we try to get together and we even discussed her visiting Virginia in the near future. We also were able to take a long walk along the river while I was in Michigan too.

 *Flashback!* Brandon and I were high school sweethearts and spending an evening with him was such a blast! The second I saw his glasses, I pulled out a fake pair that Jake left in my purse, put them on, and said 'twins!' For not seeing each other since high school, it sure didn't feel like it. We danced, shared drinks, and sang the night away. I'm so glad he's doing well and I'm hoping he makes the visit to Virginia with Leandra in the near future :)

I'm pretty sure we were singing Backstreet Boys!

Although I wasn't able to see everyone I wanted to, I was able to see these individuals above, and more.

I'm one blessed girl :)