Daily Affirmation #3.

I maybe be depressed, but...

I'm going to enjoy playing a rousing game of Yahtzee with my mother today (did I ever mention that we plsy all the time?)

Daily Affirmation #2.

I may be depressed, but I had a nice Memorial Day with my family.

What did you do to celebrate the day, friends? xoxo

[Photo via We Heart It]

Old Navy Gay Pride T-shirts.

I can't get enough of retail giant Old Navy's new line of T-shirts. Debuting today is a collection of gay pride shirts, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit It Gets Betters, an organization dedicated to stopping hate and intolerance against the LGBT community. Aren't the shirts awesome? xoxo

Daily Affirmation #1.

Happy Friday, friends! Thanks for all your kind comments yesterday. I keep telling my mom that I just don't have any energy anymore...for anything. And every time those words come out of my mouth, she counters them by saying, "You can write one sentence." And it looks like she's right so far because this is my fourth sentence.

I brought up this very topic with my therapist this week, and she suggested doing some sort of affirmation as a blog post every day. If nothing else, at least I could be proud of accomplishing that every day while waiting for my writing and blogging zest to come back, right?
Affirmation #1: I may be depressed, but...

I smiled while watching Glee this week!

I'd love for you to join me, here or on your own blog! After all, we could all use more positivity in our lives! xoxo

Checking In.

I've been sitting here at the computer for the last hour, and the words just aren't flowing. I feel bad I haven't posted in 2 weeks...it's that evil depression again.

[Photo via bippity boppity boo]

The List: 5 Most Popular Baby Names.

Were you ever like me when you were a kid and daydreamed about what you'd name your future children? I loved thinking of names. The funny thing was that I could easily think of names for girls, but names for boys? Not so much. Do you like these top baby names for 2010?

Boys
*Jacob
*Ethan
*Michael
*Jayden
*William

Girls
*Isabella
*Sophia
*Emma
*Olivia
*Ava

Hmm, I'm sensing a Twilight trend here. What are your favorite names, for boys or girls? I've always loved Hannah, Caroline, Mary Jane and Madison. :)

P.S. Fun Fact: The most popular girls' name in 1981, the year I was born, was Jennifer. The name Melissa was #5, though! Woo hoo! xoxo

[Photo via We Heart It]

How I Feel (In 5 Photos) Wednesday.

"Learning to love yourself...it is the greatest love of all." --Whitney Houston

[Photos via dreaming]

The List: 5 Most Popular Ice Cream Flavors.

The high today is supposed to be 86 degrees! Whew! I think we can finally (knocks on wood...) say goodbye to the winter. I love nothing more than sitting back with a cold one during the first hot days of the year, and by a cold one, I'm referring to ice cream here, not an intoxicating beverage.

Ice cream just screams summer, doesn't it? And thanks to the International Ice Cream Association, these 5 flavors come out on top:

*Vanilla
*Chocolate
*Butter pecan
*Strawberry
*Neapolitan

And of course, I feel it's only my duty that I share my own top 5...

*Cake Batter
*Oreo
*Mint chocolate chip
*Reese's peanut butter cup
*Butter pecan

What about you? What delicious flavors round out your top 5? xoxo

P.S. Also, the best ice cream parlors in the United States!

[Photos via We Heart It]

Rubber Ducks In The Street.

I've always thought that rubber ducks were so cute. Remember that cute song from Sesame Street? I love how Katie used these little ducks to bring some brightness to otherwise rainy spring streets. Isn't it a fantastic idea? Wouldn't it be cool to see these as you're walking down the street? xoxo

P.S. And some actual ducks...

The List: 5 Reasons To Love Mondays.

I thought we'd change things up a bit this week with a fun series - 5 lists in 5 days! Now, I must admit, I'm not the one who came up with this glorious idea. I did have a little help, thanks to my mom. "Oh, it'll be fun!" she told me over the weekend. She's usually right, so who was I to argue?

Let's kick off the week with a lovely list of reasons to adore Monday - a day usually met with dread, grumpiness and perhaps even a few choice words.
*You don't have to feel guilty for popping open that can of Diet Coke before 10 a.m.

*You can sing your Monday blues away thanks to some catchy Monday songs - Monday, Monday or Manic Monday, anyone?

*Two words: Hugh Laurie. Need I say more?

*If you're like my family, you find yourself in a state of frenzied cleaning over the weekend in an effort to make your house resemble those on House Hunters. On Monday, you have the pleasure of coming home to a clean and clutter-free house.

*There are only 4 more days until your absolute favorite day of the week - Friday

So tell me, friends, why do you love Mondays? Post a list of your own! xoxo

[Photo via We Heart It]

Man Candy Monday.

Good morning, friends! How are you doing today? I hope you all had a nice Mother's Day. What I love about today's guy is his sense of humor. Plus, he's made the transition from child star (Yes, I looooved his early work...) to adult actor with ease and grace. And of course, he's made wearing suits downright cool...

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

On this Mother's Day, I can't thank my own mom enough for being my rock. Her strength and determination inspire me every day. Where would we all be without our mothers?

Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely moms out there!! May your day be filled with love, happiness and chocolate! xoxo

An Open Letter To My Depression.

Dear Depression:
The time has come. Actually, it probably should have come a long, long time ago. Months, even. But maybe I wasn't ready a few months ago. Maybe I hadn't found the strength yet. Whatever the reason, I've realized something: You're the problem. Not me. For so long, you've made me feel so small, as if I didn't even matter. You've hurt me in ways I never thought possible. You've sucked a piece of my heart and my life out of me. You've made me feel like I can't do anything. You've brought me to tears more times than I care to count.
And all the while, I just keep thinking...why? Because I let you. You've entered my life. I can't change or control that. I know that. But what I can control is how I react to you. And I know I haven't been reacting to you in the right way - the way that is going to help me see the light on the other side of the darkness you've cast over my life. You've been like an anchor around my neck, pulling me down farther and farther. Now, I won't pretend that I have all my strength back because I still feel you with me (unfortunately...), but I can take some of the pressure of myself, can't I? Like my mom says, I can tell myself that I am doing the best I can where I am at the moment. Maybe if I stop trying to be in control so much, if I stop trying to be everything and do everything and have everything all figured out, your grip on me won't have such power over me. It's something to think about, isn't it?

[Photos via Audrey Hepburn Complex]

How I Feel (In 5 Photos) Wednesday.

"Can anybody find me somebody to love...?" --Queen

[Photos via dreaming]

Awesome Post-It Notes.

I've always been pretty boring when it comes to Post-It notes. The regular yellow ones were my speed. But it seems like there's a whole world of creative ones out there I had no idea about. Aren't these awesome? I especially love the balding man one! And the blast-from-the-past floppy disk ones? Genius! :)

P.S. It's the last week of the semester for me and it seems like I have a million things to do, so maybe that's why my mind drifted to Post-It notes today. Do you make lots of lists, friends? xoxo

Man Candy Monday.

Well, friends, can you believe that it's the first Monday of May already? I thought we'd continue a bit more with the royal theme today. I once featured this guy's brother, but this fine gentleman deserves his own moment in the spotlight. He's a bit more wild and rebellious than his brother. He's charming, though. And he seems like the sort of guy you could just kick back with and shoot the breeze...

PRINCE HARRY!!!!!!!!!!