Peanut Butter and Jelly

     One of the very first memories I have of my life is of me stomping on my peanut butter and jelly sandwich by the merry-go-round. I was so mad that my mom gave me a dirty sandwich. Looking back I realize that she actually gave me a sandwich with wheat bread as opposed to white bread like everyone else. I'ma I'ma diva. I regret this thought process because it definitely affected me for a long time. For many years after that I avoided peanut butter and jelly sandwiches... which is a very very sad thing.

     I have eaten PB&J since Mother's Day Out but they just weren't anything special. This all changed a few weeks ago. A few friends and I went on a little road trip to visit our Nation's Capitol. I wanted to be cheap so I bought a loaf of bread, a jar of jelly, and peanut butter, in hopes that I could just eat off of that for the weekend. Something magical happened that Saturday afternoon, something beautiful. As I sat outside outside the Capitol, where tons of historically monumental things have happened, something monumental happened in my life. I took a bite of the best thing I have ever taken a bite of. This peanut butter and jelly sandwich changed my life.. for the better. Since that moment I have been thinking about, praying about, dreaming about, talking about, writing about, raving about and singing about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I look for any and every opportunity to enjoy them. I hope this post gives you ideas about how to incorporate more peanut butter and jelly in your life.

Pb&J give energy

If you like to stay active, enjoy a nice PB&J an hour or so before you go run, dance, play, do yoga, shoot, swim, box, jump, throw, lift, etc. The bread gives you fiber and starch which gives you energy. The jelly gives you sugar which keeps you awake and happy. The peanuts give you protein which help you maximize your activity. Don't quote me on any of those facts.

Pb&J can communicate.

Ever grow tired of calling, emailing, texting, mailing, talking, voice-mailing, ichatting, skyping and however else you may communicate? Talk to your friends via peanut butter and jelly. Bread is moldable and flexible. Make someone a sandwich and don't just go with the average square shape. Get creative and start sculpting that bread. If your friend is earthy, sculpt a tree. If you friend is musical, sculpt a music note. If your friend is depressed, sculpt a tear. If your friend is smart, sculpt an A. Or you can sculpt letters to make words to make sentences for your friends that are really hungry. 

     PB&J can be smart. 

It's really easy to pack a couple of PB&Js in your backpack. This can be very beneficial to your academic success. Pack several of them and stay in the library. This makes for fewer food breaks and enables an optimal amount of study time. More PB&J = more points towards your GPA.

     Pb&J can be romantic

Once a nice young gentleman told me to get dressed up because we had a special dinner to go to. I was thinking we would go downtown somewhere. We ended up having a candle-light peanut putter and jelly sandwich on the local football field and it was the sweetest sandwich I have ever eaten...Turn PB&Js into dates! If the two of you can talk for a long time then you also get to eat more peanut butter and jelly which is even more perfect. 

PB&J can party 

Wanna be soooo popular and cool? Have a party! Stressed about how to host a party? Don't be.. Make it a BYOB party. They bring the bread and you have a variety of jams and jellies, one jar of crunchy peanut butter and one of creamy waiting on them and then you are set. You are welcome for this idea. 

     PB&J can be cheap
If you are tight on money, this is the sandwich for you. Not only is it reasonable on the wallet but all the supplies you need to buy for this wonderful creation will last you a good while.

     PB&J can get crazy
Peanut butter and jelly soup, pizza, cake, muffin, pie, shake, casserole.. whatever you want!

I just hope this gets you thinking and you realize peanut butter and jelly can and should be a part of every aspect of our lives.

It took me 22 years to realize this...
      -What the L

Thoughts of a college girl...

 I think I want to start blogging. We will see if it sticks. I just hope to write things that make peoples' days better. Or maybe this will just be a good way for my mom to keep up with me. We will see… hey mom!

I’ve decided, since I will be graduating in a few weeks (whoa!), that I’m going to highlight the top things I learned in my undergraduate career. Don’t worry, I can’t remember most of the academics, but there are some big things I wish I could have grasped before I posted up my inspirational posters in my freshmen dorm room and moved in.

These are the things I wish I would have known:

1.  I am not a big deal… to most.

 That seems kind of sad, but really! A lot of freshmen kiddos, myself included, come into their college career ready to rock their campus, which is great, but then you soon find that 5,000 other freshmen are on the exact same playing field as you. But wait college campus, don’t you know I have funny jokes! I have good ideas! I am spontaneous! I can be deep! I can be shallow! I can laugh! I can cry! I make good facebook albums! I like to bake! I’m real cool! I'll play on your intramural team! You are so welcome I chose your institution to come to! Well, it’s not really like that. I quickly learned that we are all really big deals in our own ways and in our own worlds. My dad once told me that if I have a hand full of true best friends in my life then I am really blessed. I think I agree with that. 

Lesson: Be thankful for the relationships where you are both big deals to each other.

2. Unless you are a college athlete, nobody is making you run… nobody.  

In the highschool days, Jackelyn and I would go to Waffle house and eat the All Star before 6:30 am conditioning. I would eat cinnamon rolls for break. A burger and fries for lunch. A couple of slices of Holy Cow cake for dessert. Sonic on my way home. My moms dinner and a bowl of cereal before bed. We would also go get a molten lava cake from Chili’s on the regular. I also used to run before school, during school, and after school every day..
Lesson: You just can’t eat the same when you aren’t working out the same. Pick apples over muffins. 

3. Forget school... sometimes.
Grades are really important, people are more important. Do well in school, work hard, pay attention, turn stuff in, apply yourself, but never put school in front of people. Never??? Ehhh.. usually don’t put school in front of people. My favorite conversations in college usually came between the hours of 3 and 7 am. There were so many all nighters with friends where we could have gone to sleep or we could have read the chapter one more time, but instead we talked about meaningful stuff. Also, go on roadtrips even if you have a test the next week. When 3 of my best friends and I randomly packed up my car at 10pm and headed to Charleston, we all had stuff due that Monday. We all survived and it was easily one of the best weekends of my college life.
Lesson:  Relationships and Charleston are more important than being a straight A student.  B's get degrees.

4. Don’t plan... it always changes. 

We all seem to always be working towards something. Which is so so great. Have a goal and work hard for it, but don’t try too hard to work out the details. They never ever ever play out the way you think they will. Just go with it. I asked my grandmother a long time ago what the main thing she has learned in life is and she said “it always works out for the best”. Nana is so wise, and so right! If you are reading this paragraph then you are still alive… meaning all the little stuff that stresses you out hasn’t defeated you yet. Stress is everywhere, it’s up to you how you handle it. Don’t let it run you though because it will make you break out and lose sleep and become grumpy and people will start to avoid you. 

Lesson: Everything always works out… God is smarter than we are. 

5. Communicate… in person. 

Facebook is killing us all! If you can leave a heartfelt wall post but not carry on a heartfelt conversation then you are doomed. If you can post awesome statuses and get tons of comments on it but are always on your smart phone looking at your comments when you are with people, then they will eventually stop posting. You might have all the boys "liking" your Spring Break album but make sure people are liking you in personal settings too. If you can tag pictures with the best of them and title your albums something clever every time, that’s great, but just remember a game of tag is better than tagging. Oh and talking is better than texting. Wow, I just sounded like such a drag.. I like facebook! 

Lesson: Keep it personal. 

6. Give … until you can’t give anymore.  

We all need each other! Put others first. If they are cool they will be there for you when you need them too. What good are your time, money, thoughts, energy, laughs, fears, stories, and heart if you don’t use them to benefit others?! 

Lesson: Leave zero doubt with the ones you love that you love them. 

7. Oh yeah..  eye contact is huge. Remember peoples' name after you meet them. Sit in the front of the classroom. If you're late to class, don't stroll in with your coffee. Printers fail when you need them most. Always have an umbrella in your backpack. Smile.

Was this too long? Possibly. I will work on that.

I've been in college for 4 years?!
          - What the L