Early Bird or Night Owl

They say the early bird catches the worm, but what does the night owl get? A mouse?

Who’s to say a worm is better than a mouse!? I guess it’s all in how you look at it. Think about it, little mice are quick and can be cute, but they can also destroy things and leave nasty droppings everywhere. Worms are not appealing to look at and they are slimy, but they leave people alone and they help the earth.

I do realize that “The early bird gets the worm” is not about your preference of getting up early or staying up late.

I tend to do my best work in the morning, unless I’m way too ramped up with ideas or things I have or want to do. When I’m too ramped it can be counter productive for me. This is when I have to really take a step back, write everything down, and prioritize. It’s not always an easy task to organize my thoughts and sometimes I just plain forget to do it because I’m thinking of so many other things. When I have so many things I want to get done and I actually have the energy to do them I want to be able to do it all right at that moment.

I think my interpretation of early bird/night owl would go like this.

Early Bird: Worms are slow, therefore easy to catch, but when it rains worms are everywhere so how do you choose which one to go after first? Maybe it depends how hungry you are, or if you have a nest full of screaming baby birds that are depending on you to return as quickly as possible to feed them. This is where prioritizing comes in handy!

Night Owl: Owls have spectacular vision and can turn their heads nearly all the way around, which is amazing! Mice are pretty quick though and can get away easily if you don’t stay focused on the one you want. When there’s multiple mice it’s even harder for the owl because they seem to skitter everywhere. This is where I’d say that remembering to do one thing at a time is appropriate.

I think I’d have to say I’m more of an early bird, given this post for example. This was all thought up and written out in a couple early mornings, amongst my thoughts of work, kids, exercise, the holiday, etc. So many worms!

Would you consider yourself a night owl or an early bird?

When You’re Depressed (And Are In A Good Relationship)

When You’re Depressed (And Are In A Good Relationship)

When You’re Depressed (And Are In A Good Relationship)

— Read on thoughtcatalog.com/holly-riordan/2019/12/when-youre-depressed-and-are-in-a-good-relationship/

Had to share this one too

Your Insecurities Are Loudest In Your Own Mind

Your Insecurities Are Loudest In Your Own Mind

Your Insecurities Are Loudest In Your Own Mind

— Read on thoughtcatalog.com/holly-riordan/2019/12/your-insecurities-are-loudest-in-your-own-mind/

I couldn’t NOT share this!

7 Reminders For Girls Who Put Everyone Else Before Themselves

7 Reminders For Girls Who Put Everyone Else Before Themselves

7 Reminders For Girls Who Put Everyone Else Before Themselves

— Read on thoughtcatalog.com/holly-riordan/2019/11/7-reminders-for-girls-who-put-everyone-else-before-themselves/

This is exactly me, so I’m sharing it for anyone who also may need these reminders.

Mean Girls – doesn’t end in high school

There’s a movie titled Mean Girls featuring Lindsay Lohan, which takes place in high school.

In schools these days, or probably over the last decade, there is a huge emphasis on educating children about all the different kinds of bullying, what bullying looks like, what to do if you are being bullied, and how important it is to be kind to one another.

I’m starting to think that my generation has missed the anti-bullying boat. Either that or some of these women I work with have nothing better to do than make up rumors about other people based on stereotypes and assumptions. I suppose I shouldn’t say this particular group of women defines an entire generation, but it still baffles me that women in their 30’s and 40’s are still being “mean girls”.

I get super fired up about this, especially when it comes to people I care about. Unfortunately, I cannot stop these behaviors from happening and I also cannot always shield my loved ones to keep them from getting hurt. What I can do though is try to spread some awareness and remind whoever out there just might read this to be kind.

Help me spread the word, be kind people. Be. Kind.

Boggled by Beauty

Disclaimer: I have not taken the time to research any of these questions myself so maybe some of you will have some ideas!

When I’m getting ready every morning, or washing my face and looking closely at myself in the mirror at night before bed, I have all these questions. Every day I think these same things, but then once I leave the bathroom I get involved in the rest of my day and don’t think much about it again until it’s time.

Is it just me or is mascara really that messy? Just about every single day that I put mascara on, it ends up all over my eye lids and under my eye. I have not quite found the right way to remove it without then having to put more mascara back on, or try to un-clump my eyelashes that stuck together while I tried to swipe the excess off my lid with a q-tip. Is this due to the type of mascara I buy, or is it that I just never have really learned the appropriate way to apply it?? I suppose I could youtube some videos and have some teens teach me how to do my makeup properly…. sigh…

Wrinkle cream or acne solution?  I’m approaching 40 years old and yes, I have acne. It’s horrible! I just saw my doctor today actually and she’s sending me to a dermatologist so hopefully there is a solution. The thing is though, I’m starting to notice more and more the crows feet and wrinkles around my eyes and in my forehead, and if I try to treat all of it at once it’s going to take me just as long to get ready for bed at night as it does to get ready for work in the morning. Then that leads to less sleep time and sleep apparantly is supposed to equal beauty and I just get so flustered and I can’t figure it out. Maybe this dermatologist holds the key that will unlock all the beauty secrets that are being kept from me!

Shaving sucks. Sucks. First of all how are you supposed to see the hair if you have to cover it up in lather first so you arent gauging chunks out of your legs as you go along? Also, the older we get the harder it is for us to see, well some of us anyway. So picture it, you’re in the shower where it’s kind of dark because your fan light is burnt out and it’s not directly over your shower anyway, hunched over your soapy covered legs, eyes barely open because of the lack of beauty sleep from having to beautify before bed, and now that you’re getting “older” it’s hard enough to see small things as it is, you’re standing there trying to balance on one leg while getting your nose as close to your leg as possible to try and make sure you aren’t missing any patches or making yourself bleed. Nonsense.

Photo by Lorenza Ragno on Pexels.co

I’m sure as soon as I publish this and then go finish getting ready to go to work, I’ll come up with more mind boggling beauty questions, so maybe there will be a part 2 of this piece. I may not be able to give you answers, but I’d love to know what boggling beauty questions you all have, or any pieces of advice!

Don’t Judge

“What’s good for the goose is not always good for the gander.”

I don’t know where the goose saying came from but it is applicable to so many different situations. My thought when I began writing this was that everyone works through their feelings in their own ways. What works or helps on one day may not help a different day, and what works in one situation may not work in a different one. What’s important though is that your doing what’s best for YOU, regardless of what someone else might think.

We all pass judgement from time to time whether we mean to or not, so maybe I shouldn’t say “Don’t judge”, but rather be *mindful of the fact that you don’t know what someone else is feeling or thinking.

*Side note: I didn’t learn the term “mindful” until I was 34 years old and it’s not always an easy task.

Hey Santa, I Want a Black Cadillac!

That’s right people, I want a brand spanking new shiny black Cadillac!

WAIT WHAT!?!?! World peace?? Cures for diseases?? An abundance of shelters and food for the homeless??

Well yes, of course, but that’s not what I’m getting at here. I’m talking about a selfish, materialistic, possibly even unrealistic want. I know we all have them, whether we want to admit it or not, but it’s fun to think about these things sometimes!

If you could ask Santa for one fun selfish materialistic thing what would it be?

Do I Need to Worry?

My mom has been telling me recently that she’s been hearing breathing coming from her freezer and has heard the pluck of a guitar string. In her apartment she also has a lamp that belonged to her sister before she passed away. It’s one of those lamps that turns on just by tapping it. That lamp often turns on by itself and my mom believes it’s her sister’s presence.

My mom has been working through mental health struggles almost her entire life, one of her diagnoses being schizophrenia. I’m not saying that this is a schizophrenic episode because I can see that she believes someone is trying to communicate with her, and she’s also had experiences like this before. Also, I have seen what a psychotic episode looks like for her and this isn’t it, so far anyway.

I’m sort of anxious to see what comes of this, if anything. My mom is the youngest of all her siblings and they have all passed away. Her niece was the same age as her and they grew up together, so naturally they were best friends. Unfortunately her niece passed away earlier this year too. My mom has said multiple times that she is going to die this year, and I know she wonders if these things she is hearing and feeling are telling her that it’s going to be her time soon to come and be with them.

I keep asking myself if I need to worry, but my worrying is only going to cause more stress on myself. It’s hard to not worry or feel anxious, but worrying about if I should be worried or not just sounds like a vicious circle of doom. If anything really does come of this, we will see when it’s time.

I think I just talked myself out of worrying. Ahhh… the beauty of writing.

It’s not all about me… but can’t it SOMETIMES be?

Lately it seems as if everybody close to me has some kind of something happening, good or bad, that trumps what is happening with me or how I’m feeling. Maybe it’s always this way and I haven’t noticed it before, but I’m starting to feel somewhat defeated. I don’t want to share or say how I’m feeling, hoping for some comfort, because the responses I get are the opposite of comfort. I understand that it’s not anyone’s responsibility but my own to make myself feel better, but don’t we all deserve just a little coddling once in awhile?

Well yes, of course we do! There are millions of lists out there compiled of the ideas of people from all walks of life with how you can provide self-care. Those lists are absolutely amazing to have around at all times. Self care is an extremely important piece in leading a healthy lifestyle. What I’m getting at here though is, I think only self-care might not be enough.