New Year's Resolutions!

Where did 2014 go???? This year literally went by so quickly... It's unbelievable. Anyways. We all make New Year's Resolutions, right? How many of us actually keep them? Very few. But, I figured, if I shared them with y'all, I'd have to keep mine! I'm counting on y'all to hold me accountable!

With the photo thing, I will be adding a "Project 365" page, on which I add a picture from every day of the year. I may not add them every single day, but I'll do my best to update it every week or so.

What are your resolutions? How do you plan to keep them? Let me know in the comments below!!

xoxo, a. 

Stress Relievers

As final exams draw near, my stress levels increase like the amount of caffeine I consume. Admit it: you're freaking out a little too. Well, fear not! I have some silly tips for quick, easy stress relievers!!

1. Take a bubble bath. Fellas, don't write this one off just yet. If you've never experienced a relaxing bubble bath, I suggest you try it. Turn off the lights, light a candle, and listen to your favorite music. It's fantastic, really.
2. Play a stupid game. Preferably something simple and almost childish. Or just something that you like. I play CafeLand on Facebook. Don't make fun of me, it's fun and it helps me escape my troubles for a while. 
3. Write. Journals, letters, blogging... Whatever! Just don't constantly tweet or post Facebook statuses.... Please....
4. Drink some tea. And I don't mean sweet tea. I mean chamomile or green tea. Something warm. It's relaxing and healthy! Just add some honey for the best remedy to any ailment, mental or physical!
5. Walk outside. Fresh air is the cheapest stress reliever around, and one of the most underrated. If you just HAVE to stay in your room, at least open a window to let a little air inside! 
6. Play with animals. Montevallo is freakin' awesome cause they have a day during exam week in which they bring animals from Hand-In-Paw just for us to play with for a stress reliever! Whether your school offers this or not, find a way to play with some cute animals or something. Spend a little extra time with Rover or Sir Fluffy, they'll enjoy it too! 

I hope these ideas will help you chill out! Just don't forget to study! Good luck to everyone taking exams in the next few weeks!! I feel your pain. But soon it'll be over and we can stuff our faces with food and fill our rooms with presents! Yay! 

xoxo, a.

Attention all readers!!!

I've been making some big changes on my blog recently. I'm trying to make it more ascetically pleasing AND more useful. Plus, I want y'all to be more involved!! I have put my post archives and contact form on separate pages, cause my home page was gettin' crowded!

On my homepage, you'll notice a small box to the right that says "Subscribe for More!" Please PLEASE submit your email address to join my mailing list! By becoming a "member" of my blog, you'll get exclusive emails when new posts are added and the blog is updated! Plus, you'll have more of a say in what I post! In addition to that, I'll start doing promos and little things like that, depending on how well this works... Hopefully I'll have a lot of subscribers and start some new things! Please help me help you! Just click the button, follow the directions on the page, and viola! If there are any technical difficulties, please email me at aubreyjennaa@gmail.com!

The blue arrow points out something new I'm trying. It's a part of Google AdSense. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but basically, I can earn money through it. I think it depends on how many people click it, but I'm not sure. I'm not telling y'all to click it, because that may be cheating. I'm just letting y'all know why it's there. The ads will change. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and that it may be a little annoying. I'm just a broke college kid trying to earn a little cash. 

I hope y'all will start subscribing and such, and I hope you like the updates! I'm constantly working on the blog, so hopefully my efforts will pay off! Thank you to all my wonderful readers!

xoxo, a.

Living With Anxiety

Y'all, it's about to get deep. I've suffered with anxiety for a long time, about 9 years now. It changes as time goes on, different things bother me. So many people suffer with anxiety disorders, myself included. I've always been shy and kept quiet about the struggles I was facing, but I've learned that there's nothing wrong with the way I feel. Like I said, anxiety is a very common thing for people to deal with, and although everyone is different, there are a lot of things that we can agree on. Every single person feels anxious and nervous about something, but some people fear everything around them. It's no fun way to live, but it gives you an entire new perspective and a strong testament. Here are some things that we face every day.

• We all have our triggers. Everyone is different. We all have little things that bother us and set us off. It can be really simple things, too. I, for example, am set off by sickness. Leaving my house scared me to death for a long time, and while I still struggle with it, I'm facing it. Some people are triggered by large crowds, small rooms, certain phrases (never say the words "Are you okay?" to me), and so many other things. When you learn someone's trigger(s), RESPECT THEM. 
• We know our fears are irrational. Stop reminding us. We know. We are fully aware of the situations, but reminding us just makes us feel crappy. Simple as that. 
• We aren't freaks. Although we may see the world through foggy, anxiety-clouded goggles, we can still function. Maybe we have to do our certain routines to feel safe in an environment, but we can do it, and we will.
• Every day poses a new challenge. Maybe it's just me, but I seem to meet a new trigger every single day. Something new sends me into a panic attack every day. It happens. Uncertainty is the most intimidating thing, and it's always looming right ahead. Maybe we're a little OCD sometimes, but being in control is the body's natural instinct. 
• We don't just pop happy pills. Yes, medication helps many people. Yes, some people abuse these medications. But for the majority, medication is simply a way to relax the body to allow the mind to be in full control. It takes away the shaky fuzziness of panic attacks, allowing the person to think themselves out of the attack. 
• Here is a list of things to NEVER say to someone with anxiety. EVER. I cannot stress #2 enough. If you tell me to "calm down," I will most likely yell at you. Because, seriously, wouldn't I already be calm if it was that easy?????

Yeah, it's deep. It's a big deal. And it's a lot more common than you may believe. So there's a little something about me. 

xoxo, a.

Calling All Fans!!!

Can I call y'all my fans? No? Well I'm going to anyways, so I'll feel famous. Anyways...

I'm trying to figure out some little things about my blog. Please, please answer these questions (they're really easy, I promise, you'll all get A's!) in the comment section, or email me at aubreyjennaa@gmail.com.

• How often do you think I should post a new entry? (every day is NOT an option, I gotta have a life!!)
• What kinds of posts would you like to see? More personal, college, advice, etc.?
• Is there any kind of specific thing you'd like me to try, like a series? "Ask Aubrey" or "How To..." series kinda stuff?
• Any other suggestions? Things you'd like to see, etc.

Thanks so much guys, I'm already getting so much support, it's great! Please share my posts and links on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, wherever!!! I wanna grow my audience!! Love y'all!!

xoxo, a.