Hot and Not 2011

As the year 2011 draws to a close, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at this year and determine what was "Hot" and what was...well, "Not". Looking forward to a great new year in 2012. Check back soon for a post on New Years resolutions.

Hot

1. Ryan Gosling. Starring in Crazy Stupid Love, Blue Valentine, and Ides of March, Ryan Gosling had a stellar year of films. With all of these films making headlines and getting great reviews, it looks like Ryan Gosling is back from The Notebook and going strong. And...he's not too bad on the eyes either ;)
2. Emma Stone. Hollywood's new favorite actress. Audiences and producers first fell in love with Emma Stone in the movie Easy A. Her charismatic personality and unforgettable role has landed her in countless movies since including: Crazy Stupid Love and The Help. 
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. As the Harry Potter phenomenon drew to a close, millions of fans lined up outside of theaters on July 15th and came together to enjoy the last Harry Potter movie. Forever. This movie earned over 378 million dollars in the box office, definitely qualifying it as "Hot".
4. X Factor. Simon Cowell decided to bring his hit show "The X Factor" to the USA this year, and it was a hit indeed. With an entertaining and all star panel of judges: Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid, Nicole Scherzinger, and Paula Abdul, the judges tended to steal much of the spotlight. The talented contestants on the X Factor proved to be much better than the contestants on American Idol, and the 5 million dollar prize was no joking matter. Melanie Amaro was this season's winner and she looks like she could be the next Mariah Carey. 
5. Osama Bin Laden dead. After ten years of searching for this terrorist responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001 Osama Bin Laden was killed on May 2nd by US Navy Seals and CIA operatives on a secret mission ordered by President Obama. His body was buried at sea shortly there after. Bravo Obama, bravo. 
6. Royal Wedding. Prince William and Catherine Middleton were wed on April 29, 2011 in the biggest wedding of the year, and mostly likely the decade. With global coverage for weeks, audiences were updated on outfits, pictures, videos, and more. Prince William and Catherine are now the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge. Perhaps the "Hot" part of this wedding was Catherine's sister Pippa who stole the show with her form fitting dress. So hot.
7. Mayhem. If I were to buy insurance on convincing and clever commercials alone, I would buy Allstate. Their "Mayhem" actor and the commercials are absolutely genius. He's the best thing since the Slowsky's. 

Not

1. Casey Anthony. By far the most controversial trial of the year, Casey Anthony was the face of every news channel for weeks until the verdict was finally decided. Anthony was found not guilty. Months later, she is still one of the least favorite people of the American people. Not hot.
2. Steve Jobs. I couldn't decide whether to put Steve Job's death on "Hot" or "Not" because he died, so that sucks. But his accomplishments as the head hancho of Apple are so "Hot". Steve Jobs brought the world the iPod, iPad, iPhone, and made the Apple name one the biggest (if not the biggest) in the industry. A true genius and legacy, he is greatly missed. 
3. NASA. In July of this year, NASA safely launched their last space shuttle mission into orbit. After decades of space missions, NASA's government funded program has come to a close, for now. 
4. Jack and Jill. Dear Adam Sandler, please stop making movies. Nothing since 50 first dates has been remotely entertaining, and Jack and Jill had two Adam Sandlers. We all know that the only actor that can pull off playing multiple parts in a movie is Eddie Murphy. 
5. Government "Shutdown". Just an hour before the government would literally shut down, the House, Senate, and Obama administration came to an agreement on a budget deal. But for the American people, waiting until 11 o'clock at night was too late, putting lots of stress on government workers as they wondered if they would have a job on Monday or not. 

Southwood Christmas Lights

Well, hello everyone! So sorry for not posting for over a week now! I have been super busy, and we haven't had internet for the past few days. We have been moving houses and all over the place. Move in day was yesterday, and let me tell you, my parent's new house looks like it should be on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I've had a great vacation here in Tallahassee, and tomorrow, I head back to Gainesville. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a great new year.

While in town, my parents took me to a house in Southwood that had an amazing Christmas lights setup. Set to American music, these lights flash red, white, and blue and will take your breath away. The family that set up these lights did so to raise money for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, and I would venture to say that they raised a pretty decent amount of money. This house was one of two houses mentioned in the entire nation for their display of Christmas lights. As the nights grew closer to Christmas, the line to see this house was backed up for miles, literally. On Christmas Eve, it was probably a good hour wait to see these lights, and most would say they are well worth the wait. While the video does not do this house justice, I still hope that you enjoy it.

Christmas Movies

One of the best parts of the holidays is the 25 days of Christmas movies on ABC family. From December 1st to Christmas day, each night, a famous Christmas movie is shown. Titles range from How the Grinch Stole Christmas to the Christmas Story. I thought that I would share some of my favorite Christmas movies with you all, starting with How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

The new Grinch movie debuted in the year 2000, staring Jim Carrey as the Grinch. Jim Carrey is one of my all time favorite actors, and he plays the Grinch PERFECTLY. His classic facial expressions and great one-liners truly turn this old classic film into a modern success. If you are looking for a heart warming movie with some catchy tunes, be sure to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas. You're sure to be singing "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch" for a few days. 

Elf, starring Will Ferrell is one of the most popular modern day Christmas films. I am not a fan of Will Ferrell generally speaking, but he is wonderful in this movie. Elf tells the story of a young boy who was raised by elves, but headed to New York one day to try and find his real father. As you follow Buddy the Elf (what's your favorite color?) through all of his adventures and mishaps, you fall in love with the giant kid he is and his even bigger Christmas spirit. For all of you big kids at heart out there, this is the Christmas comedy for you!

Perhaps two of the most famous and acclaimed Christmas movies are Miracle on 34th Street and The Christmas Story. While I do love the heart-warming, classic story of St. Nick in Miracle on 34th Street, I didn't fall in love with The Christmas Story as the rest of the world did. It may be because it is played on television more than any other Christmas movie, or all I remember about the movie is the Red Rider bebe gun. Either way, it's not my favorite Christmas movie. 

As Christmas approaches in exactly one week, be sure to find a Christmas movie to curl up with a bowl of popcorn on your couch and enjoy a relaxing night! 

Updates!

Hey all!

I know I haven't put up a new recipe in a while, but that will change come tomorrow! Since I got home for Christmas break, I haven't stopped moving and won't stop until tomorrow around 2. When I finally get a breather, I will post a recipe called Instant Happiness Mac N' Cheese. It's one of the first recipes that I cooked by myself and it is definitely a keeper. So, be sure to check back for that!

I will also be creating a page called "On the Road". This page will be for all of my adventures while I am here in Tallahassee. I will be eating at some of our famous local restaurants and posting reviews as well as just reporting about any exciting day to day activities going on. I hope to be eating at our first restaurant in the next couple of days, so be on the lookout for "On the Road"!

Today, when I got home from work, my dad had gone out and dug our Christmas trees, stockings, reindeer, and other holiday items out of storage and decorated the house. Our home finally feels like Christmas and I am so happy! Thanks, Daddy :) I went Christmas shopping again tonight...and I'm still not done. I have 1 person left though, so I think it's manageable. I work at Paisley Daisy (a fun fashion jewelry store) and we were swamped today. Everyone is out trying to buy those last minute gifts before next Sunday and the mayhem will continue to grow as the week goes on. I would like to know how you all Christmas shop so please answer my poll to the right!

It's getting late here in Tallahassee, and I won't be writing a full out post until tomorrow, but I thought you might like a sneak peak of what's to come.

"Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville - did not. The Grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christmas season. Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all... may have been that his heart was two sizes too small."

Christmas Shopping

I'm stressed out just by the title of this post. Christmas shopping is probably one of the most fun, frantic, and down right overwhelming times of the year. Malls are packed, people are rude and pushy, and you have no idea what to get for the people on your list. One of the most confusing parts of Christmas shopping for me is trying to figure out who I am expected to buy gifts for and who I'm not. Usually, if I'm in doubt, I don't. Unless...they give me a gift and then I feel obligated. And the budget...how much do I spend on my parents? My roommate? My best friend? My boyfriend?

When you ask someone what the want for Christmas and they answer with "Nothing", it's a lie. They are expecting something from you, and they want you to know what they want. Well, I have no clue, so just tell me please. And if anyone has the funniest (and most accurate) comments about Christmas shopping it's Ellen Degeneres. Check out this clip from her show below!

 I spent much of my day today Christmas shopping, and I am happy to say I am almost done. Only three more people to go. (I think) As much as I stress over Christmas shopping, there is nothing better than watching someone open their gift. I truly enjoy giving gifts rather than receiving them, and not because its the trendy, right thing to say, I just enjoy surprising people. (I do like getting gifts too, though) Every year, I play Santa for my family's Christmas morning and hand out all the gifts. I love sorting them under the tree and counting how many gifts each person gets. I create a pattern/routine of handing out gifts to make sure that no one goes too long without opening a gift....I suppose that part comes from my slight OCD. This year it will be different as we don't have a tree and my brothers won't be in town. We are moving houses this month, so our Christmas decorating is non-existent. It's definitely sad, but I think that it will all be worth it next year when we have Christmas in our new house!

Well, there's only 10 days until Christmas so if you haven't done your Christmas shopping yet, get out there! Gifts are going fast, and it's only going to get more stressful. Merry Christmas! :)

Super Size Me

It's official. I am done with my first semester of college at the University of Florida and I made straight A's! Pretty good way to start this whole college thing I think! As Gainesville no longer provides me with a reason to stay here any longer, I will be heading home tomorrow for Christmas. As you all head home for the holiday break, drive safe and have a wonderful time!

Now enough of that college talk, the semester is over. I recently watched a movie called "Super Size Me" and for those of you who have not seen this movie, here's a quick run-down. A New Yorker decides to eat McDonald's and only McDonald's for 30 days and examine the effect it has on his health. This movie is actually a documentary, and generally speaking, I hate documentaries. I get bored really easily, and although this movie was no Bourne Identity, I was certainly intrigued. I always knew that fast food wasn't good for you, and that it causes obesity and all the jazz, but I never had any idea of the magnitude of these problems.

More than 20% of people eat out at fast food at least twice a week, and many of these people eat at McDonald's two or three times a day. By eating at McDonald's every day for one month, the New Yorker in this documentary gained over 15 pounds, and his cholesterol, fats, and sugars shot through the roof. He became depressed and lazy as the sugar and fat infested food took over his body. It's nearly impossible to say that the amount of fast food that one consumes has no link to the growing obesity rate It does. In the next ten years, obesity is predicted to overtake smoking as the leading most preventible cause of death. The rest of the statistics found in this documentary are staggering, and rather startling. If you haven't seen this movie, I'd strongly recommend it. But eat all the fast food you want first. You might not want anymore after watching it.

Watch "Super Size Me" Here

So what does this all mean? Are we supposed to completely forgo fast food? Researchers say yes. I say no, it's not realistic. I have a special place in my heart for Chikfila and Zaxby's, both fast food restaurants. For some reason, I qualify them as "high-end" fast food restaurants...but they still serve fast, fried, (delicious) food. Fast food is fast food. I think the key is to eat a well balanced diet and exercise regularly so that you can splurge on fast food every now and then. There's no denying the convienence and appeal for road trips, and in the mornings, there's nothing better than a hot Chikfila chicken biscuit. Just watch the frequency I suppose. Since watching the movie, I have tried to start eating healthier and become more physically active. (We will see how long this lasts..) I am drinking Bolthouse Farms veggie juice (looks gross, tastes delicious), cutting back on the Zaxbys (*tear*) and just trying to be more physically active. I am hoping to get a pedometer soon to track my steps each day. The average number of steps the average American takes a day is around 5000, significantly less than the 10000 recommended.

So get pumped. Get active. And join me in Walk with Walgreens as millions of people across the nation try to live a little bit healthier life. After all, you only get one. (As far as I know)

Finals Week

Hey everyone,

I'm sure you've noticed that I didn't blog yesterday and haven't been blogging as much as I have in the past. This is because it's finals week here at UF and from now until Tuesday, I will be spending most (all) of my time studying for these exams. I will do my best to get on Gainesville Goodies and post a couple recipes and such, but I wouldn't expect any long posts until after Tuesday. Sorry guys, but I am a college student after all. Just wanted to give you all a heads up so you knew what was going on. Thanks for understanding!!

Pearl Harbor: 70 Years Later

Today is the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I know very little about the attack itself other than it was done by the Japanese and it was the starting point of what would become World War II. Schools don't teach much about this attack other than it was known as the "Day of Infamy" and the general facts about it. I don't believe that I could write a proper tribute for this event because I wasn't there and I don't know nearly enough information to do it justice, so I figured that I would let the survivors and veterans speak for themselves. Thank you to all of the veterans out there and everyone who has served this country.

Below is a video by the Washington Times remembering the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

Why Foreigners Are Cooler Than Us

Specifically British.

I have to admit that when I meet a British person, I automatically assume that they are cooler than me and that I am their inferior. Not in a super serious way or anything, I just want to be around them. And here's the main reasons why. 1) They have an accent. There is something super attractive and enthralling about foreign accents. My favorites are British, Irish, and Australian. Aren't actors like Gerard Butler and Hugh Laurie so much more attractive than your typical Brad Pitt? (Don't get me wrong, he's cute) Gerard Butler just has that unfamiliar factor, and it makes everyone curious. Sometimes, I speak in an accent just because I think it makes me cooler...and more credible. "Top of the mornin' to ya".

Foreigners are cooler than us because 2) they have an amazing sense of humor. As a fellow comedian myself...I really appreciate a good laugh. And sure, Ellen Degeneres makes me laugh every day on her show, but people like Russell Brand make me laugh twice as much. Exhibit A.

The first video is of two British girls that first appeared on Ellen and have now become extremely famous. The second is of Russell Brand, a British actor, with his thoughts.

I want one. Just for a few hours or whenever I need a good laugh. I hope one day to travel to Europe, develop an accent, and return to the states (which I love by the way and am proud to be an American...la la la "Where at least I know I'm free") just as cool, if not cooler than the British people. I'll let you know how it goes. 

Social Media

Over the past couple of years, social media has really taken over the internet. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, or YouTube, everyone can acknowledge that things have certainly changed. "Google" has now become a verb, as well as "Tweet" and "Facebook". The internet's influence is growing stronger and stronger with each passing year. But is it too much? What exactly do we need/use social media for?

Most people think that Facebook and Twitter is just for the "young folks", but both of my parents, grandparents, and many of my aunts and uncles all have a Facebook account (and they use it more than I do!). The appeal of Facebook comes simply from being able to share photos and information with your friends and loved ones. For me, Facebook is my number one way to advertise for this blog. It's useful in many ways, but also frustrating in almost as many. The layout is constantly changing making it harder and  more structured to navigate. Games and all sorts of applications like Farmville are crowding the website, driving me as a user further and further away. But, no matter how much we complain and groan about the ever-changing Facebook, we all use it. Businesses feel the pressure to create a Facebook page just to keep up with the social media trends, and they're probably right. With Facebook constantly expanding, sometimes I just have information overload and need to take a break. Many of my friend's statuses suggest the same thing. Stupid Mark Zuckerberg. He created this love-hate, overly dependent, relationship and I've been sucked into it. 

Twitter, on the other hand, does not impress me or thrill me nearly as much. Although I do have a Twitter account for this blog, I use its SOLELY for the purposes of letting people know what I am writing about and any new things that can be found on my blog. I do not see the appeal of a Twitter account otherwise, unless you are a celebrity. Celebrities have Twitter accounts to provide the "personal" relationship with their fans and I'll admit I do "follow" Taylor Swift and Ellen Degeneres. For some reason, however, the normal people in society feel that Twitter makes them a celebrity and that they must update us on every waking minute of their life from getting ready for school, to eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, to walking their dog after dinner. No, I (we) do not care. 

Below, I have some social media statistics from the year 2011 that help showcase the social media overload our society is experiencing. (Courtesy of http://www.jeffbullas.com/2011/09/02/20-stunning-social-media-statistics/) 

20 Social Media Statistics

These figures reveal the huge black hole that our time disappears into when we visit Facebook, Twitter or YouTube or other social media sites.

1. One in every nine people on Earth is on Facebook ( This number is calculated by dividing the planets 6.94 billion people by Facebook’s 750 million users)
2. People spend 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook
3. Each Facebook user spends on average 15 hours and 33 minutes a month on the site
4. More than 250 million people access Facebook through their mobile devices
5. More than 2.5 million websites have integrated with Facebook
6. 30 billion pieces of content is shared on Facebook each month
7. 300,000 users helped translate Facebook into 70 languages
8. People on Facebook install 20 million “Apps” every day
9. YouTube has 490 million unique users who visit every month (as of February 2011)
10. YouTube generates 92 billion page views per month (These YouTube stats don’t include videos viewed on phones and embedded in websites)
11. Users on YouTube spend a total of 2.9 billion hours per month (326,294 years)
12. Wikipedia hosts 17 million articles
13. Wikipedia authors total over 91,000 contributors
14. People upload 3,000 images to Flickr (the photo sharing social media site) every minute
15. Flickr hosts over 5 billion images
16. 190 million average  Tweets per day occur on Twitter (May 2011)
17. Twitter is handling 1.6 billion queries per day
18. Twitter is adding nearly 500,000 users a day
19. Google+ has more than 25 million users
20. Google+ was the fastest social network to reach 10 million users at 16 days (Twitter took 780 days and Facebook 852 days)

Now, I'm not saying that social media is bad, but don't you think this all might be a little too much?

Let me know what you think by participating in my poll! (found on the right hand side of the page)

Crossfit Training

As most of you know by now from reading my "A Little More About Me" post, I have been an athlete my entire life. I love being active and physically fit. If I didn't have something active to do with my life, I would go insane. So when I moved to Gainesville, I was a little worried about filling that need. I am still struggling with knee pain in many activities so I knew that joining the crew team, or the gymnastics club was out of the question. I didn't find an activity until the third month in Gainesville, and for those first two months, I struggled. I knew that I had to find something active to do, because I was beginning to go insane. My brother Ryan, suggested that I tried crossfit training.

Crossfit training is somewhat hard to explain, but I think I can explain it best with just a jumble of phrases: high intensity, functional movements, and constant variation. I looked online at this gym called "Gator Crossfit" and started to explore their website and the idea of crossfit training. From all of the videos they posted online, I could tell that it was an intense form of training. That got me excited, and worried about my knees. After discussing it with my brother, he said that because they teach you the proper techniques for every movement, it might actually help rehabilitate my knees. So I figured, why not try it? I had nothing to lose.

I started out with an introductory course called "Gator Ramp". This course is a small group of other crossfit beginners working with a personal trainer to learn all of the movements necessary to be successful in what they call "Group Classes". So, for a month, I worked out three times a week learning how to flip a tire, Olympic weight lift, climb a rope, and much more. During this month, I began to really like this whole "crossfit training" idea. The people at this gym are of all age groups, and everyone is very encouraging. It's understood that each person has different limitations and modifications that they might have to make for the workout, and no one is "better" than another.  

I have now been a part of the "Group Classes" for a month now and love it. I go to Gator Crossfit three times a week and work out for an hour. Since I have been going to Gator Crossfit, I have not had one workout repeated, which is amazing. I've learned the correct movements to build strength, and have been doing so. I have gained about 8 pounds since I started crossfit. I'm hoping it's muscle ;) Though I still have to modify many of the workouts to accommodate my knee pain, I have seen definite improvement in my knees. Where there used to be sharp, shooting pains, there is now a dull ache. To most of you, this probably still sounds bad, but to me it's improvement. I've gained body awareness as well as mental strength. If your town/city had a crossfit gym and you love being physically active, I encourage you to check it out! 

Heated Topics Discussed in School?

Earlier this week, in one of my classes, we had a lecture on diversity. Diversity is a pretty broad term, but few understand what it really means. That includes me. The United States claims to be a diverse country, but statistics show otherwise. As far as races go, white is still the most prevalent race and Christianity is still the most prevalent religion.

On any given day at the University of Florida, I hear between three to five languages other than English. So, from my perspective, UF is a pretty diverse campus. But I suppose that nationally, it’s not so true. Some embrace diversity, and others fear it. This Tuesday, my professor and our class tackled the subject of diversity and ended up with some pretty interesting conversations.

We started out with a game called “Four Corners”. Normally, this game is harmless. People spread out amongst the room in four numbered corners and if your number is called, all the people in that corner are out. This repeats until there is one winner. Well, our corners were “numbered” Agree, Strongly Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. Our professor read statements to us that were somewhat hot button issues and the class would slowly spread out. We then discussed why each group believed what they believed. There was to be no judging, because we are all friends. Although there were no mean words said, I know from the looks on some people’s faces, mine included, that people were having to bite their tongues.

Our first question was a warm up.  1) “Admission to colleges should be based solely on academic performance”. It was about a 50-50 split between agree and disagree. I, myself was on the disagree side. While I do see academics as a large part of admission, I believe that those applying should also be judged on involvement and success outside of school. Maybe not with the same weight as school, but definitely considered. We then moved on to question 2) “Everyone has the same opportunities. Successful people just work harder.” Again, the class was pretty evenly split between agree and disagree. I again found myself on the disagree side because I believe that success is largely due to work ethic, but I also know that not everyone is given the same opportunities, whether it’s economic or social.

Then things got intense. 3) "My religion is the only true religion". Oh goodness. Can’t say I didn’t see that one coming. The class split up slowly, everyone watching the other’s movements and eventually settled out into a group of people in all four categories. Most were in disagree or strongly disagree, I was in strongly agree. No one wanted to start discussing why, even though everyone felt very strongly about this subject. Religion in school, since when? I am a Christian. I’m not afraid to say it, because it’s part of who I am. (If you don’t agree with me, I hope you’ll still come back and read my blog though) However, I’m not so good with wording things right under pressure, so luckily, there were a couple other people on my table who shared my beliefs and discussed with the class what we believed. Those who disagreed made their “arguments” and the discussion ended. The air in the room had changed. Everyone was on edge, and I knew what was coming next. Gay marriage or abortion. I was right.

4) "Is it okay for a gay couple to adopt a child?" Again, very strong, but differing opinions in our class. I was on the strongly agree side. While I may not agree with the choices of gay or lesbian couples, I in no way find it my place to judge them and their ability to parent a child. My favorite couple on TV’s hit comedy Modern Family is Cam and Mitchell, a gay couple with an adopted child. Now I know it’s TV, but I don’t see any reason why a gay couple can’t adopt a child and provide that child with the love that they deserve. After a few heartfelt comments from some of my classmates, the discussion and class ended.

I’m not sure if our class grow closer that day, or if we created an awkward tension. While it wasn’t an easy lesson to talk about, I enjoyed the discussion and listening to my friend’s opinions. So, now that you’re probably all riled up, I’d like to hear your opinions. You can share your opinions on any of the questions or on the idea of discussing these topics in school. I’ll read through them and post a few online anonymously unless asked not to. Send your stuff to gainesvillegoodies@gmail.com.

2012 Presidential Race

Uh oh. A controversial topic. Brave aren't I?

I don't know much about politics, but I know that politicians have two goals in life. 1) Get elected 2) Get re-elected. So every four years, the current president is trying to accomplish #2 while other politicians are trying to accomplish #1. But, you know, it's not really every four years. Even though the elections are every four years, politicians start to campaign two years after each elections. It's like, the president can't even get settled in his lovely oval office before he (or the people that work for him) have to head back out to the streets of DC asking for money, making speeches, and promising all sorts of things.

So, how is president Obama doing with his desire to get re-elected? Well, currently he has a 48% approval rate and 48% disapproval rate. Good thing he pardoned that turkey this Thanksgiving (as if he really had a choice) or that approval number would probably be a lot lower.  Compared to Bush at this time during his re-election campaign, Obama's approval rating is about 10% lower than Bush's. Awe, shucks. Currently, Republicans have a 13% approval rate for Obama, and 79% of his fellow Democrats approve of him. Well, at least his party is still on his side. Too bad overall, his chances of getting re-elected can be determined with the toss of a quarter. I call tails.

The two main candidates for the Republican nomination are Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. Gingrich's support has doubled in the last three weeks, tying him with Romney who has remained a steady choice throughout the race. The recent burst of support for Gingrich is not surprising, I mean, look at those long silver locks combed over perfectly. He's irresistible. Romney remains a front runner for the nomination, again, largely in part due to his hair. With both Republican candidates each having a gorgeous head of hair, it's hard to go wrong. I suppose it's preference of color that will be the deciding factor: silver or salt and pepper?

In recent breaking news, a strong independent candidate is emerging from the fog and her name is Kristy Schmidt. That's right, me. Though I don't meet ANY of the qualifications to run for president, I believe that I am the best candidate and here's why. I will promise you one thing. Bags of potato chips will be filled to the brim instead of the measly five chips per bag ratio now. Yeah, you're welcome. So, come election day, write in my name on the ballot and vote for fairness. That or Chuck Norris.

A Little More About Me

My "About Me" page is pretty brief at the moment, so I decided to share a little more about who I am with you all. This post will be added to my "About Me" page in a few days.

I was born in Tallahassee, FL to two wonderful parents, John and Diane. We lived in a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood called Avondale. My two older brothers lived with us for a while. They are much older than me, eleven and nine years to be specific, so I only got to grow up with them in the house for ten years. I loved living in Avondale. I would go outside and play in the yard, or create bicycle courses with side walk chalk in the cul-de-sac. Our home felt so private, like we were in our own little world. 

When I was five years old, I met my best friend Katie. She lived two houses down and we spent almost every day together. We might have spent too much time together, as sometimes I would just need a break from my best friend who was two years younger than I. But these "spats" or "fights" didn't last long. Within a few days we were back in the cul-de-sac riding our scooters through our sidewalk chalk courses and catching frogs and lizards down at the pond. I loved catching frogs and lizards, Katie...not so much. She would squeal sometimes if they jumped on her (love you kid) but I dragged her into it anyways. What a great friend I am. We would build habitats for our "pets for the day" out of boxes. These habitats quickly became two story homes with windows, stairs, and furniture as our creativity was endless. We recruited my daddy to help us create door knobs and such for our critters. Katie and I quickly realized that we could build homes not just for critters, but for ourselves. And so the scouting began. We went door to door in the neighborhood asking for old boxes and we created homes, duplexes, and cities out of these treasures, each one better than the last. From an outsider's view, we probably looked like homeless children, but we had so much fun doing it. Catching critters, building homes, and just playing in the neighborhood with Katie were some of the best times of my life. She is now a junior and high school and has matured into a beautiful young woman. Leaving her in Tallahassee was one of the hardest parts of moving to Gainesville, but we still remain best friends and I can't wait to see her again! 

Sports were a huge part of my childhood and still are today. For eleven years, from age three to fourteen, I was a gymnast. Gym Force is where I trained for three hours a day, and it was also my second home. My teammates were more than teammates, they were family. We traveled around the state and country together, flipping on balance beams and flying through the air. As much as I loved gymnastics, my body took some beatings. I bent/broke my left arm and had to have surgery, I broke my right foot, broke my nose, fingers, and a few toes. One of the reasons was that I was continually growing and in gymnastics, even a fraction of an inch can throw everything off. After breaking my nose the summer going into ninth grade, I decided that it was time to stop. Although I loved the sport, I was afraid. I knew it was over. Even though I was injured numerous times, I don't regret being a gymnast one bit. Gymnastics taught me so many things and prepared me to be able to do any sport that I set my mind to. I will never be as strong, flexible, and mentally fit as when I was a gymnast, and I miss that. 

After leaving gymnastics, I shortly thereafter joined Capital City Rowing and became a competitive rower for two years. Crew is an extremely intense sport, just like gymnastics. (I think I have an addiction to intensity and adrenaline) There is nothing like being out on the water with eight other girls rowing in sync and feeling the water move beneath you. There was nothing like trying so hard during a race to win and collapsing over with exhaustion afterwards. I loved it. But, I had to stop crew before I was ready. Partially due to overuse from gymnastics and the other causes are unknown, but I developed an injury in both of my knees to where I could no longer row. It seemed to unfair to be sixteen years old and have my body, injuries, stopping me from something that I love. And to this day, I still am battling my knee injury. It's getting better, but I still can't do all of the physical activities I want to do.

Well, so much for a little more about me. That was kind of a lot more...oops. I'll continue to expand on my background, my "story" if you will. But for now, that's a pretty darn good start I think. 

Pinned Ya' Again

"Nants ingonyama bagithi baba". It's the circle of life. It's my favorite Disney movie of all time, The Lion King. 


Growing up, my big brother Matthew and I would wrestle all the time. On the couch or on the floor, we were always rough housing. Our favorite game was "Pinned Ya Again". When one of us would finally succeed in pinning the other one down on the floor (usually Matthew) we'd yell "Pinned Ya Again!" just like Simba and Nala said in The Lion King. Not only is the Lion King my favorite childhood movie, every time I watch it it brings back memories of growing up with my two big brothers. 
I don't know what's so powerful about The Lion King, maybe the soundtrack, maybe the characters, or just the story line, but it never gets old. Actually, you know what? I'm pretty sure it's the soundtrack that makes it so powerful. Side note: My boyfriend and I jam out to the Lion King CD in my car all the time, singing the Swahili lyrics of Circle of Life at the top of our lungs. 


Ben and I have a lot of things in common, and I am so glad that a love for The Lion King is one them. When we heard that The Lion King was coming to theaters in 3D, we made plans to see it right when it came out, and it did. It was so powerful on the big screen. We both had goosebumps as soon as we heard "Nants ingonyama bagithi baba". It was like reliving our childhood for an hour and a half. One of the best parts of our movie excursion was that most of the other people in the theater were our age, also reliving the good ole' days. As Simba walked up Pride Rock in the rain at the end of the movie, to the beating of drums and chanting, we exchanged glances and just smiled. It was one of my favorite movie dates so far. 


The Lion King has been released from the Disney Vault for a short period of time and is now available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD. I suggest doing it before the opportunity goes away. For the young couples out there thinking about having kids one day, let this movie be a part of their childhood. It was a huge part of my childhood, and I will pass my love for this movie on to my children some day. A long, long time from now. Even if they don't like it. I don't care, we're watching it. Just kidding ;) sort of.

Harry Potter

"Do not pity the dead Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love"

-Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The Harry Potter series, written by J.K Rowling is one of the most influential book series of all time, if not the most influential and successful. The seven books have been made into eight extremely successful movies, a theme park at Universal Studios, and have created another entire world for the Potter fans. 

J.K Rowling's series was targeted at Generation Y (my generation). The span over which she wrote and published her seven books allowed the reader to grow up with the main characters. When Harry Potter was eleven in the first book, the targeted audience was readers ages nine to eleven. This brilliant writing technique ensured that she would have fans and readers for at least seven years. With the seventh and final book being released in 2007 and the final movie premiering July of this year, it seems that the phenomenon of Harry Potter is over. For many readers, Harry Potter was their childhood, and now their childhood is over. 

I have read all seven books and seen all eight movies, but I am not the typical Harry Potter reader. While most of my friends began reading Harry Potter in third or fourth grade, I didn't start reading the books until I was seventeen. As a child, I loved to read for quite some time, but I noticed that I wasn't remembering everything that I read. Although I was tested gifted in second grade and remained a part of the gifted program throughout high school, I struggled with reading comprehension as a child and still do to this day. I read extremely fast, but unless I am very interested in the subject material, I won't remember a thing. So, as a senior in high school, I finally got the courage and motivation to read the Harry Potter series. Though I was made fun of by many of my friends for reading it so late, I don't care. 

J.K Rowling is the best writer I know (well, I don't know her) and the Harry Potter series are my favorite books. I'm actually asking for them for Christmas :) If you haven't read the books, I encourage you to read them. Yes, they're extremely long. But, they don't feel long (except the 4th and 5th..my fellow readers understand) because the stories are that captivating. Sure, the movies are great. They really are. But if you truly want to understand the love of Harry Potter, read the books. This is coming from someone who doesn't enjoy reading and struggles with it. That means they're pretty darn good. 

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals" 

-Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 

NFL Update

For those of you that have read my "About Me" page, you know that I love sports. Let me elaborate on that. Although I love all sports, I am particularly fond of football. I grew up a tomboy...it was hard not to be a tomboy with two older brothers. Instead of playing dress up as a little girl, I ran around the yard barefoot throwing the football or hitting a baseball. My love for sports and football started young, and continues now in college.

Thanksgiving was this past Thursday (in case you forgot) and every Thanksgiving the Green Bay Packers play the Detroit Lions. For some, myself included, this is one of the highlights of Thanksgiving Day. This year the Green Bay Packers won 27-15 and extended their undefeated record to 11-0. Green Bay's dominance this season is largely in part due to their star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. With over 3000 yards this season and 33 touchdowns, Rodgers is the leagues dominant quarterback, NFL's hotshot. Of course, it helps having dependable receivers like Greg Jennings and a consistently strong defense. Nonetheless, Green Bay is the team to beat and the talk of the town this year.

However, there is more than one team in the NFL, so here are some highlights amongst the rest of the league. LeSean McCoy and Wes Welker lead the rushing and receiving yards, respectively, each with over 1000 yards. A few teams have surprised me this season with their success. For example, Detroit was 6-10 and this season they are 7-4 and looking good. The Houston Texans (8-3) and the Oakland Raiders (7-4) are leaders of the AFC, just barely behind the "big boys" Patriots and Ravens. Perhaps the biggest surprise and also the biggest threat to stealing the spotlight of the Packers are the San Francisco 49ers. With a record of 9-2, the 49ers are the true dark horse of the league this season. 


In other news, defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions Ndamukong Suh has been suspended for two weeks after shoving and stomping on a Packer's offensive lineman's head and not owning up to it in the conference following the game. Really Suh? Grow up. Woosah (aka relax)


This Sunday, the Packers battle the New York Giants. If you have a Fantasy Football team or are in a betting pool for this game, be cautious. It was just a few short seasons ago when the New York Giants ruined the Patriots 18-0 record in Super Bowl XLII. Just sayin.

Taylor Swift

"I'll spend forever wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you"

Born and raised in Pennslyvania, Taylor Swift has recently become one of the world's biggest pop stars. Much of Taylor Swift's appeal comes from her song writing style. Even those that don't like Taylor Swift as an artist will admit that her songs are extremely catchy. She writes most of her songs, and wrote her most recent album independently. Taylor Swift writes about her life, the good, the bad, and the ugly. When asked about her songs she says "It's like reading my diary". While her unique song writing style has gained her millions of fans, it has also gotten her lots of media attention when it comes to relationships. Though she'll never admit to the public that some of her songs are written about exes, the lyrics speak for themselves. "Dear John" is written about John Mayer, a past boyfriend, and it's rather obvious. While the media sometimes criticizes this aspect of Taylor's songs, her true fans (myself included) see this as one of her greatest attributes. Taylor is honest, down to earth, and extremely relatable. 

Recently, my friend and I had the pleasure of attending one of Taylor's concerts on her Speak Now World Tour. It was by far the best concert I have ever been to. From the moment that she walked on stage, Taylor had the audience captivated. Her personality is so...well, normal, so her fans truly look up to her. She feeds off the crowds cheers and screams, but she isn't cocky. Her voice live is just as good as on the albums, but what sets her apart from other artists is her performance skills. Her stage is constantly changing, with new staircases, bridges, and balconies being brought on and off. She changes outfits faster than any human I know, and she looks gorgeous in every single one. She moves across the stage, she literally flies over the crowd at the end of the show; from beginning to end her concert is a show. When you see one of your "idols" in person, so close (we were close enough to touch her hand) it's almost hard to believe that their real. But Taylor Swift is, she's as real as any one of us. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to see her live. I have an even greater respect for her now, and I hope to see her again on tour someday. 

If you don't know who Taylor Swift is, or what she's about, I encourage you to Google her. (weird that Google is a verb now..) Watch her interviews, especially on Ellen. Listen to her songs. Start with Speak Now and listen to the lyrics. I hope that you fall in love with her as I have, but if you do not, I hope that you at least respect her for the amazing artist that she is. 

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb". 

Most, if not all of you, have heard of the Twilight series (better known as saga). Many of you are probably Twilight fans whether it's through reading the books, or watching the movies. And I dare say that some of you are the crazies that waited in line for each and every premiere and book. Nothing against that, I'm that way with Harry Potter. I did though, read all of the Twilight books, and very much enjoyed them. Stephanie Meyer had a way of captivating the reader and making the whole concept of vampires and werewolves...well, not lame. And as soon as I heard that they were making the Twilight movies, I was worried. 

I have indeed seen all of the Twilight movies, though I have been less and less impressed by each one. I think I'm partial because I read the books, and the books are always better than the movies. Recently, I went to see Breaking Dawn, Part 1. (they copied Harry Potter..) Breaking Dawn was my favorite of the four books, so I went into this movie with high hopes. They were crushed. There were a few very clever and great scenes in the movie, but sadly, I laughed during most of it. I laughed during the parts in the book where I cried or my heart was racing. I don't know if it was overdramatic acting, or lack of convincing computer generated werewolves, but I didn't fall in love with the movie. Don't get me wrong, I will be seeing Part 2, but I will go into this next movie with lower expectations and just enjoy the movie for what the film industry has done with this series....saga. If you are a Twilight fan and have yet to see the movie, do so. If you are a Twilight reader, enter with the knowledge that the books are better, and just enjoy Robert Pattinson, (or Taylor Lautner if you're Team Jacob)...I mean the movie. 

Welcome to Gainesville Goodies!

Greetings everyone, and welcome to Gainesville Goodies! This blog is designed to provide all of my readers with access to all of the hidden gems (and the duds) found in Gainesville. From local food reviews to the latest and greatest news about the Florida Gators, Gainesville Goodies is your go-to place for all of the great things found in Gainesville!

"Sharing knowledge is not about giving people something, or getting something from them. That is only valid for information sharing. Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes."

Peter Senge