How To: Not Annoy Everyone on Social Media

Guys, I enjoy frequenting Instagram and Facebook. I’m not ashamed to admit it. There’s all sorts of fun things happening in other people’s lives and I like seeing those things. I’m not anti-social media in any regard. However. Certain things continue to happen on my newsfeeds that annoy the ever loving mess out of me.

I realize I could unfollow / defriend the people who do these things – but, let’s be honest, then I’d have nothing to complain about. I also sincerely hope I am not guilty of any of these things. If you can find evidence of my guilt, then please accept my apology in advance for being super annoying. Because if you do these things, you are super annoying. Seriously.

Maybe, by now, you’re worried that you might be that annoying person that everyone considers unfriending at least 3 times a day.

Let me help you. Here’s 4 Ways NOT to Annoy Everyone on Social Media.

1. Don’t use #blessed. Ever.

Maybe it’s just me, but #blessed has got to go. It literally makes me cringe when someone puts up a status about their life and follows it with #blessed. I think perhaps this annoyance stems from the overuse of #blessed. If you really feel #blessed, then I think you could sum up why you’re #blessed in one post and then let that be that. Every single post should not, under any circumstance, contain #blessed.

Perhaps you’re super optimistic and cheerful and you really do feel #blessed about everything, and your life is perfect. In that case, quit being rude and overusing #blessed and throwing your #blessed life in everyone’s face. If you constantly have to remind yourself and everyone else that you’re #blessed you need to #rexamineyourlife.

2. No “Unspoken prayer request.” posts. No “Praying!” Responses.

If you’re religious, then that’s great, and I don’t have a problem with that at all. But every “unspoken prayer request” status is followed immediately with the comment “what’s wrong?! call me! message me! etc.” and really, be honest, isn’t that what you wanted? Someone to ask you what’s wrong?

If you’ve got a problem, and you feel like you need to take it to social media, maybe you could explain what is it? I don’t get on Facebook for vague references to your life. I’m going to need you to divulge. Also, if you comment “Praying.” after an “Unspoken prayer request!” post then you are equally as annoying. You only commented that because you’re hoping you’ll be notified when the original poster responds on the comment thread about what’s going on.

You could also just…. pray for them, if that’s your deal. You don’t have to announce that you’re praying. Just saying.

3. Don’t post this: My boyfriend is SOOOO cute / smart / the love of my life / amazing etc.

So this ties in a little bit with the #blessed advice. But I just really want to say this. And it’s going to sound a little hateful and I’m sorry. But, if you post 35,000 statuses announcing how wonderful your boyfriend is then honestly it makes me wonder how wonderful he actually is.

Are you hanging out with him, like, ever? How do you have time to post all these statuses? Are these statuses trying to make another guy jealous? Does he appreciate you constantly tagging him on Facebook?

Furthermore, who are you trying to convince? The Facebook world? The Instagram world? Or yourself?

I’m not against the super sweet significant other posts. If you’ve found the one, then sometimes you just want to announce it. But if every other (or every) status on Facebook is about how amazing your boyfriend (or fiancee or husband, or girlfriend or wife — not really an exclusive concept) is then I’m not buying it.

4. Don’t share videos of abused animals and children.

STOP posting these, I mean really stop it. It bothers me. It makes me sad. It sincerely hurts my heart. If I wanted to see a video of a dog that was nearly dead, I would Google it. (Spoiler — I DON’T.)

If your purpose is to raise awareness, why don’t you post a link to a reputable charity and let people research the issue themselves. The video of the half-dead puppy or the nanny beating a small child does NOT raise awareness. It’s disturbing and I don’t want to see it.

I don’t need you, Facebook and/or Instagram friend, to remind me of all the bad things happening in the world. I will change the channel, immediately, when this type of thing comes on TV. Because it always makes me cry. Stop trying to make me cry, social media friends. Just stop it.

___

Okay, just so everyone doesn’t think I’m a horrendous and hateful person, I’ll share some things that you might think would be annoying but that I actually enjoy on social media:

• pictures of your kids
• workout posts
• panoramas of your vacation spots
• what song you’re listening to

Some social media fans may find the aforementioned posts super annoying, but I enjoy them! So, see, I’m not awful. Right? Anyway, I’ve got to go hang out with my awesome boyfriend and our dog we adopted from the pound #blessed.

MKB

Buying a House: Part I

Adult life is exciting and boring, all at the same time.

The boyfriend and I have always been renters. We rented in college, we rented our first apartment together, and now we are renting a house.

Guys, we feel discouraged with our current rental company. We’ve had… issues. We went 2 weeks in the winter without heat. We never know who to contact at the rental company to discuss the house. The basement door took 3 weeks to get fixed (it was off the hinges… and leads to the outside.). There is a shed in the backyard that the landlord is using as storage and she comes by all the time to get items out of there. We were chastised for not saving all our landlord’s mail, including junk items, and bringing it to the rental company. (I sent a strongly worded response e-mail concerning this issue suggesting that our landlord have her mail forwarded… I mean, it is just me? Is that not an obvious solution? Geez.)

We have 6 months left on our house lease and we had a crazy, ridiculous, and genius idea.

Let’s stop renting.

Let’s buy a house.

It seemed like such an easy fix. It’s a big step, sure, but we want a place that’s truly ours and that we can paint, or re-do, or change if we feel like it. We’d like to be able to hang a picture on a wall without worrying about being charged for the nailhole when we move out. We’re ready to buy.

A lot of my friends on social media have bought houses recently. I know this because there have been lots of selfies on my newsfeeds with a set of keys that are captioned “first time homebuyers! #keys #firsthome”.

I found myself wishing these new homeowners wrote blog posts on what first-time home buyers should do. I’ve found that the online articles tend to be super generic and they slant towards the company that wrote them. Not incredibly helpful. So, I thought I’d share our experience so far.

This ever-present and awful question must be answered first: Can we afford to do this?

Luckily, money- wise, we could definitely make it work. We pay a decent amount in rent + bills every month, so it wouldn’t be a ridiculous change. In fact, the amount we pay in rent + bills would be more than a mortgage payment. So, we would be paying less every month. Score!!

Now, a house does have additional costs that don’t come with renting. So we looked at what a mortgage payment + costs of upkeep would cost, and we’d still be paying much less than we are now. (By we, I mean the boyfriend. He spreadsheets and budgets and I use my fingers for basic addition. Just saying.)

Well, if the answer to the question “Can we afford to do this?” is yes….where do I start?

First, I researched and researched and found a well-renowned mortgage broker in our area. We decided not to go through a bank — all the How To Buy a House! articles I read stated that big banks aren’t the way to go anymore.

I pushed aside my nerves and finally called. If you’ve read this post, then you know we have been working on rebuilding our credit and budgeting and being adults and all that jazz. I was nervous to hear what a mortgage broker would say.

After a nerve-wrackingly long phone call, our mortgage broker informed us we were good to go and set our pre-approval price. Sidenote- if you want to shop around for mortgage brokers, you can. You’ll take one hit on your credit and then for the next 14 days any mortgage lender can run your credit and it won’t show up as duplicate hits. So don’t panic about that.

Mortgage broker, check!

Next, I found us a realtor through another small but well-established company. I’m not sure why I’m so against going with the big boys when it comes to realtors and mortgage brokers. I’d rather have a more personalized experience, I guess. So far, I have absolutely zero complaints about our mortgage broker or realtor, and I call them all the time and ask a million questions.

After that, the house hunt began.

And continues.

It’s hard to do something for the first time. Especially when that something is trying to buy a house.

Here’s a few things I’ve learned so far… and the journey is still in progress.

• Ask your mortgage broker every single question you have, even if you think it’s stupid.

• Discuss different types of loans with your mortgage broker. There’s 100% financing still available for some houses. That’s big. And that’s important.

• Give your realtor a list of what you’re looking for. If you’re like me, you’ll feel awkward and uncomfortable demanding things from someone, even when it’s their job. I finally caved and e-mailed our realtor a list of what we wanted and she came back at me with a bunch of options. (She also explained that’s her job… and I shouldn’t feel bad asking her to do her job. I should wear a badge that explains that I have social anxiety. Oh well.)

• Check out houses in all ranges of your budget. We went to the very lowest end of our budget and then went to the highest end, and we learned a lot. Sure, we could save $20,000 dollars, but the neighborhood isn’t great. Or, sure, we could top out our budget, but we don’t really need 4 bedrooms. Look at all ranges and all types.

• Be persistent. I know that’s a little premature to say because we haven’t found a house yet. But sometimes you open the door to a house and just you know it’s not your house. Don’t get discouraged. Keep going.

• Trust your instincts. If it’s not the house, it’s simply not the house. Even if you can’t exactly explain why you don’t like a house, that’s valid. Go with your gut feeling.

• You can change the inside and outside of a house (within reason), but you can’t change the lot or neighborhood. I don’t mean huge renovations (unless you’re loaded, in that case, great for you… really…). I do mean paint, fencing, flooring… anything you could save up for and change. You can’t change if the neighborhood feels unsafe or if the backyard is too small. Keep that in mind.

• DON’T TRUST ONLINE PICTURES. This might seem obvious, but seriously, some people are magicians with a camera.

• Don’t watch HGTV all the time. Okay, so that’s what we’ve been doing, and for a little while we were like… uh, we’re going to buy and renovate a cheap house, yeah! But, for most of us, that’s not a valid option. So don’t get sucked into HGTV. (Okay, FINE, I’m literally watching HGTV right now… I guess I’m a “do as I say, not as I do” type of person.) Just don’t get any crazy HGTV ideas that aren’t feasible for your lifestyle.

As another point of interest, we’ve been using the following sites to search for listings:

Zillow / Estately / Redfin / Trulia / HotPads

I tend to favor HotPads, and the boyfriend favors Zillow. We also get a list from our realty company every day.

We haven’t found the perfect house… yet. Luckily, we started early and have some time to keep searching. Then, I’ll share all the next steps. Until that happens, anyone else have any advice for first time home buyers? Really. Any advice is welcome.

MKB

FitnessFridays: Getting Started, Part 2 (Lift the Weights)

Now that you can read the workouts and understand them (Getting Started Part 1) you need to be able to walk in the gym and actually lift!

I am going to get real basic and real…. real with you on this lifting thing. To be 100% honest, this post could be summed up with one word: Google. Okay. maybe two: Google and YouTube.

Want to know how chest press with dumbbells?

• Step 1: Google chest press with dumbbells

• Step 2: Click images or video

• Step 3: Watch video or look at pictures

• Step 4: Bookmark page on phone to revert back to while at gym

So, by now you may be like, well, that’s great and kind of sarcastic (that is really how most people would describe me) but I do not even know WHAT EXERCISES to Google, and what to do when, and how often, or how long, and how much weight….. ALL THE QUESTIONS!!

Okay, to that I say two things: Google and YouTube… Joking, joking, maybe….

It really can be SUPER overwhelming and I understand a trainer is expensive.  So I have done some of the work for you and found three FREE workouts online for you to try if you want.

—————

→ Jamie Eason Free Workout (and Bonus Nutrition Plan)  

This is a great beginners plan! While you are on this website click around. Pretty much any information you need to know can be found somewhere on bodybuilding.com

→ 12 Week Beginners Program 

This program starts with you only lifting 2 days a week and slowly progresses to more days and specific body parts being targeted.

→Muscle and Fitness Hers Beginners Program

This program has great pictures right along with the workouts.

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There are a TON more workouts out there. These are just three that I know are good!

Do not forget to check out Pinterest and Instagram for workout ideas.

Speaking of IG, I have an account where I do post workouts from time to time, so make sure to check me out there.

Now: go Google how to lift things… and then go lift them.

Abby

How To: Survive Valentine’s Day

♥It’s Valentine’s Day. ♥

 Well, not today, but it will be soon.

Guess what? If you’re not super into Valentine’s Day, you’re not alone! (I mean… in that frame of mind. You might actually be alone.)

A study was done last year concerning millennials that concluded the following:

“After surveying over 24,000 girls ages 13 to 24, they found that 66 percent of them don’t buy into the marketing hype around Valentine’s Day and believe it’s over-rated, disappointing, painful, old-fashioned and lame. They actually said they’d prefer hanging out with friends over going on a romantic date.”

I’ve celebrated the day both single and not single, and I have to say that either way it’s definitely not my favorite holiday.

The boyfriend and I have tried to fancy up Valentine’s Day twice, and both times we were like… meh. Why do this?

We went to a classy dinner one year, spent way too much money, and got home super early with tighter pants and lighter wallets. No thanks.

Last year we went to the mountains. Snazzy, right? It snowed right before but we took the risk and drove up anyway. It was so icy and cold and miserable that we ended up playing cards in the hotel room all evening. (Which, to be honest, was awesome!) But we could’ve done that at home, for much less money.

I have some ideas for you guys…  some ideas to combat the typical Valentine’s Day nonsense.

They can be used as a couple or if you’re rocking your independence this year.  They are as follows:

1. Watch Netflix.

I’ll admit, this is my go to for everything, for anyone, at anytime. There’s really nothing that can’t be cured with Netflix. Sick at home? Netflix. Can’t sleep? Netflix. Rainy day? Netflix. Single? Netflix.

For some good shows, use this list. 

If you’ve already seen all of those, here are a couple more good ideas:

• The Men Who Built America
• The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents
• Friends (again, even if you just watched it… could it BE more awesome?)
• Clueless
• Silence of the Lambs
• Aziz Ansari’s Comedy Sets

(Sorry, House of Cards isn’t due out until February 27. I mean… sigh.)

2. Do a Craft.

I’m not super crafty, but sometimes I just feel like I want to make something. It generally doesn’t end up looking like a normal type of craft, but the process is still fun… if you involve wine, that is. Here’s some ideas for easy crafts:

Embroidered Canvas Art

Paracord Bracelet

Decorative Power Cords 

Mosaic Tray

Or you can always head on over to Pinterest (guys, you too!) and find, oh, about 56 zillion craft ideas. Just saying.

3. Have Food Delivered.

Maybe it’s just me (it’s not) but I love to eat. On Valentine’s Day you can bet your bottom dollar that every restaurant will be filled to the brim with couples celebrating their love by paying too much to stuff their faces.

Eat at home. Order from somewhere and have it delivered to you. You can even dress up for the event! You can look fancy if you want to look fancy. Plus, when you take selfies at home (versus in the restaurant) less people will judge you.

Just make sure you order enough for at least three people. Even if it’s just you.

4. Shop Online.

This does break my cardinal rule of not spending your hard earned buckaroos carelessly online. However, again, Valentine’s Day crowds are obnoxious and no fun. Don’t bother even getting in your car. Open up the laptop and shop around. If you find something great, get it… because it’s Valentine’s Day and you’re shopping online so you either 1. are feeling super single and you deserve a gift or 2. are in a relationship but not doing anything super special for Valentine’s Day so you deserve a gift.

5.  Gym it Up.

Because, why not? The gym most likely won’t be crowded. You can have your pick of machines and weights and run off your frustration that this holiday even exists. If you’re taken, you both can go! You’ll feel accomplished and confident afterwards, and that’s always a positive. Most importantly, you then proceed to Option 3 when you get home and you won’t feel guilty about eating a large pizza. Or two.

Single or taken, the Valentine’s Day hype becomes annoying after 6th grade, and I suggest you don’t buy into it. If you love holidays and love celebrating then, by all means, immerse yourself in pink glitter and roses and crowded eateries.

If you’re like the boyfriend and me, or one of Beyonce’s single ladies this year, choose one of the aforementioned options.

Just don’t forget the wine. ♥♥♥♥

MKB