girl meets life.

Wednesday night tradition.

Ever since I can remember, Wednesday night has been Mommy and Gracie night.

Every week, my dad goes to the Wednesday night service at my church, which leaves my mom and I to spend the evening together. Throughout the years, our tradition has gone through phases, but the basic premise is always the same.

First, we go out and do something fun. This can range from random errands to clothes shopping to getting massages.

Although not quite as glamorous as the photo suggests, this was our “something fun” last night. We found a little hole-in-the-wall shop in the mall that gives $30 massages that feel like they’re worth a million bucks.

Next is dinner. Every once in a while we get takeout from our favorite restaurant. Most of the time we raid the salad bar. Last night, we enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal.

Finally, there’s the entertainment. We often times watch a movie that we know my dad wouldn’t like (or approve of, shh!). But lately, Wednesday night has been reserved for catching up on our favorite TV shows.

But the best part? Being able to laugh, vent, and simply spend time with my favorite person.

memom

Do you have any traditions with a family member or friend?

girl meets [single] life.

Unless you’re my mom or one of my BFF’s, talking about my relationship status isn’t something I do very often. But given the fact that a) I’m sure most of you can relate and b) I’m sick of being “felt sorry for,” I want to take a minute to clear up just how I feel about being a single lady. So sit back, friends, and enjoy this sneak peek into what I think when it comes to being a single sister in today’s world.

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So what?

Is it just me, or is being single equated with some sort of life-threatening disease? Please, don’t act like you feel sorry for me. I’m sorry to hear that me being single bothers you so much, but I’m quite alright with it.

Independent.

When most single people refer to loving their independence, they equate it with “not being tied down.” I’m not a huge fan of that term, but I can sort of relate. As someone in her early twenties, I’ve pretty much just recently left the hip of my mom (yeah I said it) but am not committed to a significant other. This is probably the only time in my life that I’ll be in this place, so I’m going to embrace it and just do my thang!

Not settling.

If being single says anything about me, it’s that I refuse to settle. You can call it being picky or having expectations that are too high – I don’t really care. I’m only looking for ONE serious relationship, so it better be a good one. And, well, I believe know that I fully deserve that.

God.

I’ve made it no secret that my relationship to God is the most important thing in my life, so clearly that is going to be a huge factor when it comes to my relationships (or lack thereof) with others. I definitely feel as though God has a lot to teach me before I enter a committed relationship. And, speaking of not settling, a strong relationship with God is number one on my list of “musts” for a future beau…followed by a good cook, of course

Looking.

I might not be trying online dating or going on speed dates any time soon, but that doesn’t mean I’m not looking for a guy who might spark my interest. It seems as though singles are either looking so hard it’s like a part-time job, or they pull the whole “I’m just working on myself right now.” Um, can’t there be a middle ground…?

Emo.

Let’s be honest here – I’m a total hopeless romantic. Chick flicks, emo music (i.e. Straylight Run circa 2004), cute elderly couples – I love it all. You may think I’m being unrealistic, but I truly believe in passionate, romantic love that doesn’t fade. I have something pretty exciting to look forward to, so in that sense, being single is actually pretty fun!