Life – Page 36

Categories: Life

The Tampa Bay Project #8: Participate in a Murder Mystery Show

Full disclosure before I begin this post: In exchange for an honest review, The Murder Mystery Company provided me with two tickets to a show. I was not otherwise monetarily compensated, and all words and opinions are strictly my own.

One of my lifelong goals has been to participate in a murder mystery show. Growing up, my favorite board game was Clue and it was the one game that would make my eyes light up if my family agreed to play it during a family game night. So murder mystery theater? Sign me up.

I was thrilled when I was given two free tickets to a recent show taking place at Tampa Pitcher Show, which is a fun theater that has a full dinner and bar menu and in-theater dining service. I’ve only been to this theater once and it was a few years ago, but I remember loving this little eclectic place. I was excited to see how the theater would transform for an event like a murder mystery show.

I found the entire evening to be very fun, but completely different from what I was expecting. I think I expected more of a performance and working together with my tablemates to go through the clues and figure out who was the murderer, but it wasn’t anything like that. Instead, it was an event that required a ton of audience participation. I was up and out of my seat for most of the night, mingling with the other guests and trying to find out clues.

With this show, they had four actors playing parts and then they picked out 10 or so people from the audience to be in the show as well. (Luckily, I wasn’t chosen, which I am eternally grateful for.) One of my tablemates was chosen, much to his girlfriend’s delight, as he is usually shy and reserved so this was completely out of his comfort zone.

The show was a lot less performance and a lot more audience participation. It involved going up to the other actors to ask pointed, leading questions in the hopes of figuring out the “whodunnit.” In the beginning, my table wasn’t very good at this because we were very confused about what to do and what questions to ask. We fumbled over our answers to other people and I honestly had no idea what was going on! But as the show went on, we gathered our bearings and began to piece together what had happened and how everything fit together.

We pieced it together so well that we won! Our table was honored as the “Detectives of the Night” for having the “most correct answer.” As in, we not only had to name the “whodunnit” but also write a very compelling argument as to why this person had motive and how she committed the murders (there were two!). I was very proud of our team because I felt like we really had to work hard for that distinction! Lots of running around, asking questions, and keeping up with all the different characters.

So, that’s the event, but I cannot consider this a full review without naming the highs and lows, so anyone considering this event as a date night or girl’s night out can do so with an informed opinion.

So, here’s what’s good about The Murder Mystery Company:

The actors – The show was wonderfully campy and exactly what you’d want out of a performance such as this. They really put their whole hearts into the show.
The mystery – I found the actual mystery that we had to solve to be pretty interesting and well-developed. While it was pretty obvious to my table who the murderer was, it wasn’t a conclusive decision. That made it fun because we were on pins and needles waiting to find out the “whodunnit!”
The audience – We had a really fun audience with people who truly got into their roles, which I thought was pretty awesome for those who had the roles sprung on them right before the show got started.
The fun – Oh, goodness, I laughed my way through the entire night! It was just such a fun show that entertained me from beginning to end.

But you can’t have the good without the bad, so here are some of my negatives:

The food was subpar – This is probably not the fault of the company itself, but rather the theater. I just wasn’t very impressed with my meal! I was expecting a good dinner, but instead, I left the event a little hungry.
There wasn’t a clear beginning – I found the first 15 minutes of the show to be confusing because there wasn’t a clear beginning. Instead, five or six people descended upon our table and began asking us questions that we didn’t know the answer to. I would have preferred to know that the show was starting with an introduction.
I’m not sure about the price tag – General admission to the show is $60 per person, which is a little pricey for a date night, as this doesn’t include drinks at the show (anything other than water is going to cost you). Thankfully, this company runs Groupon deals all the time, in which you can get tickets for more than half-price.

The Murder Mystery Company in Tampa hosts both public and private events, so whether you want a fancy date night out that includes lots of laughs or want to organize a small event for a group of friends, they can help you! And right now, for a limited time, you can get 50% off early access tickets when you use the promo code “mysterytampa” at checkout.

Have you ever gone to a murder mystery show?

Categories: Life

Change, Triggers, and Finding My Way

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I have struggled with my recent move. I knew it would be a tough transition for me, but I just didn’t know how tough it would be. I felt as if I prepared myself as much as I could; from other moves (and especially from my move to college when I was 18), I knew I would struggle. But you can’t know how much you will struggle, how hard it will be, how intense the feelings will feel until you are in it. Until you are living through the anxiety and the fear.

This change was hard. It was so hard.

And when you’re 27 years old and have just moved out on your own for the first time, and crying because you miss your mom and you miss your old environment and everything feels so new and different and strange?

It’s hard to give yourself grace.

It’s hard to not feel as if you’ve failed at life somehow.

It didn’t help that my roommate was doing juuuuust fine with the move. She was bubbly and happy and so excited to live with a roommate after a year of living on her own. She’s one of those people who thrives wherever they are. College? Not a problem. New city where she knows nobody? No biggie, she easily finds her social groove. She’s four years younger than me, and the fact that she handles change wayyyyy better than I ever will is a little demoralizing.

During the first few days after the move, it was hard not to spiral down into an existential crisis. I got lost in the “How Will I…” game. How will I ever be able to live on my own if living with a roommate – someone I dearly love! – is such a hard change? How will I ever be able to handle moving in with a partner, if the time ever comes for that? From there, it morphed into worrying about something happening to Dutch or my mom, my lifelines during this time. It’s a scary slippery slope when the mind turns on you like that. I was reminded of my first few weeks of living on campus in college and how much I struggled with the transition. I thought, with this move, I would handle the change better because I was older and wiser and good god, 27 years old, time to stop living with mommy! And yet… here I was… nearly 10 years later and still struggling.

Oh, the mind. It’s a scary place to be when you’re in the trenches.

What was most helpful for me during this time was talking it out and indulging in self-care habits.

I talked it out with friends, I called my mom daily just to talk, and I even let my roommate in on my struggles. I was nervous to do so because I thought she might think I was lame for struggling. But she offered me grace when I couldn’t give myself it. She offered me peace when my mind was in chaos. And she offered me the light bulb moment I needed when she told me that change is my trigger. For her, change isn’t a trigger, but for me, it is.

It was as if I could finally allow myself the grace and compassion I needed. It’s a trigger. It’s not a personality flaw. It’s not me being a baby. It’s just my trigger. For me, a big change such as this causes huge issues with my anxiety. It causes something that I can generally control on a day-to-day basis to rear its ugly head and overwhelm me with feelings. I could finally say to myself, “This is your anxiety talking. You will be okay. You will make it through. You just have to sit here for a while and be sad and cry a bunch and wait for the tide to pass.”

This too shall pass. It’s cliche, but I want that tattooed on my body because it’s so hard to remember that when you’re in the gauntlet of emotion and hardship. This too shall pass.

You will get through it. Life will be different – not bad different, not good different, just different. You will survive. You will thrive. This too shall pass.

Also, self-care. I’m a big proponent of self-care because I’ve seen the magic it has worked in my own life. Without self-care habits, I’m not sure I would understand myself as well as I do. My self-care habits after the move included daily bubble baths, reading light and fluffy romance novels, indulging in all the TV I needed, and allowing myself junk food. I’ll admit, some of these habits aren’t the most healthy, but it’s what kept me sane during the few weeks of turmoil. I needed them to find my way out of the gauntlet. Self-care habits, get you some.

I wish I was more accepting of change, but I’m not. As a highly sensitive person, I place a high value on comfortable environments. And with such a huge shake-up to my living situation, it overwhelmed my senses and opened me up to anxiety and panic attacks. But it’s been seven weeks since the move, and home is starting to feel like home. I’m happy here. I feel joy when I step inside my apartment. I’m comfortable with this little life I’m building for myself in Tampa.

I know more change is on the horizon. It’s already happened with losing one of the most important people in my life. I’ll lose more important people. I’ll switch jobs (hopefully not anytime soon, though). I’ll maybe even find a partner to build a home with. It’s all going to be hard. As long as I acknowledge that it’s okay that it’s difficult for me and that I allow myself the grace to adjust to the change, I think I’ll be just fine.

How do you feel about change?

Categories: Life

Reviewing the Third Quarter of the Year

Hello, friends! I hope everyone had a splendid weekend; mine was filled with fall festivities. I carved a pumpkin, watched The Nightmare Before Christmas for the first time ever (!), and watched football. We’ve had nice weather here in Florida lately, but I’m still wearing shorts and flip-flops, so anytime the weather wants to dip 10-15 degrees cooler, I am A-OK with that.

Today, I wanted to take the time to review the third quarter of 2015. I’ve done it for the past two quarters and I think it’s something I definitely want to continue. I love to reflect on my life, to discuss the high points and low points, and to set goals, so a personal quarterly review is right up my alley.

What went well in Q3?

My mom married Robert in a simple ceremony by the water in Downtown St. Petersburg.
I had a fun girl’s night out with two friends where we went to a local comedy club to see Joe Machi do his stand-up routine.
I took a break from blogging and social media for a whole month, which completely refreshed me.
I moved to a beautiful new apartment in Tampa with my best friend. Our apartment is so lovely and brings me so much joy.
My nephew turned seven and we celebrated with a fun-filled afternoon at an arcade center.
Dutch stayed healthy for an entire quarter (worth noting because in Q1, he pinched a nerve in his back and in Q2, he dealt with a UTI for a month). Very grateful for a healthy pup!
I started writing fiction again and meeting up with a writing friend once a week to spend a few hours on our novels.

What was challenging about Q3?

I experienced intense, nearly debilitating anxiety in relation to my move. Big change like a move is a trigger for my anxiety, so I was in the trenches in the few weeks.
I made zero progress on my healthy living goals. I haven’t been exercising, barely drinking water, and I’m eating way too many sweets. It’s frustrating.
I wanted to be better at managing my money, but I’m still spending more than I should and saving very little.

If I could do Q3 over again, what would I do better?

I would make time for exercise and not let little excuses get in the way of my health.
I would have been kinder to myself when I was in the transitional period, and not have been such a bully about having a tough time with the move.
I would have reached out to friends more and made more social plans.

What did I want to accomplish in Q3?

I wanted to move to South Tampa, which I did.
I wanted to start therapy, which I did not.
I wanted to lose 15 lbs, which I did not. (I also didn’t gain any weight, so silver lining? Meh.)
I wanted to take a break from social media and blogging, which I did.
I wanted to write more fiction, which I did.

What do I want to accomplish in Q4?

I want to get a tattoo (there are murmurings about the ladies in my family to get tattoos commemorating my grandma).
I want to participate in The Holiday Council 2015 and invest the time in the homework.
I want to bake my first-ever pie to bring to Thanksgiving dinner.
I want to win NaNoWriMo 2015.
I want to consistently exercise 3-4 times a week and consistently drink 32 oz of water per day.

What would make Q4 a successful quarter for me?

Losing weight – my goal would be to lose 7 lbs to get me under a certain number that has been plaguing me for this whole year.
Spending money wisely during Christmas – my family tends to go all out, so I want this Christmas to be a frugal one with an emphasis placed on time together rather than tons of presents.
Investing the time in my writing – I don’t want to be lazy about NaNoWriMo, but to be truly dedicated to completing this challenge.

What’s one thing – big or small! – you accomplished in Q3? What would you like to accomplish in Q4?

Categories: Life

New Apartment Tour

Happy Monday! Now that my new apartment is mostly put together, I thought today would be a great day to give a tour of the place. I’ll preface this tour by saying my roommate and I are not decorators. At all. Most of our walls are still bare because we’re still trying to figure out how to decorate them. Oh, and if you notice any peculiar decor choices like squirrel mounts, well, that’s just part of the charm!

When decorating, I opt for comfort, minimalism, and function. I want clean, open spaces, but I also want something homey. Roomie is very similar to me, and we’ve really been able to bring this to our new home. I’m so happy with our apartment and it really does feel like home to me now. To ensure this cozy ambiance is maintained, especially considering the varied climate of Western New York, it’s worth exploring reliable heating solutions through western new york home heating installation. Moreover, if you have issues with your heating system, make sure that you contact heating repair services. And if you need professional ac installation services, make sure to hire services that offer ac installation in everett wa. If you need a professional seattle oil furnace repair service, you may contact companies like Gene Johnson Plumbing & Heating. You can visit sites like https://jmcoolingheating.com/ for additional guidance. Wood pellets are a versatile product as they are not only used as a heating source, in fact many stables use these as bedding, plus they can also be used for cat litter too.

So, shall we tour?

All my life, I’ve lived in apartments that have outside entrances, so it’s a special treat for me to actually have a hallway and an inside entrance to my apartment. It definitely feels more secure, which is my biggest must-have when apartment searching.

When you open the door to my apartment, this is the view you will be greeted with. To your left is the kitchen (and my roommate’s room beyond that). In front of you is the living room. And to your right is my room, our washer/dryer, and my bathroom which may have properly installed pipes by a reputable company such as Graham and Sons. Let’s start with the living room!

LIVING ROOM

Our living room is small, but we don’t need much room, quite frankly. The couch is wonderfully luxurious and the TV stand makes me weirdly happy every time I see it (adulting much?) Roomie and I have already enjoyed many nights snuggled on the couch watching TV, and it’s every bit as wonderful as one might imagine.

And, of course, Dutch has his own corner for his blankets and pillows. He’s not one bit spoiled. Not at all. Uh-uh.

DINING ROOM

Right off the living room is the dining room, which perfectly fits our dining tables Perth. We probably need some sort of print on that wall because the room looks a little bare. In due time, yes?

BALCONY

Right off the dining room, a door leads to the balcony, which is completely empty. Roomie and I are hoping to invest in a table, chairs, folding arm awnings and possibly even grow some herbs outside! ESA Awnings Inc. provides stylish and functional shading solutions. The view isn’t great (it’s laughably terrible, in fact), but what can you do? BigHorn Roofing explains everything you need to know about the lifespan of rain gutters to help you determine when it’s time to plan for gutter replacement.

KITCHEN

Oh, the kitchen. I love the kitchen. It’s big enough for Roomie and me to move around in together, and we have a ton of cabinet and drawer space. We also have a pantry! It’s so nice to have a pantry, though I’d really like to organize ours better. One of my favorite features of the kitchen is the deep sink. It’s so, so wonderful.

BATHROOM

I love my bathroom. It’s at least twice the size of my bathroom at my previous apartment and I have way more counter and cabinet space. It’s really, really wonderful. Also, the tub makes my eyes turn into hearts. Bubble baths are my #1 form of self-care, and a deep, luxurious tub is something I haven’t ever had. This tub is my everything. When dealing with complex issues related to your hot water system, such as inconsistent heating or frequent breakdowns, it’s worth hiring an expert in Plumbing For Hot Water Systems to ensure a reliable and efficient solution.

WASHER/DRYER

Between my bathroom and my bedroom is the washer/dryer. Having an in-unit washer/dryer was one of Roomie and my must-haves when we were apartment hunting. It just makes life so much easier to not have to deal with communal laundry. And our washer/dryer is hidden behind a set of doors when not in use, which is also nice. If you’re considering enhancing other aspects of your home, such as the gutters, click here if you need to replace your gutters and ensure your home remains in top-notch condition.

BEDROOM

Lastly, we have my bedroom! My bedroom is a nice size, especially for a guest bedroom, and I’m sure I could easily fit a queen-sized bed (mine is a full) and a bigger dresser in my room without it feeling too cramped. (I have plans to do so, so it’s nice I will be able to!) I’m happy to have a walk-in closet, though I find the shelves to be a little awkwardly placed. I do wish I had more shelving options, but I could always add some if I wanted to.

And there you have it! A tour of my new apartment, a place I am so happy to call my home. There’s still some more decorating to do, but I think we have a solid base and I’m so proud of this little home I’ve created with Roomie.

How would you describe your decorating style in three words?

Categories: Life

Lessen Your Moving Stress with Hybrid Moving

I am thrilled to bring this blog post to you guys today! As part of a decision I made when I started this blog, I do not do many sponsored posts. There are many reasons why, and one of the main reasons is that I rarely come across an opportunity that piques my interest enough to accept. But a few weeks before my move, I was contacted by HireAHelper.com to use their services in exchange for a review on my blog. I really wanted to accept, but I didn’t feel as if I could give an accurate review as I only needed a few big furniture items moved (my bed and my dresser). Instead, I asked if my roommate could use the service (since she was bringing the big furniture items into the new apartment) and write a guest post for my blog. And they accepted! So, for today, I am handing my blog over to my wonderful Roomie to talk about HireAHelper.com and her experience with the company.

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Hey stephanywrites readers! I’m Briana (or Bri, as many like Steph call me) and you may have already learned who I am – the work bestie, the real-life bestie, and the new roomie. But honestly, we’ve connected pretty deeply in terms of our friendship. I feel comfortable telling Stephany anything and everything, and for that reason (and many others) I knew that if I was going to return to a roommate situation, she was the girl to do it with. And so, here we are. Roommates at last!

However, I can’t lie to you or to myself: I was excited to move in with Stephany…but moving sucks. It’s a lot of purging, organizing, packing, labeling, manual labor, planning, and, of course, it’s generally expensive. Full-service moving companies charge a lot of money for their services! The end result of a move rocks, but the process and expense? I could do without.

While you can’t avoid most of the above moving tasks, it is possible to mitigate some of the expense.

Option one is 100% DIY. You pack, you do all the heavy lifting, and you rent and drive your own truck. But that’s exhausting, and you have to have some help from friends and/or family if you need to carry heavy furniture (like I have) up and down stairs (which I also had at both the new and old place).

Option two is what I did: a hybrid move. With a hybrid move, most of the work and equipment is still DIY except for the lifting, loading, and/or unloading labor. It is a much most cost-effective option than full-service moving packages. It sounded like a good option for me.

Enter: HireAHelper.com. HireAHelper is a unique online service that connects users to moving companies in their area that might be willing to provide labor on the specified moving day. They offered me a solution I couldn’t refuse: strong arms.

Before the Move

HireAHelper’s website is incredibly straightforward, aesthetically pleasing, and very user friendly. It’s really a no-fuss start. You type in your moving date and zip code, and you’re instantly connected to a list of moving companies that provide moving labor. You can customize the specs of your move, including the number of movers you want, the number of hours you want them for, and the number of flights of stairs to get accurate quotes instantly. You can compare prices from different moving companies on the spot, as well as view ratings and reviews from past customers – something that I value greatly. On this page, you can select your company of choice.

I selected a company and immediately got confirmation via e-mail. Good, quick communication. You earned brownie points, HireAHelper!

However, about a day later, I got another e-mail telling me that the moving company I picked declined my move, and that I would have to select a new company. As you might imagine, I was not particularly happy about it. But not even 15 minutes later, HireAHelper actually called me to help me pick a new company. That phone call from HireAHelper was arguably some of the best customer service I’ve ever had.

Two days before my moving date, the moving company I selected gave me a call to confirm the appointment, and HireAHelper sent me another e-mail to remind me to complete my inventory list. With everything packed and ready to go, I just had to wait for the day to arrive.

Moving Day

Moving day! I picked up my U-Haul at 9 a.m., because I scheduled the movers to arrive between 10 and 11. I got a text message from HireAHelper, instructing me to send them a text when the job was completed – the movers would not get paid until I did so. I kind of appreciated that, because it’s almost like insurance that your movers will show up.

At 10 a.m. my movers called to let me know they were on their way, as the moving company is located about 40 minutes from my old apartment. But by 11 they still hadn’t shown. And then 12 came. Still no word. At 12:30 they called and told me they were 5 minutes out. At 12:45 they parked and met me at my U-Haul.

Obviously, I was REALLY not happy at how late my movers were. The reviews they had were all really positive, so I was disappointed. But, I understand life happens – turns out that one of their trucks had been broken into and equipment was stolen, so they had to file a police report. A phone call would have been nice though.

The actual move went off without a hitch. I thought I needed them for four hours, between all of my flights of stairs and all the furniture I had. However, these guys worked really efficiently. About two and a half hour later, I had every bit of furniture in my new apartment, with not a single dent or scratch to speak of. Which, apparently, is hard to come by.

I sent my text off to HireAHelper, at which time I was prompted through three text message questions to ensure that the movers were paid and that the job was done within the scheduled time limit and didn’t run over. I got a follow-up e-mail to review how my move went.

Overall Feelings

I started off on the wrong foot with the moving company I selected because of the delay. But the actual service I got from them was awesome, so I can see why they were so well rated on HireAHelper and why they were the company that the HireAHelper representative set me up with. Overall, I would grade the experience on my moving day a “B” for the unnecessary stress from my movers.

For my experience with HireAHelper.com, I would give a grade of an “A.” Between all the e-mails I got, the phone call when things seemed to go south, and the ease of use, it gets my vote. I would say to do your homework though – just because they have reviews on their site doesn’t mean you don’t have to research movers on your own. Also, there’s still some responsibility on your end. I’m not sure what HireAHelper communicates to the movers you choose in terms of job specs, but you need to clarify everything with your movers on the phone, well in advance. Nobody (you or your movers) likes surprises on moving day.

Would I use HireAHelper.com again? Yes. Yes I would. But after I do more of my own research and homework.

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This post is sponsored by HireAHelper.com. They provided a credit toward the cost of their moving service in exchange for an honest review. All words, thoughts, and opinions – unless otherwise stated – belong to me or my guest poster, Briana.

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Have you ever attempted a hybrid move? If not, would you ever?