Thanks for all your helpful advice on Sunday’s post. I’ve decided to take the weekend trip to Orlando because why not? It’ll give me something to look forward to and I’m pretty sure I can have one paper finished before the trip. Now my big decision is whether I want to go to Disney, Universal Studios, or Islands of Adventure on Sunday. I haven’t been to Disney since I was 10, and haven’t been to the other two theme parks in almost three years. I’m so excited, though!

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1. What are your plans for the holidays? Do you travel at Thanksgiving? If you celebrate Christmas, do you travel then, too?

I am lucky and blessed enough to have the majority of my family living in the same area as me. My grandparents live five minutes away, my brother and his family live about 20 minutes away, and we have other scattered relatives close by. I’ve never traveled during Thanksgiving or Christmas.

On Thanksgiving, my mom and I generally wake up at the crack of dawn to take on the Turkey Trot, then stuff ourselves with breakfast, shower and get ready for dinner, and head on over to my grandparents’ house around 2. From there, it’s a lot of family time, football, and eating. I just love being around my family and I’m especially excited since one of my uncles will be eating with us this year! And since my birthday usually falls a few days after, it’s always a fun time.

Christmas is a little different. My mom and I wake up around 7am to open presents and my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew come over around 10am to open their presents. And from there, we head over to someone’s house for dinner. I’m really not a big fan of Christmas Day. I feel like all the magic is gone as presents are unwrapped, stockings are torn apart, and there’s not much to look forward to. I love the anticipation of Christmas!

2. How do you make the plans for the holidays? If you have a significant other, how do you decide which family to visit?

These have been long-standing plans for a while now. We don’t really make any decisions, it’s just the way things are.

3. Do you have your Thanksgiving meal at lunch or later in the day?

Thanksgiving dinner is usually served around 3pm.

4. Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving tradition?

Not really. I just love the tradition of going to my grandma’s house and the hustle and bustle of getting dinner ready, sitting down to eat, and enjoying my family. I know it’s possible I’ll be living in a different city or state during the next holiday season (if not then, in the future), and I’m trying to enjoy this while I can.

5. After a big meal, do you lounge around or get up and take a walk?

I’m definitely a lounger, thanks to doing exercise early in the day. I watch football and eat for the majority of Thanksgiving. It’s really the best holiday.

6. Do you shop on “Black Friday” or do you avoid it?

I never have and I don’t think I ever will. I just don’t see the point to it, aside from scoring some really great deals. It just doesn’t seem worth it. I hate crowds and rude people, so I tend to stay away. Cyber Monday, though? Oh, I’m all over that!

7. When do you usually finish your Christmas shopping?

When my money runs out? Typically, I’m finished by the weekend before Christmas, though. Right now, I’m just about finished shopping for my nephew and brother, which has to be a new record! Although, I haven’t even begun shopping for my mom, so there’s that.

8. Do you and your significant other exchange gifts? If there a budget?

Sigh. Let’s move on before I become too depressed.

9. When do you decorate for the holidays?

Usually, it’s the weekend following Thanksgiving. We buy a real tree because artificial trees make me gag. And we spend the night snapping at each other as we try to get it to stand up, string the lights, and find spots for our many ornaments. And then we drag out the rest of our decorations. I love decorating the house for Christmas! Taking everything down, though, is such a bummer.

10. Do you go “all out” with the decor or keep it simple?

It’s pretty simple. Just the tree and some knickknacks. We do not have the ability to put up lights outside and make them look good, so we keep everything indoors.

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1. What is your favorite breakfast pastry?

I can’t say I’m a huge fan of pastries. They just don’t do anything for me and don’t tempt me in the least. I want to say my favorite pastry would be a muffin. Is a muffin considered a pastry? The double chocolate ones are the best, though!

2. Were you ever in a Thanksgiving or Christmas play?

Yes, I was in a production when I was 12 with the girls’ group I attended every Wednesday night. I played a shepherd, I believe, and really wanted to sing a solo but was too shy to audition. It was fun, though! And I think I still have a video of it. I have also been in multiple Christmas concerts when I was in elementary and middle school.

3. What is your favorite clothing accessory?

Can I be boring and say undershirts? I only have a white cami and a black cami but I love them and usually need to buy new ones every 3 months or so. (I’m badly in need of new ones. Hint hint, Santa Claus.) I just have a problem with wearing only shirts with nothing next to my skin. It makes me feel uncomfortable so 90% of the time, I’m wearing a cami.

4. What is your favorite item of clothing?

Hm…I’m not sure if camis fall under accessories or not, but I’m keeping my answer up there because it makes more sense to me! I don’t know what my favorite item of clothing is. I like jeans and have a great pair of comfortable jeans that I wear 4+ times a week. I love skirts, but don’t wear them nearly enough. I love capris because they’re the perfect length for me and I don’t have to deal with rolling up the bottoms. I love shirts, especially ones that I feel comfortable in. I just love clothes!

5. What is your favorite color and why?

Turquoise. I just fell in love with this color a few years ago and every time I see it, whether it’s the color of a shirt or on a web page or anywhere, I get insanely happy. It’s such a pretty color!

6. What is your favorite type of Christmas cookie?

I make some yummy M&M and chocolate chip cookies during the holiday season. I use the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, adding in Christmas-colored M&M’s and plenty of chocolate chips, and those cookies are to die for! I probably make 5 or 6 batches in a 3-month span so, after the Super Bowl, I stay away until next Thanksgiving!

7. What is your favorite scent (food, perfume/lotion)?

Oh, the smell of freshly baked cookies. Real Christmas trees. Men’s cologne. A baby’s soft cheek. Gas. I have a lot of favorite scents.

8. What is your favorite household cleaner?

My mom would laugh at this question. (Stephany? Do housework? HA!) This is easy: the little dishwasher cubes! Oh, the dishwasher. The only good that came from my mom’s accident: she now uses it religiously! She’s a believer! It’s just so much easier (and cleaner!) to rinse out our dishes, stick ’em in the dishwasher, wait ’til it’s full, and let it wash itself. I would credit the dishwasher as the most amazing invention in the kitchen.

9. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? And what did you actually grow up to be?

There were only two career paths for me growing up: an author or a vet. I was constantly filling up notebooks with story ideas and characters and plots. (Never actually writing, just preparing.) I can’t even count the number of notebooks I had, but there were a lot. Becoming a vet was something my dad thought I would be great at, since I was smart and loved animals. (One semester of college-level Anatomy & Physiology cured me of that!)

What did I grow up to be? Good question. I started college with an education major and I’m now a journalism major, with no desire to use that degree for journalism. There is not one bone in my body that wants to be a reporter. I have no idea what I want to do when I graduate. None whatsoever.

I’m not even sure I want to become an author anymore.

10. What is the last song or album you bought?

I actually just bought a bunch of songs off iTunes last week to give me a new playlist for my runs and I’m in love with some of the songs I bought, most especially Love by Jaeson Ma which is a chilling song that makes me tear up every time I hear it. If you haven’t heard this song, you need to. I promise you won’t regret it.

1. What does your work out schedule look like?

Currently, it’s just been running. I try to sneak in 3 days of running a week and recently, I started back on the Couch to 5K program, which means I’m trying even harder to get 3 days of running a week in. Because of my school schedule, having to find time to schedule interviews, my internship, homework, and having a semblance of a life, it’s really hard to find time to exercise the 5 days a week I would like.

2. What is your favorite machine to use at the gym?

I don’t belong to a gym right now. As far as cardio goes, my favorite piece of equipment is the elliptical because it doesn’t kill my arches as much as the treadmill does. And for strength-training? There’s one piece of equipment I liked, but I can’t remember the name for it. It works your thighs and calves and you basically push a big piece of metal up with your feet? Does anybody know what I’m talking about?

3. What is your favorite class to take at the gym?

If there was any reason for me to join a gym, it would be to take Spinning classes. I absolutely love Spinning classes and it’s really the one thing I would have to have a gym membership for. I love how tough it is and what a great workout it gives you. I would join a gym simply for this purpose.

4. Where do you shop for work out gear and clothing?

Mainly, Target or Sports Authority. I tend to buy cheaper clothing because I just can’t fathom spending $50 on a pair of pants I’m just going to sweat in. Although, lately, I see what a difference the good stuff makes to helping with sweat and chafing issues. And since I now have a Fit2Run membership (which means 10% off all purchases), I’ll probably head on over there for most of my needs now!

5. If you can’t go to the gym, do you have a favorite outdoor activity?

Running and walking are probably my most favorite outdoor activities. Running is cheap (well, until you factor in special shoes and gear. But let’s think simple for a minute.) and such a great, full-body exercise.

6. What about a favorite work out DVD? If so, please share!

Anything by Jillian Michaels. She is such an amazing trainer and much nicer in her videos. (Although, I think I would do better if she was screaming at me.) The 30-Day Shred is great as is No More Trouble Zones and Yoga Meltdown. They all totally work you to the brink and I think everyone can keep using them and get a good work out. I have sweat pouring off my body in every one of her workouts.

7. Are you more active now or when you were in high school?

Psht, now. High school? I barely did anything that didn’t involve laughing with friends, homework, and sleeping.

8. How has your diet/working out philosophy changed since high school?

I don’t think it’s necessarily changed, but I am doing more about my health now. I always wanted to be more healthy, work out more, and feel confident with my body. But I never had the courage to change it. And once I lost 20 pounds during my freshman year, I realized I could and that’s what keep me going, even though those 20 pounds have come back (with a few friends). But I know I can do it. I know I can change my life. I just have to implement it!

9. What do you do while working out (i.e., daydream, read, listen to music, gab with a friend)?

When I’m running, it’s usually listening to music and imagining what I’m going to write for my DailyMile recap. And also performing music videos to the songs playing on my iPod. When I’m at my apartment gym on a piece of equipment, I usually bring a magazine or book to read while working out.

10. What working out resolution would you like to make with yourself this year?

Well, I have two. I want to run one race a month. I’m sticking with 5K’s for now but eventually, want to move up to 10K’s and half-marathons. And I want to be able to run an entire 5K in under 30 minutes.

What about you guys? What’s your working out resolution right now?

1. What keeps you up at night (figuratively)?

Nothing really keeps me up at night, but it’s more about things that make me wake up earlier than I want to, worrying. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to sleep in on the weekends but I wake up around 7, worrying about a paper I have to write or a magazine I need to design or something that needs to get done that day. I really hate when that happens!

2. What keeps you up at night (literally)?

Oh, nothing. I’m asleep within 5 minutes of my head hitting the pillow. Although I could say that watching TV or reading a book sometimes keeps me up past my bedtime, which is supposed to be 9:30. But as for having trouble falling asleep? I have no problems in that area which is something I’m extremely grateful for after struggling with insomnia for a year in 6th grade. Insomnia is the worst!

3. Where do you want to go in life (figuratively)?

Obviously, like everyone, I want to be successful and happy. My ideas of both have slowly been transforming to the point that I don’t necessarily think I need to settle down and start a family in the near future. I want to reach outside the box, move away, and explore this great big world first. Be it in social media, writing, marketing, or whatever. I just want to feel fulfilled.

4. Where do you want to go in life (literally)?

I’m not exactly sure. I know I’m going to have to move away, perhaps to another state. I know I’m going to have to leave everything I know and love to grow as a person. It scares me to death. I don’t like to think about it. But it will happen. I’m not a big fan of city life so I’d like something much slower-paced. But not too slow!

5. Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew (figuratively)?

Of course. I think it’s just a human trait to take on more than we can handle. I do it all the time but I do feel like I’m getting better at managing my priorities. Also, I’m a big fan of the word “no.” I can say it easily.

6. Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew (literally)?

Yes. Not such a fun feeling.

7. Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence (figuratively)?

We think it is. It’s like the old saying goes, we always want what we can’t have. In some cases, it might well be. But I think, in most instances, it isn’t and I’m sitting in the exact place I need to be.

8. Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence (literally)?

No, it’s actually not. The apartment homes next door to us are not as well-kept as ours. We actually looked at an apartment there and the landlord told us, “It’s pretty safe here. Once you get inside and lock the door, you’re fine.” …And what about those 2-3 minutes of getting into the apartment?

9. If you can’t stand the heat, do you get out of the kitchen (figuratively)?

Always. I’m not a big fan of confrontation and I usually choose to walk away from arguments. Now, this is totally different when it comes to my mom and my brother. I have no problem arguing with them – loudly. My arguments with my brother can be pretty epic.

10. If you can’t stand the heat, do you get out of the kitchen (literally)?

Well, no. First of all, we’ve had an open kitchen for as long as I can remember so it never gets too hot in our kitchen. And secondly, if it gets too hot, I know my food is almost done! Right? Right. But I barely ever cook anything too complicated so this never happens to me.