5 things I kind of almost want to go back in time and do...

1. Not lose my digital camera with all of my pictures from high school graduation

Seriously. Where did it even go? I'm convinced it's buried deep in the sand on Crystal Beach somewhere. Maybe someday I'll find it washed up on the shore…okay no. It's gone, and thankfully so are all awkward pictures of me from graduation.

2. Learn how to curl my hair before the age of 24

I teach middle school.  Every student in my classes can curl their hair to absolute perfection and I'm still working on not burning my face with the curling iron. I rarely have time or energy in the morning to curl or even straighten my hair so I usually go the air dry route. In the meantime, I am surrounded by 13 year olds who look more put together than I do! WHEN did 8th graders learn to do their hair? I don't even think I used a blow drier in 8th grade. I blame it on social media.

3. Decorate the top of my cap for college graduation

Because this is really cute and I just wish I had done it. I could do it now, but it wouldn't be authentic. My college graduation was filled with super authentic fights with my family and naps in my best friend's bed while her mom packed up the rest of our stuff. I would say it was a pretty perfect day all around.

4. Not gain the freshman…20

Because they were really hard to lose again. But I learned a lot while doing it and the mac n' cheese at Cranston was TOTALLY worth it. Am I right?? Besides, I was a little bit chunky in the above picture, but I was in LONDON and life was absolutely beautiful!

5. Walk for my Masters Graduation

BUT I actually moved to Arizona before it happened and as much as I would love to have one of those sweet hood things, I really like Arizona and I couldn't take one more DAY of a long distance relationship.

I mean really, my life has been pretty incredible.

There might be some things that I see on social media and wish I had done, but I really don't think I would change any piece of my life. Who knows if it would have turned out the way it has? I am pretty thrilled with the way my life is going.

BUT the fact that every 8th grader's hair looks better than mine at work on a daily basis will never be okay.

Love & Light,
Leah

Not on a DIET

Can I just start off by saying...

I AM NOT ON A DIET.

I have a diet. I try to eat healthy. One more time, I TRY to eat healthy.

I do not walk around claiming to have stopped eating sugar or to have given up sweets and chocolate forever because for me, that would be unrealistic.

I do not make drastic changes in my daily diet because I believe that "dieting" is a waste of time and does more harm than good. I am not a health expert. I am not perfect. I am learning every single day. I am eating chocolate almost every single day.

So, please kindly stop talking to me about my "diet"
Stop shaming me for eating something that isn't "clean" or posting rude comments on my Instagram trying to "call me out" for not eating healthy 100% of the time.

I have made many changes in the way I eat. I eat healthy meals, I eat more protein and veggies than I used to and less carbs than I once did, but you better believe that on Sunday after church, I sometimes go to Einstein Brothers and get a bagel with cream cheese AND butter and eat every last bite.

Yes, I advocate a healthy lifestyle. I believe that part of eating a healthy lifestyle is enjoying food and not being ashamed of what you eat. There was a time when I used to hide the bad things I ate. There was a time when I ate granola bars for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The types of comments that I hear today and the same comments that I heard when I was 15 and had incredibly disordered eating.

So STOP. I can laugh it off, but there is someone in your life that won't be able to.
There is someone in your life who needs you to stop shaming them for what they are eating.

I'm so sorry if my real sugar caramel macchiato on Instagram is bothering you, but please, keep it to yourself.