Online Degree

Since I have very little time this week to write a proper post or even mention some of the awesome things we did in Florida, I'm just going to throw one out there!

While on vacation out of no where it hit me.. instead of wasting time in the evenings watching movies or tv, maybe I should start using that time toward something more worth while... like a college degree.  See, I tried community college twice after high school, but it just wasn't for me.  Sitting in the long classes, tons of homework in the evening, come on, I was 18/19 yrs old and I had other things on my mind (plus petty part time jobs).  Then when I met my future husband, we had way more fun missing classes here & there and going on dates to get to know each other.  Before I knew it we were moving overseas, and the thoughts of a small community college were well behind me.

Now here I am over 11 yrs later... an adult.. a wife... a mother... and not many years of mature work experience behind me.  And for the first time realizing if I ever want to get back into the general workforce I might need a degree in my hand just to get through the door.  In my dreams, I am too creative for a desk job, I want to write, I want to create, and for this you don't need a basic degree, just a unique imagination.  But in reality, that doesn't always pay the bills.

When I returned from our vacation I decided to start checking into an online degree.  This suites me better, doing it at my own time & pace, and around the busy schedule of our family in the evenings from my home computer.  Plus I still live in The Netherlands and I am wanting to get an American (possibly UK) college degree.  But to my astonishment these online degrees (even just an associates) is still damn expensive.  Especially for someone who has no idea what they even want to study and thought of it on a whim.  I guess I'm going to have to give this more serious thought... considering I'm still too big of a wuss to try and publish any of my fiction stories.

Any of you have online college degrees?  If so, what was your experience?  Which school did you choose and why?

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

I'm Back!

I'm back... even though you didn't even know I was gone!  Sunday we returned from a 2 week vacation to Florida!  Why Florida?  Well, if you know anything about me (even if you don't and per chance read my profile) you'd know I was born & raised in Florida.  So when it comes time to visit the family I can't really complain that I have to go to one of the biggest tourist traps in the world.  This round we (my husband, me, & our 4 yr old daughter) rented a house in Orlando with the in-laws.  Now that we've gone this route, I can't imagine ever doing anything different (well, other than the costs!)  The house had plenty of space so we weren't stepping on each others toes, it had a heated pool (someone was in the pool 1-5 times a day), it had a game room, and was one exit down from Disney!  It might have been a once in a lifetime trip, and trust me, we saved for a long time to make it happen.  It was great seeing my family again, due to living on different continents we only see each other roughly once a year.  And even squeezed in time to see some old friends!  Obviously there is so much to tell, but I'm not going to overload this post.  Plus I have plenty of stuff to take care of around the house, there's rounding off the unpacking and the realtor scheduled 2 viewings at the end of the week.  Basically this week is going to be a series of working my butt off and naps to get adjusted to the time difference (what a combo)!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Zeeman

What a waste of paper!  I bought one item and the receipt is way too long!  I went specifically to this store because their batteries are cheap but yet I feel I'm costing the environment a lot :( 
Have any of you noticed paper waste after simple purchases?

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Exercise Buddy

In order to keep my fitness routine interesting and not get burnt out so easily, I'm mixing things up.  Instead of creating unrealistic goals or fitness binging, I'm aiming to exercise around 3 times a week.  And also to help, I'm doing different types of fitness on each day.  There's trusty water aerobics, also dependable pilates and/or my elliptical machine, and now I'm tossing in speed walking / jogging.  Obviously I have to build up to the jogging, I don't last long now but who knows what the future holds.  I do have some inspiration & motivation behind this, 1 being my old bestie has transformed into a marathon runner (check out her blog), and I'm already daily in the woods with my dog, so why not jog along with her.  She really seemed to enjoy it when I started running along next to her, she was jumping all over the place and really encouraging me, thanks Maggie!  If this new routine is manageable I should be able to eat whatever I want... have I ever mentioned how much I looooove food?

What's your realistic & manageable fitness routine?

(Maggie is Wheaten Terrier, she normally has long curly hair, but I recently shaved her to help with the tangles, hope the breeder doesn't see this pic, ha-ha!)

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

The Graduates

A lot of people seem to be afraid of young hairdressers right out of school... I have a different view... I look at them as excited talent with a lot of new ideas and all the latest, trendy, & fresh training under their belt!  Who knows more about make-up  & hair than the teens / 20 yr olds who devote a lot of their spare time to it!  I know I invested a lot more time in that kind of stuff when I was younger.

Being said, I have found a salon in Eindhoven that supplies just this!  The Graduates!  Their entire system is based on upcoming hair dressers that are often rotated between 3 locations (Amsterdam, Utrecht, & Eindhoven).  These women are constantly learning (even though they already have their degrees), which means they always know what's popular in the market!  And the salon itself is hip, just like the people working there!  And an added bonus are the trend boards displayed around the salon.

 

When you walk in you get a personal consult in the "living room".  Then the hair dresser runs your combined ideas by her "coach".  After that she gets started, all the while giving in depth explanations of the products and maneuvers.  And just before she finishes the "coach" pops by to double check her work and add any beneficial commentary / ideas.

I've never been afraid to give a studying hairdresser a chance, remember my post from 2012 about my free hair cut (luckily it went well).  The women at The Graduates are very professional and if I didn't know better I wouldn't have realized they were fresh out of school.

So far I've been there 3 times, the first 2 times Jamie cut my hair, and this past time Marnie.  They both have different techniques and input but I must admit Marnie did a rockin' job and I hope she'll be there when my hair gets too long & out of control again.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with going to a trusted hairdresser with their own salon and a packed client list... but have you ever wondered when they last had time to attend a training or why the books lying around their shop are starting to turn yellow?  If you're in the Eindhoven area please give The Graduates a chance, you'll be impressed.  And we both get discounts if you give me a heads up (I have a promo card)!

Of course I threw in some pics for you... and obviously I'm happy with the result of the hair mask and cut!  Wish I could just recreate it at home, but she did give me some tips to help!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Reformed Smoker

I used to smoke cigarettes... it's been 10 yrs this month since I stopped.  It was one of those things I wanted to try but knew I would hate.  Yeah, that didn't work so well considering I smoked for 8 yrs!

The summer before I started high school I tried cigarettes & beer.  Little did I know at 14yrs old that it was the beginning of a wild ride!

I was one of the "rebellious" kids in high school, maybe I was breaking away from my nerd image, maybe it was the freedom of getting away from conformed religion, maybe it was other stuff I'd rather not mention.  Anyway, it was who I became for a long while. 

I was the teen that took bathroom breaks and came back reeking of smoke.  How did I really believe no one noticed, ha-ha?  Smoking in the school bathroom caused a lot hassles for me, like numerous visits to the office & a big fine!

But those hassles were also pretty funny memories (later).  One time we were all piled up in the handicap stall and of course the cigarette had just been passed to me when one of the teachers (possibly school cop - it was a long time ago) busted us.  There was little I could do, it was obviously in my hand.  So like any other rebel, of course, I blew the smoke in her face and took my punishment.

Or the time the teacher made me wet the cigarette and take it to the office as evidence.  Have you ever smelled a wet cigarette butt, ugh?  For some reason admin wasn't available, I sat there for ages stinking up the office, re-explaining my story to every adult that walked in, and eventually tossed it and returned to class (just can't remember if I actually got detention or not). 

The best was when they busted me for the umpteenth time and were finally sick of it.  They sent me to court and hit me with a fine.  In order to repay the fine my mom found the worst job around, I was forced to work at a fish farm in the weekends vacuuming poop & muck from the tanks.  I made more than enough money to repay the fine but my mom kept the leftover money.  (And despite being rebellious I was also a hard worker and the farm kept me on for a while, I think it was possibly one of my first jobs.)

Times have changed since I was in high school and obviously I have too.  Just wonder what the kids actually get away with these days?  Some things don't change though, I still occasionally walk up on the teens smoking in the woods across from the high school where I walk my dog.  We've even seen them time when the teacher walks by and they slip away for a quick puff, ha-ha!  I guess not everything has changed.

Did any of you smoke cigarettes in high school?  Any of you reformed smokers?  (And yes, I did find a clip from Full House, have to love & hate the 90's!)

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

School Vacation

This week the schools are out here, which means finding a way to entertain my 4yr old, all day.  And apparently she doesn't consider doing the laundry, vacuuming, or going to the grocery store entertainment, ha-ha!!!  I think I've done pretty well though - even though it's Thursday and I'm exhausted... she's still up watching a movie with her cousins.

Walking the dog in the woods has become part of our day, it really helps to pass a good chunk of time, keeps her moving, and entertained.  Who knew you could collect that many acorns?!  (Walking the dog in the woods is a usual activity for me but she is generally at school during that time.)

We've also gone to the public pool, which is one of the largest in the area with slides and all kinds of fun things.  This helped keep up with her swimming lessons, wear her down, and keep her entertained.  (As for me, I also had water aerobics that night and felt like a walking chlorine tablet by bedtime.)

There was also the playdate with an old friend from her preschool.  I must admit the weather is great here right now, so visiting the local farm, feeding the ducks, and the "gnome search" set-up in the herb garden was fun.  (Watching a man losing his shoe in the canal was just an added bonus!)

Then we had my nieces (9 & 12) over for the day and now they're spending the night.  We barely stopped... more than an hour in the woods collecting plants and what not, placing our collections in pots back home, hitting up the grocery store (putting them to work pushing the cart), visiting 2 different playgrounds, making endless messes around the house including them drawing all over themselves, and now a movie in bed.  (And oh yeah, I can still play a mean game of HORSE!)

The weeks not over, and there are more walks and even a bbq planned.  Who ever said vacations were for resting???

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Music Moments #6

Being that I'm in the car roughly 2hrs a day (school runs & sports) I have a lot of time to listen to music.  You can often catch me using my steering wheel as a drum or singing at the top of my lungs.  But being that I listen to so much music I can easily get bored of a song or cd, so it's important to keep finding new stuff.  (New to me, not per say new to the market.)

During the last season or so of X Factor or American Idol I kept hearing poor attempts at some song called Radioactive.  After a while I grew curious and wondered what the actual song sounded like.  After hearing Imagine Dragons original version I knew I wanted this on my car playlist!  I went even further and gave the entire album (Night Visions) a chance.  Not every song is for me, but I definitely have favorites to recommend besides Radioactive...  Demons, I can play this over and over... On Top of the World, it's just fun.  And even better, we get to see Imagine Dragons live this summer, because they're playing at a huge weekend long music festival and we have tickets!!!

And obviously I can't survive on one album alone when bopping back and forth, so I tossed in some John Mayer also.  (Funnily enough my husband and I stumbled upon his music in the same weekend, while in different countries!)  My husband basically likes one song, Speak For Me... I am yet to get this in my car but will probably get around to it this week.  Me, I've been giving his Paradise Valley album a chance.  There are a handful of songs I like... Dear Marie, Badge & Gun, Waitin' on the Day, & I Will Be Found... o.k., more than I realized!  Needless to say, I'll be looking up more of his music.  (And I don't care that my friends laughed and said they don't take him serious.)

What are you listening to these days?  Any recommendations for my car playlist?

(BTW, still occasionally listening to the songs from Music Moments #5!)

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica