learning

08/20

29 Lessons Learned Over My 29 Years of Life…

Since this is my last year in my 20s, I feel like it’s my last year to be a mess or make mistakes. Now I know that’s not the case; I’m sure I’ll make more. I’ve done pretty well for myself so far, BUT Ima do my best to remember what I’ve learned these last 29 years… and try my best not to repeat any former mistakes. At least not for the next decade…

In no particular order:
29 Things I’ve Learned In My 29 Years of Life

1. Surround yourself w/ peeps that make you feel happy/loved/spirited/excited and that love you EXACTLY how you already are.

2. Don’t judge. You never know where somebody else is coming from. Often you’re surprised to find the people you may dislike the most are an awful lot like you.

3. Always carry-on… as much as possible anyway. Checked bags get lost. A lot.

via

4. Always pack a bathing suit and extra underwear. I mean… why not? It’s not like it takes up that much space. You never know when you’ll be delayed/cancelled/wind up in another country…

5. Share what you have with others… even if all you have is a good attitude.

6. Be where the opportunities are. Be proactive! That ish doesn’t just find you (not always).

via

7. Boys DON’T ignore you when they like you. I’m glad I had an older brother to tell me these things. There was still heartache, but less confusion about boys’ antics growing up.

via

8. Just because he likes you doesn’t mean you HAVE to like him. It has to be mutual if it’s going to go anywhere.

9. When there’s money to be made, make it. Especially in the independent contractor world; being self-employed is awesome, but not as predictable/stable.

10. Travel as much as possible. It’s a big-ass world out there.

via

11. Keep #10 in check… being broke/ in debt isn’t much fun.

12. Don’t make excuses. Nobody wants to hear them and you’re only shifting blame from yourself to feel better.

13. When you’re a kid and you don’t brush your teeth in order to “stick it to the Man”, you’re only hurting yourself. #wishminewerewhite

via

14. Never leave a job until you have another one lined up. This helps motivate you to find one faster and keeps you from freaking out financially. It’s always worked for me.

15. Be patient. This always has been, and always will be, the hardest thing for me.

16. Go barefoot. Feel the ground.
16b. Watch where you step. Don’t step in dog ish.

via

17. Get to know the city you live in, even if you don’t want to be there. It helps…

18. Make new friends… even if you don’t need more. You can never have too many girlfriends.

via

19. Cheaper airfare is available during the middle of the week.

20. Never lose your inner child; dance as much as possible.

21. Don’t spend every penny you earn.

22. Sugar is yummy. But after age 25, it hides your abs and holds them hostage for a loooong time.

23. You can do a little of everything! Just not all at the same time…

24. When you follow your gut, you wind up exactly where you need to be.

via

25. Accountants and Financial Planners are the bomb. Make friends with some.

26. Spend more time happy than sad.

27. Being scared is ok. It gives you the chance to be brave, which gives you more strength later.

via

28. It’s nobody else’s responsibility to make you happy. The only person that can do that is you. If something’s not working, change it yourself.

29. Don’t settle. Ever. Bitches.

It’s a good thing I’m so wise now… ; )

What things have you learned, other 29/30 year olds?

posted by Ami McMullen 7 Comments
Filed Under: Birthday, learning

07/17

The Things I Learned Making Blueberry Pie…

Pie making can take precedence over anything else when you’ve got a craving.
Even when you try to ignore it by putting on your workout clothes and getting your dog ready for a run… Don’t worry, I took him out after. He still loves me, see? Plus I gave him parts of the crust. ; )

Get your neighbors’ phone numbers in advance if you know you like to bake and want to avoid trips to the store when you only need a spoonful or two of ONE ingredient. I don’t have my neighbors’ digits. : (
Texting and asking for an ingredient on Saturday morning sounds way better than knocking on their door… especially when their significant other has spent the night. This was my predicament when I stood staring at my neighbor’s front door after seeing her with her boo the night before. I chose not to knock and turned back to my house in search of another option.
When you NEED a half a cup of shortening for for your bottom crust, and a half cup for your top crust and you only HAVE 3/4 of a cup… just go to the store.
Because when you try to stretch it… the universe smacks you upside your dome and makes you drop your spoonful of it right on the kitchen floor. Now you HAVE to go to the store to buy more. #effoffuniverse

When your pastry is being a b*tch and won’t roll out correctly, DON’T GIVE UP. You’re better than that!
Sure, I could have saved time had I thrown it away and started over, but I didn’t jack the recipe, I used the exact amount of ingredients and have made it a dozen times. Something was off and I couldn’t tell what it was. So I just made it work. And it did. #takethatsucka
Don’t pay attention to how much sugar and butter you actually have to use for your desserts… when you make them yourself, you realize how awful they are for you health-wise. Just measure, pour, and move on. Then go back in your brain, rewind, erase, and start recording over it…
Don’t forget to close and pinch off the sides of the crust, top-to-bottom. ‘Cause if you don’t, blueberries seep out e’erwhere. And the aesthetic is gone.
Even if it looks a HOT MESS, it’s still tastes awesome.

Cherry Pie and Lemon Meringue musings of the past.

posted by Ami McMullen 4 Comments
Filed Under: baking, learning

03/23

Things I Learned Making Lemon Meringue Pie…

Since I love to bake and hate to do yard work, my roomie and I have an agreement:

She doesn’t make me mow grass, and I make pies.

It’s a win-win. And since it’s super warm out and everything’s blooming early, it was finally time for T to cut the grass… and for me to make my first pie of the season. Tamara chose Lemon Meringue, which I’ve never tackled before. NBD.

*Hot water pastry is the easiest/fastest way to make the crust.

* When making the pie filling, don’t try to multitask. It makes your pan look like this:

*When a recipe calls for a double boiler and you don’t have one,

you stick a bowl over a pan and voila!

(ghetto, but it works)

*When you can’t find your mixer, you can just make meringue

by beating egg yolks with a fork really effing fast.

*Approximately 90 seconds after, when your arm is about to fall off,

just go search for your mixer. Mine was in the attic.

*Mixers are the BOMB. Kudos to the mixer inventor.

*If you feel like you burned your filling(when you tried to multitask earlier), don’t worry.

It all works out once you add in the rest of the ingredients and cook.

*Getting a “few” gratings off a lemon rind takes elbow grease…

or a sharper grater.

*When it’s done and you put the pie in the oven to brown,

only put it in for 3 minutes, instead of 5, so it doesn’t burn.

*If it’s not as brown as you want it for looks,

you can use a lighter!

*Just don’t burn yourself. Obvi.

I used a long candle lighting lighter…

again… ghetto, but it works.

*If you’re making the crust from scratch, all in all, this pie took me 2 hours (I think) to finish.

Glad I had a few hours free. First times take me forever.

*Lemon Meringue pie is yummy, and not as hard as I thought it would be.

For my Cherry Pie musings, go here.

posted by Ami McMullen 2 Comments
Filed Under: baking, learning

02/22

Never Stop Learning

People ask me all the time how to become a trainer, what makes a great trainer, how to you get to be a presenter, etc… My answer is simple: NEVER STOP LEARNING.

Step 1: Buy books that pertain to your industry.

Step 2: Shove the info into your brain.

Step 3: Learn like a mother* and be smarter/better!

*photobucket is being a B so forgive the missing #1

Sure you need a degree and a certification to get started/hired, but the great leaders of any industry are always pushing themselves to know more, stay ahead of the curve, and THAT’S why they end up being the leaders of their industry.

Yes, I have my degree,

a couple certifications,

and years of experience,

but I’m far from knowing it all.

And if you think you already know it all,

you’re dumber than you know.

So invest in yourself. Especially if you’re a business owner. I spend lots of money on continuing education each year. I go to conferences, I take courses, I read books. And THAT’S what separates me from Joe Blow down the street that just likes to work out and has a good body, so he became a trainer at Bob’s Gym. I try to get a new book every month and my reading goal is to spend about 20 minutes a day reading for my profession. It’s a small goal, easy to hit, and I usually end up engrossed and reading more…

What am I reading now?