Monthly Goals: October

Goal Setting

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been bad about writing down my goals and then never really thinking about them again. It’s always so nice in the moment to think about all the things I could accomplish in a month, but after I lose that piece of scrap paper I scribbled it on, it’s out of sight, out of mind for me. I’ve tried typing it in a memo on my phone, but I rarely open the app, so it doesn’t really do me any good there either. Now I’m trying this: typing it all out and posting it online where everyone can see. At the end of the month, I’ll do a “Month In Review” post where I talk about these goals and how I accomplished them- or how I didn’t accomplish some of them. Here we go!

Write More

This month, I really want to focus on writing more. I feel like I always have the urge to write something, but I will very rarely just sit down and pick a topic. I look at topic lists all the time and just think that I’m not interesting enough to write about any of those things and have people actually want to read it. I need to get out of this type of thinking. Even if the topic has been covered by hundreds of other blogs, this is MY perspective. That’s enough to make it unique.

Writing also helps me clear my mind and really take a look at how I’m feeling. It helps me unwind and gives me a very helpful and useful creative outlet. I love the feeling of holding a pen or typing away on a keyboard. I wish I got to do it more often and with confidence. I recently started my blog over after taking a “leave of absence” for lack of a better term, and getting in the habit of writing will help this idea of mine really take off. I’ll get the practice I need and I’ll be happier because of that. It’s really just a win-win if I accomplish this goal in October. It’ll set me up for all the future months of blogging and give me that sense of purpose I’ve been craving.

Make More Time For The Things That Make Me Happy

This goes without saying, but I’m going to put it out there anyway. When we make time for things that make us happy, we become- well, happier! There’s a reason we all have our own interests and things that help us calm down after a long day. We all have something that we love to do. For my husband, his absolute favorite is gaming. My absolute favorite is a toss up between writing, reading, and making art. I haven’t been very good about making time for these simple yet rewarding things in my life. I have been so obsessed with my fast-paced lifestyle that I’ve often found that I’m worn down and exhausted. I feel as if even the smallest thing could push me over the edge.

I have also noticed that when I’m doing more of my favorite things, I feel more productive, put together, and content with life in general. I feel like I’m doing things right and it makes it harder for me to get stuck in a rut. I love getting lost in a book or an article from another talented blogger. I love the feeling that follows being productive in these ways. I feel like I’ve accomplished something amazing when I finish an embroidery project. I feel empowered every time I get a like on one of my blog posts. I feel more myself when I have a book that I can’t separate myself from until I’ve read it cover to cover. The things that make us happy will often also make us feel complete.

Keep My Home Clean

Okay, I’m sure this is a goal for everyone, but with both me and my husband starting new jobs, out home has gotten a little hectic, to say the least. We have laundry everywhere, and we are constantly just in a Grab-n-go mindset. We always think we will just “pick it up later” and that just keeps adding up until it’s just too much to handle all at once. It’s overwhelming. It’s so much nicer to just keep the place clean and come home to that every day. We used to be pretty good at this, but now we have to learn to adjust our habits to match our new schedules.

Having a clean home makes it easier for me too decompress when I get home after work every day, and it makes it easier for me to focus on all the little things I want to do like writing, reading, embroidering, spending time with my husband, etc. My brain feels less cluttered when my home is less cluttered. Since I want to start blogging more and more as time goes on, it just makes sense that I should also want to keep my home clean so I can focus more on my blog and everything else that enriches my life.

Go Out With Friends More

I feel like I’ve been blaming my new schedule for everything in this post, but it’s also been harder to hang out with my friends now. We can only hang out in the evenings during the week, but I do have the entire weekend off now. I have gotten into the habit of using the weekends as my time to run errands though which doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for fun.

I’m also perfectly content with just having people over and not going out to do anything, but that’s not really healthy for me. I know I need to get out more and just go do something with my friends. Plus, who doesn’t love a good adventure? It wouldn’t even need to be anything big. Maybe just grabbing dinner or going to the beach. I just know that it’s beneficial for me to get out of the house with the people I like spending time with.

Disconnect From Social Media For One Day

This one is something that has been suggested by so many people for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I have honestly gone one full day without looking at Social Media on my phone. It takes up way too much of my time that I could be using to do more things that make me happy. I am happy to say that I have finally come to my senses and decided to give this a try. I don’t want my life to be consumed by social media. I don’t want to be one of those people that can’t really enjoy the moment because they’re too busy checking on what people on the internet are posting about. I want to be able to live a full, happy life. Life isn’t contained on our phones. It’s out there in the real world. It’s all around us if we would just look.

These are my goals for this month. I had listed quite a few more than this, but I feel like this is a good place to start. All of these goals will help me improve myself and my quality of life.I want to become the best version of me possible. I want to be someone that enjoys life and takes care of herself and her family. I want to be passionate and brave. Setting goals like this and accomplishing them by a certain time will help me get there. Hopefully these become habits of mine.

Do you write out your monthly goals? What are they? How do you accomplish them? Let me know in the comments below!

5 things I CAN’T live without!

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If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only bring five things with you, what would you bring? Assume that clothing, food, water and shelter are all taken care of. What would you bring? What would make your life better? What can’t you live without?

Here’s my list of five things I can’t live without:

1. My Phone! Let’s just assume there’s electricity on this island because let’s be honest; I could not be okay without it. I use my phone so much. From writing my blog posts, to keeping in touch with my family and friends, to helping me calm down and relax after a stressful/anxiety ridden day, my phone is a necessity in my life. While it’s definitely nice to unplug from everything, I can’t go very long without my phone or I start to feel insane. Being alone on an island would be difficult enough, but being without human connection? Not good. At least this way I’ll still be able to text, call, and FaceTime my people back home.

2. My kindle! Again, assume I have a way to charge it and connect to WiFi… This is starting to sound like a pretty great island for introverts like me… Anyway, I love reading. I’ve been in love with books since second grade when I read The Wizard Of Oz. I grew up listening to my mom reading books to me like Harry Potter and Eragon. I wouldn’t be able to stay sane without them. If I’m going to be on this island all alone, I’m going to need some form of entertainment other than my phone, and my kindle is just perfect! I can store so many books on there that can keep me entertained for hours at a time. I love immersing myself in a good story.

3. Sketchbook & Pencils! I know that’s more than one thing, but we’re just gonna lump them together for this. I don’t consider myself an artist or anything, but I love being able to draw, sketch and just write everything down. There’s something so relaxing and relieving about it. It helps me cope with my anxiety and calm my brain down a little bit. Seeing all my ideas on paper makes everything easier to think about and sort through. I’m not stuck going in circles over and over again in my head.

4. Headphones! I don’t know about you, but I have to be able to block out other noise and just listen to some good music. It helps me relax and it makes me happy. A lot of noises also tend to annoy the heck out of me, so headphones are my way of staying calm sometimes. If I’m going to be trapped with a bunch of noisy bugs and who knows what else, I might has well have a way to forget about it all for a little bit. Music has a way of taking me to a whole new place and time sometimes. One moment, I’m sitting on my couch. The next minute, I’m back in seventh grade reliving the first heartbreak I ever had. It’s not always sad moments like that, but you get the point.

5. Soap & Lotion! I HATE being dirty! It makes me feel so bad about myself and just generally feels gross. I can’t enjoy myself if I’m not clean. I don’t honestly understand people that go days without showering. Sometimes I just step outside and I immediately feel like I need a good shower. Living on an island, I’d probably want to wash off a couple times a day so lotion would also be a necessity. Gotta lock that moisture in!

I couldn’t live on an island without these things honestly. They all help me in different ways and make my life a lot richer (or cleaner). There’s a lot more stuff that I would love to bring with me but these would be the first things packed for sure. I don’t really go anywhere without them. Other than soap. I don’t tend to carry that around in my purse.

What’s something you can’t live without?

Intro to Mairyn Elise!

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We lost Mairyn Elise to suicide April 1, 2021 at the age of 22. She is terribly missed by family and friends. This blog has been left for her loved ones. The world was more beautiful with Mairyn in it. If you’re feeling depressed, remember that you will be missed. Please choose to live another day and get help. If you’ll do something extreme to end your life, why not go to the extreme to save it?

Call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255

I’ve thought about what I should write first for a while now, and it just made sense to write about my life a little bit. I want you to feel like you know me and I want you to feel comfortable here. My experiences are completely my own and I want that authenticity to show in every single post. Let’s get started!

I was born in Edina, Minnesota in 1998…….

Okay, I’m not going to go THAT far back. Let’s just give you some basics.

I grew up with two older brothers, and my dad recently retired from the Navy after over 20 years of service. We weren’t the typical military family though and ended up staying in Florida for about 12 years straight before moving to California for a year. My parents and my oldest brother still live out there and recently moved from the Los Angeles area to San Diego. While I was living with them in California, my mom and I were also planning my wedding and my brother was preparing for and having brain surgery. It was a busy year for sure, but I loved living out there. I got married on October 5th in San Diego with the help of my wonderful parents. This was after my brother’s brain surgery. After that, I moved across the country with my husband BACK to Florida

My work life has pretty much always been a mess, but it’s finally calming down after what feels like forever. My first job ever was as a dog bather at PetSmart. I stayed with the company for almost three years. Earlier this year, I went to the grooming academy and became a dog groomer. I was extremely excited about this change at the time and had been preparing for it for over a year. Unfortunately, while it was something I was passionate about, my body couldn’t keep up with the strain of it all and my physical and mental health was declining rapidly. One of my friends told me about a receptionist opportunity at her current job, and the rest is history. I’ve been here a little over a month, and it’s been a much needed change in my life. I have already noticed a huge difference in myself overall since coming here. The job is much more relaxed, which allows me to work on stuff like this! That’s right! I can write for my blog while doing my job here. How great is that? I used to come home from work already dreading the next day and being in so much pain that I couldn’t function when I got home. Working even three days in a row seemed impossible. Doing the dishes seemed impossible. Focusing on my favorite book or movie seemed impossible. Now I am working five days straight every single week, and I am feeling so much better. I have the energy to do the things I love and I am a much happier person because of that.

If you couldn’t tell, this job has allowed me the opportunity to focus on myself and my growth. It’s also given my body the chance to recover from all the stress it was under, and while I am waiting for my new insurance to take effect, I’m not making my health worse just by working. I am very passionate about doing what’s best for yourself and this is just one example of me doing that.

Talking more about my health, when I was in seventh grade I started to complain of joint pain and fatigue. I felt as if I couldn’t keep up with my classmates physically, and by the time I was in High School marching band, one long practice could mean a whole day of recovering at home while everyone else was able to attend their classes. Later on, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Hypermobility. This was not the answer I had been hoping for, but it has been a learning experience for me and an opportunity for growth as well. It’s made me stop and listen to my body a lot more than I would have in the past and it has let me slow down and enjoy all the little things in my life. You will most likely see me write about my experiences with this and my other health issues that I face later on in this blog, but if you’re interested now, I have a few articles on The Mighty. The Mighty is an online magazine and community that focuses on chronic illness, mental and physical health, and the stigma that’s attached to invisible illnesses.

One thing you will also notice about me going forward is that I love visual art. I won’t identify as an artist or anything of that sort just because I haven’t reached that level of confidence with my work yet, but I do enjoy learning more about it and appreciate going to art museums and everything else. Very recently, I picked cross-stitching back up after years of ignoring it, and I even started learning how to embroider as well. Creative outlets bring me so much joy and comfort when life seems crazy, and I am grateful for that.

I am also a very religious person. I have been going to the same church my entire life, and have grown to love it more than anything else in my life. This is something that I hope to share more openly than I have in the past, and I hope that it can inspire you as well. We are all learning and growing throughout our lives and I want to be able to share those experiences with others. If religion isn’t something you believe in, or you just don’t have the same beliefs as me, please don’t feel unwelcome here. Everyone sees the world differently, and that is OK. I do not harbor any negative feelings toward anyone based on beliefs or politics. We are all human and we are all unique. This uniqueness ensures that we will not always see eye to eye on everything. I respect everyone’s opinions and beliefs and hope that mine can be respected in return.

I live a simple yet happy life. I plan on having kids someday, I work full time and am off on the weekends, and try my best to spend time doing the things I love. I enjoy going to Disney and Universal when I have the chance, beach trips, video games, and just spending time together with my animals. Some of my favorite memories were made in my little apartment with them.

Image Credit: Third Hour on Instagram

This blog is really going to be about me sharing my life and thoughts with all of you, hoping to inspire, help or uplift you along the way. Thank you for stopping by!

About Me!

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Hey guys! Welcome to my blog!

My name is Mairyn. I am 21 and live in Florida with my crazy dog Kazi and sweet but sassy bunny Button. I love going to church, reading good books, and making pretty things like embroidery, cross-stitch, and drawings. I also have a love for everything Disney, and all things Harry Potter. I am a proud Hufflepuff that loves going on adventures and finding the beauty in simple things. –

I started blogging to write about my life and how I am able to cope with various life changes, health problems, and how I stay focused on God. I’m sharing my perspective in hopes that my experience helps someone else along the way, or least seems mildly entertaining at times. I am also doing this to look back on and grow from these experiences. Writing allows us to really ponder our thoughts and feelings about everything happening around us, and it’s something a lot of people take for granted. I hope that at some point along the way, you can feel inspired to go out of your comfort zone, or take a chance. I hope you learn to love your life and yourself a little more.

One of my favorite quotes is “Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day” -unknown author.

On April 1, 2021 Mairyn Elise ended her life by suicide.

She is missed terribly by family and friends. She felt deeply, cared for others more than they often knew, and hid how much she hurt. She suffered from anxiety and depression and survived spousal abuse. We find peace and hope in knowing that she has found escape and joy in the arms of her Savior. Her faith was strong, and she left us many of her notes sharing those thoughts. She was a beautiful daughter of God.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by life, unloved, and that life isn’t worth living, please know that is NOT true! You WILL be missed. PLEASE get help. The National Suicide Hotline is 1-800-273-8255

Life With A Bunny! & Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Rabbits in General

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Everyone looks at bunnies and thinks they’re just these super cute fluff balls that like to munch on hay all day. While that is all true, they are also so much more than that.

When I got my bunny, I didn’t really know exactly what I was getting myself into. I knew about her lifespan and her basic needs but I didn’t really know anything past that. After two years of living with her, this is what life with a bunny looks like.

Morning Time: In the morning, my bunny Button is already waiting for her food. She’s throwing things around in her kennel and maybe even stomping trying to get my attention. I normally wake up to the sound of her chewing on her kennel. My bunny alarm clock doesn’t stop going off until she gets her breakfast and fresh water.

After work: After I get home from work, she’s ready for more food and lots of attention. She gets let out of her kennel to run and binky all over my room. She loves to run. She also loves making noise. She grunts and grinds her teeth and she has one of those cat tunnels that crinkle when they run through it and she absolutely adores the stupid thing.

Night Time: After running around all day, she’s ready for a banana or some cilantro as her “midnight” snack. She gets lots of snuggles and goes back in her kennel for the night. During the night, she can get pretty sassy and start stomping her feet. She does that to get my attention and to tell me she wants out. She’s used to sleeping with me at night, so this transition has been a little hard for her. We don’t let her sleep with us anymore because there’s two of us now and we don’t want to accidentally roll over her in our sleep.

That’s just the beginning of life with a bunny. Those are the daily adventures of Button. Her mood changes daily though so her behavior also changes.

This past week, for example, she has been a huge sass queen. Any time I have reached in her kennel to fill her food up, she has grunted at me and nudged my hand (her way of asking for attention). If we start giving our other animals love, she gets jealous and hops over to us slowly. She’s not so sure about how she feels toward the other animals, but she knows we are her humans and she thinks we only love her.

If we hold our hands out at all, she will run up and nudge our hands like a cat when it wants attention. As long as you’re petting her head and ears, she will lay there. She would stay there forever if it was possible.

Any time she hears a bag crinkle, she automatically thinks it’s for her and comes running. She’s the cutest lil thing when she’s excited.

While she is cute, she is also very destructive. She has chewed through countless chords and has chewed holes in some of my shirts and purses and even chewed an entire corner of carpet in my old house. Bunny proofing your home is a necessary precaution with a bunny. I have chord protectors on all the chords in our bedroom and have NIC grids along all of our baseboards so she doesn’t chew them.

She can be messy. Even though she is litter trained, Button also loves to dig in her litter box and sometimes throws dirty litter or other things out of her litter box for me to sweep up.

Even though she is messy with her litter, rabbits are actually huge neat freaks. Button, like a cat, grooms herself multiple times a day and never has an unpleasant odor. If she washes her face around you, it means she trusts you completely and is extremely comfortable in her environment.

Bunnies are prey animals. Because of this, they are always looking for escape routes and places to hide. They get spooked easily and are not suitable pets for children. They also do not like to be picked up. It reminds them too much of a predator reaching down and grabbing them so the whole experience is just terrifying for them. After they learn to trust you and you build that relationship with them however, they will learn to let you pick them up and be totally fine with it as long as it’s you and not a random stranger.

Rabbits need lots of room to run. Cages and hutches sold in pet stores are not good enough for bunnies. They don’t give them room to run around and explore and they are generally pretty messy since the whole thing is their litter box. Most hutches also have that wire flooring which is awful for rabbits feet and can lead to a lot of pain and problems down the road. Putting a rabbit in a cage or a hutch in the equivalent of Harry Potter in his closet. The only difference is that Harry Potter’s toilet is also in that closet.

Can you imagine living like that?

Bunnies are not a low cost or low maintenance pet. They require so much attention and love and different foods and vet care. They require supervision and lots and lots and LOTS of toys! It’s like having a toddler in the house. Bunnies throw tantrums just like a toddler and have the same mood swings and can sometimes be pretty unpredictable.

I would not recommend a rabbit for anyone that doesn’t have the time or patience to care for one properly. If you’re planning on getting one and sticking it in a pet store cage or hutch, a rabbit is just not the pet for you. If you think they’re just cute to look at, they probably aren’t the pet for you. If you are thinking about rescuing or adopting a rabbit, I would suggest you do your research first. Just like with any animal, you need to be prepared before you bring your rabbit home.

One of my favorite resources is actually another bunny parent. She and her bunny have a YouTube channel that I love watching. I will link one of her videos below talking about what you need before getting a rabbit.

She also has lots of other videos that are helpful for rabbit parents but if you’re just in the market for some cute bunny videos, she has those too! She has thrown her bunny birthday parties on taken her on stroller rides so there’s plenty of cute videos on there as well as informational videos.

My bunny is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me. She came into my life when I didn’t even know I needed her and has become my best friend since then. We don’t always agree on things and she definitely sasses me quite a bit, but at the end of the day, she’s my baby and I love her more than life. Living with her has been a learning experience but it has also been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. She is a huge blessing in my life.

Button washing her face in the middle of a hiking trail in Southern California.

Button being her cute, spunky self.