[a little muckraking]

a nerdy girl living the cat lady dream in the mitten (Ann Arbor)

[jodilyn]

I miss this space, so am going to try to come back regularly. And maybe post a little. We’ll see. I guess now is as good a time as any, right? :)

This summer I’ve made it my goal to always smell like a coconut because I am obsessed with that smell currently. Not sure why. So, here are some coconut-smelling products I’ve purchased and have been using and loving lately:

1)  Aveeno Skin Relief Gentle Scent Lotion For Extra Dry Skin, Nourishing Coconut

I normally don’t buy Aveeno because while the product is good, I think it can be a little spendy. Case in point, this small bottle was $7. HOWEVER, the scent is great and the lotion is thick so I probably don’t use as much. Love.

2) Victoria’s Secret PINK Coconut Milk & Pineapple body spray

I got this last summer and didn’t really use it and it looks like they may not make it any more, but I love the smell of this. 

3) Advanced Care Caring Coconut Antiperspirant 

I used to hate when my deodorant smelled like anything other than “clean,” but I’m loving the gentle scent of this.   

4) ChapStick Total Hydration 3 in 1

I love this particular brand of chapstick, but am pretty much obsessed with the coconut flavoring. Naturally. 

I also purchased coconut and pineapple candles from TJ Maxx so my home pretty much always smells like a pina colada. Highly recommend. 

What are your favorite coconut-smelling things? Anything I should definitely try out? 

[jodilyn]

Friyay! 

So ready for the weekend :)

[onlinecounsellingcollege]

Until you get comfortable with being alone, you’ll never know if you are choosing someone out of love or loneliness.

Mandy Hale (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

I know some people I’d like to say this to. 

[jodilyn]

hi, hello

haven’t posted here in a million moons, so just stopping in to say hello!

also, work got me subscriptions to the entire Adobe CC collection... so, beyond Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects... What do I need? What’s your favorite Adobe app? Which one should I invest my time in learning?

(I’m in a pretty creative environment where I spend time doing most of our digital marketing, social media and also cool stuff for things our reporters work on)

[chopsticksroad]

A quick thing for International Cat Day!

[jodilyn]

:D

[jodilyn]

Gilmore Girls Update

Does Jess ever get nicer? Less annoying?

Does Dean ever get less clingy?

Does Rory just have horrible taste in men?

[jodilyn]

Neither my mom or I have ever watched Gilmore Girls, so we’ve started binge-watching it. We’re hooked.

We’ve even started calling ourselves the “Westrick Women.”

[jodilyn]

This is a long overdue life update, mostly because I have a million thoughts/plans happening right now, so want to get them down.

1) New job in Michigan is good. The people are nice, there’s tons of creative freedom, I have a window view. I know it’s not what I want to be doing forever, but working for a university has a lot of perks, including tuition reimbursement, so I could potentially get another masters degree in something else. If school ever sounds appealing again.

2) Living in Michigan is good. I miss my people. But I’ve met a few Tumblr ladies in Ann Arbor and they’ve confirmed their wonderful-ness. SO now I’m just hoping that once I’m finally settled in Ann Arbor, meeting more wonderful people and building relationships with the other wonderful people will happen a little easier.

3) I have an apartment! It’s two bedrooms on the top floor of a house (staircase is included in my apartment, so the cats will have fun), with lots of other good amenities and a 15 minute walk to work and 20 minutes to downtown... but I can’t move in til July 1. While I’d love to get in sooner, there are some benefits - more time with my mom, less bills and no rent, so I can save more money... But I am definitely excited to get into my own space and finally get into a normal routine again.

4) Not sure who is going to be more devastated by this move - my mom or Etta. The two have become BFFs and basically nap together daily. The cats are seriously spoiled by my mom, so it’ll be a hard adjustment for them once it’s just me again. :)

5) I still struggle a bit with knowing whether or not this is the final place I want to be. I still think of Chicago. I still think of NYC. I still think of DC. I know nothing is ever final, but at some point, settling down sounds nice. But there’s still part of me that feels like I still want to live in a city-city. I guess time will tell.

6) Have I mentioned how much I’m looking forward to having a routine again? My fitness and eating habits have seriously struggled. Commuting for an hour+ each way isn’t exactly conducive to getting anything done. Also, it sounds crazy, but I think the change in location has wreaked a little havoc on my immune system. I haven’t really been sick beyond your standard cold for the last few years, but since moving here, I’ve gotten a serious stomach bug and have had a serious head cold for the last week, complete with loss of voice. I need heartier antibodies to deal with the heartier Midwest.

7) Oh! I’m also trying to deal with planning a destination-bachelorette party with a bunch of people who don’t want to commit. And also planning a bridal shower with a bride who’s kind of MIA (for good reason, so I can’t really complain). But I’m going kind of crazy and money is just kind of flying out of the window at the moment. OH. And I’m also preparing to become an Auntie for the first time at the end of July. So there are a lot of big things happening this summer/year, so I’m just trying to keep up.

That’s about everything. Hopefully things will get more exciting in July!

[jodilyn]

One of my deskmates just asked me if I knew of the cartoon “Josie and the Pussycats” and I was like “DUH!” 

ANd then he said I should have named my March Madness bracket “Jodi and the Pussycats” instead of “Jodi & the Cats” (which is what I oh so creatively named my current one).

AND I AM LEGITIMATELY UPSET THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SUGGESTED THIS TO ME BEFORE. In general, as a nickname or other hilariousness. I mean.... THINK OF ALL THE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES!

[pusheen]

[jodilyn]

Quality blogging over here.

[tastefullyoffensive]

“My walking patterns have changed since I got a cat.” - Brian Fritz

[jodilyn]

100% accurate. 

[bourbonandabrunette]

World’s largest cat painting: My Wife’s Lovers is a 6-by-8.5-foot canvas, which features 42 of the millionaire’s beloved cats. #caturday

[jodilyn]

#goals

[jodilyn]

When you’ve consistently gone to bed between 9 and 10 for several weeks, there is not enough coffee in to world to compensate for the fact that you didn’t go to bed until around 1AM last night. And still woke up at the same time.

[jodilyn]

I really lucked out in the desk department.

[jodilyn]

I think working in D.C. for so long has jaded me.

I got my first (half) paycheck and am scrambling to see what I did wrong with taxes/worrying that my employer isn’t taking out the right amount of taxes.

Because even though I took a bit of a paycut to move back to Michigan, my new 2-week paycheck is more than my D.C. 2-week paycheck. My healthcare is a lot less and I’m not paying for parking and Michigan’s tax rate is half of D.C.’s... but still. This can’t be right, can it?

My brother says it can, though.

Am I going crazy?

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

How Doctors Take Women's Pain Less Seriously

When my wife was struck by mysterious, debilitating symptoms, our trip to the ER revealed the sexism inherent in emergency treatment.

[jodilyn]

I believe it. When my mom broke her leg, which turned out the be a serious tibeal plateau fracture and other breakage, the emergency room wanted to send her home for the night. Until they asked her to stand (!!!!) and she passed out from the pain. 

[jodilyn]

I have so many life updates

(kind of)

But I’m really only popping in to say that there are two super cute interns at my new place of employment and it’s so obvious they’re crushing on each other. #younglove 

It warms my cold heart.