Love Your Melon

I hope everyone has had a great holiday season! I know that we sure did :D But anywho, I want to talk to you all about a cause that I've recently learned about that is really close to my heart. Love Your Melon. It's a phenomenal organization started by college students in 2012 with a simple mission: put a hat on the head of every child battling cancer.

Aiden (3-years-old) loves his LYM beanie!

The head is so crucial and yet fragile. For those of you who have shaved your heads, I'm sure you know how much chillier you were. Imagine being a child who didn't have a choice in hairstyles. The sweet idea to get hats for all of these fighters is one of those easily overlooked details that can make a world of difference in the eyes of a child. It can give them hope and envelop not only the child but also the family with support.

That original thought has since grown to a more comprehensive plan. Love Your Melon has since taken on partnerships with the Pinky Swear Foundation and CureSearch. This way, in addition to putting hats on each child's head, they can make an even more impressive impact on the lives of the families and push towards finding a cure for cancer.

The cuffed pom beanies are brand spanking new!

The best part is you can also get one of these incredibly comfortable beanies for yourself! They're all made in the U.S.A. (supporting the local economy anyone?). Not only do these purchases garner hats for the children, research moneys, and assistance for the families, but crediting a Love Your Melon Crew also nets adventures for the children! LYM understands the importance of fun and distractions when fighting for your life. If you don't have a LYM Crew of your own to support, feel free to show some love to the University of Colorado - Denver Campus Crew. I just bought two beanies for myself - expect pics when they arrive.

Lastly, the crews are in a competition right now to raise awareness. Check out the CU Denver's LYM Crew on Instagram to help get them closer to their first hospital visit! Which reminds me, know a child fighting cancer who doesn't have his/her own LYM hat yet? You can get one delivered by a superhero!! Check out Love Your Melon to request a hat and get it on its way.

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make a Withdrawal from the Karma Bank

I don't think I actually told you all this, but I've been having some car troubles. In July, I fould out that I had a couple issues with my engine (one of which was caused by a crappy oil change, no need to get into that). Then there was a recall on my air bags. Two trips to the Honda dealership later, I got those fixed. But then it turns out that my seatbelt had an issue. Yet another trip to the shop. Oh, and to top it off, one tire had a slow leak. And now, not even three weeks later, my car won't start. It's either the starter or the alternator. Fingers crossed for the starter.

I don't say all of this to bring you down or ask for pity. This is a story of how you should treat people and how you should go through life. I live by the Karma Bank. The Karma Bank knows all, people. Because of this, I often "make deposits" into the Karma Bank by paying it forward. Help out in all the little ways that you can while you can. Be the helping hand for others. That way, when it comes time for you to need the help, there will be enough good karma in the bank for you to be able to make a withdrawal. 

Paying it forward to the Karma Bank goes hand-in-hand with needing to live life optimistically. Don't dwell on the things that go wrong. Count your blessings instead of your mistakes. We thought we had roadside assistance through our insurance. Turns out we didn't actually sign up for it. We have it now, but that doesn't help with the car that is already broken down. BUT I have friends who can help me out with getting to work until payday on Thursday when we can afford to get the car towed and fixed.

Focusing on how many times the car has needed to go to the shop or that we forgot to get the roadside assistance would really suck. Instead, I choose to focus on how fortunate we have been that most of the repairs were free (the airbags, seatbelt, and I had a flat tire). This is only the second fix I've had to pay for. That's some awesome Karma.

So what's the take-home message? Live life with a giver's heart. Be the light for others in their times of darkness. Stay positive when it's your turn to walk in the darkness, and know that your kindness won't be forgotten.

How do you usually handle stressful situations? What do you live by if not the Karma Bank?

On That Work Grind

Finally got a job you guys! I was job hunting for all of twenty-two hours before I got officially hired. Here is my brief little disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions written here about my workplace are my own and in no way represent the beliefs of the company; they're solely my own opinions and beliefs and all that jazz. So ya, Convergys is pretty great. If anyone is in need of a job, feel free to mention my name, and we'll both get a little referral bonus on our checks ;) just putting it out there.

But anywho, I'm in a night training class, and I have NEVER worked a night shift before in my life. Well, I mean except at the movie theatre, but I was on break between semesters so I didn't have anything else to do. Most of my paid work has been in childcare so I'm more accustomed to waking up early instead of staying up late. Especially since my dogs won't let me sleep in.

I finished up my third week as of Friday, and it's going pretty well so far. I got my first paycheck (just in time for my birthday actually). I'll be on the night shift for quite a long time, but I'm actually a part time hire so once training is over my shifts will be so much easier. I'll be home for dinner most of the time as opposed to now only getting to see my husband on the weekends. But hey, gotta do what you gotta do.

Now that I've been there for three weeks, I feel like a have a handle on the people and the environment I'm in, and I really enjoy it. Of course there will always be those few people you just don't get along with, but other than that, I fit right in. Body modification isn't a big deal. Promoting up is as easy or difficult as you make it. AND they're super understanding of my being a vegan. We had a luncheon with pizza, and they made sure I could get a pizza with no cheese or meat. How great is that? AND when we had a pot luck, several people made an effort to bring vegan dishes as well!

The right opportunities will come to you as you need them whether they are trials to grow by or blessings to live by. All of life is a learning experience. Take it all in with a grain of salt, and remember to always be able to laugh. This chance pretty well fell into my lap, and I couldn't be more grateful. So many steps in the right direction can be taken thanks to Convergys. Life is twisty like that, you guys. Just as things are starting to get unbearable, the silver lining shows its face, and BOOM!!! Like a flip of a switch everything can change.

What are some life events that have impacted you in a big way? Has any opportunity become your saving grace? Does anyone have any advice for the night shift with early bird animals other than naps and caffeine?