Quarantined Saturday

April 25, 2020April 25, 2020 ~ kristalauren ~ 1 Comment

I decided to nix the numbers for my posts on here because I don’t want to make anyone upset about how long we’ve been inside. It’s been a little over a month, which actually when you think about it isn’t as bad as it sometimes feels. People a lot smarter than me are studying this virus and coming up with some ways to combat it. It’s still very early, but we’re learning more every single day.

I keep saying that I personally think this thing will become a lot easier when a skilled innovator decides to make something — like an easy to produce mask that filters out germs, for example — that helps us stay safe around loved ones and makes it easily accessible. If I learned one thing from watching Shark Tank, it’s the inexpensive products that everyone needs and can afford that make someone richer than they can imagine. I honestly don’t care who makes products that help us go out safely again, as long as we can. There are people who are working day and night right now, some who want to be the first to solve our problems so that they can make an enormous profit, and others who have hearts that want to help others. Either way, we have brilliant minds working on this and I know we’re going to be able to see loved ones again and enjoy our favorite activities one day.

I definitely feel weird still that my family is so close but I can’t see them. I’ve made a few trips to borrow or swap groceries, but keep my distance and stay in my car, similar to what we’d do at a grocery pickup. I’ve always been a rule follower when it comes to health and safety, so there has never been much of a question of whether I am hanging out with anyone other than my household during these quarantimes. FaceTime and HouseParty have been great apps to keep in touch with friends, and I listen to a lot of podcasts. I am a pretty typical millennial and don’t like sitting in silence, so podcasts fill that void for me.

I ordered some paint by numbers kits a few weeks ago, but still haven’t gotten them. I’m looking forward to having crafts to do, but in the meantime am doing some cooking and baking to keep my hands busy. Remember how I told you I filled in a map of the US and struggled more than someone who is nearing 30 should? I need to study that this week, and am also going to begin cramming for our 2020 election. I took a quiz yesterday to find out “who I should vote for,” and the result was actually really interesting. I apparently should take a look at Jacob Hornberger, someone from the Libertarian party.

Now, I am not into politics hardly at all. I have some moderate opinions on some of the more discussed issues, but I don’t pay close attention to politics or usually contribute greatly to conversations with friends and family, because I’ve always enjoyed more lighthearted entertainment — like which of the Kardashians I would most want to be friends with (Currently Khloe, but in the past it was Kim) or whether or not Jessica and Mark are actually looking for love on reality television.

I think this needs to change some, though. I should be paying more attention to some of the events going on in the world and really make an educated vote in 2020. For this reason, I am going to start opening my emails from TheSkimm, and begin to figure out how to get some straight up facts, rather than watching CNN, FOX, or anything of the like. Please let me know if you have suggestions of media without so much bias! I foresee myself having a difficult time filtering through news, as I think both Democrats and Republicans often make good points about how to solve problems. Reporting these days feels so incredibly emotional, which makes it hard for someone like me to decipher whether someone is speaking with an agenda or reporting straight facts. I will be updating these blogs with some of my opinions, and will appreciate having some good debates about politics. Unlike many people on social media, I will actually be someone who is willing to change her mind on issues, as I am just beginning to learn about many of them.

This will definitely be an interesting new twist to quarantine life, but I’ll feel good being able to participate just a little more in political discussions after all of this is said and done. As long as people are respectful and willing to hear each other out, it’s probably good to hear viewpoints other than your own. Right? We won’t all agree on everything, but it’s really cool that we can learn from each other.

Working Together

March 13, 2020 ~ kristalauren ~ 2 Comments

I have a Coronavirus post I wrote yesterday, but first I wanted to share a much shorter sentiment today. I am so thankful that so many people are cooperating and trying their best to stay inside and avoid, not only getting the virus, but spreading it to others.

Every flu season since getting sick with POTS I get the flu shot and wash my hands like crazy to avoid unnecessary complications that could come with the flu. It’s always so freaking annoying when you get together with someone who informs you that they’ve been fighting off a fever or cold all week, and you wonder why the heck they didn’t just stay home and not infect everyone else. This Coronavirus is a small taste of what immunocompromised people* deal with every year in trying to stay healthy.

One of the biggest problems in China and Italy is that people who carried the virus kept going out and contaminating the rest of the community. One person who is carrying the virus can do a heck of a lot of damage if you think about how many people each of the people (s)he affected go contaminate too. If we would all just stay at home for two weeks — the incubation period of the virus — wouldn’t it maybe just stop here?

I honestly am not an expert and not pretending to be. I’ve kept up with some updates from my POTS doctor, as well as followed the local news on Coronavirus cases in our area.

I’m used to seeing people be very nonchalant about getting sick because they’ve never been chronically ill before, but this is a new phenomena. People all across the country are quarantining themselves, only going out to get groceries and the apparently hot commodity that is toilet paper. People who are completely healthy young adults are staying in, not just to avoid the virus themselves, but also to avoid spreading it if they are actually carrying it and show no symptoms. This includes celebrities, politicians, athletes, and people who are in the public eye. My Instagram and Facebook feeds are flooded with posts about being locked up at home and canceled plans until we get through this. People are asking for TV shows to binge, games to play with significant others, and treating this like it’s a big snowstorm in which you can’t leave your house for a few weeks. This is absolutely amazing. I really hope we continue to try to fight this pandemic and end it in America. Stay in, get lots of rest, and snuggle up to a pet, loved one, or fluffy blanket to ride this out with the rest of the country. Here’s to hoping and praying for all of the at-risk people, the amazing doctors and nurses who make a million and one sacrifices for each and every one of us, and everyone else, too. ❤

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*The verdict is still out on whether or not Dysautonomia makes me immunocompromised, however POTS patients struggle when they do get sick because our bodies already have a very difficult time finding homeostasis. On a daily basis I try to find the right balance of salt and electrolytes with water so that I’m not constantly dehydrated and battling debilitating headaches that last for days. Ask my husband — when my head hurts I think he has to say something three times to get it to fully process.

I like to write things like this because I also have a bunch of friends now who do have serious chronic illnesses that wouldn’t just cause complications if they got sick — it could be a lot worse. People need to know how their actions affect others, and I don’t think staying in for a few weeks will kill anyone. It could, however, be problematic to those who are at risk.

True Crime Podcast Reviews

June 25, 2019June 25, 2019 ~ kristalauren ~ 7 Comments

I love podcasts.

I’ve been writing about entertainment stuff lately because somehow I haven’t been wanting to write about feelings and deeper topics, but seeing I studied journalism and was headed toward the path of an entertainment journalist, I think this is fitting enough.

Dirty John 5/10

I liked listening to Dirty John, and got through the series in just two days. It is a short series with only 6 episodes, 7 if you include the live questions after the season ends. I was surprised about the nature of the show. I have heard it’s a really good true crime, but I expected it to be a little more filled with twists and turns. Instead, I found that it was more about emotional abuse, and the way John manipulated those around him. It was still very interesting, but not worth quite the hype I felt was surrounding the show.

Serial 8/10

Serial is an interesting series because there are currently 3 different seasons, and like Dirty John, there was a television show created as a follow up. The first season of Serial follows a murder trial, the second follows the investigation of Bowe Bergdahl, a US soldier who was held prisoner of the Taliban for almost 5 years, and the third season has a lot of smaller stories in each episode to show a “behind the scenes” peek into the court systems in the United States. I liked each of the seasons, but surprisingly preferred the last two. I felt like the first season showed way too much of a bias and almost as though the convicted murderer, Adnan, charmed Sarah, the woman who did the interviews for the show, a little too much. I think he basically convinced her he was innocent, and she justified too many of his actions or explanations after seeing very blurry facts.

I liked the third season because it was so interesting to get to see a full case play out in the criminal justice system. I love shows like Law and Order SVU, so getting to hear some real stories play out and see how the police and court handle criminals was fascinating. If you haven’t listened to Serial yet, this should be one of the next podcasts on your list.

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Crime Junkie Podcast 10/10

Currently OBSESSED with this pod. So much so, that I even heard my husband humming the theme song the other night, and he hasn’t even listened to an episode with me. I think it’s because it’s super catchy and I’ve been listening nonstop since I discovered it. The hosts, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat, are super entertaining and such good storytellers. They find interesting crimes to talk about and have some solved and other unsolved mysteries. I like being able to research afterwards, and there are dozens of episodes for me to catch up on. I like this one so much I think I’ll sign up for their Patreon account after I finish everything!

Confronting O.J. Simpson with Kim Goldman 7/10

The new podcast about O.J. is interesting, especially since I didn’t live through this trial, so don’t know as much about it as I could. I’m a little bit of a KUWTK fan, so listening through some of the details that made the family famous is quite interesting. I kind of zoned out a little, though, and wasn’t interested enough to rewind and hear what I had missed, so it’s not as captivating as other podcasts. This is just airing now, so there are only 3 episodes out, but it’s worth a listen if you’re even just remotely interested in this murder case.

Man in The Window 10/10

This is my favorite podcast that is currently going on. It’s #1 in the charts right now, and for good reason. Man in The Window is about the Golden State Killer, and although his crimes took place in the 70s and 80s, Joe DeAngelo was arrested recently for these crimes, and it is all so fresh that he hasn’t even entered a plea yet. It apparently might take years for the trial to begin, but it will definitely be more interesting following along after listening to this show. One of the episodes gave me goosebumps, and it’s definitely not something you want to listen to unless you’re in the mood for some heavy true crime.

What are your favorite podcasts? I clearly like true crime and am currently hooked on it, but I’m game for pretty much anything. A few more lighthearted favorites include The Morning Toast, Reality TV RHAP-ups during the Big Brother season, How I Built This, Off The Vine, and a political podcast that will remain nameless.

GoT Season 8 Premiere

April 15, 2019April 15, 2019 ~ kristalauren ~ 3 Comments

Guys, I used to be “that person” who said things like, “Oh, I don’t watch Game of Thrones,” or, “I guess it looks like ‘Winter is Coming'” when everyone else was freaking out about the premiere of a new season or finale of another. I went years and years not understanding what the obsession was all about and completely ignoring just about everything GoT related, other than picking up that people love Jon Snow and he’s obsessed with the colder months of the year.

Now, within a few short weeks, all of that has changed. I dedicated much of my free time — and other time that probably should have been spent being more productive — catching up on all 7 seasons to watch last night’s premiere, and it was all worth it. I am so excited to be able to chat with anyone and everyone about this final season now that I’m so invested in it and the characters. I love that we’ve all been talking on Instagram so much about the upcoming season, and it’s been quite the journey I feel like I’ve taken with many friends now. The only thing that absolutely sucks, is that I have to wait a week until the next episode. This is going to drive me nuts! I was so spoiled being able to unearth every cliffhanger right after it happened, and although it would have been nice not being so incredibly rushed with the first 7 seasons, I took for granted the fact that if I really wanted to know something, I could Google it or find the answer in the next episode. Now I will experience GoT in all its glory the final season.

I’m going to talk about last night’s episode now, so if you haven’t watched yet, SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

First, I have decided that I officially do not like Daenerys Targaryen. I was surprised with how much I posted about her on Instagram this episode, but honestly she gets on my last nerve. I loved her the first few seasons when she was coming into her own, but I feel like she’s become so hungry for power and for every person alive to “bend the knee” that I can’t root for her any more. I don’t want her to be the queen because I think she just makes decisions based on whether or not someone will accept her as being the most powerful person alive, and kills anyone who gets in her way in the slightest. A good ruler who wants what she initially wanted — to let people be free — would be able to take some criticism and not be so obsessed with their own image and title. The scene with Sam made my heart hurt for him. She just doesn’t have any empathy left and I am d-o-n-e.

I like Jon Snow a little better again, though. His conversation with Sam made me remember that he isn’t obsessed with being recognized as having more power than everyone else, and is merciful when it comes to punishing people. He takes each situation as it comes to him, and often airs on the side of being generous and giving people the benefit of the doubt, more often than not. I still would prefer the Stark girls taking the throne, but he’s not a bad option. I just think Sansa as queen, Bran as the hand, and Arya as an advisor/possibly a knight would make for a really awesome kingdom. We shall see what happens, though.

My favorite moment of all time was with Brienne’s wildling. When they were searching an abandoned castle and came across other people in the army and someone shouted, “HE HAS BLUE EYES!!!!!” thinking that the wildling was a white walker, I DIED. I was crying I was laughing so hard. I need to find a clip on YouTube to add to this later, because it seriously was so funny.

I am still so invested in his love story with Brienne, and I think it’s funny how many people have agreed with me in my Insta stories that this is one of the funnest story lines to follow. I was shocked to wake up to a few tags this morning, only to find that Mindy Kaling must feel the exact same way I do about their budding relationship! Please tell me there’s a wedding at the end of all of this.

Anyway, I don’t know how in the world y’all waited over a year for the final season. I’m glad I started when I did and didn’t have to do a bunch of these crazy waiting stints. Even just waiting a week now to find out what Bran will say to Jaimie is going to be so tough! I have had so much catching up to do that it’ll be weird to have the full week off of GoT now. I might rewatch the last two episodes of season 7 since I had to rush through it to be done by 9 last night, but other than that I will have to find something new to post about on my Instagram stories, because I loved having so much to talk about. Please message me with any and all thoughts you have! I’m always game to chat in depth about this series now.

WE ARE ENGAGED!!!!!

December 1, 2017December 1, 2017 ~ kristalauren ~ 23 Comments

Hi Single in The Suburbs family!

You might have noticed that I’ve been gone for a little over a week now… Well that’s because I’ve just been busy getting engaged! Robert asked me to marry him last week in New York City, and I have been so excited since. I wanted to share the news with some of my close friends before announcing it to the world, but now that everyone knows I can’t wait to share some of the story with y’all.

Two Christmases ago I would’ve never guessed that I would be spending the end of 2017 engaged. Actually, I kind of take that back, because two years ago was the first time Robert and I said we loved each other. All my friends knew from the start that my relationship with Robert was different than anything I’ve had before. Our hearts combined are a once in a lifetime love, and I’m so excited to have him by my side for forever.

This weekend is a little crazy because it’s my mom’s birthday and then mine, but I’ll be doing a lot of writing next week to give you guys the scoop. ❤