I have Moved. This is for Bloglovin purposes. 
http://www.lifeafter5blog.com/

What's New at Life After 5

I love to stay connected through my blog and through social media. As I grow this little project of mine I have been adding a lot more to the pages and have made a few executive decisions on important aspects of my site. 

So what's new?
Social Media  -I have a Pinterest page and a new board for collaboration. Email me if you would like to join.  
-I have a YouTube channel and am still working on my first video. 
-I have updated my LinkedIn (and would love to connect with you!). Button is being installed today!   Blog -I will be switching how often I post, only posting once or twice a week. In return I am hoping to post longer and higher quality posts. 
- I will be switching over to Square Space. It is taking me a bit of time to get the hang of setting it up, but I like the look of the posts and layout. 
- I will not be offering sponsorship and the author sidebar. I don't like the overall feeling of cluttering my sidebar. I will still be taking on guest posts and welcome anyone who would like to contribute to Life After 5. You will get your own special signature at the end of each post rather than, a sidebar button. 
- I will be offering a button swap page instead of the side bars! I still want to support other bloggers of all types, so if you would like to be featured on the page, or just want to swap buttons, shoot me an email. (For those who have already sent stuff through Passionfruit, I will be reaching out.) 
- My very own Domain. With SquareSpace, I will be getting my very own URL.
It will all be a slow transition over, but I know that it will only make Life After 5 a better, prettier little blog.
Now, on to another cup of coffee!

What would you like to see come out of this blog?  

Irish Coffee Milkshakes

I am all about milkshakes, minus the whip cream, and what better way to make one then by adding a little booze to it? I am particular to Baileys and Kahlua myself, because they are the best and they work well with coffee. And I love coffee.  

Ingredients: 

1-2 scoops of Vanilla 

1-2 Scoops of Coffee (I used Ben & Jerry's because it had Heath Candy in it.)

1/4 cup Bailey's 

1/4 cup Kahlua 

Now if you want to cut down the alcohol, then subtract some of the booze and add milk or some iced coffee. I'll be honest, this one is pretty strong. *Takes Drink* Yep pretty strong. 

How to make: 

Add all ingredients to blender, take picture, blend, and pour. I added a bit more ice cream after the initial blend because it was a little runny for me. So blend and add as you please. 

I mean with a drink this simple, this is going to make week nights the easiest!

How I Get Over Stress!

I will be the first to tell you that I have some stress filled days! They typically start with an M and are hated by everyone. But it has taken me quite a while to figure out how to deal with stress. Normally I would let it boil and then every once in a while it broke me down. On rare occasion I will still do that, but I have found some ways to calm myself down when I am worked up. 
Walk away.  Sounds far too simple right? But walking away can actually be harder when you are worked up about something. You need to do it though! Take a minute to stop and go get a drink or take a walk. Either way, getting a moments break away will help you to stop and reevaluate what's going on. 
Take a nap. I mean when doesn't a nap fix something? Even a really crappy nap can be effective, because you are not focusing on the stress, more like how much you want to go back to bed. So shut out the lights, grab a pillow, spray some Bath and Body Works lavender pillow spray, and zonk out for a nap.    Work on something else.  I find that if I can't figure something out, I will get to a stopping point and work on something I know I can do. Once I am done, I go back to my original project. If I don't do this then it consumes my entire day and I get nothing but that done. Sometimes it also helps get those light bulb moments to click. 
Ask someone for help or for their opinion. Sometimes you just need a helping hand, and there is no shame in that! I like to ask my boss for help or go to a friend. It all depends on the situation. But sometimes you just need to talk it out with someone because two minds are always greater than one.    Make a F*ck It playlist and jam out!  If you ever catch me in my cubical or house dancing around, more than likely it's because I am trying to take myself out of a stressful situation. I just act goofy and have a mini dance party to some Nsync or Saving Ferris. It's like putting yourself in an instant happy mood. 
What do you do to get over stress? 

Happy Hump Day Blog Helpers!

Happy Hump Day! If you don't know, hump day is for confessions.

I confess.. 
Today we are having a Cereal Bar at work so I am more than likely going to be running around all day. Which means sadly part of my email will be neglected until I get everything set up. But Cereal! It was not originally my event, but when the sister you wish you always wanted asks you to help out, you rise to the occasion. (Watch out for a post about my cereal bar!) 
I still have not written my humor paper for my creative writing class because I have not felt very creative lately. But now I have to write and another paper that I have to check the syllabus for.  Can I also just say that I do not like my Creative Writing teachers form of grading because I don't know if she has been receiving any of my emails, nor do I know what my actual grade is because she does not use the schools system. It is very frustrating! 
I keep checking out Elevate Everyday's blog and Facebook for more Elevated updates. I still have to book a hotel and get my car ready for the drive to Cali, but none of that matters yet. I still have to find a cute outfit and request the day off of work. 
I am so far behind on Life After 5's comments and emails. I promise you guys I will get caught up on them this week! Thank you for your patience, and thanks to all of you new followers! You guys are helping my grade out a ton!! 
I put 6 books in my amazon wish list today. I thought about buying them all too, but convinced myself not to until I finished reading one. I think I am lying to myself about the amount of will power I truly have. 
All of my plants at the office are dead. They were doing so well and then BAM! They all died. Except for Fern, the not an actual fern but I still call her that, in my bosses office that I am surprisingly keep her alive. 
I need to go to happy hour after the first part of this week happened. And by happy hour I secretly mean all of the margaritas with chips and salsa! 
It took me 3 different times to edit this post because blogger hates me and converted everything to not the way I wanted it. 
Lastly, if you didn't catch it in the title of the post, I need your help! I have to do my very first Vlog and I have no clue what to do it on! Should I do a Q&A? A review on a product or show? Make a recipe? There are so many options that I just have no clue! Are their any experienced vloggers that can help a girl out?

12 Things I Learned From This Weekend

1.) Having 2 weeks to do homework is not helpful because I still wait until the last possible second to do anything. 
2.) If I don't go through my bloglovin feed for four days, I end up with 789 unread posts. 
3.) Google is will be doing away with Google+ and splitting it into a few different aspects. I've just now gotten a little further into Google+ now, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out. 
4.) I really hate talking on the phone. I knew that it wasn't my favorite form of communication, but I feel like I am too impatient for it.
5.) I cannot grow plants. I just can't! My seedlings that were sprouting died and I think that my Chia seeds grew mold and are killing my succulents. I am hopeless in the way of green thumbs.
6.) One must have ninja like focus when trying to write while drunk. Or else they will end up like me who gets distracted when buzzed. Which did not help with the production of number one. 
7.) Although it is 85 degrees, walking around a parking lot for an hour trying to find your car will make it feel like 98 degrees. It was a big parking lot. 
8.) My friends now understand my need to be punctual and early to things, but only 1/4 of them actually make the effort to do so. 
9.) You can use an inhaler on a dog. I have yet to experience how this whole process works, but I get to learn how to use it tonight. 
10.) Sitting on a sued couch while one is suffering a sunburn is unbearable. It's like your body does not cool down. 
11.) The Turkey legs that are consumed at the Renaissance Festival not only smell like ham/bacon but they are the size of your head! Really only one should be consumed between 3 people. 
12.) When given a chance to actually be a productive human or watch all of the Disney Princess movies on ABC Family, I choose the Princesses. And I may or may not have watched The Little Mermaid twice, because I am an adult and do what I want.
I hope everyone else had a great weekend! If I am scarce on the blog this week I apologize in advance! I am helping to photograph a wedding this weekend. I have no idea what I am doing so that should be fun. But I am also helping with the set up for the reception, I helped with pinching dozens of decals in the invitations, and directed the bride where to get her cakes/cupcakes. Should I start a new career path here? Also I am off to another house sitting job and my mom is in town for said wedding!
I may just post because of the craziness! 
And to end it a song I am in love with this week to start yours off right! Enjoy!

Around My City: Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soups

This week, despite my spending freeze, I decided that I really needed to get out of the office and take a lunch. It took me a minute or two of playing back and forth on what I wanted because despite the amazing (and pricey) restaurants around my office, I normally get fast food because it is quick and easy. 

Well I am glad I stayed away from it! Because I found the best place ever. Dare I say, that it is even better than Chipotle. Welcome to Gadzooks, where they serve happiness in enchilada and taco form! 

You start off a lot like you do at Chipotle, picking your main course. I picked the two enchilada which were more than enough! The best part was the fresh tortillas! Lord knows I love tortillas but please take a moment to understand the fact that they were cooking them from dough! Lord have meerrccyyy! 

Back to the process, you pick your meet or vegan/vegetarian options, I chose the Roasted Tomatillo Chicken and the Green Chile Pork. Then you choose your sauce! Red, Green, or Christmas tree style (both). Again I picked both because one can never have enough options when it comes to enchiladas. They add your cheeses and then put it int the fiery oven to let it all melt together. 

Skip down to the rest of your options, add your salsa, sauces, guac, and other miscellanous toppings. What ever you want they will add it, but always add the guac (only $1 extra). 

For mine I added the Slaw, guac, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

My coworker put green chile salsa, a jalapeno ranch dressing, sour cream, guac, and a fried egg on hers. I have never heard of getting fried eggs on enchiladas, but apparently I should. 

Overall I would give this place 2 really big thumbs up! There are a ton of choices for anyone, and there is the right amount of spice. Plus all of the food is really fresh, so rich and delicious. 

If you have a chance to go to Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soups I would definitely recommend it! 

The Blogging Elite Giveaway: $180 Amazon Gift Card

With spring just around the corner, we could all use a little extra money for some spring-y things: spring shopping, spring cleaning supplies (yuck!), Easter baskets, treats for yourself. Instead of dishing out all of your own hard-earned money, the people of The Blogging Elite Facebook group are giving you the opportunity to win a $180 Amazon.com gift card, and I think we all already know that Amazon pretty much has everything we could possibly want.  Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter below, and don't forget to visit the awesome bloggers from The Blogging Elite! The giveaway is open through the end of March, so don't miss out!

Tiffany | Nina | Tianna | Ashley | Kati Kirsten | Heather | Kylea | Dana | Jessica  Erica | Rosa | Tiffany | Neli | Katie a Rafflecopter giveaway

Why I am an Feminist

It took me a whole 5 seconds to decide to write this post, it took me 5 hours to research it and 10 hours to actually compose a piece of writing that made sense. While I hope it is not offensive I am still going to be honest about my feelings of this topic. 
In truth, if you would have asked me two years ago what a feminist was I would have given you the basic assumed answer. A woman who stands up for women's rights and hates on men. I hadn't actually taken the time until now to look up what the word feminist means. So for all intensive purposes here is the U.S. Definition.  

Feminist: (fem-uh-nist)  1. adj- Advocating in social, political, legal and economic rights for women equal to those of men. 2. noun- An advocate of such rights. 

Over the past year feminism has become more apparent in my life. There are more stories being shown in the news, more articles being published in papers, and more people coming out to the world saying that they believed in this huge concept of feminism. Then you have people who disagree with the term, or completely misunderstand the term. 
Take Shailene Woodley for example (because I am going to name drop like that), in her interview featured in Time Magazine, her interviewer asks simply, are you a feminist? 
She replies with "No because I love men, and I think the idea of ‘raise women to power, take the men away from the power’ is never going to work out because you need balance."
NEWS FLASH! Feminists do not want to take all of the power away from men, nor do we hate them. I mean there may be a few groups that do, but not all feminists are built the same.  

I believe in equality. I believe that women and men should be paid fairly for the position that they are in. If two people are doing the same job and have the same qualifications, why should one be paid more than the other? I should not have to worry about a male being hired in at a higher salary for the same job that I have been doing 5+ years, because I am a female.

Love is equal too. I believe that all love should be treated equally, because in the end who cares about who is in love with whom. We should all have the right to marry and create lives with whomever we see fit. Whether a person loves men, women, or men and women should not matter. Love should not be defined by law.

I believe in choice. No one has the right to tell me what I can and can't do to my body, especially not a group of 50 year old senators (both male and female) or any one in a religious entity. Others beliefs are important, but so is the right to choose. Should a person not believe in abortion, or the use of contraceptives, and chooses abstinence until marriage, that is their choice to make. Only you can decide to do that, no one can tell you otherwise. But let's be real by saying I have no major religious barriers and am an adult who does not practice abstinence, so it is my choice to make sure I have options to make those decisions about my body. In the end we should be able to choose what we as individuals can do to our bodies. 

No always means no. In any situation, no always means no.  Not maybe, or you didn't stop it so you must have wanted something. It still means no if I didn't knowingly and in right mind say yes. Ladies don't think that it is only about you, because 1 out of 33 men has been a victim of a form of rape. And if you have a problem figuring if a person is giving you consent, maybe take some advise from here. 

I am not a piece of meat. I should be allowed to wear the clothes I want and not be told that it is inappropriate because someone may get the wrong thought. No one tells men that they can't wear muscle shirts, wife beater tank tops, or their pants that sag below their ass because it will cause woman to have "impure thoughts". So why is it that I have to make sure none of my clothes are too form fitting or show too much skin because it looks like I asking for it? I'm not saying that we should all walk around in bikini's and not expect some reaction, but I should not feel like a piece of steak in front of a lion should I choose to do so. No one person should have to feel scared to walk to their car at night or to be in a house by themselves. 

I can do anything you can do. And sometimes I can even do it better! It sucks being a girl to go and get the oil changed in your car. Why? Because girls are treated differently because of the stereotypes placed on women's knowledge of cars. Little does that mechanic know, I know the $200 they are trying to charge me to change my brakes is a rip off, because I can change them myself for $40, and I do. Women can work in warehouses; we can lift things, and build things just like the best of the boys. Just like men can sew, wash, and cook like the girls. Politics is still going to be politics no matter who is in charge. Guess what we all can do things equally; we may or may not want to, but we can. 

Women don't want to take away power; we just want a piece of the power too. I know that some of this may seem a little vague and more toward the egalitarian /humanism side of the spectrum, but really if you can't support feminism, how can you support the others?   

  

Are you a feminist or no? Why? 

Wednesday "Pin"sperational Planners

I have an obsession for planners, I mean it is slightly boarder line crazy. At any given time I have atleast two different planners, not including my online calender. It makes keeping things a little hectic, but I can't help myself! 

One planner that has made it's way back into the arms of people everywhere is the Filofax. I remember when my parents used these for literally everything. The only difference now is that there are more appropriate ways to style all of the pages while making them look super adorable. 

Here are a few of the inspirations on Pinterest, that have me obsessed with the return of the Filofax. 

Image: Via  Heidi Swapp

Link :Via

Link : via

Link: Via

Do you have a planner that you jazz up? 

20 Blog Post Ideas

1. Play a game of MASH!
2. Make a list of "Never have I ever" 
3. Make a list of your all time favorite movies.
4. What Actors or Actresses would be characters in a movie about your life?
5. Have a Q&A session with your spouse or child. 
6. Write a post from your pets point of view. 
7. Where is your favorite place to be?
8. What is the worst pot you have ever written, how would you fix it now? 
9. Make a list of things you're an expert at. 
10. Make a list of things you suck at! 
11. Cover a news story or media event. 
12. (insert age here) things you still don't know about at (your age).
13. Make a birthday/monthly wish list.
14. Review a new item. 
15. Describe an object without telling us what it is, reveal the item later.
16. Make a list of 10 blogs readers should follow.
17. What is the hardest choice you have ever had to make?
18. Make a list of 10 things you have learned from blogging. 
19. Do a Throw Back Thursday with Pictures from your childhood. 
20. Make a list of shows we should be binge watching.

Bloggers Needed!

One of the main goals of Life After 5 is to see what other bloggers do when they aren't working their 9-5 Jobs. With that being said, let me present the first guest post calendar! 

As you have noticed there are lovely Red words in the calendar (provided by the lovely Emily). These are the topics that I would like to have different bloggers write about for the month. Those who post monthly will have their beautiful button/logo displayed on my sidebar. 
Your Choice are posts that you want to write about. If you want to give blogging tips, share your favorite food or drink recipe, how to's, fashion posts, or review a place in your city and town. The only items that are off limits are religion, politics, and sex; all of which destroy even the strongest of friendships.
To sign up, just go to my sponsor page and "purchase" the spot labeled Monthly Authors. Be sure to let me know what topic you would like to write about.   What topics do you think I should include?  Follow my blog with Bloglovin

It's a Lifestyle

When I first thought of the Life After 5 Blog, I thought that there would be a simplicity in setting it up. After all I have one blog up and running, I should be able to set up a second one easily. It didn't phase me how much time that had I spent setting up my first blog, until I tried to cram it all in a week. 

It's not as easy as it looks! 

Needless to sat there is still a lot that needs to go into this little blog, including the social media icons and sidebar tools, more pictures, and the sponsorship page. 

As I plan out what posts I want to do and when I want guest posts to launch, I realized that blogging isn't a hobby. The planning, effort and love that we put into each post is much more than a hobby. Every portion of my day is spent trying to wonder how I could blog about something. I take multiple pictures of every event so that I have a selection to post. My email is bombarded by updates and newsletters so that I can  keep up with the Jones; and friends relish in the idea that you all are going to the newest restaurant find, because they know you are going to blog about it. 

I have learned that blogging is more than a hobby for me, it's a lifestyle!