My Blog

I did a very, very bad thing

Posted on by maljoylove

I’ll be the first to admit, routine and structure are important to me. Unfortunately, my brain is like a microchip, and the tiniest grain of sand throws me off my game. My goal for tonight was to do my nails (forgot that my self-care routine puts nail care on Wednesdays, and hair masks are for Tuesdays — took care of that last night, thank you), flat iron my hair, do my laundry, read, take a bath to soothe my muscles, and exfoliate.

And then… I turned on Netflix. Started a new show called “You.” Gossip Girl is a stalker, a sociopath, I would guess. Chasing after a girl. My only problem is that this dude is pretty cute and super charming. Like THAT is a guy who needs to stalk and obsess over a girl. I mean okay, Ted Bundy was apparently dreamy and girls were all too willing to help him load something into his car. And it doesn’t help that Zac Efron is playing him in a movie this year.

I want to look up reviews for this show and see what other people thought of it, but I kind of want to not know? I want to decide my every opinion. Reviews for movies started meaning less after they gave “What a Girl Wants” a shoddy review, and THAT was a cinematic masterpiece.

I feel like I’m not supposed to like this character, Joe Goldberg, but he’s smart, well-read, looks after a little kid who lives in his apartment building, and is slowly removing the toxic people in the girl’s life because she’s a twenty-something who doesn’t know how to do that for herself yet. And yeah, she needs to GET TO THAT PART OF HER LIFE ON HER OWN, JOE, but he is being helpful. I’ve wanted to get rid of my friends’ trashy SOs when they wouldn’t take the initiative to do it themselves.

Ugh, I probably sound like the girls who swooned over Bundy during his trial. When he was on trial. For MURDER.

I swear, I’m usually more principled. I’m going to have time to get everything done tonight that I wanted to accomplish, it’ll just be rushed.

Unless this episode has a cliffhanger. Then my whole Thursday is going to be off after I’m up till 3 AM watching the rest of this show in one foul swoop.

Unless I go a full 24 hours without sleep and go to the gym right after I finish the show. I think I have another two years to pull that move off with some justice.

Except I feel like I need a full 18 hours of sleep.

Someone find me a timeturner. Or a book written by a pro on how to live a 36 hour day in 24 hours.

It’s a Tuesday

Posted on by maljoylove

I was going to write yesterday, but yesterday was not a great day. Do you ever just start a day and know it’s going to be terrible? I woke up feeling so lagged. My workout was mediocre, and I just crawled back into bed when I got home. I didn’t eat breakfast, and had a headache all day. My day only got better when I got home from work!

That said, when I got home, I started on my second book of the year! That’s right, I finished “Becoming,” Michelle Obama’s memoir. It was a compelling and thoughtful look at her life, both as Michelle Robinson, the Ivy League lawyer turned community outreach coordinator, and as FLOTUS Michelle Obama. She innovated programs to improve nutrition in America’s youth, improved conditions for US Veterans, and helped young women in other countries get access to quality education. Now that’s my kind of woman!

But onto book two-sday. Get it? I’m sorry.

It’s called “No Excuses! The Power of Self-Discipline,” by Brian Tracy. It’s been an eye-opening read so far, AND it comes with little philosophy/reflection exercises. Or at least, this chapter does! I thought I might list them here, as sort of a way to track my way through the book:

1. If your work life and career were ideal, what would they look like? What one discipline could you develop that would help you to achieve it? 
My ideal career would give me a grandiose office with the opportunity to work from home. I would get to travel to other countries for work, and I would make the big decisions every day. From the sounds of it, I want to be large and in charge! To achieve this, I need to keep climbing the ladder and defying expectations. I want to stand out within my company and grow with it. I have ideas on how I can develop, both personally and within the capacity of the company. It’s on me to propose them, with a plan, and then my supervisors will know that I take initiative and work hard to help others!

2. If your family life were ideal, what would it look like, and what one discipline would help you the most to make it a reality?
To be honest, I think my family life is ideal right now! That said, I want my family to grow in a future that feels distant, but really isn’t in the grand scheme of things! I want to be a career mom, and provide a strong, intelligent, hardworking mom to two kids. Ideally, my kids will inherit the ambition that I see in myself and my future husband (the alleged father of my future children), which will translate into good grades and passion projects, whether it’s a sport or a creative passion, though they will hopefully enjoy both, my well-rounded little wonders. Above all though, future lacrosse champions or first chair violinists, all I want for them is to be kind, and happy. I think they will repeat what they see. So it’s on me (and Aaron) to create an atmosphere of love and compassion (and yes, hard work). On a grander scale, I’ll need to participate in our society to create the same atmosphere in the world at large. Our kids will experience the world outside our home more than anything else, and they deserve a world filled with kindness and sunshine. So, in general, a target would be showing kindness: to both myself and others.

3. If your health were perfect in every way, what disciplines would you have that make it possible?
Wow, what a doozy. Time for brutal honesty: I’m great at working out regularly. There, I said it! Granted, I have my bad workout days (see the first paragraph of this entry!), but I’ve grown consistent in making regular appearances. The gym employees know me, and I know the AM regulars (a bit of reverie: there’s a girl with red hair who intimidates the heck out of me at the gym I go to now, because she is so strong! I haven’t seen her since the new year started… I hope she’s okay! Maybe her work schedule changed so she works out in the evenings). And yet, my relationship with food is just… I’d call it a downer, if it didn’t make my weight go up so much! If my health were perfect in every way, I’d be drinking more water, eating more salad, and eating way less chocolate. And cheese. Yikes. I’d be way more disciplined in my eating. I’ve gotten better about water since 2019. I’m going to keep working on that, but I definitely need to develop discipline with my food choices. That’s actually why I got this book in the first place!

4. If your financial situation were ideal today, what one discipline would you have that would help you the most? 
Okay, I got this: saving. I’m in a tough spot, with a massive student debt and a car payment. I try to not spend like crazy, but I’m not saving like I should. I’m going to change that, right now. Just sent my savings account some money. Now I have it set up in my account, so I’ll send some money every now and then when I think of it. And I’ll be sure to think of it more.

5. Why aren’t you already as successful as you would like to be, and what one discipline would help you the most to achieve all your goals?
Wow, rude, guy. I’m 24, okay? Most of the kids my age have student debt and ambitious career visions they haven’t accomplished yet. Or they’re internet personalities who could buy me using their AdSense money. I’m taking it all in stride, because I know that great things take time (would you rather have a five-year scotch or a fifteen-year? I’m just sayin’). That said, I’m certainly not loitering! I do feel lazy and unmotivated sometimes, and I think that hinders me. I want to learn more coding languages just to be more of an asset at work, and I want to be as fit as some of the people in my circle (fitness seems to be growing lately amongst my peers… thanks, FLOTUS). Staying the course and reminding myself why I’m doing this would be a great step. Does that count as a discipline?

6. What one skill could you develop that would help you to realize more of your goals?
I gotta be honest, writing it out like this helps! I’m not great at journaling, as I tend to just write when inspiration strikes. I know that almost every successful person will tell me to write EVERY day. I think taking up that practice would go a long way in helping me get to where I want to be with my goals.

7. If you could wave a magic wand and be completely disciplined in one area, which one discipline would have the greatest positive impact on your life?
I know how vapid this sounds, but I think the one described in step 3 would make the biggest impact. I’ve lost weight dramatically before, and people who knew me before the weight loss said that afterwards I was way more confident and self-assured. I was less manic, and more me. I feel like I hid a lot and acted different when I was heavier, but when I lost the weight I just felt better about me. I guess that translated into a stronger (maybe less obnoxious? Weird? I don’t know people) personality. I think the mental strength that would come in getting the discipline that inhibits me from being my best self health-wise would manifest itself in my work, in my family life, and everything in between.

Okay, Brian Tracy, if you were trying to get me to figure out that this discipline was the one I needed to work on the most in order to get started, mission accomplished! I’ll do it.

My workout today was fire. My eating was not (I mentioned cheese and chocolate for a reason). Tomorrow, that changes. Game on, Brian!

I’m going to go shower, paint my nails, then read. I feel ready to conquer the world… then go to bed at 10 PM. Like a boss.


Day 3 and She’s Worn Out

Posted on by maljoylove

I got home from work at 5:50 PM and promptly COLLAPSED. I had a great start to my morning, shy of forgetting my headphone drive at home. I woke up early and went to the gym, completed a great workout, came home for a hot shower, did my makeup, made a delicious smoothie… but after I got to work, things started heading south.

I ate over my calorie deficit today, which isn’t the greatest feeling in the world. Work really drained me today! Things started picking up now that the holidays are over, and I kept getting case after case, problems to resolve, phone calls to take. I started feeling headache pains around 2. My brain battery REALLY started to drain after that, until I finally got home and threw on some PJs and took a power nap. I feel a lot better now, and I’m wondering what caused the on-rush of fatigue. I’m sure it was the early wake-up and the onslaught of work.

I feel like I can barely focus on screens anymore. If only my work life and happy time didn’t involve screens! Sometimes I think about removing my social media accounts and just living life offline. I don’t know how I’d enjoy that. A part of me thinks that I compare myself to others in the digital ether too much, and a break from the Instagram models and Youtube paradises would do my mental health some good. That said, it is not hard for me to sit back and be lazy. I think if I didn’t see all the people online, working their butts off at the gym and their work to have the lives they lead, I’d lose all motivation. Oh my gosh, am I competitive?

That said, I’d love to list some positives: Though I ate over my calorie deficit today, it was all mostly good stuff! My morning smoothie had fruit juice and two kinds of fruit. On top of that, it was made with my favorite sweetener: maple syrup! Bet you were wondering when my love of maple came into the picture.

I spent about an hour last night making my lunch for today: a vegan pasta with red cabbage. The cooked red cabbage made my pasta look purple, and it was so pretty and it made me happy. Colorful foods make me happy.

Courtesy of “Vegan on the Cheap” by Robin Roberts. Her recipe calls for GREEN cabbage, but my store didn’t have any so I went with red instead! Live dangerously, kids.

I’m a little bit less than halfway through “Becoming.” If I read during every lull in my day, I can make it to Saturday with a completed book! How cool would that be? With that, I’m gonna go take my make-up off, get my “look” ready for tomorrow, and read till I sleep. Sweet dreams!

Hours from Now…

Posted on by maljoylove

The countdown begins to 2019! I started off the last day of the year on the right foot… literally! I had a great start to my morning. I woke up at 4:30 AM, washed my face and drank some water before heading to the gym for a fantastic workout. Leg day with all new resistance bands (courtesy of my holiday list), followed by a round of Couch-to-5K. When I got home, I took a nice refreshing shower and thought about flat-ironing my hair, but it was still too wet. I may keep it the way it is now for New Year’s Eve later, since Aaron likes it when it’s curly-waves, but I also may straighten it so I don’t have to straighten my hair the night before work. I had a healthier breakfast, egg salad on Ezekiel bread. I was able to stretch and meditate before I got on the computer for my work day! Feels good.

The extra prep in the morning made for some great clarity. I want to set some realistic resolutions for New Years. I want to work hard and look back on 2019, this time next year, and think “Yes. I did that.” I feel like I didn’t do so many of the ones from 2018 that I set, or at the very least, didn’t do the ones I completed much justice. I’m going to change that in 2019.

I want to do seven resolutions. If I can accomplish, legitimately accomplish seven big things in 2019, that will feel like I’ve lived a good year.

MY SEVEN RESOLUTIONS FOR 2019

  • Do an unassisted pull-up. I can do assisted pull-ups, and push then pull myself up, but I want to be able to do one pull-up where I just grab the handles and lift myself to the bar.
  • Do a handstand. This one works on TWO levels (I’m such a multi-tasker, wow, be impressed!). I want to have the strength to lift myself above the ground and the balance to keep my body upright that way. Balance and strength. That’s the overall motif of 2019, I think!
  • Make mindfulness a regular practice. Whether it’s expressing gratitude, breathing when I’m panicked, or taking the time to meditate, I want to be more conscious of my self in my surroundings.
  • Make style changes. I feel like the way I dress says “I’m here.” No longer. I want to have a look for myself. This time next year, when I walk out of my house, I want the way I dress to say, “I have ARRIVED.”
  • Do something new. I can’t think of an exciting new food I tried this year, or done something that made me feel truly invigorated by stepping out of my comfort zone. I don’t know if it’ll be as quick as eating the spiciest food on the menu, or playing paint-ball, but I want to push myself to the limits and do something weird and different.
  • Take a Career Step. I love my job now, but I want to see some legitimate progress. I want to participate in a huge project. I want to complete an assignment that will have an impact. I want my work to make my coworkers’ lives easier.
  • Go stargazing. I feel like this year I’m going to find myself at home among the planets. In 2018, I fell in love with cotton candy skies at sunrise. Let’s see what 2019 holds.

I have this wild thought. I always resolve to lose weight, read more, and I feel like I never accomplish it the way I want, or however much I want. This year, I’m going to absolve myself of making a weight loss or reading commitment. Granted, I’m still going to live a healthy lifestyle and read books, but I want to start the year off with positive energy, and manifest that throughout the year. Maybe without trying I’ll read a hundred books this year.

I want to feel bliss in the new year. I feel like a lot of my life is actions comprised on a need to “survive.” By “survive,” I mean “participate in society.” I need to go to my job to make money to pay off my student debt. I need to work hard and eat the right things and make the right choices so that I can have things later that I enjoy, so I can rest easy in forty years. I feel like that weight is crushing and maybe, just maybe, I can lighten the load by adding more things to my life that make me happy. It feels so pretentious to say “follow my bliss” or “chase happiness,” but I want to wake up in 2019 and smile and think “Wow, it’s a beautiful day to be alive.” I would love to have only good days, but I do a good job now of thinking about the balance between good and bad days. I appreciate the good days more when I think about the bad days, and I’m grateful for the bad days to make the good days that much better.

Happiness, starshine and sunlight. I meant to write sunshine and starlight, but I think it goes both ways, right? Cheers to 2019!

Morning Routine – An Update

Posted on by maljoylove

It is 2:04 PM on Thursday, December 27. I got up at 6 AM, as scheduled, and completed a morning routine! Let’s go over it step-by-step:

HAVE 1/2 LITER OF WATER.
Mission Accomplished! I had to chug it a little, but the point was to drink it all. I managed to, between 6:50 and 8AM. I’m terrible at drinking water, and it will probably always be a New Years’ Resolution. I can always drink more!

STRETCH/YOGA.
Completed! Did a simple flow to wake up my lil’ muscles. It felt very good to just move. I want to up my flexibility. I want to do a handstand dangit! New Years’ Resolution number 2, I guess? This time it took me about 15 minutes.

MEDITATE.
Yes! Swear on my life: Meditation Minis is a LIFESAVER. In less than ten minutes I got my zen on and approached my morning with absolute clari-T. It was all about breathing in confidence, breathing out self doubt. At some point, I began seeing a blue dusting of galaxies in my brain (my mind’s eye? I’m no spiritual guru, I’m just trying to be), and decided blue would be my color for today. I changed into a shirt with blue on it and put on a blue zip-up hoodie. I am not great at turning off my brain. Gosh, I’m so brilliant and smart, I never stop thinking! Just kidding.

JOURNAL
Done and done, but only a little bit! I got an Elephant Journal for Christmas, so I went in and put two affirmations and labeled the calendar months. For me, it’s about writing SOMETHING, whether it’s a reflection, a poem, or even something simple like a to-do list. Five to ten minutes a day, and I’m set!

COMPLETE A SKIN ROUTINE
I am JUST now starting to take care of my skin. I’m lucky that my skin isn’t terrible, but I have acne scars and hormonal acne that flares once a month, not noticeably to anyone but me probably. Along with that, I see these older celebrities, former models, who all say the same thing: take care of your skin NOW. So serums and eye creams for me! It didn’t take me as long as I think it does when I’m rushing through the morning. It really comes down to the evening skin routine, when I want to exfoliate AND do a mask. Morning skin routine is easy (breezy, beautiful… Trader Joe’s tea tree oil cleanser!).

READ
Yes, finally! Currently reading Michelle Obama’s book, “Becoming.” You can really hear her voice come through in this memoir! I only just started the book, but I’m recognizing where she come from and how different her upbringing was from mine. At the same time, I can see our similarities, too. Is it no coincidence that awesome ladies tend to have awesome mothers?

PREPARE A HEALTHY BREAKFAST
Ish? My breakfast was prepared in good time. I had a breakfast sandwich with one fried egg and some Cabot cheddar on Genesis bread. It was fine, except I added way more Earth Balance than I should have. I need to find healthier breakfasts that are low carb, filling, and low-calorie that are plant based. I need to eat more plants and detox from the holiday fun, ASAP.

EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST
I felt no sense of rush eating my sandwich. Deep breaths, well paced, even browsed Pinterest between bites! It was totally doable.

Overall, I got logged into my computer at 8:03. My biggest downfall, I think, was the fact that I cleaned up after myself while browsing my phone. It always comes down to my phone! I browse Twitter and Instagram FIRST thing every morning, and before I know it, my 5AM wakeup turns into a 5:20 RUSH into gym clothes. I was able to restore my old iPhone to partial usage. I think that now I’m going to use that as my alarm clock, and put my actual phone in a charger by the door. That way, it’s the last thing I see before I start my morning at the gym! That’ll help me save time in my morning “primping” too, if I plug it back in by the door so I can only grab it on my way out to the office.

This morning was missing:
20 minute drive to work
45 minute hair and makeup
25 minute drive to and from the gym
90 minute workout

If I take out the three minutes of phone usage (give or take), and add in that extra time needed to have a true, established morning routine, you get: a five hour morning routine. Which means, if I start at 8 AM, I gotta wake up at 3 AM.

I mean, that’s insane, right? I know some of the most brilliant people wake up at 4 AM, and Mark Wahlberg wakes up at 2:45 AM, but come on, people! I got eight hours of sleep last night and I still fell asleep at my desk today! Where on this list can I make compromises?

WATER. That doesn’t take time.
STRETCH/YOGA.That took me, total, about 15 minutes. I can shave off five minutes there.
MEDITATE. I can keep this to ten minutes.
JOURNAL. Ten minutes here. That’s all I need, but I’ll give myself fifteen for that “ONE MORE THING” thought.
SKIN ROUTINE. This doesn’t take more than five minutes. There’s no need to compromise five minutes for long term rewards.
READ. I probably don’t need to read AND journal in the morning. Getting to work and being my own inspiration should be all I need. I’ll leave reading to being a post-work (or lunch break) activity. That way, I won’t be too entrapped by a schedule. I’m not good at reading one chapter at a time, anyway!
PREPARE A HEALTHY BREAKFAST.This should not take me more than twenty minutes.
EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST. This should be fifteen minutes, MAX.

Altogether, that morning routine is 10+10+10+5+35= An hour and ten minutes. With the original time, that’s a four hour, ten minute morning routine. A 3:50 wake-up time. YIKES. I guess I can try that for a month. But wow, so don’t want to.

On a more positive note, my meditation this morning got me to think about the colors I want to be prominent in my future. I want lighter shades of blue, and pastels. Maybe it’s time I give yellow a fair shot, too! I feel like my aesthetic has been very New York chic… as in, I wear black too much. I need a little more color in my life. It’s time to be bold… in very light, friendly colors.

Post-Holiday Plans

Posted on by maljoylove

You know how when you’re in theatre production (or you’re a parent, or you’re just really into crafts… or all three), you just know that glitter that tracks into your house will just appear regularly for the rest of time? That’s how I feel about holiday candy wrappers. I don’t really know why they’re appearing so frequently across my house, and yet, there’s one at the foot of my computer as we speak. I didn’t even bring one in here!

My favorite holiday commercial!

If anything, this is just the symbol that the Christmas holiday is at an end. I’m back at my work desk, headphones on, and gearing up for the backup of post-holiday tasks. I acted with a bit of strategy last night. While my family was watching “Die Hard,” the ultimate Christmas movie (hot dogs are sandwiches, end of conversation), I grabbed my work laptop and cleared out my assignment queue. To the sounds of Bruce Willis jumping through windows and saving lives without putting on a pair of freaking shoes, I cancelled nonsense tasks, completed quick tasks, and sent complex tasks to the advanced team. As a result, today has been quiet to a degree. I’m sure I would have been a bit more stressed had I not done that!

Courtesy of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. NBC welcomes you home.

My typical morning routine is to wake up a bit after four, go to the gym, come back for a shower, do my hair and makeup for the day, and drive to work to be there by 8am. That said, my routine is an imperfect one. I want to maximize my time spent. My workouts should be more efficient. Usually only my hair or only my makeup looks okay, not both. My look is “presentable,” but I want to get that “put together” aesthetic. I end up rushing my way through breakfast, and getting to work a few minutes late. No one seems to notice or care, but I do.

Along with that, I want to ADD more to my morning. I want to make time for meditation/affirmations, morning pages, yoga, maybe even reading something during breakfast. I’m all for multi-tasking! At the same time, I wake up at 4 AM already. I’m sleepy. I need more sleep. More than that, I want to WAKE UP the right way! I want to have a big glass of water, HYDRATE right from the start. I definitely don’t do that now!

That said, we’re five days out from 2019. Now is the time to plan. How am I going to start my 2019 on the right foot, set a precedent of possibility? I want something sustainable, but something that makes me happy. I wish I didn’t have to exercise, because I think I could wake up at 6 AM and get everything done before I have to leave for work at 7:35.

An idea has been hatched! I will skip the gym tomorrow morning, but wake up at 6 AM. With my 6 AM wake-up, I will:

  • Have 1/2 liter of water
  • Stretch/Yoga
  • Meditate
  • Journal
  • Complete a Skin Routine
  • Read
  • Prepare a healthy breakfast
  • Eat a healthy breakfast

That’s not including my workout, shower, nor hair nor makeup routine. Two hours of morning mindful mindset. I will post my results! I want a head start on my 2019. What better goal than to start the year with a new game plan that already has a few kinks adjusted? Challenge accepted!

Season’s Greetings

Posted on by maljoylove

It’s the Thursday before Christmas, and the house is about ready to receive guests. My fiance’s family will be arriving in a few hours and staying through the 26th. The house has been cleaned and a lovely festive flower arrangement sits on our coffee table… next to an animated “kids” book style edition of “Die Hard”. As a treat for the future in-laws, I made my favorite treat: apple cider donuts! They were made gluten-free, since my almost-father-in-law is gluten sensitive and my future brother-in-law has Celiac Disease. What it lacks in gluten it makes up for in taste! Now my whole house smells like apple cake. I know, apple is typically a Thanksgiving flavor, but I had apple pie at Christmas too when I was a kid. There’s no bad time for apple desserts, if you ask me!

Recipe Courtesy of Smashed Peas and Carrots. Get it here!

I made a dozen, but the dough consistency made them all split slightly. One doughnut fell down fighting in a perfect half. I decided we would split it, as a taste test. And golly, was it delicious!

I’m spending time with other family at a wedding this weekend out of town, but my flight gets me home Sunday (before Christmas Eve)! I hope I get to watch “Love Actually” or something on my flight tomorrow. It’d be arduous to watch EVERY favorite Christmas movie Monday and Tuesday.

Growing up in a Jewish household (but with a Christian father), my experience of Christmas was strictly the capitalist version that some people think ruins the holiday. I love decorating trees, baking cookies, listening to Christmas music, and most of all, giving presents! Getting presents is fun, but… I think this meme sums it up best:

I wish I had a billion dollars to buy everything for the people I love. I wish I had a time machine so I could spend Christmas morning with my fiance’s family, my family, and my friends up north. Until I get those billion dollars and until Elon Musk stops messing around and does what I’m paying him to do, I will work with my holiday budget (?) and time management that I have now. I got most of my Christmas shopping done early this year, though one gift is coming later than the rest… a seasonal coffee gift that delivers coffee every month from a different corner of the world!

It really is the most wonderful time of the year. But, I am very sleepy and still have so much to do. I’m going to get the last of my to-dos taken care of and go to sleep a bit later than usual… with visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. Sweet dreams!

The Journey Begins

Posted on by maljoylove

Thanks for joining me!

“Perfectly executed Chewbacca noise!” — Tracy Jordan, 30 Rock

autumn autumn colours autumn leaves blur
Photo by Vali S. on Pexels.com

Welcome to my blog! My name is Mallory. I am 24 years old and today, it is exactly one week before Christmas 2018. I had a lot of lofty 2018 resolutions that I did not accomplish. It is my goal to not let the same thing happen to my 2019 resolutions. This website was one of my 2018 resolutions, if not a watered down version. I set out to create a website that would show off my web development skills, creating custom CSS and coding in PHP. Alas, this was not meant to be, as my skills are more maintenance based than creation. But that said, a website has been created with the intent to move forward into 2019 with a head start! 

To kick things off, let’s KISS … I mean Keep it Simple, Silly! Here are ten facts about me:

  1. I currently work as a web support specialist for the Golf Channel, owned by one of my favorite companies in the world… NBC (xylophone jingle in the distance). I help other people with their websites, making them look pretty and updating things that golf course employees may not know how to do. It’s a fun job, and my coworkers are always full of positive energy. 
  2. I live in Orlando, but can’t wait to move! I love being so close to Disney that I can hear the fireworks, THAT part is magical. But there’s traffic, everything else is far away, and the HEAT! My goodness, the heat. I’m ready to move to a bustling city (THE bustling city, where I will avoid the traffic by walking and taking the subway), or somewhere blooming and idyllic, like Austin or Denver. The ultimate dream would be to move back to Burlington, Vermont, where I went to college and fell in love with autumn colors. They don’t really have the job market for my return, yet. In time though, who knows? 
  3. My favorite color is purple, but I always wear black. 
  4. If you couldn’t tell from fun fact 1: I love NBC sitcoms. I  can talk your ear off about “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “30 Rock,” “Scrubs,” and premiering this spring, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
  5. My favorite movie is “Almost Famous.” Other movies on my top 10 list include “Inglorious Basterds,” “Psycho,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and “The Devil Wears Prada.” 
  6. Music makes me happy! My favorite song is “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John, and my favorite band is Panic! at the Disco. The first Beatles song I ever heard was “Here Comes the Sun,” and I’ve loved them ever since. I’m currently experiencing a love of lo-fi music. Some chill tunes while I start and end my day keep my head on straight.
  7. I’ve got a genetic case of wanderlust. My mom has traveled the world and back, and I’m just a few decades behind her! I was lucky enough to study abroad in England in 2015, and while in Europe I visited Wales, Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. Switzerland and Italy are at the top of my list right now! I want to visit every continent before I die. 
  8.  I love food. It feels weird to spout this as a fun fact about me, considering the my weight loss journey, but I should embrace every part of me. While I love to eat, I also love to bake! I’ve got a great chocolate chip cookie recipe, and one time I used a brownie recipe as a jumping off point and somehow created the greatest peanut butter brownie you’ve ever had. Now I just gotta remember how I did that.
  9. I’m a work in progress. I want to be a hardworking woman, who tops the Forbes List and gets her face on the cover of Vogue for doing it (the headline I have in mind is “Having it All: Mallory Joy’s Journey to Completion”). I feel like my mind is cloudy now, and I’m hoping for clear skies to brighten my way.
  10. Okay, I get it– why “Mal Like Maple”? I don’t know why the name occurred to me on the treadmill this morning, but it did. I put maple syrup in everything! I’ve gone down the vegan path and thus avoid honey nine times out of ten, which makes maple my sweetener of choice. It starts with an “M,” as does my first name, and like maple syrup I’m thick and sweet. 
    Sorry, I had to throw that one in there. 

Post one complete! I spent $90 on this. That’s a good investment in my future, right? Branding?