Sometimes I read the news.

Okay—I always read the news, but sometimes this “news” is…People magazine online.

Here’s my big secret spill, though: I tried to watch Downton Abbey.

However, I’d waited so long that I would’ve had to pay to view the episodes I missed (which is nearly the whole season, since we broke up). While I was considering giving Downton another chance, I’m not interested enough to pay. (I mean, I am still seeing Glee after all.)

I also wrote an elephant journal article titled Dear Husband, If You Do These Things, I’ll Make Your Dreams Come True, which is pretty much just one big secret spill. Yet it’s important to keep in mind that, as my husband puts it, I take artistic license with nearly all of my writing. (You never know exactly what is true.)

So I guess that’s another Monday morning dirty secret spill—that I liberally write with artistic license.

But there’s absolutely the reality that my writing comes from soul-deep nooks and crannies of secret spaces within my mind and heart and my emotional being, and I would love to say that I’m one of those writers who feels insecure and oh my God, I can’t believe I just hit “publish” on that last one, but the truth is I don’t.

And it’s not because I’m arrogant or because I don’t have boundaries. Rather, it’s because I believe in who I am.

In those soul-deep nooks and crannies where light is rarely allowed in, I see myself—I let light in as I witness myself—and I’m okay with what I find.

Are you?

And not are you okay with who I am, because I don’t care—which is exactly my point.

It’s when we become okay with who we are and with what we’re putting out into this world of ours, that we no longer need to seek approval.

Are rave reviews nice? Sure, of course. Are they necessary? No—and if they are, then we’re not living from soul-deep, possibly secret compartments, but from our ego-driven cravings for pats on the back.

And that’s why I have my Monday morning secret spill.

It started out purely as something fun for my friends on Facebook and it’s evolved into something that my readers love to see, and I think I know the reason why.

It’s because we connect with these little nuances.

It’s when we discuss these minute aspects of being human, we’re able to connect on a fundamentally profound level that allows us to open up and expose other more important parts of who we are—in short, it’s the start of communication, which makes the world go ’round.

Also, sometimes it’s good to just tilt your head back, show your teeth and laugh a little—or a lot.

(Oh, and if this sounds familiar, it’s because you read that blog I linked in earlier, so thanks.)

Photo credits: Yes, I seriously posed these dolls.

The post Monday Morning Dirty Secret Spill. first appeared on Jennifer S. White.

Yep, it’s Wednesday, and I’m still calling this my Monday morning dirty secret spill.

For one, it still kind of feels like Monday since this week has flown by and, for another, it’s my website so I can do that if I want to.

Okay, are you ready? Because here…we…go!

I love rinsing my sinuses out with saline water.

I’m ecstatic that it’s snowed two days in a row and that it’s cold again (and I’m not kidding in the slightest).

I don’t like Instagram pictures of food—but I’m guilty of putting a few up myself.

(That’s (stellar) whole wheat pizza dough made from scratch and homemade sauce and, no, I’m not ashamed.)

I don’t like Instagram pictures of yoga postures, but—you guessed it—I’ve put up some of my own.

Oh, and while I’m not even at 100 Instagram followers yet, I’m doing better than my previous tally of 8.

I like the word tally.

And sandbar.

And I strongly dislike the word lunch (even though I adore lunch itself).

I like the word Legos, though, and I’m still digging playing with them. Actually, I got my husband a set for his Valentine’s Day gift. (That gorgeous creation above is his and that teensy hand is my daughter’s, who’s impatiently wanting to play with it.)

I’m still watching Glee and—although the Glee club is called “New Directions” (please say this over and over again until you get it) and despite my husband insisting that it’s making him dumber—I’m still having fun watching.

I haven’t seen Downton Abbey since my previous announcement of our break-up (but I’m not saying that I’ll never watch it again either).

Because I don’t believe in saying never.

Also, I don’t understand writers who think their writing stinks or who fish for compliments. If you stink—or if you think you stink—why are you writing? There’s nothing wrong with owning your strengths. We are so afraid of being perceived as arrogant that we sometimes can’t even embrace our confidence. Let’s reclaim confidence.

Okay, off my soapbox now.

Speaking of soap, I loathe laundry and mine tends to pile up because I wait and do it all in one day in a few large loads. I tell my husband (and myself) that it’s because I have a small child and the laundry room is downstairs and that if, someday, we have a washing machine up near the kitchen (where they should be), that the laundry will always be done. However, this doesn’t completely take into account that the part about laundry I dislike is the folding.

I know how to fold a fitted sheet…wait for it…two different ways! (But I still bundle it up in a kind-of-neat ball and put it in the linen closet.)

My daughter is snoring next to me. She’s only napping because she’s home sick. While I don’t want her to feel unwell, her little body sleeping soundly next to my furiously typing one is like a tiny piece of heaven that I’ll keep stored away in my heart forever.

I’m using Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? as a mousepad, and I’m leaning forward at an awkward, uncomfortable angle to reach the mouse because the book is wedged between my slumbering child’s leg and my own.

I refuse to use my laptop’s lame attempt at a “mouse”—and I insist on using a real one instead.

Finally, I hope my little girl sleeps for awhile, because, frankly, I need the break.

Over and out.

Photos: Author’s own.

The post Monday Morning Dirty Secret Spill—Um, Wednesday Edition. first appeared on Jennifer S. White.

Here goes.

My second dirty secret spill, in what I hope will be a weekly special here on my website.

The above picture is from roughly four years ago, when I was asked to be a hair model. I like the picture, though, and I like to switch my bio images up every now and then, so I used it.

And…Downton Abbey and I broke up.

It wasn’t messy and I don’t have hard feelings, but, last week’s episode, frankly, wasn’t enjoyable to watch. It was, for me, just too much horrible drama.

Yet, part of the reason saying (a temporary?) good-bye to Downton wasn’t terribly difficult was because…I’m already seeing someone else.

Yes, I’ve been watching—drum roll—Glee.

This might be a television show from 2009—and I may or may not have religiously made fun of it—but I’d never seen even a five-second clip of this show until this past week.

Because after last Monday’s dirty secret spill two things happened: one, my daughter got sick and we spent quite a lot of time holed up together at home and, two, well, I’ll get to that shortly.

So, back to my child getting sick.

She loves music. Loves. (I actually think that she could be in a glee club someday.)

I was browsing our Amazon Prime selections and noticed Glee as a “recently added tv show” and I knew instantly that she would adore the musical aspect of it.

Needless to say, she did break out her microphone to begin singing along after less than five minutes of the first episode, and it helped make our week amazing rather than difficult.

And, the second thing that happened last week.

This:

A

And this:

(Yes that’s a one-horsepower car.)

And this, too:

(Yep, that’s a full kitchen, a loft—oh and my husband later made me a lava lamp.)

Oh, and…this:

Yes, my name is Jennifer and I’m obsessed (again, at age thirtysomething) with Legos.

Also last week, I officially diagnosed myself with ADEVVC.

Adult Delayed Eddie Vedder Voice Crush.

I might have owned Pearl Jam’s first album Ten on a cassette tape (Google it if you were too young to have ever used Myspace—which, much to my joy, is often referenced in these early Glee episodes), but I was never a Pearl Jam fan. I lost interest after Vs. (Although I did buy that on—ahem—CD.)

Anyways, I’m still constantly listening to the Into the Wild soundtrack (hence my ADEVVC).

I now have 51 followers on Instagram rather than 8. (Not to brag or anything.)

I keep tissues in my bra because I’m usually wearing yoga leggings with no pockets. (Hey, at least I don’t keep pencils, money and a full-on purse selection in there like my great-grandma did—yet.)

I feel bad a$$ when I drive my stick-shift Jetta.

I haven’t listened to my voice mails in nearly two weeks.

I’m still not used to my iPhone’s touch screen. (Which is probably why I didn’t text you back yet.)

I’m down with Madonna’s general need for attention, but not with her recent usage of the N-word.

I was rooting for Gwen Stefani to have a girl.

I won’t let my husband take our Christmas tree down.

I was thrilled to finally share some of my storytelling with the world via this article about envy, but I’m not really an envious person—which is why I wrote it.

One last dirty secret spill for this Monday morning:

That caged girl piece I wrote?

I’m really proud of it—it’s my personal best so far—but it wasn’t hard for me to share.

It didn’t feel courageous or brave or any of the other beautiful responses that readers have messaged me (but thank you). And here’s why:

Some things shouldn’t have to be secrets in the first place.

Over and out—for now.

Photo credit: Author’s own; Neal Jennings/Flickr.

The post Monday Morning Dirty Secret Spill. first appeared on Jennifer S. White.

I began watching Sex and the City prequel The Carrie Diaries on Netflix during my sinus surgery—and I haven’t stopped. My husband put plex on our TV so I can watch new episodes (I don’t own cable and my television is. not. flat.)

I waited up until 10 pm for Downton Abbey…only to discover that it’s on at 9. (Yes, that’s waiting up for me. Hubby went to bed mad at me because I was “overly angry” about missing the show.)

After many years of enjoyment, I won’t be renewing my Yoga Journal subscription.

I’m an Elephant Journal member, and I’m still excited that they upped the reads from two to three per day, for non-members.

I’m drinking coffee out of Santa’s head…and I don’t give a damn.

I will never be able to spell occasionally correctly. Yep, I just had that fixed thanks to my handy, dandy computer.

It might be a lot too late, but I finally bought the Into the Wild soundtrack and I can’t stop listening to it. (And I think Chris McCandless was an idiot who went into the wild.)

My daughter’s favorite show is Mr. Rogers spin off Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood—and maybe only parents want to talk about their kids learning Spanish from Dora or weird, drug-induced monster creations, but this show is better than any other kids program I’ve ever seen, with the exception of the aforementioned Mr. Rogers.

Okay, I think that’s enough for now…but only because I can’t remember the one that made me start writing this in the first place.

P.S. Oh, and I’ll add that I joined Instagram—and I only have 8 followers. Yep, so there’s that.

P.P.S. I created the category “Monday Morning Dirty Secret Spill,” so I guess look for another edition of this next Monday!

P.P.P.S. I haven’t written post scripts in such a childish manner since, well, I was a child (passing notes in, probably, the fourth grade)—and I’m digging it.

Photo: Rennett Stowe/Flickr.

The post Monday Morning Dirty Secret Spill. first appeared on Jennifer S. White.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure if I was going to watch Downton Abbey this season.

But I did—and I was pleasantly surprised.

Sure, there was destined to be drama when nearly a handful of lead characters have been killed off in the previous season, yet it managed to have the wit and gorgeous cinematography that turned many viewers on in the first place (even if we were turned off by a tad too much tragedy).

Still, have you ever wondered…is there life after Downton? Well, for one of the abbey’s most infamous personalities, there just might be.

She’s not Lady Mary—most of the time.

Funny or Die’s latest star is none other than Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery, aka Lady Mary.

In this fake trailer for a made-up TNT drama “Tough Justice,” Dockery stars as a no-nonsense cop alongside The Shield‘s Michael Chiklis.

Watch Lady Mary’s “Tough” performance here:

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2621d24714/tough-justice-with-michelle-dockery

Photo: Screenshot.

The post Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary on (Hilarious) Cop Show. {Funny or Die Video} first appeared on Jennifer S. White.