Shannon Randol

10 Ways to Dare Greatly According to Brene Brown – How Many Are You Doing?

Hey, it’s Monday and my eyes and nose are so swollen I have to keep my eyebrows raised in order to see through my eyelids. No really. I tried this new face cream by Loreal and it blew my face up like a balloon. It has collagen in it and I don’t think you’re supposed to carelessly rub it all over your face, which I did because patience is not my strong suit.

Anyways, I hope everyone reading is having a good start to their week and if you’re not…at least you don’t look like this….

Last night I started reading my first (and I’m assuming the first of many) Brene Brown book titled Daring Greatly and within the first damn page had me pegged. The fact she nailed down one of my biggest flaws regarding relationships almost sent me slamming the book shut out of pure stubbornness and refusal to believe some random stranger could know me. As if!

The line that got me was this, “keep people at a safe distance and always have an exit strategy,” and the first thing I thought was, “No! Other people do this, too? This isn’t a problem!”

For as long as I can remember, having an exit strategy has always been super important to my own mental survival and not just when it relates to relationships or connecting with others.

Whenever I’m surrounded by large crowds (parades, movie theaters, restaurants) I make sure to note where the exits are in case of an emergency. Even when I get stopped waiting for a train to pass, I leave a car length spot in front of me just in case I have to be able to maneuver out of the line of cars to safety.

Being trapped and not being able to get out is my number one fear. It’s what my nightmares depict, so it only makes sense I keep people at a safe distance paired with an equally safe (for me) exit strategy.

What’s equally as interesting is that for the past two decades I have spent a good chunk of time getting myself out of sticky, tricky, and sometimes life-threatening situations. So how come I still fear it? Do I lack self-confidence in myself or am I paranoid?

I struggle with self-confidence but not in this aspect of the word, protecting myself and staying safe has consistently been my strong suit and it’s possible I’m too good at it. So much so that I know I don’t technically need anyone to help me make big decisions or guide me through life. I’ve proved it true numerous times, so it reinforces the thought “relationships are a burden.”

This safe distance blockade I’ve built was invisible to me up until a year ago. I didn’t even know I was doing it, or aware/curious that this might be why I struggle with every relationship I’ve ever tried to have, and recently realized my technique for protection didn’t avoid my marriage.

It sucks to have to write this sentence, but it’s true. I feel like we all know marriages these days don’t last, and while I love my husband like no other and would kill for him if need be, I still have an exit strategy just in case it doesn’t work out between us in the end, because I don’t want to be unprepared for the worst and depending on someone else to get me through.

The thought of asking for help is still widely unpopular with me. I’d rather have a couple root-canals and do leg day every day of the week than ask for help.

In short, reading this book is going to be interesting. There’s a part of me who’s really excited to see where this journey of self-discovery is going to lead, with a high hope me sharing will help someone else reading.

But I’m also afraid I might recognize a few traits I’ll need to alter that will be easier said than done.

Brene Brown also gives a list of guidelines to wholehearted living that I want you to ponder, as I’ve been mentally digesting it for 24-hours now and is also what Daring Greatly helps get its readers to do.

Cultivating Authenticity: Letting Go of What People Think
Cultivating Self-Compassion: Letting Go of Perfectionism
Cultivating a Resilient Spirit: Letting Go of Numbing and Powerlessness
Cultivating Gratitude and Joy: Letting Go of Scarcity and Fear of the Dark
Cultivating intuition and trusting faith: Letting Go of the Need for Certainty
Cultivating Creativity: Letting Go of Comparison
Cultivating Play and Rest: Letting go of Exhaustion As A Status Symbol and Productivity As Self-Worth
Cultivating Calm and Stillness: Letting Go of Anxiety As a Lifestyle
Cultivating Meaningful Work: Letting Go of Self-Doubt and ‘Supposed To”
Cultivating Laughter, Song, and Dance: Letting Go of Being Cool and ‘Always in Control”

How many are you actively doing? I can only say two or three, possibly. I’ve never struggled with perfectionism and exhaustion as a lifestyle doesn’t seem like a thing I do, who knows, I might get to that chapter and choke on my own words.

So, to all my ladies out there still reading this long ass post—download Audible and create an account if you don’t have one because you get one FREE book as a thank you for signing up, so go read this damn book and join in on the convo with me.

Cubbyhole Camping in Joshua Tree for National Park Week

Did you know that this week is National Park week? To celebrate the Hubs and I rented an AirBnB in Joshua Tree. A small teardrop camper that had made its roots in the middle of the desert, on purpose.

You could say, we caravanned our way into National Park week like bosses. Is that too cheesy? #longhairdontcare

For the record, I’ve never been to the desert or Joshua Tree and didn’t know that there was actually tree named Joshua, hence it’s namesake. So this is the Tree, for any other fellow non in the know people, haha.

The Hubs and I packed up his truck and our puppies Saturday morning. My husband has a nasty habit of OVER packing. The hours before go-time is peppered with his worried phrase, “what if we need this?”

I err on the side of minimalism, last November I traveled to Buffalo in the middle of winter with one carryon for 4 days. So I usually ignore the mountain of stuff growing when the Hubs is in charge of packing, hahaha.

The cubbyhole was located just outside Joshua Tree National Park and gave you the right amount of seclusion in the desert vibe, with the reassurance civilization wasn’t too far away, just had to make it down a dirt road.

I would highly recommend Leafe and Katherine as an AirBnB host, they are amazing people with some amazing desert detours, which happens to also be their Instagram account.

Here are some of the photos from our trip:

How cool is showering outdoors?!

The desert is definitely its own kind of beauty. We went to escape the noise of Orange County and lose connection with our cell phones, next time we will hit up the trails and hike our hearts out.

I Need Your Help – KidWorks Is In Need Of School Supplies

Happy Wednesday everyone, hope this week hasn’t dragged for you like mine has, but I’m positive it has only felt like a million years because the Hubs and I are going camping out to Joshua Tree this weekend AND I’M SO EXCITED TO MAKE SMORES.

Many of you know I’ve begun volunteer teaching at KidWorks, a local children’s charity that serves at-risk youth in Santa Ana. In lieu of summer approaching, they are in desperate need of school supplies for its summer programs.

I’ve got 1,000 followers on this blog and if each of you sent a $5 gift card from Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc. It would make a huge difference in these children’s lives.

I’m hoping to collect enough gift cards to go out and make the school supply purchases. I will post updates regarding how much was raised and how much stuff we were able to raise (together) for this program.

Here’s an idea of what they’re looking for:

Binders
Composition Notebooks
Spiral Notebooks
Wood Pencils
Mechanical Pencils
Graph Paper
Poster Paper
Erasers
Crayola Crayons & Markers
Colored Pencils
Dry Erase Markers
Dry Erase Erasers
Colored Chalk
Tape
Glue Sticks
First Aid Kits
Post Its
Index Cards
Acrylic Paints
Rulers
Index Cards
Kleenex Boxes
Hand Sanitizer
Construction Paper
Scissors
Clorox Wipes
Black Sharpies
Dictionaries/Thesaurus
Manila Folders
White Printer/Copy Paper

This is only HALF the list! KidWorks serves over 500 kids a day between all four of their locations and could use all the help they can get.

If it feels sketchy sending me a gift card with $5-$25 on it, please don’t! It feels weird for me to ask a bunch of ‘strangers’ but I’m honest, swear it! I’ll even provide you picture proof of all the supplies delivered!

Please send the gift cards to this address: 1302 Industrial Drive Tustin California 92780

Thank you in advance!

One drop of water doesn’t make a difference, but many drops of water create a garden

Be my garden, folks!

Come hang out with me on Facebook or Instagram @sjrandol ❤

Three Sisters Waterfalls Hike

The hike down the canyon into the valley was serene. A canopy of purple-flowered shrubs lined a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the trail and could even here bumblebees buzzing around the blooms. Spring has officially arrived in Southern California.

We got to the trailhead at about 8:30 A.M. and it felt more crowded on our trek back up at 11 A.M. Earlier is always better in my book.

The last 5 miles before pulling into the trailhead parking lot is a dirt road and there are well-kept porta-johns, I mention because I was surprised! California has had an average rainy season this year and the water levels in mid-April were full and flowing.

All Three Sisters were gorgeous. Keep in mind during the hotter months there’s very little shade on this hike and it’s a good steep hike back to the car. I wouldn’t bring my dogs because the risk of overheating is high, even though I’m sure they’d scale the rocks better than me.

AllTrails suggests to only use this hike from October to April and is recommended for very experienced adventurers, which I would agree with as the hike back up the canyon SUCKS. lol

Here are some of the photos from this weekend’s adventure.

Planning these little weekend trips have been a real blessing to my marriage. We both work our asses off and forget to enjoy each other sometimes, enjoying the sounds of nature has been a breath of fresh air, for reals.

So I encourage you to plan a little getaway, doesn’t have to be far (or expensive). Mother Nature has a lot to offer, so go take a hike. 🙂

RamblinRandol is about finding yourself and learning to love yourself again. Life is real and raw, there’s no room for perfection here. If you’d like to join the Hot Mess Express tribe where we discuss the daily struggle and bring real life to light, come hang out in my new Facebook group, here.

Be my friend on Instagram @shannahan22

Best Office Pleaser Lemon CoffeeCake

Want to know the best office pleaser lemon coffeecake recipe? Look no further, I found it.

And I don’t even like lemon, no really — never been my fav, but my boss brings in lemons from her tree so I’ve been experimenting with lemon treats because who can resist fresh anything?!

The sour cream factor is the not-so-secret moist maker and is one of the reasons this is the best coffee cake recipes.

PS: I zested lemon instead of buying lemon powder.

PSS: My butter wasn’t cold-cold for the streusel, instead it was room-ish temperature (for some reason I do think it made a difference, more buttery and moist, possibly absorbed flavor better this way.

PSS: Didn’t put streusel on halfway through baking, a happy accident as my Hubs HATES crunchy anything, so if you have a Hubs like mine or enjoy the less crunchy part of life, maybe give the delayed streusel sprinkle a try, too.

PSSS: Nobody’s got time or the extra cash for lemon oil, I added a smidge of lemon juice instead.

Here’s the sitch:

STREUSEL

¾ cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice powder*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces
grated rind (zest) of 1 lemon
3/4 cup chopped pecans
*If you don’t have lemon juice powder, increase the grated lemon rind to that of 2 lemons.

CAKE

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice powder or the grated rind of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter*
1/4 teaspoon lemon oil, optional, for flavor
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt (not Greek-style)
*See “tips,” below.

GLAZE

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a tube pan, or a 9″ x 13″ pan.
To prepare the streusel: Stir together the dry ingredients. Cut in the cold butter, then add the grated rind and pecans.
To prepare the cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon powder (or grated rind), and cinnamon.
Beat the butter and lemon oil together until the butter is soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream, beating after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add the dry ingredients, stirring just until incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter.
Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. If you’ve used a tube pan, allow the cake to cool slightly, then turn it out onto a plate. Using another plate, turn it over again so the streusel is on top. If you’ve baked the cake in a 9″ x 13″ pan, serve it right from the pan.
To prepare the glaze: Stir the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar together. Drizzle over the cake.
Yield: 16 to 24 servings.

Original recipe found, here.

My First Day at KidWorks KU Program

My first day at Kidworks KU program was this past Friday and I have to admit, my nerves were jittery all day in anticipation of my first-afternoon volunteer teaching.

Would a bunch of 3rd through 5th graders eat me alive? Would I say something wrong and secure their place in therapy twenty years from now? What if they hate my course outline and/or despise me?!

PS: When the hell did I turn into a worry wart? My lifelong goal of not turning into my mother and worrying about everything has apparently flown right out the window. #smdh

KU (Kidworks University) is a 5-week program where kids elect to take courses they’re interested in after their regular school hours. I volunteered to fill in as the arts & crafts teacher as they hadn’t found anyone to fill the position.

Craft one was making dreamcatchers. In an hour. With 12 kids and one of me.

Holy crow have I never heard my name said so many dang times.

It was hilariously exhausting.

The entire day before Day One at KU I spent preparing for the ONE HOUR class. I was super convinced they’d finish early and all be looking at me begging for something to do. I was pre-imagining the panic I’d feel with 12 sets of little eyeballs waiting for my next move, so like any wannabe Boy Scout – I made a plan for the plan and went in prepared…

This is embarrassing because your girl had a powerpoint presentation, a word search just in case kids finished early and a story about where the dreamcatchers originated from…

And there has GOT to be some kind of life irony/hidden life message within this next paragraph describing how the ONE HOUR actually went.

We didn’t start until 20-minutes after planned because the program manager wanted to make sure to get all the last minute kids in the classes they wanted. There was a class before mine so I couldn’t set up the room until it was my turn – but I was standing outside waiting for my kids to arrive (per protocol) and had zero prep time, especially since we all started 20 minutes late.

As I’m learning the kids’ names, half of them start asking if we’re going to make slime instead of the pre-designated craft I’m in the process of setting up. Probably four kids in total repeatedly asked, when are we going to make slime?!

After getting the kiddos started all of them needed help. At the same time.

After helping one, another would ask, and then another, then another and then another.

I’ve never tied so many damn knots in my life. Which thinking about it now, why didn’t I just tell them to tie their own knot? Those fools got me ❤

By the time the hour (and an extra 15-minutes) was up, most of the class finished their dreamcatcher and ran out the door while I was left trying to catch my breath, clean up the bead mess and figure out where I’d left my brain.

Nobody wanted to read my dreamcatcher story. And there was no extra time for the word search I had printed out. Not even sure where my flash drive with my PPT went.

I made an IG Story from the beginning to end, so I’m sharing it with you now so that you too can enjoy a laugh at my expense.

Moral of the story: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Once the party train starts rolling there’s no stopping it. And I must repeat – don’t try to make a bunch of 8 and 10-year-olds make a dreamcatcher in an hour. Safe a life, color a book.

PSA: Kidworks NEEDS volunteers. If you’re in the Orange County, California, area please consider donating some of your time. Check out volunteer opportunities here. Kidworks is a community development organization whose mission is to restore at-risk neighborhoods…one life at a time.

Join me in being the change we wish to see in the world. If you volunteer your time, tell us where in the comment section so we can love on you and each other!

Stay dreaming.

Hike To Devil’s Punch Bowl

The hike to Devil’s Punch Bowl was gorgeous once you got down into the valley. Opting outside has become a new favorite hobby of mine, and it’s probably because the weather here in Southern California basically screams for you to be outside as frequently as possible.

It was crowded once we got to the falls, but I still enjoyed the scenery (and people watching opportunities). The water was freezing and even though it was hotter than Hades I didn’t feel like jumping in, wasn’t in the mood for soggy underwear.

Cedar Creek Falls Trail is an out and back trail with the Devil’s Punch Bowl as its halfway point. Trip Advisor ranks it as the number two hike for the Cleveland National Forest, which means Hubs and I will be hiking No. 1 trail sooner rather than later.

All Trails ranks the hike as moderate and strongly suggests no dogs due to the many canine deaths from the lack of no shade. This hike does require a permit.

Here are some of the photos I took from our hike this weekend. Hope you enjoy!

This world is full of beautiful places and things, Don’t miss out on experiencing the best of the best mother nature has to offer. So go take a hike, it’s good for the soul.

Be my friend on Instagram @shannahan22

Step One: Getcha Mind Right

I skipped Friday’s post, and I’ve felt guilty about it all weekend. A lot has been going on and I couldn’t bring myself to silence my anxiety long enough to sit still and write down what was going on in my head.

My personal to-do list feels like it’s growing by the hour, without any progress or satisfaction of checking off a number of to-dos, daily. Instead, it feels like I’m drowning and it’s my own hand that’s holding me under.

Every morning I want to perform a checklist that helps actively grow my social media presence with an end goal it’ll help my podcast and ultimately promote my personal brand of small biz marketer consultant.

This includes posting every day on Facebook and Instagram, three blogs on ramblinrandol.com, trying to convince people to let me interview them and write out this damn business plan so it’ll help my pitch when I ask brands to give me a landing page.

This clearer vision ALSO requires me to REDO my landing page AGAIN. A need to square up my IG page and create a highlight that lets people know what they’re going to get from me, but I’m stressed about being honest because people from my past are going to judge HARD and it makes me want to fight.

Basically, I’m conflicted.

Thursday night I finally said out loud a truth I’ve been thinking about for awhile.

“I already hustled my way through my twenties, how come that couldn’t be enough?”

I’m tired of busting my ass, was feeling sorry for myself and sick of wrestling the frustration within my own head, so I offered it up for my Hubs to analyze.

His response was profound (I don’t give him enough credit, he knows me better than I acknowledge) and helped give me the perspective I needed.

“Your hustle in your early-twenties did exactly what you intended it to do, got you out of the restaurant industry and graduating college with your Bachelor’s degree. You met those goals so you created more, right? So now you’ve got to adjust your hustle to accomplish those goals.”

Well, hot damn, how come I couldn’t come up with that obvious answer on my own?

If I were content with life as it is now, then great, no harm no foul. But, I’m not. I’ve got bigger dreams I want to achieve. The quicker I get rid of the “I already busted my ass and beat the odds” mentality, the quicker I can get my ass in gear.

Not to mention I need a better system because I am OVERhelmed, but I do believe If I get my mind right the rest will systematically fall in line.

Step One: Getcha Mind Right.

Be my friend on Instagram @shannahan22

The FYI About Someone Like You

Okay, it’s time to spill the beans on what I’ve been working on the past 6 weeks…

I’m starting a podcast called Someone Like You and every week I’ll be interviewing a young person who’s experiencing life-changing opportunities thanks to a nonprofit.

At the 30,000 foot perspective, the podcast is about starting a conversation to address the epidemic of youth homelessness across America and specifically within Orange County, California.

I live here and hear the bias’ people perpetuate on a semi-regular basis. It’s important to understand no child asks to be homeless, and that the leading causes of youth homelessness include abandonment, mental health issues, and abuse.

Children don’t get to pick their parents and nobody makes you take a test before becoming one.

Per a report conducted by Covenant House on a single night in January 2016, there were over 35,000 unaccompanied kids out on the streets, and 89 percent of those 35K were between the ages 18 and 24, the remaining 11 percent were under the age of 18.

This isn’t okay.

Two years ago I participated in Covenant House California’s Sleep Out fundraiser, a national movement made up of individuals who commit to spending one night out on the streets while raising money that goes directly to getting kids off the streets, and ever since that ONE night I won’t stop trying to get the word out.

You can read about my first experience out on the streets of Los Angeles, here.

I didn’t understand. I grew up in NYC and was taught to not make eye-contact, never give anyone free money, and that a bum wanted to be on the streets or was probably there for a quick buck or addicted to drugs.

The common thread I learned that night at Covenant House was that nobody asked or deserved to be homeless. Instead, I realized it was easier to digest if they had ‘done something’ to be there because it made them less human, and didn’t affect me as much if there was a reason they were on the streets.

Almost 10 years ago I was almost homeless and about to be living out of my car with my dog before a friend stepped in and let me stay on her couch for a month while my financials got back in order.

I have never felt so shitty or like a huge whopping failure in my whole life. This podcast will hopefully work my way out of a job because I don’t want youth homelessness to be a thing. We’re all a few missed paychecks away from facing the same situation.

Let’s get to the root of the problem. Nobody deserves to be homeless. So join me as I put a face to these nonprofits working hard to provide free primary health care, legal assistance, education and job training programs for people who need help getting off the streets.

What if the kid who can cure cancer is out there now, sleeping on the streets, and just needs a little love and helping hand to put him back on track to saving the world.

Keep a lookout for Someone Like You podcast, nothing like it has been done so join me in changing the world one podcast at a time. I’ll be sure to update when the first few episodes are live!

SMHS – “Cravings” defined by my Hubs

It’s Friday, so you know what time it is. Time for #SMHS – Sh*T My Husband Says!

There’s something special about being married and by special I mean hilarious. After a certain amount of time has passed you begin to get into the deep minutia of life and crazy metaphors, conversations, and ridiculousness get exchanged.

Here’s this week’s gem.

I really wish you guys could’ve seen my face when the Hubs literally defined the word craving while dismissing its hold over him simultaneously. Good thing he’s cute ;).