Christina Epperly
Bio
Hello, there! I am a creative and fun loving blogger with a bucket list, big dreams and a love of writing. Some of my favorite things to write about include self care, blogging, and pets.
John 3:16
Stories (47/0)
I said goodbye to my career in childcare.
Well I did it. I finally did it. After working in childcare on and off for over a decade I finally left the field for good. Before I get into the reasons why I left I need to talk about why I started in the first place. When I was around fifteen years old I started babysitting and I enjoyed it. Also during my high school years I got the opportunity to spend two summers working at a science day camp. When it came time to decide what I wanted to do after high school I figured that since I loved working with children already I should stick with it. I could be a preschool teacher by taking early childhood education classes at the local community college so that is what I did. Let's face it, you don't know a lot about yourself when you are in high school. You have pretty much been in school for your entire life and for the most part you were told what you were supposed to do and where you were supposed to be. When you finish high school you now have to decide what you want to do in your adult life. It is a hard choice to make. I had an interest in photography but I worried about being able to find work in that field. With all that in mind I chose to have a career in child care. I’m going to start talking my experience in the childcare field by saying that not every experience I had while working in the field of childcare was negative. I met some great people, I got to plan some fun art projects, and there were times when I could just play with the kids and learn from them. However, I must say that I experienced some very unprofessional treatment during my career. The moment that stands out to me the most was the time when I was demoted in my classroom in front of children. It was nap time but there were children that were still awake. I was not expecting to be demoted. I didn't even know there was a problem until management came into my classroom and demoted me. I am a very emotional person so I could not keep myself from crying. A child in the room who was awake asked me why I was crying. Also I should mention that this was done on the day we had our Christmas party. However the biggest reason I chose to walk away from my career was the stress I was experiencing. Working with kids is stressful especially in California where they have a one to twelve ratio for children that are two years-old and older. Just take a moment to picture yourself in a room with twelve two years-olds. Not only do you have to keep them safe, you have to carry out planned activities, help them clean up after playtime and other activities, help them with lunch and snack, assist them with toilet training and you better keep them on the classroom schedule or you will be hearing about it from management. I will say that most schools do have an aid or another teacher to help you out in the classroom. However having another adult in the classroom usually means that the law will allow you to have more children in that room. More children mean more money for the school so in some cases management will not hesitate to fill the classroom with as many kids as they can. Now, people who chose a career in childcare don't do it for the money but I want you to consider the fact that the average preschool teacher makes fewer than forty thousand dollars a year. Not only is this very little money for the work that teachers do it is nearly impossible to live off of. Plus if you ask any teacher they will more than likely admit to spending their own money on items for their classroom. Oh and while we are talking about how teachers constantly have to go above and beyond let's talk about children with behavior issues. Now, when I say behavior issues I'm not talking about the normal challenging behavior that children of preschool age have. I'm talking about getting hit, bit and having things thrown at you. Sometimes you are working with a child who does these things multiple times a week. It can take a long time before a child is removed from a program even if there have been multiple incidents of inappropriate behavior. Having children who have these kinds of behavior problems in your classroom make it very difficult for a teacher to focus on teaching the other children in the class. Children with these struggles need people who are trained to help them. It is unfair to the child, the teacher and the rest of the children in the class to have children who are struggling with behavior issues in a classroom without an aid or specialist to help them. There are people who spend many decades in the childcare field and I don't know how they do it. However, it is not a secret that the childcare industry has a high turnover rate. The low pay and stressful work environment make it hard for people for stay in the childcare industry long-term. Also it should be noted that when you have a bunch of stressed out people working together it can cause personal conflicts to become common and can lead to even more turnover. I personally believe that many changes need to happen before turnover is reduced. I have tried to walk away from childcare but I kept coming back due to the steady hours and job availability. I'm very proud of myself and anyone else who choose to leave a stressful career for their own health and wellbeing. I can't say that I regret joining this industry but I do regret staying in it as long as I did.
By Christina Epperlyabout a year ago in Journal
I love social media but I also love Be Real
Hello, Vocal Media readers! The following post was originally published on my blog https://justabucketlistdream.com/ On -8/12/2022. A few things have changed since I wrote that post. I still use this app but not as much as I used to. I have missed a good amount of days when it comes to posting on Be Real but I still post a fair amount on it. After using this app for a few months I still highly recommend downloading it and giving it a try. It is truly a unique social media platform that is worth trying out even if you are not a fan of social media. That being said if you are a fan of social media like me, do not let the reviews that say this app is anti social media prevent you from giving it a try. The overall feel of this platform is light hearted and fun. There is a less pressure to look a certain way and that is why people say that this app is against social media. However, I do not get that feel at all when I use this app. It feels like a fun place to post photos of the everyday moments in life that you would not normally post. This app does seem to be more popular with the teenage crowd but I think it is a good fit for any age. With all that being said please read the original post below.
By Christina Epperlyabout a year ago in Geeks
The top five strange reality shows I remember from the 2000s
During the 2000s reality TV was one of the most popular new forms of entertainment and it still remains popular to this day. However, after the huge success of shows such as survivor and American Idol it seemed like every network was trying their hardest to strike reality TV gold. Some of their attempts at creating a popular long running show were very successful and other shows had a good run but are no longer on the air and some shows well…. end up on lists like this one. It has been a long time since the shows on this list were on TV and for the most part they have been forgotten. That being said I believe these shows need to be remembered for the interesting contribution they made to the world of reality TV. I made a list of the five strangest shows that I remember seeing from that decade but I’m sure that there were many more that I do not remember. Without any more introduction here five very strange reality shows that acutely made it on TV in the 2000s.
By Christina Epperlyabout a year ago in Geeks
45 things I have learned in my 32 years
Last month I turned 32 years old. I know that is not considered to be very old to most people. However, I feel like I have collected some wisdom during my life so far that may be helpful to others. I decided to share things I’ve learned with the public to hopefully inspire others to do the same. If we all shared our knowledge with the world imagine how many people that could be helped by it. Without any more delay here are 45 things I’ve learned so far in my 32 years of life.
By Christina Epperlyabout a year ago in Motivation
The simple thing that gets me many social media views
I'm a big fan of social media. I post more than most people do. I know it is not important but it always feels good when I get a lot of views or likes on a post. However, it can be hard to figure out what kind of content you need to post to get those views. Well, it seems like I've stumbled across something that Instagram's algorithm seems to like and that thing is… bath bombs! Before I get into all the details of my bath bomb videos, I'm going give you a little background. I started posting reels on Instagram in January of this year. For those of you who don't know what Instagram reels are let me explain it. Reels are very similar to Tik Tok videos. Basically they are short vertical videos that you are meant to scroll through just like you would on many other social media platforms. There is a huge range of content when it comes to reels. There is comedy, art, pets, fashion, sports, nature, photography and much more! I have made reels on a variety of topics including some of the ones I mentioned above. However, I have two reels with a significant amount of views. One has over 21,000 views the other has over 14,000 views. They are both videos of me tossing bath bombs into my bathtub. The way I make these videos is very simple. I add some kind of bubble bath or body wash to my bath water to make bubbles. Once I choose the bath bombs I want to use I place them on the edge of the bath tub. When everything is ready to go I hold my phone in one hand and I use my other hand to toss the bath bombs in the tub. Sometimes I quickly hold the bath bombs under the water and then I hold the bath bomb up to the camera to show them fizzing. After I put the bath bombs in the tub I will record the water and the bubbles for a few more seconds. When I am done recording the videos I put songs over them before posting. The video with 21,000 views is paired with a song by the band Patent Pending titled the Whiskey, the Liar, the Thief. The video with over 14,000 views is paired with a song from my favorite singer ever! The song is Teenage Frankenstein by Alice Cooper. These songs don't have anything to do with bath bombs or baths they are just songs I like. I have posted many bath bomb videos just like the ones with many views. On some of the videos I have used songs about taking baths or bubbles. I have learned that I prefer to use songs that I just enjoy listing to that do not having anything to do with what is happing in the video. Sometimes including on the video that has 21,000 views I will write a caption that has something to do with the song I’m using. I think it is a good way to share songs I enjoy with others. My bath bomb videos have view counts that range from under a 100 views to over 21,000 views. I can't tell you exactly why that is but from what I know it all depends on the algorithm. When it comes to getting views I believe the secret to getting views is simple. Don't try too hard. Keep it simple, take a quick video of something you enjoy and put one of your favorite songs with it. However, I do encourage you to try bath bombs because it is something that seems to get the attention of the algorithm. Also another piece of advice I have for you is to have fun! Social media is something that should be enjoyable and fun not stressful. I enjoy taking baths and using bath bombs. I do not make the bath bomb videos just because I get views. I make them because I enjoy making them. I also have fun choosing the song to go with the video I’m posting. I hope you find something fun and simple that works for you when it comes to making videos for social media. Happy posting!
By Christina Epperlyabout a year ago in Lifehack
Hey cooper, remember that time you got neutered ?
In the year 2016 I was blessed with a beautiful and fuzzy gift. My boss at the time gave me a kitten that her neighbor had found in a trash can outside of a mall. I decided to name my new kitten cooper after my favorite celebrity and one of the best rock stars to ever live Alice Cooper. Cooper was and still is a very cute cat. He cute little face and adorable personality are always making me smile. At the end of the following year when I looked at my most liked posts from that year .There was one picture that stood out to me. It was the ninth picture in the grid. It was a selfie that I took in the car while I was holding Cooper. I thought that this was funny because there was a story behind that picture that makes it more interesting then it appears to be. As most people know the majority of cats do not like to go on car rides for fun. If you have your cat in the car there is usually a really good reason for that. When I took this picture the reason he was in the car was because he had just been neutered. Additionally the reason why he was so calm and looked right at the camera as I held him was because the drugs form the surgery had not worn off yet. He was still in a daze from the operation he just went through but I was overjoyed to have him back in my arms. I know how important it is to spay and neuter your pets. There is a major overpopulation issue with it comes to cats and dogs. However, I was so scared when I dropped him off that morning. I knew it was very routine procedure that he was getting and that I should not be worried but I was. It was too expensive to go to a vet’s office to get it done so we had to take him to the cheapest place I could find, spay and neuter program at the county. I don't remember exactly what the price was but it was much more affordable than any vet we could find. I remember when I dropped him off there was someone else that was nervous to leave their cat there as well. It was hard to leave him but I knew I would be seeing him again that afternoon. I couldn't help but worry that something would go wrong. I'm happy to say that all my worries were for nothing. The surgery went fine and he was ready to go home that afternoon. When it was finally time to pick him up after the surgery, I was so happy to see his cute fuzzy face again. He was awake when we arrived to pick him up and the staff member told us that he responded to his name. He was alert to a certain extent but he still had drugs in his system. I was relieved that Cooper would not contribute to the overpopulation problem but I was also very relieved that the surgery was complete and we wouldn't have to go through that again. I held him on the way home, I was so happy to be with him again. When we got home he was still not a hundred percent yet. He had a hard time walking so we had to bring his water to him. Now his surgery is just a thing of the past and we joke about the time we had to drive a drunken cat home. I was so glad to have him back in my arms again after the surgery. I was also overjoyed to have him back in my arms when he had been rescued from a tree but that’s a whole different story.
By Christina Epperlyabout a year ago in Petlife
I'm not ready for fall and neither is California
I’m going to start this whole thing by saying that summer is my favorite time of year. To me summer means adventure, opportunity, fun and freedom. I always find myself getting sad when summer is over. I'm not in school anymore and I have not been for years but those sad feelings I had when school would start up again after a fun and relaxing summer have stayed with me. I know that summer is not technically over but most of the things that make summer my favorite time of year are. Unofficially summer goes from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Since Labor Day passed not too long ago, we are now culturally in the season of fall or Autumn If that is what you like to call it. I don’t keep it a secret that summer is my favorite season and fall is my least favorite. I hate the way the darkness of fall comes in to destroy the brightness of summer. I also hate how everything becomes pumpkin flavored. For example I saw pumpkin flavored butter in the store the other day. I have no idea who thought that was a good idea. I have to say that my absolute least favorite thing about fall is that it gets dark very early. Well here in California the weather is letting us know loud and clear that summer is not over yet. Just recently California is experienced a major heat wave. It was absolutely miserable for a week. Especially since I don't have air conditioning at my house. I have not been enjoying the extreme heat by any means of the word. However, it makes me smile just a little bit to know that the weather is also protesting the changing of the seasons by turning up the heat to the hottest it has been in a while. It felt like the middle of a very hot July when I set foot outside. To make myself perfectly clear I do not like the extreme heat but I do like the fact that it does not feel like fall at all yet. Also while I’m already ranting about this, I do not know if it is just the people I follow but I see a lot of pro fall and Halloween posts on social media. Meanwhile I'm mourning the loss of summer 2022. I always find it hard to wrap up summer and this year has been no different. However, it looks like I've got the weather on my side this year even if I do not have a lot of people on my side. However I’m in the right state for being a lover of summer because when it comes to California it may be September but it is definitely not sweater weather and I'm still drinking iced coffee most mornings before work. It is still flip-flops and shorts weather. The good news is that it has been getting cooler but it is still warm enough to keep my sweatpants, jeans and jackets put away for a little while longer. It looks like it will be shorts weather for a while. I do not know how long it will be until I have to get my pants and jackets out of the closet. However I can tell you that I have memories of wearing shorts to a pumpkin patch in October and having plenty of warm days even when it is officially fall. The stores may be ready for Halloween but mentally I’m still hanging on to the bliss of summer. I'm thankful that the weather is cooler now but I still find it amusing that we had a heatwave at the same time as the unofficial ending of summer.
By Christina Epperlyabout a year ago in Confessions
A perfect cup of frozen yogurt
I may only be thirty-one going on thirty-two as I write this but I like to think that I have some stories that are worth telling. Some experiences we have in life can be retold to educate, inspire or even warn others. However some stories are just fun to tell and may put a smile on the face of the person hearing it. The story that I’m about to tell is one of those stories that I hope will put a smile on the face of the person reading it. The star of the story is my favorite summer food and that would be frozen yogurt of course. Our story takes place in the summer of 2019. Summer is my favorite time of year and frozen yogurt is one of my favorite foods so in other words this story is full of things that I consider to be my favorite things. So sit back and relax as you think happy thoughts. It all began when I was doing one of my normal daily activities scrolling through Instagram. I probably saw more than one hundred posts that day but I can honestly say that I only remember one post from my scrolling that sunny summer day. It was a post advertising a contest from Yogurt Land also known as my favorite frozen yogurt shop. I love going to yogurt land and creating fun and tasty frozen yogurt creations. For the contest you had to go to Yogurt Land create a cup of frozen yogurt and let you imagination run wild. Then all you had to do was upload the photo to Instagram using the hashtags provided. I consider myself to be a very creative person and I have been known to create some pretty good looking cups of frozen yogurt. One day after work I went to Yogurt Land and created what I called a Yogurt land mountain. I decorated my mountain with Chocolate, fruit, sprinkles, candy, and more. I still love looking at the pictures of my creation. After my fun and tasty trip to Yogurt Land I simply uploaded the picture to Instagram and followed the directions on how to enter. Well, it turned out that particular cup of beautifully decorated frozen yogurt was not just a perfect summer treat that looked good in pictures and helped you stay cool on hot days. That beautiful cup of frozen yogurt ended up winning me a hundred dollar gift card to yogurt land! I was very happy and kind of surprised. I ended up treating a good amount of people to frozen yogurt after that. This story is one of my favorite and sweetest summer memories. The best part is that one cup of frozen yogurt turned in to many more delicious and beautifully decorated works of art. Thank you for reading this happy story about my favorite summer food. I hope you have a great summer that is filled with many very beautiful and very tasty cups of amazingly decorated frozen yogurt. Here are reasons why frozen yogurt is one hundred percent the very best summer food ever made.
By Christina Epperlyabout a year ago in Feast
My dream life
If Day dreaming was considered a sport I would be An Olympic gold medal athlete. My mind is always wandering off thinking up all kinds of wild imaginary scenarios. One thing that I think is really fun to imagine is what my life would be like if it was exactly how I wanted it to be. I know that this is not realistic and not many people actually get to live their perfect dream life but it is still fun to think about. I know that the perfect life would look a little different for everyone. I decided that it would be fun to share my dream life online to hopefully inspire others to do the same. I would love to hear what other people’s dream lives would look like. In my perfect dream life I would live in Beverly Hills CA. In a house that I completely own. I would live on my own but I would let friends live with me if they wanted. I would have at least two cats and at least two rooms to keep all my collections in. I collect toys such as Barbie dolls, TY beanie babies, and Build a Bear Workshop brand plush. I have a hard time finding room for all of my collections so in my dream life they would for sure have their own rooms. As for my occupation I would be a writer/ actor. Every day I would get to use my imagination and let my creativity run wild. I would hardly ever have to use an alarm and I would live life on my own schedule. I would also travel a decent amount. I would have a second house in Orlando that I would go to whenever I wanted to visit Disney world. I would also have my dream car. An AMC pacer with automatic transmission any year is fine with me. It would probably have a good amount of bumper stickers on it. I would have many more good days then bad ones. I would have most of the items on my bucket list crossed off but I would always be adding to it. Also with all my time and money I would be helping others to live their dream lives as well. I would also be very active in church and host a Bible study at my house. Somethings wouldn't change though. I would still be drinking Starbucks more days than not and I would still be doing a lot of thrift shopping. I would never have to worry about money and I could give some to whoever needed it or heck I could give it to whoever wanted it. It's just pieces of paper after all. I don't think that there would be a typical day in my life. I would spend each day doing the things I love. I would be writing most every day. I would still be blogging of course but I would also be writing books. I have a few ideas for novels that I really wish I had the time to write. In my dream life I would have plenty of time to write. I could spend a whole month focusing on nothing but writing if I wanted to. I would also focus a lot more on my voice over acting. I would have a simply wonderful in home recording studio. I could see myself doing a pod cast as well. In addition to all of that I would have an art studio in my house where I could paint, draw and create works of art to my heart’s content. My walk in closet would be filled with graphic t-shirts, Flip-flops, Crocs with tons of charms on them, casual dresses and lots of colors. I would also have tons of pajama pants with all kinds of fun patterns. My dream life would be one that is exciting, colorful, creative, happy, carefree, and inspiring. What does your dream life look like?
By Christina Epperly2 years ago in Motivation
My never list
I'm very open about my bucket list. I mean I have the whole thing published on my blog plus my blog has bucket list in the title! However, there is something that I'm not as open about and that is my never list. It's pretty simple it's just a list of some things I never want to do in life. Of course there are the obvious things that we hope to never experience in our life time. Such as life changing sickness and devastating losses and all the other tragedies that life can throw our way. However, this list isn't for those types of things. It's for specific things that I consider to be overrated; uninteresting or even scary the big reason why I mainly have kept this list to myself is because I don't want anyone to feel attacked. Some of my never items are other people's bucket list items! I'm sharing this list because I thought it would be interesting to write about another side of being a bucket lister. Please keep in mind that this is just my opinion and I'm not judging anyone. Also a never list is a good resource to have. If someone asks you to do something you are uncomfortable with, you can say nope, that's on my never list! I think that never lists are a fun thing to have in addition to a bucket list. If you have ever looked at someone’s bucket list and wondered why anyone would ever want to do one of the items listed or if you have ever felt like your idea of the perfect future is very different from most people’s idea of what life ideally looks like then you have started to create a never list without even knowing it! I think most people have lists like that in their heads but let me tell you that it feels much more real when you write you list down. It can be hard to share a list like this because there will probably be a lot of people who will not understand or even make fun of you. However I want to be more bold and open with my writing and I think sharing my never list is a good way to do that. Now, with all that said let's get into my official never list!
By Christina Epperly2 years ago in Motivation
