Five on Friday #4

1.  Birthday presents are already rolling in, and my haul is off to a very good start.  My mom sent me gift cards to Amazon, IHOP, Macy's, and iTunes.  That woman knows that I love me some IHOP pancakes and that I'm slightly obsessed with Amazon.  I'll probably use it to buy new episodes of Revenge, shhhh...

2.  My doggy is really cute.  Look at that little tongue sticking out asedewjoiwje *dissolves into puddle of love*

3.  Is there anything more frustrating in the world than people who say they're going to do something and then don't do it?  Honestly, if you make a commitment, follow through, or at least let the other person know that you can't do it.  Common courtesy, right??

4.  I'm having way too much fun with my new tripod.  Case in point...

5.  I have been feeling like this every morning, all week.  TGIF, man.  But never mind that, because on to the birthday festivities!  

How was your week?  Less exhausting than mine, I hope!

Pretty in Pink

Dress: (similar); Tights: Target; Shoes: Macy's

I bought these pink tights on a whim this week and then felt the need to wear them on the rainy day, because that's just how I roll.  What do you think, would you pair bright tights with a neutral outfit?  This week has been going by so slowly, but I'd imagine that's because I'm looking forward to the weekend so much.  I'm such a kid, still.  I don't think I'll ever stop looking forward to my birthday, no matter how old I get.  Then there's the fact that I have a big observation tomorrow and I'm hella nervous, but I get nervous about walking out the front door sometimes, so that's not surprising.  (Hey, doors can be super intimidating.)

I'm finding so much joy in small things this week, though, like cuddling with my dogs or seeing a funny video.  Though, slight tangent here... I hate when people show me Youtube videos that aren't funny to me, because... what am I supposed to do?  Pretend to laugh, or walk away?  Or wait until they walk away?  I usually end up doing the latter because I'm an awkward turtle.

Hope your week is going well!

Linked up with Funday Munday! 

5 Reasons Why You Should Do Yoga

Namaste - I honor the light in you and you honor the light in me, when we are both in this light together we are one. 

I just started doing yoga a little over a month ago and I'm kind of addicted already.  Here's a few reasons why I love it and why I think you should give it a try. (If you're not a yogi already!)  I'm definitely not an expert, but yoga has worked for me so far.

• It's calming.  After a long day at work, it's awesome to be able to take all of my stresses to the mat and work it out.
• There are different kinds, so I can choose which style of yoga my body needs on a certain day.  I do Vinyasa if I want a more aggressive workout, and Hatha if I need to relax my body.  Restorative yoga is good to do on a Friday after a long work week. 
• It makes you happier.  Seriously!  A study from Boston University School of Medicine states that a person who did one hour of yoga is 27 percent happier than a person who read quietly for one hour.  
• You'll sleep better, especially if you do some yoga before bed.  For me, it relaxes and quiets my mind so I don't have as many thoughts chasing each other in my head while I'm trying to fall asleep.  
• Better flexibility.  I haven't been able to touch my toes since high school, but I remember that when I was training and pushing myself as a swimmer every day, toe touches were the easiest part of any conditioning.  It's going to give me such a sense of accomplishment when I find I can do it again!  

If you want a starting point, here are a few places that have good videos for beginners.

• Yoga with Adrienne
• Do Yoga With Me
• 30 Day Yoga Challenge

What's your favorite way to exercise? 

P.S. I just started a FB page for HI + LO.  Check it out here!  Click it or ticket!  Just kidding, but it'd be nice. :) 

Making a House a Home

Okay, let's be honest.  Steven and moved into our (rented) home last September, but I still feel like I'm trying to make this dig a home.  It's not working very well, because a) I don't have an eye for interior decorating and b) I'm broke as a joke.  Okay, that last part isn't really true, but the money that I do have is being saved so I can visit my parents this summer.  And I'm also thinking about getting a more fuel-efficient car.

But all that aside, making our house a positive, energizing place to live and go about our daily lives is important.  So I really want to take the time to budget some money to decorate it a little bit, because right now, it's just a hodge-podge of all the old furniture and items that we've collected over time.

Here's some things that have caught my eye lately:

These skull planters by Brooklyn Global are amazing!  Just macabre and cute enough to add to my collection.

I'm late getting on the calendar train for 2014, but it's only the end of February, so I still have time, right?? Love the simplicity of this calendar by Modern Printed Matter, and it's a very reasonably priced.

I am so in love with this wall hanging by Roots and Feathers.  There's something about really natural, organic pieces that I appreciate and would love to have in my home.  The listing says that it's mermaid inspired which makes it even cooler. 

I am all about this tapestry from Urban Outfitters.  It seems like it'd be perfect for my "yoga studio".  I haven't asked Steven if that's what the spare room can be turned into (but I'm the woman, and if I say it, it must be so).

We're not wallpapering our walls, but if we were, I'd definitely be all about this wallpaper by Bartsch Paris.  I'm a moon child at heart. :) 

Which one would you put in your home? 

P.S. I just started a FB page for HI + LO which has 1 like right now and that 1 like is me.  If you feel like helping a girl out, go check it out for me?  Or not, that's cool too.  I won't judge.  But just in case... it's right here!

Weekly Wishes #5

Last Week's Wishes

1.  Catch up on reading: Life is still crazy busy, so I'm still not reading as much as I would like, but I have carved out ten minutes before bed to read rather than using that time to check my phone for the millionth time.  I'm calling that a success.

2.  Be more present at work:  I'm definitely trying to pay more attention to what my kids' needs and focus in on whatever emotional stresses they might be under for the day.  Their tiny people with big ideas and it's fun to listen to them rather than talk at them sometimes.

3. Write: Signed up for that writing course Steven bought me for V-day.  It starts next week.  So excited.  Wewt!

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This Week's Wishes

1.  Appreciate the positive:  I've found myself falling into that trap a lot lately where I focus on the negative and the bad and the stressful rather than the positive or the happy.  I want to make sure to take time every day to appreciate and enjoy life, rather than just going through the motions.  

2.  Pack up for camping:  I've never been camping, but we're going to give it a try for my birthday.  It's a cheaper alternative to going to a hotel, and we'll be right on the beach.  Cross your fingers that it goes well, haha.

As always, I'll keep you updated on how I do this week.  By the way, weekly wishes is a link-up The Nectar Collective hosts each week where people write about their goals or challenges they want to achieve for the week.  Hence... weekly wishes!

5 Ways to Overcome Anxiety

Three years ago, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.  That period of time in my life was filled with a lot of tears and panic attacks, which were caused by everything from "What am I doing with my life??" to "What am I going to wear today??"  I swear, these two diseases are very bad for your closet, because suddenly, nothing seems to fit right and nothing will ever fit right again.  And you know what else?  It also makes you super egotistical, because suddenly, it seems like everyone is look at you all the time.

I still get the feeling that everyone's watching me these days, but at the time same time, I usually think something like, "Well, it's because you're the baddest bitch, Kristen.  That's all.  Don't let the haters get you down today, girlfriend."  Or if I'm feeling a little low, I might think something like, "You know what?  Screw 'em.  Ain't nobody got time for their negative vibes."

See, when I was first diagnosed, I wasn't taking care of myself, because I was so worried about other people.  I was worried about what they were seeing, what they were thinking, what they were saying.  Honestly, it was just too much.  Caring about people is good.  Caring about people that much is not.  It didn't help that I was going through my first semester of student teaching at the time, so I was feeling especially judged by everyone from my professors to my mentor teacher.

It was an awful experience, but seeing how I've changed since then is very uplifting and empowering.  I got through it.  But you know what?  I still totally have my bad days where all the progress I've made feels like it's just disappeared and I'm that scared girl in college who panicked about everything.  And that's okay.  I'm not going to be perfect every day.  Or even most days.  I've accepted that about myself.  When I do something terrible, I don't think, "Why did I do that?"  I think "What did I learn from that?"

As long as I'm learning, I'm growing, and that's the important part, isn't it?

My five for Friday is five ways I've found that help with my anxiety when it starts getting really bad.

• Go to sleep:  It's super easy to just stay up and think about what's going on in your head, but trust me, it's just going to end up being a circular discussion with yourself and nothing's going to get solved that way.  Go to sleep or take a nap, and when you wake up, I guarantee everything will seem clearer and less devastating.
• Journal:  Get on your stream of consciousness and just write down whatever comes to your head.  It's easier to develop of a plan of action when it's all laid out in front of you.  Writing a journal is not for everyone, however, but using a loved one as a sounding board can be just as helpful.  Sometimes you just need a good rant.
• See a doctor:  Anxiety and depression are diseases and don't let anyone tell you anything different.  If it's interrupting your life, or making you live a life that is less than your potential, you need to talk to a therapist or a doctor and get the chemicals in your body sorted out.  
• Ask for help:  I kept my issues bottled up inside of me for a long time and when it came out, it came out in a really messy way.  I had a total meltdown in front of both of my parents.  If I could go back, I'd seek their help a lot sooner.  If they love you, they're not going to judge you for it.
• Take care of yourself first:  It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you have to do everything for everyone, but this isn't the case.  Put yourself first.  You have to be your own advocate when it comes to your health and well-being.    

And there you have it.  I'll probably post about my experiences with this more in the future, but I figured I'd put my initial thoughts about it out there.  

Have a great weekend!

Liebster Award

I'm so pleased to be nominated for a Liebster Award not once, but twice in the same day.  I didn't really expect that my little corner of the interwebs would get noticed, and I was fine with that, so I was pleasantly surprised!  Thanks to Kristan over at Lavender & Light and Rhea at Rhea, et cetera for their noms!  I love both of their blogs so you should definitely go check them out if you haven't already.

The Rules

Mention the person who nominated you with a link to their blog

Answer the 11 questions asked

Nominate 11 other bloggers with a smaller following but with lots of potential

Create 11 of your own questions for them to answer

Notify your nominees 

Rhea's questions:

1) Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging a long time ago, with Livejournal.  All of those "blogs" quickly fizzled out.  It's kind of embarrassing to think of how many dead accounts I must have on that site... I started this blogger account last summer when I was on break from teaching but really got into it this past month.  There's something therapeutic about posting every day. 

2) What is your favorite blog to visit and why?
This question isn't fair, haha.  I like so many.  I have to say that Laini Taylor's blog (YA author) will always have a special place in my heart, because it's one of the first blogs I really got into, and she's one of my favorite writers ever.  I also like & Kathleen because she seems like the raddest chick ever.

3) What makes you smile?
My students.  My dogs.  My boyfriend.  Books.  Writing.  

....Target's dollar section.

4) Besides blogging, what do you do in your pastime?
I cook and bake a lot.  I just started doing yoga, so that takes up about an hour of my time every night.  And I rekindled my love for playing piano.  

5) What is the next book you are planning to read, and why?
The Casual Vacancy is waiting for me on my nightstand.

6) Favorite place to eat out?
In Indiana, I love me some Olive Garden.  We don't have chain restaurants on the Big Island, but I do like this little pasta place called Cafe Pesto.  They make the best drinks.

7) Guilty pleasure?
This is a hard question, because I usually don't feel guilty about the things I like.  I guess my biggest one is anything Harry Potter.  I'm a die hard Potterhead.

8) How did you come up with the name of your blog?
HI is the abbreviation for Hawaii, so I guess I was trying to be clever.  But it can also be read as high and low, and I have a lot of highs and lows on a daily basis, so I guess it's fitting in that way too.

9) If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Tickle-me-pink!

10) What do you feel is the greatest accomplishment you have in life so far?
I think moving to Hawaii was a pretty big accomplishment for me, because it involved overcoming a lot of anxiety about moving away from a life that was comfortable to me and going way, way outside my comfort zone.  There have been a lot of highs and lows (hehe, geddit) since I moved here, but honestly... no regrets.  I needed to prove to myself that I could do something this brave for myself.  

11) Finally, what is the #1 thing on your bucket list?
I really want to go to England.  And Australia, to visit one of my bestest friends. :)

And Kristan's questions:

1. - What is something you've made from Pinterest lately?

I did something like this craft a little while ago.

le Frufrù

2.- What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

I push snooze an embarrassing amount of times.  Then I snuggle with my dogs for a little while.  And then I finally pull myself out of bed and go pee (hey, you asked). :P

3.- What is your favorite mascara?

Honestly, I don't wear mascara.  In fact, I don't really wear much makeup at all unless I'm going out or I have some place special to be.

4.- What was the last song stuck in your head?

Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker.  I don't even like it that much, honestly, but it just kind of circles in your mind for ages after you've heard it like... a wagon wheel.

5.- What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a teacher and girl, look at me now. :P I'm a teacher.

6.- What is one bad habit you have?

I leave cups lying around the house a lot.  I currently have three glasses on my nightstand right now because I haven't taken them downstairs to the sink and it drives Steven crazy.  I literally just asked him what one of my bad habits is and he immediately said: "Cups."  

7.- What is one thing about your blog you wish you had more time to work on?

I wish I had more time to write DIY posts.  Even on the weekends, it's hard to carve out a couple hours to get some projects I want to do done.  Life's a you-know-what.

8.- What is your "go to" meal at home?

I make a lot of soup, because it means we'll have leftovers for the next day and I won't have to cook. :P I like making tortilla soup and Hawaiian gumbo and jambalaya.  I really like spicy food.

9.- If you had an extra $500 right now, what would you go buy?

I would buy a whole lot of stuff to decorate our house with, because we moved in a while ago and to me, it's still looking a little bare.  We also need chairs.  I mean, honestly... you'd think chairs were made out of gold given their price tags.  They are so freaking expensive.  It's the most shocking thing I've discovered as an adult, haha.

10.- Do you live in your hometown?

No, but I live in my mom's! 

11.- What is one phrase you feel like you say too much?

Um... I swear a lot in real life.  Like a sailor.  Does that count? 

And I'm nominating these awesome blogs, all of which I stalk like no other: 

Jean at Irrational sense of optimism

Sam and Duke

Denise at The Lovely Bohemian

Brittany at Life Changes

Elizabeth at nomElizabeth

Lex at The Ainscough Family

Shay at The Curly Casualista

Cor at DownUnder the Rabbit Hole

Jessie Ann at A Spoonful of Freckles

Diane at Sweet Catastrophe

Kayla at A State of Stylish Grace

My questions for them: 

1. What's your favorite way to exercise? 

2.  What is the farthest you've ever been from home?

3.  Describe yourself in three words.

4.  What book are you reading now?

5.  What was the last movie you watched and how did you like it?

6.  What goals do you have for your blog? 

7.  If you could have any job in the world besides the one you have right now, what would it be? 

8.  What's your favorite sound? 

9.  What is something you wish you had more time for? 

10.  If you could be any fictional character, who would you be? 

11.  What is the #1 most played song on your iPod? 

Hawaiian Gumbo

When I cook, I don't really follow the recipe.  I've never been very good at following directions. ;) So this dish is a product of a few experiments gone right.  Steven expressed to me his concern that this dish doesn't really have a name other than that-spicy-thing-you-make-some-times.  I decided to remedy that and have taken to calling it Hawaiian Gumbo, because it has Portuguese sausage, and you haven't gone to Hawaii until you've had something with Portuguese sausage in it.  (And Spam, but that's a different story...)

Right, anyway.  First, you have to make the roux.  Sounds scary, but it's really not.  All you have to do is heat up 1/2 cup oil and then sprinkle in 1/2 cup flour.  Mix it together until its a golden brown color for about 8-10 minutes.  Like most things in cooking, this is not exact, so you're going to have to keep an eye on it.  (That means no scooting off to watch the last episode of the Bachelor.  I'm watching you.) 

Here's what you can do while you're watching the roux.  Cut up those onions!  I don't know what it is lately, but I bawl like a baby every time I cut onions.  It's so bad.  Anyway, you can dice them or slice them... it's a matter of personal preference.  And then stir them into the roux.

Like I mentioned, Portuguese sausage is the favorite in Hawaii, but I'd imagine you could use any kind of sausage for this gumbo.  (I'm not even sure if you can buy Portuguese sausage on the mainland??)  Cut up the sausage into slices that are about a quarter inch thick and then pour it into the roux as well.

  

You should have something that looks like this.  I'd have cleaned up the pot and the surrounding area a little for a picture's sake but let's face it... ain't nobody got time for that.

Alright, here comes the fun part.  You're going to add the spices!  If you're anything like me, you mostly just throw in whatever spices you like in whatever amount seems like a good idea at the time.  More exact measurements can be found below, but it's basically 1/4 teaspoon of everything pictured which is... garlic powder, cumin, cajun spices, and cayenne pepper.  You're going to want to add a bit more of the parsley.

Add your stewed tomatoes.  I used a can of Hunt's because it's what we had, and I like to keep things easy, especially while cooking.  I once tried to make my own stewed tomatoes... but that's another story for another time.

It wouldn't be a Hawaiian dish without some shoyu (also known as soy sauce).  Honestly, people will put shoyu on everything and anything.  Add 1 Tbsp or to taste.  

Also a local favorite: sriracha.  It's a type of hot sauce made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, and yes, locals will put this on almost anything as well.  It's just going to add a bit of a kick to your gumbo, but if you're not into really spicy food, it's alright to leave the sriracha out.  I won't judge you.  Much.

Add about a quart of chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, stir, and let simmer uncovered for 1 hour.  After that, pao, you're done.  I poured it over white rice, because eating everything with rice is also very local, but you can eat it plain if you like.  Either way... enjoy!

Living the HI Life: Ho'okena

We took a road trip this weekend to the other side of the island to Ho'okena, which is a little beach park where people go camping and stuff.  We'd forgotten that it was a long weekend because of Presidents Day, so it was kind of busy because of all the campers.  It was still super nice, though.  We're planning on going back to camp for a night or two for my birthday, which will be an experience because I've never been camping, and I'm kind of high maintenance when it comes to where I fall asleep.  It took me ages to finally condition myself to be able to sleep next to someone, because I was so used to sleeping by myself.  I don't know, sleep and I have a very complicated relationship.  Anyway, on to the pictures!

It's all black sand, which kind of makes everyone look like they're covered in dirt.  It's very fine sand, which I think is kind of unusual for black sand beaches.  Punalu'u has black sand but it's much more coarse.  Black sand happens when the ocean wears away at the lava rock which makes up the island.

The waves were pretty chill when we were there.  It's a good place for kids to go swimming, though it's kind of rocky in places.  The water was pretty cold, which made Steven think that it might be brackish water, but we're not sure.

You can kind of see the tents at the bottom of this picture.  Someone had brought a garden shed to the camping grounds and was apparently staying in that, haha.  I'm high-maintenance, but I don't think I'm that bad.

This is the second broken pier I've seen on the island.  I know a few have been washed away from tsunamis, but I don't think they were really in use anyway.  

We went to Mauna Kea too on the same day, which is kind of like going from the warmest place on the island to the absolute coldest.  It was freezing.  Pictures of that part of the trip will be posted soon!

What did you get up to this weekend? 

Weekly Wishes #4

Last Week's Wishes

1.  Catch up on reading: I... read a little bit.  Still working on Doctor Sleep. I read a lot of blogging tips and things like that, but I definitely need to focus on reading for fun more often.  Perhaps I should block out 15 minutes before bed to dedicate to reading instead of using that time to click around on my computer.  It's an addicting use of time but not very productive at all.  I think we can all attest to that, yes? 

2.  Be more present at work:  I think I did pretty good with this one.  We had a lot of fun things going on this week at school what with Valentine's Day, Jump Rope for Heart, and Field Day, so I got to enjoy my time with the kids.  That said, I still find myself stressing about various aspects of the job during the day, so I still want to keep working on this goal.

---

This Week's Wishes

So I'm going to keep working on last week's goals and add one more, because guess what Steven got me for Valentine's!  

Write, write, write!: I am going to be working my way through a writer's workshop class!  Which is awesome, because writing my own fiction has always been a dream of mine, but it's hard to get my ass in gear when it comes to actually sitting down and putting pen to paper.  So, here's to actually writing!  But first... to choose which class I actually want to take the most.  And also, yes, that is a piano song book underneath.  I'm trying to reteach myself how to play at the moment.    

As always, I'll keep you updated on how I do this week.  By the way, weekly wishes is a link-up The Nectar Collective hosts each week where people write about their goals or challenges they want to achieve for the week.  Hence... weekly wishes!

Five on Friday #2

1.  I had a moment of panic this week when I thought I'd really screwed up at work and was prepared for the worst scolding of my life, which... never came.  I went in to talk to my principal about it and she was very kind and not at all angry and... I don't know, moral of the story is don't bring yourself down for making someone else mad before they've actually gotten mad at you.  Because... y'know... they might not actually be mad at all.  Jumping to conclusions is bad.  Very bad.

2.  Mike's Smashed Apple Cider is good.  Red's Apple Ale is also good.  I'm all about apple flavored things, lately.  Also, apparently this is a thing now:

Disclaimer: I'm not an alcoholic.  I just play one in real life.

3.  We're going on vacation this weekend!  Yay!  We're going to chase the sun to the other side of the island where it's hopefully not as rainy as it usually is on our side.  Sidenote: Did you know that the Big Island of Hawaii has 4 out of the 5 major climate zones in the world?  It's true!  We even had a blizzard this year up on the mountaintops.

4.  My grandparents had their 75th wedding anniversary this week, and my grandpa still says that he married the best girl in the world.  I mean, he is still head over heels in love with my grandmother, and it's just adorable.  It gives me all kinds of lovey-dovey feels.

5.  Today is that day.  Valentine's Day.  You either love it or you hate it, but it's here and it's here all day.  Either way, it's Friday, and that's always cause to celebrate no matter what your stance on V-day is.

Source: Lily&Val

What did you get up to this week?

Enjoy the Silence

In our fast paced world, it can be hard to slow down without feeling guilty.  Especially at work, when I pause to catch my breath or sit down for a moment, I feel something pulling me to keep moving - to do something.  We're movers and shakers and warriors, so of course it makes sense for us to always be in action, but it's not always a bad thing to slow down and listen to what the silence is trying to tell you. 

I'm not just talking about those few minutes before you fall asleep at night in your bed.  I'm talking set aside a few minutes during your busy day to think about the present you and examine closely how you're feeling without judgement.  You don't have to change how you feel right at that moment.  Just notice how you feel and accept it.  Take a few deep breaths and just be for a second.  And then get up and go about your day, and see if you feel any calmer.

You don't have to listen to me, obviously.  But this is something I'm working on lately.  I want to appreciate the silent moments when it's just me existing rather than bustling around like a crazy bee.  I want to meditate on the space the quiet corners of my mind provides and find solace in them.  Let the quiet fill me and smother the chaos I might be feeling.  Bliss out and feel thankful for what's around me and whatever I might be feeling.  

In a world of constant clamour,

silence can be pure pleasure.

It can provide a haven

and allow your own melodies to flourish.

Seek out the quiet corners.

Enjoy the liberating space they provide.

Fill the silent space with calm thoughts

and revive your spirits.

-Patrick Lindsay

How do you calm down in the middle of a busy day/life?

5 (not so) guilty pleasures: Television

Is it still a guilty pleasure if you don't feel all that guilty about it?  Anyway, here are 5 of my most guiltiest pleasures on television.

1.  Revenge
Honestly, I love this show.  I love Emily and her fierceness and I love Victoria, and I love that the show allows women to be strong and to be the ones running things.  They're not the damsels in distress, because quite frankly, the men on the show aren't going to be able to save them, and that seems to suit the ladies just fine.  Their independent attitudes is awesome.  Also, the show's soap-opera feel does its job in keeping me watching.

2. Supernatural

Yep, I'm one of those people.  This show has a massive cult following and I'm totally guilty of being a part of it.  I've dropped the show several times for various reasons, but I keep coming back.  I don't know, it's cheesy and campy, but it's addicting at the same time.  And plus, the boys are nice to look at, so that helps. 

3.  Sons of Anarchy

Okay, I like this show for one reason and that reason is Charlie Hunnam.  I also like men toting guns on motorcycles and the gritty, raw feeling of the show.  It doesn't gloss over the nastier parts of the business, and I like that.  It's pretty well written too, in my opinion, though it does have its cheesy moments.

4. House Hunters

Okay, I do feel slightly guilty about this one.  Last summer, I was on break from school and I seriously watched marathon after marathon of this show.  I don't know, there's something about watching other people find their dream homes that tugs at my heartstrings and stirs up my wanderlust like no other.  For that reason, I particularly like House Hunters International.  In another life, I was a gypsy, I swear.

5.  American Horror Story

I really love shows of the slightly macabre, gruesome variety and this show fits that mold perfectly.  It's very tongue-in-cheek and very twisty.  I mean, most shows will throw you cliffhangers but this one will throw you the Grand Canyon.  With piranhas.  And fire breathing dragons.  The actors in this show are phenomenal too.  I'm kind of obsessed with Jessica Lange and Lily Rabe in all three of their incarnations throughout the three seasons of AHS.

Runner-ups: House, MD, New Girl, The Walking Dead, Misfits, Skins, Bones

What are some of your guilty pleasures on television?