Feeling stressed?

It is OK to admit it, we all feel it sometimes, sometimes we're overwhelmed by it, sometimes we're motivated by it, and other times it can cause health problems.  Stress.  We deal with it on our own terms but the fact is that you have to deal with the best way YOU can.  I know that I am stressed out by the big things and the small things only because they have one common factor: me.  "I could've done better", "If only I would have..." and don't finish that sentence.  Stress is inevitable and it's a real bitch sometimes, nagging and degrading your self confidence, but at the same time it is 100% necessary in order to keep yourself going.  If you don't have any stress in your life right now, something is wrong, it's too quiet.  You need noise every once in a while to get yourself pumped, set yourself under pressure and perform for an audience.  But don't take yourself too serious, but serious enough right?  I don't know I'm still figuring it out myself, but there has to be a method to this madness!

How to save money in college

Hey guys!  We can all come to agreement that college is VERY expensive:( but there are many innovative ways that you can save your piggy bank from some strain:

1.)  Try as often as possible to eat at home

It is very easy to pick up the phone and order pizza instead of prepare a meal at home that requires a stove top, but in the end, you can save hundreds of dollars by making your groceries really stretch into several meals.  However, it is very important to by the right portion sizes; DO NOT by in bulk when you are buying for one person, you will not eat it all, trust me!  Instead, buy groceries every 3-4 days that way you can have a prepared menu of what you will be eating and how fast you will go through with it.

2.) Go thrift shopping!

Ok, it is time to accept that you are a broke college kid!  Your parents money and patience may be running thin for you and it is time to venture down new financial avenues.  Thrift shops are a great resource to look for every day items, whether you need pots and pans, or a new wardrobe; it may take time and energy to sort through the trash, but underneath there is always a hidden treasure waiting for you!

3.) Save your change

This was a hard one for me because I lose my change everywhere, but once you have a designated spot to store your excess change, it really adds up!  Having a jar on your desk or in your closet can really motivated you to collect more and more wandering nickels and dimes, and before you know it, you have an extra $30 ready to go!   

4.) Make your coupon book your best friend

There are always free entertainment books waiting outside your bookstore and let's face it, they have become a paperweight on your desk.  Well instead of letting it collect dust, go through and highlight any of the deals that you could use such as takeout food coupons, (for those late nights when you need to splurge) or service coupons for your car, as well as if you get your nails done, they always have great deals for mani-pedis.  Really invest time into using all your resources!

Photoshop practice

What feminism should be about

Alright, so the word "feminist" has taken a bad connotation in today's world; when people hear that someone is a feminist, they jump to the idea that this person is obviously a woman that hates men, doesn't shave her arm pits, and thinks that stay at home mothers are their enemy.  Well, I think that the word "feminist" should represent a PERSON who has strong beliefs about the importance of not only equality between all genders, but also in the equality of all races, ethnicities and social classes.  Men are not the enemy, they are victims of prejudice as well, the enemy are the ignorant, those who can't look past a woman's appearance and see her for the person she is.  I think that we all need to gain perspective on what we are fighting for, and let's be honest, "77 to a dollar" argument is more misleading than most can see.  According to the Washington Examiner, the wage gap is created by choice in occupation, not in discrimination http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/a-yearly-reminder-that-the-gender-wage-gap-is-due-to-choice-not-discrimination/article/2563010.  What I am talking about is respect.  Respect is what seems to be the missing puzzle piece, and this comes from how we are raised, and what we are brought up in.  There is a huge problem right now with how women view themselves, and how they allow men to treat them and this problem is caused by the media, especially pornography, and hollywood's depiction of how relationships between men and women are today.

Women don't believe in Prince Charming anymore, and why should they when they are taught to believe that he doesn't exist.  Instead, they are brainwashed to believe that if a guy buys you anything, you owe him.  Well guess what, next time go dutch!  Prince Charming is out their, he is just not the same prince as the one hand crafted by Disney; he is his own individual who needs to meet the right girl that brings out the best in him and vice versa.  A relationship is two sided, and as it has been written in Perks of Being a Wallflower, "You except the kind of love you think you deserve". 

Emma Watson is a great spokesperson about women's rights and including men in the battle for gender equality.  http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/comment/articles/2015-03/emma-watson-male-feminism-7-rules-heforshe-facebook-q-and-a

Another sponsor that has led the way with campaigns promoting women empowerment is the Always #likeagirl commercial:

Like a girl is one of the best campaigns that was meant to empower women to throw #likeagirl.  Although the campaign had some backlash from "Menninists" after it was aired during the Super Bowl, I still think that the underlying message of being proud of who you are no matter your gender is important.  We all should feel comfortable in our skin, man and woman, without prejudice and disrespect clouding how we are seen as a person.

Night owl problems

You know those days, the kind of days where you are tired and dragging your feet all throughout your errands and work until the moment when the sun winds down behind the mountains and night falls?  And the second that you decide to plop down on the couch to relax and crack open the chasm that is Netflix, you realize: you are not tired, you have no intention of moving your sack of a body to the bedroom, and so you stare blankly at the computer screen waiting for sleep to ravage you.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepless_in_Seattle)

And then you try all the different methods that people say will make you dose off, like reading a book

(http://news.discovery.com/human/can-we-learn-as-we-sleep-120828.htm)

And when you realize that only works in history class and not in the comfort of your home, you resort to late night Netflix, which turns into Netflix binges.  

(http://www.ballermindframe.com/pop-culture-spin/2014/09/08/binge-watchingis-netflix-method-good-bad-tv/)

But here's the thing, it isn't a problem with you, it is a problem with your sleep schedule.  You are, let's face it, a creature of habit, and when you find that your energy spikes at night, it is because your activities flood in after 10 pm.  Let me guess, you eat late at night because you procrastinate doing your homework until late and need the extra energy, and then you wonder why you can't fall asleep after finishing at 11:30.  Well, let's diagnose this: you're pushing yourself to perform late at night and forcing yourself to work at top efficiency, steadily speeding through questions, pumping the adrenaline and then to your surprise, you aren't exhausted anymore, you've caught a second wind.  It is all about changing your habits and learning to adapt; you can't last long getting five hours of sleep a night through college, despite the rumors.  It is time to realize that you are an adult, all nighters should be circumstantial and that you don't bounce back the way you should anymore.  Don't burn yourself out before you get to the good stuff!  If worse comes to worse and you really can't find yourself changing your old ways, try the old fashion solution, warm milk to calm your nerves and your mind.  

(http://www.thewarmmilkjournal.com/tag/warm-milk/)

Spring Break 2015

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to go on this trip with these amazing individuals and I know that I will always look back and smile at the memories we made! :)

Building blocks

There are so many things that I could be doing that could replace this time in class; I could be putting my post card selection on the walls of my dorm room, I could be studying for one of the three exams I have this week (*eek!*), I could be brainstorming ideas for the new internship that I started on Monday, but sadly no, I cannot because I am trapped in my goody-two-shoes and cannot seem to untie the laces.  Oh man am I tired, that's what I get for cleaning my room at 2 in the morning knowing that I had to go to my 9am class that morning. I love college. But in all honesty I love how busy it feels, the things that pile up on my desk only for my to hack it down, encapsulating it in my file organizer.  The raw feeling in my stomach aches from being malnourished (maybe I'm being a little over dramatic). I will make it through, I can do this, there is nothing to fear but fear itself, except starvation, that's fairly unnerving. But I guess what this rant is really about is the fact that people do things that they don't want to do, it is a part of life that is inescapable.  I like to think that this kind of sacrifice of comfort or opportunity to be productive in other ways is a means of building character, brick by brick, solidifying an ability to endure.  And if I have learned anything about life, endurance is what carries you through the worst of the storms you face.

(http://www.thoughtlegion.com/blog/building-blocks-analytics-practice/)

 

Girls and their stages

Every girl goes through the stage where they complain that they can't finish a shot because the taste is just too close to lighter fluid.  This stage tends to last during the first couple experiences dealing with alcohol, and even though at the time it doesn't seem like alcohol can taste bearable, you'll get there with time.

The second stage comes with the most drunk experiences; the "I can only take shots" stage consists of lots of visits from cousin Vodka and Aunt Tequila.  This stage occurs at the same time that you go through the heavy partying stage, and this is no coincidence.  The two go hand and hand, otherwise you are messing up this stage big time!

This stage consists of more of an experimentation with beers and wines and is usually the best kind of drunk that you will ever experience.  In this stage, people find themselves looking for quality over quantity, and will choose a more chill environment instead of finding themselves at ragers.  This kind of buzz is not likely to give you a hangover and is often something that you share with coworkers after work and can relax by the pool with.

The final stage consists of fruity, cocktail kind of drinks that include daiquiris, pina coladas, blue Hawaiians, and mimosas.  These drinks are found on a special occasion that have thousands of calories but are meant to be more of a dessert than an actual alcoholic beverage.  The purpose of drinking them is more for taste than to get tipsy and at this stage, you have reached a comfortable level with alcohol that allows it to be enjoyed as an accessory to your social life, not the main event. 

Aimed for the Stars and hit boring.

http://site.escapadedirect.com/blog2/category/educational-adventures/winter-activities-for-families/

The Bucketlist

After careful thought and consideration (and ten seconds of consideration) I have created a rough draft of my bucket list.  I believe that everyone should have a bucket list to feel inspired and to keep their goals in the back of their minds.  The depiction of an exaggerated bucket list by Morgan Freedman and Jack Nicholson displayed an important message: no matter the situation, a person should never shy away from making their dreams come true.
1.) Play a role in a musical 

2.) Record an original song

3.) Finish a novel and have it published

4.) Meet Jennifer Lawrence

5.) Donate hair to locks of love

6.) Start a nonprofit charity

7.) Ride a dolphin

8.) Design and create a dress from scratch

9.) Make $1,000,000

10.) Backpack in Europe

https://www.ipoll.com/blog/2013/05/the-best-bucket-list-lists/

Resolutions

The new year brings in a great question that rattles all of our lives:  how should I change my life?  No matter how big or small the impact that the change your heart desires to see, we all aspire to bring a better self forward and hope that people can really change.  It is very hard to change, it involves self reflection, denial and acceptance of problems or ruts that we individually collapse into.  It is not surprising that that the most common resolution is to lose weight.  It is disturbing to me that this goal is not to be healthier in my lifestyle choices, and more unsettling is that we believe that our weight determines happiness.  In our culture, the media, as well as preconceived notions of beauty, controls our goals and insecurities.  I do agree that losing weight for many people can solve problems, whether it is medically or image-wise, but we should concentrate on building a life that is generally healthier, including less TV time and more exercise time (guilty), and less microwave dinners and more meals cooked with fresh and natural ingredients.  This also includes emotional health, building strong relationships with the people in your life and spending more face-to-face time rather than cyber stalking.