Six Valentine's Day Ideas

Valentine's Day is coming up - if you have a girlfriend or boyfriend, you may be under a bit of pressure. Even if you don't really celebrate Valentine's Day, I still think it's nice to do a little something. It isn't fun being the only girl (or guy) who doesn't get even a thought for Valentine's Day. So I have compiled a list of things you can do for your special someone this Valentine's Day.

Remember, for anything you do, make sure to give a card! You can buy a card or make a card, either one, but a card is always nice!

1. Homemade cookies or chocolate. It's my personal favourite. I probably suggest it too much but think it is just a great gift. First, it shows you put some time into it. And second, it's delicious! My favourite for Valentine's Day is just making regular chocolate chip cookies and putting red or pink dye in it.

2. If you really can't bake, a box of chocolates. It is more expensive than baking cookies but a box of chocolates is sweet as well.

3. An item of clothing. Depending on your significant other, it could be a t-shirt, a hoodie, boxers, lingerie, PJ set, belt, etc. You know your partner. You know what he or she would like the best.

4. A photograph (with a nice picture frame) or photo album of the two of you. Valentine's Day is a romantic day so you should emphasize the relationship, and each other, and something like this would do the trick!

5. A bottle of wine. Bring over some dinner too. The two of you can have a romantic night together!

6. If you want to splurge a little, get tickets. It could be to a concert, a play, a sports event, a romantic getaway. Something where the two of you can spend some time together (yes, make sure you buy two). If the tickets seem a bit much, remember that you would buy your half anyway! The event depends on his or her interests and, of course, your budget. But you can usually find something that your partner will find fun!

Remember - there are a gazillion options for you! Put a little bit of time into it and your partner will be happy! Make sure to spend some time with him or her on that day and enjoy yourself!

How To Make It Through Winter

Winter is my least favourite season. It is just cold and miserable outside! So here are my suggestions for activities to do during the winter!

1. Actually make use of the snow by sledding, making a snowman, or having a snowball fight.

2. Catching up on a school course that may need a bit of work.

3. Taking up a sport that can be done indoors, such as swimming, rock climbing, tennis, soccer, squash.

4. Renting movies from the library or video store, making some hot chocolate, and hanging out with your friends, family, or a special someone.

5. Take time to think of the perfect Christmas and birthday gifts for friends and family.

6. Attend a concert. There are lots of indoor ones!

7. Cheer on your local hockey team (or another sport that is popular in your town during winter).

8. No girlfriend or boyfriend? Finally sign up for online dating!

9. Have your own party. Get some good music and drinks and invite some friends over. Party it up!

10. Spa day. If you want to, actually go to a spa. Or get your friends or some family members together for a home spa kit and bonding time.

11. Try out a new cookie recipe. Chocolate chip cookies are delicious, but find a new interesting recipe!

12. Research night classes at a local college. Who knows, you may find something worth taking!

13. Spring cleaning. It can happen in winter.

14. Find a way to make a little extra cash by doing some online work.

15. Work on your resume and cover letter. Get some helpful hints online. Redo them. Also, make a portfolio.

16. Learn how to cook. And start by making healthy and tasty supper for your family.

17. Make a goal to visit every bar or pub within ten km of your house.

18. Buy an exercise DVD. Actually use it.

19. Blog!!!

Anyone else have any ideas for fun winter activities? How about your opinion on winter? Yay or nay?

What Makes Someone Beautiful?

Personally, I don't think it's all about the physical looks. I do think it plays a part but it isn't the whole thing. Someone could be very attractive looking. But if she opens her mouth and says something rude or is just mean, she isn't that beautiful anymore to me.

A beautiful person is someone who puts effort and time into both her appearance and personality. It's a mix of both.

I know plenty of people who could be beautiful if they actually tried. Both people who needed to work on their appearance and personality. Appearance isn't everything in today's society but it is a very important aspect. It isn't "one or the other" - it's both.

The traits that I find most important to being beautiful are: being healthy, dressing for your body shape, being hygienic (showering and brushing teeth), being kind to others, honesty, being friendly, helping others when needed, smiling, and confidence. I think that, together, those traits can make a truly beautiful person.

Do you agree or disagree with me? What other traits do you think a "beautiful" person would have, in your opinion? What do you think?

Prince Charming

Have you found your Prince Charming? Are you still looking for your Prince Charming? Do you believe in finding your Prince Charming? (Or Princess Charming ... but, for this post, I'm going to just say Prince Charming, to make it easier.)

Everyone has different views on this mysterious "Prince Charming". Does he exist? Is there just one? Are there three or four out there for you? What if you don't find him? What if he's on the other side of the world? What if something happens to him? What if you lose contact with him?

One of my closest friends has been searching for years for someone who is right for her. She is religious and the type of person who is waiting for "the one" before sex. Which is great for her. But the problem is, she is always looking for this guy. Never just letting it go. She is out with a different guy each day of the week. She falls in love with each one and then gets upset if something happens. Once she finally dates a guy, she is obsessive. Thinks about marrying the guy. And then, within a couple months, that guy does something that makes him not be "the one" and she breaks up with him. In my opinion, she's looking too hard and has high expectations. She's a great person for sure. But she has impossibly high standards. And she is obsessive with each guy that she thinks could possibly be the one. For her, I thinks he just needs to take it slow. When she meets a cute guy, she doesn't need to immediately go through her checklist and see if he could be her Prince Charming.

Now, let's talk about another of my closest friends. She is the complete opposite. I don't think she's ever been on a real date. She doesn't put any effort into it. She get upset that she never has a date but it's because she doesn't try at all. She never really "dresses up" or anything. Face it, wearing sweatpants and baggy sweaters isn't exactly the way to get noticed. Going out of your way doesn't have to happen all the time either. But there is a happy medium. Nice jeans, a cute top, a bit of make up, it can go a long way. But this girl just doesn't do any of that. She expects a guy to come to her. How does she expect to meet a guy like that? She doesn't meet guys or talk to guys. She doesn't do anything to find a guy. She thinks her Prince Charming is just going to magically appear. Chances of that happening? In my opinion, very slim.

Let's have another example. I have a guy friend who has never really had a girlfriend before. He is so shy. He, like the second girl I mentioned, thinks that this girl is just going to come flying out at him. Bam - she will just be there. I can't seem to convince him that just won't happen. He doesn't seem to believe me. He just complains about not having a girlfriend. Well, he could, if he made any effort. Went out to meet girls.

Last but not least, I'll give an example of a guy that I used to know (about a year ago). Right now, he's seeing a girl. Things are going great. They have been seeing each other for about a month so far. Knowing him, I predict that she will break up with him in another one to three months because he is too obsessive. He gets serious too fast. He immediately starts thinking that she is "the one" and he will plan their future and everything. Not everyone wants to move that fast.

To all of these people, they wonder why they can't really find anyone who it works out with. Yet they don't listen to me when I give them answers (or try to help). What do you do? I mean, sure, they will probably all find someone and get married. But I feel like they are just approaching it the wrong way. Eventually (who knows ... maybe ten or twenty years!) they will get married. Great. But for now, they are going through this heart break and sadness. Because they want Prince Charming. Or "the one". And maybe he / she is not going to just exist.

What are your opinions on "Prince Charming" or "the one"? Are you searching for him/her? Do you have any friends who have an "odd" way off attempting to find this person? It is something that most young adults go through ... but everyone feels it differently.

Back To School!

So this is my last term before I graduate. Wow! I'm only 20 years old, can I really graduate college now? It is hard to believe, really. I have no clue what I'm going to do after this. I mean, I'm obviously going to get a job but where? What will I do? I still don't know.

I know that I want to stay around my boyfriend but, at the same time, we haven't gotten to the point where we think about the distant future together. I can definitely see him there but it is not guaranteed or anything. And we're not *that* serious yet. Nothing is guaranteed. So I don't really have any basis to go on anymore.

I'm kind of freaking out. I'm still not sure if I want to stay in my program and get a job in it. Of course I'm going to graduate in April but I just haven't found what exactly I want to do. I'm really good at it though. I'm the top of my class and I get straight As (except for a business law course!) but it isn't challenging or fun all the time. Some things are fun. But it's rarely challenging.

I'm so confused. What am I doing with my future? I'm back at school, I have three and a half months left. I don't know what to do, I don't know where to go. I want to have something in place for a bit, but I'm just not sure!

Bruno Mars - Grenade

If you want the lyrics, go here:
http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/bruno-mars-lyrics/grenade-lyrics.html

This song drives me crazy First, this guy is obsessed over the girl. That is never a good sign. Obsession is TERRIBLE!

Second, the girl in this song is obviously not worth his time anyway. She ripped the brakes out of his car? Did she really? Well anyway, how do you love someone after they rip the brakes out of your car? I don't know about you, but I'd be pretty upset. You ruin my car, I don't think we're even going to be friends anymore.

Why is he going through all this pain for her? She is crazy! He is crazy! He is going to live his life never being good enough because this girl makes him feel bad about himself.

I don't think he's a great role model. For anyone. No one (male or female) should be that obsessed over another person. He needs to get a life. That doesn't include this girl. It just sends a bad message to everyone. I hate it when songs do that. They make it seem like it is okay to be obsessive. It isn't. It is weird and creepy.

His first song, Just The Way You Are, was nice. It wasn't creepy. But if it was sung with this song, it could be kind of creepy. That's great that he loves this girl just how she is. But she has to return it, otherwise it gets scary.

All in all, I think that people should think through their lyrics before they sing them. Especially creepy and obsessive songs.

“I’m 40, I Know Everything”

Do you find it insanely annoying when your parents (or any older adults) think that you know absolutely nothing? And that they know everything because they have more experience ... or something?

Everyone has their specialties. But no one knows everything. I will never say I’m the smartest person in the world. I’m not. I am a smart person, sure, but not the smartest. I think things through and I make decisions based on fact. If I don’t know much about a topic, I’ll ask someone who knows more than me. Or I will do some research. I won’t pretend to know it all.

Being smart is knowing when you don’t know everything.

My mom went to purchase a new computer last month. That’s great, except she knows nothing about computers except how to turn one on. So she essentially got a random computer at the store. So she comes home with her new laptop. She was able to turn on the computer, but that was about it. Now she’s having trouble connecting to the printer, connecting to wireless, using the operating system, etc. Well, she could have admitted that she knew nothing about computers. I would have happily helped her find a computer that would suit her needs. And, instead of spending as much money on a computer, I could have found a simple computer without the extra add ons. I probably could have found one for half the price that was easier to use.

Just because she's older does not mean she knows everything. And it certainly doesn’t mean she knows more than me, just because I’m only 20.

Another thing that irritates me is that she claims I think I know everything. I am constantly getting this from her. “You think you know everything because you’re 20.” Of course, I have learned more as I’ve grown up. And it makes me more confident in what I do know. But I am tired of people looking down on me because of this. I’m not a child. I’m almost a college graduate. I live on my own. I don’t report back to people and I’m doing just fine on my own. They may be knowledgeable but they don’t know everything.

Teachers or professors will sometimes do similar things. Sometimes a teacher will tell you a lie. Not necessarily on purpose. They think because he or she is older, he or she knows more than me.

No one knows everything. It is perfectly fine to say "This isn’t my area of expertise" or something along those lines.

Don’t look down on anyone, older or younger. You may not know what they know. They could be smarter than you seem. Have experience in something else that you never expected. People who have a PhD are not the only smart people in the world. Experience is useful as well as education.

It’s rude to just look down on someone. Try listening to someone for once. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

My Workout Routine

I told you that one of my goals was to lose weight, right? Well, if it’s a goal, I have to have an implementation plan. I have decided to create a workout schedule for myself.

Monday:
No class
Swimming - afternoon (one hour, every other week)

Tuesday
Class - morning
School gym - morning (one hour)

Wednesday
Work - morning
Class - early afternoon
School gym - afternoon (one hour)

Thursday
Work - morning
Class - afternoon
School gym - evening (one hour) OR dance workout - evening (one hour)

Friday
Work - morning and afternoon
School gym - afternoon (one hour)

Saturday
Friend's gym - morning or afternoon (one hour, every other week)

Sunday
Dancing - all day (every two or three weeks)

I guarantee I won’t be able to follow this all the time. But, if I manage to do four of these each week, I will feel accomplished. I have also developed a list of ideas to help motivate me.

- Develop a 20 minute strength exercise to do when I’m feeling tired or unmotivated.
- Encourage my boyfriend to come to the gym with me.
- Go dancing with friends on the weekend.
- Purchase a dance exercise routine to make it more fun.
- Occasionally go to my friend’s gym for a change of scenery.

I will keep track of my results and give you an update in about a month – the middle of February. I’m hoping for some feedback from you then, too. On how your goals have been going.

As for now, think of one of your goals. How will you make it come true? Give some detailed, step by step instructions. They don’t have to be as detailed as mine, but it’s a start!

Good luck.

December 2010's Best Songs

1. Enrique Iglesias - Tonight


This song has just gone up the charts since it came out. It's ridiculously popular. It's a great song to dance to! It's hard not to enjoy it!

2. Mohombi - Bumpy Ride


Definitely my favourite song. It hasn't become quite as popular as Tonight, but I predict it's getting there! Whenever here it, I just start singing to it. Amazing beat, it's so catchy!

3. Black Eyed Peas - The Time (The Dirty Bit)


The Black Eyed Peas always come out with some great hits. This is one of their many popular, fun songs. The song switches the beat up during it which really keeps you listening.

4. Dragonette and Martin Solveig - Hello


First off, Dragonette is awesome! I love the lyrics of this song. She just wants to say hello, not get involved in everything, just wants to dance. Great lyrics!

5. Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup - We No Speak Americano


Funny lyrics if you can understand them - or if you translate them. But the lyrics aren't what I focus on in this song. The second I hear the song, I just have to jump up and dance! How can you NOT dance to this song? It's soooo catchy and fun!

Why Stay With Her?

This isn't a story about me (finally), but a story about a friend of mine. He's been dating this girl for like, four years or something ridiculous. A long time, especially for people in their early twenties and in college.

Anyway, the girl he's dating is, to put it nicely, psycho. She gets mad at every little thing he does. She has broken up with him more times than I can count. She gets jealous if he becomes Facebook friends with a girl. He has to hide any type of friendship with a female because she would freak out. He's not cheating, he just has female friends like just about everyone in the world. She is also depressed. So I do understand that he wants to help her or something. But she has been saying that she's going to get help for years. And has she? No.

About a month ago, they had a huge fight. I thought it was finally over. But no such luck there. He went back to her.

What I don't understand is why he goes back to her all the time. I understand that it has been a long time and all but she is just crazy. I would not be able to stand someone like that. He is never happy with the relationship, yet he stays in it. Does he want this to be his whole life? He want sot be with this miserable girl forever and ever? Sounds like a happy, satisfying, and fulfilling lifestyle ... sarcasm!

I feel like, if I were in his situation, I would dump her and be over with her forever. But everyone is different. I have been in a serious relationship and broken up with him. It is hard, yes. But when you know it's the best thing to do, you should just do it. What is he going to accomplish by staying with her? Nothing.

Anyway, I'm just rambling. I can't see why he's still with her. Have you ever been in a situation like this? Been with a psycho? Broken off a serious relationship? Tell your experiences!

Hey there, 2011!

Welcome to 2011 everyone! We all made it here ... I have to say that's a good thing! How did you ring in the new year? Did you make any resolutions? As for me, I had a great time at a party with some friends. And as for resolutions, I don't always make them. I mean, I always have goals for myself. New years is just a time to re-evaluate them. But in the spirit if the new year, I will list them in typical new year resolution style.

1. Lose weight. I know, typical. But I have a plan. I'll go to the gym three days a week and go swimming once a week. One of my part time jobs involves walking so I'll keep that up. I have a feeling my three day per week gym goal will go down to two, but it is a start anyway. And I will keep eating healthy. I am taking a course on healthy foods so I will put that to good use!

2. Get straight As. Not even out of reach. Actually, it is expected. I've gotten very few marks lower than an A in my time at college (I think only two marks ... Possibly three ... Under an A). For me, it is a probable goal and the same goal that I always have at the beginning of every term.

3. Find a full time job by September. I graduate in April so I'm giving myself four months to find employment. I hope to get one sooner. The thing is, if I don't find something by September, I'll probably have to move home with my parents. And, as much as I love my parents, I do not want to move back home!

4. Be a good person. You know, give money to charity and stuff like that. I've been trying to find a place to volunteer but I can't really, no one is looking for volunteers. But even ensuring that I'm doing basic things like recycling, throwing my garbage away, using less water, etc. is a good way to start, I think.

5. Be a good friend and a good girlfriend. I am almost always a good girlfriend. I'm the type of person who puts a lot into a relationship. With friends, not quite as much. I'm going to work on being a good friend. And spending time with my friends outside of school. It is hard to find time for everyone but I'm going to put away some time for my friends now!

I'm sure everyone is asking what your resolutions are. I'm asking what they are AND how you will implement them. Most of the time, they aren't magical!

Happy New Year, everyone!!