Treat Yo Self: A Certifiable Way to Always be HAPPY!

There are an infinite amount of articles and self-help materials circulating the web today. We are always questioning: What is beauty? What is "in"? What is love? What do I need to do to keep up with Jones? It is in our nature to ask questions often without receiving answers. And ultimately we want these questions to provide answers that will make us happy.

A friend of mine once told me I could have a shopping spree one day and to consider it a "treat yo self" kind of day. All I would have to do if I questioned myself regarding a purchase is whisper "treat yo self" and then BAM! I could sway myself to buy whatever it is I was on the fence about. This is that whole I-got-a-promotion-at-work-I-earned-this kind of attitude. No problem. I love it.

This is not to say that retail therapy is really a therapy. In fact, that mentality is a problem in and of itself. But the point remains that it is OK to treat yourself to happiness.

This one day experience became more frequent...

....then it became a "treat yo self" month.


....then a "treat yo self" quarter of a year.


I realize now that it has become part of me, but only in the best sense. Treat yourself. This is just another tiny answer to all of those age-old problems we face on a daily basis.

Like...

1. Treat Yo Self... to a healthy lifestyle.

Notice the word lifestyle. By now we all know that it is NOT OK to be 5' 0" and 700 lbs. Scientifically speaking you pretty much have to WORK to be lazy enough to get that big. Be smart about your body. Should you be VS model thin? That's up to you. Treat yo self. To a you that feels good and is legitimately happy (not content! happy!!) with who you are, inside (like, organ-wise not soul-wise, although be good with that, too) and on the outside. But maintain good health within the range that is in the studied, proven "good health" range. Make a conscious effort to make a healthy lifestyle. Going with what's the fad is  fading. Make long-term, accessible goals. You don't have to be an organic only, from the ground to the plate kind of person to live an overall well-balanced, healthy life. Just be smart about your body and what's good for it. Like my dad always said/says "a little bit is ok, a lot is too much". Treat yo self.

2. Treat Yo Self... to a positive work environment.

In my experience (albeit limited due to my age), if you are unhappy at work, you should probably find a new job. We spend wayyyyy too much time in the office, classroom, restaurant, etc. during the course of our lives to be unhappy when it comes to work. And most of the time those that are unhappy are too happy to share their feelings on the matter. If you are one of those that goes to work being bummed, works bummed, and goes home bummed, you've probably bummed someone else out during the day as well. Make it what you want it to be. If you wished someone came in the office singing at the top of their lungs, smiling, and waving, and just being pleasant... be that person. Yes, it may take effort. If this is the first time someone is telling you life takes effort, I am happy to be that person. Sometimes it takes effort to make life what you want it to be. If you know you're not a positive person.... BECOME ONE! It feels great!!!!! Just like negativity can spread like a virus, so can a smile and a "good morning". Who knows, you might end up liking your job just a tad bit more than you did before. Treat yo self.

3. Treat Yo Self... to productive relationships.

This is one of those toughies. Most of the time we can see exactly what we need to do in our relationships...once we've gone through it. Something about hind sight being 20/20? So, we've got to work with what we have in the present, and worry about that 20/20 when it comes time.

     The word "perfect" does not exist. Go ahead and mentally move that word to your brain's trash bin, listen for the gah-lunk sound, and wipe your hands clean of it. Nothing is going to be perfect. 

In your "lover" relationship: You'll be happy...most of the time. You'll fight... hopefully only sometimes. You'll give the silent treatment. You'll be passive-agressive. You'll be you and you'll deal with things however you deal with them. And that my friends is the key variable. You. Ask any mathematician or scientist. A variable is the part of the equation that can be manipulated to alter the outcome of the problem. If you want a kiss from your man every day when he gets home from work, plant yourself at the door at 5:30pm with your best "kiss me you fool" stance and give him a what fo' smack on the lips as he walks in the door. You have to at least consider the difference in the outcome of your situation if you were to change something you do. This mentality is and probably will always be a work in progress, even for me. Mind-reading cannot be part of your equation. Sure, you should communicate your wants with your partner. But at the end of the day, sometimes you've got to be the changing variable in order to get what you want out of your relationship.

Disclaimer: If you hate everything about the other half of your relationship... you should probably end it. They probably do not participate in the positive parts of this whole list, anyway, and need to go.

In your friendships: Treat yourself to positive, uplifting friends. Negativity is a virus and if you surround yourself with it, you'll get infected. We all have to vent, we all have to be that negative person for a moment sometimes, but if it is a consistent part of your friend's personality, separate yourself from it immediately.

Be open to different types of friends. Have your mall friend, your hiking friend, someone to go to the beach with, someone to laze around and watch movies with. This won't always be the same person because we all have different interests. Find the friends that go with each of your interests.

Family: They say we don't choose our family. I say, yes we do. So treat those you think of as family well and show them your love.

Treat yo self.

4. Treat Yo Self... to a good life.

Overall, we are in control of our own lives. Sure, just like the Earth, meteors impact us. We try to fend them off with our protective layers, but they still leave marks. But we've got to keep going. We have to keep spinning through life. And we have to do it in the best way possible for us. If it'll make your day to have that Chick-fil-a sandwich with a coke, I mean, just do it. If it will make you happy to do drugs, you need to read number one again. If you hate your boss, get a new job! OR, find something in them that you can relate to and cope with. Just like you, they probably fight demons day in and out and are just trying to find a balance between it all. Make the choice to be happy. No one else can choose if for you. And you can't choose that for anyone else.

Many smarter people have touched on what I am trying to get to today, so I'll leave you with these words, since they are sorely more to the point than my short novel above:

"Be the change you want to see in the world" ~ Ghandi

Text to Talk

It is very annoying to me that people depend so much on technology to say what they need to say. I see it in my students, I see it in my friends, in people I don't even know, in languages I don't speak. What happened to picking up the phone to ask someone out on a date, calling your friend to set up a lunch, or calling someone to I don't know… TALK?

I think we lose some of our humanity when we hide behind all these new forms of communication. It empowers us when we don't have to actually talk to someone face to face, so much so when we actually do see someone in person, we can't converse in a normal way, at least at first. Suddenly, the witty don't have that hilarious line on the tip of their tongue it usually takes them 10 minutes to think about on Facebook chat, as they pretend they are preoccupied and so NOT thinking of a response to what you said. Through text, it can take up to an entire day to have what would be a five minute conversation in person.

Everything has a time and place, don't get me wrong. But enough is enough. It almost needs to be an active exercise to remember to try to talk to people, if just to maintain the ability to talk!

I have a small list of No-Nos that are just wrong to approach in technology land. Receiving the following through text, Facebook, or any other media that allows people to bypass talking on the phone or God forbid in person is a complete cop-out and not appropriate!!

The No-Nos
asking someone on a date
breaking up
notifying people of an engagement (unless they count as acquaintances on FB, then go for it)
expecting someone to know something about you because it's on Facebook
being surprised that someone knows something about you because DUH it's on Facebook
canceling a date
invitations to weddings

Anybody have anything to add? I know I'm not the only one this annoys.

AND What is the world coming to when people start writing "u r 2 cute 4 wrds"!? Really, you couldn't include the "O" in words? REALLY?? That whole sentence would take an extra two seconds of typing to write out. Even autocorrect didn't want me to write that!

For goodness sake people, don't forget you have a voice for a reason! Use it. And for heaven's sake, your is possessive, you're is YOU ARE in a contraction.

 From me, to you :)

Hats and Bracelets and Shoes… OH MY!

This is what happens when we get bored. You go to the upscale mall down the road, grab a Starbucks, and proceed to try on half the accessories in the mall. And find funny signs to take pictures with. Enjoy.

Pink

or blue?

Bangles are such an interesting accessory, and paired with these glasses - hello DIVA!

I feel like I need this reminder every day.

Just had to throw this one in there.

 We could probably fill 10,000 of these journals with explanations as to why coffee is so beneficial.

SO APPROPRIATE 

Sometimes life is so interesting, you just have to write about it!

 Funniest sale sign I've ever seen. EVER.

Hats are awesome. They are almost certainly the best accessories ever. The end.

Love.

You Look Tired!

Things we like to hear pretty much any time of the day, even if they aren't true. 

Complete the phrase…

"you look _____"

beautiful

radiant

fresh

hot

fit

Things we don't want to hear, even if they are true.

Complete the phrase…

"you look _____"

Fat in those jeans

pale in the face

a hot mess

raunchy

tired

Have you ever had someone say to you, "man, you look tired"! This phrase, no matter how you spin it, travels through the air as what you said and into the ear of the allegedly "tired" person as "you look like shit". There are two reactions that inevitably come from the person being told this.

1. They aren't tired and are now offended that someone would call them out on their shotty application of concealer that morning.

2. They really are tired… thus most likely grumpy and not made to feel better by some bozo pointing out the obvious. 

So, next time you feel like you should inform someone they look tired, consider the information itself. Is it really necessary to point out exhaustion? Unless you are planning to do something about the person's sleepy demeanor, why bother saying anything? 

*tip* use the phrase "how are you doing" in place of "you look tired". You'll sound interested in their life and most likely get an answer to your true burning question in their response. Two birds, one stone. BAM.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee - 6 Types of Starbucks Drinkers According to Moi!

 Let me preface this blog post by saying there are always exceptions to EVERY rule. But in general, this is what it is. The way I see it, there are five different types of Starbucks drinkers. The following are the six categories.

1. The One Night Stand Drinker - this is person that picks up a Starbucks about once every six months to a year. If you ask them if they like Starbucks, they'll say "ya, it's alright, but I'll take a McDonald's McCrappe too". This person clearly thinks the two are comparable in some way and should have their taste buds tested for defectiveness.

2. The Limited Access Drinker - this is a person who doesn't live or commute to work near/within 20 miles of a Starbucks. If you ask them if they like Starbucks, they'll say "yes! wish I could go more often but I never get around to it". This is OK - sometimes geography sucks.

3. The Catch Up Drinker - this a person who uses Starbucks as a social watering hole or a place to "catch up". This can usually be associated with A) a casual/trying to find out if the other person is a creeper before committing to a real date, date or B) Gal pals out for a day of shopping that find the mall Starbucks a great place to rehydrate and recuperate from spending all that money! or finally C) someone who has an iPhone that has discovered the "pay with your phone" app that Starbucks developed for a quick, speedy, and what the hell FUN way to check out! If you ask them if they like Starbucks, they'll say "sure, let's meet there later and catch up!" This is very good. Why? Because they like to catch up at classy establishments!

4. The Nile Drinker - this is a person that is in deNILE about their growing addiction to Starbucks. If you ask them if they like Starbucks, they'll pretend like it doesn't mean much to them, but 15 minutes later, you can catch them at your local Bucks downing a double shot espresso, all the while shouting "I swear, I like McDonald's coffee just as much!!!!!" This person needs to admit that they are coming to the dark (roast) side. HA!

5. The Not-So-Secret Obsession Drinker - this is a person that knows what they want in life, and darn it, they want a STARBUCKS. No other coffee will do for this determined soul! If you ask them if they like Starbucks… then you don't know them very well! Because this person probably had one before they started talking to you about the Bucks and will probably have one after. If they aren't drinking it, they are fantasizing about drinking it. Don't offer this person McDonald's coffee… ever.

6. The Golden Drinker - this is a person that is everything #5 is but can also smell a Starbucks a mile away (and would walk that mile, or two in severe cases, to get it), has an app on their phone for finding Starbucks, plans road trip stops around various Starbucks locations, and in profound situations has a Starbucks personalized Gold Card.

This ladies and gentlemen is the honest truth. So help me Starbucks.

Can you guess which one I am? Should be easy since I just spent an hour blogging about it!

DIY Craze - Melty Crayons

Lately, I have been on a do-it-myself kick. I, like many others I know, have been sucked into Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Tumblr, basically sites that make you feel like no time has passed at all, you can still finish that mile long to do list... and then you look at the clock and realize it's 3am. Let's just call it what it is: addiction.

Anyway, I've been DIY-ing and have a little project I'd like to share with EVERYONE, mainly because it involves crayons and melting things so it'll appeal to the child within and make you forget that you have to be an adult (that person we all wanted to be when we were little who we now realize has to do something that we NEVER, EVER want to do: pay the bills).

All you need for this project is a canvas, a box of crayons, a hair dryer, and a hot glue gun. And maybe an artsy roommate that is willing to sketch and paint the silhouettes at the bottom of your melty art so that you can have something redeemably artistic about your indulgence in childhood mayhem.

1. Hot glue crayons to canvas wherever you want the melting magic to begin.
2. If you'd like to paint a silhouette or words at the middle or bottom of your creation, sketch it out but do NOT paint it yet.
3. Melt the stew out of the crayons until desired magic is obtained. Do this outside or surrounded by newspaper. Spattering will occur and although it's pretty, it's not the desired outcome of this particular mayhem. Note: if you turn the hair dryer to the side, you'll end up with cool streaky marks. If you want globs of color, try aiming the dryer to the lower half of the crayon and angle it down to encourage the wax to go straight down.
4. Observe the awesomeness of your creation!
5. If you sketched something, you may now paint it.
6. Go run and tell all your friends how awesome of an artist you are!

…and voila!

Crayon Melty Art

So, if you know you do not possess one artistic bone in your body but still like to have fun with a lot of colors and melting things (beware of splattering, it happens!), then you'll enjoy this little project. And if you want cute silhouettes, google images can be a great resource!

Happy melting!

Copycats Spread Awesome-ness

1. Copycat -

 an obnoxious individual who takes pleasure in copying, imitating, emulating, simulating or miming the words, [ideas], gestures and expressions of another individual. The copycat becomes easily amused and the other individual feels like sticking their foot in said copycats ass. Typical of 6 year olds but not uncommon in 21 year old college students.
urbandictionary.com

     
         Hi, I'm Chelsea, and I'm a copycat. Oh but don't worry, you are too! Let's face the facts, we're all copycats at some point or another. Some of us are more annoying about it than others, but at the end of the day, if you go buy a sweater because So and So from That Movie looks hot in it, you my friend have just lettered in copycat-ing.

        There are, however, varying degrees of copycats. There are some that are very flattering and born is the phrase "copying is the greatest form of flattery". Those are the ones that try to do what you do, wear what you wear, or simply put, try to be you and they just don't cut it. SO cute, right? Then there are the ones who cling to every idea you have, every notion of fashion whispered from your lips, every innovative thought you muster… and then they're actually a tiny bit successful with their efforts. We can all agree this person is ANNOYING.

        Folks, the idea we must all come to realize as reality is that this isn't necessarily a problem. If you are doing something AWESOME, then you are spreading awesome-ness around the world and kudos to you for contributing to society in a positive way. If you are doing something stupid and being copied for it…well, that's weird and good for you. And unless a person is literally trying to live your life (in which case, please call some authorities or something, that's messed up a la Criminal Minds), roll with the waves of life and relish in the fact that someone cares enough about what you are doing to repeat it! And by all means, get out there and copy some AWESOME people!

Remember the question mom and dad used to ask you when you wanted to be just like your friend?:

 Would you jump off a cliff if Sally did? My answer? Well, as soon as I see that she lands safely amid the calm blue water 20ft below me, then HELL YA!