Putting Things in Perspective

Usually I don't like forwards at all but this one put everything in perspective for me. Life isn't about the amount of money we make, or the fancy stuff we have - it's about living for the moment and enjoying time with the people we care about. 

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of
the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote
the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most
requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so
here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends

and family will.

5.Don't buy stuff you don't need.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with yourself. You can take it.

9. Save for things that matter.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what

their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down

in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and

no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't

take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.

Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow..

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years,

will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive but don’t forget.

29.. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. People love you because of who you are, not because of

anything you did or didn't do..

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone

else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have

not what you need.

42. The best is yet to come ...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

5 Necessities of a Healthy Relationship

We live in a society where people date, breakup and repeat that cycle regularly. Don't tell me that you haven't seen people change their relationship on Facebook almost on a weekly basis; I've been that person several times. So I thought I'd take a minute and share what I consider important in a relationship. Sure, it's great if a guy is super good looking with a great body, but there is SO much more involved:

#1 Good communication - This is always first priority in my relationships. Without being able to sit down with the other person and tell them what you're feeling and what's on your mind, eventually all of your feelings will just bottle up and things generally won't end well. I'm not saying to pick a fight over every little thing, but it's crucial for both you and your partner to know how to talk about important things and come to an agreement on them. Also, make sure that you can talk AND listen. It's important to be able to see both sides. Keep in mind if you're really mad maybe you should count to ten first.....or a hundred.

#2 Trust - If you don't trust each other something is wrong. Sometimes gut feelings are right - sometimes they aren't. I had a friend tell me once that she trusts people until she has a reason not to. Hmmm, I can see the benefit as long as you aren't too naive. If there are red flags like not wanting to spend time together or hiding his phone when he's texting; that should definitely be taken seriously. Bottom line is if there's no trust in your relationship, you should probably walk away.

#3 Honesty - This seems like a no brainer to me. It's also one of those things that's generally found out the hard way. When he says he's had a rough week and he's going to bed early and then you see him out with his friends, you should probably call things quits. If he can justify lying to you about little things, then you can bet that he'll lie to you about important things.

#4 Fairness - Who makes the decisions on where you're going to eat, or what you're going to do? It's important to have some give and take. If one person is always getting their own way it's only a matter of time before the other person feels cheated or like they aren't getting a say in any of the decisions.

#5 Separate Identity - It's so nice to spend time together, right? But it's also important to not fall off the face of the earth when you get in a relationship. It's important for a girl to have a girls night and for a guy to have a guys night. Also, don't skip all those things that were always important to you, like your hobbies and interests.

Believe me, I'm far from an expert. But I firmly believe that these are some core necessities in a healthy relationship.

For Every Girl Who's Ever Wondered

I've been going through a hard time lately, and my best friend sent me this article, so I'm sharing it with all you girls out there:

Have you ever met that guy that just seemed to have walked right out of your dreams? Like he just seemed… complete. And you keep looking at him and comparing him to your checklist of your “my type of guys” and he just seems to hit the mark, and you can feel yourself falling… well more like crashing in love with him everyday… and you can’t help it. You know, such boys seem to know all the right things to say, all the right answers to give, all the right responses a girl wants to hear, and you just keep thinking to yourself, omg is he perfect and then somehow, the moment you fall for him, is the moment he gets over you, and you are confused, sad, lost, left wondering - what is wrong with me? what did I do this time? and even as he walks away, you still remain completely in love with him, he moves on to the next girl.. well girls, and there you are still stuck, on what could have been, unable to move on.

And then one day, you realize maybe it was all a game to him, like score and leave. Maybe there is nothing you did wrong, it was just a timed meeting dependent on whenever you fell for him. Maybe it was all too good to be true to start with, and these perfect boys don’t exist and maybe everything he said to you were just rehearsed lines he had tried and tested on different girls time after time with a guaranteed success rate. And then you realize that maybe you deserve better, maybe this person you thought was your soulmate really is another make believe in your head. Maybe you deserve to be someone’s only, like a priority - with someone actually scared to lose you. Maybe you don’t have a problem, may be it’s him that does and maybe you should keep my head and shoulders high and walk away, because may be there is something better for you.

Don’t stress over things that could have been, if it should have been, it would have been.

Hopefully if you're feeling sad or alone this will help you as much as it helped me. Thank you, Dayana Danielle  for always knowing just what I need to hear <3

Living in the Moment

The other day I had a realization. Have you ever heard the Alabama Song, "I'm In a Hurry"? Well, sometimes I feel like it's the story of my life. I'm always rushing, always working, and always so busy. I think maybe I'm not the only person like that? Seems like these days everyone has to work a little harder and quite a few more hours to make ends meet.

But I also realized that life is too short to not live in the moment. Seems like we either have money and no time, or time and no money. Maybe creating a balance is what life is all about. Think about all those special people in your life....make time for them - you never know how much longer they'll be there.

Don't hesitate to take a vacation. Sometimes getting away and enjoying some time away is well worth a little extra spending.

No worries, I'm not saying to quit your job and stop reaching for goals. But at the end of life, that isn't going to be what matters. It's not going to matter what job you had, or how much money you made - you'll remember that time you laughed so hard with your friend that your stomach hurt, the vacations you took, and the moments spent with those you care about the most.

So take some time out to enjoy life. Don't rush through life looking forward to next year, or the next chapter in your life. Enjoy today, look forward to tomorrow and make every moment count :)

Your very own shopping tip #2

This is for all you Twin Falls girls who want decent jewelry without paying the price. Listed below are many of the stores in the Magic Valley Mall, and my opinion on whether buying jewelry from that store is a "yes" or a "no". 

The Buckle (NO): As much as I love their jeans, I don't love their jewelry. It's very cute and often quite sparkly, but the necklaces have a tendency to turn that brassy color, and the earrings must have the cheap nickel because they are definitely not hypoallergenic.

Vanity (NO): Cute jewelry, but my necklaces always break within a week of wear.

American Eagle (YES): I don't go here for clothes very often (it just isn't really my style) but their jewelry is great! it doesn't seem to turn that brassy color and the earrings don't bother my ears. While it can be a little pricier than other jewelry, it is well worth it in my opinion.

Deb (NO): This jewelry tends to break AND turn the brassy color quickly.

Macys (YES): They have so many different brands you need to be careful, but during their One-Day sales and some of their other sales, it's possible to pick up some really nice jewelry at an inexpensive cost.

JCPenney (YES): I'm going to say yes on this one even though it can be a hit or miss. Be careful with the cheaper jewelry, but they often have sales on their sterling silver which wears well.

Maurices (YES): The style of jewelry is not my favorite, but it tends to last quite well and not break.

Going Against The Grain

I've decided I'm one of those people who will disagree just to disagree...even if it's something I agree with.

Maybe it's because I don't ever have such a strong opinion about things that I absolutely cannot see the other side of an argument. Don't get me wrong, I always have an opinion....I just enjoy stirring up a good debate by being the devil's advocate.

I believe it stems from my debate background. The learning process for giving a good debate on both sides of an argument, regardless of what my real feelings were on the subject was alway fascinating to me.

Maybe the nickname of "Mary, Mary quite contrary" actually fits me. Nevermind, I take that back....mostly because I would prefer for you to never call me that.

Where did my money go???

Being a Shopaholic is never easy. In fact, there is almost never very much money in my bank account....

I have a great example of this. I recently received my W-2 tax forms and noticed the fairly decent income I made this year (for a college student). Where is it? Seriously, where did it all go...? Here was my answer...

The same day, my favorite store sent me a $20 voucher from all of the money I've put on that store's credit card. Apparently, 300 points equals ten dollars back....and each point is for every dollar I've spent. And I've only had that credit card for a few months. Imagine the money I would've gotten back if I'd had that credit card the whole year!

Ahhh who needs self control?!?