Today's Obsessions

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• 7 Alternative Ways to Celebrate Your Birthday …
• 7 Things You Shouldn’t Tell Your BFF …
• 8 Tips on Approaching Someone You Like …
• 8 Things Women Love About Men …
• 8 Pretty Earrings for Little Girls …
• 7 Playlists You Must Have …
• 8 Personality Types to Look for in Friends …
• 7 Tips from My Personal Trainer …
• 7 Things on the Rise …
• 7 Recommended Post-Workout Activities …
• 7 Tips on Cleaning a Garage …
• 8 Terrific Ways To Be Jolly …
• 8 Hats for High Style …
• 8 Best Smalltalk Topics …

7 Alternative Ways to Celebrate Your Birthday … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 11:09 AM PST Birthdays have this annoying habit of coming round every year, and by the time you've had as many as I have, it gets a bit difficult to think of something to do on the day. Parties, going out to dinner, having drinks … all been done before. Sometimes it doesn't even seem worth celebrating. But what if you'd like to do something different? Here are some ideas … 1. Try Something New Ever wanted to learn to ride a horse or play a musical instrument? With your birthday coming up, why not celebrate it by booking that first lesson for your special day? You'll get the satisfaction of trying something new, combined with spending the day doing something other than partying. 2. Pick A City Book a short break in a city you've never visited before, and never thought of visiting. So if you've never thought of visiting it, how can you choose it? Simply stick a pin in a map (reasonably local, you don't want to pick somewhere on the other side of the world). Or ask friends for suggestions. 3. Cinema Marathon Years ago I used to enjoy going to repertory cinemas, where you could see double or even triple bills for less than the price of one film at a regular cinema. I don't know if these places still exist, but for me this would be a great way of spending my birthday, as I'm a cinephile. So pick a cinema and see three films, one after the other. You might find that you enoy a film you wouldn't expect to like.

7 Things You Shouldn’t Tell Your BFF … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 10:49 AM PST A best friend today can be a worst enemy tomorrow. I know that sounds depressing but until scientists figure out a way to look into the future, you'll have to consider it a valid option. I believe in true, life-long friendships but I still… Some things and opinions should stay private. Things like these, for example: 1. The size of your boyfriend's "magic stick" "Just perfect" is completely acceptable… unless you really have something to brag about. I'd stick to vague descriptions anyways because I somehow feel that's too personal to share with others. If it were mine, maybe I'd go into details but it's not so I refuse to share anything that doesn't affect me only. I mean, is there a guarantee she really won't tell a soul about it? What if it slips? Most best friends ask this question so if the purpose of it was not to collect gossip material but see if you're 100% happy, "just perfect" answers it… well…just perfectly! 2. Other people's secrets Your best friend is obliged to keep your secrets and you are obliged to keep your friend's secrets. But you certainly have more than one friend. So, if the only thing person X and person Y have in common is you, they won't feel obliged to keep each other's secrets. Somebody will realize who's leaking the information sooner or later and they will feel betrayed. Plus, they might leak your secrets too to get back at you. 3. Gynecological issues If you have an itch go see a gynecologist, don't call your BFF because, unless she went to medical school, she can't help you. Let me demonstrate. Let's say you feel something "weird", tell that to your BFF, then see a doctor and realize nothing's wrong – you've just picked an intimate wash that's not good for you and you "little lady" had a bad reaction to it. BUT, a couple of months later your BFF also sees a doctor and realizes something bad is going on. She ends up arguing with her bf about who gave what to whom and she uses YOU and your past "problem" to prove her point. He tells that to somebody else, that person passes that around and before you know it everybody's talking behind your back. It can happen and it happens a lot.

8 Tips on Approaching Someone You Like … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 10:44 AM PST It's never easy to talk to someone you really like. I'm sort of the shy type and I've never found talking to a complete stranger an easy thing to do. I could barely make eye contact, let alone actually speak coherent sentences to someone I found even a little bit attractive. If you are at a loss for words or are just looking for ways to be able to strike up a conversation, here are 8 tips on approaching someone you like. 8. Don't be afraid of the word 'no' Too many people are afraid of rejection. Sure, having someone tell you 'no' when you ask him/her out on a date can be a little disheartening, but at least you tried. Try not to get all stressed out by the thought of someone saying 'no' to your advances. Just think of it this way; you're no worse off than you were before, right? 7. Smile and introduce yourself A smile definitely goes a long way. Smiling as you approach someone often makes it easier for you to strike up a conversation. I always find a smiling person to be a bit less creepy as well, unless they are smiling in a forced way that makes their face all contorted and odd looking. With a pleasant smile and an extended hand, try introducing yourself in a polite manner. 6. Have confidence Being sure of what you are about to do will not only make you feel more confident, but it will also show in the way you walk and talk. Coming across as a confident person, even if you don't feel exceptionally confident at that very moment, tends to draw people towards you as well. Keep telling yourself: 'I can do it.' As you make your way over to the person you are interested in. This mental booster might be just what you need to feel the confidence begin to ooze from your pores!

8 Things Women Love About Men … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 09:45 AM PST There are many things in a man that will turn a woman on in a matter of minutes. Now, we know that one of those is good looks, so there is no need to add that to the list of 8 things women love about men. Below, you will find some things women love about men … 8. Is Good with Kids When you see a man that is good with kids, what do you think? Do you like that soft side of him? This is what many women enjoy – they enjoy men that are good with kids. There's just something neat about watching that soft side come out in a guy. 7. Makes Her Feel Protected When a guy makes a woman feel protected, they feel special. Many women enjoy the protected feeling when they have a guy staying over. 6. A Good Listener When a guy is a good listener, this can be a big turn on. You can tell when he is listening, because he will look interested and join in on the conversation with you. Guys, believer it or not, women like this.

8 Pretty Earrings for Little Girls … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 09:40 AM PST It is my firm belief that jewelry is an investment, and I am unwavering in my devotion to a particular brand of jewelry, too: Tiffany. When my oldest daughter turned 7, she received her first Tiffany jewelry, a pair of earrings. Now that my youngest daughter is about to turn 7, I've been searching the Tiffany catalog and have found so many beautiful earrings to start her "investment" collection. Here are 8 pretty pairs of earring for little girls… among them the pair my Sophie will get to start her appreciation for Tiffany, too! 1. Tiffany Elsa Peretti® Color by the Yard Earrings Price: $375.00 at tiffany.com These tiny sterling silver posts feature carefully matched brilliant green tsavorites with a total carat weight of 0.14. The combination of the Kelly green with the clean silver make them perfect for a little girl. They're also available with pink sapphires or pale blue aquamarines. 2. Tiffany "Paloma’s Crown of Hearts" Earrings Price: $350.00 at tiffany.com Look closely at these delicate sterling silver flowers and you'll notice they're actually a ring of hearts with a tiny pink sapphire in the middle. They're also available with a diamond in the center, but the pink sapphire makes them ideal for a young girl, perfect for a princess. 3. Tiffany Bow Earrings Price: $125.00 at tiffany.com These sweet little bows, made of sterling silver, are so tiny and delicate they look as though they were made for a little girl. The detail is exquisite, and they're so small the Tiffany site describes them as "tiny."

7 Playlists You Must Have … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 09:00 AM PST Music is incredibly important to me. It can lift my mood or it can sort of sympathize with a mood I’m having. It complements, it soothes, it empathizes. Every melody is like a panacea cure. I have a playlist for every mood I have and believe you me, it makes my outlook a lot better. I can be completely furious, listen to the complementary playlist, and then everything is all good. So, here are 7 playlists you must have if you’d like to try this remedy! 1. The Happy Playlist This playlist is filled with songs that make you happy. They are the kinds of songs that can lift your mood in an instant. You might listen to this list when you are already happy, or you might listen to it when you’re down in the dumps, so it will raise your spirits. Whatever the case, it is filled with the music that makes you soar, no matter who the artists are. 2. The Angry Playlist When you are stomping mad and ready to flip your lid, sometimes you don’t want to feel better. Sometimes you just want to hit something. You typically can’t do that, of course, so what I do is bring out my Angry Playlist. It is typically filled with lots and lots of Eminem, and although you’d think it would make me stay mad, that’s not the case at all. Instead, after listening to this list for a while, I stomp out all my rage and I’m left feeling like I’ve just had full release. 3. The Depressed Playlist Again, sometimes you just don’t want your mood to go anywhere. In those cases, music can empathize with you as easily as it soothes you. This list may be filled with the sad songs that mean the world to you and cradle you in their rhythms. When I’m depressed, I play this list, curl up on the couch, and read a book that tends to make me cry as well.

8 Personality Types to Look for in Friends … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 08:59 AM PST I’m a big believer in balance and I celebrate diversity. I mean, I actually try to incorporate it into my life, because I think being friends with all kinds of different personality types can only make you a more well-rounded person. It can often make you much more patient and tolerant as well! Now, I’m not talking INFP, INTP, ESTJ, or any technical personality types. I’m talking about the terms we frequently use to categorize the personality types of our friends. So, these are my takes on the 8 personality types to look for in friends! 1. The Know-It-All This person may grate on your nerves like whoa if they haven’t learned how to temper their personality, but you have to admit that, sometimes, it’s handy to be around an expert on everything. At the very least, this friend is always helpful around people who aren’t nice to you, because he or she won’t hesitate to vigorously rub your enemies the wrong way, either. 2. The Fashion Plate Sometimes the materialism of this personality type can drive you up the wall. My BFF Adam qualifies as a Fashion Plate (among other things; some friends have several personality types, so you get two-for-one specials!) and he does get on my nerves with it a lot. However, without him, I probably wouldn’t have an ounce of style, I still wouldn’t know anything about makeup, and I’d never know what Versace is putting out in Spring. Granted, not life or death knowledge, but it does help with the job! 3. The Control Freak I am a very … lackadaisical person. I’m always late for everything, I never plan anything out or create schedules, and honestly, I suffer for it. A person or personality type like that actually really needs a control freak for balance. I happen to be marrying one! The Better Half gets me where I need to be on time, helps me learn the crucial skills of time management, and sometimes drives me crazy, but that’s okay because you can’t take the good if you aren’t willing to take the bad as well.

7 Tips from My Personal Trainer … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 08:46 AM PST In the past year, I've learned for trust my personal trainer, even though he's responsible for causing me a great deal of physical pain and exhaustion. His advice is always fantastically useful, and even better, my butt and abs have never looked better. I love nothing more than sharing great butt-and-abs-enhancing tips, so if you're looking for some advice, or just want to compare notes with what your own trainer's been telling you, keep reading! Here are 7 tips from my personal trainer. 1. How often to do cardio According to my trainer, most adults ought to get about 40 minutes of good, sweaty, heart-thumping cardio at least 4 times a week. Cardio can be anything that gets your heart racing steadily for that entire 40 minutes, including biking, running, jogging, brisk walking, or my favorite, jogging on the elliptical machine. 2. How often to do strength training Girls cannot stay fit on cardio along, so my personal trainer has also recommended that I (and other girls) get a good weight training or strength training session in for about 40 minutes 4 times a week (just like with the cardio). This can be done at home in the form on lunges, push-ups, squats, and sit-ups with free weights, or at the gym using their equipment. The cardio is good for your heart; the strength training is good for everything else. 3. What to eat Let's face it — no matter what Dr. Atkins said, we all need carbs. Fiber is a carb, and without it, our bodies would shut down. Sugar is a carb, and without it, our brains would shut down. So stop being so worried about cutting carbs in general, and look at cutting out the "bad" carbs and empty calories, like the ones in my own Kryptonite, soda.

7 Things on the Rise … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 02:50 AM PST I am going to give you 7 things on the rise today. These are things I have noticed more and more people doing or wearing. Some of these things are things that I enjoy doing each day. Continue below to see my opinion of things that are on the rise in today's world … 7. Patterned Sequined Dresses I have noticed a lot of animal print sequined dresses looming around today, so these must be on the rise. Many celebrities are starting to show up in these dresses and I am not sure exactly what to think of them. 6. Lady Gaga in Your Dreams Oh yes, Lady Gaga appears in many people's dreams. She is definitely on the rise today. Will she ever start to fall down and blend in with the other celebrities that had their time in the spotlight? How soon do you think that will be? 5. Postsex Showers Yes, postsex showers are definitely on the rise! Don't sit there and say this has always been a trend, because while I will agree with you – I will also tell you that this is something people are starting to do that they have not done in the past. Make sense?

7 Recommended Post-Workout Activities … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 01:56 AM PST After your workout routine, the first thing that you might want to do is relax and get some rest. However, if you don't want to experience unnecessary pain, possible infection, and the hassle of cleaning up the next day, you might want to think twice about jumping into bed right away. You need to let your body recover properly to get the full benefits of your exercise. Consider including the following activities in your post-workout routine to help with your recovery. 1. Cool Down Cooling down is important because it helps the body go back to the pre-workout state. The cool down brings your breathing and heart rate back to normal. It also helps restore your body temperature. If you cool down properly, you can avoid experiencing dizziness and that worn out feeling. You can also prevent muscle swelling and stiffness. To cool down, gradually reduce the intensity of your movements. You can perform the same exercise at a lower intensity or you can do another low intensity exercise for 5 to 10 minutes. 2. Stretch Once your body has cooled down, you can now proceed to stretching. Stretching can decrease the build up of lactic acid, as well as prevent muscle cramps, tightness, and soreness. Stretching helps muscles recover quicker by realigning them and by straightening out the knots. 3. Rehydrate Any physical activity can make you lose a lot of water and electrolytes so it is important to rehydrate after a workout. Rehydrating will help your body recover faster. Water is the best thing to drink after exercise because it helps replenish your body's water. You can also drink milk to rehydrate your body. To replace electrolytes lost during high intensity exercise, you can drink a sports drink.

7 Tips on Cleaning a Garage … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 01:19 AM PST A messy garage tends to have many disadvantages to it. The mess sometimes begins to trickle into the house, it’s hard to locate something you need, and having an unruly garage can also be a safety hazard. The following 7 tips on cleaning a garage can be used to help you organize your disarray. I’m sure you’ll find at least a few of these tips useful. 7. Decide where items should go before rearranging begins It’s difficult to try and imagine where everything is going to go if you just start shoving things around the garage. Come up with a plan before any moving takes place. Draw out a site map if needed. This can help you visualize where items will go. If you have a general idea of what the garage is supposed to look like when you’ve finished cleaning, then it will be easier to actually begin moving items to their new places. 6. Move the big stuff first Most large items will only fit in a few different places. Pick out where these things are going to be placed and get them moved right away. It will be easier to figure out where the smaller things fit best, once the larger garage items are in place around the room. Moving fixtures, such as shelves, also enables you to have an easier time visualizing where the smaller things can be placed in the garage.

8 Terrific Ways To Be Jolly … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 12:57 AM PST Bah! Humbug! Never appeals to me. I love the holiday season and I want everyone to know it! But it can be stressful when trying to do it all. There are presents to buy and wrap, Christmas concerts and plays to attend, office parties to endure, and decorating and cooking that simply cannot wait until tomorrow. How do you do it all and keep a smile on your face? Here is what I do to keep the jolly in the holly, jolly Christmas! 1. Give To Others I know. How could you possibly fit another minute into your schedule? Really, this is the best way to keep that smile on your lips. When you see the pleasure others receive when you give of your time and love to those in need, you can't help but feel happy. Make a food basket, volunteer at a soup kitchen, or give to an Angel tree. 2. Go Sight Seeing Don't miss all the spectacular yard displays. It isn't enough just to see them while passing. Take a night and dedicate it driving around and seeing all the lights. Take some hot chocolate in a thermos, walk up and down the sidewalks of your neighbor hood and just enjoy the peace and quiet and beauty of the lights. 3. Enjoy the Anticipation How exciting it is for me to watch my kids eyes grow with excitement at the lights and decorations! Writing the letter to Santa and trying to decide, with the kids, what we all want for gifts just makes the excitement mount and build up to an explosion on Christmas morning! Enjoy this time and let it take you back to your childhood.

8 Hats for High Style … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 12:48 AM PST I love hats. I think they need to make a comeback, a bigger one than the one they’re making right now. Hats can add so much to your outfit – and, if need be, they can hide a bad hair day, which is always awesome. Check out these 8 hats for high style and see if you want to incorporate them into your wardrobe! 1. Tarnish Lace Fedora Price: $28.00 at shop.nordstrom.com I adore fedoras. They are so classy, sleek, and stylish. Wearing one always makes me feel a little bit like Marlene Dietrich. This one, with its lace finish and antiquated style, is absolutely gorgeous. The band around the hat is grosgrain, which just adds to the style. 2. Wool Chain Fedora Price: $14.80 at forever21.com Yes, so, as you can see, I love fedoras! I am a fan of this one because for one thign, you cannot go wrong with basic black. It will look good with just about any outfit. As well, it’s wool – 100 percent wool, no less – so it’s ideal for cold winter weather. Plus, I love that chain! That’s hardcore, yo. 3. In the Gardens Turban Price: $19.99 at modcloth.com This might seem like a strange choice, but turbans can be quite elegant. Again, because it is black, it has extra appeal, because it will go with just about everything. The accentuating gold beads, however, keep it from being boring. This, too, can keep you warm in colder weather, while providing a stylish look.

8 Best Smalltalk Topics … Posted: 09 Jan 2011 12:06 AM PST Smalltalk is hard for many simply because they do not know of many topics. Well, right now, you are in luck, because I am going to give you some ideas on smalltalk. Prepare yourself to read 8 best smalltalk topics and if you feel the need to write it down, please do so. 8. The Setting When striking up smalltalk, many individuals choose to talk about the setting they are currently in. If it is raining outside, then you can strike up a conversation about the rain and how much you like the rain. Perhaps there is something playing on the radio and you really like the song? You can strike up a conversation on that. 7. How the Day Has Been So Far This is a great conversation starter. In fact, I believe it is one of the best on the list. It is easy to ask someone how their day has been so far, then as they are explaining their day to you and how it has been, you can easily go from there. 6. A Compliment Now, mind you, don't go making it one of those corny compliment and definitely do not turn it into a sexual compliment. You could always give them a good compliment on their smile and take it from there.

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