Beating the Post Holiday Blues

The holiday season is an exciting time of year for most people. When it is over many people become depressed and lethargic. There are ways to combat the blues a person may feel when the holidays are over.

 

When New Years has come and gone, it is easy to become depressed. The best thing to do is look to the future and anticipate what the spring and summer seasons will bring. Start researching a dream vacation to be taken over the summer. Find websites, books or movies about that dream destination. Begin researching ways to get there, places to stay, and things to do and see. If possible, download a picture of the destination and use it as the computer’s desktop. This is one way to cure the post holiday blues.

 

Certain foods and activities are seasonal, so find one that is appealing and prepare to eat it or do it. Plan a garden of beautiful flowers or tasty vegetables. When it warms up, stop by a favorite ice cream place for an ice cream cone or sundae. Take walks in the evening and enjoy nature and the sights and sounds of the outside world. Start a craft project or renovation on a house.

 

There is always something in life to look forward to and it is important to focus on these things. Go jogging on a cold winter morning and stop for a hot coffee before resuming a normal routine. Watch trees and flowers blossom into something beautiful and breathtaking.

 

The key to getting over any type of blues is to keep busy. An active mind is a healthy mind. The goal is to not have time to suffer from the blues. This is why a packed schedule is important. Not so packed as to be stressful, but busy enough to discourage the blues.

 

After the holidays is a great time to take up a new hobby. Scrap booking is a wonderful way to capture all those holiday memories and help ease the depression that stems from the end of the holiday season. Organizing mementos for safe keeping is a good way to enjoy the warm and fuzzy feeling most people have in their hearts during the holiday season.

 

Volunteer in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter for a real wake up call. This makes it much easier to overcome the blues and help out those in need at the same time.

Teenagers and Holiday Shopping

Teenagers have already gotten a reputation for being irresponsible and untrustworthy. There are plenty of teenagers that fit that description, but also plenty who don’t. Some teenagers are more responsible and trustworthy than others. Those who are earn far more privileges from their parents than those who aren’t.

When it comes to the subject of teenagers shopping alone during the holidays, the responsible ones should be allowed to. As long as he or she can be trusted not to spend more money than they have there should be no reason why they can’t do their holiday shopping on their own. One of the biggest privileges any teenager can have is the privilege of freedom. If a teenager has earned this privilege, then why not let them have it?

Holiday shopping can be a stressful event for some people. Many teenagers do enjoy shopping more than their older counterparts. A parent may even send their teenager out to do their holiday shopping for them. Chances are, the more the customer enjoys their shopping experience, the better the gifts they will purchase for family and friends.

Many adults aren’t fond of malls at the best of times, much less during the holiday season. Many more teenagers love to spend time at the mall anyway, so why not allow them to do their own holiday shopping? Teenagers don’t see the mall as a miserable place to be. They don’t seem to mind the crowds as much as older folks do. As resilient as most teenagers are, they will bounce back from a stressful shopping situation much faster than adults will.

While many teenagers are trustworthy, others aren’t. The ones that aren’t perhaps should not be allowed to do their own holiday shopping. They need the supervision an adult will provide in order to stay out of trouble, both financially and otherwise. An irresponsible teenager may buy inappropriate gifts for family and friends or may just spend money on gifts for themselves. Teenagers that can’t be trusted may resort to shoplifting to obtain the items they want.

The question of whether teenagers should be allowed to do their own holiday shopping depends entirely on the teenager in question. There is no one answer that is right for every teenager. Some can handle the responsibility and some cannot. Some can be taught responsibility and some are just too rebellious to be teachable. Some simply aren’t interested in these kinds of things.

The Game of Life?

Newsweek recently named Farmville the most addictive game on Facebook. But how addicted to a game do you have to be to shake your own child to death because he or she had the nerve to interrupt your game playing?  Ask Florida mom Alexandra Tobias. This is the fate her baby boy met when he began to cry while she was playing the game.

The 22 year old confessed to police that she shook her baby, smoked a cigarette in an attempt to calm down, and proceeded to shake him again. She told officials that she lost her temper because she was trying to concentrate on Farmville, and the baby broke her concentration. It has been reported that the baby may have been hit in the head while she was shaking him.

When her son stopped breathing, Tobias called 911. Baby Dylan was rushed to the hospital suffering from a broken leg and head injuries. The official cause of the baby’s death was head trauma stemming from abuse.

Tobias pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges in October of 2010. She will go on trial in December of 2010 and could be sentenced to 25-50 years in prison. Normally second-degree murder charges can carry a sentence of life in prison, but according to Florida state guidelines Tobias may get a lighter sentence.

Farmville is reportedly such an addictive game that some of its players have gone into massive debt and even lost jobs over it. Time magazine named Farmville one of the “worst inventions,” of the past few decades.

While Facebook’s many games are fun, to get so caught up in a game that a person can abuse their own child to the point of death is absolutely sickening. No game is more important than another human being’s life, no matter how fun or addictive the game is. As with anything else on the Internet, gaming can be a healthy pastime to indulge in or it can be destructive. Clearly in the case of Alexandra Tobias it was more than destructive, it was deadly.

Early Christmas Shopping

It’s that time of year when people start thinking about buying Christmas gifts for family and friends. Sure, Christmas is still 3 months away, but some people like to get an early start. Others always start late and some people are on the lookout for Christmas presents all year long. There are some definite pros and cons to doing your Christmas shopping early.

On the pro side, getting your shopping done early is a good way to avoid the crowds and get the best selection possible, no matter where you shop. On the other hand, starting your Christmas shopping early means the stores aren’t enticing you to shop by running those great holiday sales.  At this point you may get a regular sale if you’re lucky, but the super cheap sales stores run to get you in the door don’t usually take place till October or even November.

Some people on anyone’s list are easier to shop for than others. Your niece and nephew may be easy to shop for, but your elderly grandmother may present more of a problem. People who need the sights and sounds of Christmas to inspire them to do their shopping won’t have much motivation to start their shopping before the leaves have even turned orange. This can be a con to attempting early Christmas shopping. However, people who despise the constant sights and sounds of the holiday would benefit from getting their shopping done early.

The best part about the Christmas season for many children is going to the mall to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. This means long lines; loud children and cranky parents will be all over the mall. For those members of society that don’t like children, and don’t feel like dealing with them, getting their shopping done early would be a huge relief.

The pros and cons of doing your Christmas shopping early will vary for different people. Some people actually thrive on the holiday rush they feel in a crowded mall on a Saturday. Without that rush, to these people, the holidays are not truly upon us.  In this case, there would be more cons than pros to getting Christmas shopping done early.  For those that would prefer the piece and quiet of a normal shopping experience, as opposed to the shopping experience during the busy holiday season, getting their shopping done early would be preferable.

No matter when you choose to do your Christmas shopping, there will always be pros and cons to shopping for Christmas gifts for loved ones.

My Favorite American Idol Winner

American Idol has had many winners in all its years on air. Many talented singers have been discovered on American Idol. But no one can top the sex appeal and sheer raw talent of Kelly Clarkson. A winner from the very beginning, Kelly Clarkson has recorded amazing songs and sold highly succesful albums. She also has that girl next door quality, something that is quite lacking in Hollywood today.

Watch an interview with Kelly Clarkson and you’ll see that when it comes right down to it, she’s no different than the rest of us. Not even a hint of an ego on this girl, she is one of the most down to earth people in Hollywood today. Many more celebrities could take a cue from Kelly because she is one classy lady.

Kelly Clarkson’s voice and stage presence is flawless. She’s a pleasure to watch. Not many singers of today can match her beauty and grace.

In addition to everything else, Kelly has recorded many powerful songs that are inspirational to women everywhere. She’s a good influence on today’s woman and an excellent role model for young girls to look up to. One of the most awe inspiring songs Kelly Clarkson has ever recorded is “Breakaway.” This song should be the anthem for every women who has ever been dumped by a man. Kelly is strong enough to stand her ground and be her own person, and this really comes through in her songs. Breakaway can easily give a woman the strength she needs to hold her head up high and move on with her life after suffering heartbreak.

Another amazing Kelly Clarkson song is “Since You Been Gone.” Once again, this is a very inspirational song as well as a song women everywhere can draw strength and courage from. It allows you to let down your hair, let down your guard, and be the best woman you can be. It shows that no woman needs a man to make it in this world, and that is an invaluable lesson we could all learn.

Being the first winner of American Idol, Kelly set the bar pretty high for anyone following in her footsteps. She is truly the epitome of a succesful woman and a succesful singer. Her career and success should be an inspiration to everyone. Not many other American Idol winners have topped the success of Kelly Clarkson.

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

My wedding took place a month ago today. I can hardly believe we’ve been married for a month already. It feels like we just got back from our honeymoon yesterday. I waited 30 years to get married and it was well worth the wait. My groom looked amazing in his tux and he was blown away by my wedding dress. When he first saw me in it as I began to walk down the aisle, he gasped and told his groomsmen that I looked absolutely beautiful.

This was my first (and only) wedding. However, my husband was watching a woman walk down the aisle towards him for the second time in his life. Before the wedding, he would apologize profusely for having previously been married, despite my reassurances that it didn’t matter to me and I loved him just the same. I know for sure that our wedding meant more to him than his first wedding did…because I mean more to him than his first wife did.

My wedding day was magical and romantic, and despite the fact that it rained nearly the entire day, my spirits were not dampened. Regardless of the weather outside, my wedding day was everything I ever dreamed it would be. From my bridal party, who were so very supportive of me, to all of our guests who couldn’t have been more supportive of us, the day was filled with love, admiration, and devotion.

Not being members of any kind of religious institution, we chose to get married at a beautiful hotel. Our ceremony was perfect; not too short and not too long. Our wedding vows to each other were so heartfelt that nearly everyone in attendance was crying by the time we were pronounced man and wife. Our wedding reception was a wonderful celebration of our love for each other and for all who were able to spend our special day with us. When we had our first dance, my new husband took to the mic and sang me the song we had chosen that meant so much to us. When it came time for the toasts, my husband made a beautiful toast to my father, who is the closest thing my husband has had to a father of his own since his father died when he was a child. He gushed about his admiration for his new mother-in-law and I profusely thanked his family for welcoming me as one of them and realizing that I love him more than life itself and I have every intention of being with him till death do us part.

Though the day was over far too fast for both of us, we have so many pictures and videos and wonderful cards from our guests, and so many happy memories to share that we will always hold close to us the people and momentos that will forever remind us of the happiest day of our life.

In the days leading up to the wedding and the days that followed, many people asked me if i was or had been nervous about marrying my husband. It felt great to honestly be able to tell people that I was never the least bit nervous about marrying him. I knew from the day we got engaged that marrying him would be the best thing i ever could or would do for myself and that he felt the same way. The day we gave our hearts to each other as man and wife we gave each other the greatest gift of all…

…the gift of love.

Falling In Love

There is nothing in the world like real love. It carries us through the bad times, and makes the good times that much better. It gives us a reason to get out of bed in the morning, a reason to try and better ourselves, a reason to let go of past regrets and simply be happy.

Sometimes when you find the love of your life, you become a much better person. Through love and devotion, you may become a more patient, more kind person than you were previously. Quite often before one’s real love comes along, their life is in a rut. They may be stuck in a dead end job, living in the basement of someone else’s house, with no prospects and a bleak future. However, everything can change when the right person comes along. Now you have someone who loves you, believes in you, and supports you unconditionally. You may have a shot at a happy and successful life because of that person. You have the opportunity to live the life you’ve always wanted, and that may include having a happy family and a successful career. These things may not have been possible if not for their love giving you the confidence you need to move forward in life.

It is a gift to be cherished when someone comes into your life that can take all the negatives and turn them into positives. Only real love can do this. In this uncaring, unfeeling world, anyone who has found their real love is well on their way to having a fulfilling life, full of all the rewards that life has to offer. Moving forward in life is the only way to grow and evolve as a person. Real love helps you have the confidence to take risks and tackle challenges you might not have the courage to pursue if not for the love that buoys you along.

We live in a constantly changing world, and we as people must adapt to those changes the best we can. Real love helps make those changes easier to deal with, because having someone by your side means you’ll never walk alone on this earth. Having the support only real love can offer is a strong enough force to carry most people through anything life throws at them.

Real love fuels you in the same way gasoline fuels a car. It keeps you going when times are tough and helps you to move forward in life like only love can. The most powerful emotion people can feel for one another is love and this gives them the strength to get out and make the world a better place. It gives them the motivation to change the world in ways they could never have imagined. When you have someone that really loves you and believes in you, success in life is just an arm’s reach away.

When Friends Become Lovers

The greatest thing I have ever done in my life was to fall in love with a very good friend. To think, all those years of dating the wrong guys, and the right one was under my nose the whole time.

Paul and I met back in 2003 through the TV show South Park. When I met him, I was immediately attracted to both his looks and his personality. But he had a girlfriend at the time, so I didn’t pursue it. However we quickly became close friends. Within just a few months of my meeting him I was traveling to visit him for Halloween weekend. It was my first time in the Big Apple and he dutifully took me to all the places I was dying to see. We went to Central Park and Times Square as well as the East Village. Despite the fact that none of these places were new to him, the joy in his eyes as he showed me around his hometown gave me a glimpse into his soul. Over the years our friendship continued to grow, as did my respect and admiration for him.

As will happen when life gets busy, Paul and I lost touch for about two years, from 2005 to 2007. Until one day when I was on My Space and I came across his page. On a whim, I decided to email him and see if he was interested in getting back in touch. He responded quickly and was happy to hear from me after a two-year absence. After giving me his phone number, I called him and a friendship was rekindled. Little did I know this would lead to Paul becoming my lover, in addition to my friend.

In the summer of 2007 I had vacation time I needed to use up. So I planned a week long visit to the Big Apple to see him and start reconnecting. While discussing my upcoming visit, he admitted that he was attracted to me and would like to kiss me when he saw me. I confessed to being attracted to him as well and agreed to the kiss. The plan was for me to take the train into Penn Station and meet him at a bar right down the street.

Upon my arrival, he embraced me and we hugged each other tightly. After a minute or two of idle chitchat, we finally shared our first intimate kiss. It was at that moment that my entire world changed. Somehow I just knew he was the one for me. Over the next week, we continued to grow closer and closer as we opened up to each other in ways we never had before. By the time I was due to travel back home, we knew we had something special between us. So we agreed to try a long distance relationship until we could arrange to move in together. For the next 5 months we talked on the phone every single day and saw each other, on average, one weekend a month.

Finally, the time came when we were able to move in together. On a cold winter morning, I arrived, moving van in tow, to find the love of my life surrounded by his belongings, waiting for me at the front door of our new home. And as I walked up to the door I said what I had been longing to say to someone special for as long as I could remember; “Hi honey, I’m home!”

Since then, our relationship has only grown stronger and more loving. About a month or so after our one-year anniversary, we were at home one night when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I, of course, said yes

and the rest is history.

Rated R…for smoking?

When a movie is rated R, it is generally given that rating because of sex, violence, language, or a combination of all three. But when it comes to the issue of smoking in movies, there shouldn’t even be an issue

Many people feel smoking is wrong. Other people disagree with this. Yet the question has been raised as to whether someone smoking in a movie should earn it an R rating. Well I’m here to convince you that it shouldn’t.

The media’s view on smoking seems to be that by having a character in a movie smoke, that behavior is being encouraged in real life. It is suggested that moviegoers, especially young moviegoers, are easily influenced by what they see on the big screen. We, as a nation, do not give these young people enough credit. Anyone who is easily swayed by something they see a character do in a movie really shouldn’t be watching movies in the first place. The movie going public have the brains and the common sense to know that just because someone smokes in a movie doesn’t mean they should go out and buy a pack of cigarettes immediately upon leaving the theatre.

We see lots of things on the big screen that don’t translate well into real life. For example, countless movies over the years have featured everything from car chases to murdering sprees to the highjacking of airplanes, cars, trains, etc. Does this mean it is ok to go out and do these things in real life? Of course not, and anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that. Does this mean that the moviemakers are encouraging people to go out and do these things because someone got away with it in a movie? Once again, of course not. So how is the issue of smoking any different?

Over the years I’ve seen movies where people smoked cigarettes and I’ve seen movies where people smoked pot. Yet I don’t smoke either cigarettes or pot and don’t plan to anytime soon. Why? Because I can separate movies from reality. People get away with a lot of things in movies they don’t get away with in real life. A lot of things seem cool in movies, but most people know that if they did the same things in real life, the consequences would be vastly different.

Lastly, in movie theatres as well as video rental stores, R rated movies are already restricted to those individuals over the age of 17. Which means they are legally adults at that point. Therefore they should be old enough to know that just because something looks cool in the movies doesn’t mean it’s the cool thing to do in real life. Whether they choose to do it or not, it is not fair to blame the movie industry for their actions.

Should You Hire A Makeup Artist For Your Wedding?

Hiring a makeup artist for a wedding is usually not absolutely necessary. It may be a way for the bride to treat herself on her special day, or it may be a budget killer. The fact is it does not take a professional makeup artist to do a bride’s makeup beautifully. A trusted friend or family member can be just as resourceful and presumably won’t charge a fee to the bride. A beauty school student could also be a good candidate to do a bride’s makeup, because the student needs the practice, and the bride wants their makeup done without having to shell out their hard earned money to have it done.

 

A bride’s wedding day is the most special day of her life, and she may not trust a hired makeup artist to do her makeup for her. After all, professionals at times will do what they think looks best with no regard for what the bride herself actually wants. Some women are allergic to certain kinds of makeup and will know that they can’t use a particular product the makeup artist may want to use. Most brides are stressed out enough on their wedding day without having to worry that their makeup artist won’t do what the bride asks for. For this reason, it is crucial for the bride’s makeup to be done by someone she trusts, and who has her best interests at heart.

 

Having a friend or family member do the bride’s makeup can be a good way to bond with each other. This is because the person doing her makeup is playing an important role in the happiest day of the bride’s life.  Every bride wants to look beautiful on her wedding day and there is no one better to make her look beautiful than a caring friend or family member. A bride will always remember what she looked like on her wedding day, and that can be a beautiful memory the bride can carry with her for the rest of her life.

 

A makeup artist is not necessary for any wedding. It is merely a luxury the bride may or may not choose to indulge in.