Holiday Gear Up!

Hello friends, sorry I have not posted in a while, school work and an extra part time job on the weekends have been occupying most of my time.

And with the holidays coming up, I thought it would be appropriate to have a post dedicated to smart shopping!

Every year is the same story with me, I end up shopping early and patting myself on the back when I am done before everyone else. But then December rolls around and the stores suddenly come out with even cooler items that I already purchased! So then I end up buying those as well, and end up overspending on gifts.

So this year, I am trying a different approach…the look before buying approach. I know it sounds crazy, but if we all just took our time browsing and getting ideas instead of jumping on the first few items we see, we will save a ton and give a better gift in the long run.

Here is my list of helpful hints when heading out for gifts this season:

1)      Search online.

This time of year, plenty of retailers showcase all their Christmas specials online. There is even special free shipping if your order reaches a certain amount, or maybe even free for any dollar amount you spend. This is a great place to start getting ideas without being harassed and pressured by sales people in the mall. That way, if you decide you want to have a look at the items in person, you will already know what you are looking for when you head into the store.

2)      Giftpacks

I love when all the stores put all their great products into giftpacks! This makes it super easy to just grab and go without wrapping. A lot of stores like The Body Shop, Lush and Bath and Body Works will do this. What a great way to save on wrapping! Their wrap jobs are better than mine anyway!

3)      2 for 1

If you can avoid paying full price for anything, that is the best strategy. Most stores will offer 2 for 1 specials, or buy 1 get 1 free. Take full advantage of these deals and tackle two birds with one stone! And if you have no one to give the extra item too, why not treat yourself?

4)      Generic Gifts

I like stocking up on generic gifts if they are on sale. Items like body wash, lipgloss, gloves and scarves make great gifts for anyone on your list. So if you see them on sale, grab and go!

5)      Re-gifting

You are at the office holiday party, and your secret santa gets you something you don’t think you will ever use. Go ahead and regift it! Save your money and pass along the goods. It’s the thought that counts right?

6)      Have Fun

Shopping during the holidays gets really stressful and overwhelming, but at the end of the day, your giftee won’t care what you got them, as long as it’s something that looks nice and packaged. So don’t stress too much and think of it as more of a scavenger hunt game than a pressed for time obstacle course!!

 
Happy Shopping!!

One Lovely Blog Award

I was tagged by my friend and fellow blogger, Siobhan McCarthy last week for the One Lovely Blog award. So here are the rules:

• Post the award logo and picture on your blog and link back to the person who nominated you.
• Tell seven things about yourself.
• Nominate up to 15 additional bloggers whom you think deserve the award.
• Post a comment on the blog of each nominee to tell them they have been nominated!

Ready…set…go!

1 –I have the most adorable little tuxedo kitten named Felix. He is 4 months old and Eric and I adopted him last month from a cat shelter. He is honestly the sweetest thing and lights up my entire day. Having a pet makes my world complete. There’s nothing like feeling needed and loved.

2 – I am a huge morning person. Coffee helps a little, but I am naturally really bright and eager in the morning. It’s a fresh start and a new beginning, Carpe Diem!

3 – I am a Leo, born on July 26^th; I display all characteristics of a true Leo: ambitious, bossy, stubborn, charismatic, and posh.

4- I am a secret (or not so secret actually) Bridezilla in waiting. My strong opinions and beliefs about weddings stem from my childhood dreams of finding a prince charming and marrying him just like in the fairytales and Disney movies. I am 6.5 years in, so hopefully my ring is coming soon!

5 – In high school, I was part of a fake band called “Pink Plastic”. I was the lead singer!

6 – I am a dancer, forever and always. While I don’t do it as often as when I was younger I feel that dance will always be part of me in some way or another. Dance is my center! I feel most relaxed and at peace when I am dancing.

7 – I don’t have a middle name and I feel very incomplete without one!

Noteworthy Blogs!!

Siobhan McCarthy – Sio is one of my greatest friends! She is also a runner, a seamstress, a cheerleader and fitness blogger! Check out her awesome blog, where she shares her recipes, fitness tips, product reviews and more!

Charm Addict – I recently got into Pandora bracelets and have become obsessed with collecting charms. This blog talks about all the rare and unique charms available and how you can obtain them.

Melissa Goes Australian – My friend Melissa is currently studying in the land down under obtaining her masters in convergent media! Check out her blog on all her crazy Australian updates!

How to Raise a Boyfriend - I recently finished reading the book “How to Raise a Boyfriend” and found myself in stitches over Rebecca Eckler’s tell-it-like-it-is guide book on how to deal with clueless men. Single mother of 6 -year -old Rowan, Eckler compares the behavior of Rowan to men she has dated in the past. This hilarious book has great tidbits and advice on how to cope with some of the unfavorable character flaws in men. In response to all the great feedback from the book, she now has a blog dedicated to the book. Definitely worth checking out

I Do's and Don'ts - Wedding and Event Etiquette

It’s wedding season and I thought it would be appropriate to post my thoughts about wedding and event culture.

I have been to quite a few soires in my time, and I am also a wedding show junkie so I like to think I have a good idea on standard event etiquette.

I have read a lot of books on etiquette as well including:

• The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum - Kim Izzo
• How To Be A Hepburn in A Hilton World - Jordan Christy
• The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book - Emily Ehrenstein and Lara Morin

As always, these are my personal opinions :) I would be happy to hear some of your thoughts and ideas on how to throw the perfect party :)

1.       Do not edit your bridal registry/baby registry once it has been submitted. Do your research and get it right the first time. Really think about the items before putting them on your list, don’t just add them on because the store is closing in 5 minutes, or because you think “It’s Free”. Be thoughtful!

2.       Do not host a hundred events for your special day. You are getting married, great! We can celebrate this with one event prior to the wedding. Hosting multiple events like an engagement party, a stag and doe, a bridal shower, a luncheon and bachelor/bachelorette party is annoying and expensive. Do not put your guests under this financial and annoying stress.

3.       Do not expect your guests to cover the cost of your wedding. If you can’t afford a lavish wedding, don’t expect your guests to cover the tab. Not everyone is financially able to give what you are expecting.

4.       Do make your guests feel welcome. Sometimes I feel like a background character or filler of a room at such occasions. Make an effort to talk to ALL your guests and thank them for coming.

5.       Do not serve your guests beverages in plastic or paper cups. Unless you are at someone’s house, do not serve your guests drinks in plastic/paper cups. Let’s keep it classy people.

6.     Do send thank you cards. Make a note of the gift in the card. E.g “Thank you for your generous gift; we have put this money towards a baby carriage”.

7.       Do provide some sort of entertainment for the guests. A band, games, circus performers, caricature artists -some sort of novelty to keep your guests laughing.

8.       Do not bore your guests with overdone speeches and slideshows. Keep it short and sweet for more of an effect.

9.     Do be original. Any special event you host is like a blank canvas. Create an event that stands out from all the rest. This is probably the hardest task for any event, but if you think outside the box, you can create some lasting memories for you and your guests.

10.   Do Balloons. Just ‘cause they are so fun and so pretty J

Does Facebook make me a Narcissist?

The other day I went out to the library to look at magazines when I came across a copy of Psychology Today (July 2011 edition) with the article “How to Spot A Narcissist” advertised on the front cover.

I find psychology and sociology quite interesting; how people think and why we act the way we do is probably the only piece of science that actually interests me. Narcissism I find is such a common characteristic in people these days, with the rapid advancement of social technologies like Facebook and Twitter, it seems as though we are all putting ourselves in the limelight and praising our own existence. But when does it become too much? And what is too much? How do we know if we are real narcissists or if we are just natural over-sharers and extroverted?  I signed out the magazine to try and find out.

This article gave good insight on the differences between being naturally extroverted and narcissism. Sometimes I wonder if I am a narcissist because I do like posting frequently on facebook, I like attention and I enjoy making myself look good (hair, makeup, fitness). But narcissism, from what I read,  goes deeper than that. We all have narcissistic traits, but real narcissists are people who have more self esteem and exhibit more arrogance than the average extrovert.   

Narcissists are all about maintaining power. They want to be dominant at all times while making sure everyone around them is praising their presence. They become easily hurt when someone comments on their appearance or likability. The article explains how sometimes it can be hard to really identify a narcissist because they are very charming. It is only after associating with them for a longer period of time that you begin to see their true colours of power-hunger, selfishness and vanity.

“It appears that narcissists seek out people who maintain their high positive self-image, at the same time intentionally avoiding and putting down people who may give them a harsh dose of realism. "Seeking admiration is like a drug for narcissists," notes Back. "In the long run it becomes difficult because others won't applaud them, so they always have to search for new acquaintances from whom they get the next fix."

I found this piece of information to be quite interesting. Narcissists do not appreciate people who are not part of their “fan club”. It is funny how they mention realism, as in my last post of dreamers and realists; I think the narcissist would fall under the category of a dreamer. They do not appreciate realistic views about themselves, shutting those ideas and criticisms out, thus creating a dream like world for the narcissist.

Is it possible to be a leader, or a rock star, or a CEO in a company without being a narcissist? To some degree, these types of people need confidence but the difference between being confident and being narcissistic is the narcissist’s constant need of social approval.  I think a CEO can be a leader and confident but at the same time, not care about being likeable.

So, how can you spot a real narcissist? The article lists these traits to be on the lookout for!

Signs of a Stealth Narcissist

Flashy clothing and sky-high confidence are the "public" face of narcissism. Here are a few additional cues, some contradictory, in keeping with the narcissist's paradoxical nature.

1. Bragging about one's perfect family (no one's family is perfect).
2. Hypergenerosity in public to demonstrate that one has power, but coldness once the camera is off.
3. Hypersensitive and insecure. This includes imagining criticism where it doesn't exist and getting depressed by perceived criticism."Vulnerable" narcissists are self-centered and overly defensive.
4. Prone to a vast array of negative emotions including depression, anxiety, self-consciousness, and shame owing to not being given their "due." Such feelings can be an indication of egocentricity and self-absorption.
5. Repeatedly puts down other people, especially inferiors and strangers. Loves to talk about him or herself and mentions others mainly to name-drop.

Perhaps narcissism is something that can be controlled once recognized, like a bad temper. I often wonder if narcissists know they are narcissistic, and if they do, do they even care about the way they are perceived?

The article goes into further detail about how people become narcissistic, and relates it back to upbringing and family life. I found it interesting when they say it can come from a combination of two extremes of parenting: overbearing and protective and neglectful and cold.  This sadly has negative repercussions on narcissist’s relationships and sex life, including instability, boredom and promiscuity. The narcissist likes the feeling of being wanted, so that in itself is enough for them and do not feel the need of pursuing anything further.

The article concludes with a sort of “self help” to people who are in-love with a narcissist. The bottom line: Get out while you can! The detrimental effects this type of person can have on someone’s emotional well being is not worth it, unless they are willing to get help.

To read the full article, click here!

What are your thoughts?

*Please note I am not a psychology expert. This is my recap of the article and my own personal thoughts on this personality disorder.

Dreamers Vs. Realists

I was inspired to write about this subject after watching an episode of Modern Family last night where the family find themselves divided into two sets of thinkers: the dreamers and the realists. And at the end of the episode, it ended off with this quote which I thought to be cute and true:

“There are Dreamers and there are Realists. You would think the dreamers would find the dreamers and the realists would find the realists, but more often than not the opposite is true. You see the dreamers need the realists to keep them from soaring to close to the sun. And the realists, weeeeell without the dreamers, they might not ever get off the ground.”

The dreamers and the realists, what would the world be like if we didn’t have one or the other? I can definitely put myself in the dreamer category. From birth, I have always been a little “floaty” as my boyfriend Eric would say. (Hence the name of this blog!!)

My mind frequently wanders and takes me on adventures, as I tend to create stories in my brain on the daily. This fits in well with my zodiac sign of Leo, always the drama queen and using my imagination to the extreme. I like to live my life optimistically. I would rather overexcite and hype things up than be negative.

But where would I be if I didn’t have my good old realists to bring me back down to reality? Sometimes it is hard for the dreamers to accept the harsh bluntness of a realist, but the fact is, we need the realists just as much as they need us dreamers, or else the world would be just plain boring!

Living with my boyfriend, who is a true realist, can sometimes be a challenge. We both want the same things, but the approaches we take in meeting our goals are very very different.

Here is my chart of thinking characteristics I have found between the two of us:

DREAMER	REALIST
Always looking on the bright side	Always looking for cracks and flaws in the system
Creative	Scientific
Perky	Mellow
The wheels are always turning	The wheels only turn when they need to be
A planner	Going with the flow
Sensitive	Blunt

These are just a few of the comparisons I came up with on my own referring to my personal experience.

Of course I am biased as to what side is “better”, because I am a dreamer. But I like having people who can help make my visions and ideas into a more realistic plan. Without them, I would not be able to get a grip, but I also like to think that I inspire others to reach beyond their limits. It’s just a matter of balance and finding that happy medium, which can sometimes be a difficult. It’s great when you have a mix of dreamers and realists in your social circle so that you are able to achieve things to their full potential without fail.

So this is a thank you to all my realists out there, for helping me keep my feet on the ground, even when sometimes all I want to do is fly J

I'm Back

Hello there!
Thanks for popping by my new space! After reading good friend, Siobhan McCarthy's new website, I felt inspired to start blogging again! So here I am with a fresh new site and fresh new ideas!
I have decided to cateogrize my writings into cateogires which will make it easier to read. (Then you can skip all the boring stuff, you don't want to read about...) :P

So just a quick update for everyone...I am officially a Bradford resident. My boyfriend, Eric and I moved in almost a month ago and are loving it here. The people are nice, there is everything here for us and we have a beautiful home. We have waited 9 months for this house, but it was worth the wait. Soon enough it will be Spring time and we will have grass and a fence! Did I forget to mention it's a brand NEW house? :)
So we have to suffer in the mud and slush for a bit, but soon enough the warm weather will be here and everything will be just so.

Hope you are all doing well and look forward to reconnecting with everyone.
Happy Blogging!!!
Luv Tasha