Can Anyone Say Broke?

With Christmas and New Years behind us all that is left are empty pockets and love handles popping out of our skinny jeans. With little to know money left in the vault there are many cut backs that need to be made, which is why I have created the 10 broke commandments.

1. Your morning coffee, say goodbye to your love country style, Tim Horton’s and for the most part your affair with Star Bucks.

2. If you are a smoker as I am say goodbye to Mr. Belmont and Mrs. De Maurer.  That Nicorette gum you once bought telling yourself you were going to quit well it’s time to get chewing.

3.  Forget a social life including bar hopping, clubbing or anything to do with socializing in a business.

 4. As for grocery shopping put that steak back where you found it, because Mr. Noodles is all you’ll be eating oh, and stay away from grocery stores such as whole foods which tends to be whole pay check.

 5. Walk everywhere if you can, no more subway pass or subway tokens for that matter looks like you’re going to get some toned legs from your long walks in the snow. 

6. For the ladies out there forget your high end skin care regime start heading to every Shoppers Drug Mart in the city and stalk up on samples.

7.  Avoid malls or any type of clothing store because all you’ll be doing is staring through the window.  

8. No more long chats with your BF or BFF on your cell phone throughout the day whatever major drama has happened will have to wait until after 6pm.

 9. If you don’t have the luxury of living with utilities all included such as Hydro get out the candles or you’re going to be living in a world of darkness.

10.  Laundry, ok please still wash your clothes you are never to broke to smell fresh

So pretty much get ready to be go through a caffeine withdrawal along with crazy nicotine fits falling into a depression because your social life is destroyed as you’ll be locked in your home eating nothing but sodium filled Mr. Noodles, burning it off by walking everywhere, having dull dry skin by using cheap samples, old ratty clothes, not catching up with the latest gossip and living in the dark. Well at least you’ll smell fresh! Can anyone say broke?

‘Tis the Season to Shop or ‘Tis the Season to Hide?

With Christmas just around the corner come frantic shoppers everywhere. Everyone is trying to get the best deals and the ideal gift for their loved ones. A holiday, which once was a celebration of Christ being born and family has now become a national disaster! First off, I think Christmas commercials should back off when it comes to airing just after Halloween has finished. I mean the poor month November is bombarded by a holiday that is in December. Not to mention the fifty times a day the same advertisement is played over and over. Just to let you know were not idiots out here and we got it the first five times we saw your commercial. I know in the world of advertising this is supposed to be the way to get us to buy your product. As it may work on others, I can’t say it does the same for me. In my opinion it makes me not want to buy your product and it certainly doesn’t inspire me to want to shop at your store either.  Secondly, keep your decorations in the dusty box until at least December first. As a rule of thumb growing up my mother always told me, the first days of December were the best for decorating for the holidays, before that, it’s just well, we’ll just say wrong. Thirdly, the dreadful malls, shopping in a mall at this time of year is suicidal if you ask me. I will never attempt to enter any department store or big shopping facility at this time of year. With all the crazies searching for gifts last minute for little Jimmy, little Tommy and Aunt Linda I feel like a stressed out case. I’m not enjoying my gift shopping but wanting to grab anything to just get out of the hustle and bustle of confused shoppers. The best way to shop I find is street shopping. In this case when you feel your losing oxygen you can at least leave the store for some air. Now I may seem like a huge scrooge, I beg to differ! I absolutely love Christmas! I truly do. I just feel the real meaning of it all has been slaughtered by retailers and advertisers. It actually saddens me. For me at this time of year, it is all about family and friends.  I believe the simple gestures are the ones that are most remembered about the holidays. For example, instead of it always being about what you will receive, how about what you can do at this time of year to make Christmas a memorable holiday for others.  For example host a party to give back to your friends and all they have done for you throughout the year.  Instead of buying gifts, think of different and unique ways of giving to your loved ones. Give to a local charity by donating or even helping out at a local homeless shelter. There are so many other aspects to this wonderful time of year that has been forgotten in the mess man has created.  So let me ask you this ‘tis the season to shop or ‘tis the season to hide?    

Can a get a Yoga Class with a Cigarette?

What I’ve begun to realize is, my mid twenty something year old body is not quite working like it once did in my teenage years or even my early twenties for that matter. Realizing the “I’m going to just eat salad for a week and drop ten pounds” is nothing but a joke nowadays. Once upon time I was one those people who had a gym membership, I was also one of those people who got very good at ignoring it. This made me realize, I’m just not one of those get up at 6am to hit the weights kind of girl. So in the last couple of months I’ve been attending hot yoga classes which I absolutely love!  Although yoga is definitely without a doubt an expensive habit to have, to me it’s all worth it as long as at end of the day I can fit into my skinny jeans. To put things plainly, I’m trying to change my lifestyle to a much healthier and happy one. The days of eating what I want and not exercising are over. The one habit that I’ve been carrier through my twenties is my love for cigarettes. I know I know I’m always talking about quitting but the day has not arrived yet unfortunately. So, now I’m left with a good diet and a great way to exercise but at the end of it all I still smoke? Even with Yoga and all the downward dogs, chutta rang rangs, the la la’s and tons of positions using words like sleeping hero and dancers pose I still choose to smoke!?  It paints a strange picture when I leave a class that’s for sure. There I am walking down the street with sweaty hair and a red face and let’s not forget my yoga mat and there I go whipping out a cigarette! Who does that? Apparently me, but I’m not the only one I’ve seen others do it too, but I have to say it is completely not cool to have people look at me like a weirdo to be doing so.  Ok so they don’t go together so what, I can’t have a yoga class with a cigarette?

To Live the Journey or to Sleep Through it?

I remember when I was younger and I’d look up to the twenty something’s and think wow look how amazing their life is! They always had such style, a car, a boyfriend or girlfriend, money and would have a place of their own with their own privacy. To a teenager who was going through the, I hate you Mom and Dad stage this seemed like a dream come true! I absolutely couldn’t wait to have my own independence and now that I finally have it It’s absolutely not what I had imagined at all! First off I don’t have a car! Secondly I have a series of past BF’S who have not turned out to not be the one and thirdly! Oh and thirdly hah what money all I have is a student debt to pay along with other bills. So ok I may have some style I do love to shop and I do live on my own but the pipe dream of my teenage years has become nothing but the boulevard of broken dreams! Ugh, I know I know a bit dramatic but definitely something worth venting about.  So ok it didn’t turn exactly how I dreamed.   It’s funny how we go through life in different stages like that, always wanting what the older generations have. I think what we seem to forget is how they got to where they are and how it didn’t happen overnight for any of them.  Now being in my twenties I have some of things I wanted in my teenager mind. Am I content or satisfied?  Nope I want what the thirty something’s have! They have the great careers, the marriages, the babies on the way and their nice beautiful homes. What I have come down to is this, were always going want what we don’t have. It’s called the game of life I suppose. I think each era of our life is truly what we make it. Although there are many challenges we face sometimes in our younger years this does not mean there are not going to many in the future. Put it this way the more responsibility we endure the more headaches there are to come!  This is why we should all embrace the age were in and enjoy it for what it is. So many of us including myself are always worried about what is about to happen or where we’re going to end up instead of really enjoying the journey that has been placed before us. I know I can be quite the preacher of something I tend to have issues following myself however; it doesn’t hurt to inspire others to enjoy the moment of their lives. So shall we choose to live the journey or to sleep through it?

Facebook a Social Network or Creating Social Misfits?

With the creation of Facebook has come a different type of socializing. For some of us it makes our lives much easier when trying to contact someone, find an old friend or perhaps to scope out the new guy or girl we met last night. Think about its kinda creepy. What ever happened to getting to know someone by going out or by a simple phone call? I think this type of technology has made life a little easier when approaching someone for information or networking, but for the most part dating. I find most guys I meet will ask for my number but will never call they will always text! Then add me to facebook and obviously go through my pictures and my life and then decide from there if their still interested in knowing me. I can understand why guys or even girls for that matter may take the easier route by contacting someone this way. Were all afraid of rejection, I mean who isn't but rejection is a part of life and I feel is something we all need to experience first hand. This is something we'll go through our entire lives and we have to learn to face our fear of rejection and know how to handle it when it happens. We have to admit, we all scope out others on facebook and creep people's  pages for pictures, friends etc. So in my opinion we all have a little stalker in us (ha ha). In the end, is this really a way to get to know someone or to have a relationship? I know in my life It could be weeks before I actually speak to one of my friends in person or on the phone. The funny thing is we still know what each other are doing, how our week at work was, what we did last night, but not once did I have to actually speak to that person.  With all this communication over technology we have the opportunity to edit, delete and really think about what were going to say. To me this is not normal and is creating social awkwardness in our lives. Its like there is no error for the things we say when in real life learning social skills is important for our everyday lives. Speaking to someone and  possibly saying the wrong thing is how we learn what we can and cannot say or do in a social setting. Which brings me to the fact that people don't really communicate on a proper level anymore. . We may not notice this yet,  but all the social skills we once were building are now being destroyed. I'm not sure about all of us out there but I know that most of my communication is through dreadful text messaging which takes up so much of my time or its through Facebook and for some Twitter. I must admit I don't have a twitter account and feel I never will. For me to update where I am at all times of the day and to think people actually care is kinda funny cause most of us don't care where everyone is. Lets not forget about our personal privacy. This doesn't exist any longer and if you think you still have privacy you better think again. Any photo taken of you is now posted all over FB (even if you don't have FB) any posting you send unless sent through personal message is now out there for the world to see. All of this brings me to my first question is Facebook a social network or creating social misfits?