No Strings Attached

It's a phrase many of us have heard as we grow and try new relationships, and now, it's become a blockbuster hit starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. Before I go on, let me say that I loved the movie for many different reasons. It was witty, smart, edgy and fun. It's a love story and one that I thought could have been mine several years ago.

In high school, I was sure that one of my guy friends, a best friend really, would be the one. I was sure that somehow I could win him over. He was cute, funny and new me better then most people. Not only did he open up with me and allow himself to be vulnerable with me but he let me in to his life. His mom and dad and little brothers are now apart of my life. They are my second family.

I thought that if I could become a part of his life that he would want me. I was willing to do just about anything for this boy. I even thought that having a relationship with no strings attached would work. I would win him over with my charm and the intimacy. It would make him realize who I am and how lucky he could be.

Without giving too much away about the movie, let me just say that NSA rarely works. It could work for a while, maybe could even be ideal for some people who live hectic lives, but for people looking for passion, commitment and love, it's a big no no! I think the biggest lesson I learned from him and from growing up, is that for both girls and guys, having sex can be one thing, but to use it as a means to make someone like you or thinking it will better yourself is silly.

Sex makes things complicated. It is important in any relationship. Chemistry needs to exist so that the spark never dies, but it isn't everything. Communication, trust and honesty are just as important. And by the way, yes this blog is meant for me to fully self express my thoughts, but I also hope to inspire you to learn and view things in a different light.

Moving forward...

Go figure that...

Teachers, Mentors, Friends

What matters?

We think of life as being this long road or journey. The truth of the matter is, life is pretty short for us. We live to be 60...70...80...90...and for some, more than 100. But in relation to how long human kind has been in existence, our life span is very short.

How do you make your life count? How do you choose which path to go down? What legacy are you going to leave behind?

For me, a big part of who I am is those who have helped me along my way. Although my family means everything to me and everyone in my family has been my biggest support, this post goes out to some memorable, mentionable and extraordinary human beings.

1. Dr. Richard Follett
My English professor for two semesters and confidant. He is both remarkable and kind, bright and wise, charming and brilliant.  My life has changed since I have met him. I write because of him. I want my Ph.D. in education so I can teach and share the knowledge I have gained with the hopes of inspiring at least one other person.

2. Professor Stefanie Frith
It's not every day that you find yourself in a classroom with a teacher so excited to be there that they want their students to visit. Yes, visit. Stefanie is the type of professor who encourages her students to stop by her office just to talk. She is interested. With a young teacher who is motivated and always has a spring in her step, it's hard not to want to succeed.

3. Michal Marks
Since I was 12 years old, Michal has been in my life. Truth, honesty, charisma and intelligence are only a few of the many words that come to mind when I think of her. She pushes her students and friends to raise the bar, shoot for the moon and has no doubt in her mind that any of her pupils will fall short of their dreams.

Teachers are underrated, underpaid and overlooked. Make every day count and never be afraid or modest to use the words love and thanks. Saying I love you and thank you are never overrated.

Who are you grateful for? Who inspires you?


NEW UPDATE: An acronym...

Better to Love...

And so the saying goes, "it is better to have loved then to never have loved at all."

He is 19 years old, recently heartbroken, but still very much in love. Here is the kicker, his ex-girlfriend was my best friend and 'he' is my younger brother. Let me explain...

Since the first day of 8th grade, A and I have been joint at the hip. We stood by each other all through high school and maintained a close relationship while I was 10,000 miles away in Israel for one year. When I came back home, we went out clubbing together, had sushi dates, etc. We were always there for each other.

Traveling back in time again, for my 15th birthday my parents took me to Mexico. It was my family and A. It was fun! The weather was beautiful and there is nothing like making memories with a friend, especially when you are abroad!

The day my family and I came home, my brother (the one who is currently 19 was 13) told me that he had a secret and I couldn't tell anyone. The secret was that A and he had kissed. They waited until I was asleep and hooked up behind my back.

Fine. I let it go. Fast forward to a year ago. I have been home for a few months and A and I are back to our nights out and sleepovers. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and she wasn't next to me. Early the next morning, she comes walking back into my bed in my brothers t-shirt.

She had slept with my brother. Next thing I know I...

A New Meaning to Mars...Bruno Mars

I don't know about you, but there are definite times in life where I like to believe that my life is indeed a movie. It has drama, a rich story line, friends, love, family, heartache, happiness, sadness...You name it and I have it.

In those cinematic moments, there seems to always be a new single or a break-out artist. It just so happens that the music fits my life in the moment and I attach my emotional and mental being to the song(s).

It's happened again.

But before you decide this post isn't worth reading anymore, thinking that I'm just another blogger talking about music, hear me out (no pun intended). I love to sing, listen to the radio and blast music in the car. I am easy-going when it comes to music and genres. I enjoy it all. No, not because I have no opinions and would rather say yes to all music. Each artist has created a life for him or her and they openly share their life with the world.

To some people, that may sound fun and great. To others, opening up can be scary. I love all music because there is a story behind every song. There is meaning and depth, and millions of people can connect to the same lyric. It's a gift.

For me, I feel as though I woke up recently and Bruno Mars has surfaced over night. He hasn't, but he is all I hear and he is all I want to hear. I have downloaded his first album (yes, legally) and I don't want to stop.

Sure, some of the lyrics talk about love, but in his voice you hear the passion radiating. He sucks you into a new realm where it seems as though anything is possible. He makes me believe that all the fairy tale dreams I have ever had about love and marriage can be real.

Bruno, if you ever read this, thank you. I hope you continue to share your music and hope that your passion and love can someday create a beautiful world where war no longer exists. You are real and I wish you the best.

Grenade

Just The Way You Are

Marry You
(This one is Glee's edition, but I heard it here first. Props to the Glee Cast and Bruno Mars!)

A Mother-Daughter Kind of Thang

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Before I get to the news that made my day/week/year/life let me give you some context.  For those of you who are my new followers and for those of you who don't know me too well, writing used to be a terrifying assignment for me. I was never taught how to write well. Year after year my teachers taught the same thing.

Object. Subject. Verb.

No one taught me how to write in a structure that would help all my thoughts be focused. My parents and teachers all said the same thing to me. "You have great ideas, but your paper is very scattered."

Fast forward to yesterday. My mom is going back to school to earn her Ph.D. She had a midterm paper due today for a Freud class she is taking. This is the email I received yesterday:


Hi! 

I finally finished my midterm and thought you might be willing to give it a look and let me know if there's anymore editing I should do. It's supposed to be 3-5 pages and highlight some of the ideas we've touched on this quarter in Freud with our case material. It is supposed to show that we understand the concepts we are learning about. 

I'd love your feedback before I print it tonight, otherwise, we can talk about it another time, and I'll print it anyways. I don't think I can look at it anymore (I'm smiling).

I love you,

Briar

OKAY! First, she signed it Briar. That's her name but to me she is Mommy. That made me laugh. Anyways, the real miracle here is that she came to me for help. After I was done editing her paper we spoke on the phone. When we were done she said she was "grateful for my editorial mind."

Life really doesn't get any better for a mother-daughter relationship when your mom turns to you for help when in the past it was the biggest hurdle for the both of us; Me with writing the assignment and her staying up past midnight to help me edit it (a.k.a. redoing the paper).

That's all for now folks!

My Dad, My Hero

Enough about me for a moment. This is a video clip about my dad and Ted Williams. For those of you who do not know, Ted Williams is the man with a "golden voice" who has recently been discovered. He is a treasure, but has been living on the streets for several years. My dad is a well-known dentist and saw Ted so he could help restructure his mouth. Here is the clip.

My dad is an extraordinary man by every definition of the word. In fact, tonight at 7 p.m. pacific time my dad will be on Entertainment Tonight, Channel 2.

Enjoy!

Chef BoyarMEE

Sticking with this new theme of healthy living and weight loss, I have decided to fall in love with cooking thanks to David, Joe, and Jen. Who you ask? David, as in David Tutera party planner/wedding planner galore; Joe, as in Trader Joe's (YUM); Jen, as in Jennifer Hudson, the newest spokesman for Weight Watchers.

Now for those of you who don't know me, I am not a cook. That doesn't mean I'm a bad cook though, because I'm not, it's just that I enjoy eating out and having sushi or lobster or upscale Italian meals. Let me just say that it's a good thing I am having my wake-up call now.

I'M IN COLLEGE. I SHOULDN'T WANT TO EAT OUT. I WILL HAVE NO FRIENDS. NO ONE CAN AFFORD IT. IT'S A BIT RIDICULOUS--TO SAY THE LEAST.

Well now that we have that out of the way, I can continue. Since starting Weight Watchers, I have been into shopping at Trader Joe's and even began using the new Weight Watchers Point Plus Cookbook. The cookbook comes with recipes that are broken down into breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and offers a range of difficulty levels for each dish.

With the addition of watching my guilty pleasure, My Fair Wedding with David Tutera, I get to see some of the amazing catering services he hires for the weddings.

My newest and most favorite meal is now listed below for all of you to enjoy. For those of you who are into WW (Weight Watchers for short), this meal is a whopping 5 POINTS!

Ingredients:
1. Trader Joe's frozen Grilled Vegetables
2. Trader Joe's Low-Fat Ricotta Cheese
3. Tofu (Marinated or not and optional)
4. Watermelon
5. Tomato
6. Balsamic Vinaigrette

The Salad:
Thinly slice the watermelon and tomato and layer on top of one another. Drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette on the salad and, walah! you have a 0 POINT starter course.

Main Dish:
For one person, use 1/4 of the grilled vegetables and put straight onto the frying pan-NO OIL. Once the vegetables start to sizzle and heat up, add (if you want) the tofu. When the vegetables and tofu seem to be almost ready, add one scoop of the ricotta cheese. Once the cheese has melted, your dinner is done!

There you have it folks. Seeing David Tutera's caterer make the watermelon and tomato salad and with the help of the cost efficient and tasty Trader Joe's market, dinner is satisfying, healthy and yummy!

Don't hesitate to add some of your favorite dishes! I'd love to learn...

Setting Goals

There really seems to be very little reason to wait until December to look back onto the best and worst of that year. Instead, people should be focused on what they wish to achieve by December. Yes, it sounds easy, just say what you want. But it's much more than that.

Stand in the future, in December 31, 2011. What do you see? What do you have? Who have you helped? What goals have you achieved? Are you happy? Do you see yourself in a relationship or with more money? Whatever it is you want, picture it in the future. 

Great! See, that was the easy part. Now it's time to work backwards. Let's go back three months from December. Standing in September, what are you going to do in order to have all the things you saw in December? What last-minute or fine-tuning goals do you have to finish the year with a 'hoorah!'? Once you  have made your checklist for September, rewind until June, then March and finally, today. 

For any goal or goals you wish to have, stand in that future and create all that you desire. Nothing is too big or too small. Once you have created that list, rewind the clock (baby steps here) so you can begin to put yourself into action. When you are in the moment and you have created your future the way you see fit, meaning not your parents of your friends or your family, then you get to live a life of fulfillment, happiness and joy. 

Challenge yourself and set a goal for the future. It could for next month, next year or five years from now. Leave a comment of what your goals are and the steps you are going to take to reach them. The more you share openly, the more people you have to hold you accountable. 

Good luck!

Why Weight?

We live in a country where obesity is the leading cause of death for Americans. 50 percent of American families are overweight, unhealthy and are on more medications than you can imagine in order to maintain being alive. Not only are we as a country significantly unhealthy and overweight, we are dying before the age of 50.

When is enough going to be enough? When should parents intervene in their children's life? When will those in charge change our food chains and alter portion sizes in restaurants? How many people need to die to wake America up? The questions can go on and on. But who cares? It doesn't seem as though anyone is listening.

The Biggest Loser is in its eleventh season. The first family has a garden that produces fresh and organic vegetables to their community. Iron Chef America hosts special battles promoting healthy eating. Is any of it really working? Sure, friends and families of contestants watch, but how far does it go? Whatever the rate, it isn't fast enough.

We are fresh into the new year and a number one resolution for many people around the world is to lose weight. Guess what? IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO WANT IT! You need to put your words into actions and start moving. Walk around the block every day. Run one mile. Eat one salad every day for lunch. Join a dance class twice a week. And no one said you have to do it alone.

Did you know that starting a habit is easier than breaking one? It takes more than three weeks to break a habit. After one month of intense cardio and kickboxing with my trainer and joining Weight Watchers for $1 (only available until March) my body had kicked into gear.

I challenge you to check out their new program. It allows you to eat around 30 points a day, with an additional 47 for the week to be used as you wish and extra awarded points for any activity or workout. Don't sit around and wait for your life to change. It won't. Be true to your word and have integrity for your own life and the lives of your family and friends.

Cheers!

          

     

A Job Well Done

Firstly, let me say Happy New Year. It's been some time since my last post but I'm back. The title of this post will slowly be explained as you read along.

If I have learned anything from my parents, teachers, friends and life itself it's that acknowledgments are important, if not vital. Why do I say this to you? Sometimes people get lost in their world of what perfection should like. Whether it's living in an older siblings shadow or a parents life-long dream for you, it can become difficult to appreciate the baby steps.

As you know, if you have read my whole blog and kept up with me, I struggled immensely in elementary school, middle school and high school. It wasn't until college where my grades significantly shifted and I understood the importance of education and the benefits of working hard.

I was brought up and taught that it wasn't always about the grade but about my effort. Still, when my brother was bringing home straight A's without any effort, it was hard for me to accept that I was smart. I now write to you, my loyal readers, as my fall grades are officially in. With 5 A's and one B, I sit before my computer as a 3.8-GPA student.

Although I'm struggling to find my next step in life, right now I know it's okay to just bask in the glory of a job well done. Whether I chose law school, an internship for six months in New York City or earn an incredible job as an editor/writer, life will work itself out and I will be okay.

This post is for those of you who have struggled, are currently struggling and those who want to make someone else's life easier. I commend you on not giving up and wish you the best in your endeavors.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I challenge you to click on the link below and watch the video. See where it takes you and never forget that your life is not over and your future is as bright and wonderful as you say it is.

http://www.landmarkeducation.com/introduction_to_the_landmark_forum_video.jsp 

          

It's Tee-Shirt Time

Season three of Jersey Shore is five days away.

Today is the first day I have ever seen an episode. I am home, deathly ill, and MTV is showing the entirety of the second season. I'm currently on episode 23 and I am at the point where I need blog about it.

I was definitely against watching this show. The Situation made $10 million last year for being on the show, I knew several people who were Snooki's poof for Halloween and it's about friends living in one house with screaming. It seems overrated.

That was before I watched the show. Now that I am half way into the second season, I find myself laughing and screaming at the TV too. And for the record, I really enjoy Situation's commentary. Yes, he can be a bit dirty when he is at the clubs or in the Smush Room, but he's pretty insightful, despite the washboard abs.

What I find most interesting, as someone who is attracted to both guys and girls, no one on the show is that attractive. Like, really! They are orange, for one. And the add on the loud voices, tacky outfits and sunglasses-at-night look, it's unflattering. The show barely has any dialogue since every other word is a cuss word and is bleeped out.

All in all, this is what is comes down to.

Sick weekend and medicated + Jersey Shore = A Guilty Pleasure.

 or, make life simple and cheap ---> 


If Jersey Shore has made it onto my blog, What's Next?