Are you “Ms. Typed”? Part One

Dating is a large part of any roaring20something’s life, so it is only natural that one of us may be interested in exploring this aspect on this blog.  Although this post may seemingly target a women audience, I guarantee that there will be a few of you boys that will find yourselves engaged in the content of this post and might even want to chime in with your own thoughts and observations.   I am no relationship/dating expert, but I am fascinated by the dynamics of dating, relationships, and all the fun, drama, self discovery that comes along with it.  I have several blogs in my RSS feed that touch on topics ranging from dating, relationships, pick up artistry, love, sex, online dating, and the differences between women and men.

Today’s post is inspired by the book “Ms. Typed: Discover Your True Dating Personality and Rewrite Your Romantic Future.”  It just came out recently, so I have not had a chance to check it out yet.  However, the synopsis of the book and a recent appearance on the Today show gives me enough content for the purposes of this post (as well as interest in checking out the book!)  In the book, she breaks down different common “dating personalities”  and offers insight on “how to be the woman and partner you’re meant to be” (got that from the synopsis I found on bn.com).  I’ll be first to admit that I have at some point in my life fit more than one of these personalities.. and definitely have seen real life examples of those personalities that I have not personally taken on.

In this first part, take a look at her Today Show appearance.

Summary of above video:

Ms. Soul Mate: She thinks every guy she dates is the one. She is so caught up with the fantasy of walking down the aisle, that she doesn’t necessarily have enough going on in her own life.
Advice:
-Distinguish fact from fantasy
-Enjoy dating and the single life
-Find your purpose

Ms. Sex Machine: She thinks she can have “sex like a man” with no strings attached but it ends up coming around and biting her.
Advice:
-Stop undervaluing yourself
-Don’t confuse sex with love
-Maintain balance in your relationships

Ms. Second Place: She is too accommodating, an afterthought.  She always lets her partner take the lead and ends up being “the other woman” instead of a priority.
Advice:
-Insist that your needs be a priority
-Raise your expectations
-Build your confidence

Ms. Bag Lady: Has baggage from past relationships and has negative expectations going into another relationship.
Advice:
-Wait before you date
-Surround yourself with positive people
-Find the source of pain

Link to article

-debs

Life Is At a Standstill… Run a Marathon!

I am a serial hobbyist. I’ll admit it. Growing up, my parents had at some point enrolled me in violin lessons, piano lessons, flute lessons, art classes, karate,orchestra, and choir. Some of these things were short lived, others I’d done for almost 10 years. Aside from those extra curriculars, I picked up other hobbies of my own such as building my own websites, playing with Photoshop, and burying myself in the internet. Yes, I started young. :) Most of the wonderful lessons and classes I took were abandoned as soon as I entered college, but that doesn’t mean the hobbies stopped there. My love for art, technology, and music later prompted me to buy a guitar, buy a DSLR to start taking pictures, buy a tablet for my computer so I can further dabble in digital art… and contemplate buying a video camera so I can mess around in video editing. Yes, I am a serial hobbyist… perusing online hot deals did not help the cause as most of those purchases were the results of spotting a hot deal somewhere.

However, with all those on my plate there are still times where I feel like life is at a standstill. Even when work is going well, my personal relationships are great, I am happy… but life has stopped moving forward. Probably because I have not picked up a new hobby, made a new big purchase, reached a goal, or achieved something brilliant in a while. A couple months ago, I found myself in that state. I was stuck in a rut. I yearned for something new, but I knew I could not pick up a whole new hobby… and I was not in the mood to nurture an existing one. Or so I thought.

It was nice one day, so I asked a friend to go jogging.. and then almost instantly regretted it because a couple months prior to that, I had attempted a 5k and while I finished in an okay time, I had trouble just completing that without walking. I work out regularly so I thought I’d be in better shape to complete the race, but it was just an off day for me. Well, this day was different. I absolutely hate backing out of things, so running I went. To my surprise, I completed just over 5 miles and felt able to keep running. That day, I decided to sign up for a half marathon and start training.

Fast forward two months, I have just completed the La Jolla Half Marathon, which has a reputation for being extremely tough due several hills in the 13.1 mile course. I know I might have found a niche because even in pain, even during rough hilly runs, I keep wanting to do more. I never once felt discouraged in my 2 months of training and am seriously considering on doing a full marathon next. It isn’t a new hobby, but rather an extension of something I’ve always incorporated in my life (fitness). And for that reason, I realized that it was perhaps the perfect new thing for me to pick up. While before, working out was just something I did, I now do it with a rewarding goal in mind. I’ve turned something that was just routine into something that I can constantly work towards, and if I continue to train for races then each race is a new milestone I’ve reached. I’m excited for what’s to come, and I encourage all of you who may be feeling a little less motivated to find something within your life and see if you can bring it back to life. It’s great =)

La Jolla Half Marathon Elevation Map

-debs

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!  Like many others, I’ve become increasingly aware of our environment and doing my part in preserving Mother Earth.  I’ve been under the impression in the past that living a green lifestyle is inconvenient and expensive, but I’ve got a few little changes I’ve made in efforts to become more green that I’d like to pass on to you!

1.  We’ve heard the old use a Brita and reusable water bottle advice. I know this is hard for many, because let me tell you- If I have the wrong water bottle I will forget to use it, and it will go to waste.  I’ve had Nalgenes, Camelbaks, and considered buying the pricey Sigg aluminum water bottle.  However, I’ve finally found one that I love and it happens to be the cheapest one I’ve bought at $5.99!  I found the Oggi Aluminum Sport Bottle at my local Marshalls for $5.99, so this is a worthy item to look out for next time you’re out.  Even on Amazon, it’s only $10.00 which is still relatively cheap.  The reviews may be a bit mixed, but I personally highly recommend this water bottle.. it’s not flimsy, holds the perfect amount, and has the perfect size opening to drink out of.  Also I’ve had it for about a month and have had no issues with a leaky cap.  I used to like the Camelbak Better Bottle with Bite Valve but I hated cleaning the bite valve.  If you don’t mind that, then that’s another water bottle I recommend.  I’ve found that I generally don’t like plastic water bottles though – I don’t like the smell of them.  The aluminum water bottle I use now has no smell and is easy to clean.  On the same wavelength, I also keep a mug at work so I refrain from using styrofoam cups.

2.  Use Reusable Grocery Bags – I know, I have issues remembering these too.  But I have found a system that more or less works for me.  First, I found these great bags that I can fit in my purse so I almost always have at least one grocery bag stashed in my purse.  I keep one in my car for those occasions I forget one in my purse.  The RuMe bags are great!  At first I wasn’t sure what to think because they turned out to be a lot thinner and flimsier than I expected, but boy do they hold a lot and they are surprisingly sturdy… I’ve been using them for months and they’re still in great shape!  I get compliments all the time about how great they look and how much they hold.  Additionally, I love the long handles that fit comfortably over my shoulder… I walk to/from the grocery store a lot and these bags make it MUCH easier to carry groceries on the walk home than any other bag I’ve tried… especially those plastic ones from the grocery store :)  They’re currently on sale at Delight.com which is where I got them :)

3. Buy from those who support green living. For example, I now buy all of my face care stuff from Acne.org – the name of the site is a little misleading, as they actually sell great products for everyone – not just those with Acne – ranging from cleansers, lotions, and of course acne treatments.  I’ve completely ditched the drugstore stuff and use their cleanser, as well as jojoba oil and alpha hydroxy cream as moisturizers.  The only thing I get from the store is sunscreen.  They package their products as environmentally friendly as they can, they’re reasonably priced, and they work well for me.  Etsy.com is also a great place to shop- many sellers there create and sell items keeping the environment in mind… I can spend hours upon hours browsing that site :)

4. Read up! There are many websites nowadays that offer great tips, articles, and discussions on green living.  It is no longer necessary to feel like you’re going out of your way to make eco friendly changes to your life.  Check out Daily Eco tips, Green Living Tips, and Eco Village Green to get started.

There are also other changes that are worth looking into such as making your own green household cleansers and detergents, as well as recycling -aside from the usual paper/plastic/alumimum, many things can now be recycled such as light bulbs and even yoga mats!  It is something to consider before throwing something out.  Another thing to take into consideration is reusing something before throwing it out.  Be creative!  It will make a difference.

-debs