Let's talk GUILTY PLEASURES :)

Alright, if you still want to keep thinking of me as a normal(ish) person, you probably shouldn't read this -- it's about to get a little embarrassing :-)

Guilty pleasures -- don't we all have them? Think about yours... about something that makes you feel a little guilty or embarrassed, but you love it anyways. Something you take pleasure in when you know you probably shouldn't.

I thought that coming up with my own guilty pleasures would be kind of difficult, but once I started thinking about it, I found it pretty easy to come up with some embarrassing ones. Here are ten of my guilty pleasures:

Kid's meals
Yes, I do still order kid's meals at pretty much any fast food restaurant who carries them. Yes, I do secretly get a little bit excited to see what my toy is every time. And yes, my boyfriend does make fun of me when I do. :)

Cartoons
I LOVE watching old cartoons from when I was younger. My dad walked in on me watching Tom & Jerry the other day and started laughing pretty hard. But there's a reason we liked them so much when we were younger, right??


Shoes
K, so usually I'm pretty good with budgeting my money and not spending it on things that I don't need. But I will almost always find an excuse to spend my money on a new pair of shoes-- especially some super cute high heels! I have a pretty impressive collection of shoes in my closet, and I get a pretty sick pleasure from seeing them all. :)

Midnight Snacks
I am horrible at controlling myself and not eating after midnight, like the health experts say we shouldn't do. If I'm awake after midnight (which is almost every night), I will totally take a trip over to my pantry and eat anything in sight.

Mario Games
Embarrassing, I know. But seriously, Mario video games are so awesome!! Sometimes my sister and I (or just me by myself) will go up to our huge projector and just play Mario video games for hours on end. Before you judge me on this one though, I don't play them every day. Just every once in a while!

Big Time Rush songs
In case you haven't heard of them, Big Time Rush is a boy band made famous by their Nickelodeon television show. And I LOVE their songs. I have them on my iPod and computer, and I would probably hurry and change the song if anyone walked in on me listening to them.

Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory
This show. I think it is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. I love it and I could watch it for hours on end-- and sometimes I do. =P

Dough or batter -- any kind
I LOVE eating dough. Or batter. My mom always yells at me when I'm making something and she catches me eating the dough/batter, but I love it! Cookie dough, bread dough, brownie batter, muffin batter-- you name it, I'll eat it!

The snooze button
I realize that almost everyone loves pressing the snooze button and getting that 5 extra minutes of resting time in bed. But I purposefully set my alarm early-- sometimes as much as a half an hour early-- so I can press the snooze button and stay in bed.

Business
This one has come more recently in my life-- but I decided to major in a business-related topic in college, so I am required to take lots of business pre-requisites. I honestly didn't think I would like them as much as I do. Yes, I'll say it-- I get a huge pleasure out of going to my classes! They are fascinating to me-- guess I chose the right major! :)

So there they are!! If you made it through the whole list without getting super embarrassed for me and exiting out of the browser, I would like to hear some of your own guilty pleasures :) If you're too embarrassed to share, it's okay, but remember there's no judgment here!  And it's actually pretty fun to think of your guilty pleasures and write them down, as I found out here. So give it a try!! :)
La vie est belle. :)

10 Things to Make You Happy

What makes you happy? Like, truly happy. Take a minute and really think about it. It could be a big thing like getting in to the school of your dreams, or a small and simple thing like cuddling in your favorite blanket and eating your favorite candy. I've always loved the quote that says "Enjoy the simple things in life-- Someday you may look back and realize they were the big things."

While I was thinking about what makes me happy, I came across this article from Yes! magazine that was titled "10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy", and I was very interested to see if I agreed with them. A little to my surprise, I agreed with each of the ten things these Stanford scientists concluded. Here's what they said, with some of my comments about why I think they can make you happy:

• Savor Everyday Moments
• Think back on pleasant moments that happened each day. Write them down so you can look back on them even further in the future!

• Avoid Comparisons
• You are you, and no body else can be. And you can't be anybody else. Don't damage your self esteem by looking at others-- focus on your own accomplishments!

• Put Money Low on the List
• Yes, it is important to make a decent living for yourself. But putting money on the top of your to-do list can cause unneeded anxiety and low self-esteem.

• Have Meaningful Goals
• Having something to work towards that is constantly in your mind can drive you through life and make you very happy when you succeed.

• Take Initiative at Work
• Usually, work and happiness are rarely put together in a sentence. But helping others and having the satisfaction of knowing you did your best in the workplace can not only bring you happiness, but also the attention of your boss! (In a good way)

• Make Friends, Treasure Family
• Pretty self-explanatory, but having close relationships with people you can really count on can help you to be happy more than anything else.

• Smile Even When You Don't Feel Like It
• Building the habit of always being friendly and smiling may feel stupid at first, but it will eventually turn you into someone who is always genuinely friendly and happy. It will help you enjoy life and people more!

• Say Thank You Like You Mean It
• I personally have experienced this-- if you genuinely thank people, even for the smallest things, they will be more friendly to you and it will actually positively effect your attitude towards them!

• Get Out and Exercise
• Countless studies have been done on the effects of exercise and attitude. Through personal experience, I have found that exercise can really clear your mind, make you feel better, and of course help your health!

• Give It Away, Give It Away Now!
• This section is talking about service, a huge morale booster. The knowledge that you are helping to make the world or a life better is unlike any other feeling that you can experience. You can honestly always count on service to make your day better.

I think that if you apply these principles in your life (if you already don't), one by one, no matter how stupid they may sound to you, you can become one of the happiest people ever. And everyone loves being happy, right? :)

La vie est belle :)

To read the full article by Jen Angel, click this link:

http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/sustainable-happiness/10-things-science-says-will-make-you

Dating!!

Dating... What first comes to your mind when you think about it? For some, it's a horrible sinking feeling in their chest and the thought that they would rather claw their eyes out than go on another date. In contrast, some people are dating addicts, and have the need to get free food out of it every day and go on at least six dates a week. Hopefully, you're in the middle of those two extremes-- enjoy dating without wearing yourself out by going out every day of the week.

I think that no matter how old you are (well, past the age of 16), whether it's with your friend, boyfriend, fiance, or husband, treating yourself and going out (or staying in) for a date night is something that can bring tons of fun to both of your days! Whether it's a classic dinner/movie night or trying something that you never have tried before, everyone should date. It's something that can bring lots of happiness and excitement into your life.

Some people may argue against me and say that dating is horrible (I know, I've been on some pretty bad dates), but even if it is a completely awkward date, at least you get a funny story out of it to tell later! :) But dating can be a great experience-- admit it, isn't it the best feeling when you get home after a great date with someone you enjoy being with? 

I'm not going to lie, I've had some pretty horrible dates-- but hasn't everyone? There are some pretty hysterical stories out there from disaster dates. I'm not going to share some of my stories because my bad datees may be reading this (you know who you are... haha JK), but I did have a great date this past weekend: shopping in the city, hanging out at a minor league baseball game, and eating dinner at a local college hangout. It was a great date with a person that I love being with. And I think that everyone deserves to go out and have a great day with someone you enjoy being around!! It helps you loosen up and get to know someone-- and probably yourself-- better than you did before. It's one of the things that make life so much fun.

So go out this week and have a fun date night!! Whether it's your first date with that person or your 500th, take at least one night this week and treat both of yourselves to some fun. I've included some links below to some great date ideas. 

La vie est belle :)

First date ideas: 

http://www.askmen.com/top_10/dating/top-10-first-date-ideas_10.html

Stay-at-home date ideas: http://thirtydollardatenight.com/Top5/Top%205%20Stay%20Home%20Date%20Ideas%20For%20Parents

Teen date ideas:

http://www.seventeen.com/love/advice/date-ideas-for-teens#/category1

Tons more date ideas:

http://www.niftydateideas.com/

What Matters Most?

Recently I read a talk about what things matter most in life. It was by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the second counselor in the first presidency of the LDS Church. It was a good reminder that sometimes life is extremely fast-paced and busy, and we need to slow down to remember the things that are the most important. These are the things that make life worth it. These are the things that make life beautiful!
The talk focuses on four different relationships that should matter most in life:
God
Family
Fellowmen
Self
I think that strengthening these four basic relationships can make someone very happy. I know they have been the biggest source of happiness in my life! I am so grateful for my church and the impact its values and teachings  have on me and the things I do. To strengthen my relationship with God means to make myself better and ultimately to make myself happier!
My family has also made me very happy. I'm glad to have a relationship with people that I can act like myself and they have to love me and stay with me no matter what! :) I can act silly with them, count on them to have my back- but also know that they'll constructively criticize me if I need it, and I know that I am very happy with them. The same goes with my boyfriend, who is pretty much family at this point :) Yes, the beginning of our relationship was pretty cliche- We met at a party, our first date was bowling and dinner (which if you're reading this Tanner it was great don't get me wrong!! :) ), and we waited a couple weeks and a couple dates before our first kiss- even though I may have wanted to a little earlier! Haha. But it has been the best relationship I have been in by far, and it has been an amazing source of happiness in my life.

I don't want to drag this post on, but I would just like to say that I think relationships with "fellowmen" are extremely important and the people you meet can have an incredible impact in your life. They have in mine.
Also, to hit on the last relationship Dieter F. Uchtdorf mentioned, I believe that if you do not love yourself, you cannot be truly happy. This is not saying to be cocky and worship every move that you make, but realize that you are extremely special and you bring something to this world that no one else can.

Learn to love yourself. Surround yourself with people that love you and lift you up. Continuously take some time from your busy life to evaluate your surroundings and ask yourself: What matters most?
La vie est belle :)

Link to President Uchtdorf's talk- read it it's a great one!!
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/of-things-that-matter-most?lang=eng