If you know me at all you know I like to celebrate things. Monthaversaries, half birthdays, random holidays that you one else wants to acknowledge. Happy National Polar Bear Day by the way! Totally not lying, don't believe me? Look here.
Since I'm a sucker for celebrating milestones, there was no way I was gonna let 200 posts pass by without acknowledging it. And what better way to celebrate than to round up your and my favorite posts?? The posts below are my top performers, the ones I had most fun writing and the kind that made people wanna come back to see what I'd say next. Here's to two hundred!
Unless you're one part of those unicorn couples that met in high school and managed to not hate each other my senior prom, you've probably tried online dating at least once. Whether you made a fake account just to check it out or are a self proclaimed Tinderalla, most of us have wondered if the possibility of love is worth the never ending influx of dick pics.
Here's the thing though, you can't fully understand online dating unless you've done it. Kinda like having kids or surviving a pap smear. As someone who went in totally clueless, I quickly learned the way navigate the world of online dating, until I eventually found someone who met my demands of pizza dinners every weekend and unconditional love to my cat.
If you're interested in learning what online dating is really like as a twenty something, keep ready to see what happened in my first few weeks of loving for love online.
As a self proclaimed homebody, I was surprised to find myself going to art gallery openings and dinner dates on a Tuesday. If you're willing to put yourself out there, you'll most likely be out most nights of the week. It's easy if you choose to focus on one guy at a time, but if you're casually dating a few it can grow complicated very quickly.
Last night a friend and I went to go watch 50 Shades Darker. Yep, I managed to drag myself outside on a Wednesday night, crazy, I know! Before the movie I ran by Walgreens to grab some snacks, hid them in my laptop case and successfully managed to scam the theater once again. Just call me Joanne.
As someone who's read all three books, you can say I was excited. Fan girl excited? No, I only just read the books last year, but still pretty pumped. Having watched the first movie alone at home I didn't really have the ability to talk about it with anyone, and with none of my friends reading any of the books I kind of just kept all my commentary to myself.
Thankfully my friend hadn't even seen the first movie, which gave me full reign to talk throughout the movie to fill her in on all the stuff she missed in the first part of the series. My helpful hints turned into us giving full on commentary throughout the film, think of it as director's commentary but much more snarky.
By the end of the film we came to two conclusions, Anastasia must use a period tracker app and I am completely unqualified to date Christian Grey. Here's why...
We were convinced Anastasia uses one of those period tracking apps, and if so, can she please recommend it to us? The girl never turns down sex because her lady parts are a bloody waterfall, there's never a mention of her needing to wear normal underwear in fear of leakage and bloating is a term she mustn't understand, cause her stomach is crazy toned. Me on the other hand is always surprised by mother nature, even though I actually do use an app! Bloat is becoming my middle name and I think my boyfriend keeps better track of my cycle than me. #embarrassing
When I started writing this post I second guessed if I'm the type of person who should be giving out advice on how to write a great essay. Just yesterday I spent the entire day, sunrise to sunset, writing a project proposal that ended at 24 pages and one empty pizza box. If I was a bad student I wouldn't write this post, but I'm not. Lazy student? Sure, sometimes.
Posts that tell you to not leave it till the last minute are only giving you information you don't want to hear, and that you've probably been told a dozen times. Whether you're starting this paper early or the night before it's due, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to get a good grade.
As someone who has managed to get an A on every paper I've turned in, in graduate school at least, here are my tips to writing an A grade paper no matter the topic, length or time restraints.
I cant count the number of times my computer has suddenly shut down or crashed, only for me to lose my entire paper and my mind. Avoid all this drama and wasted time by writing your paper on a document in Google Drive. Plus, this way you can work on your paper no matter where you are, and there's no risk of losing bits and pieces along the way.
Not sure if you've noticed this recent trend, but I predict 2017 is the year everyone becomes a minimalist, or at least tries to. Maybe it's because of the new Netflix documentary, maybe we're all jealous of those girls on Instagram with picture perfect homes. It's 50/50 for me to be honest.
I know myself well enough to admit to myself that I'll never be a minimalist, but I can commit to having less clutter in my home. Clutter is stuff that just gets in your way, annoys you when you have to sort through it, and in general just doesn't serve a purpose in a daily life. Even though so many people are motivated to have less and organize more in 2017, most resources on how to do that aren't really targeted towards millennials.
What I mean is, so many of us don't have children's toys to toss out or bins full of family heirlooms. Hell, I don't even have space in my tiny apartment to save family heirlooms in! So what are us inspired twenty somethings supposed to do if we wanna do better but don't know where to start? I got you girl.
I took a serious look around my apartment, plus a bunch of resources I've personally used, and created an inventory of things you can totally toss out to help you get one step closer to a clutter free home. If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments below. Seriously, I'd love more ideas for stuff to get rid of in my own home. Related Post:8 Inexpensive Ways to Make Your Apartment Feel Like Home
1. Hotel + travel size toiletries
We all think we're going to use them, then instead we stash them away for the next few years. Cut the clutter and toss them out.
2. Old magazines/newspapers
Think about it, when's the last time you actually picked up an old magazine or newspaper and reread it. Probably never. Pick a few favorites and recycle the rest.
First days of work are hard. Don't believe me? You must not have read my last post on how I cried in my office, twice. You can read all about that embarrassing moment here.
As someone who likes to prepare for every possible situation, first days of work are a mix of anxiety and excitement, with a whole lot of caffeine added throughout the day. If you're starting a new job soon or just moving to a different department, it's important your first impression be the best represenation of you.
In my last poisiton it was my job to get new staff memmbers acquainted with the office, as well as answer any questions they had about everything from copy machines to lunch recommendations. I'll admit that seasoned staff members have a lot to say about new people, and it's not always kind. Make sure you put your best you forward by makng your first day in the office a productive one, here's how.
I know, I know, having to get to know a whole new office of people sucks, but it's so important you get this out of the way on day one. The reason you want to do this on your firsty day is because people are most receptive to talking to and helping you when you're new, so use your inexperience as an advantage. Plus, people are most likely talking about there being a new person anyways, so make sure you make yourself known with a good impression.
One of the biggest myths about Valentine's Day is that you need to have a boyfriend or girlfriend to enjoy the holiday. For a holiday all about love, why do we limit it to romantic love? Once a day we swapped cards and pieces of candy with our classmates, is now a day we all compare how creative and thoughtful our significant others can be. Spoiler alert, I'll probably be surprised with a large pizza, and I'm totally okay with that.
Just because you're without a date doesn't mean you cant enjoy the fun, so grab your best friend or roomie and spend the time them how much you appreciate having them in your lives. Whether your stick in your dorm room or apartment in the city, there's something for everyone to do.
Put on your comfiest leggings, make a trip to the drugstore, and spend the night trying out facemasks and painting a perfect manicure. So often I buy beauty products then never make the time to use them, so pick a night to test out a bunch of products while eating some takeout.
Host a Galentine's Day Party
Have a group of single friends with nothing to do? Invite everyone over, make it a potluck, and pass the time telling dating horror stories while watching all your favorite romantic comedies. If you wanna go all out, grab bags are a fun way to remember the night and make your guests feel special long after they go home.
Two weeks. Two weeks is the amount of time it took for me to send out my first batch of applications and receive my first job offer. I did it, and so can you, you just need to keep believing that.
If you've graduated college recently, you're all to aware of the common things said about the current job market. "You won't find work so easily. Everyone expects you to have experience. Maybe you should just go to grad school to set yourself apart."
While job offers weren't falling out of the sky, they also weren't impossible to find. I did attend grad school immediately after earning my masters, but it was in no way to avoid the reality of having to join the workforce. If you're approaching graduation or just want to be better prepared for when the time comes, keep reading to see how I managed to get a job within two weeks, without perfect grades or any connections.
Just because I didn't graduate with a 4.0 doesn't mean I cruised through my courses. I worked my butt off to earn the best grade I could, but a few Bs or Cs weren't the end of the world to me. Work to keep your GPA above a 3.5, otherwise, be sure to have something else to flaunt come interview time.
Especially within my degree
You know those Bs or Cs I mentioned earlier? Well they definitely were not for my psychology or women's studies courses. Make sure your best grades reflect the courses you're supposed to be focusing on, meaning the type related to your field. That C I got in Microeconomics wasn't such as big deal to my grad school since all of my psychology courses illustrated how well I knew the relevant content.
Valentine's Day is a holiday you either love or hate, probably determined by whether you have someone to celebrate with. In my case, I've always loved the holiday, single or not. What's better than a day dedicated to treating someone else, or yourself, to a bunch of candy, compliments, and did I mention candy?
It was simpler in college though, when you and your significant other had the excuse of being broke to skip out on doing something fancy. The problem is a lot of us are still not swimming in money in our twenties, yet the stakes have somehow gone up on how we spend this day of the year.
If you're a twenty something wondering how to celebrate the day without emptying your checkings account, below are some ideas to help you figure out how to not disappoint your special someone. With a couple classic suggestions to others you would never consider, there's bound to be one idea that peaks your interest.
Classics are classic for a reason, so there's nothing wrong with having a typical date night instead of stressing out over making the night super special.
2. Cook each other dinner
If you two enjoy to cook, or don't do it often enough, trying out a new recipe or recreating a favorite childhood recipe is an easy way to pass the time and learn more about each other.
3. Recreate your first date
If you've been dating for a while, recreating your first date is a fun way to reminisce and see just how far you've come.
4. Visit a theme park
Theme parks aren't your typical Valentine's Day activity, so you can trust the lines will be shorter than usual.
If the two of you enjoy spending time outside, don't miss an opportunity to go on a hike, visit the water or even make a camping trip out of the weekend.
6. Get active
I'm not recommending you jog together, unless you're into that kind of thing, but gokarting, indoor skydiving or rock climbing are fun dates you won't forget.
7. Attend a bar crawl
This sounds super rowdy but hear me out, a bar crawl is a fun way to explore a neighborhood you don't typically visit. Plus, Groupon usually has such great deals around this type of event!
Psst, you can follow my Dating in Your Twenties board on Pinterest for more tips + advice for dating as a twenty something!
8. Go on a ghost tour
For the couple who enjoys being creeped out together, ghost tours are a fun way to spend an night plus learn more about the city. You're guaranteed to have the most creative Valentine's Day night.
9. Host a game night
If you wanna spread the love to your other friends, single or in a relationship, hosting a game night is a fun way to pass the time with people you care about. Who said Valentine's Day is only a day to celebrate the ones you love romantically?
10. Have a staycation
If you live in a city with a lot of tourist attractions, a staycation is a great way to enjoy the things you typically don't get to enjoy. You can choose to stay at home or in a hotel, and from there make up an itinerary of things you've been meaning to check out.
Trust me, arcades are just as fun as when you were twelve, plus now you can drink! Find your local arcade and bring a few rolls of quarters to spend a night challenging one another.
12. Check out a cat cafe
Love animals but can't have one? Cat cafes and animal shelters are a fun way to spend an afternoon giving attention to animals looking for their forever homes.
13. Go on a dinner cruise
As long as neither one of you gets boat sick, this is a fun twist on the typical Valentine's Dinner. Once again, Groupon usually has a bunch of deals for this type of activity.
Do you have an all time favorite Valentine's Day date? And for my single readers, if you search Valentine, there's plenty of content on the site for how to celebrate without a significant other!
PS You can now sign up for the weekly newsletter for tips, resources and motivation to start off each week with! Signing up takes seconds, so make sure you're on the list!
I'm currently sitting on the couch, covered in crumbs, questioning if these leggings are suddenly smaller of if I overdid it with the snacks. Either way, I don't need this negativity in my life. Makes a mental note to buy comfier leggings.
Aannndd my boyfriend just yelled. Which is the reason why I'm writing this.
Unless you live under a rock, you probably know that the Super Bowl happened yesterday. Oh hold on, I'm receiving a lesson on Tom Brady that I didn't ask for. Let me pause to nod and shake my head at the right moments...
What did I learn? My boyfriend is still on team Tom Brady isn't a cheater. Anyways!
The Super Bowl happened last night, number 51 if you wanna be specific. Growing up sports weren't really a thing in my family, instead we bonded over episodes of Judge Judy and Cops. Much more educational, much more scarring. Because of this I never developed an interest for sports, also I sucked at all of them. Hard. As in I somehow made the softball team in the 7th grade but never actually touched the bat to a ball. Yeah, that bad.
But because last night was the Super Bowl, like the okayish girlfriend I am, I decided to watch it with my newish boyfriend. I say ish because sometimes I'm a pain in the ass and the newness has faded. Probably because he thinks it's okay to fart in front of me now. I thought I had a few more months, he disagrees.
During the game I started noticing differences between how I enjoy the Super Bowl versus how my boyfriend enjoys the Super Bowl, and don't get me started on how all my friends on Instagram are enjoying the game. So in an effort to distract myself from my boyfriend's nonstop pacing and put down the chips, I thought I'd talk about a few of the reasons why I'll never be one of those cool girls who totally gets football and can genuinely enjoy the Super Bowl for more than just a reason to eat.
Chips are where my expertise lie
I can name all the Tostinos chip flavors but don't you dare ask me who the Patriots played last night! Plus, I had an unfair advantage, my boyfriend is a giant Patriots fan so I only knew because he's been talking about it forever.
I don't like to be told things twice
Who decided that every moment needs to be replayed in two different speeds from four different angles? I mean, I get it, sometimes you miss a play (yeah, I totally know that term), but there should be an option to watch a replay-less version.
Annnnd the cats are hiding under the couch. The Patriots just scored and won the game. My boyfriends fists are in the air and he's screaming like Beyonce walked in. I'm happy, I am, but also, does anyone ever feel bad for the losing team? I mean, I get it, they're millionaires. But if I cry when I accidentally erase an essay, how do they feel? Anyways, back to what I was saying.
My bladder answers to no one
True story, in the last 30 seconds I asked, "Would this be a bad time to go to the bathroom?" I mean I knew this is a big deal and the game was tied, but all that Sprite was just passing through me. I went anyways, cause UTIs are no joke and I would have probably peed myself from the screams coming out of my boyfriend anyways.
I'm just here for the commercials
But aren't we all? Don't tell me you didn't cry during that military, 360 view of the Super Bowl. I have no idea what it was promoting, my eyes were too full of tears. Commercials during the Super Bowl are basically the only time I don't zone out on my phone, and while everyone enjoys them, I don't think it's typical to zone out in the space between commercial breaks.
Are you a big sports fan? Tell me your secrets for being able to keep up with it all, all season long! If not, how do you pass the time while watching sports with friends?
Pssst, you can now sign up to receive the weekly newsletter full of tips, resources and motivation to start of each week on the right foot! Signing up takes seconds, so make sure you're on the list!
One of the biggest transitions in college is having to share
your space with another person, who isn’t family, and who most likely you’ve
never met. In my case, I left home to start my new life in a dorm in a small
room with two girls named Jessica, both of whom I luckily fell in love with as
time passed.
Not everyone is that lucky though, actually, my neighbor to
the left was far less lucky. She spent the entire first half of her freshmen
year attempting to be reassigned, which unfortunately never happened. Over the
course of my college years I had a total of…wait let me count…19 different
roommates. That number seems crazy but trust me, if you move around as much as
I did the names and addresses will start to blend.
If you’re unsure of the type of roommate you might get paired with or even which category you fall into, read on to see the 13 roommates you’ll probably have in college, and just maybe in your early twenties. Cause who said roommates have to end at graduation?
1. The Compulsive Snoozer
The one who sets an alarm 40 minutes before she knows she’ll actually wake up.
2. The Chronic Napper
Come home from class and there’s a 60% chance you’ll find her asleep.
3. Thing 1
Her boyfriend is always there, unless she’s not because of course he’s with her. They may or may not have matching sneakers, sweatshirts and/or give each other shout outs on Instagram. You're 50% annoyed, 50% jealous.
4. Sticky Fingers
Hide yo fries, hide yo nuggets and hide yo ketchup, cause this person will “accidentally” think whatever she ate was hers. She's a liar, feel free to attack this person, but not too much because you'll eventually run out of food too. Related Post:10 Stupid Mistakes I Made My First Year of College
5. Shamu
Don't ever enter the restroom after this person has been inside, good chance they splashed water everywhere while washing their face and/or taking a shower. How does anyone get water on the walls?!
6. Your Second Mom
No, she’s not helpful in the wash-your-clothes-cook-your-food kind of way, instead she likes to knock once she’s already entered the room and doesn't understand the concept that you actually like to sleep in. Go away, and close my door!
7. The Brave Soul
The one who kills the spiders, checks for murderers in the backyard and probably hid weapons all throughout the house your first week there.
PS: You can follow my Surviving College Pinterest board for tips, advice and all the stuff you need to succeed in college
8. The Common Enemy
Whether they pee on the toilet seat, never clean yet complain about a mess, or play their music loud enough for the walls to vibrate, your hate for them will only bring the rest of you closer.
9. The Talker
They've already started reciting a play by play of their day before they even had two legs through the door. This I'm totally guilty of.
10. The Hibernator
They claim to have sleeping problems when in reality they stay on Facebook until 4 am, only to sleep past noon everyday and wake up complaining about their sleeping problems. You still love them though.
Constantly chirping in your ear about trans fats, invites to go for a run, followed by zumba class and then stop for some oddly green drink.
12. The Ghost
They go home every weekend and even if they do stay, they are never really around. You love and hate the situation, sure you get lonely but at least you have the whole place to yourself!
13. Your New BFF
You love the same shows, share a mutual hate for a certain type of food, and your napping schedules have become synchronized.
Do you have any roommate horror stories? How about successes? Tell me all about your favorite or worst in the comments below!
Also, you can now sign up to receive the weekly newsletter full of tips, resources and motivation to make each week in 2017 better than the last. Signing up takes seconds so make sure you're on the list!
How is January already over? Seriously though, does anyone else feel like that month just flew by? I don't know about you, but January was a pretty great month for me, hopefully you're feeling the same way. Since the start of making monthly goals I've been consistently crushing them, well most of them, which is way better than I was doing before.
With February being the shortest month, and chock full of events, I'm going to reel myself in and attempt to set more realistic goals. Like always, I'm gonna quickly recap my January goals, but if you rather skip through to the new goals just keep on scrolling down.
Create and stick to editorial calendar > Success
Did it, nailed it, couldn't have been any better. Okay it could have, but I'm gonna focus on the positive for the moment.
Share my blog IRL > Success
Not only did I finally mention it to my friends, I stopped being a wuss and started talking about it on my Instagram account. You can follow me @whenlifegivesyourubi for long rambling Insta stories that I swear will make you laugh at least once.
Complete decluttering project > Fail
Failed at this one epically, mainly because I was hardly home this month. I'm not even going to pretend like I'll have time for this this month.
Attempt a pilates challenge > Fail
Nope, didn't happen. For two weeks I was killing it, then all the bouncing around from work to home to school made me want to do nothing more than eat cookies and watch the news.
February Goals: Do I Get Points for Not Bailing Yet?
Blog Goals
Send out newsletter regularly
I've found I really enjoy writing my newsletter, what I don't love as much is formatting it every week. By the end of the month I'd like to create a template I can stick with for a while, so that each week I can focus on the content solely.
If you'd like to subscribe, you can click here to be signed up in seconds. I send an email once a week, at the beginning of the week, with motivation and resources to help you get started on the right foot.
Try out Boardbooster
Before newsletters were all the rage, Boardbooster and Tailwind were all anyone would talk about. If you're not a blogger you probably have no idea what these are, but basically they're programs that repin your posts automatically to Pinterest. They're major time savers that do your promotion for you.
Schedule social media posts all at once
I'm terrible at this, TERRIBLE. I try to stay on top of things but life gets in the way and I get lazy. Since my content is usually done a week ahead of time, why not schedule my social media at that same rate? I'm going to try it, wish me luck!
With receiving at least two applications per day to join my group, I made the decision to extend the maximum group size and also charge an annual membership to help to fund the group. In an effort to give everyone a chance to meet one another before paying their dues, I'd like to host one event per week. With school and work this is going to be incredibly hard, especially since my social life on weeknights is nonexistent.
Think before I spend
Not gonna lie, I'm pretty proud of my spending habits in January. I can't think of one thing I bought at Target that I didn't absolutely need. Okay I take that back, but no spending on stuff that has no real use. I'd like to have a no spend February as much as possible, meaning no random Valentine's Day junk, succulents or other knick knacks that only empty my bank account.
My pilates challenge didn't last long because I just couldn't get into the habit of it. I was exercising at different times every day, and usually in different places. I've always thought my life would be easier if I could put my stuff away when I got home, stop snacking after 10pm, and hang my keys in one damn place. I'm really gonna try this month guys, at least with the keys thing.
So tell me, do you have any February goals? Or are you focusing on your overall yearly goals? Share one win or fail in the comments below!
PS You can now sign up for the weekly newsletter, where you'll get tips, resources and motivation to help you make each week of 2017 better than the last. Signing up takes seconds so make sure you're on the list!!
I'm writing this inside my office of my new job. The one I've spent years preparing for, actually, the one I quit my well paying job for to come here instead and work for free. So maybe I shouldn't call it a job, because at the end of the day, I'm not getting paid.
But that's not the reason I'm crying in my office of my new job, this is.
This might be hard to understand if you're the kind of person who let's thing roll of your back, but I never have and never will be one of those lucky people. Ask my boyfriend, hell, ask any of my exboyfriends. Small things get to me, in the way that I pretend to be okay and push forward, only to have on tiny misstep shatter me. So I'm sitting here crying at my new shiny desk, because I just can't let this morning's events roll off my back.
Years of school coupled with months of planning for this new position means it's currently the most important thing in my life right now, outside of my friends and furry best friend. Everyone has expectations of how their first day will go, from who they will eat with at lunch to how well received they'll be by the staff. In my case, those things stopped mattering to me after my second job in the city. I'm a little more worried about whether my clients are getting quality care and if I'm breaking any ethical codes. Regardless, I like small things to go my way, which is why I'm always twenty minutes early to everything and prefer for everything to start on time, or twenty minutes early.
This morning I arrived on time, with my office number in hand and ready to log into the system and see my scheduled meetings for the day. Problem number one? There was no office 2032. "No biggie," I thought, I'll just ask reception. Problem number two? Reception doesn't know of that office or who the hell I am. Okay, understandable, I'll call my actual boss. And here's the kicker, everyone I report to has started their day, meaning they are in client meetings for the next hour or more, sending me further into my spiral of despair.
For the next hour I sat in the waiting room, frantically emailing everyone I knew, trying to figure out how to get into any office to start my meetings for the day. Did I mention there were at least two screaming babies next to me, because there were, and if you know me at all you know I spend very minimal amounts of time with children. In other words the sound of a crying baby doesn't bring out the feelings evolution was supposed to ingrain in me.
Over an hour later someone finally manages to find me an open office, is this my office, I'm not really sure. At this point though I'll take any room with a door and the promise of it being soundproof to break down in for a few minutes. And that everyone, is how my first day of work went. Yes I could have sucked it up and no it wasn't the end of the world, but for something that I've been planning for for the past two and a half years, this is not how I imagined it turning out.
There are no real tips to this story and for now I don't have a solution on how to pick yourself back up on those bad days where you rather train back home and pretend none of this ever happened, but then again I never claimed to have all the answers to our problems. Maybe tomorrow will be better, if not, then you can expect a post on creative places to have breakdowns at work in the coming weeks.
Have you ever cried at work, school, or some other important place? As morbid as it sounds I'd love to know I'm not the only one that has trouble controlling my emotions in public spaces...
PS You can now sign up for the weekly newsletter, where you'll get tips, resources and motivation to help you make each week of 2017 better than the last. Signing up takes seconds so make sure you're on the list!!
