Fall is Finally Here!

There are a couple very key ways to know when fall has arrived:

1. the leaves start to change

2. the air is crisp and cool 

3. people are starting to wear scarves and jeans more than shorts and tank tops 

4. you can get pumpkin spice coffee at Starbucks (and for those of you over 21: Oktoberfest has arrived as well as Sam Adams Octoberfest lager.) 

5. Decorations are starting to be put up! Here are some pictures of the decorations we put up for my suite: (fun fact, we won the decorating contest!)

6. Halloween movies on TV! (I personally LOVE watching the movies that come on Disney Channel that I grew up with like Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, and the Little Vampire!)

How many of you are excited for fall? I really love fall because its so relaxing and the crispness in the air and playing with the leaves! Also for us students, fall symbolizes the end of midterms! 

So now going into the second half of the first semester I feel more comfortable with my system and am settling more into the college life.

Reaction Essay to the Documentary: The Business of Being Born

For my Intro to Psychology class we had to watch a documentary created by Ricki Lake. It is a very interesting perspective on home birth and midwives. (If you want to watch the documentary it is on YouTube and Netflix, but be warned it has very mature content.) So I just thought I would share with you the reaction paper I wrote. Don't worry its not 10 pages long! Ha ha ha!

           Like all documentaries, The Business of Being Born represented a situation or standpoint.  This documentary argued for home birth and the use of midwives in contrast to in-hospital birth.  The documentary presented a very interesting and compelling argument, however that I feel as though was based largely on emotional appeal by showing actual births and a history on birth.  The prospective of at home birth does scare me a little bit and while watching the documentary I couldn’t help but play devil’s advocate and think about all that could go wrong and not having the luxury of being at a hospital.  Although, on the flip side the prospect they presented of the interventions “like a domino effect” was also slightly disturbing and I found myself thinking that if I gave birth in a hospital I would be saying “don’t bring that needle near me!”  The documentary absolutely achieved it’s goal and succeeded in getting an emotional response from me.

            The argument did have a lot of strong factual evidence to support the emotional side.  When they brought up the idea of planning your birth via cesarean, I personally found it appalling.  It was as though birth was being thought of as some sort of fashion statement or convenient thing to fit into your schedule.  I do agree with the documentary that birth should be this natural and beautiful thing that changes your life and being given drugs and other instances can take away from that experience and make some women feel “robbed” of that experience.  All over, having not yet gone through the experience of having a baby I can’t even imagine what these women go through or the work it is do decide how to bring your baby into this world.  The documentary is open about the fact that pregnancy and labor can be very difficult and painful and that there is a lot that can go wrong. 

            It was intriguing that the documentary showed the history of birth as well as how midwives work.  How difficult it can be to be a midwife in today’s society, working with the insurance companies and being in a world, and job market, run by hospitals is something I never would have thought about.  It reminds the audience that making a living today is very hard, especially when you don’t follow the typical cookie-cutter mold.

            After watching this documentary I certainly have a new prospective on births and the different ways to bring a child into the world.  I would like to do more research on this topic to see the pros and cons about home birth vs. hospital birth and I feel like this may be an option for when I have a child of my own.  Ricki Lake was definitely passionate about her subject and I feel over all the documentary was very powerful and meaningful to see a side that no one ever thinks about or have even heard about.  It was fascinating to get to see this because it definitely opened my eyes a bit more.

10 Ways to Cheer Yourself Up and Deal With Anxiety

Hey guys! So I wanted to do this post because I have been suffering from depression and sever anxiety as well as bi-polar for quite a while. But the biggest key is to just find things that cheer you up and make you feel relaxed.

1. Watch a Disney Movie (or really any "kid movie"). Nothing brings back that childhood enthusiasm and innocence like Disney. When you watch a Disney movie you can just feel like a little kid again, when everything was simple. Some of my favorite "kid" movies are Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, Tangled and Treasure Planet.

2. Fluffy animals: Petting or cuddling with your pet is actually very therapeutic. A good alternative, Googling pictures of cute, baby, fluffy animals or watching YouTube videos (escaping panda!)

3. Get Comfy. Curling up with a stuffed animal, a cup of hot chocolate and reading a good book. This pulls you out of the real world and into a world of adventure or mystery or the supernatural, wherever the story takes you, it gives you an escape.

4. Meditate. Meditation is a very useful way to relieve stress and anxiety. Through meditation you basically are removing yourself from everything that is happening, removing yourself from your thoughts and just relaxing and allowing your mind to take a break amd sort through everything.

5. Take a bubble bath (or if you prefer a hot shower)! I know this sounds cheesy but bubble baths/showers will relax your muscles and allow you to ease back and take time for yourself. Remember, don't get caught up in thoughts about what made you upset, but try to clear your mind. And people actually do most of there thinking in the shower. 

6. Build a Fort! When is the last time you built a fort out of couch cushions and random stuff around the house? Remember how fun it is to just be a little kid again and be silly and care free. Maybe even invite a friend to join you and have a paper airplane fight or pretend that you are warring kingdoms. Just have fun. (Building a fort blog post: click here!)

7. Watch Funny Videos. Three words: America's Funniest Videos! Or just go to YouTube. They say that laughter is the best medicine and I most certainly agree. After all, who can be sad after you just made your sides hurt from laughing? Laugh until you can feel six-pack abs coming in!

8. Ice Cream. I seriously, who can resist ice cream? Cuz I know I can't! Ice cream has to be 

one of my favorite things in the world. Plus, chocolate releases endorphins in your brain,  basically a "happy signal." 

9. Non-depressing Music! One of the worst things to do when you are down is to listen to music that continues that trend! Put on some funny or silly music. Or even listen to kids music. My happy music is stuff like "If I didn't have you" from Quest for Camelot and the sho-be-do song from Tarzan. 

10. Blowing Bubbles. One thing I tend to do is go to the park nezt to my house and sit on oneof the swinfs and just vlow bubbles. It's a lot of fun and you can just relax and then race around popping the bubbles! Ha ha.

So the moral of this post is that when you are down or upset, do something that makes you happy, find something that makes you laugh. Don't let it get you down! You havepeople who care about you and think that you are an amazing person. Don't be afraid to shine and when things seem at their lowest,  just remember to smile! 

"Regrets are the past crippling you in the present" - Under the Tuscan Sun

My First $80 Date!

This past Saturday my boyfriend Johnny and I went out to Black Angus Steakhouse. First off, the food was insanely delicious. Second,  the got the dinner for two deal on the menu and got a three course meal for sixty dollars! I have never had filet mignon in my life and it fell apart when I cut it with my fork. Can you say YUM! (Sufficed to say we couldn't eat it all!) 

Here is a picture of the aftermath of an appetizer, two entrees: filet mignon and New York style steak,  with two sides each and a mud pie cake for desert!

So I just thought I would share this because it was something that made me really happy to be able to feel all fancy. Also, it's not something I get to experience much, especially coming from a poverty line standpoint, high class and fancy to us is usually getting to go to Red Robin or Cold Stones for desert. It's nice to break away from that. 

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

My aunt, boyfriend Johnny and I went to the see Cloudy with a Chance 2 after they picked me up from college to come home for the weekend. I absolutely loved the movie! It was entertaining, funny, and also it had a really good moral behind it. I thought it was really awesome how they referenced other movies like King Kong and Jurassic Park.

The movie picks up directly where the first one ends and is about the machine creating food animals. However, we probably all know that by now. The movie's main message is about doing the right thing and staying true to who you are. I feel like today kids don't get that message enough so I loved that it had such a positive message all while making you laugh!

On another note,  I thought the food animals were adorable and I totally want a taking animated strawberry now! Ha ha ha!

In case, by some mysterious cause, you haven't seen the trailer, here ya go:

My "Fab-Five" YouTube Channels I am Subscribed To

So I got bored and just decided to do the top five (well six) favorite YouTube Channels. They aren't in a particular order. So enjoy!

1. The Hillywood Show - The Hillywood Show is run by two sisters: Hilly and Hannah Hindi and they make musical parodies of movies. I think they are really funny and cute and they make me smile.

2. Kandee Johnson - Kandee is an amazing make up artist. She is just so bubbly and funny and positive. I love watching her videos because of her personality, it just makes me feel more positive and like I know her and could be friends with her. I really wish I knew her in real life.

3. Very Mary Kate - Very Mary Kate is a hilarious YouTube series that works with College Humor. The videos are usually only about two minutes but they make you laugh and a fun interpretation of the life of the Olsen twins.

4. Blogilaties (and XHIT Daily) - Blogilaties and XHIT are really fun workout channels and they have workouts for all different styles and they are just fun and they get your blood circulating. What I love about Blogilaties is that Cassey is so down to earth and she makes workout calendars that you can follow along, so its like having a personal trainer for free! Who doesn't love free! Plus, its just more convenient than going to a gym and paying a lot of money, where as you can just work out from where ever you want.

5. Michelle Phan - I love Michelle Phan. She doesn't just post make up tutorials but other fun videos that just keep you smiling and makes you feel like you know her. She is so very kind and I just love watching her videos and she is like another virtual friend. Plus she just came out of her new make up line so I got to see that!