Following the Frenchies

             For those of you who aren’t following the latest reporting trends (it’s alright, I didn't expect you to), much of reporting has gone to social media. After all, Twitter can report the latest breaking news faster than a news station can. Which means that as a journalism student, my social media has turned into my work. I have to remind myself to tweet something related to my “beat” every day, to post relevant articles on Facebook (and make sure that everything else I post is “work worthy”), and I usually just avoid most other outlets so I don’t have to keep track of what I’m posting there as well. But there’s one outlet I’ve kept just for me: Instagram.

            No, this doesn’t mean that I’m posting ludicrous and laughable photos on my own Instagram account. It means that when it comes to Instagram, I couldn’t care less about my “beat” or relevant sites. I’m all about the French bulldogs. For those of you who don’t know, I LOVE French bulldogs. With their squishy faces, fat little legs, and waddling, old-man walks, I can’t help but squeal every time I see them. They. Are. Adorable.

That’s why of all the accounts I follow on Instagram, probably half are various French bulldogs. No, it doesn’t help with my journalism career. But here are five reasons I keep those bulldogs around.

Credit: manny_the_frenchie

        Sometimes you need a smile: In the high-stress world of college, sometimes, you just need something to make you smile. Did you know that that “aww” feeling you get when you see a puppy is actually a release of a chemical in your brain called oxytocin, which is a strong protector against stress? If you’re a fan of fluffy cats or, like me, those squishy little faces, follow whatever can give you a grin. It’s scientifically proven to make you less stressed.

      

           Don’t take yourself so seriously: I see you out there, taking selfie after selfie, documenting your latest fashion attempts and trend ideas. I get it: you’ve got to make yourself look trendy and your life enviable. But don’t forget the idea of social media; to make socializing fun. If you’re putting so much thought into your every post, what fun is that? Just follow the dog. Just do it.

Credit: frank_the_funnyfrenchie

     

             It won’t incriminate you: If you think that a potential boss isn’t all over your social media accounts, you’re living in another world. If you’re posting crazy, drunken pictures from your friend’s 21^st on Instagram, a potential boss might see. But if you’re just following some squishy cuties, how embarrassing is that?

      

      Stay up to date on trends: You may think that cute little puppies won’t help you much in the way of trend-spotting, but you’d be wrong. After all, “Grumpy Cat” was on the cover of New York Magazine under the title “Boom Brand.” One of my favorite puppies, Manny the Frenchie, was a talk-show guest several times. Though it may seem superficial, following the occasional animal friend can actually keep you ahead of the trend-train.

“Boom Brand” ideas of your own: Maybe you’ve got a budding entrepreneur inside of you, or you’re looking for a project to embark on. These puppies are cute, but their owners are branding geniuses. They’re making calendars, shirts, raking in free boxes of goodies, endorsements, sponsorships; they’re making a business out of their pets. If I ever get lucky enough to have a Frenchie of my own, I’ll have a million ways to bring in the big bucks. Just you wait.

Credit: barkleysircharles

The Thanksgiving Hangover

            If you’re like me, you woke up yesterday with what I like to call a “Thanksgiving hangover.” No, it’s not from the wine or a late night out: it’s from the absurd amount of food consumed in the span of a few hours. But it actually feels like a hangover. You’re tired, groggy, sluggish, and the worst part? Despite the fact that you ate enough calories for a week’s worth of meals, you’re still hungry. Yes, leftovers are great, but they can also lead down the path to the holiday pounds.

            That’s why post-Thanksgiving, my sister and I attempted a daylong cleanse (attempted being the operative word in that sentence). Though we were hungry enough by the end of the day to warrant a dinner out, we both did feel better. Plus, when I finally got a solid meal, I couldn’t even finish it. In that span of less than a day, my body felt better than when I’d crawled into bed after the holiday festivities and my stomach was just the tiniest bit smaller. Need some ways to recover after a holiday with the family? Though I’m no doctor, here are some great ways I’ve found work for me.

Drink lots of water

            We all know the rule: eight glasses of water per day. But did you also know that drinking water cannot only stave off the post-gorge hunger, but can actually speed up your metabolism? And the best time to drink it is as soon as you get up. According to Men’s Health, if you drink 16 ounces of water as soon as you wake up, your metabolism is boosted by 24% for 90 minutes. That could probably burn off that extra helping of gravy from your Thanksgiving banquet without any additional effort.

Tea, tea, tea

            I really do swear by the power of tea with a little honey and lemon. Though I can’t say it does much to necessarily cleanse the body, it keeps the inevitable hunger away for just a little while longer. Studies have also suggested that tea contains compounds that can decrease your body’s absorption of fat. Just don’t add milk! Dr. Devajit Borthakir of the Tea Research Association told the Sunday Telegraph that when you mix milk with tea, the chemical reaction means “we don’t get the health benefit from these compounds.” So just a little honey and lemon works great for me.

To cleanse or not to cleanse?

            I tried the cleanse, I really did. I’ve heard so many great things about it. Dietician Stephanie Middleburg told Health Magazine in an interview that juicing can eliminate toxins from your body and help you feel better in a short period of time. “A benefit of juicing is that it gives your digestion system a break from working so hard to process a large meal,” she said in the article. But does that mean you have to cleanse all day? Instead, my sister and I started the day with two fruit smoothies, helped ourselves to some green juice mid-day, but finished off Friday with a real meal. Even a short break for your digestion is good, right?

Cyber Dating for the College Student

           

            Since when did online dating in college become a thing? I guess I missed the boat. After hearing about it incessantly from friends, from acquaintances, and in online posts, I decided to do some investigating of my own. I dug deeper for an article in my journalism class. It was funny, I thought, a thing my friends did as kind of a joke, something silly they did in their spare time. Tinder, OkCupid, DateMySchool; I’d heard of people that had tried them, but usually as somewhat of a social experiment, just to see what would happen. But it turns out the joke was on me. My friends were actually using social media sites in place of more “traditional” tactics of finding dates. As I searched for sources to write about, people seemed to come out of the woodwork. Some of my friends had been on several successful dates through apps you could download on your phone, others had even found a significant other. They were shocked I hadn’t done the same. Was I missing something?

The Perfect Red Lip

            A few months ago, I asked to write a Valentine’s Day-themed blog post for Seventeen.com. My editor loved the idea! She passed it along to the web director who told me it was a cute proposition. So I went ahead and wrote it, took pictures to accompany, edited it to perfection, and sent it on its way. Little did I know that there was one more person who had to look at it. What her name is and what position she holds are unbeknownst to me, but regardless, she decided having an unqualified teenager giving other teenagers makeup advice wasn’t legitimate enough for Seventeen.com.

            Alright, mystery woman, that’s fair enough. All that means is lucky for my friends, now they can see how to do a luscious red lip. Maybe I’m an unqualified teenager giving my peers makeup advice, but who really cares when the advice you give works? Trust me.

Just because Valentine’s Day is over doesn’t mean you can’t still rock a romantic red lip. Red lips can make a statement any time of year. Here’s some advice on how to amp up your red-lipped look to keep it perfect all day long.

 

Moisturize: Before the lipstick, generously apply lip balm. Dry, cracked lips won’t hold color for very long. When you’ve applied thoroughly, dap off the extra moisture with a tissue.

Outline: When finding your signature red color, look for a lip liner in a matching (or close to it) shade. Outlining your lips will keep the color from running.

Apply: Apply your lipstick evenly and generously. Don’t be afraid to try a bold color. Be adventurous with your color choices!

   Gloss: If you finish off your dramatic red lip with a clear lip gloss, it’ll really give you a shiny accent.

If you follow these simple steps, you’ll be turning heads with your bright red pout long after Valentine’s Day. 

My Soul Cycle

     My roommate is obsessed with Soul Cycle. I mean obsessed. She will come home the 45-minute pump-up cycling class and go on and on about how fabulous it was for longer than it took her to finish the class in the first place. Initially, I'll admit a little part of me wanted to smack her and tell her that no fitness routine was that exciting. But after a while, I realized that being that excited about exercise wasn't something to get annoyed over: it was something to strive for.
     It's hard to be excited about working out. I mean, the gym's fun and all but nothing to go crazy over. But that's when exercise gets hard. When working out is a chore, you're going to be less likely to do it. But when you find something that you can get excited about, you'll be more likely to follow through.

     Now, finding a workout that inspires you is more easily said than done. Start by trying something new with friends. My sorority sisters and I hit up Crunch for a fitness class last week. Struggling through a routine with friends can make it all the more fun. Maybe schedule a run with someone you haven't talked to in a while or plan a work-out then brunch date with your roommate. Make your workout something that you get excited about. Schedule it into your calendar and take some time to get yourself mentally psyched. Maybe one day, we can all find our soul cycle.

Just A Little Trick

     I hate to admit it but I’m all about the numbers. When it comes to weighing myself, sometimes I do it two or more times a day. It’s not because I’m a masochist who likes to remind myself how much I weigh. Sometimes, I use the scale to see if I’ve eaten too much that day. I use it to see how much weight I lost after a long run or, most often, to make myself feel better. When I know I’ve had a good day in regards to eating and exercising, seeing a low number is like a high.

     But if it’s a high number, it can be depressing. Seeing your number on the scale can be like a smack in the face. Constantly obsessing over a number rather than how I feel or how I look certainly can't be healthy for me. That’s why I’m trying a new tactic: Instead of getting on the scale and seeing how much I weight, I’m going to get on and see how much I want to weigh. I took a little scrap of paper, wrote down my goal weight, and every time I get on the scale, I’m going to put it right over the little screen.

            Is putting my goal weight over my actual weight going to make it magically happen? Probably not. But maybe it will force me to think thin. It will get rid of my obsession with weighing a little more after a big meal and the craving to weigh myself after a hard workout. It'll force me to focus on how thin I feel rather than how thin the scale tells me I am. And, if nothing else, it will make me smile.

Why a New Year Shouldn't Mean a New You

     I'd like to start off by saying that I'm all about resolutions. I'm the first one to write my weekly goal on a bright pink sticky note and stick it on my desk. There's something about physically writing down your goals that makes them more tangible and also holds you more accountable. After all, 45% of Americans take the time to write down their resolutions every New Year. 45% of America has got to be onto something, right?
     But here's my question: why wait until the changing of the calendars to make a change in your own life? Some of the most common New Year's Resolutions from 2012 included losing weight, spending less, and "enjoying life to the fullest." Why wait until January 1st to get started? It's not like after twelve months of chips and candy bars, one magical day is going to make your transition easier. I guess when it comes to a goal like spending less, if you wait until the next calendar year to start pinching pennies, spending less may be a requirement because of your bank balance rather than a lofty goal. And don't wait to start enjoying life: just do it.
     Instead of writing down resolutions once a year, do it once a week. Maybe once a month. Perhaps just write down a resolution whenever one comes to you. After all, individuals who write down their resolutions are ten times more likely to achieve them. When you think of something you want to change about your life or yourself, write it down, post it somewhere visible, and do it. Piling on a ton of goals once a year can be a lot of pressure, but focusing on one step at a time towards a new and improved you will be an easier journey.