The Write Way To Say Thank You

credit: www.southernliving.com

            Remember those thank you notes back from your sixth birthday party? The ones that were already printed, with some cute cartoon character or other. All you had to do was fill in the name of your friend and what they got you. So easy. But you made sure to do it every year.

            Just because you’re 20-something now doesn’t mean you get to skip out on the thank you cards. Maybe the cartoon, fill-in-the-blanks version isn’t quite appropriate anymore, but a hand-written note can go a long way, especially this holiday season.  As Southern Living puts it, “the art of writing an ‘old-school’ note is being lost,” but if you go against the flow and send one anyway, it’ll make a huge difference.

            Whether it’s for a relative, a co-worker, or even a friend, a hand-written note goes a long way, especially when it’s for someone you want to impress. Sending a nice letter not only keeps you in their mind, but it also shows that you took the time to show them appreciation and that you are cognoscente of at least a mild form of etiquette (and I’m not ashamed to admit most of us millennials aren’t). Leslie Harpold of The Morning News wrote in her article “How to Write a Thank-You Note” that though someone from your grandmother’s generation might not say anything to you, “she and her friends are probably at this very moment sighing over how young people today just don’t have manners.” Thank-you cards were and still are a thing, and not sending them can come across as rude. Sure, email or text are so easy, but how often do you skim emails and texts and just don’t give a sh*t? I do it all the time! But how often do I get a card? Never. And I love getting mail. So when someone takes the time to actually put something in the mail, and spends the $3 it’ll cost to buy a card and a stamp, it means a lot.

            When you’re writing a thank you note, according to Southern Living (because who knows manners better than a southerner?), invest in some nice stationary. You'll use it more than once so pick something you can use for a variety of occasions. Personalize your letter. “If you’re going to see the person in the future, refer to the event and say you’re looking forward to it,” Jennifer Beeler of Southern Living said in her article “How To Write a Charming Thank You Note.” Don’t just re-write the same cut and dry thing every time, think of something that applies to them. And be sincere! Don’t write something like, “oh my god this was the cutest pair of Christmas socks ever” if you are actually using them to clean your stove. Instead, say something like “they were so thoughtful and I will get great use out of them.” It’s really not that hard, and it doesn’t take that long. This holiday season, don’t forget to not only say thank you, but to put it in words.

            

Ode to the Dinner Conversation

            Yes, I see you there, friend of mine. Your cell phone is not your fourth utensil, so why are you sitting it right there on the corner of your napkin?  Are you expecting an incredibly important call in the next 30 minutes while we’re out to lunch? Is it a life or death situation, or are you just checking every five minutes to see who liked your latest Instagram post?

            Put your phone away.

            I see it nearly every time I’m out to eat, even once or twice on dates! Young adults literally can’t be separated from their phones, even for the 30 minutes it’ll take them to sit and eat. Maybe I was the only one reprimanded by my parents for texting at the dinner table. Maybe your parents were hip, cool parents who said, “By all means, text away! I didn’t want to hear about your day anyway.” But that’s not me. And yes, I do mind if you’re texting while I’m trying to talk to you.

            It’s just rude. Call me crazy, call me old-fashioned, call me a grandma, whatever. It’s rude. If I wanted to eat by myself while you’re off on your own texting about something that’s apparently more important than my company, I would have stayed at home. Probably would have cost less anyway. I don’t eat out at restaurants or spend $10 on a sandwich because the food is really that much better. I do it for the experience. I do it so I can sit down and talk with whoever I’m at a meal with. But if she’s on her phone the whole time, how am I supposed to talk to her?

Credit: www.socaltech.com

            Ok, yes, I’m being a bit rant-y. But that’s just how I was raised. You don’t text at dinner. In fact, you don’t bring your phone to the table. That was a sacred time to sit, to talk, the only real time I got with my family where everyone was truly attentive to each other. And now, millennials are connected to their phones in a way I just can’t comprehend. Did you know that 64% of young adults ages 18-29 have admitted to falling asleep with their phones in their bed? Researchers have compared young adults’ addiction to cell phones to alcoholism and substance abuse.

            I like my cell phone as much as the next person. It’s a great way to distract myself on the bus ride home or to schedule the next day’s meeting. But when you’re out at a meal? Just leave it in your bag. I promise, you’re probably not going to miss anything life-changing if you just put it away for one meal. Just talk to the person you’re with. That’s why you went out in the first place, isn’t it?

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.