6 tips for keeping your social media clean

Would you want your grandmother to see that? Or how to keep your social media clean

Now a days, everything is on the internet.  There are a million ways to be socially active on the inter web.  You can find out everything from who's cat took a dump outside to what Amanda did last night during her bachelorette party.  Some things however, are not meant to be shared with the world. 

Even if your grandmother was a progressive lady, be aware that everyone sees what you post to the internet.  Your parents, grandparents, employers, children, grandchildren, and future employers can see everything you post- forever.  Sharing is great.  I love seeing pictures of my friend's weddings, their kids growing up, and all the new members of my college sorority.  I do not like seeing pictures of my friends smashed out of their minds, with their clothes half off, doing things that they will regret in the morning. 

 Before it goes on social media, think about the effect it will have on you later.  

6 tips for keeping your social media clean

Always wait until the next day to post those pictures to your social media.

Is anyone in the picture a teacher or going to be?  Don't post it. 

Is anyone in the picture doing something illegal?  Don't post it.

Is anyone in the picture half naked?  Unless this is on a beach- don't post it.

Would the people in the pictures' parents be offended or disappointed in them?  Don't post it.

Could this affect the future job of someone in the picture? Don't post it.

A great night out can still be a great night out without sharing a million pictures on social media.  

Be careful what you post and be aware that the whole world is watching. 

B.

What is failure?

We all make mistakes.  Some of us make a lot of mistakes. It is part of being human.  Without making mistakes, we would not learn.  

We are often told that one mistake is a failure. The only way a mistake is a failure, is if you did not learn from it. 

The world is a tough place and we are in a constant state of successes and mistakes(not failures). 

Choose to learn something from every mistake you make, not only so that you don't make it again, but so that it will not be considered a failure. 

On a side note: these two quotes really stood out for me today. 

Happy Monday Everyone! 

YOGAFIT: finding time to work out

 All seniors try to get in to one of the fitness classes in college. My best friend and I managed to get into the same class.  We decided on Yoga- for the relaxation.  I was applying to graduate schools and she was building a life in a new house for her husband when he came back from deployment. We knew we were going to be stressed.  The yoga class that I took as a blow-off in college, changed my views on yoga as a whole.

 

 The benefits I experienced following the YOGAFIT system were wonderful. I had taken yoga classes previously, but I was not impressed by either the workout(I come from a martial arts background) or the way the workouts progressed(the moves did not flow into each other and make sense)  We had to purchase a book for our yoga class. Weird right?

  I still use that book. The system makes sense.  The moves are explained in a clear and concise manner. I feel great afterwards and the workout is as challenging as I want it to be. If you enjoy yoga, please look into this system. It is fantastic. 

 

I followed the system during graduate school, doing 10 minutes of yoga in the morning before classes. It made me more relaxed throughout the day as I was taking a crazy course load. 

Once we moved out to Colorado, exercising fell to the wayside for the most part.  I was always working.  When I wasn't working, I was trying to relax.  Somehow the idea did not cross my mind to start getting back into yoga for relaxation. I enjoy doing the monthly fitness challenges on Pinterest and Facebook, but if I don't set reminders on my phone, I forget. 

 

 I took the step to purchase 5 YogaFit Dvd's as a reward to myself for meeting my personal goals at work.  They arrived last night and like a kid at Christmas I opened every single one of them.  I'm not ashamed :) Starting tomorrow I am devoting myself to at least 10 minutes of yoga a day.  The Dvd's range in time needed from 10-15 minutes to 75 minutes. I'd like to work my way to a full 75 minutes, but for now, I'll start with a realistic goal of 10 minutes per day. 

Here is the link for where I got my DVD's. You can also purchase the book on this site as well.

https://webportal.orderwave.com/YogaFit/portal.0?action=viewItemDetail&itemNumber=k110#.VBw-ZpUtDIU

Have a great day everyone! Thank goodness it's Friday! And go get some exercise!

B

How to stay in touch when you live far away

I have spent the last 6 years living away from home. The first four were spent 4 hours away at Kent State University(GO FLASHES).

 Year five was spent 4 hours away at the University of Tennessee (GO VOLS). 

 

 Year six and currently I live 24 hours from home in Colorado.

 

Keeping in touch these days is easy right? 

Not so much. I work a ridiculous amount of hours per week currently because I'm pursuing the next management step. Keeping in touch with my friends and family becomes increasingly hard.  The two hour time difference between Ohio and Colorado doesn't help much either.  Luckily I have friends who are night owls, so I get to talk to a few friends pretty regularly.  

How to keep in touch when you live far away?

1. Make a date with your friends/relatives to talk. It amps anticipation and gives you something to look forward to.
2. Utilize text messaging. It's easy, fast, and be realistic(you are on your phone all the time anyways)
3. Skype/Facetime/ Kinect are your friends.  Learn to use them.  Hearing someone's voice is one thing, seeing them even from a distance, is even better. We use the Kinect to see my sister in law and brother in law and my niece and nephew since they live in Washington.  It's not a long conversation, but it helps us feel more involved in their lives. 
4. Let people know when you are thinking of them.  It will make a difference in their day.  Text/Call/ leave a Facebook message. It's amazing what knowing that someone is thinking about you will do for your day. 

As much as I would like to go lay on a beach, that idea is not in my near future.  To compensate, I'm wearing a beachy scent( Pink Beach- Beach babe.

And looking at this gorgeous picture with envy. I want to swing there! For now, I'll stay happy with my mountains and probably call my parents.

Happy Thursday!

B

How to pay off your debts and still live

How to pay off your debts and still live. 

Paying off your debts is one of the most important things you can do when you are young. Not living surrounded by debt will make your life happier and healthier.  I make a good living most of the time.  I also have a 50,000 grad school debt to pay off. I pay the highest amount I can per month.  It means that I cannot do a lot of things I would like to.  I would love to be able to go out to dinner occasionally or go out for a night on the town.  But for me, paying off my graduate school loan is more important.  I want to be able to save money and put a down payment on a house in the next year.  I would love to be able to go on vacation, but none of those things are as important as paying off my grad school loan.  So instead of putting tons of money in savings for that house or for a vacation, I'm putting all of that towards my loan. It sucks now, but it will be better later. 

Tips for paying off your debts and still living

1. Find out how much debt you have
2. Find out how much money a month you can put towards those debts
3. Do not take out credit cards
4. Stop spending on frivolous things- coffee at Starbucks or your choice of coffee house, clothes you don't need, drinks with friends, dinner dates.  Do those things at home.  It will save you TONS of money. 3.50 for a coffee 3x a week gives you $42 to put towards something more important.  Get a coffee maker and coffee from the grocery store.  It can  save you hundreds of dollars a year. 
5. Make the important decision to take care of your debts. 
6. Make a budget!!!!!!! it will help you figure out number 2. Here is a link to help you. Or try the bajillion on Pinterest. http://premeditatedleftovers.com/naturally-frugal-living/how-to-budget-people-hate-budgeting/

5 quick steps to stay healthy this fall.

Today is a new day. I was sick all weekend and yesterday with strep throat and an ear infection.  It was to the point that I needed to cancel my appointments on Friday evening so that I could go home and rest.  I saw the doctor on Saturday- who scolded me for not coming in sooner, which is why instead of having just an ear infection, I have an ear infection AND strep throat.  If you live in CO, watch out for this strep throat bug, it's going around.

The moral of the story is, you have to take care of yourself. If you feel sick, find a way to see a doctor or nurse practitioner.  I went to the Little Clinic inside King Soopers. I went right when they opened to avoid the lines and got seen immediately. The doctor was very kind and made sure I had the right medication to make me better.

We are coming to that time of the year when it is super important to take care of your health.  This means eating right, drinking enough fluids, and taking a multivitamin daily.  It will help you stay healthy. Also, no matter how good your immune system is, you can get sick. Do not wait 2 weeks like I did to seek medical attention.  Go when you first feel sick so that your sickness's do not compound upon one another.


5 quick steps to stay healthy this fall

1. Drink plenty of fluids
2. Work out for 20 minutes daily
3. Eat good food: fruits, veggies, grains, meats, dairy: snack on good things- not chips/chocolate
4. Take a multivitamin daily
5. Go see a medical professional if you feel ill

20 minutes for yourself + how to brew tea

I spend 98% of my day doing things for other people. I work crazy hours where I spend time helping people learn a new business, help people with any problems they are having in the business,and selling life insurance myself.  That's my 8 am-9 pm job.  Then when I get home, I help my boyfriend cook, clean, do laundry etc.  Taking time for myself is extremely hard.  I rarely have more than 20 minutes a day to myself. 

Taking that 20 minutes for myself is hard. There is always something else that I need to be doing for myself or for someone else. I am no better at saying NO to my bosses or my significant other than you probably are.  I have realized though,  that without my 20 minutes to myself daily, I become a really unpleasant person.  I have to be selfish with my time.  90% of the time, my 20 minutes occurs during my drive to and from work.  I put on a book and just drive. I try to let everything that has happened drift away for a little while.  I concentrate on the story and let the world fall away.  I don't mean to say that I don't concentrate on driving when I am driving.  I just let go of the thoughts of work, my to-do list, or what my significant other is thinking. It's 20 minutes of me time.

If you answer to more than 2 people(boss, spouse, kids etc) throughout your day, this message is for you.If you are constantly running around like a chicken with your head cut off, you are hurting yourself much more than you are helping yourself and others that you are responsible for. 

 Find time that you can take for yourself.  I know it's hard and it takes time away from other things.  Just try it.  And by try it I mean carve out 20 minutes per day on your calendar each day for the next 30 days to make it a habit. 

You can spend your 20 minutes doing anything that makes you happy.  Listening to music, working out, taking a long shower, reading a book, writing in a journal, doing Yoga, taking a power nap or just sitting in silence with a cup of tea or coffee: it's your time.  Do with it as you wish.

 

Since I like my 20 minutes to include tea...here is a great resource for how long to steep this wonderful, healthy beverage

 

I found my 20 minutes.  Now go find yours.