Category Archives: Random Thoughts
Trying to Disconnect in a Technological World
Call me old fashioned, but I would much rather read a physical paper book than a book on my iPad. I would rather flip the pages of a paper magazine than read it on a screen. Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPad and use my computer quite often, but sometimes it gets to be a little too much. We watch TV shows and movies on a screen, text and tweet on a screen, shop online looking at a screen, and pretty much live our whole lives through technology, and now you want me to read books/magazines with it too? Sometimes I just want to unplug and live a moment free from technology. Staring at screens all day gives me a headache and makes me feel yucky. Besides, there is something about flipping the pages of a book or magazine that is so much more appealing than reading words on a screen. I feel like you have more control with a physical paper book and you can see the whole picture at once without having to zoom in/out or scroll about. Even though tablets and e-readers are small and easy to travel with, I sometimes feel more comfortable with a book. For one, no one is going to steal it, if I drop it or spill something it really isn’t a big deal, and the outside light doesn’t make a book hard to read.
Light Up Lives With Positive Encouragement
You know the saying misery loves company? Well, misery isn’t the only one, trouble loves it too. If you are going to do something “bad” or cause some sort of chaos, you never want to do it alone, right? You always need a partner in crime to go down with you. It is as if we feel that as long as someone else is doing it with us, we won’t feel as guilty. But really all we are doing is encouraging others to do wrong.
What We Can Learn From The Birds
I love watching and taking pictures of birds. They are so beautiful to watch, and we can learn a thing or two from the birds. I have plenty of pictures to share, but for now I will add just a few.
Find Inspiration in The World Around You
Here are some photos I have taken with some quotes that I like. All the photos were taken by me and the quotes I have read somewhere at one point.
What’s All The Hype About?
There are a few random, unrelated things that seem to have a lot of people excited and I am not too sure why. Of course I first want to say that if something makes you excited, that is awesome, I am in no way trying to convince you otherwise. I am just stating my opinion in order to find out if anyone feels the same way. Discussion is always a good thing. So let’s begin.
Too Many 3D Movies
Does anyone else find it slightly irritating that every movie seems to be in 3D now? Don’t get me wrong, I think the technology is awesome, but that doesn’t mean we need to make every single movie like that. I saw Avatar in 3D because of the beautiful graphics and colors, but most of the time I would just rather watch movies in their normal version. I already wear glasses so I don’t exactly want to wear 2 pairs of glasses haha. Sometimes I think it just takes away from the movie. For instance, one of the Resident Evil movies was in 3D and it seemed a little ridiculous, as if they had to exaggerate the actor’s movements in certain scenes in order to make them “pop out” in 3D. I think it works great for cartoon kid’s movies and things that may have extraordinary graphics, but it doesn’t seem to fit for everything. But I guess if they can make money creating 3D versions they will keep doing it. So as long as they don’t stop offering a regular 2D version, I can’t complain.
When I was looking for a picture for this post I stumbled upon glasses that turn 3D movies back into 2D. It would probably be a better idea just to go to the 2D showing instead of wearing glasses at the 3D version in order to see it in 2D lol, sounds confusing. I guess they would come in handy if everyone you went to the movie with wanted to see it in 3D except you. Or if they stop making a 2D version. I just thought it was interesting. You can find the article about the glasses here at gizmag.com. So what about you, Do you prefer to watch movies in 3D?
IKEA is Overrated
image source
Everyone seems to be obsessed with IKEA and I don’t understand why. Yes, they offer a large array of merchandise at cheap prices, but none of it is anything spectacular. In fact, it is all pretty much junk, which is why it is so cheap. I’m not against IKEA, some items are worth purchasing there, but I wouldn’t say it is the best store ever (as many people make it out to be).
For example, I bought a wardrobe closet from IKEA for my room, since my closet is very small and I needed more space for my huge collection of clothes. I knew going into it that IKEA made very cheap furniture, but if I didn’t have thousands of dollars to spend, IKEA was really the only place I could find one. So I took my chances and ended up paying around $500 (which was still pricey for me). Well, you are supposed to assemble it while lying it on its side first and then pick it up to finish building it. Well, since it is so crappy, the thing starts cracking and breaking in the process of picking it up. In order to make it stable we had to drill brackets and more screws all over it. It would have just fallen apart completely if we were to build it as the instructions said. It has worked just fine now that it is put together, but I doubt it would be able to be moved from here.
Besides it being cheap, it makes me claustrophobic! Once you are in the store it is like being in a huge maze. Even though there are shortcuts throughout the store, I feel like I am trapped since there are no windows. Plus, it is always so crowded, which doesn’t help.
So why do people find it so amazing? Please fill me in because I just don’t get it.
Call Me Maybe Won’t Go Away
call me maybe song versus the movie Taken- image source
I’m sure I am not the only one so please tell me you relate. That call me maybe song gets on my nerves! I have managed to get it stuck in my head a few too many times and just don’t understand the fascination with the song. It has become so popular lately and there are videos all over YouTube and on television using that song. I would put a link to it for reference, but if you haven’t already heard it I’ll spare you. Although, I doubt you have been able to escape that song, but if you have, consider yourself lucky. What do you think about the song and the hype surrounding it?
A Few of My Favorite Things
There are many products that I love and I wanted to share just a few with everyone.
My favorite conditioner, face scrub, hand soap, body wash and razor
1. Lavender Vanilla Hair Conditioner from Bath & Body works
They don’t sell this anymore, unfortunately, but it makes my hair smell so good. I’m pretty sure they still have this scent, but not in conditioner.
2.Apricot and White Tea face scrub from Bath & Body works
This scrub smells so delicious and feels great on my face. I stocked up on these when they went on sale.
3. Lemon Pomegranate Pop hand soap from Bath & Body works
This scent smells so delicious! I think I bought this last summer and shortly afterward they didn’t carry the scent anymore. It is now summer again so I’m hoping they will bring it back.
4. So Sexy hair conditioner from Victoria’s Secret
I love how this conditioner makes my hair smell. They sell shampoo too, but since they are so expensive I just use the conditioner.
5. Pink organic Shea Butter body wash from Victoria’s Secret
I bought this when it was on sale and ended up really liking it. it has a refreshing smell that is nice when you don’t want something so perfumey.
6.Intuition razor by Schick
I have used intuition razors ever since they came out and love them.
- my favorite perfume, mascara, eyebrow liner, and nail polish
1. DKNY perfume – Be Delicious, green bottle
I LOVE this perfume and sadly my bottle is now empty. One time I was in an elevator and the guy next to me asked what my perfume was called because it smelt so good. I’ve never gotten a compliment on any other perfume before so I’d say it’s pretty good.
2. Essie Nail Polish – color: no more film
I like all different types of nail polish, but this one goes on nicely and looks great. It still chips like most, but it lasts a little bit longer. I have only tried this color so far, but they have other great colors to choose from.
3. Avon Pro Brow Enhancer
I never used to wear brow liner or did anything to my eyebrows (other than pluck/wax them), but I tried this one day and loved it. It is a liquid that you brush through your eyebrows and makes them look great. The liquid actually looks like your real eyebrow hair, sounds weird, but it’s great. The only thing is it doesn’t last very long if you use it often.
4. Maybelline XXL Pro Extensions Mascara
I have tried many different mascaras and so far this is my favorite. It is doubleended, one side is white and the other black. The white you put on first and it adds “extensions” to your lashes, and then you put the black over it. It makes my lashes look longer than any other mascara and never clumps. Most mascara I have used makes my lashes clump together which I hate and this works much better.
my favorite cookies, muffin mix, and chocolate
1. Peppermint crunch cookies from Archer Farms
These cookies are Target Brand and were sold there during Christmas time. When they went on sale afterward, my mom and I bought a bunch of these after we tried how amazing they were. Unfortunately they were a seasonal item, and will probably not be coming back, but at least we stocked up. They sort of remind me of a much better version of girl scout thin mints.
2. Ghiradhelli double chocolate muffins
I like baking sweets from scratch, but sometimes you don’t feel like doing all that work. So when I’m in the mood for some delicious chocolate muffins, I always go to this Ghiradhelli box mix. I bought them at my local grocery store, but sometimes they are not always available. These really are pretty good though.
3. Hills Bros White Chocolate Caramel cappuccino mix
I love coffee and bought this one day just to try it. It makes a decent instant cappuccino, but what I really like to do is add it to my coffee for extra flavor.
4. Dove chocolate – dark
Sometimes I just want a little dark chocolate and my go-to is Dove. I usually buy a bag of these to keep around in case I need a chocolate fix. I find that these taste much better than Hershey chocolate.
If you really want to try some amazing chocolate, go get yourself one of these Chocolove bars with dark chocolate, dried cherries and almonds. They used to carry these at Target, but now I have to venture over to Whole Foods or the Fresh Market if I want one now. They are pricey (I think it is $3 and change for one bar), but so worth it! They were recently on sale for $2.50. So delicious!
What are your favorite products?
The Strange Things in Life
Ever ask the question, why would someone do that? There are many things in life I just don’t understand or weird experiences I have had that just didn’t make sense. Here are a few I have witnessed.
1. Men and Their Awkward Driving Positions
I am not sure if anyone can relate to this, but I will be sitting at a stoplight and notice the person in front of me (who is driving alone) has their arm on the passenger seat. It is always a man and is almost always driving a pick-up truck. I see this all the time! And they don’t just do it while sitting at the stoplight, but actually drive with their arm on the chair. That just seems uncomfortable to me. Why do they do that? The only picture I could find for this is of Ryan Gosling from the movie Drive (which I haven’t seen btw). I also notice people (also usually men) driving with their left arm out the window as they drive. I would just feel awkward if I did that. Maybe it is some kind of a masculine thing I just don’t understand. Feel free to fill me in if you are one of the people who does this.
2. Storing food in the microwave
I know this is a common thing, I have seen many people do it before. But to me it just seems weird. We never stored food in our microwave so it is not normal to me. I can understand why people do it, I mean we store things in our oven (pans and bakeware). But I guess it is just one of those things, if you never grew up doing it, you can’t see yourself ever picking it up. The microwave just seems like such a small place for storage and it gets used more than an oven, so you have to keep taking out whatever you are storing each time you use it. Does anyone else find this weird or am I alone on this one?
3. Squirrels and Birds crossing the road
Have you ever been driving and a squirrel comes running across the road? You think by the time you get close enough to hit them they will be done crossing (since they are going pretty fast), but no of course not. By the time you get to them they just stop in the middle of the road and then go right back the way they came instead of crossing. Why don’t they just finish crossing real fast? And birds do similar things. Even though they can fly high in the sky, when they cross the road they decide to fly just low enough for you to hit them. I guess they aren’t very smart. I have hit a bird before, and it is not a very pleasent experience. In a matter of a week or 2 I remember I had hit a bird, my mom hit a bird while I was in the car with her and then again with my friend! I was slightly tramatized. Poor little birds 😦 At least I have never hit a squirrel before.
4. Barking at dogs
I have only noticed guys doing this, but sometimes I will walk my dog and someone will walk or drive by and bark at us. Really? Did you just bark at me? And then of course my dog starts barking back and gets all worked up. It is so annoying! Why do people do that? Not to mention it is pretty weird. I couldn’t imagine myself barking at someone. It is not just young boys, grown men will do it too. I have yet to witness a girl or woman barking, I’m hoping that will never happen.
Do you have any strange things to add to this list? Maybe you can help clarify why these things happen.
image source: twscritic.com and autos.aol.com
Hookahs: Are They Bad For You?
I have heard people say before that smoke from a hookah is harmless and is nothing like smoke from a cigarette because it is “filtered by water.” When I first heard this information, I was not only skeptical, but I was not about to take anyone’s word for it without doing research first. Of course I had no intention on smoking from a hookah regardless, but I’m just the type of person that wants to understand these things (especially if my friends are taking part in something without understanding the dangers of it). I found out pretty much what I had suspected initially. Hookahs are not any better than smoking a cigarette, in fact they can be worse. This water filtration system that some people think takes out all the toxins in the tobacco, only filters out less than 5% of nicotine. But it still leaves tar and other cancer-causing chemicals intact. So if you have ever used a hookah or have thought about doing so, just know this first.
- A one hour hookah session produces 200 times more smoke than one cigarette and is said to be equivalent to smoking one pack of cigarettes.
- There is less nicotine in the smoke from a hookah compared to a cigarette, but since a typical hookah session lasts around 45 minutes, you end up taking in more nicotine (compared to 5 minutes smoking a cigarette).
- A hookah session emits 8x the amount of carbon monoxide and 36x the amount of tar than one cigarette.
- Since it contains nicotine, it has the potential to become addictive. (physically and mentally)
- Since it has all the bad toxins that cigarettes have, you can develop similar conditions that smokers can get including lung, oral and bladder cancer, clogged arteries, and heart disease.
- Even if you spend time in a hookah bar and DON’T smoke, you can still breathe in the harmful chemicals from the second hand smoke in the air.
I am in no way an expert and cannot prove that these statements are in fact accurate; I have just read different articles about the issue. But it should be common knowledge that smoking anything isn’t very healthy for you. I share this information so that anyone who believes hookahs are harmless will think twice. If you want to damage your lungs and smoke chemicals you have the right to do so, but don’t encourage others by giving them false information.
And if you take nothing else from this article, at least learn this: Don’t ever make decisions based on someone’s word (especially important decisions like your health) you should always take the time to research things before believing it and then spreading it around.
picture above: taken and edited by me
information sources: nytimes.com, cnn.com, thehookahlounge.org, mayoclinic.com
photo source: flikr.com
Nature Snapshots
It’s been raining a lot lately and the snails have been out. I’m not sure why, but I have always loved snails. Did you know that garden snails have both male and female reproductive organs? This is not true for all types of snails (I think only garden). I am not sure what type this is, but either way I have always been fascinated by that fact. Here are some pictures of snails and other forms of nature that I captured over the weekend.
And of course I had to throw in my baby, Ted! He likes to observe the nature with me. He especially likes lizards and squirrels.
A Weekend Visitor
My best friend went away for the weekend so her dog, Anna, stayed over our house for 3 days. Whenever my friend comes over she brings Anna along, so it didn’t take her long to feel at home, although I can tell she missed her mommy! I took some pictures of her and our other dogs to show how they spent the weekend. Anna is a white boxer, Teddy is a tan mini poodle, and Rocky is a black mini schnauzer.
Enjoying a nice walk in the neighborhood.
It is time for a rest after that long walk.
Group shot!
instillari 
