Monday, December 7, 2009

Christmas is not all about me...

Christmas is my favorite holiday. The gifts, the decorations, the closeness of family, and the cold weather is what makes Christmas great.

I’ll admit, almost every Christmas I tend to be a selfish person. Since I am the youngest in my family, I have been a spoiled brat and have always received what I wanted. This year, I wish to not be selfish and actually get my family what they want.

I am infatuated with designer clothes, shoes, and purses; and for some reason, I believe that my family wants the same thing. I am not selfish in the sense that I won’t buy them anything; I am selfish in the sense that I won’t buy them something they want. I love to shop, so when I do, I only go to stores I like.

Prior to Christmas, I usually drop hints of what I want. I have yet to do that this year because I don’t want my family to feel pressured into getting me something expensive. Instead, I have been trying to figure out what my family wants and staying far away from intertwining my interests with their interests.

I have been a victim many times of being in the mall and falling in love with something that I think someone else might like just because I like it. Last Christmas, I was in Nordstrom’s and I absolutely fell in love with a shiny Valentino shawl that I thought my mom would like. In reality, I loved it, and it was an item that would only fulfill my fashion appetite. I bought the shawl anyway, and on Christmas day my mom opened her gift to a surprisingly expensive piece of fabric that she had no use for. So what did I do? I kept the shawl for myself because I figured it would be a shame to return it. My mom was then left without a gift.

I offered to buy her something she wanted, but I believe she was angry at the fact that I never take the time to realize that what I want is not something everyone else would want.

Once I begin my Christmas shopping, I am going to stay away from all stores that I enjoy shopping at. I must say I am a bit of a shopaholic because everything I see, I must have, even if I am buying it for someone else. I have always had the belief that just because I like something, someone else will like it, but that is not the case. I guess I fulfill my need to shop when I buy someone else a gift of something I like. It seems as if I have never made anyone happy with the gifts that I buy or I how I react if they don’t buy me something I want.

Christmas is not just about receiving the material things, nor is it about who can buy the best gifts. In the end, spreading the holiday spirit is what really matters and seeing everyone happy should make me happy.

Monday, November 30, 2009

A Thanksgiving Frenzy

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I always await the turkey, the garlic mashed potatoes, the green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, but best of all, my crazy energetic and lively family.

The day started with my cousins coming up from Los Angeles. I was not surprised at all when my cousin Angel told us that she left her husband in L.A. because she no longer wanted to be with him. She has been trying to get away from him for the longest time and she used Thanksgiving as an excuse to leave L.A. Angel was only supposed to be visiting, but she brought plenty of things showing that she was here permanently (without her husband).

Later on that day, my grandmother was so happy about all the family getting together that she could hardly wait for everyone to show up. My grandmother lives right down the street from my parent’s house. She can barely see or walk anymore, but she still tried to make it over to my parent’s house on her own. The funny thing about it is, she did make it; however, she fell on the front porch because she couldn’t climb up the stairs. Next thing you know, my mom hears my dog Nala barking loudly. After Nala barked for about ten minutes, my mom finally went outside to see why she was barking. My grandmother was laid out on the front porch and my other dog Dooeny was trying to pick her up. Nala and Dooney are both pitbulls, but are extremely friendly. My grandmother has fallen many times and each time Nala and Dooney try to rescue her.

Once my mom finally picks my grandmother off the ground, she goes back into the house with my grandmother on her arm to find that the beans burned while she was outside. The smoke alarms in the house were going off like the crazy, both Nala and Dooney were acting like little terrors running up and down the stairs in the house and trying to find a way of getting a hold of the ham. My mom thought she was going to go crazy with the two over-energetic dogs and an elderly woman that can no longer hold her own. My mom finally got it together and settled everyone down.

If you thought everything was going to come together now, you were wrong. After my mom no longer cared about the beans she burned because all the other food came out just fine, the rest of my family started showing up to my parent’s house including Angel’s husband. How funny, she thought she could get away from him. I have no clue as to what happened between them, so I will leave that up to your imagination.

Next arrives the beer. Oh boy, here’s where things really get fun. Everyone grabs a beer and there begins the celebration of Thanksgiving drunkenness. Before anyone even has a bite to eat, they have already had about three beers. Next thing you know, everyone is up dancing and acting a fool. The music is going, the arguments between family are minimal, and the food is great.

What a great way to spend the holiday.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Desperate Housewives

Desperate may not even be the right word for the housewives that live on Wisteria Lane. Desperate Housewives is fun and amusing. If you a want wacky concoction of crime, jealousy, affairs, and lives that look like their perfect from the outside looking in mixed into a residential setting then Desperate Housewives is the right show for you.

“The Coffee Cup,” episode eight, is the most recent episode of Desperate Housewives of season six. Just like all other episodes of Desperate Housewives, episode eight was one that would definitely keep your eyes glued to the screen. Each episode of Desperate Housewives begins with a storyline. Episode eight began with a description of a neighborly setting. The Coffee Cup cafĂ© was shown at the beginning of the episode and was referred back to throughout the show.

There is always something new happening on Desperate Housewives. It’s either an affair or a sex crazed woman. This time it was both plus some. There are different scenes throughout the show that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

The episode begins with Julie bumping into Angie at the local coffee shop and attempts to engage in some small talk. Julie is having an affair with Angie’s husband and thinks that Angie does not know. Angie blatantly says to Julie, “I know you slept with my husband. So I’m thinking we’re past the chit-chat stage.” What a way to start a morning…

Another set of women that don’t like one another very much are Susan and Katherine. Susan was sentenced to community service for having shot Katherine on accident in a prior episode. Katherine stops by unannounced where Susan is picking up garbage and throws a drink on the ground for Susan to pick up. Susan gets Katherine busted for littering and now both women have community service. Did I mention that they’re both in love with the same man? Susan is married to Mike, but Katherine and Mike used to be together. It looks as if Katherine is finally going to let the drama go between them when she says, “It’s time to admit defeat. The man I love chose you.” Katherine then followed up and says that she will never find another man that will make love to her five times a day. Susan instantly freaked out because Mike had never done that with her and became a sex maniac every time she saw her husband Mike.

Desperate Housewives is an interesting portrayal of how housewives act. What if housewives were really just that bored and had crazy antics on a daily basis? The life of a housewife would no longer be seen as just staying home, taking care of the kids, cleaning, and doing laundry.

Tim Stack from Entertainment Weekly said, “Desperate Housewives has once again become a delightful romp after its last two iffy seasons.” The show has had its ups and downs from being good to being just awful. It is coming back together and is more enjoyable than ever.

Desperate Housewives is not like any other show, but dramatic wise I would definitely have to compare it to Cashmere Mafia. Even though Cashmere Mafia shows more women in the workforce and not really being at home, both shows show women having power and having control over most situations.

Desperate Housewives is interesting, comical, and dramatic. There is nothing more you can ask from a show.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Period.

Women have their periods. It’s nothing to be ashamed of ladies. It happens every month like clock work for most women, and quite honestly, is extremely annoying. Adding to the annoyance of a period is when men think they know everything about the menstrual cycle and blame everything on PMS (premenstrual syndrome).

Men can be just like periods. They can be annoying, cause aches and pains, cause headaches, cause anxiety or panic, cause confusion, cause poor judgment, cause depression, and low self-esteem. The funny thing about it is, a period only comes once a month for about 5 to 7 days and then leaves, but men seem to never want to disappear, even when you want them to.

The menstrual cycle has never been known to appear in the same “flow” every time. Women’s flows can differ from heavy, light, irregular, medium, happening bi-monthly, happening every month, happening four times a year, to just straight up non-existent. There is not such a thing as normal menstruation because every woman is different.

Just like the menstrual cycle differs from time-to-time in women, men also fall into the category of being different toward their women.

An irregular period might just be the most annoying period of them all because you never know when it’s coming and how it’s going to act. Is it going to be heavy or light? Maybe medium? An irregular man is the same way. Is he going to be heavy or light? Maybe medium? His presence will not be known until he arrives, just like an irregular period.

Even though women may hate their periods, they have to love their period when they know what to expect. A period that comes every month at the same time and is always the same is easy to handle. When men are not out of control and women know what to expect, then it’s easy sailing. What’s not to love from something that is expected and is controllable?

A heavy period is one that sits right up top with being the most annoying. Only the ladies can understand what we go through. It can be one of the biggest disturbances any woman can go through. Without getting too graphic, it sometimes seems like it will never stop. The heavy man can also become annoying. Just like a heavy period doesn’t a heavy man seem like he will never stop getting heavier no matter what you do. Tell him to stop eating, he won’t listen. Tell him to go work out, he won’t listen. He only wants to do what he wants to do and enjoy his cycle of life.

The light period is one that many women can enjoy. It is very low maintenance, inexpensive, and easy to manage. The light man is easy-going, headache-free, and controllable. Ahhh… The light man, what a blessing.

The life of the menstrual cycle can last for many years until menopause is present and then your period is terminated. The life of a man is present until you decide you want to terminate him.

Menopause will terminate a period when it feels like doing so. It can take many years for that to happen, but men can be terminated at any given moment.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Candace in the City

The real star of the HBO sitcom Sex and the City began as a columnist. Candace Bushnell began her career as a freelance journalist when she moved to New York City at the age of 19.

New York City is known as “the city that never sleeps.” Bushnell fit right into that category because she quickly picked up the title of “party-goer.” She frequently visited a well-known club in New York City called Studio 54; in which she mentions a lot throughout her columns.

When Bushnell first moved to NYC she sold a children’s story to Simon & Schuster, but it was never published. As any journalist probably experienced throughout their career, Bushnell struggled as a freelance journalist working for various publications for many years. Finally, in 1993, Bushnell started working for the New York Observer where her luck turned around. She created a spunky, sexy, and humorous column that appeared in the paper from 1994 through 1996 called Sex and the City.

The Sex and the City columns were based on Bushnell’s personal dating life and her friend’s dating experiences. In 1997 her columns were published in an anthology also called Sex and the City, and soon became one of the most watched HBO television series under the same name in 1998.

“When I first started writing the column, there were so many women who would come up to me and say: ‘This is me. This is about my life.’ You know, and no one has done it before. And I think that that’s what they’ve done really successfully with the TV series, is they made women feel like it’s about their lives,” Bushnell said.

Sex and the City, either the columns or the sitcom was not just got a good read or a good show to watch; it’s a lifestyle. Bushnell brought out the best in women. She presented empowerment and showed men as just being accessories in women’s lives.

Her columns were based on dating, sex, fashion, and power. The women in Sex and the City wore only designer clothing, lived in the best apartments and disposed of men at any discretion. They had biggest imagination when it came to sex, and any “girl talk” was accepted.

There’s nothing better than reading about real instances that happen in women’s lives. Bushnell wrote many pieces that pertained to sex. Her views on sexual experiences were humorous, but extremely true. Most women would have a hard time talking to anyone about what happens in their sex life, but Bushnell was not afraid to put everything out in the open.

Her funny and enticing columns led Bushnell to success. Sex and the City is one of the most watched HBO series. Sex and the City came to a grand finale in 2004, and became a successful motion picture in 2004.

Bushnell is currently still writing. She has written several books and had one turned into another sitcom called Lipstick Jungle. Lipstick Jungle only had 20 episodes; it was not very successful.

Bushnell’s life as a columnist brought her success and enjoyment. Her columns portrayed the life of women as fun, fashionable, and open.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Dig your Spoon into something new...

Let’s do it “The Big Spoon Way.” Frozen yogurt for breakfast is not anyone’s typical morning pick-me-up; however, it is quite delicious.

Upon entering Big Spoon Yogurt on J Street, a friendly employee handed out miniature cups for sample tasting and made everyone feel welcome. It’s a serve-yourself-type-of-place, but once the digging in begins there’s no stopping.

There is not much service involved in the Big Spoon Yogurt desert bar. Since everything is out in the open and attainable with spoons, cups, and handles there is no need for help. It’s probably better to serve yourself anyway because of the many choices involved. All flavors are right-in-your-face so it makes it fairly easy to grab anything and fill up to create a treat. Even though there is not much service involved, all the employees are pleasant and helpful. If anything is needed the employees are happy to help. Asking for anything is not a problem.

The process of make your own frozen yogurt treat begins with selecting a flavor of frozen yogurt. Big Spoon offers, peanut butter, raspberry, vanilla bean, original tart, very berry, and milk chocolate. All flavors are flavorful, so it makes it fairly difficult to choose just one! Choosing one flavor of frozen yogurt is not the most difficult task because there are many toppings that still need to be chosen. Decisions…. Decisions….

Once the frozen yogurt is picked, the next step is picking through the many toppings Big Spoon has to offer. There are soooooo many choices! Everyone has a different preference of what they like; at Big Spoon, there are over 75 flavorful toppings, so even the picky eater can find something.

The toppings range from gummy sharks, candy corn, yogurt chips, honey smacks, cheesecake bites, maraschino cherries teddy grahams, to cashews, cookies and cream, chocolate syrup and whip cream just to name a few.

After going through the many decisions of what flavors will partake in the taste bud explosion, simply take the cup to the register. At this point, the cup will be weighed and then the grand total will be announced. With so many choices of frozen yogurt and toppings, remember that it is 39 cents an ounce, so overloading the cup can add up.

After paying for the tasty treat there’s nothing left to do, but sit down and enjoy. The flavors are fresh and delightful. The rich tasting flavors of fruits, candy, syrup topping, and yogurt are suitable for an excellent desert. It doesn’t matter what time of the day it is, a frozen yogurt treat with toppings that can meet anyone’s expectations is great.

Big Spoon Yogurt is one of the best places to have desert. If frozen yogurt is a favorite then this place is THE place to be. The atmosphere is fun and colorful and is topped off by bright lighting. Everything that is wanted out of a yogurt place is at Big Spoon Yogurt. Bursting flavors, bright lighting, colorful artwork, and cheerful employees is what desert is all about.

Desert time just got better.

Monday, October 19, 2009

The significance of a bra...

Men and bras are pretty similar. Some give support, others don’t. Comparing men to bras is a compelling, yet a funny thought. How can the two possibly be similar? Let’s find out…

Bras were first developed in the 1920s. They were simply undergarments that were supposed to provide support for women’s breasts. Now there are many kinds, and somehow men can easily be compared to them.

Let’s start out with the training bra. The training bra is designed for pre-teen girls who are in the early stages of breast development. The cups come without underwire support, and helps girls become accustomed to wearing a bra. Men have to be trained. Women usually train men them into how they want them, until they can move to the next stage. Once they start maturing it is safe to say that they can move up from the training portion.

Sports bras are made for active women who engage in physical exercise. The bras are supposed to fit comfortably. Now don’t most men like sports and like to sit comfortably watching them? Many men can sit for hours after hours watching sports. Some ladies do not enjoy sports, while others do. For the ladies who do not like sports, watching sports can get annoying. Once Monday night football comes around, a lot of ladies can become irritated because all eyes are on football.

The minimizer bra is one that may not be worn by many women. It is commonly sought out by large-breasted women who wish to reduce the appearance of their breasts by a cup size or two. It’s funny to think that some women wish to not only minimize the size of their breasts, but also the size of their men. Women may not tell their boyfriends that they are becoming large and they need to do something to stop it because they are too big. There’s not some type of body bag women can put over their boyfriend’s to reduce their size, but at least if their breasts are too big they can use a minimizer bra to adjust that problem.

Built-in bras are extremely convenient. They are built into clothing, so another bra doesn’t need to be worn. Some men are simply just convenient to women. There is one thing men rather not hear; that they are being used. Believe it or not, some women do use men to get what they need, which makes them extremely convenient just like a built-in bra.

The padded bra is one that many women use because it adds volume to their breasts. Many men may wish that there was some type of padding they can use. Hmmm…. The unmentionable won’t be mentioned, but there are many enhancement products on the market that are made for men. Too bad they just can’t throw on a padded bra and appear to be enhanced.

Bras and men. Who would have ever thought the two can be compared? Believe it or not, it has come to make a lot of sense.