Not Your Typical Scavenger Hunt ;)

Hi Guys!

Ok, I found a great "feel good" activity online that I urge you to do with your family or a friend. 
Below are the list of things you need to do our find.  Some of these might seem meaningless or "dumb", but I truely think that once you have completed each part of the hunt, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment and just happy.  Let me know how it goes!!

• Find a photo of when you were happy or acting silly
• Clip a headline that mentions a woman making the news in science, math or politics
• Sing your favorite song lyric
• Unearth a favorite birthday card you received
• Write a thank-you note to a parent, mentor or teacher
• Call a relative you haven’t spoken to in a while
• Perform a random act of kindness
• Give someone a compliment in person, face-to-face
• Discover an interesting fact about your parent(s) that you didn’t know before
• Ask a parent, mentor or teacher what life was like when they were your age.

I Hope You Dance

Leanne Wolmack's song "I hope you dance" is one of my mom's favorite songs.  When ever it's on the radio, she cranks it up and belts the lyrics.  When this song first came out, I found it to be so annoying!  I was about 8 or 9 and I thought the song was so over played and the lyrics were so corny.  It wasnt until I grew up that I realized how important the lyrics are.  When she says "If you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance", she is saying to jump on opportunities that come your way.  Dont let the voice in the back of your head talk you out of doing something because you think you will look dumb.  Dont just do what everyone else does, be an individual and find that thing that makes you unique and cool.  You will feel more fufilled with yourself if you do what you want to do because it makes you happy then following what everyone else does because you are afraid to be different. 

Surprising Self Esteem Statistics

Hi Guys,

I found some really concerning statistics!  Check them out below, do they bother you too?  Why do you think these statistics are so high?  These statics are from Dove's Research: The Real Truth About Beauty:
Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful (up from 2% in 2004)

• Only 11% of girls globally are comfortable using the word beautiful to describe themselves

• 72% of girls feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful

• 80% of women agree that every woman has something about her that is beautiful but do not see their own beauty

• More than half (54%) of women globally agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critic

The last statistic is one I think we can all relate too at some point in our lives.  There will always be some feature on our bodies we wish we could change.  As a result girls run out to spend thousands of dollars on cosmetic surgery, but the surgery will never fix how you feel about yourself.  You have to learn to accept and be happy with the way you were made.  Im still learning how to do this. ;)

In Honor of Whitney Houston

Hi Everyone,

The other day, I decided to download some Whitney Houston songs.  I was having one of those days where I just wanted to sing as loud as I could so I thought some Whitney songs would be perfect.  While srolling through itunes, I came across a song I hadn't heard before.  It was called "The Greatest Love of All".  I assumed that it would be a cheezy love song, but it was the total opposite.  The lyrics of the song urge us to learn to love ourselves.  They tell us to pass this type of confidence to other generations.  The lyrics are really beautiful and are very relevant to this blog.  I have posted the music video below.  Try to look past the 1980's music video and just listen to these lyrics; maybe you will enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Good Mood Food

I dont know about you, but when I'm having a bad day I cant wait to go home and eat some of my favorite comfort foods.  The thought of gooey mac & cheese and chocolatey brownies instantly put a smile on my face.  What about you? What comfort foods do you like to eat on those days when you feel like getting into bed, pullng the covers over your head, and just shut the world out?  I decided to do some investigating on what types of foods actually put people in good moods.  What I found may shock you because this list does not include hot fudge sundaes or my gooey mac & cheese!

10. Swiss Chard -Swiss Chard is high in magnesium; lower levels of magnesium in your body can lead to symptoms of depression

9.  Blue Potatoes- These potatoes are high in antioxidants

 

8.  Mussels- Mussels havehigh amounts of Vitamin B12, Selenium, Iodine, protein, and Zinc. The Iodine helps to support the thyroid gland, which helps regulate our mood.

 

7.  Dark Chocolate-  Dark chocolate improves the blood-flow to the brain, and provides an instant boost in concentration and mood, helping you to feel more energetic and vibrant.

6.  Greek Yogurt- Greek yogurt helps a person’s brain by causing it to release happiness-inducing neurotransmitters

 5.  Asparagus-  Asparagus has high levels of folate and tryptophan (low levels of tryptophan lead to depression)

4.   Honey-   Honey is far better than regular sugar. Honey contains kaempferol and quercetin, which helps to prevent depression

 

3.  Cherry Tomatoes-  All tomatoes have lycopene. Lycopene fights inflammation in the brain

2.  Eggs-  Eggs contain Zinc, Vitamin B, Iodine, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and protein. Not only can eggs keep you energized, they can also keep you full longer!

1.   Coconuts-  Coconuts contain triglycerides. Medium-chain triglycerides are special fats that fuel better moods and promote general brain-health

**Pictures and Nutrition Information were found on http://listverse.com/2012/03/28/10-foods-to-make-you-happier/

The Boost Book

While exploring my new favorite website, Dove.com, I came across a brilliant project idea....(Drum Roll...) a BOOST BOOK! Basically what you do is find a note book, any kind of notebook, and paste some of your favorite pictures in it, pictures that make you laugh and smile and remember the better days of your sometimes crazy and hectic life.  Write in your favorite quotes, post pics of your favorite singers, actresses, you family , basically the people who inspire you the most.  You can use it however you want but remember this is a POSITIVE place for you, so avoid writing those sad or frustrating memories (save those for another book ) ;).  This is place for you to go when you are feeling blue.  Let me know how this turns out!

Ads and Culture

For those of you who think that this is a harmless Victoria Secret's ad, you would be wrong! In fact, it is because of images like this one, that entire culture has been  negatively impacted. 

For the past several years the Fijian culture has been greatly influenced by western media.  I came across an article from Harvard News that discussed how in the Fijian culture, food is a sign of wealth and the larger you are (man or woman) the more you are respected in their culture. However, due to the consumption of Western TV shows and other media, the younger generations of women are altering their appearances to form to the women they see in their TV shows.  According to the article, "In 1995, without television, the girls in Fiji appeared to be free of eating disorders common in the West.  But by 1998, after just  a few years of sexy sop operas and seductive commercials, 11.3% of adolescent girls reported they at least once had purged to lose weight,"(Ireland, 2009).

I want you to be aware of the tricks advertisers use to make these ads attractive to viewers.  I want you to see these gorgeous women with their perfect bodies and perfect hair and be able to say to your self "THIS ISN'T REAL!" Yes these women are on the slimmer side in real life, but thanks to air brushing they can become breathtaking super models.  It is important to know that these size 2-0 women are apart of the very small population of women around the world and that the images you see in magazines and on TV do not accurately represent women areound the world.  This image does not define beauty, you define beauty!