How I Hacked Winter Studying
Yet again I find myself studying in the winter, a girl who grew up knowing two seasons; the humidly hot rainy season and the dry, even-hotter harmattan season.
I foresee many more scholarly winters in my future. Winter, if you ask me should be a season where we all hibernate like bears; cuddle up in caves, metabolism low as heck, drink tea (or whatever bears drink) and file our nails....but again no one has asked me.
While we all wait for me to be asked, I have tried to make my winter studying as conducive for success as possible. My winter study kit includes (and I want you to picture as I list them): a cup of tea, a blanket, my socks, huge sweater, lounge pants, hot water bottle, my books/laptop, my bed and a pillow. If you have envisioned this study-kit properly, you'll conclude that chances are that I'm going to study for 5 minutes and then fall asleep until 6 AM, then I'd wake up angrily and start study again.....and you are right. Winter studying is a pain.
So how did I hack it? It was pretty easy. It was through the unintentional help of two of my friends.
I had told these two on separate occasions about my 5 minute study and snooze situation. They jokingly advised me with the best study hack ever, winter or not. The interesting thing was hearing the same suggestion from two different minds. They said the next time I snoozed 5 mins into studying, I should tape my tuition receipt to my desk....as a friendly-ish reminder. It cracked me up, still does whenever I think about it but they had a very valid point. A reminder that tuition has been paid for your endeavors either by a parent, guardian or yourself does give you a kick in the bum. It gives even a harder kick when it's a loan. I taped my tuition receipt to my desk and it helped me through a cold, windy winter. Bet i'd do it again soon. So thank you guys, you helped me hack winter studying!
What's in your study kit? Have you hacked winter studying? Tell us how!
Love, Angels and Grunts
"Don't give people advice once they fall in love. Give it before." That's what one of my older friends says.
We all know people are very irrational when it comes to love, so once a person keeps coming back to you with the same problem, same complaints, same situation, same bruise(different eye), you need to grunt and be done with it.
No point trying to "speak sense" into anyone who is in the skies above, floating on heart-shaped clouds with harp-playing angels. Though the Angels have also wondered and probably asked her about the black eye from last week and the inverted bruise this week. They asked what she's doing up, up here on the clouds still, naturally she must have replied them with the ".....but I love him" statement, so the Angels grunt and play on.
No one really listens to you when you advice them to leave someone they think they are in love with. They usually come to the realization themselves and not because someone told them to. This happens in time or sometimes never at all; sometimes they remain with the bruise-giver for life. As a friend, be ye not irritable if she knocks on your door and stumbles in with a tear-streaked face, sits on your sofa and asks for the umpteenth time, "Should I leave him?", she's crying yet again, using up all your tissues, just like she did last week. And the week before. (This is why you tactfully bought her some handkerchiefs for her birthday).
Even though it's eating you up inside and you want to shake some sense into her, show her a mirror and scream "Yes!" in all 7000+ languages (with the angels as backup voices), just grunt. Seriously, don't bother. #JustGrunt
P.s: If you need to ask someone if you need to leave some guy, you already know the answer. Grunt.
What are your thoughts on grunting? Would you keep advising or would you grunt in chorus with the Angels?
99 ways (plus one) to Fall in Love All Over Again
Don't wait for valentine's day to figure out new ways to love your other half! Start today with these 99 pretty great tips!
- Go on regular date nights
- Be best friends!
- Write his name on lipstick on the bathroom mirror (sigh, which you will later have to clean...yourself)
- Revitalize the romance with intimate dates
- Pray together
- Hide notes in secret places
- Go to bed at the same time (unless you are studying)
- Listen to music together-share earbuds
- Send him on a scavenger hunt in the house
- Buy him gifts he will love
- Write him letters
- Hide a treat in his glovebox or desk at work
- Read the Bible together
- Wear shirts that tell the world you love your spouse
- Praise your spouse to other people
- Let them overhear you
- Read a marriage devotional
- Porn-proof your home
- Sleep in his t-shirts
- Look to him to make the big decisions
- Let her make the smaller ones
- Don’t nag him (nagging kills, no joke)
- Put down the toilet seat, pick up your socks for her
- Renew your vows privately with whispers and memories
- Renew them publicly with cake and bubbly
- Fight naked (with caution, ahem)
- Tell him you like him
- Receive his compliments (believe him when he says you are beautiful. Death to modesty for the moment)
- Pick your battles
- Show her you love her and tell him you respect him
- Go away together at least once a year
- Frame your wedding vows
- Hang pictures of the two of you around your house
- Kiss in front of your kids
- Make his favorite dessert
- Have pictures of just the two of you made
- Make sex a priority
- Spend time apart occasionally(and enjoy it)
- Learn to enjoy something he loves
- Surprise each other
- Meet him at the door
- Text each other from across the room
- Be accountable to each other
- Set reminders on your phone to remember him/her throughout the week
- Call him right now and tell him you appreciate him
- Be affectionate
- Leave work and come home early
- Wash, vacuum her car. Keep it full of gas.
- Give each other romantic coupons
- Engage every day in meaningful conversation
- Compliment each other
- Touch your spouse several times throughout the day
- Take one day a month to make your spouse your total focus
- Let each other sleep in
- Be spontaneous!
- Argue fair: avoid these words “you always” and “you never”
- Kiss every day
- Find tangible ways to serve your mate without complaining
- Forgive quickly
- Be honest.
- But not hurtful
- Get on the same page: plan your budget together
- Look your best as often as you can
- Guard your marriage
- Get out of debt (and stay out)
- Laugh together
- Have a date night in
- When your together-BE TOGETHER (take a break from phones, technology, etc)
- Talk about your favorite memories together
- Tell him he’s sexy just because
- Tell her she’s pretty, especially when she’s not feeling it
- Make him breakfast in bed
- Do her chores for her
- Get a couple’s massage or host your own privately
- Read a book out loud together
- Dance together-soft music (alone) or rocking music with the kids
- Bring her/him a favorite drink during the middle of the day
- Exercise together-hikes, bike riding, etc
- Choose not to be annoyed by an irritating behavior/disappointment
- Tell him a secret he doesn’t know about you
- Thank your spouse just because, often
- Sit on the same side of a booth at a restaurant
- Lay in bed together and stare into each other eyes, without talking
- Learn something new together-take an art class, cooking lessons, etc
- Leave a sweet comment on the Facebook wall
- Teach your kids about marriage
- Stop what you’re doing, look them in the eye and listen to their answer
- Create art together
- Support each other’s goals
- Know when to talk and when to hush
- Consider counseling (even if there isn't conflict)
- Doodle his name
- Bring her flowers (even when she says they are too expensive)
- Wear something he loves
- Share furniture-sit in his lap
- Work out together (massages right after)
- Plan fun throw-back dates
- Fight for your marriage
- Remember your spouse rocks-even when they don’t
Have a great weekend xx
No other picture depicts love quite like this. I see this in my future....like tomorrow-future.....
This list was sourced from wearethatfamily.com but has been edited considerably. My modifications are in italics and completely off the subject, the picture to the right (or above) is #100. Make this for him/her this weekend and watch all 99 fall into place. If you have any great tips, please remember to comment below!
Have a great weekend!
The Secret of the Unengaged Bride-to-be
4 years before Ed proposed, I went on a mock wedding dress hunt with my sister. It was entirely her idea and i had all the possible imaginable reservations about it. For one, I didn't want to be the "crazy" lady who made wedding dress appointments and wasn't engaged......... but then again, why let all the "crazy" people have all the fun! So I booked an appointment with a local wedding store, over the phone, avoiding the question "When is your wedding?" ever so skillfully with a grunt, an "a-hem" and the word "Soon." At the appointment, the woman was definitely really, really interested in the date of the wedding, so i said it was "inconclusive" for now. I guess at this point she really just thought i WAS the crazy lady who made wedding dress appointments and wasn't engaged; the one her manager always told her about.
In retrospect, i think this was the most important part of my wedding dress hunt adventure. From the trip, I was able to understand what styles looked best on me; I knew I preferred mermaid gowns and off-shoulder neck styles (I always thought i'd be a Cinderella ball-gown-kinda girl). I knew lace it was and always would be. I knew my veil had to be a statement. I also became aware that sometimes when you don't know what you want some style managers try to force dresses on you. It was a real eye-opener for me ......and an eye-slanter for the suspicious style manager.
How to pull this off...
Let's get it out there; yes, you do require some level of nuttiness for this escapade and who isn't a little nutty, huh? Apart from the benefits of acquired knowledge, it might also set things into motion if you tell your almost-fiancé about the appointment (not with the intention to manipulate him into proposing but just so he's aware and doesn't stumble on your photos one day on your dropbox account and has a heart attack); might get him thinking about the next move too.
You can make it a girls' outing! Get a couple of your girlfriends, engaged or not and do a mock hunt (each of you could book appointments in different stores to avoid being thrown out into the streets, after buying absolutely nothing). My friend, Eki and I did it once on Oxford street. We ran around in the rain, ducking into shops soaking wet, much to the dismay of the preppy shop assistants. Then we ate street crêpes in-between the appointments and after it all, ended up in wasabi eating a spicy bowl of sweet chili chicken bento while flipping through photos of the dresses on our phones. Fun!
It helped me streamline my wedding dress hunt. I also went for my real fitting very informed and confident. I knew exactly what I wanted which made the job easier for me and my style manager. Not knowing what you want is the bane of every wedding-dress style manager's existence. I got a lot of "Thank God! You know what you want! That's impressive!" remarks.
If only knowing what i wanted got me a discount, lol.
It also gets you thinking about themes, flowers, your hair and jewelry. It gets you planning a shopping budget and helps with being realistic with the numbers. Best of all, it's fun and a great way to spend an afternoon with your girlfriends without looking like the lone crazy woman who tries on dresses.
Now when you start taking photos like this with no intentions of buying anything, you probably will get thrown out! Lol! Thank you Eki for letting me use this photo. mmuah!
What are your thoughts on mock hunts? Do you know what styles you would like? Share with a friend who is nuts enough to try this with you...and then book some appointments!
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