I have always been the type of person that goes with the flow.  Having some sort of plan for my whole life just never appealed to me when I was younger, and it does not appeal to me now.  I know that what is meant to happen will happen.  Of course I have some friends who are the exact opposite.  They set out to have all sorts of things accomplished by certain ages and points in life.  For example, my best friend decided that she would be married at 23, in a house at 25, and pregnant at 27.  That was her plan.  When the plan did not quite work out to that extent she was heartbroken.  Why do people set themselves up for that sort of failure?  Mainly, why do most women set themselves up for that?

So, for all of you with a plan of specific ages, dates, 0r points in life where you should have a certain thing by that time I say lose that way of thinking.  When you are ready, it will happen, but in the mean time you might be focusing so much time and energy into your plans that you miss out on all that is going on around you.  Take a minute to relax and enjoy life! Have barbecues with your friends, make wings using hot sauce planet hot sauce and enjoy! Most of you might be like my friend, and I can just picture you asking “well, how do you know it’s time?”

I guess the fact is that you never can be sure when exactly it is time.  I do know that if you are waiting to be married or have kids when you have a certain amount of money in the bank, then you probably will not ever get married or have kids.  The more you let money be a deciding factor, the more money you are going to think you need to get started.  So instead of focusing on how you will know, focus on things that might hold you back without you realizing it.  Everything else will fall into place.

This year is the first year I will be hosting the family Christmas party, and needless to say it has left me a little flustered.  Maybe the fact that my sweet husband has insisted we cook a standing rib roast on the grill instead of in the oven or maybe it’s because the nieces and nephews are even more difficult to buy gifts for year after year.  Whatever the reason, I am a bit stressed.  This has caused me to forget some fairly important things, like gifts.  Obviously, I’m not perfect and so I have to trek out into the craziness that is the day before Christmas Eve and stock up on some last minute gifts for those surprise gift givers and more.  Here’s my game plan for those last minute gifts.

• Wine is a thoughtful and sincere gift, unless the person does not drink.  I will be grabbing a few bottles to pre-wrap and give to those I know would appreciate it.  Buy red and white just in case you know whether or not the person likes one in particular, otherwise just hand over a bottle of either.
• Gift cards are so easy, and people love them.  I get a few for places like the grocery store or even gas cards.  Everyone eats and most people have cars, so why not?
• For all those neighbors or friends my plan is to bake them some yummy holiday treats.  Cookies and bars are tasty and a great way to create a gift that will be enjoyed.

Let me know what your last minute gift ideas are, as I would love to hear them!  I hope you all have a wonderful and happy holiday season!

Getting started on holiday shopping seems to always be my downfall, except this year I was ready to get a head start and get it all done as soon as possible.  I guess last year’s last minute shopping really did me in.  I was looking at some holiday shopping facts and I found out that many people actually start buying gifts before Black Friday, and I thought I was early this year!  Other people will wait until that day after Thanksgiving and more will start in December.

How soon do you get started on your holiday shopping?  Are you an early bird when it comes to finding the perfect gifts or do you typically wait until the last minute and end up in a frenzy?  Find out what others do when it comes to buying those holiday gifts below.

Exercise.  It seems like the word exercise gets thrown around a lot when talking about cutting back your risks for harmful and deadly diseases, but the fact of the matter is that exercise is one of our best preventatives.  To be certain that you are getting enough exercise to count, take at least three days a week to get in a good workout.  The more vigorous the exercise, the better for your heart and health.  So make sure that your heart rate is higher than typical for at least twenty minutes each workout.

Weigh Yourself.  I haven’t met a single woman who loves finding out how much she weighs.  There is nothing fun about it, but it might save your life.  If you are at a healthy weight, to lower your risk of breast cancer you should aim to maintain that weight.  If you are overweight, it’s time to lose some pounds for your health’s sake.  Not only are you more at risk for breast cancer when overweight, but the survival rates for overweight and obese women with breast cancer are lower than those at a healthy weight.

Drink Less Alcohol.  If you commonly drink alcohol, then cutting back your intake to just three drinks a week will help to lower your breast cancer risk.

Get Checked.  After the age of 40, plan to have a mammogram each year.  Also, learn how to do an at home self check and learn what to look for.  The earlier breast cancer is detected the better.

The infographic below shows just how super these educated moms are.  One fact that overwhelms me completely is that a preschool aged child requires the attention of their mother one time every four minutes.  I don’t see how these ladies can take care of children and get degrees, but they are certainly doing just that.  Find out more interesting statistics about moms and education below.

In a long term relationship it can be difficult to keep the spark alive when it comes to going out on dates.  Sure there is always the dinner and a movie option, but you’ve even gotten so comfortable going on that date that last time you walked out of the house in your sweats to go.  There is no shame in being completely comfortable with each other, but you should at least try new things so that you aren’t too comfortable at the movie theater or that one restaurant that you both frequent.  Let’s break out of the sweats on the weekends, at least one weekend a month, and create dates that you and him can both enjoy.

One of the best dates that I have ever been on was to go see a live cover band playing at a downtown bar.  My guy totally loved it too, so we both had a great time jamming out to some of our favorite songs.  Typically the cover charge for this kind of event is pretty small, and you can find out about local events by using Google or Facebook.

Host a small get together at your place to add in a lot of variety.  A date does not necessarily mean that you have to leave the house, and it does not mean that it has to be only you and your man.  Having people over for a night of fun is relaxing and a great way to break up any monotony that the two of you might be experiencing.  Pre-made hors d’oeuvres, crackers, cheeses, and wine are essentials for this date.

Now this next idea might be a no-go right off the bat for a lot of you, but I gave it a shot and it was worth it.  Go to a local sporting event for a date.  You would be surprised at how much fun the both of you will have whether you go to a high school football game or a farm-league baseball game.  No matter the event, it is a great time and I can guarantee that he will be impressed that you came up with it.

After spending way too much time thinking about the costs of having children, and also finding an infographic that helps to prove my point, I’m not sure that kids are in my future.  I have always thought that there is no way to be completely and financially ready to have a child no matter who you are because you never know what costs could come along, but at this point in my life the thought of spending all kinds of money to have a child scares me.  Absolutely scares me.

Be Yourself. Well, that’s a no brainer, right?  Apparently being yourself is harder than I knew.  My dearest friend, Rebecca loses her entire identity when there is a new guy in the picture.  She forgets that she has her own interests, and chooses to only like what her new man likes.  For example, she dated this guy with a Harley a couple of months ago, so she was all biker babe all the time.  Rebecca is the same girl who dated a tennis pro before that and started wearing all white to everything (not a good look for her).  After a couple months of her hanging on her man’s every interest, the guys broke up with her.  Why?  She was taking the time to do what he loved and putting herself out there to be the perfect biker babe or tennis cutie.  The thing is men want their significant others to have different interests.  It’s nice that you can go along with your man for things that he loves, but he wants you to teach him a thing or two as well.  My husband is a golf pro, so yes, I do occasionally attempt to play.  However, I’m a dancer, so he gets to come along with me to a dance class where I need a partner.  Strangely ladies, he does not gripe about it at all.  You may find that surprising, but the fact is if you find a good man, he will take an interest in things that you love just like you do for him.

Absence Really Does Make the Heart Grow Fonder. When I reflect on another friend, Tonya’s past relationships, all I can think is “stage 5 clinger” (like the one from Weeding Crashers).  Oh man, Tonya is all over her man’s each and every move.  If you feel the need to be around your guy or in some sort of communication with him at all times, you will scare him off.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.  Tonya is an amazing woman, but I think she forgets this when their is a new guy in the picture.  Immediately Tonya becomes so insecure that she needs to make sure that she is on her man’s mind at all times.  Give your guy some space, especially in the beginning.  If your relationship continues to grow, then you will come to value your own space, and he’ll appreciate his time without you too.  The reunion will also be so much sweeter.

Location, Location, Location. Meeting a man at a club is just not the way to go.  I have seen way too many friends become one-night-stands or booty calls thanks to these oh-so-suave (not) guys.  Let’s be honest, if you’re picking up men at the club, you aren’t looking for a forever love anyways.  Branch out and do things that you do not typically do.  Go hit some golf balls with friends (I may be partial, but golfers are hot), take an art class, chill out in a book store.  Men are everywhere besides the club, so you should put away your glitter makeup and venture out in the daylight to find a great man.

Again, I hope this sheds some light on how you can get a man.  Happy Man-hunting!

*Names were changed to protect the privacy of my sweet friends*

I will be honest and say that while I am not the type of person who loves watching television, I do tend to get quite easily sucked into shows that include a lot of drama and chaos.  I think maybe that is because it is so very opposite of the life that I actually live.  While that is the case, I got to thinking that these so-called reality shows are not really reality to anyone I know.  In fact, if the women depicted in certain shows like, Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, and The Bachelor/The Bachelorette, then I am way off.  I’m not the only one though, most of the women I know are nothing like these “real” women.  I am so not sure where they are getting their wholesale herbal incense from, but they just aren’t right.  Is it just me?

On the MTV realty show Jersey Shore, the lives of mostly Italian descended “young people” are followed and recorded.  The girls on the show, or should I say “guidettes” are very out of the ordinary to me.  They dress, for lack of a better term trashy.  The make-up that they put on for one night out would be enough for me for a months worth, and they are completely inappropriate.  Bringing home and sleeping with a large number of men, getting completely drunk and crawling home.  I know very little women who do all of these things on a regular basis.  Maybe one or two of those things at one point in their life, but never all the time, so where do they get off telling me that’s real?

The Real Housewives shows follow around “real housewives.”  These women typically have very wealthy current or past husbands.  Some actually hold jobs, but most are just elite socialites.  Who is this realty to?  I don’t know of any woman who chooses the challenging option of staying home to raise the children and keep house who really just sit out by a pool all day with someone else tending to both the children and the home.  And on top of it all, the cat fights, oh the cat fights!  No woman I know acts like these women.

The Bachelor and Bachelorette shows have a man looking for love out of a variety of women, and a woman looking out of a variety of men.  The women on the Bachelor tend to be disgustingly catty and ridiculous, while the woman on the Bachelorette plays an air head.  A lot of these women are obviously very intelligent, so why are they acting this way?

Apparently no matter what the reality show, we women want to see cat fights, air heads, and trashy women.  Maybe it is because of our insecurities that we do not want to watch real women who are much like ourselves on television.  I’m not really sure, but it is something to think about.

1. Start off your look with an all over make up primer that has an SPF.  I love Clinique’s City Block Sheer.  It has an SPF of 25 and it is oil free and allows your make up to last longer throughout the day.  Apply and even layer all over your face.
2. Follow your primer with you liquid foundation.  I prefer a liquid because it makes skin look younger and more dewy as opposed to heavy powders that get in creases.  I even have oily skin, and I stay clear of aging pressed powders.  Apply your desired coverage.  If you use a foundation, this will cut down on time even more.
3. After you have your coverage, if you so choose, apply your loose powder over the foundation.  After you have your base, then apply your bronzer to the tops of your cheek bones and around the orbital bone of your eye.  The apply it lightly down the center of the face (forehead, nose, chin).
4. The peach look is really trendy right now, and I love it because it works for all skin tones and you can use your blush as what I like to call a two-fer (two-for-one).  Apply the peach blush to the apples of your cheeks.  Using your same blush brush, apply the same peach color to your eyelids–lightly, of course.
5. Top it all off with your favorite mascara and you are ready to head out the door with a perfect and simple day time look.