The Summer Days are Slowly Melting Away

I heard on the radio that the LA Unified School District begins their new school year today. That means that Summer is over for everyone in LA from Pre-School to High School (not to mention the professional staff). It got me thinking how quickly time flies by because I feel like Summer only just started. I suppose that's partly due to the fact that I work full-time and only really get to enjoy the gorgeous summer weather on the weekends. I realize that Summer doesn't technically end until September 21st (and Southern California pretty much always has great weather), but for a lot of people in Los Angeles  Summer is over, for all intents and purposes.

It's August already, I honestly can't believe that it's August! We're already a week and a half into August, which means that I haven't written a blog post in almost a month-sorry about that! I've already gotten two fashion magazine September Issues in the mail, and anyone that's into fashion knows what a big deal the September Issues are. I'll be honest, I've been so busy lately with work and life that I'm still catching up on the July and August magazine issues. How many magazines do I subscribe to that I could be that behind? Well, let's see... I get Fitness, Glamour, InStyle, Lucky, People Style Watch, Real Simple, Self, Teen Vogue, Vogue, and W. And that's just the ones that I get on my iPad (I get the free e-reader editions for being a print subscriber). I also read the print copy of Bazaar, Elle and Marie Claire. Now it's not so crazy to see why I'm currently playing catch-up on my reading.

Here's to enjoying the rest of Summer, regardless if you only go out on the weekends. Make the most of not only the weather, but savor the wonderful feelings of pure Summer bliss.

Would it kill you to say thank you?!

Today's blog post was inspired by a quote I found while perusing Pinterest (in case you don't already know, I am obsessed with Pinterest). It completely hit home for me and got me thinking about how important it is to let people know that they are appreciated. It's vital to an individual's overall well-being to feel appreciated and needed. Whether someone is doing something because they want to out of the goodness of their hearts or if it is something required of their job, everyone likes to know that they are making a difference.

The automatic response of saying thank you when someone does something for you should be a natural reaction in all areas of someone's life. When you are at the grocery store, in a restaurant or shopping in a retail store, the people you encounter are there doing their job, but would it kill you to treat them like a human being deserving of respect and appreciation? It takes less than a minute to tell someone that you appreciate their service or their help.

From my experience, employees that feel appreciated in the workplace environment will be happier and more efficient with their time than if they feel like their boss, peers or customers don't appreciate their hard work and efforts. Now I don't need my boss or peers to constantly say thank you because it probably wouldn't feel genuine, but it feels good to hear it every so often. The best manager I ever had was the one that made it a point to say thank you for my hard work almost everyday. Even though it was my job to do what I was doing, she recognized my dedication and passion and praised me for the effort I put into my job. In turn, I felt that the time I spent at work was worthwhile, necessary and important and it encouraged me to work even harder.

If two simple words can make someone feel better about themselves and what they are doing, why wouldn't you say them? To make someone else feel empowered does not make you any less powerful. It's like that old saying that sharing the flame of a candle does not dim the glow of your own flame. So to wrap up this post, I challenge you to share your flame and say 'Thank you' and observe the way you can brighten someone's spirit.

The Joys of Spring Cleaning

Oh the joys of Spring! That lovely season of increased gym memberships in between the jolly holiday season of over-indulgence of food and gifts you didn’t need and the anticipation of the wonderful summer days that lay ahead. In honor of the first official day of Summer tomorrow and today being the last day of Spring, I thought I’d write about what I’ve been doing during the last few days of the season.

Yes! I finally made the time to knuckle down to partake in Spring Cleaning and let me tell you, it felt fabulous! There’s something to be said for cleaning your room, your home, your car and your office that makes you feel like you’re being productive and making your life better. I’m not just talking about the physical cleaning, but of the down-and-dirty act of organization and making decisions.

Starting last week I began to systematically go through my room to get organized. First I began by getting rid of crap that’s been sitting around and threw out old papers, ticket stubs and the like that I’ve been holding on to for no apparent reason. Then I went through my closet and drawers to refold, organize and eliminate.  I made large donation piles of clothing that hadn’t been worn in a long time, had no sentimental value to me and that I was sure that I would never wear again. Then I organized everything that I wanted to keep and continue to use and wear. It felt good to one, get organized and two, do something good by donating wearable clothing to an organization in need.

If you are ever feeling overwhelmed by disorganization or clutter, I highly recommend that you bite the bullet and do yourself a favor. Whether it’s one drawer at a time, or an entire weekend project, just do it! I promise that you will feel refreshed and collected. And if you do take my advice, maybe you’ll stop wasting time when you can’t find what you’re looking for; you’ll know exactly where everything is supposed to be.

Putting out positive vibrations

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!

Traditionally, this isn’t a good day for those that are highly superstitious. If you are one of those that believes in the uncontrollable negative forces that happen to be lurking on days like today, beware. Normally I would suggest that you avoid black cats, ladders and sidewalk cracks and don’t forget to carry around your own version of a ‘lucky rabbit’s foot’. However, today you’d probably be better off staying home. Today is even more intense because it is paired with a full moon. In case you haven’t heard yet, this won’t happen again until 2049. Based on my easy morning commute to work today, quite a few people decided to take a ‘sick’ day and wait out the storm in the comfort of their home.

Superstitious thoughts and remedies got me thinking about the topic of Fate, Destiny and one of my favorite friends, Karma. I’m personally not one to be swayed by superstitions of any kind. I’ve walked under open ladders, stepped on more sidewalk cracks than one could count and I happen to love black cats (in fact, black cats are my absolute favorite!). And honestly, I’m not sure if I believe in Fate and whether or not you have the ability to change your Destiny by your actions and choices. It’s an interesting topic that’s up for much debate and both sides could probably provide a solid argument. Although I’m not clear on where I stand in my beliefs on that respect, I am a huge believer in Karma.

“Do unto others what you want done unto you.” -Confucius

Generally, I make my choices and decisions based upon what I want to receive back from the world and the people around me. I suppose you could say it’s a bit of a selfish way to live, but let me explain myself. You do thoughtful and kind things for others in the hopes that they will reciprocate when you need someone to do thoughtful things for you. It’s not so much of a calculating action, but more of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Say your boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with you and you need a shoulder to cry on; you know your best friend will be there for you in a heartbeat. But if you weren’t there for them when they were in a similar situation, they’re likely to tell you that they’re busy, even if they’re not. Basically, if you think about it, no one is going to be nice to you if you’re always walking around with a chip on your shoulder and you don’t make time for the people in your life that matter.

Ultimately, I believe in putting out positive vibrations in the world and living your life with joy. It’s easier to be nice to people than to be a total b*tch all the time and it will make your life more meaningful and happy. There’s no need to be superstitious when you’re a nice person because Karma’s got your back. Don’t want to worry about breaking a mirror and living an unlucky life? Get on Karma’s good side by being a good person. And hey, if you do decide to walk the path of a nasty negative person, be prepared to pay the consequences when Karma starts knocking down your door.

Time is a precious commodity

 "Let’s appreciate where we are. Let’s not wish our lives away" -Julianne Moore in Instyle, October 2013

As you get older and time begins to get away from you, you start to ask yourself if you’re spending your time wisely. My birthday is on Sunday and I will be turning 26, so time and aging is something that’s been on my mind lately.

Time is the most important commodity that human beings possess. As morbid as it is to think, our time on this Earth will eventually expire and we will be gone. You could be be gone tonight, next week, in a year or decades from now. No one knows exactly how much time you have left to live and that makes it all the more precious. Therefore, it is vital that you spend your time doing things you enjoy and being with people you love. Don’t waste your time doing things that don’t bring you joy and add value to your life.

Because time is the most precious commodity in your life-and once spent is gone forever-it is the best gift you can give to those you love. As your children grow, they may not remember all of the toys and treats you bought them but they will always remember how you spent time with them and how you made them feel loved.

As you get older, you stop buying gifts for family and friends and instead spend time having a meal or doing something fun together. That’s not to discredit the excitement of a receiving a gift (or balloons!) but the gifts are not as important as the time you spend with those you care about. Yesterday my sister asked what I wanted for my birthday and I couldn’t name a single thing (probably because when I want something I buy it right away). I started thinking about it and I realized I’m beginning to feel the way my mom does; I want a birthday card (and balloons) and simply to spend time with her doing something we both enjoy.

It is not enough to tell the people we care about that we love them, you must show them.

Don’t air your dirty laundry in public

 "I need you to say, ‘Ryan you have my permission to call (whatever his name is) on KIIS FM."

You’re missing out on some major early morning entertainment if you’ve never heard of ‘Ryan’s Roses’. If you listen to KIIS FM, then you already know what I’m talking about, but if you don’t have a clue, read on.

I’m going to introduce you to the concept of Ryan’s Roses. According to Ryan Seacrest, ‘It’s a public service for men or women who think they are being cheated on by their significant other’. Basically Ryan has Patty call and offer a free dozen roses that can be sent to whomever they want, all they need is the name of the person, a quick note and an address and the flowers will get delivered that same day. Patty tells them that there’s no catch, the roses are free and all that she asks in return is a good Yelp review or a shout-out on social media. Sounds like a good deal, especially nowadays with how important social media is for businesses to be successful and stay relevant. The catch, obviously, is that the poor cheating-most likely-guy or girl will be caught red-handed if they send the flowers to anyone other than the person that asked Ryan to make the call.

Now you can imagine the crazy responses and conversations that come as a result of these ‘Roses’ calls. Generally, the significant other sends the flowers to someone other than their partner and either admits to cheating or blatantly tries to lie their way out of being caught. Sometimes they send the flowers to their partner and every so often they refuse the offer and thinks it’s a scam.
Sending the flowers to someone else, depending on the note in the card, doesn’t prove they’re cheating. Sending the flowers to their significant other doesn’t prove they’re not cheating. And refusing to send them at all just proves they’re not gullible and not immediately trusting of some random person on the phone that you never gave your number to.

The saddest part of the whole thing is that in almost every situation there is a major lack of communication. You found a pair of panties that aren’t yours in your laundry that you think belong to your 3x a week cleaning lady, and instead of asking your husband who they belong to, you decide that broadcasting your issues to the world (or at least a huge number of Southern Californians) is the answer to find out if he’s cheating. If you ask him about it, he feeds you a somewhat far-fetched story and you still have a deep in your gut feeling that something’s going on, then maybe you could resort to Ryan’s Roses. But until you’ve attempted to talk to him about whatever is bothering you, you’re probably only going to make it worse by putting him unwillingly on the radio and you’ll likely end up embarrassing yourself.

Lesson of the story, don’t air your dirty laundry in public. Learn how to have a conversation and communicate, no matter how delicate the situation might be. But hey, their humiliation is my morning entertainment, so keep it coming. If you can’t convince people to make good decisions with their lives, at least you can enjoy a good laugh over the pathetic nature of it all and hope that you didn’t just witness the beginning of someone’s world crumbling to pieces.

Living in the Moment

Do you ever feel like you’re just waiting for life to happen to you rather than going out and living in the moment?

Hi, my name is Arielle and I finally decided to stop waiting for life to happen and actually do something that I’ve been wanting to do; I’m going to start a blog about my life.  I often joke that I’m culturally deprived but when I take a moment to think about it, I’d like to work on becoming culturally cultivated. I’m perfectly happy with the way I am-in fact, many would argue that I’m always happy-but I’d like to take a step back and analyze the way I view the world. There are already a plethora of fashion, food and fascinating blogs on the web. What I’m here to offer is a lifestyle Style blog; I’m thinking a bit of a mash-up of reviews, recommendations and remarkable daily occurrences. Join me on my journey if you’re interested. Maybe we can help each other broaden our cultural perspectives of the world.

Cheers,

Arielle