I have always been a big fan of interesting new products. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit, I am a strong supporter of the new product industry. There are so many new products emerge, but only 1 of every 100 will gain some “stickiness”. Stickiness is a product’s ability to become known to the general public. For instance, a product like Razor Scooters and Furbys were very sticky because they could be brought up in most conversations and most people you were talking to would know what you were talking about.
Let me introduce you to one of the newest “sticky” products – The Snuggie. A Blanket with Sleeves! Do you ever sit on your couch and try to cover your toes and your arms at the same time, but your blanket just isn’t big enough? Well this is your solution! It is a simply – a backwards jacket made out of a soft blanket material! It is only $19.95 + s&h at <https://www.getsnuggie.com/flare/next>
They even come in all Different Colors! I know that it seems pretty cheezy in the pictures, but my friend has one and I’ve tried them. The snuggie is pretty comfy – you can even throw it on your bed as a blanket before you go to sleep!
Living in our over-priced, over-indulged, over-commercialized little world, we often forget to stop and think about what we are spending our money on. I encourage you to take a few minutes to stop and watch this little video – it may teach you a few things about Christmas spirit.
Don’t forget it is the little things that matter. Christmas does not always have to be about spending money.
As much as technology is supposed to develop our society into a more connected and more social environment – it has in fact had the opposite effect up on us. With cell phones, laptops, iPhones, and Blackberrys, we can be connected to the internet 24 hours a day. So many people leave their cell phones on the table during lunch and check their blackberry under the table during dinner. Does it really take that much effort to dedicate ONE hour of your time to that special someone to spend a nice meal with them?
Looking back to this summer… I went to dinner with John, a guy I had been dating for a few weeks now, and he made a gesture that meant more to me than a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates. John was a banker who checked his blackberry about every 5 minutes, typical for someone in Banking. I had no idea if it was his friends emailing him, another girl, or just maybe his boss. Regardless – I have learned to not let it phase me. I was used to his phone buzzing off the hook through our Calamari and our Fillet Mignon. It was Saturday night when he picked me up and we strolled over to this quaint French restaurant down the street. As we sat down, he took out his blackberry and I expected him to put it on the dinner table when powered it down! YES – turned it completely off. I couldn’t believe it! This is one of the strangest, but sweetest acts of affection I’ve ever experienced.
Maybe this is a life of a New Yorker, but try it – Bankers & Consultants, try turning off your phone for one hour – as risky as it may be … strangely, it might be able to show your feelings more than words can express.
If you related to my previous entry, this one might ring true for you…
What is a cuddle buddy? (As found in Urban Dictionary):
(n)partner in which one may cuddle with. Usually not in a relationship with one another, they only seek the affection of cuddling with another person
The idea of a cuddle buddy sounds so ideal. There is someone there you can show your affection to, and they areaffectionate to you with no strings attached. You do not have sex. You do not kiss. You may still be dating other people. You just cuddle. It happens maybe a couple times a month, but not much more than that. You are what most people call friends: you hang out, go to bars, chill with friends and then someone suggests the idea of going home together and cuddle. This is when you both go home, change into your pajamas, brush our teeth, and crawl into bed, pillow talk a little bit and fall asleep in each other’s arms. It is the modern version of having a platonic friend.
However, it’s hard to know if he has started seeing someone – when is it okay to invite him over for a cuddle? If he says no – maybe he just is not in the mood to cuddle that night. Both parties don’t want the other to fall for them, but cuddling makes them feel safe and needed and wanted. Maybe there is a limit to how much cuddling can happen. Similar to a failed long-term relationship, maybe this cuddle buddy action can become mundane if it occurs too frequently.
This feeling of hesitation to ask for a cuddle is similar, but lower level of the hesitation that is felt when asking to hang out with someone you are interested in. Does this mean that you are interested? You could never imagine yourself dating him, but then why are you craving the cuddle. Maybe he thinking the same thing. Maybe he is beginning to be interested in you? Who knows – that is the best thing about having a cuddle buddy – it is the implied non-relationship, relationship.
So let me end this with saying – cuddle buddies are nice. If you have one or if one day you ever get one, there is no need to think about it. It’s just cuddling – not sex. Until sex complicates it.
To be fair as they say in London, it is not the UK’s fault that the American dollar is so weak. However, despite the exchange rate, if you have ever made your way over to London, upon your arrival you feel like you are the poorest person in the entire country. It is impossible to find a sandwich that costs less than $10 aka. 5 pounds. However, it is quite the experience if you ever get the opportunity to visit London. To me, it is like a larger, less bright, more expensive New York City.
A few tips for your “trip” to London:
Buy an Oyster Card. What is an Oyster Card? Don’t ask anyone or they may just snub you and try to steal your purse recognizing that you are a tourist/alien. It is a little blue card that you can refill with money to use the Tube (the subway system). And of course, it will cost you 3-pounds down payment – nothing is ever free.
Never talk to anyone on the Tube. Never look at anyone else on the Tube. AND most importantly never brush against someone else’s newspaper on the Tube. There is an unspoken, but very strict no communication rule on the Tube.
Don’t tip for waiter at a bar. I was tipping for almost a week, when finally a waiter came back to me and returned the 5 Pounds that I had tipped him for our 5 drinks. All of the waiters were standing in the corner laughing at us while he walked over. He very politely noted told us: “I understand that you are … American…presumably and that you do not know that you should not be tipping in this country. That is why I am here to correct you. Although I appreciate it, you should learn to value your money more.”
Never take a taxi ANYWHERE. The only exception would be if you have too much luggage to carry and you can not find a soul in sight to ask for help. Once you get in a taxi, you will quickly realize your mistake when you look out your window and realize that the people are walking faster than your car and you are paying about a Pound a minute to watch them walk past you.
But despite all of these warnings, London is a wonderful city and I have enjoyed my time here. It has a certain classic charm about the city that you can’t find anywhere else, but to leave you with one last piece of advice – DO NOT try to copy their accent.
Out of all holidays out of the year, most people would say that Christmas is their favorite holiday. Is this because they enjoy the Christmas spirit? Is it maybe the fact that they enjoy getting presents? Maybe some people genuinely get pleasure out of giving gifts to their loved ones? Egg nog anyone?
This isn’t the only that brings some joy – Halloween brings a different type of joy. It unleashes the “scary” and “slutty” within everyone. It originated as a traditional Pagan holiday full of scary costumes and trick-or-treating, but as you get older you realize it is just an excuse for girls to dress as scandalous as possible without any criticism. I would say about 70% of the girls that I’ve seen at Halloween parties over the past weekend have worn fish-net stockings, with 4in stilletto heels, skirts that look that they could fit their Barbie and low-cut stops that are seen on Las Vegas show girls.
It is sad how this holiday has evolved to become the “slutty holiday of the year”, but the boys do love it. The girls love it too – why else would so many girls dress as if they were headed to a strip club? I can’t even account for how many slutty cops and naughty nurses I saw on Friday night! Then again – I can’t complain. I too, got my “slutty dress” out of my system for the year. A few friends and I dressed as “Miss Behaved” (lingerie) , “Miss Deameanor” (handcuffs) , “Miss Chievous” (Devil Horns), and a male friend dressed as “Miss Take”.
…Don’t continue if you are already worried about finding a soul mate…
The other night I caught up with a good friend of mine. He was telling me about how one of his elementary school friends recently got engaged and his friend is only 22. This blows my mind – granted I do know some people around 21-22yrs old that are engaged, but it still bewilders me. I will still be in shock the day that one of my best friends invites me to their wedding. I’m not ready to grow up and I’m especially not ready to get married!
Then I started doing the math. I am currently 21 years old. Ideally, I would like to have 2 to 3 kids. Looking at it from a woman’s perspective (add 3 years if you are a man):
50 years of age: At the latest, I would like my oldest child to be 18 years of age.
32 years of age: Assuming that I have 3 kids and they are 2 years apart, this is when I would need to give birth to my 3rd child.
30 years of age: I would give birth to my 2nd child.
28 years of age: I would give birth to my 1st child.
26 years of age: Before having kids, I would like to be married for a MINIMUM of 2 years in order to enjoy the married life.
25 years of age: Before getting married, I would like to be engaged for a MINIMUM of 1 year in order to have time to plan the wedding.
23 years of age: Before getting engaged, I need to have a boyfriend. Ideally, I would date him for a MINIMUM of 2 years to have a solid relationship.
* this is debatable – a few friends have mentioned that they do not think I would be dating more than a year before he proposes to me assuming that it is the type of love where you fall head over heals within the first few weeks
Again, I am currently only 21 years old. I have 2 years to find the love of my life. To some this may seem like a long time, but this is not enough time for me! I have decided to not fret too much and hope that he will come by soon. I’m just taking it one step at a time – it all starts with that first date. We’ll wait and see if that first step happens. Those first dates sometimes don’t even turn into relationships afterwards. To be honest, as much as I love being in a relationship I don’t even know if I’m ready for a new relationship right now. I think that if I find the right guy, then I will put my heart into it, but unless he wants to be in a relationship with me too– you are just setting yourself up for heartbreak. You never want to be “that girl” who wants to be with someone, but all he really wants is “ass”. (Note: this does happen in the reverse case sometimes – where men want the relationship and girls want just the “ass”.)
I don’t like to think about marriage – that is too far in my future – my love life will hopefully just be fun and enjoyable right now.
Isn’t that a scary feeling though? The next person you meet, could potentially be your husband or wife? But then again, you could have met your soul mate already and just not know it. Think about all of those high-school sweethearts that get married.
What a ridiculous thought though – we could be married in two years.
