Katy Perry

There was a girl at my work today who was talking about how Katy Perry is her guilty pleasure. She said, "I know her songs are so dirty but I just love them!" And, I have to say that I completely agree with her... NOT about Katy Perry! Frankly, I feel that all of Katy Perry's songs are sung better from a guy's perspective. (No offense to any of her fans...) But there's just something about "Yeah" by Usher that I love! And it's completely awful, I know! Let's face it: that song straight up talks about getting naked and... Well, most of you are married so you know what happens after that...

I was changing radio stations in the car the other day and I came across one of those inappropriate songs. And then I literally had a realization right in the middle of 900 E. IT'S THE BEAT!!! Take out the dirty words and I'm in love. Those songs are a booty bumping masterpiece! So, here's my plea to you future radio DJ's: keep the "Apple Bottom Jeans" bass line, just don't tell me about how shorty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low.

Hercules

I was watching Disney's version of Hercules with my family the other day. This was the first time in YEARS that I had seen it. I was completely surprised to find out how much adult content is in this movie! They're talking about Shakespeare and pectorals and stuff that wouldn't have even made any sense to me when I was a child. I love watching them now cos I totally understand what they're saying. But, way back in the day... Why did I even like those movies? They didn't make any sense to me!!!

And Hercules isn't the only one. Go watch Aladdin or Toy Story... Man! They make so much more sense now!!! I just thought this was really interesting after hearing that presentation today about sexual innuendos in family film's... To think Disney isn't even immune from those types of things... What is this world coming to if Disney isn't safe anymore?!?

Audible.com

I live in California. It's a 10 hour drive to get home. Not too bad, but the scenery isn't all that great for most of the drive. So, what to do? I recently discovered audible.com: a website that sells audio books that you can upload straight to your iPod. I LOVE them. Here's a secret: I'm like a SUPER slow reader but I absolutely love stories. So, this is a perfect alternative for me. I can clean or pack, or do arts and crafts and be entertained at the same time without having to look up every 5 minutes to watch what's on the TV.

Anyways, I would recommend getting a membership. If you haven't ever signed up before, then you'll usually get a free book to start off (PERFECT!). Other than that, they have monthly or annual memberships that you can cancel at anytime. I think it's totally worth it. You sign up for a $20 monthly membership and get 2 audiobooks per month. That's one audiobook (that can cost up to $40) for $10 and 10+ hours of (sometimes) awesome narration and a great story. PLUS, you can return any audiobook that you don't love!!!

Literally, I love it. You should try it out sometime.

How to: Clean the Bathroom

Let's just say that I'm really dang good at cleaning the bathroom. It's good cos the bathroom always looks hecka good when I'm done. Bad cos I hate cleaning the bathroom!!!

So, I came home for Thanksgiving and what do I get asked to do? CLEAN THE BATHROOM!!! YAY!!! Actually, cleaning this time was fantastic. I grabbed my sister--made her scrub the toilet :)--and we blasted the Michael Jackson Pandora station. We were singing and dancing the whole time and it made cleaning the toothpaste splatters off of the mirror extremely enjoyable... Well, about as enjoyable as it can get, anyways! It was just amazing to me to see how music could completely change my outlook on the situation and make it one of the best parts of my vacation. Thanks MJ...

Done with the paper!!!

Thanksgiving break is literally here. Our paper is done and now we can just relax and wait to freak out about the final until after we get back to class.

When it comes to times like these, I enjoy relaxing and having absolutely nothing on my mind. How? Well, I like to call this crap for my brain. Senseless media that entertains me without making me have to think. Where can I find such a treasure? Oh, just on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Yup, call me a freak but I LOVE watching that show. All the drama and fights... It makes me smile. It also makes me super glad I'm not famous!!! :)

Anyways, hope you guys find your own way to celebrate being done for a little bit! Eat like crazy, too, okay?!?

Les Miserables

I cannot wait for Christmas. For this reason:

LES MISERABLES IS COMING OUT!!! 

Literally, could Hollywood have chosen a better cast to reenact one of the greatest musicals EVER?!? Mia Thermopolis, Wolverine, Robin Hood, Bellatrix Lastrang, AND the extremely cute guy who makes me swoon every time he sings?!? Bravo, casting crew. Bravo.

Anyways, they came out with a new trailer...

And just in case you missed the first one...

And some behind-the-scenes moments...

 Enjoy!

'Tis the season...

...to keep your Christmas music listening habits to yourself. I turned on the radio yesterday and there was Christmas music!!! Don't get me wrong. I've been listening to Christmas music since August so I'm completely okay with this new trend starting 47 days beforehand. But let's talk about how it was November 9th...It feel it's acceptable to publicly start Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree when it's like... I don't know... time to put up a Christmas tree? So, here's my message to the world: let's not let the weather dictate our lives. Snow does not mean Christmas. Hold your horses for two more weeks. Got it? Good.

Finding Buried Treasure

I remember having some of the best TV shows EVER when I was younger. Saturday morning cartoons were prime material and I LOVED it!

Remember Recess?

Or PB&J Otter?

Or the Amanda Show?

One of my favorites was Lizzie McGuire. 

And, yeah, I'm an adult, but I still, like, really want to watch it. It's insane. Anyways, guess who happened upon basically all of the episodes today? Yes, me!!! So, this is me, practicing my prosocial behavior and sharing it with you guys. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/profile?annotation_id=annotation_338856&feature=iv&src_vid=tLPpGKKV3s4&user=DisneyLizzieMcGuire

Bloody and Gory

Last fall semester, I took a theatrical makeup class. It was SO cool! We learned how to apply stage makeup and how to make people look older and--my favorite part--we learned how to make people look like they have legit wounds on their bodies!!! Let's just say that when Halloween rolls around, I'm the coolest person on the block! Gang fight, zombie wounds, good ol' black eye... Seriously. Let me practice exercising my talents!

Anyways, this has also really come in handy when I watch movies. Because now I understand that everything is fake, I can sit there during some really brutal fight scenes and be thinking, "Hmmm... I wonder what technique they used..." instead of going crazy and yelling,  "OH MY GOSH! THAT'S THE NASTIEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN!!!" I laugh at myself every time I do it. Even more so, I laugh at all my friends next to me who have to cover their eyes so they won't be scarred for life. (No offense if you do. People can make things look REALLY realistic!)

JumpStart 2nd Grade

Was I the only one who played this game when I was little?

My coworker and I were talking today about how much computer games for kids have changed. We both played JumpStart 2nd Grade (this game) and noticed that we learned SO much! (Not only the song La Cucaracha but also how to put coins in a jukebox!!! Essential life skill. Definitely.) Today, it seems like most of the iPod games are just meant for entertainment that's soul purpose is to waste time. Maybe I'm wrong but, I have to say that I'm pretty sure this was the best game of my childhood! The kids of today are missing out...

A little African soul...

Have you ever played any of the Civilization games? Well, I never have... But my roommate did last year. Coincidentally, my brother was a big stud in his high school choir at the same time. (This ties in! I promise!) They were singing the Civ theme song for their group number and he got a solo. I listened to it and instantly fell in love! It's one of those songs that makes me feel like I can change the world; it's the background music in a movie when soldiers are going to battle... or for that moment when Joseph Smith gets the gold plates and has flashbacks to the Stripling Warriors... Who knew a song could say that?!? :) Anyways, I love it. So, you should listen, too...

2-year-old Hoodie

I'm in Intermediate Sewing right now (love it! You should take it if you get the chance!!!) and we just finished our first project: a jacket. Zipper down the front, hood, pockets, the works. The point of this project was that we would learn how to sew with fleece. (Yes, there IS a different method. Crazy, right?) I went to the fabric store and didn't find any fabric that I really liked. And then... I found it. This giraffe print fleece fabric. Super soft. Super warm. Super cute! Well, I finished it today and I honestly am in love with it. But, I got some interesting reviews about it beforehand.

When I told people what I was doing, I received many mixed responses. Most people said, "Oh my gosh! I wish I had that fabric! It's adorable!" Yay. They like my idea. Awesome. On the other hand, however, other people said, "Why would you wear that? You're going to look like a 2-year-old..." Um, thanks. Way to make me feel self-conscious. But, I got to thinking about it and I had to wonder if advertising had anything to do with these different attitudes. Is it not okay for me, a 20-year-old developed woman, to wear an animal print jacket because that style is usually marketed to 2-year-olds? I don't think so... But, hopefully I'm not mistaken for a 5'3" baby when I wear it... Embarrassing!

Hitchety, Hatchety

I had a lot of favorite books as a kid... There was all of the Kevin Henkes books, Monster Mamma, Piggy Pie, and so many more. My MOST favorite, however, was a book called, Hitchety, Hatchey, Up I Go! It's the story of a tiny boy (he's probably the size of a mouse) who wants to make some pancakes one morning. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any of the ingredients to make said pancakes and so he steals some of the supplies from the old woman (who is normal sized) who lives next door. She sees him and tries to sweep him up with her broom. However, the little boy is always too fast for her (which, looking back, doesn't really make sense...) and he gets away every time. One time, though, he is stuffed to the brim with stolen delicacies and he starts to get a stomach ache. He needs medicine but, guess what? He doesn't have any. So, he goes over to the old woman's house to steal AGAIN. This time, though, he is too slow and she catches him. Instead of sweeping him up with the rest of the dust on the floor, she nurses him back to health.

Honestly, I have no idea why I liked this book so much but every time we went to the library, I just HAD to check it out! After a few years, I finally got my parents to buy the book for me for my birthday. I was basically a teenager by then but, lo and behold, I still have it. It's sitting on my shelf in my apartment. And, it's still one of my favorite books. :)

Beauty

Lately, I've been thinking to myself, "What a coincidence!" A few days before we watched the movie in class, I signed up for the 10-day Beauty challenge put on by the BYU Women's Services. The challenge for Thursday was to look at photoshopped images of celebrities online to see that the perception of beauty portrayed in the media isn't always as it appears. (What a coincidence that we had just watched that movie in class!) It's just amazing to me to think that our society has this image of perfection that is literally unattainable... I'm glad I got to learn about all of this so that I have the opportunity to share this lesson with my daughters one day.

BTW, here are some of the photoshopped pictures. Take a look!
http://www.beautyredefined.net/photoshop-phoniness-hall-of-shame/

How to: Find a Job

I work at the Hinckley building on campus for Alumni Career Services. Everyday, I find lots of jobs and post them onto our job board for current students and alumni to search through. I thought it would be kind of nice to get the word out there about how to find a job on a company's website because sometimes they think it's appropriate to hide the link from you. How nice of them. Anyways, here it goes:

Most often, there will be a link to the company's career page at the top or bottom of their home page. It will either be titled "Careers", "Employment", "Jobs", or I've even seen one that says, "Join our Family"... Companies will also put a link under the tabs titled "About" or something of the like where you can get more information about their company. From there, you can find their job board by performing a search or clicking on "Search for current openings". This is a comprehensive list of all the company's available positions. It's a nice thing to utilize so you're not just applying to companies randomly without knowing if they have any positions open.

Another tool that's helpful is external job boards (like the one that I post to!). Companies will send jobs that they need filled quickly to external companies in hopes that they'll get the word out to multiples places and they'll have a better chance of filling the position. I like this route best because you at least know the company is looking to fill this spot and that you'll--hopefully--get a response soon!

I know it's kind of silly to be posting about this because you guys probably all have jobs, but I wish somebody would've told me about all this stuff when I started searching for a job! :) So, now you know... Enjoy!

Night Owl

For the past few months, I've had so much trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. And it's frustrating because, instead of getting 8 hours of sleep, I'll only end up getting like 5 or 6. So, during the music lecture that Dr. Coyne gave last week, she talked about how listening to classical music 20-30 minutes before you go to bed helps you sleep better. I'm happy to report that I have noticed a change in my sleeping pattern. It's amazing how much that music just settles my mind and allows me to fall asleep easier. LOVE the suggestion!

Also, the guy at devotional yesterday talked about keeping a gratitude journal will help you sleep better, too. Worth a shot, right?

Don't judge a book by its...

Covers. I love them. I think they are so fantastic. You take a song that is essentially great already and turn it into an acoustic version that is EVEN BETTER than the original! It blows my mind how creative people are... Heavenly Father really has blessed this earth with so much talent and I feel so grateful to be exposed to all of it.  So, now, this is me exposing you to some of my favorites.

Taylor's Swift's "Love Story" sung from Romeo's perspective. Make sure you can hear the lyrics. SO cute!

This arrangement... Brilliant. There are no other words to describe it. Just brilliant.

And this one... Just make sure you watch it!

Hey Girl.

Did you guys watch stake conference on Sunday? Well, if you did, then I think you'll appreciate this...

You know those pictures that people post about Ryan Gosling? The ones that are like "Hey girl..." and then say something super sexy that's really only sexy cos it's Ryan Gosling? Like these:

You can't tell me that those phrases would be as attractive if they weren't next to Ryan Gosling's face, right?!? Picture this: the creepy old guy in the single's ward who hasn't gotten married yet cos who knows why coming up and saying this to you? Not as attractive. And that's a fact. Anyways, I saw one about the talk that Elder Oaks gave on Sunday and the sheer hilarity made me feel like it needed to be shared. Enjoy.

Creative Procrastination

I'm not a Pinterest addict. I just never got into it. However, I'm 100% addicted to this site called "CraftGawker". It's Pinterest for crafts. And I LOVE it! There are so many cute ideas and most of them are DIY (do-it-yourself) so it's perfect for when I get bored and have nothing to do...

And then, there are those times when I have TONS of things to do and yet I still decide to not do them. That was this weekend. But, the product of my procrastination is this awesome melted crayon art that now sits above my desk. Pretty sweet, huh? :)

Mazel Tov

Right now, I'm taking this class called "Families in World Religions". I love it because it talks about how families fit into some of the major world religions. The last few class periods, we've been watching this movie that follows a Jewish family who lives in Jerusalem. It takes place during one of the major religious festivals called Sukkot, or Feast of the Tabernacles. Not ever having learned a lot about Jewish culture before, it was interesting to watch and compare their worship rituals to my own.

Usually, I'll read my scriptures and say my prayers in the morning and then not think about it until I do it again at night. However, in this movie, it showed the husband and the wife continually praising God. Out loud, most of the time. They read their scriptures, said multiple prayers throughout the day, and the husband went to a worship service every morning. They were so faithful that God would let everything work out in their lives that it became a major theme of the movie. I guess you can say that this media had a good effect on me because it's helping me to realize that there is still so much more that I can do. It's important for me to never stop trying to be better because the fact of the matter is that I'm not perfect yet. But, that's still okay... :)

A Little Old School

Let's talk about how I am in love with the Michael Jackson station on Pandora... Think about this: a compilation of MJ, the Bee Gee's, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Prince, and Stevie Wonder. There is a heaven on earth and I found it. In Pandora. I'll listen to it at work sometimes and it's literally busting out such good songs that I cannot concentrate on what I'm supposed to be doing. It's awful but I just can't stop listening to it. I'm addicted.

And, can we also talk about how much I love this song even though it kinda doesn't make any sense? I don't know what about it makes it so catchy but imagine me doing the Carlton dance around my apartment, jammin to this song... It makes my life... I mean, look at how hairy their chests are... It's gotta be a life-maker for anybody...

Just Feeling Old at 20

Let's be honest. I LOVE--basically with a fiery, burning passion--the Price is Right. Sometimes, it's the reason why I get up in the morning, just so that I can watch it. It's my life goal to be a contestant someday. And, believe me, it will happen.

Anyways... so you know how commercials during shows are geared towards the audience that the TV people think are watching the shows? Well, that must mean I'm a 70-year-old with limited mobility. Literally, every single time I watch the Price is Right, a commercial comes on advertising that you can get a power chair from "The Scooter Store" or "Hoveround". I bet you didn't know that you can regain your mobility at little or no cost to you. I did. I bet you didn't know that there's a black man who can bust out the Hoveround theme song. I did. I bet you didn't know that the Scooter Store will give you a lighted magnifier just for calling but that Hoveround will include a handy tote bag AND a sturdy cup holder AND a limited edition travel mug when you buy your power chair. Yeah. I did.
Let's just say that I wish the TV people would realize that not everyone who watches daytime television has not lost the use of their limbs. But, since we're talking about it... Go on. Which one would YOU choose? :)

THE SCOOTER STORE: My favorite question is when they ask "Have you fallen in the past 12 months?" Please. Sign me up right now.

HOVEROUND