Pretty Girl Rock ; SoBeR

Once the weekend rolls around, everyone is ready and anxious to let loose. After spending countless hours primping and priming for a night out, you mix your first drink and your second, and your third. You dance the night away to Ke$ha and take advantage of the bar deals until you've lost count of the drinks you've had and you're soon visiting your cupboards for some Easy Mac. 

You are excited about a night out on the town; your worries wither away and nothing else matters but the party. But the worries will come back and sometimes, so will your dinner. April was Alcohol Awareness Month, and even though a few months have passed, I thought it would still be a good time to point out some of the things you may not be thinking about between taking endless shots and joining in the next round of drinking games. You have one mission: to have fun. It is hard sometimes to remember the cost of throwing a few back. We've all heard the line "the alcohol made me do it". People can still control their behavior when under the influence. That can't be your excuse for being an embarrassment to yourself and the people around you. In short, bad behavior isn't the fault of the alcohol; but of the person.

We drink a lot of Cheeseburgers

Did you know you have to walk the entire length of a football field to burn off the calories for one M&M? ONE! Now consider this even further: what if you could compare how many cheeseburgers you drank last night? Well you can, on an e-chug survey. Through this survey, you can document your drinking habits and find out how many cheeseburgers you "drink" in a given month. For example, 8 standard drinks in one month is equivalent to 4 cheeseburgers. To burn that off? You would have to run 10 minute miles for 2 hours and 27 minutes.

We drink a lot of money

If you spend even $20.00 a week on drinks, how much is that in an entire year? That is $1,040.00. Um whoa. You could have nearly 1,000 iTunes downloads, a brand new Louis Vuitton Purse, or you could go on a vacation! Can you imagine how many bills you could have paid with that cash money?

We drink a lot of sleep

When you take part in a night of drinking, you sometimes wake up and can't fall back asleep. It is pretty safe to say that alcohol and sleeping do not go well together. While alcohol decreases the time it takes to fall asleep, it disrupts the second half of the sleep period. This makes sense since after a night of drinking, most people feel like terrible drivers, (meaning the next day...drinking and driving is not even an option) unproductive, crabby, and exhausted. I'm confident in the fact that I don't know anyone who likes being hung- over.

We drink a lot of time

Quite literally, think of all the time you have spent drunk. Think of all the sober time you can spend with your friends shopping (always productive), or trying out new restaurants. Let's say the average person is drunk (and awake) at least 5 hours a week. That is about 180 hours a year; DRUNK. That is a lot of valuable time you could have been visiting new places, applying for jobs, etc. It's pretty simple; getting wasted wastes a lot of time. 

Many people who know me know that I do not drink ever and assume I do because I always have SO much fun when I go out on the weekends and I am always the first one on the dance floor. Dancing all night and having fun does not equal being a mess in a dress. Being sober is not a bad thing and it's ok to not be drinking even if everyone is. I'm pretty sure we all learned how to say "no" way back in the day. There are so many things I do with my time instead of drinking. These are activities that are fun and require you to be sober. They also make for better stories than those drunken nights filled with useless drama. I value my amazing life and will continue living my life with the idea that you never know what tomorrow brings so why keep having those crazy drunk nights when you won't even remember them the next day? Sober people are sexy. Be above the influence.

Love & Pink,

Lisa

The best accessory a girl can own is confidence

One of the worst dynamics that can kill a friendship is jealousy. If one friend is jealous of the other, it inevitably can ruin the friendship, or at least negatively impact it. Sometimes, however, when a friend is jealous, and they don’t want it to show, it can come out in very strange ways that may not seem obvious to the casual observer.  In order to help you identify jealousy in your friendship, here are some examples to look for:

1. The Fluff-Off: You tell your friend some good news and instead of reacting joyfully for you, your friend fluffs it off and makes it seem as though it is not a big deal. When people don’t feel good about where they are in their own lives, they make themselves feel better by acting as though other people’s good fortune isn’t so great or exciting.
2. The Friendly Ghost: When individuals are jealous, they may feel less inclined to spend time with those individuals who are happy or doing well, and as a result, disappear or become extremely busy. Why? Your happiness is a constant reminder that they are unhappy and as a result, they rather stay away.
3. Positive Negative: When some individuals are jealous, they may find a way to counteract your positive with a negative way.  This is similar to the fluff-off, but instead of ignoring your positive news or accomplishment, your friend counters it with a negative. For instance, if you show a friend a beautiful picture you took of yourself, your friend may say, “Well, of course the picture is good: you had good lighting and a good camera.” Her reaction implies, in a sense, that the picture was good, not because of you, but for other reasons.
4. Insincere Happiness: If someone knows that they are jealous, they may try to over compensate by putting on a huge grin and acting overly happy. Unfortunately, what your friend doesn’t realize is that this type of behavior seems very unnatural and insecure.
5. Tears You Down: You decide that you are ready for a night out and feel beautiful. Instead of being happy for you, your friend tells you that you should change and you don’t look as good as you think. If your friend constantly makes you feel bad about your physical appearance, they may be doing so to feel better about their own physical appearance and about themselves.
6. Lack of Support: This is demonstrated when you rely on friends to help you achieve something that is important to you and they fall extremely short in delivering. They can either come up with every excuse in the book as to why they can’t help you, or worse, they promise to help but don’t.
7. Constant Discouragement: This happens when your friend tells you all of the reasons why you shouldn’t or CAN’T do something, instead of encouraging you to “go for it.” It also happens when you have something that they want whether its a relationship, an amazing family, or overall a great life.

In general, if every time you succeed at something or have good news and your friend acts distant, strangely or dismissive, it might mean that they are jealous. Or, if you find it awkward or difficult to talk to your friend about things that make you happy or that you’re involved with, it might mean that you don’t think they can accept your happiness.  It is important, however, to remember that if you are experiencing any of these behaviors or traits in your friendship, it doesn't mean the friendship is over but you may need to re-evaluate things.

Does jealousy exist in your friendships? How have you handled it? What was the outcome?

 Love & Pink,

Lisa

Reality Check

If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and some spare change, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week. 

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, torture, or starvation, you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering. 

If you can read this, you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

I posted this to remind everyone to cherish every moment, be thankful with what you have, and love the people you have in your life :) 

Love & Pink,
Lisa

Step to the beat of my heart

1. “If you want to leave her, leave her breathless. If you want to lie, lie next to her. If you want to let go, let go of your pride and pursue her."

2. "We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. 

So are regrets." 

3. "Never love somebody who treats you like you're ordinary."  

4. "Just because somebody doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have."

5. "Sometimes your heart knows things your mind can't explain."

6. "She knows nothing about life, but she knows everything about living."

7. "Love isn't supposed to be easy, it's just supposed to be worth it." 

8. "You have to learn the rules of the game, then play it better 

than everyone else."

Love & Pink, 

Lisa

Forget about everyone else -- Embrace YOU

In today’s society, it’s hard to be perfect when outlandish images of flawlessness are everywhere. Singers, actresses and even our favorite bloggers conveniently have everything that we don’t. So do a lot of people even in our innermost circles. Instead of embracing our flaws and appreciating the redeeming qualities we have, we compare and contrast ourselves with anyone who’s “better.” 

Why? Why is it so hard to believe that we’re as talented and fabulous as the next person? And why should we let someone else deter our own progress? There’s nothing wrong with competition because it heightens our self-motivation. But when the comparison eats you up on the inside, it becomes a problem.

It’s no secret that many girls long to be desirable. We spend money on our hair, nails and clothes all of the time; there are billion-dollar industries dedicated to fashion and beauty. But what about the factors underneath the fabulous exterior? Confidence should stem from your most redeeming qualities—your ability to help others, your drive for success. I’m sure many Hollywood plastic surgeons would disagree, but beauty fades. Think about what will happen when your highlights fade, when you remove your foundation and if you gained a few pounds. Would you still have anything to be confident about?

Everyone doubts themselves! But there’s no reason to be insecure if you’re secure in knowing who you are.

“I will never be the  woman with the perfect hair who wears white and does not spill on it and chairs committees and writes thank you notes, and I can’t feel bad about that” Carrie said at the end of Sex and the City

Everything you’re not makes you unique. Embracing your flaws and appreciating the qualities that you do have will make life so much easier. 

 

 

Love & Pink, 

Lisa

Fabulous Friendship

Today I decided to write about someone who let me know that I was an inspiration to them when in fact, they are truly an inspiration to me as well. There are those few people in life that you really feel like you’ve known your entire life and who knows every little detail about you and still loves you for you. It’s very hard to get close to someone because you want to find trust in them before you break down your walls. A special person makes you see that you are instantly a part of their life from now until forever. Those people don’t come around very often and when you do find someone like that, you want to hold on very tight and never let go of them.

If you can count on one of your hands with just one finger the best friends you have in your life, you are a lot luckier than most. To have even one best friend is an incredible thing. If you have more than that, that’s great too. I am so lucky to have a best friend who understands me. She is someone who sees the good in me and pushes me to follow my heart with any obstacle that may come my way. She has overcome many difficult obstacles in her own life and it has shown me how strong of a person she really is. She does not give up and finds positivity in negative situations. I already have two sisters and she feels like my third. She is beautiful inside and out and most importantly always makes me laugh. Life without laughter is a boring life and who wants that? We have taught each other that it’s ok to make a mistake and that no one is perfect, if you want something done you have to do it yourself, you can’t let others bring you down, and if there is something that you really want in life; it can be yours. 

Now let’s think about what defines a best friend. Then think of your best friend/friends and see if they fall under those categories:

-Someone who is always there for you no matter what, not just when it’s convenient for them

-Someone who is an amazing listener, who sometimes doesn’t even need to say anything back but it felt like the best conversation in the world

-Someone who supports you with any decision that you make or path you may take

-Someone who makes you laugh and smile at all times

-Someone who is genuine and truly cares about you

-Someone who teaches you things about life that make you want to be a better person

-Someone you can confide in and you know that your secret is ALWAYS safe with them

-Someone who no matter what you are doing, if you’re together, it’s the best day ever 

Each one applies to my best friend so I know I am very lucky to have her in my life. This is my wish for her: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to reach your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits are low, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, & love to complete your life.

Love & Pink,
Lisa 

Four Letters with a huge meaning (LOVE)

Being in love with someone completely changes your life. It’s a feeling that cannot be explained even if you try really really hard. There are not enough words in the world to describe the special bond that the two people have. I know about love because I have grown up surrounded with so much love and it is absolutely incredible. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing family who supports me with everything in life and is always there for me no matter what. They wouldn’t have me any other way. My family is very unique compared to other families. We truly are all best friends and we would all do absolutely anything for each other. Then to find a guy who thinks I’m the most beautiful girl in the world is the best feeling in the world. He prefers me with no makeup on and loves my hair curly even though I love straightening it. Everything that I see as a flaw in myself he sees as beautiful. I am far from perfect but I have never felt so happy and positive than I do with him around me. Of course physical attraction is very important when you’re with someone (and there’s lots of that goin on) but when you have much more than that; you know that it’s real. We have an amazing emotional connection and both have taught each other so many new things about life and about ourselves. We will always have eachother’s backs and no matter what we always tell each other the truth. There are no secrets in this relationship, and if something is wrong we communicate. Being in love is a unique experience that all humans should undergo. He is one of the only people outside of my family that has completely changed my life. I have gone through some very difficult times in the past, and he stuck by my side. He made me see that I can do anything I put my mind to and that I am a strong, smart, and passionate girl and the sky is the limit. I wish that one day every single person has someone like this in their life because he is my rock. I never imagined that my best friend would be a guy let alone my boyfriend of now almost four years. I cherish every single moment together and I am extremely excited to see what’s in store for us in the future. I still get butterflies in my tummy when I see him and hearing the words “I love you” will never ever get old. 

 Love & Pink,

Lisa

Give me EvErYtHiNg

1. "She's anything but typical. She's so unpredictable. But even at her worst, she's not that bad."

2. "Love will turn your world completely upside down. There's the physical stuff - your cheeks getting hot, the flutters in your stomach. And then there's the mental madness - you feel like you're losing your mind because all you can think about is the way they smell, how good it feels when they put their arms around you, or the cute little dimple they get when they smile. When you're with them, there's no other place you'd rather be; when you're not, you can barely wait until you see them again. Love is a total high - better than eating chocolate, acing a test, or scoring the winning goal."

3. "You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it's always their actions you should judge them by. It's actions, not words, that matter."

                                                                   

4. "There are just certain things in life that are better off unknown, things you wish you never asked, never saw, never heard, and never felt.' 

5. "If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author & everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page."

6. "I make mistakes, & gain from them on my own. Experience is my best teacher. Always was, always will be."

Love & Pink,
Lisa

Would you rather have a million dollars or a perfect body?

In our consumer culture, money is everything and everybody wants it; a lot of it. According to a recent poll (about 2 weeks ago), it looks like money may not be people's top priority anymore.

According to the newscasters on CNN, when people were asked whether they'd rather have a million dollars or a perfect body, over 20% of people chose the perfect body. Pretty crazy right?

To me, the answer seems obvious. It's all about the money. Even if you didn't have the perfect body, with all that money you could easily look up the best plastic surgeon in Hollywood and buy yourself a perfect bod, just ask Heidi Montag! Not to mention, you'd still have tons of money leftover. (Kidding, everybody is beautiful in their own special way and you shouldn't waste your time wishing you looked like someone else!)

Then again, it's crazy how obsessed our culture has become with achieving the perfect body. Every time you turn on the TV or open a magazine, there's an ad for some new weight loss pill or some new celebrity workout DVD. Most people do not look like that in real life people! Only a very small percentage do, so it's crazy to compare ourselves to them. I love the body I was given and at times do I wish it was a little easier to lose some weight, yes. Am I going to beat myself up over that and miss out on enjoying my life and living in the moment happy, no! 

So if a genie popped out of nowhere and offered you one or the other, which would you choose: one million bucks or the perfect body you've always wanted?

Love & Pink,

Lisa

3 Ways to Improve Your Self-Esteem

Let’s face it: your quality of life is somewhat contingent on how you view yourself. Life seems rosier and more feasible when you believe you can face it head on; by that same token, when you lack confidence in yourself, otherwise simple tasks may seem insurmountable.

 However, feeling good about oneself is easier said than done. On any given day, an individual person may be exposed to at least 500 advertisements, many of which propound messages on how to be beautiful, successful, and likable in today’s society. While there’s little that can be done about the messages themselves, we can change how we choose to receive them and, more importantly, how we view ourselves. Try these three ideas to improve your self-esteem:

1. Take note of what you want and what you need — and act accordingly.

One of the most crippling aspects of low self-esteem is the negative belief system that goes along with it. Thoughts like, “I’m so unattractive,” or “I can’t do anything right.” You think you will not succeed, then you either don’t succeed or write off your success, and then you find your beliefs justified.

When you stop thinking about what you may or may not “deserve” and start thinking of what you want or need, then you start to see without these cognitive blinders. For instance, if you feel you do not deserve a raise at work for whatever reason, you are unlikely to obtain one. However, if you see situations objectively and recognize your hard work to see that you’ve earned it, your view can shift dramatically. When you stop placing value judgments and instead look at situations for what they are, you begin shedding these negative self-appraisals.

  

2. Create a positive environment.

When I feel poorly about or lack confidence in myself, I make an extra effort to look particularly nice. Fashion is important to all of us, so I am sure I am preaching to the choir when I say that dressing well offers an ego boost on the most difficult and trying of days.

There is more that goes into cultivating positive energy than just dressing well. Surrounding yourself with positive people is an important factor in feeling good. But other people aren’t the only thing that plays a hand; your thoughts and words also contribute to your environment. By being aware of negative perceptions and choosing to stop thinking them or adjust them accordingly, you help contribute to building a positive environment in which positive self-esteem can flourish.

3. Give yourself rewards, regardless of whether you “deserve” them or not.

I loved my time in college, but as a graduate two years later, I recognize that one of the worst “skills” I learned was how to reward myself. A new pair of shoes if I earned an A on a midterm or a muffin if I trudged through an insufferable textbook were both incentives I dangled in front of myself to keep going. This was all well and good when slogging through the tedious academic mire, but this rewards system can encourage unhealthy behavior when applied to other areas of life.

So why is this so bad? It’s because over time, using a rewards system suggests that you need to “deserve” nice things in order to have them. Or if you do let yourself have nice things, then you start feeling an inkling of guilt tickling in the back of your mind. What a terrible mindset to live in! The finer things in life should not always be the reward for hard work. Using a rewards system is an effective approach to monotonous tasks — and so long as you don’t overdo it. But if you still feel you need to “deserve” the things you want, then start rewarding yourself for things that really count instead of only accomplishments (i.e. being a good friend, having a good sense of humor, etc.).

Love & Pink,

Lisa

Better Together

(Our new song) 

Lyrics to Better Together by Jason Mraz :

There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song I could sing
But I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepiatone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? and where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing its always better when we're together

[Chorus:]
MMM its always better when we're together
Look at the stars when we're together
Its always better when we're together
Yeah, its always better when we're together

And all of these moments
Just might find there way into my dreams tonight
But I know that theyll be gone
When the morning light sings
And brings new things
But tomorrow night you see
That theyll be gone too
Too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find there way
Into my day to day scene
Ill be under the impression
I was somewhere in between
With only two
Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be
We'll Sit beneath the mango tree

Its always better when we're together
We're somewhere in between together
Its always better when we're together
Yeah, its always better when we're together

MMmmmm MMMmmmm Mmmmmm
I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no song I could sing
And there is no, combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We're Better together

 

 

 

Love & Pink, 

Lisa  

Things that make life worth living (and loving)

1. Best Friends (the ones who are always there for you and the people you'll never forget or let go of)

2. Falling in love (it will happen eventually, I promise!!)

3. Food (because it's just sooo good!)

4. Music (because it can cure anything; especially a bad day. It brings back memories and reminds you of things you forgot about)

5. The butterflies you get when you see that special person (heart racing, your tummy feels like it's doing flip flops...it's an amazing feeling I swear)

6. SMILING (show off those pearly whites, smiling is contagious) 

7. Waking up and seeing that you still have a few hours left to sleep 

8. Making wishes on 11:11 (so guilty of doing that)

9. Acting however you want in public because you are having the time of your life and that's all that matters

10. Singing really loud in the car & jamming out with your friends

11. Going to the beach! (cute bikinis & flip flops yay!) 

12. Unexpected Compliments (I'd take one of those any day of the week)

13. Hearing your favorite song on the radio (I must admit though, every other song I consider my favorite!) 

14. Performing in front of hundreds of people (I really miss my dancing days) 

15. Making someone laugh REALLY hard

16. Kisses

17. Sugar...enough said

18. The color pink (what is not to love I mean let's be real)

19. Getting gifts (yes please!)

20. Taking lots of pictures (everyone freaks out that I take too many pics and then they love looking at them the next day…I ignore them now when they complain! It's called capturing the moment people!)

21. Feeling really pretty

22. Shopping (I work hard for my money and now I wanna see it all well spent hanging in my closet)
23. Your family (the people who know absolutely everything about you and yet still love you to pieces)
24. Manicures & Pedicures (it's nice to be pampered every little bit!)
25. Victorias Secret and Forever 21 (a girly girl's heaven)

Love & Pink,
Lisa