You should probably....

...read my new blog ;)

"How to be a Fox" - http://howtobeafox.blogspot.com/

Get a Dog

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself."

-- Josh Billings

I do no think it is humanly possible for me to love anything as much as I love my dog Koa. She is a 2-year-old hyper energetic black and white border collie.

I spontaneously went out and just bought her.  I found an ad in the paper for border collie puppies for only $75. She was a bargain! First her original name was Pepper, then Minnie, and then officially Koa.

My dad was furious when I walked through the front door with a puppy in my arms. On the other hand, my mother was actually, somewhat excited. She is a huge animal lover so she could not be that upset.

From that day on Koa has not brought anything but joy to our family. Okay, maybe she killed one of my mother’s favorite chickens… but that’s a whole different story. Nonetheless, she is the apple of my eye. I take her on walks, she listens, snuggles (even steals the covers) at night and is just fun to have around. She gets me out of the house and a purpose to do things. My mom even takes her to “Dog agility class,” every Saturday mornings at 7AM. My dad has warmed up to her, I see them snuggling on the couch ever so often.

Having a pet can really help out in life. I have even heard of studies where cats help the elder live even longer. It is your companion, almost like a child but less expensive. You form a bond with your dog/cat and they become part of your family. Koa was even on our last Christmas card.

You should probably get a dog and see what you're missing. 

Brush up on your Disney

Aladdin, Pochantas, Mulan, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty- all are classic Disney movies that have touched millions of not only children’s hearts, but adults.

Walt Disney once said, “Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.” These films are not just made for entertainment; they are made for learning as well.

I think everyone should brush up on their Disney movies every once in a while. They bring back the feeling of being a kid again, of wishing on a star, finding the beauty in a beast, never wanting to grow up and being a best friend. Disney movies have helped shape my childhood. I’ll never forget going to my first movie at the movie theater when I was 5 years old and seeing The Lion King. I was frightened, scared yet, happy at the same time singing along to Hakunamatata.

When you watch them it takes you back to that place when you were 5 and had no cares in the world and you wanted to be Princess Jasmine on the carpet singing your heart out. It’s good to re-watch these movies because they ALWAYS have a happy ending, so next time you are sad, you should probably watch a Disney movie. 

#twitter

tweet tweet

Twitter may be one of the greatest social media’s of the 21^st century. Being able to “tweet” from anywhere in the world, to following Justin Beiber and seeing what he ate for breakfast, is both satisfying and odd...

I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for twitter. I follow a selected group of friends, my fav celebrities  - Lauren Conrad, Ellen Degeneres, Zooey Deschanel. Miley Cyrus, but I do follow more important twitter accounts where I actually gain some knowledge from it. For example I follow ABC 7 News where I get the latest bay area breaking news right to my phone. And if there’s an interesting news story, I can just click on the link to watch the video or read more. I also follow President Barack Obama and other political figures, as well as my favorite magazines and business companies.

Now-a-days, everyone has a twitter. But if I read one more tweet of somebody complaining about the rain I may punch something. I am guilty of tweeting food and claiming I’ve had, “The worst day ever,” but twitter has begun to be the capitol of social networks for complaining. Instead of keeping their issues to themselves, users are broadcasting how much they hate the rain or the type of bagel they ate at SVB.

Twitter is a great site. You should probably go through your list of followers and see which ones you actually find the tweets interesting and ones that are informational to you.

EAT IT

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese

It seems to me, that almost everyone around me is on some sort of diet. They either “don’t eat bread,” or say, “Oh I can’t eat that, that’s candy and I am watching my weight.” How much weight does one Cadbury egg add on to ones hips? I understand the importance of eating healthy and exercising but sometimes I just want to scream and rub cake all over my face, then, eat a cheeseburger.

Food is just too good of a thing to pass you by over and over. If you want IN-N-Out burger that one time, eat it. Go on I give you permission. Or if you want one day to pig out all day, eating fried chicken with the butteriest biscuits you have ever seen that melt in your mouth the moment it touches your lips, EAT IT.

If you never take the chance to try the food you believe is unhealthy for you, half the time you are missing out on some of the best food you will ever taste. I would rather be happy and normal weight, than skinny and underweight were all I get for flavor is carrot sticks.

As long as you balance out your cravings and don’t go overboard frequently with high calorie and fatty foods, I say eat your heart out buddy. Don’t let that perfect slice of cheesecake pass you by again.

Now I am not saying to shove your face with all you favorite unhealthy foods, I’m saying live a little. Don’t be that health nut that’s awkward to take to dinner, because then you’ll make your friend feel like a fatass.

You should probably eat that one candy bar that you always pass at the checkout stand. I bet it’ll be worth it. 

Slip Away

We live in a world were we keep our iPhones within a radius of 2 feet from us at all times, know the latest popular uneducational saying on The Jersey Shore, and where we are able to Google ANYTHING with a simple swipe of a finger or click of a mouse. This world is hectic; throw in your actual face-to-face social time, family, friends, extra curricular activities and college, then you have one busy life.

One way to escape this crazy life, or at least take a step back and breathe, is to simply forget these things. For me, my family owns a cabin in the middle of nowhere, with no cell phone reception (tragic I know), no internet (Facebook?!) and no working cable (how will I know who won The Voice??). Basically you just sit there. At least when I was younger that is what I thought. My sister and I would beg and beg our parents for cable and Internet and every time they said, “No. One day you will appreciate this.”

And it’s always aggravating to admit that your parents were right… but yes, yes they were.

Now when we go to “The Cabin,” it’s a mini vacation. I don’t have to worry about checking my phone for a text or an email. I don’t have to keep checking the clock to make sure I don’t miss a new episode of New Girl.

Even though there is separation anxiety from my phone for about an hour after we get there, that slowly dissolves and relaxation happens. I read a book, go on hikes to the river, ride the new quads my parents just purchased (SO FUN), nap, and even the inner artist in me comes out and I paint or draw.

Being able to escape reality and focuses on yourself and not worry about what everyone on Facebook is doing, allows you to calm down. This world is run by fast pace people where we follow just as quick, and we all need is a little wilderness in the middle of nowhere fix.

So next time you need an escape, or someone (like my parents) think you need a reality check, find somewhere you can run away too.  

You should probably do this. 

Exercise

No matter how dreadful, horrible, and exhausting it sounds, in one form or another, we all need to exercise. Whether it be parking farther from the grocery store so you have to walk farther, or 7am spin class, we all need to find a way to stay healthy.

For me, I am all about the fitness classes. If I don’t have structure, or someone telling me I have to exercise, I most likely won’t do it. So I go to spin and yoga. 95% of the time I feel so much more better about myself. It raises your confidence and gives you positive endorphins, making you a happier person J and who doesn’t want to me happy?

We’ve all had those days of but my bed is too warm to leave, or, I just took a shower I don’t want to get all sweaty, or, I’d rather just eat instead.  Exercise is about motivation, and really no one is a better motivator than yourself. I can’t stand people who complain about their body but do nothing about it. It’s like complaining about our government when they never register to vote. In order to make a change, you need to make a commitment and stick to it.

You should probably start exercising. Make it fun. It might take a while to find your niche, but it’s out there. Try new thinks, hey, even golf is considered a sport. Find an exercise that’s fun and pushes you to stay healthy. I think everyone deserves to be healthy and happy, so get out there and get that adrenaline pumpin’.