Dating for Dummies -

When it comes to the rules of dating, I'm pretty sure there's more than one e-book needed to really grasp the dynamics of this art, and it is an art.. some people have the talent, and some people need to wait for the other awkward people to become the yin to their yang.

There is always a danger (especially for women) when it comes to dating. I, for one, don't car-pool... Oh, you want to pick me up for dinner.. hmm no, how about I meet you there? The last thing I need is for a guy to go code black stalker on me and sit out the front of my house, even though it's helpful to know I'm outta milk, it just ain't worth it.

So, for the ladies.....
How you know he wants to kiss you: (things must be going well)

1. He's getting quiet: You can't kiss if your mouths are busy talking. Notice him getting quieter? He might be working up the nerve to kiss you, creating lulls in conversation to set a sexier, relaxed vibe. Resist the urge to fill the silence with chit chat, the next time he gets quiet for a few seconds just flash him a sexy smile instead.. it'll drive him crazy.

2. He's doing mouth maintenance: He's breaking out the chap stick, he's licking his lips, he's throwing back mints. Guess what? He's probably priming for a smooch. If he offers you a stick of gum, don't be offended, he's probable just testing the waters and (consciously or not) telling you that he wants to lay one on you.

3. He's getting touchy-feely: An arm on your shoulder, bumping knees, touching your hand or the small of your back as he walks behind you... if he can't keep his hands off you, his lips aren't far behind.

4. He's bridging the gap: Going in for the kiss is extra scary from five feet away. If he's inching closer and closer to you, he may be getting ready to go in for the kill. Your body language in reaction is important here: if you want him to go for it, stand firm and don't back away as he gets closer.. make it easier for the poor guy, he's not a mind reader.

5. He notices your perfume: Leaning in and telling you that you smell great? He's not paying a compliment to Chanel. In fact, he may just be guessing that you're wearing perfume. Complementing your fragrance gives him an excuse to get up close and personal, while testing your comfort level with the invasion of space.

Men..... The Don'ts !!

1. Grill her: Bombarding her with a million questions is not the way to go. Of course, you'll want to ask some questions - and you should. But questions aren't the only way to get information. If you tell her a story or something about yourself, she'll probably reciprocate with the same information. She doesn't want to feel like she's being interviews for a job she didn't apply for.

2. Argue about facts or logic: It's okay to disagree with her. In fact, it's good to do so a couple of times, to show her you're your own man. But this is best done over subjects that have no right answer... she says she likes apples; you say no way, oranges are the bomb! Keep it playful,

3. Brag about yourself: By all means, give credit where it's due if you have accomplished something impressive, but keep it to a minimum. You don't want her to think you're more interested in yourself than her.

And for FS, if you're on a dating site or app, make sure you look like your photos!
No easier way to scare someone off than them expecting to be meeting Chris Hemsworth or Channing Tatum, and Rowan Atkinson turns up.


We've all had those horrific dates that make us want to turn into an inanimate object, but you just gotta keep powering through.

How much is too much?

When it comes to social media, how much sharing is too much sharing?

We've all been guilty of it, posting our happiness and love for our family and friends, frustration at the stop start motorways, and how could we forget the sad song lyrics after a break up.

Mumma always said, don't air your dirty laundry.

Do people really need to know you're about to rage quit life because it took you an hour to get to work, instead of the usual thirty minutes?
Do you really think that the people that care, are the ones who 'like' your crying emoticon?

I scroll through my facebook news feed, and there's always people complaining about their lives, their relationships, their work, and everything else they can possibly think of.

When did the art of having a real conversation die? Or even being grateful for the things you have?
Not to mention keeping your personal issues to the people involved, and not to people you met three years ago but don't speak to at all, you just like their selfie every now and again.

Is it a generation thing? My parents have facebook, but they don't bad mouth and post cryptic (but so obvious) statuses about their fights.. it's just unnecessary. No one cares that you're baby daddy didn't come home last night. Take it up with him, not the 'hundreds' of 'friends' you don't speak to.

 

Even though I am part of Gen Y, it seems I haven't adopted the usual characteristics.

I don't go out to dinner or hang out with my friends and sit on my phone, refreshing my facebook, snapchat, twitter or instagram to see what's new..

I have real company in front of me.. why would I need to occupy myself with text and pictures?

 But it seems, this is all I see when I take a look around...   ↓↓↓

Although, I agree that social media is a great way to keep in touch if you work different hours to your friends, trying to organise a group event or just want to tag people in a hilarious cat video you found... then yes, that's where it comes in handy. Even now, I'm using it to express my beliefs and life events, which to me seem meaningful, but to you may seem like garbage.

But I'm taking about the crying, whiney statuses and pictures, that just make you want to shoot yourself in the head, that make you want those few seconds of your life back.

So, the question is, does it help us to deal with our emotions and connections? 

Or does it make us more vulnerable?

Studies have shown that there are more negatives affects of social media, than there are positive.

1. Social media is addictive and can make us lose concentration at work, when studying and even when in the company of real people

2. Social media makes us compare our lives with others

3. Social media makes us restless. Majority of people become frustrated when unable to use social media

4. Social media has risen cyberbullying

5. Social media can lead to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

So please, pick up the phone and call your buddies, go outside and leave your phone in your bag or pocket. Just enjoy the company and human interaction, instead of the posts and selfies.

When brows go wrong

For the past five months, I have been reshaping my extremely over plucked eyebrows, into the fabulous shape they are today. To say the least, I am now obsessed with eyebrows.. everywhere I go, I see them.

And there I was, minding my own business watching Boardwalk Empire, cringing under the covers while our beloved Jimmy Darmody is executed by none other than his step in father, Nucky Thompson, when all of a sudden....
                                I have this urge to lighten my eyebrows. Go figure. 

I research the brands online (as one does before making a life changing decision like this), I get in my car, drive for eight minutes to Priceline, whip out nineteen dollars in coin to purchase Andrea's Gentle Cream Bleach, and race straight home.

Now, I'm not known to my friends and family for being an instruction reader.. but this time, I made an exception.

"Bleaching time varies with each individual. After application, wait 10 minutes. Wash off small area with cool water to see if desired result is achieved. If hair is not lightened as much as desired, reapply and wait 5 more minutes."

Because I don't play by anyone's rules, I only waited an initial 5 minutes before I wiped it off... woah, bad ass coming through.

AND LUCKY I DID !!

 Needless to say, as of tomorrow, I will be adding an eyebrow tinting kit to my collection.

I give this product a 10/10 for effectiveness... but ensure to only use in 2 minute increments.
The instructions didn't lie when they say results vary!

If you see the below in shops tomorrow, be sure to come up and say hi.. it'll be me (",) xx

Puzzle of life

Ever looked back and thought, what the hell went wrong?

                 Wouldn't life be so much easier if there was a manual?
For some reason, today I couldn't help but reminisce the past and wonder why things changed so much.
At one point, my life was going exactly the way I wanted it to. Then out of no where, BAM, everything changed. Don't get me wrong, I like that my life is now a mystery and has so many paths it could take, but sometimes the feeling of discontent creeps in and makes me think about what could have been.

I made the mistake of looking at old photos, which could only end one way.. laughing hysterically at the good ole times with a muscle aching smile, then blubbering like a baby because they no longer exist and will only ever be a memory now.

Studies have shown that emotional pain only lasts twelve minutes. Anything after that is self inflicted by over thinking and worrying. When you don't think about something or become distracted, you tend to not feel the hurt or sorrow. It is only once we recommence going over and over the event, that our mind and body start feeling the pain again.

Why does the human race find it so difficult to accept unwanted situations or anything we can't control? Do we, secretly deep down, enjoy punishing ourselves? Find some sort of comfort in the salty liquid we secrete from our eyes? Why can't we just be hurt for twelve minutes and then never think about it again?

Which hurts more..
The pain of holding memories close to your heart,
or the pain of acceptance and moving on?

Because one way or another, it is inevitable.. we are going to think about what hurt us in the first place.
#thehumanrace

When shopping around pays off -

Have you ever really stopped and looked at the price of the items you're about to buy?

Was $4.39 now $4.00, Two for $6.00......pppfffftttt, please!

This piece is about our new age culture where we classify reliability and worthiness on a brand name, and also the human lifestyle of having multiple choices.

ALDI .VS. WOOLWORTHS

Not only did I walk around both supermarkets with my smart phone taking pictures, using a dictaphone app, but I have also created a cost comparison based on my own personal, single female, aged 20-25, grocery list to calculate the amount of money I could save if I could be bothered to make two stops every Sunday. It may not seem like much, but over a substantial length of time.. it could buy me a lot of handbags!

Here are a few examples of items I purchase in my shopping, and how they compare against each other, in regards to price. (Excluding home brand, information based on larger corporation names)

 W = Woolworths         A= Aldi

Clumping Clay Kitty Litter
W - 7kg - $12.43
A - 10kg - $5.59

Cling Wrap
W - 60m - $3.82
A - 60m - $1.39

Apple Juice
W - 2.4L $4.49
A - 2L - $1.99

Red Capsicum/Bell Pepper (Both Australian grown)
W - per 1kg - $8.98
A - per 1kg - $5.99

Tim Tams Original (Same product comparison)
W - 330g - $4.39
A - 365g - $3.99

Sustain Cereal (Same product comparison)
W - 480g - $5.22
A - 480g - $4.69

Blueberries (Both Australian grown)
W - 125g - $3.48
A - 125g - $1.99

You can clearly see, for the above products, it is definitely a benefit for me to shop at Aldi. However, there are some items that I should stick to gathering up from Woolies.

For example, I make my own baked beans because the pre-made products have added sugar to make them tasted better.
For me, I prefer a generic brand of four or five beans can, I add a diced tomato can with fresh basil and oregano. It in no way, tastes like the 'baked beans from the shelf' because mine are real. No extra additives, no sugar for taste, just good ole fresh herbs and real beans. And if I'm feeling adventurous, I chop up some fresh tomatoes and chuck them in too!

In regards to the canned tomatoes and beans, I found even though the items were cheaper in Aldi, the nutritional value in the Woolworths products is favourable. I'm not about to substitute a lower price, for higher fat and carbohydrate contents.

I guess the point to this post, is to inform people that sometimes the grass is greener on the other side, and to do your research. Read the ingredients, read the quantities and make an educated decision.

Distributors are sneaky, they mislead information and show false advertising, and it's up to you to put an end to it and stop believing them. They rely on consumers who are too busy with their life, to stop and calculate how much they're paying per gram or milliliter, and if it's cost effective to get the larger size which is on sale.. which generally, is not financially better because of the extra grams you're getting isn't needed, or you're only getting another 50grams for the extra $2.00 to which you're better buying two of the smaller size product.

Why, as a human race, are we so set on having multiple choices when it comes to food?
Wouldn't we just rather fresh vegetables and fruits from farmers markets, and one or two brands of everything else? It sure would make things a lot easier.

It's so difficult for people to choose the right nutritious food for themselves and their families with all these companies adding extra flavorings and chemicals into our food. For instance....
Emulsifiers & Xanthan Gum - to ensure the ingredients in a product remain mixed together, instead of clumping... Am I the only one that thinks foods shouldn't get cellulite?? We're adding chemicals into our foods to make sure they stay together... what the F ??

One thing is for sure, you don't find emulsifier in broccoli or carrots!

Reading between the lines.

Do you know what all of the below have in common?..

Agave Nectar, Barley Malt, Beet Sugar, Black Strap Molasses, Molasses Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup, Buttered Syrup, Cane Juice Crystals, Cane Juice, Carob Syrup, Caramel, Carob Syrup, Corn Sweetener, Corn Syrup, Crystalline Fructose, Fructose, Demerara Sugar, Dextran, Diastatic Malt, Diatase, Disaccharides , Ethyl Maltol, Galactose, Glucose, Golden Syrup, Honey, Invert Sugar, Lactose, Malt Syrup, Maltodextrin, Maltose, Mannitol, Maple Syrup, Monosaccharides, Muscovado, Oat Syrup, Panela, Panocha, Confectioner, Rice Bran Syrup, Refiners Syrup, Sorbitol, Sorghum Syrup, Sucrose, Treacle, Tapioca Syrup, Turbinado, Xylitol

They are all, in one way or another, a form of sugar. Whether it be pure extracted sugar from fruits, processed sugar from plants or derived from other sources such as flour, wheat etc.

But nevertheless, they're all alternative words that food manufacturers use for sugar.

So, do yourself a favour. When you're at the grocery store next, actually look at the ingredients of what you're about to buy.

Do you know that the term 'lite' on packaging, doesn't actually mean it's any better for you?

They could be describing the colour of the food, or even the texture. Yep.... I ain't lying.

Don't misunderstand, the slogan '50% less sugar' could actually be right.. but they're relying on you to not read the fine print.... the fat or carbohydrate content then sky rockets to make the food taste better. Which, if perhaps you're focusing on losing weight, will do the opposite affect because the ingredient 'fat' is the last factor your body uses for energy, because it's the hardest to break down.

Don't always believe the sticker or the catchy one-liner. 

Another thing you should know is how they list the ingredients.

"Ingredients must be listed in descending order (by ingoing weight). This means that when the food was manufactured, the first ingredient listed contributed the largest amount and the last ingredient listed contributed the least. For example, if sugar is listed near the start of the list, the product contains a greater portion of this ingredient".

- Ingredient lists and percentage labels.
(July 2012) Food Standards Australia New Zealand

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I'm not saying you need to spend 15 minutes studying each product in the store. But just research, find out what your giving your body to use to hold you up during the day.

Below are some links to find out more information about nutrition and labeling for food products.

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/additiveoverview/Pages/default.aspx

http://mbm.net.au/health/guide.htm

The chemical reaction called LOVE.

The ever so old question about the strange, but yet fascinating word that we just can't seem to live without.. what is love?

What does it look like? 

How can you describe it to someone who has never felt such a confusing emotion? 

How do you even know if it's real?

I'll tell you what love is....
Norepinephrine + Dopamine + Oxytocin + Serotonin = Love.

I am in no way a hater of love; I love love. But I think it's important to understand why we feel this emotion and how to tell if it's the real thing. I fail to believe that when two people who have absolutely nothing in common, have extremely opposite personalities and no mutual goals or future desires; can romantically fall in 'love' and live happily ever after.

It just doesn't work that way. It's called compatibility, folks.

Norepinephrine (a.k.a Adrenaline): Important for the initial stages of 'falling for someone'. This chemical activates increased heart rate, makes you sweat and creates the feeling of so called 'butterflies in your stomach'.

Dopamine: The neurotransmitter widely known for initiating the feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, desire and infatuation. Because of these feelings, people will repeat the behaviors that cause the release of dopamine, to feel good. This hormone, as an example, is released during orgasm.

Oxytocin: Known as the 'cuddling hormone', this chemical is responsible for the connection and bonding feelings with a sexual partner, or someone that makes you feel special. Studies have shown that women produce more of this chemical, which could be why, to the general public, is seems woman establish a connection faster and become 'clingy' more than men. It is also found in women's breast milk, helping to create a bond between baby and mother.

Serotonin: People who are experiencing all of the above reactions, actually have lower serotonin levels, which in fact makes us less able to concentrate and stay focused. Therefore, giving us the feeling of 'I can't get them off my mind'.

In my life, I believe I have experienced five different types of love.

1. The love I have for my family and friends
2. The love for my cat, who I consider to be like my twelve year old child
3. The love for one ex-boyfriend who financially supported me and was (at the time) the vision of the kind of guy I thought I wanted to be with, and your typical first serious teenage relationship
4. The love for my most recent ex-boyfriend who I was once helping supporting (so completely different to the previous partner), dissimilar style and beliefs compared to the predecessor, could make me laugh uncontrollably, and was only one of two people that has ever been able to tickle me
5. The love for travel and adventure

Love cannot be described as a distinct feeling or meaning, for every love is different with it's own attributes. When it comes to crunch time, put aside all the feelings of obsession, butterflies and giddiness. The reactions I spoke about above, can happen with any person, but a real connection does not.

But hey, what do I know right? Screw science, I'm single.

Well played world;

I am not what you would call a 'lazy' person, but every now and again, I do let my car look like the zombie apocalypse hit earth three years ago.

That said, today I felt like being extra productive.... so I cleaned my car. Not only did I wash it once, but I washed it twice to ensure every spec of dirt had vanished before I started to chamois.
Holy moly, boy did it look like a fresh diamond out of a jewellery shop.

To reward myself for this feeling of pure accomplishment, I decided to go get a new piercing...
Yep, you guessed it! After twenty minutes in a shopping center, I had not only one, not two, but three separate bodily fluid stains from what I can only imagine was a bird racing home from work, but just couldn't quite make it. I mean, we've all pulled over to the side of the road at least once right?

At first I was disgusted, and then I was furious... which then led me to my next emotion.. curiosity. Is the world just testing me? Not once in the past two months had an animal left it's droppings on my car, but today, of all days, it happened. Why is that? Could it just be circumstantial? Or possibly the universe giving me the opportunity to show patience and forgiveness?

I came to the conclusion that maybe, we as humans, are not on this earth to just 'be'.
Maybe life is just a series of tests and mazes, and we are awarded points if we do well. They could even be like flybys or sky rewards points; once you have saved up enough, you can, so to speak 'cash them in' and use them to make that guy you been crushing on for months ask you out, or find a lost item you've been searching for for weeks.. but just randomly appears on your desk one day.

Am I crazy?    Quite possibly.
Am I a genius?     Probably not, but that doesn't mean I'm not on to something.

But, I guess the point to the story is that when I got home, I cleaned off the poop and now my car is shiny and clean again.

What. a. day.

I spy with my Green eye.

I have wanted to create a full blog with many aspects of my daily life, for quite some time.
And now, here it is. Please be gentle, it's still a working progress.

I seem to be the kind of person that goes through, well.. phases I guess you could call it.
I have no idea what I want to do with my life, or what I want to accomplish, so I just try it all.

About my tabs;

A Mystery Called: Me
This page will be under construction for quite some time.

The tab called JLH Unique Designs was a hobby of making unique, one off pieces of hand made jewellery. I don't put as much time into the art as I used to, but all in all, it's still there. This tab contains pictures and info on the pieces and how you can order if you'd like to obtain something.

I also have my Fitness & Nutrition page where I will continuously posting about new studies found an interesting facts that I would like to share for the world, as well as motivational tips that I found helpful and hopefully you will to.

Now for the exhilarating stuff..... my travels so far.
All Aboard is my page where I can describe my past experiences, and also make a collage of notes and pictures about where I want to travel next. This is the page where I would really appreciate and encourage feedback or if you would like to post your memories about places you have traveled to and even give your own tips on adventures that must be conquered.
After all, life is a journey.

Pay Attention is the page where every now and again, I might have an epiphany, dream or just have a fight with someone and I want to tell the world how my life has changed. If you want to comment and disagree or give me the thumbs up, then go right ahead.. I look forward to hearing from you.