Thirty Things Every Woman Should Know by Age 30

Today, while waiting for the doc, I was perusing my newest Glamour magazine when I came across this blurb: Thirty Things Every Woman Should Know by Age 30. The magazine directed me to the website for the full 30. I like this--when a couple of my friends turned thirty recently, I came up with a couple of my own "30" lists. But this is a good one. Glamour contributor, Pamela Redmond Satran came up with the list. So here it is.

By 30, you should have:

1

One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come. (Well, needless to say, I can't imagine going back to any of my former boyfriends. But, yes, I have come a long way. Anybody who has known me through my relationships knows that! I finally found a good one!)

2

A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family. (Yeah. Couches and a queen sized bed bought brand new. In storage.)

3

Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.

(I have some decent things to wear. Like the perfect green goddess dress for a daytime wedding.)

4

A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying. (I think I need new luggage. My last set of "real" luggage I got when I graduated high school at 17. Though I have an overnight bag thats okay.)

5

A youth you’re content to move beyond. (Yeah. Been there, done that. Had fun, but things are good now!)

6

A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age. (Why wait that long to retell?)

7

The realization that you are actually going to have an old age—and some money set aside to help fund it. (Gotta work on the retirement fund.)

8

An e-mail address, a voice mailbox and a bank account—all of which nobody has access to but you.

9

A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.

10

One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry. (I'm lucky in the friend department.)

11

A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.

12

Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.

13

The belief that you deserve it.

14

A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30. (Well, I use Mary Kay and I go to the gym. I even floss now!)

15

A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better. (I have a job I love--and tenure--and a great guy too!)

By 30, you should know:

1

How to fall in love without losing yourself. (I'm certainly better at this now than I was at 18. Thats for sure! I'm deliriously happy in love but have my own life too!)

2

How you feel about having kids. (This hasn't changed since I was 18. I still want 'em! And at least 2.)

3

How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship. (Last year, I had to break up with someone for the first time--and I did it twice (with two different guys)! I found it strangely liberating!)

4

When to try harder and when to walk away.

5

How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.

6

The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town. (Ummm...gotta work on this one!)

7

How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.

8

How to take control of your own birthday. (I'm good at this one--I love celebrating my birthday!)

9

That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents. (I'm happy with me! Usually!)

10

That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over. (You take the good...you take the bad...you take them both...and there you have the facts of life!)

11

What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.

12

That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long. (Yeah, falling down drunk is not as cute in your later twenties as it was when you were 18. Thats for sure!)

13

Who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.

14

Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault. (I have to work on this one. A certain somebody who shall remain nameless tells me I apologize too much for things that have nothing to do with me!)

15

Why they say life begins at 30. (I'm two years from being 30. But in may ways, life is better for me now than it ever was. I look better now than I did at say, twenty-one. I'm in a wonderful relationship with a great guy and I'm settled in a career I love. I've got friends and family who are supportive. Things are good.)

Ways to Kill a Sore Throat

Sunday, I felt a sore throat coming on--then awoke in the middle of the night with the chills and a definite fever. Today, I'm home sick for the second day in a row. I went to the doctor today to confirm that I didn't have strep throat. I was right--just a virus. I've been gargling with salt water and drinking lots of tea with lemon and honey. However, I discovered a couple new remedies for a sore throat here and also here.

If you have a sore throat, try gargling with cayenne and salt. Apparently, the cayenne helps to bring circulation to the affected area and draws away the infection. Both websites I came across suggested gargling or drinking a concoction of apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, salt, honey and warm water. Trust me--its not as gross as it sounds! Its not half-bad, and the spice won't kill you either (though it will make your nose run)!

Strange, you're thinking. Well, the acidity of the apple cider vinegar will kill the bacteria in your throat on contact. According to Health911, this method will even work on cases of strep throat.

I've gargled with the cayenne and salt a couple times and once with the apple cider vinegar and honey/cayenne concoction. It feels like it's helping. Try it next time you get a sore throat. Let me know what you think. Has anyone used these remedies before?

I've heard of drinking a spirit such as brandy or whiskey when your throat is sore, but have never tried it. Some of the sites I checked out online suggested gargling with it, or making a tea with a shot of whiskey. According to Wikipedia, the alcohol will numb the throat and also work as an aniseptic. Pretty interesting! I didn't try this one!

Free Iced Coffee Day

Today, being the first day of Spring, is Free Iced Coffee Day at Dunkin Donuts! This morning, it was less than 30 degrees on my way to work, but I stopped for my free coffee. Four years ago, on the first Free Iced Coffee Day (that I recall), I think I got 4-5 free coffees from all different Dunkin Donuts. Tonight, maybe I'll get one more. Enjoy!

Here it is!

Here's the photo I promised!!! Also, a custom header as well! Enjoy!

Joyful Week End

Well, it was certainly a delightful weekend even with the snowstorm we got on Friday! For the record, I love snow but after the balmy temperatures in the 70s we had last week I am ready to officially pack away the mittens and scarves for the capris and tank tops!

Saturday, we took my mother out for a birthday dinner. There were 13 of us--immediate and some extended family--and Eric met 'em all! I knew they'd all like him and I was right! And, the best part, my wacky family didn't freak him out! Eric has posted a pic of us from that dinner--see his blog for it...later on, I'll post a couple myself.

Eric and I enjoy a busy Sunday--we made a quick run to the Cherry Hill Mall, at lunch/dinner at the Olive Garden and bought some home essentials (including four pairs of chopsticks, wine charms and windchimes) at the Pier One Imports Outlet Store. Next we'll need to buy some wine glasses for the wine charms!

Our Sunday evening was spent at the movies--Eric wanted to see 300, so we went. It wouldn't have been a movie I would have chosen to see, but I still enjoyed it. The visuals were amazing and there were only a few parts where I had to close my eyes!

(Oh yeah. And for the record, I'm still working on the layout of this blog! I'm going to try using Photoshop to create a custom header. Keep checking back for a newer and improved blog!)

Changes

As you can tell, I've been making some changes to the template of my blog! Its still a work in progress. Unfortunately, I'm not all that "html" smart so I'm trying to make changes using the new Blogger, as well as trying to learn some html basics! Any comments or feedback or tips, I'd greatly appreciate! And if you like what I've done, say so! :)

Gomez Rocks!

Last night, my friend Dennis and I saw Gomez play Webster Hall. What a show! I've previously boasted about Gomez's latest studio album, How We Operate. Their music is fun and it ranges from fast and upbeat "rockin' out" to mellow acoustic tunes.

So I'd noticed listening to their music that there is more than one male vocalist. What I hadn't realized was that three of the guys sing lead vocals on various songs--and according to this review by NPR, five of the guys are songwriters! Wow! Thats pretty unusual in a band, I think! So, I think I love this band even moreso, now that I've seen them live!

They have a great live energy and they are just a great, fresh, original rock band. Dennis and I had pushed our way almost all the way to the front of the crowds, so not only did we have a great vantage point, but we were thrown into the bouncing arrays of dancing fiends. I was dancing quite a bit and so was Dennis. Or he may have been just bobbing his head in time with the music. What was crazy was that the floor actually felt like it was wobbling! It was weird!

New Beginnings

Well, I've posted a bit here and there about Eric, my new guy. I've posted about our third date and mentioned his name in passing a few times.

Well, you, my fellow reader are probably wondering how things went after the third date. Or maybe you're not. My readers have been quite busy. One is planning a wedding, one had a baby and one is buying a house. (For the record, I do have other readers who post comments on occasion. But there are not many. Unless they are hiding in the woodwork--which is possible, too. Anyway--back to the topic at hand.)

So we had a third date. And a fourth date. And a fifth date. Yes, a sixth too...a seventh...an eighth...I've lost track. How many dates have we had, Eric? ;) I think we can stop counting now! We met through an online website, just when I was getting frustrated with meeting all frogs. For your knowledge, many of the frogs were perfectly nice guys. But not right for me. There are certain factors that must be present in a relationship for it work. Or it won't. I've learned! Chemistry. Mental and physical. Great sense of humor. If you can't laugh at each other's jokes, you'll end up hating each other. Trust me. Ability to talk to each other for hours is key. It's not as important to have lots of common interests--but what's more important is to be open to each other's interests. Open-minded, I should say.

So, there were relationships I ended, because they just weren't right. We couldn't really talk. Or, (Insert name of a certain ex here) didn't appreciate my goofy, silly side. (Insert name of another ex here) was so cheap that he would ream me out anytime I wanted to give a small amount of money to a charitable cause. Also, I don't need to be with somebody who is narrow-minded or has completely different beliefs as me! Been there, done that.

So exactly one month and week after meeting, I'm writing about my relationship with Eric. He wrote about us on his blog, so now its my turn. I think after meeting lots of frogs, I've finally found my prince! We're crazy about each other! Its a wonderful feeling that I haven't felt in a long time--and, I'm not sure that its ever felt quite like this. We just feel right. Right for each other anyway. Don't worry--we won't be running off to Vegas anytime soon to elope! But things are good!

Free Music!

I logged into Emusic a couple days ago out of curiosity. I actually checked out the site because Eric told me he had an offer to get some free music downloads. Well, if you sign up for a membership, you get 25 free downloads! Here's how it works--the first two weeks is a free trial. So basically, if you cancel within those first two weeks, you keep your music and don't get charged. Sweet! So I got my 25 free downloads. Here are some of my "new music" finds. For the record...they may not all be new music, but they're new to me!

1. I'd read about Elvis Perkins in Rolling Stone, then came across some of his music. The son of actor Anthony Perkins, Elvis has a great folky sound. I downloaded a couple of his songs and can't wait to hear some more of his music!

2. I came across a band called The Format. I'd never heard of them before but I really am digging their tunes! Their sound is similiar to the band, Bright Eyes. (The cool thing is I just scored free tickets to see Guster in April and I found out The Format is opening for them!)

3. I downloaded some more of Josh Ritter's music. He's not quite new to me but I've been listening to some more of his music in depth and I really like it.

4. Last.fm recommended the band Winterpills to me. They have a similiar sound to Death Cab for Cutie. They're quite good!

5. Finally, I downloaded this album. Its the Smithereens cover version of "Meet the Beatles." Its a fun and fresh take on this classic album.

Charging Moose Brings Down Hovering Helicopter

Yesterday, Eric sent me this story about a moose who took down a helicopter. How odd. The story sounds funny at first. The helicopter was hovering above and the moose charged into it. However, read further into the article, and you'll see that the moose was maimed by the helicopter's rotary blades and had to be euthanized. While, the moose is one of my favorite creatures, there is a lesson to be learned from this incident. A moose is obviously NOT a creature to be reckoned with!