Life Needs a Facelift… February 25, 2010

Looking back at this journey of the past 49 days of New Experiences, I realized that doing new things doesn’t have to be difficult.  Change is sometimes a scary thing (I know people who resist change with their lives!) but from my experiences of parallel parking in a city, trying new foods, going through a phone interview I have learned that change is good.  Change broadens your horizons and increases conversation pieces.  By sharing these experiences through social media, ideas get out there and action happens!

I feel good about these experiences that I’ve gone through, I’ve learned!  This blog has inspired me to keep trying new things and refreshing my routine every once in awhile.  By doing something new, you may take stress away from your studies, work, life, etc.

Look at the changes that Caribou Coffee is adopting March 1^st.  They are adding new drinks, specializing on tea (something most coffee shops haven’t done yet) and changing their logo.  Life needs a facelift from the drab, even a coffee company!

http://matchstic.com/blog/2010/02/new-bou/

My parting advice is to take advantage of the many opportunities out there.  Visit a park, take a picture, meet someone new, eat something and just enjoy yourself!  Take on the challenge of life and freshen it up

–Jessica

Don’t Let it Be Over February 25, 2010

Today I looked back over the blog at all the crazy things I’ve done these past 49 days. Some will be with me forever (my lovely tattoo) and some I hope to soon forget (making a fool of myself at Century College).

I decided to do this blog is because I love variety; better yet I need variety. If I end up doing the same thing every day I go crazy. Give me anything, even if it’s boring, and I’ll be happy because it’s different and new.

Newness and change can be scary sometimes. But if you never try something you’ll never know if it’s something greater and better than you’ve ever experienced. Courage can do great things for your life and even courage in random activities can develop and grow into courage for big life decisions. New experiences increase your knowledge and wisdom as well. Through trying different things your eyes are open to more perspectives and more skills.

In addition to the great things new adventures can provide, I think the greatest thing this blog experiment did was get me thinking about all the new experiences out there that I haven’t tried yet. Even with doing two new things every week, I found my life to do list try grow rather than diminish.

Here’s my parting advice to you. Instead of stressing about money, finding a job or passing that really tough Calculus quiz, find some time to do something fun and new. Life’s too short to never fully live.

Crazy for Coupons February 23, 2010

Being in college, I have learned how to save a penny or two when purchasing the essentials for college survival.  I look for generic brands and the red tags that scream “SALE!” as I walk down the aisles.  I usually clip out coupons…. but either forget them in the dorm or forget that I even have them when I check out.  My challenge: to remember that i have coupons and use them for my whole purchase!

I took a pact that before the school year would end, I would finish all the food I have already before I take a Target run.  Well, that time came soon enough.  I clipped coupons for cereals, milk, tuna, toothpaste, taco supplies, beefaroni, etc.  I grabbed them and only shopped for those items, walked to the checkout and remembered to use each and every one!  (The cashier and people behind me probably hated me, but I felt accomplished>)

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with using coupons, I just don’t want to be one of those coupon clippers that take every extra cent personally!  I also don’t want to think that because I have a coupon I SHOULD buy everything on sale… that doesn’t even save the money you were trying to save!  No, my cupboards will not be full of enough cans to fill a food pantry!

She’s crazy for coupons | StarTribune.com This lady is literally crazy for coupons!  Her own basement looks like a supermarket!

–Jessica

The Spirit of the Olympics February 21, 2010

As I watch the Olympic Games from my couch, I really wish I could be watching them in Vancouver. There’s just something different about being there in person. Although I can’t watch the Olympic hockey team in person, this weekend I had the opportunity to attend my first hockey game.
It was a high profile game for Roseville area colleges. In a match between rivals nearly as big as the 1980 USA and Russia hockey teams, Northwestern faced Bethel. Unlike the 1980 game, the underdog unfortunately didn’t win. Although Northwestern lost, it was an exciting game, with a last second shot that could have tied the game. There were many people there to support the Northwestern Eagles, and it was fun to see the school spirit.
Sports are a funny thing. Although most fans don’t know any of the players, they feel a close connection to them and their efforts because they are on the same “team.” I think people love the Olympics and sports in general because it brings such different people together for a common goal. We can put aside labels of Republican and Democrat, Protestant or Catholic, Viking or Packer, and simply be American. Even at the local level of an intramural college hockey game or the global level of the Olympic Games, sports bridge differences and bring people together. Not even the United Nations can bring about the global cooperation bobsleds and figure skates accomplish every four years. Some may say sports are a result of our innate selfish pride and cause division. I choose to see the opposite, and whatever the reason for sports, I think it’s a good thing.

A Reflection on Social Media February 19, 2010

I learned something new this past week, the power of having followers on Twitter and friends on Facebook.  They can really help you out in a project if they are active and participating.  If you don’t, your posts go out into cyberspace with no hopes of being snowballed into a great thing.  Free failure?  New concept, but really that’s what social media is.

So in asking what we should do for our blog to add new experiences and have reader interaction, we thought that just doing something new everyday wasn’t specific enough.  An ideal promise of any social media can’t be too specific or too general.  We thought that having a very broad audience would spike up the views.  On reflection of that, maybe not.  Maybe we need to recruit those with an interest in something similar and bank on that.

I was thinking having a Twin Cities appeal to the blog and project.  There are so many unexplored places and activities in the cities, we’re bound to find people doing new things!  Just an idea.

Where do you think this blog should explore and experience?

–Jessica

Something New on Twitter February 18, 2010

           Something new I tried this week was using the hash key to have Twitter conversations. Two days ago I posted a question under #somethingnew asking, “What is something fun I can do this weekend?” Being someone new to Twitter with hardly any followers, I received few responses, only one actually, but I had a lot of fun reading the new things other people are doing.

            Instead of suggesting new things I could try, the Twitter posts were largely new things that they had done. One black girl mentioned getting picked up in a bar by white guys, and another guy tweeted about his first trip to San Diego. My personal favorite was the girl who wrote, “Cops should yell ‘PICKACHUUUUUU!!!!!’ before tasing someone.”

            In spite of a few crazy responses, I actually pruned a few good ideas from others’ experiences. Someone talked about having a Chinese New Year’s cookie or playing laser tag. I discovered there’s a movie called Something New and that a lot of people on Twitter like it. My friend Emily even suggested taking a trip to Duluth for the weekend.

            I was surprised at how many ideas I found on Twitter. Even though those people were just tweeting about themselves and what they’re doing, Twitter allowed them to share it with others who share the enjoyment of doing new things. In what ways has Twitter connected you? Tell us about it.

Idea #21 February 17, 2010

Try to win something on the radio.

4 Choices, 3 Hours and 1 Perfect Dress: 5 Tips for Your Wedding Dress Hunt February 16, 2010

            Every little girl dreams of the day when she’ll put on the beautiful white dress and walk down the aisle. For my friend Jessica this dream will soon be realized. Therefore, last Saturday we went in search of the perfect dress for her perfect day.

            Since I had never been wedding dress shopping, all of my expectations were based on word of mouth or the show Say Yes to the Dress. My first real life experience, from the viewpoint of a bridesmaid, taught me a lot. First of all, the dresses are not all thousands of dollars, just most of them. However, Jess found a few in her college student budget.

            The other thing that shocked me was how quickly Jess found a dress. Within three hours and after only four dresses, Jess had her’s chosen along with accessories and bridesmaid dresses. It was quick and sweet, but we all knew it was the perfect dress when we saw it.

            Now that I’ve been wedding dress shopping, here are some tips I’ve picked up to share with you!

1. Make an appointment. Make sure you can get right in and get the service you need by calling ahead.

2. Have a style and budget in mind. Look at designs before you go to figure out what type of dresses you are interested in. The major styles to consider are a-line, princess, empire waist, mermaid, sheath or hourglass. Also, tell the sales consultant your budget. You don’t want to fall in love with a dress that you can’t buy.

3. Find a dress that matches your wedding details. Jess found a beautiful dress but the thickness of it would have been really warm for her August wedding. The dress she chose was also really simple in design which will compliment her simple wedding.

4. Make sure you’re in love. You will look back on the pictures from the day the rest of your life; make sure you feel pretty when you wear it. Also, make sure you’re comfortable in it. You want to be able to enjoy your big day.

5. Don’t forget accessories! When dress shopping, make sure you remember to find a veil, jewelry, hair pieces, and shoes that will match and best compliment your dress.

5 Ways to Ace a Phone Interview February 16, 2010

When applying for a job, don’t be surprised when the company asks you to do a phone interview after they review your resume.

When I applied for an internship at Compassion International, I made the first cut of resume checks.  They then called to schedule a phone interview!  I had never done one before (you can imagine me being anxious and nervous!).  I went straight to the net to research the company, how to do well on the phone interview, and what to expect.  We scheduled a time and the interview went great!  (I’m actually waiting for the second round of interviews from them! :] )

Some Tips?

Research- you may have already applied and know all about the company and yourself, but it definitely helps to look up the vision and mission of the organization you are applying for.  You might even want to freshen up on what your responses were in paper!

Isolate Yourself!- remove yourself from distractions and background noise.  I sat in my car for the interview!

Show Your Personality- Stand up, move around, and SMILE!  Be yourself so they can hear who you really are.  During mine I couldn’t help but smile and be friendly!

Prepare Your Responses- There are some common questions that most interviewers ask, take notes of the answers you might have for these, and practice saying them out loud.

Ask Questions- questions will help you direct the conversation, show that you are curious, and help you assess if the company’s right for you!  Questions are a perfect way to end the interview, by asking what the interviewer knows and has experienced.

Some Resources:

http://www.pongoresume.com/articles/43/phone-interviews.cfm

http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/interviews/a/phoneinterview.htm

http://www.worktree.com/tb/IN_telephone.cfm

Good Luck!

–Jessica

Idea #20 February 16, 2010

Invite someone you don’t know that well to your house, apartment, dorm to get to know them better.  Maybe over a game of Apples to Apples or Dominoes.  Maybe for an olympics game party.  Maybe just for a cup of Java.  Just get out there and meet people!