Learn from my Failures: Exercise Motivation

Regular exercise is something that has proven to keep me, not only healthy, but happy on a daily basis. There's nothing like that just-went-to-the-gym feeling. The problem is getting out of bed and getting to the gym. Foreseeing this problem, I got a wiifit for snowy, lazy days when I couldn't fathom leaving my room. However, this did not solve the problem. Sure I had a means of exercising in my own room, but now I had to get out of bed, get out the wiifit balance board, turn on the wii console, and then get going. There will always be an excuse not to exercise. But there are things you can do to make excuses easier to muffle. In the case of the wiifit, I started leaving the wii balance board out in the middle of the room with the remote nearby so everything I needed was all set. This also proves helpful when trying to get yourself to practice an instrument more. Whenever I wanted to practice piano more but was too lazy, I would leave the music out on the piano with the bench pulled out and the keys exposed. That way, I had no excuse not to play because everything was ready for me. Another great way to get yourself motivated to go to the gym is to have pictures of yourself at the ideal weight or fit people you admire around your room or on your desktop so you're reminded of your goal. The most effective way I've found to keep a fitness regime is to have a workout buddy and a routine. I maintained a regular exercise schedule once I found a routine with some variety (e.g. yoga two days of the week, zumba two days of the week, running three days of the week) and a friend who wanted to share the same routine. That way, even if I didn't feel like going to the gym, I didn't want to let down my workout buddy by not joining her. Getting the initial boost of motivation is the hard part, after about a week or so of this kind of a routine, it will seem weird not to go to the gym.

Learn from my Failures: Temporary Hair Dye

The other day my friend and I walked into Hot Topic and thought we’d try something different and put some temporary color in our hair. We saw the Color Fiend Comb-in Temporary Hair Dye and thought it was a great idea. Comb it in and it washes out in one wash, lots of different colors, and vegan friendly! Woot! However, if you’re thinking about getting this product, I would suggest using a kindergartener’s paint because it’s pretty much the same thing. The “dye” is a goopy, paint-like liquid that you comb into your hair and don’t rinse out. It gets absolutely everywhere and doesn’t look like dyed hair. It looks exactly like it is: paint. If you don’t wear gloves while using the product, it gets all over your hands and is really hard to wash off. Luckily, it was much easier to wash out of our hair. At the end of the hair-dying extravaganza, we decided it was better to just wash it out right away because it just made our hair look greasy and painted. If you’re going to temporarily dye your hair, spend a few extra dollars and get something that you rinse out and is not paint. 

Learn from my Failures: Snow

Snow is Mother Nature's way of saying she hates us. Sure, snow is beautiful when you're sitting inside your cozy home, snuggled up by the fire. But when you spend an hour shoveling your driveway or digging out your car only to play a game of will-my-car-stop-when-I-tell-it-to, "winter wonderland" is that last thing that comes to mind. Some things to keep in mind when you have to dig through your driveway: lift from the knees and stay well-covered. When driving, never, under any circumstances, drive as you would if it were summer. Take. it. slow. Tap the breaks as you approach the stop to check how much your car will slide. When turning, tap the breaks and gently turn the wheel. Expect to fishtail so don't panic when you do. Stay calm and don't press on the breaks. Tapping the breaks is ok but maintain control of the car by steering. The most important thing anyone can tell you about swirving on a snowy road is stay calm and don't stomp on the breaks. Driving in snow is one of the most miserable things one can do in winter, but if you play it smart you can save yourself a trip to the ditch.

Learn from my Failures: Hamsters

Having a pet is an absolutely fantastic idea. Petting any kind of animal has been shown to be beneficial by decreasing blood pressure, increasing life satisfaction and lowering stress. Pet therapy is a form of intervention used for a variety of psychological disorders ranging from schizophrenia to depression. It has also been used for children and the elderly in hospital, school and hospice scenarios. During a very hard time in my life about two years ago, I found that my friend's pet rat helped me feel a little better even for just a few minutes. So I decided to get a hamster. I did a lot of research on hamsters and a good deal of what I found online suggested that people get more than one hamster since they're social animals. Believing this bit of advice was the biggest mistake I could have made in buying a hamster. After being warned by several people, I checked several times with the store and based on online criteria that I had two male hamsters. The store (a well-known, well-credited one at that) assured me that they only sold male hamsters. I bought two hamsters and got pretty attached over the following few months. One day I went to get the pair out from their cage and realized that one of the boys was way bigger and firmer than the other one. Sure enough, the boy hamster was a pregnant girl hamster. Two days later, I had my two "boy" hamsters and seven tiny baby hamsters. I kept in contact with the "hamster expert" at the pet store who told me that the dad could be kept in the cage because they couldn't breed again for another month after the first litter. Mistake #2 was listening to this bit of expert advice. Another few weeks after the first litter was born, I found myself with a total of two adult hamsters and fourteen baby hamsters. This is stressful and annoying (although adorable) for anyone, but when a sophomore in a small college dorm has sixteen hamsters, the cons outweighed the pros of owning hamsters. Luckily, lots of college students were interested in taking a hamster or two off my hands. Hamsters are great pets for many reasons: they're adorable, low maintenance, friendly and playful. But if you're thinking about getting a hamster, I would highly suggest only getting one. Two years after my hamster mishaps, I'm down to one hamster who seems just as content to be alone as he was to be with a bunch of other hamsters. In fact, there's a good chance that if you get multiple hamsters, they will fight loudly and a lot. Hamsters are so tiny that it is near impossible to identify their gender. Play it safe and get one. If you end up in the same position I was in, at least remove the dad as soon as possible so they can't breed again after the first litter is born. After accidentally becoming a hamster breeder, I can guarantee that one hamster is much better than sixteen. Either play it safe or have a large group of people who are willing to take hamsters off your hands.