Happy New Year!

For 2011, I want to finally start taking better care of myself. Eating better and working out...you know the drill.

What are your resolutions? Have a wonderful end of year celebration and start of 2011!

Hairstyle Tip

Want an update to a plain old ponytail? Try this twist!

All you have to do is put your hair in a ponytail but shimmy the ponytail holder down a bit and use your hands to make a hole in the middle of the ponytail. Then stick the ends of the ponytail through the hole you've made and there's your twist! It is super easy!

I need your help!

I start my new job in a few days and I need some help from YOU! The only downside to my awesome new job is I have about a half an hour drive there and back.

Any suggestions on good driving music or books on tape I can listen to? I'd love some feedback so I can get started on some playlists on my iPod! :)

Winner of the Giveaway!

The winner of the giveaway from Geothermal Genius was selected by a random generator....

And that person is....

Casey from Blonde Bargain Babe! Congrats! :) Shoot me an email with your address so you can get your prize. And definitely let me know if it works!

Bloggers.com pick of the day!

Sorry this is so small!

Just a big THANK YOU to Bloggers.com! I was featured as a pick of the day yesterday! :)

Have a great holiday!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Have a blessed day with family and friends! :)

Dashboard Re-Cap

Remember last Friday I went to see Dashboard Confessional in concert? It was great because it was just Chris Carrabba and his guitar singing old school songs. Did I mention he's gorgeous?


Anyway, after standing for about 2 hours listening to opening acts and just plain waiting, my friend and I were already ready to leave before he even came out. We both worked and stood at work for countless hours so all I wanted was a seat for my tired feet and back! But once he came out, it was great. It is strange how music can bring back so many memories. "Again I Go Unnoticed" perfectly describes a past relationship. And other songs I just remember listening to and thinking about things. All in all, great concert and I was glad to share it with my friend/co-worker!

P.S. Merry Christmas Eve and Happy 2 1/2 year anniversary to my boy! :)

Don't Forget to enter!

Just a reminder...don't forget to enter the giveaway to win a product that helps you save energy and money by telling you how much it costs to power your favorite electronics.

You can enter by commenting here or here!

Pet Update!

Hannah Banana is getting old! :( She will be 12 in April and I hate seeing her get older, but she is still so cute and sweet even when she begs for treats.

Buddy! He's learned to go up on his hind legs when I say "Up!" and he takes treats nice when you say "Be nice!". He's adorably fun! :)

New Giveaway that helps you save ENERGY and MONEY!

If you live on your own, are thinking about it, or just want to be more environmentally friendly, I bet you're always looking for new tools to help lower your costs of living while thinking about saving energy.

Here's a giveaway to one lucky reader! It is a Kill A Watt EZ electricity monitor (MSRP $60) from Geothermal Genius. This tool will tell you what devices cost you to run, so plug it in to your fan, or computer or anything and see what it costs to run that each day/month/year. This will surely help you to remember to unplug your devices when you're not using them to save energy AND money.

So check out Geothermal Genius for more information. You can even calculate your energy usage and how much you would save with one of their other products, geothermal heat pump.

If you want to win this great product, just comment on this entry! Winners will be chosen in one week.

Boots and Music!

I want these boots! I first saw them on CollegeCandy and fell in love. Too bad they are so expensive! But I love the fact that they lace up. Being a size 10 (yes, I have huge feet), Uggs aren't always so awesome. I have to wear them in the winter, but because I have a large shoe size, the makers of boots apparently think I have huge legs too. So I'd love some winter boots that actually fit my legs too!

What do you think about them?

P.S. I'm going to see Dashboard Confessional tonight so here's one of my favorite old school songs of theirs! :)

Let the "Awwws" begin....

One of my favorite gifts I've gotten in the past few years has to be this necklace. It is a very pretty necklace, but the thought behind it is what I remember most. Inside the box was also a note from my boy that went something like this...

"The first heart is mine who loves you, the second is yours that always cares, and the third is ours together that grows stronger all the time."
<3

Quick Graduation Re-cap

Saturday was my graduation! It was a long, long day but a great one. First I went to my ceremony, which let's be honest....those aren't the most exciting things in the world. Especially when I was in the last row to go across the stage! But I felt really relieved when it was over because then it was time to party!

We had lots of good food, good friends and family! I was floating from room to room trying to talk to everyone and I was really glad that everyone showed up. And one pro to graduation in December...it is like an early Christmas! ;) I'm definitely blessed this year.

Then yesterday was a complete blizzard! I kept wishing the snow would stop and it didn't, so I stayed inside and wrote thank you cards.

What a Day!

Hello friends! I'm off to graduate today with a Bachelor's in Journalism! Then celebrating tonight. I am so excited!

I am also grateful and excited to announce I have a job starting in January for a public relations/marketing company. It starts part-time, so I am hoping to spend some of my free time growing this blog and making it even better. :)

If you have any suggestions on topics, design, anything...feel free to email me at lrstewar (@) gmail.com.

The New Facebook: Love it or Hate it?

Facebook has changed again. The night before the re-design launched, Mark Zuckerberg was interviewed on "60 Minutes" talking about the Facebook movie "Social Network" and the new design of our profile pages.

"60 Minutes" also interviewed the infamous Winklevoss twins who sued Zuckerberg for reportedly stealing their idea. Funniest part of that: The Winkesvoss' admitted they have Facebook accounts!

Anyways, how do you like the new design? Personally, I like it. It shares your photos more effectively and I like the top part that gives snippets of where you work, live and your relationships. You can also show people who your family is and more of who you are and what you like to do. My only complaint is that I wish they would increase the font size again. People out there with bad eyesight like me have a hard time reading such small words!

Hero of the Story...

I love Regina Spektor. Her music is beautiful. I love this song because I think it really speaks to us about the downfalls of being human, but reminds us "no one has it all".

Chat with me!

A button made for me by one of my favorite bloggers, Naturally Nina!

Want to chat with me or simply read more of what I'm up to?

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook! I'd love to hear your thoughts on what I should write about, how you like my blog, or simply how you're doing! :)

Get Free Music!

I found a great way to get music for free when I don't have the money to buy from Amazon or iTunes!

Check out Zamzar.com, a free online file converter website where you can download songs from Youtube right to iTunes!

At first I thought it was too good to be true, but then I tried it when I had to download some music for a PowerPoint for my internship and I didn't want to purchase the songs. All you have to do is find the song on Youtube and copy the URL, tell Zamzar what file you want it in, put in your email address and convert. You'll get a link to download in your inbox and it can go right to iTunes, ready to listen.

Tell me, have you ever used this? What is your favorite way to get new music when you're broke?

Happy December: A List!

I pretty much have a love/hate relationship with snow.

I love how beautiful it looks, but I am terrified driving in it and hate going out in the freezing cold.

But this year (and I'll probably regret saying this when it comes, but oh well), I am kind of excited for snow and definitely the Christmas season! In the spirit of being positive, here's a list of things I love about this time of year.

1. I love the pretty snow, sitting inside and watching it fall. My boy looooves snow and I love seeing how excited he gets.

2. Another great thing about snow is sledding and I can't wait to go this year!

3. My downtown area does a great light show and I'm excited to walk around and see all the beautiful lights.

4. Presents of course! Getting them is awesome and giving is a sweet feeling. :) I'm excited I'm almost done shopping and I've wrapped what I bought already.

5. Hot chocolate is my obsession during the cold months! Try putting a candy cane in there (it's delicious!)...

6. Having many excuses to stay inside and watch movies and cuddle with my boy.

7. Listening to Christmas music...I just downloaded the Glee Christmas CD and it is awesome.

8. Everyone is feeling happy and excited for Christmas around this time of year!

9. This year is special because I'll be done with school before Christmas and won't have to worry about going back after break.

10. Last but not least, I watched one of my favorite Christmas movies the other night..."Elf!"