Yeah, I realize I’m a little late with this, but I’m one of those people that finds nothing wrong with wishing a “Happy New Year” to someone on January 29th. Hey, what do you want from me? I still have my Christmas tree up! Plus, since we already have several days under our 2011 belts, the pressure of perfection is already off! Anyway, the other day on the radio, our Ladies Room Topic was, “What New Year’s resolution would you make for other women?” I actually thought a lot about it throughout the day and came up with my 5 Top New Year’s Resolutions for Women. By the way, I’m working on all of them too!

1. Stop beating yourself up – I am SO guilty of this, and my hope is that we, as women, will learn to appreciate ourselves for who we are and shut off the voices in our heads. You know that voice well. The really loud one that blocks out any compliments you get and says, “you’re so stupid,” “why can’t you be like so-and-so,” “you’re never going to be good enough.” Sound familiar? The next time you hear that voice, tell that bitch to shut the hell up!

I’m on vacation.  I’m snowed in.  That can only mean only mean one thing right?  Teen Mom marathon! I have to admit I judged the show prematurely. I thought, ‘Who wants to see a show about a bunch of kids making stupid choices?” Well, turns out, I do.

If you haven’t seen the MTV show, it follows four teenage girls who were originally featured on the show 16 and Pregnant. Teen Mom shows how their lives have changed after giving birth, the relationships (or lack thereof) with their baby’s fathers, and how their parents are coping with the situation.

It’s so easy to sit back and judge these girls for their decisions and actions. Yes, Amber came off as a seriously crazy girl with major anger issues in need of medication. No, Maci shouldn’t have run off to Nashville after her new boyfriend she hoped to marry. Farrah obviously needs to continue with therapy and stop talking to her mother the way she does. And Catelynn, well, I love her so I don’t have anything bad to say about her. The point I want to make is, even though all these girls have issues that we saw them live through publicly, there is something special about this show and I’m thankful I watched it.

I give these girls credit. It takes guts to put yourself out there like that. While it isn’t as shocking today when a teenage girl gets pregnant, people still have a tendency to judge them and call them a slut even if they’ve only been with that one boy who they were in a relationship with. It also can’t be easy to make the decision to put your baby up for adoption, as Catelynn did, knowing that there will be people out there looking at you with disdain because, “How can you just give your baby away?” I’m giving credit where credit is due.

There was no shortness of drama on the show, which I’m sure was the attraction for most people, but there was also a lot to learn from the show. Farrah showed us that having a baby does not make you a grown up. She made some steps in the right direction by working and getting her own apartment, but her childish behavior with her mother showed she still had a lot to learn about life. Don’t get me wrong, her mother was not perfect, but I feel like she was trying to help. Maci made some impulsive decisions like moving to be closer to her boyfriend, but I felt that she showed maturity in putting her son first when meeting with the mediator and giving her son’s father an extra day of visitation. Catelynn showed us how unselfish the process of adoption really is. To look beyond your own personal wants and desires, and make the impossible decision to let someone else raise your child, was an amazing thing to watch. It was even more impressive, given her mother wasn’t on-board with the decision and reminded her on every possible occasion. And Amber. Yes, even Amber showed us something. It may not be what she wanted us to see about her, but she reaffirmed that just because you have a baby with someone, doesn’t mean you should be together.

I’m so glad I decided to give the show a chance, and I look forward to Teen Mom 2 which premieres on January 11th at 10pm. Here’s the trailer for the show…

So what do you think about Teen Mom? Have you watched it? Who was your favorite? What did you learn from watching the show? And do you think that shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom will keep teens from getting pregnant? I would love to hear what you think. Leave a comment please!

Just my humble opinion…Pebbles

Purple is my favorite color.  I have purple clothes, jewelry, coffee mugs, water bottles, and even a beautiful purple purse.  But today I wear purple for a different reason.  Today, I stand in support of gay teens and in memory of those who committed suicide after being bullied or harassed for being gay.

Many teens and adults will wear purple today, and USA Today reports that A Facebook page in honor of the victims shows 1.4 million people say they will take part.  While that is an amazing number, it’s nothing when you realize (or Google as I did) that there are over 310 million people in the United States!

I’m sure that there are many who don’t even know that this is going on today, and there are others who don’t want to support the “lifestyle.”  I for one want to publicly put my support behind this because I never want to hear about another teen taking their own life because of being ridiculed for who they are.

If you happen to be someone who believes that homosexuality is wrong, it is your right to believe that.  But to ridicule a young person who is trying to live their life and discover who they are is despicable!  Going through the teen years is tough enough!

So today, purple takes on a whole new meaning for me, and I hope that the next time you hear someone making a “gay joke” or using gay slurs, you don’t just sit by and let it happen.  Speak up!  If we don’t make changes in our attitude NOW, the next suicide could be your brother, sister, cousin, or friend.

Just my humble opinion…Pebbles

“I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don’t notice it.” – From The Color Purple

I just came across this book on Twitter and had to share it with you!  I follow the Do Something organization on Twitter and they mentioned that they have a book coming out called Do Something! A Handbook for Young Activists.  As the title suggests, it’s all about getting kids to become involved in making changes in their communities and in the world.

I immediately put in my order because I feel that this is such an important piece of the puzzle in turning great kids into incredible adults.  I believe that if  kids are involved in things that don’t revolve around them, they get a new perspective on life.

Admit it, we all see how selfish we can be.  All we care about at times is how things affect us.  Do we really want our children to grown up thinking that they only need to care about themselves?  I say no, and that’s why I’m supporting this book and what it stands for.  Must be the  former Girl Scout  in me!

If you have children, or are an aunt, uncle, teacher, or anyone else who works with kids, consider getting this for them.  OR, you could get it and work on a project together.  I know that I will be reading it to my nieces and nephews, cousins and even sharing it with my niece’s teacher who I volunteer with.

Congrats again Do Something!  I hope it becomes a best seller and more importantly, your work turns a new generation into a special group of activists who will change our world!  CLICK HERE to order the book and get more information!

Just my humble opinion…Pebbles

I would love to hear what you think about this book!  Do you think we’ve all become too selfish?  What are you doing to make a difference in someone else’s life?  Leave me a comment!

Why is it so hard for us to say thank you to the people who help us?  Not just the quick “thanks” for the people who hold the door open for you, but the “going out of your way thank you” for the people who go above and beyond to help us.

I just got off the phone with a very nice woman who helped me book a flight.  Can you believe it?  I booked with an actual person and not online!  Rare, I know.  Anyway, the process was a little complicated because I was trying to book a flight to go with a previously purchased ticket, and I wanted the seats to be together…yadda yadda yadda.  Well, the woman who I spoke to was incredible!  She was kind, she was patient, and very helpful.

At the end of the conversation, something inside of me told me to ask for her supervisor’s email address because I wanted them to know that I was extremely pleased with the service I received.  She seemed surprised and thanked me profusely.  It made me ashamed that I don’t do this more.  None of us do.  If we have a problem with someone, we are VERY vocal.  But we all seem to just let it slide by if we get great service.  And these days, great service seems to be the exception and not the rule!  If you’re a procrastinator like me, send that email right away or you’ll forget.  I did it the second I got off the phone!

Today, I just wanted to pass it on that if you get great service, be sure to let the person know, and more importantly, let their supervisor know.  It only takes a moment, and it could make a world of difference to someone!

When was the last time YOU gave that extra-special thank you?  I would love to hear about it!  OR, the last time you received one!  Leave a comment, and THANK YOU (insert Thank You Dance) for reading!

Just my humble opinion…

Pebbles