Show your Appreciation

It's easy to get caught up in what I like to call the white noise of life. All those nitty gritty stuff in your life that stops you from following your dreams, having fun and appreciating the good and people in your life. I like to think of the simple things that I can do to show my appreciation.

1. In the world of technology, it's easy to send a text or Facebook wall post that says, "how are you?" I think that question is severely undervalued. 

2. Go to the Dollar Tree and pick out something that reminds you of your friend.

3. If it's a coworker-friend, pick up some extra Starbucks on the way to work (you know you were going there anyway)

4. For far away friends make them a little "care package" of cheap / free things.

5. Friendship bracelet's are ALWAYS appreciated :)

If we all just took a second to breathe and think about it, no one would ever feel unappreciated. It's easy and takes just a couple of minutes and could probably save a lot of your friendships that might end up fizzing out. Never underestimate the value of KIT, even if you think that your friendship should withstand periods of separation. 

Any other suggestions Warrior Queens?

June Theme Introduction: Friendship

Hey guys, so we're trying something new this month and TODAY's vlog gives a little bit of an introduction. Feedback is definitely welcome!

Warrior Queen Ariana: Living Below the Line

My friend Ariana has a humanitarian soul. She was born in Venezuela and has residency in the US. We met at OSU on my first day of classes and have been close ever since. What I love about Ariana and what makes her such a great warrior queen is that she gives without complaint whenever she can. Her latest project is an easy one to donate to and a great cause (and probably one of the most challenging things I think a person in a first world country can do). Here is a little bit she wrote about Living Below the Line.

Teen Girl Protests Seventeen Magazine: SIGN THE PETITION!

Hey guys,

I created this storify about today's protest: The Negative Effect of Teen Magazines

Her petition reads:

Girls want to be accepted, appreciated, and liked. And when they don’t fit the criteria, some girls try to “fix” themselves. This can lead to eating disorders, dieting, depression, and low self esteem.I’m in a ballet class with a bunch of high-school girls. On a daily basis I hear comments like: “It’s a fat day,” and “I ate well today, but I still feel fat.” Ballet dancers do get a lot of flack about their bodies, but it’s not just ballet dancers who feel the pressure to be “pretty”. It’s everyone. To girls today, the word “pretty” means skinny and blemish-free. Why is that, when so few girls actually fit into such a narrow category? It’s because the media tells us that “pretty” girls are impossibly thin with perfect skin.Here’s what lots of girls don’t know. Those “pretty women” that we see in magazines are fake.They’re often photoshopped, air-brushed, edited to look thinner, and to appear like they have perfect skin. A girl you see in a magazine probably looks a lot different in real life.  As part of SPARK Movement, a girl-fueled, national activist movement, I’ve been fighting to stop magazines, toy companies, and other big businesses from creating products, photo spreads and ads that hurt girls’ and break our self-esteem.  With SPARK, I’ve learned that we have the power to fight back.
That’s why I’m asking Seventeen Magazine to commit to printing one unaltered -- real -- photo spread per month. I want to see regular girls that look like me in a magazine that’s supposed to be for me.For the sake of all the struggling girls all over America, who read Seventeen and think these fake images are what they should be, I’m stepping up. I know how hurtful these photoshopped images can be. I’m a teenage girl, and I don’t like what I see. None of us do. Will you join us by signing this petition and asking Seventeen to take a stand as well and commit to one unaltered photo spread a month?

If this is something you're passionate about WQ's...SIGN THE PETITION HERE.