A Good Reason to Settle Down
Gendered Word Choice in Job Postings
If the news of the new laws Obama plans to sign into effect that will encourage equal pay for women have you thinking of looking for a new gig, here are some things you might want to know. Before you hit LinkedIn, read this piece to make sure you’re not limiting your opportunities before you begin. Because, as it turns out, the mere language the post is written in may impact if you decide to apply – if you are a woman, that is. Women were less likely to apply for positions if the post was written using certain words that call masculine jobs to mind. Words including assertive, independent, aggressive, and determined were found to make women less likely to apply. Whereas words like dedicated, responsible, and conscientious drew more female applicants. Take note before trolling the new postings to avoid being discouraged from applying by the adjectives in play.
Romance Makes Everything Sweeter
If there are two words that are thrown together often, they’re love and sweetness. We call our significant others sweet or sweetie. We gush about how sweet being in love is, and are often literally gifted sweet things, especially on Valentines day. Now, according to a study cited in the March issue of Women’s Health magazine, it turns out that being in love may actually make you perceive things as sweeter. In a study authored by Kai Qin Chan, researchers found that when participants thought about love before consuming chocolate, they rated the treat as sweeter than the same snack eaten right after writing about jealousy. The warm fuzzy feelings you get when thinking about your boyfriend or the chocolate covered strawberries in your fridge active the same part of the brain that anticipates rewards, which may make food taste better. So next time you are indulging, try thinking about love and romance before digging in. It just might make that chocolate cake a little bit more delicious.
Links!
I think a lot of people would be a lot happier and more successful if we stopped pushing college on students as the right choice for everyone. Why not expose kids to some other options?
Here’s how to correctly pronounce all of those fashion brands you love.
This article on white privilege made me view St. Patty’s day celebrations in a different light.
Well, these are some GENIUS uses for my power drill now that I have finished hanging all the drapes and pictures in my apartment. Who knew it could help you peel apples and open wine?
Good for OKCupid for standing up for love for everyone.
Anyone who has been on a group text with their BFFs will totally get this article.
For all of the cheese lovers, you’ll want to learn how to make your own cheese crisps.
There’s a reason casual Friday is so popular, by then no one cares about dressing fancy.
If you’ve been wondering, who am I? How did I get here? Is this what I want? This article might help you figure all those big questions out.
The Water Tank Project
I have always had a thing for water towers. I enjoy seeing them dotted around on top of buildings. I think it’s cool that they are made like barrels. I went and saw Ivan Navarro’s water tower installation in Madison Square Park, and I am now VERY excited for the next big thing in water tower art. It’s called The Water Tank Project, and it will be decorating the skyline starting this spring. It will pair decorated towers with action on the ground including educational programs, tours, and social media to draw attention to global water issues. I can’t wait!
Working Out for Charity
Everyone has that thing that they envision will happen when the future is here. For some, it’s flying cars. For me, it’s gyms that create electricity. I mean, there are all of those people sitting in one place, pedaling away on stationary bikes, wouldn’t it be cool if they powered the lights? While I haven’t seen any of those popping up, I did hear about gyms driven by charity that sound pretty cool in the meantime. It takes philanthropy out of the distant future, and makes it a part of everyday life. There are a variety of options to choose from, but most gyms getting on the fund-raising bandwagon donate $1 per student per class to a different charity. In NYC, Studio 360 and The Movement yoga studio offer donations built into the price of your class. Here’s to hoping that more pop up soon, because sweating for a good cause makes it a lot more difficult to come up with an excuse to skip your workout.
Choose Your Own Adventure – Cereal Style
I am not a big cereal person. Ever since my mom told me I couldn’t eat Fruity Pebbles or Corn Pops because they were too unhealthy for breakfast, I kind of gave up the cereal game. I did develop quite a fondness for granola, but abandoned that too, when I found that most of it was loaded with sugar and waaaaay too many raisins for my taste. And, it left me hungry after a couple hours. The closest I come to cereal for breakfast is plain oatmeal that I mix with peanut butter, shaved coconut, chopped nuts, maybe a little jelly, or really anything I have in my pantry that seems good in combination. I prefer this breakfast because I can choose what, and how much I add in. Now there’s a website that will let you do just that, with your cold cereal options.
It’s called MixMyOwn, and it lets you create your own cereal blend. You can choose from 8 different bases ranging from flakes to grains, or mueseli. There are low sugar and gluten free options – removing two of the most common obstacles to good, healthy cereal. Then after you select the base, you can add as many fruits, nuts and seeds as you like, choosing anything from macadamia nuts and chia seeds to dried mulberries and blackberries. You can even add quinoa or kamut puffs for an extra crunch. Then if that’s a little too healthy for you, you can choose to throw in some candies. Or if it’s not healthy enough, add some nutrition enhancing powders.
The boxes come in 12oz or 16oz sizes, and are delivered directly to your door. I love the concept because it’s like make your own trail mix. You can choose your own combinations, and avoid too much sugar or an overload of the things you don’t like. And if you’re not feeling creative, you can select their healthy mix of the month sent to you each month or view popular pre-mixes for ideas on what to include. Genius!
Honey – a Natural Neosporin
When I have a cold, I often reach for the honey in my cabinet. While I am often adding it to my tea with lemon to soothe an irritated throat, I also swallow a spoonful of the stuff before I go to bed as a cough suppressant. Studies have found that it’s just as effective as over-the-counter remedies containing dextromethorphan, and I am much more likely to have it in the cabinet. Now it seems that honey is good for more than just that. New research has found that honey, particularly a type made in New Zealand has the ability to weaken bacteria, particularly when it is applied directly to a wound as a topical treatment. When bacteria flourish, they communicate with a behavior called quorum sensing. Honey works to disable this ability with it’s antibacterial properties, allowing you to more effectively fight infection. While the effect isn’t believed to be as strong when you ingest it, it seems to be emerging as a natural Neosporin for topical treatment.
If Only You Could Find the Perfect Gift
Everyone has at least one person in their lives who has absolutely everything. At Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries, they become your nemesis as you search in vain for some novelty item that says you care, and won’t just be one of a thousand they already have. Until now, that is. If Only has emerged as a site that connects people with extraordinary experiences, and makes you feel good about their expensive price tag at the same time. Their concept is about gifting experiences rather than baubles (but you can only go to see so many broadways shows, right?), and in this case the experiences are with someone pretty famous or special in their field. The bonus is that each time that experience is booked, part of the proceeds go to that special person’s charity of choice. There are gifts with extravagant price tags, like a $25,000 trip for 2 two Coachella that includes a hang with Big Boi himself. This particular gift benefits the BigKidz foundation. For more reasonable (under $500) sticker prices you can have personalized and hand signed items from your favorite chefs or sports players. And that special person now has an unforgettable experience, and you have contributed to a good cause – not just something that will accumulate dust in the back of an already overcrowded jewelry box.
Glass Half Full 