Happy 1 Year Anniversary Savvy Brunette

My blog and I have survived a year together. 80 blogs later and it's already been a year...wow! I promise to give my blog much more attention in year two. I have really enjoyed starting The Savvy Brunette though, I even bought my URL which was an awesome step!!

I have been so busy with life that it took me a little bit to even post my 1 year. I just turned 28 years old and I'm very excited about that. I'm hoping for a great year, and a great 2011. I have a feeling things are going to be good and I plan to share the good and the bad on my blog!!

Thank you to everyone who had read my blog over the past year and especially those who have commented. I really appreciate it!!

ALSO.....HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Gobble gobble!

Be thankful for all the amazing people in your life, and for the opportunity to wake up everyday and breathe fresh air. We control our own lives, even when it does not feel like it. Be thankful for the choices you make, and the opportunities you have. I know I am. 

 I am unfortunately not with my family this year but I am so thankful for everything they do for me, especially my grandparents. They are my rock. I'm thankful to have such a loving sister and mother as well and wonderful friends who really made my 28th birthday special. I'm thankful that even though my life hasn't been perfect I have an opportunity to make changes to make it even better!! 

xoxo

The CW Glamorizes Student Teacher Affairs

I have no problem admitting that I am addicted to what most would called teenage drama shows. What I do have a problem with is that one in particular is glamorizing a student teacher affair. They make a big point to show us that they both know it is wrong, but their feelings are so strong so they refuse to do what is right.

Not too long ago I worked in a school where this was a real life issue. A male teacher had an "alleged" affair with a high school girl, he was late 20s she was about 16 or 17 years old. There was nothing glamorous about the situation or what happened afterwards once the truth came to light. The lives of both people were ruined. Students were confused and placed blame on their fellow student because they did not understand just how wrong it was. Knowing that teenagers don't get that its wrong and they are quick to blame their peers is very disturbing to me. It seems like every month there is a new story of a male or female teacher taking advantage of a student. I remember when I was 17, I dated a 21 year old which seemed ok at the time, but I see just how wrong it was now that I'm older. It's not like the guy was buying me booze, I was a goodie goodie so I wasn't after all of that but just the shear fact that he was that  much older when I was in high school was a tad much. Parents need to teach their kids about dating beyond the 5 minute birds and bees conversation. The fact that high school crushes are turning into full blown sexual relationships between students and teachers is just wrong.

Life Unexpected is a show on The CW where a troubled girl who grew up bouncing around the foster care system finds her parents. I think she's about 14 on the show, and they have her in a relationship with a brand new teacher who must be early to mid 20s. They hooked up before she knew he was a teacher and once they both found out they could not stay away from each other even though they knew it was wrong. They even went as far to go to another town so they could have a date and be out in public holding hands and being a couple. It seems so inappropriate to be showing this to a targeted age group of teenage girls. It is romanticizing  student teacher relationships.

A good friend of mine and I were having this discussion the other day, and we both had very similar views that something needs to be done to stop things like this from happening. The problem is, there is no easy answer. Do you put a cap on how young new teachers are that deal with high school kids? Maybe. Understandably when you say that the first thing people think is that its typically happening with older male teachers, I don't agree. That's what we hear about in the media the most, but if you really look into the news you will see many more "relationships" with young teachers and high school students. When considering restrictions where does it end though. There are many talented young adults that work with kids and would never consider violating them.

There are so many kids out there having a tough time at home and they look to another adult for attention and acceptance. Where does a teacher or school worker draw the line when a student is coming to them? I think a teacher can be a mentor, but I do not think they can ever meet off school grounds. They can meet in school, before or after school or during lunch or study hall. Teachers and students have to use their best judgement in order not to set themselves up for a tough situation. What is the point where the line is crossed? Is it when a student and teacher are meeting daily, is it when they're hugging, what is that point? I think teachers need to all go through thorough training before they are hired, and every so often about appropriate behavior with students and colleagues. What are some other ways to stop relationships like this from happening?

I Voted....Did You?

I VOTED (last week), DID YOU? Voting is so important, I have been doing it since age 18. This is my first time voting in Illinois though. I use to vote absentee in Ohio because I wasn't sure if I was planning to stay and I also felt Ohio needed all the Democratic votes that it could get. I knew it was most definitely was time to register here though because I have been here 5 1/2 years.

While checking out my Facebook and Twitter this past week I was really saddened to see that a lot of people were not planning to vote. I did my best to impart my "wisdom" to try to motivate my friends who were confused to put it nicely. I never ever push my opinions on others or tell them who to vote for, but I think it is very important for people to know how important voting is.

The response I got from some was:

"I don't like any of the candidates". 

"I'll vote in 2012 for Obama again". 

"I'm waiting to vote for Mayor next year".

"This election isn't important".

"My vote doesn't really count". 

"I don't know, if I have time". (which as we all know means not gonna happen)

My thought on all of those responses aka EXCUSES is that those are not good reasons, in fact there is no good reason. We vote because it gives us rights, and it gives us the right to have an opinion. If you do not vote, do not expect anyone to listen to you complaining when a politician you hate does something that turns your stomach. Take the time and just vote, show that not only do you have opinions but you really care about choosing someone to make changes.

One of the most important things about voting today in this election is that Obama needs to maintain power so that he can make important decisions and have the support for those decisions to matter. Obama needs Democrats in office so that he will have that support. So even if you do not know anything about politics, if you're an Obama supporter/fan then just vote a democratic ticket. 

DISCLAIMER: In no way shape or form am I encouraging people to vote Democratic just because I do. I do not judge people for their political affiliation. I just think its important to make a decision and then go out and vote!!

The picture above was my cute little foursquare badge I earned by voting. I had to check in today and say "I Voted" to earn it, even though I voted last week! It still counts, I VOTED!! The second one was just silly! 

28 things to do while I'm 28

I am almost TWENTY-EIGHT years old! Just a little under a month away and I'll be that much closer to 30...eeek!! I think I kind of wasted age 27 on being absolutely miserable at a job and dating a ton of weenies...NO MORE OF THAT! The official list start date is my birthday: November 21st, so hopefully I remember to come back in a year and see if I completed it all. I will try to update as I go. 


28 THINGS TO DO WHILE I AM 28

1. GET IN SHAPE…shed some extra lbs.
2. Enjoy life…figure out what my “happiness” is and how to start traveling towards it.
3. Date a better quality of men. No more D-bags for age 28!!
4. Visit my family in Ohio more. A few measly times a year is not acceptable!!
5. Make some new friends! 
6. Travel to Miami to see my bestie Devon
7. Travel to NYC to see my good friend Nicole and just see NYC for the first time
8. Start a new career path, one that will be the one I was meant to travel one.
9. Get over my fear of flying, or at least make an attempt and get on a plane
10.  Get a new car!! Vroom Vroom.
11. Waste less time online tweeting & facebooking. 
12. Blog more (not a waste of online time).
13. Volunteer for a nonprofit that I actually care for. 
14. Look into becoming a mentor to kids.
15.  Get a new tattoo or two. “Just Breathe” first'
16. Drink a lot less pop, like 75% less than what I drink now. 
17. CHILL OUT...stop stressing about everything. Life will work out.
18. Convince my roommate to sign a 2nd year lease in our townhome :)
19. Find some hobbies that get me out and enjoying life.
20. Go to more festivals and Chicago activities.
21. Wear a dress. Ok this sounds weird but I have been wearing one a year and it was for a gala I did, and now that I'm no longer involved I need to really push myself to do this. 
22. Let my family and friends know how much they mean to me. 
23. Take more pictures to remember the great memories with those I care about.
24. Go to a Michigan Wolverines football game.
25. Stop shaving and start getting waxed..I know TMI, but hey it's MY list :)
26. Add a few colors other than black into my wardrobe.
27. Stop having so many phobias and face my fears and overcome them.
28. Vote for Rahm Emanuel to be the next Mayor of Chicago!! 

Crossed out items are completed.

Italicized items are in progress.

Bullying in Todays Society

Bullying is a huge problem worldwide, and it seems to have reared an even meaner headed in todays society. With things like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and email bullying has climbed to an all new level. The effects of bullying can last forever, and with such easy access to social media the ability to bully is limitless. When I was in high school there were very few bullies, and by no means were they going online to do their dirty work. It was only 10 years ago and there was not even an option to bully online, it was old fashion teasing and kids being jerks. In todays society bullying consists of completely breaking someone down to the lowest form and spreading it all over online. In my opinion the biggest difference between bullying and how kids react today versus ten years ago is that when someone was bullied ten years ago only a handful of people would find out about it, today kids are spreading it all over the web. I cannot imagine how these poor kids feel when bullying goes online because other join in and it becomes a real life monster before anyone can stop it.

A friend of mine who is older has a teenage daughter who got heavily bullied online this past year. She was not a very popular girl and she put herself in all the wrong situations, but never deserved to be harassed. The bullies began to spread lies about her online and they would invite their friends from other schools to jump in and bully the girl. There were kids that knew nothing about her jumping in just to be mean. It got to the point, where a complete stranger was telling the poor girl he was going to come to her house and take care of her. At this point my friend, who was the mother of the bullied girl had to file a police report. The police actually went to the house of the girl who was recruiting people to harass my friends daughter. This was just this past year, and I know the girl still struggles with trusting people because she is afraid that it will happen again. Her mother pulled her out of the school and transfered her to a neighboring school in hopes of squashing the problem.

A second situation involved a parent and her daughter making online videos and posting them to Facebook to bully some of the girls classmates. When I saw the video I was beyond shocked and disgusted, because a parent who is at least 30+ is on a video posted to Facebook calling 3 teenage girls jealous bitches and all assortment of other names. This 30 year old woman had the balls to go on video to call teenagers names and threaten them, that is beyond unacceptable. She did not stop there, she went to all the upcoming basketball games with her daughter and stared down the girls she was bullying with her daughter each time. This situation made me really question what was wrong with people, especially parents who thought it was ok to go after children. I do not care if your kid is telling you these girls are mean, then you talk to those girls parents; what you do not do is take to Facebook video to call them bitches and threaten them. What happened to parents leading by example?

To know that being bullied is so hard to take for some kids that they are committing suicide is so sad. No kid should ever feel like they have to disappear just to finally be rid of their pain. I also think parents need to pay closer attention to what is going on with their kids. If your child is in pain you have to be there for them so they release the pain instead of hold it in and feel like they have no one. I have to admit that I often wonder why so many parents do not know that their kids are being bullied or are the bullies. Are parents taking a hands off role, or is it really happening that quietly? In the days where a majority of the bullying is online, I think there is no excuse for parents to not know what is going on. Parents should be aware of what is going on with their children at all times, they should have access to their Facebook. I know kids want their privacy, but give me a break there are things more important, like saving their life.

I was shocked when I logged onto Facebook today and the first status message I saw was a friend going on a rant how kids need to learn how to deal with bullies. Essentially calling them weak, I just think thats wrong. Yes, kids should learn how to cope and be strong but they are not the problem. Parents need to get control over their bullying kids, and maybe hug them once in awhile or send them to a psychiatrist. The child being bullied is not to blame. I really believe that all high schools and even grammar schools should have anti-bullying programs to teach kids the real results of bullying.

When I was in high school I was never bullied but I saw the effects of others being bullied and its unacceptable. When you look back on those years, I see that the biggest bullies are now the biggest losers. It is because they are deficient in areas that make them feel the need to over compensate and feel like the big winner by bringing others down. I wish kids could look into the future and see that things would get better, they just have to remove themselves from the here and now and make it through the tough times. I also really wish that people would take those being bullied under their wings and let them know they have support and they are not alone.

There is an excellent website with resources on bullying, to check it out visit: http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

BREAST CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES STATISTICS

Go here for more: http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Statistics.html

From the 1940s until recently, the rate of new cases of breast cancer (called incidence) in the United States increased by a little over one percent a year. In the 1980s, the rate of new cases rose dramatically (likely due to increased screening), and during the 1990s the rate of new cases leveled off. From 1999 to 2006, there was a decline in the rate of new breast cancer cases [5,41]. Although mammography screening rates fell somewhat over this same time period, recent studies show these changes were not likely related to the decline in breast cancer rates [42,43]. The decline appears to be related to the drop in use of postmenopausal hormones that occurred after the Women's Health Initiative study showed that their use increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease [19,41,42,43]. About 207,090 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States in 2010 [5]. In 1975 the incidence of breast cancer was 107 per 100,000 for white women and 94 per 100,000 for black women. Thirty years later in 2005, the number of new cases per year had risen to 126 per 100,000 for white women and 114 per 100,000 for black women [13]. 

In the past 35 years, mortality (the rate of death) for white women has decreased. In 1975, 32 per 100,000 white women (including Hispanic women) died of breast cancer, but by 2005, that figure had dropped to 23 per 100,000. For black women (including Hispanic), though, mortality increased somewhat over the same period, rising from 30 per 100,000 black women in 1975 to 33 per 100,000 in 2005 [13]. (Figure 1.2 shows this trend).

I'M OFFICIAL

www.thesavvybrunette.com

I'm official, I finally registered my domain and directed it here to blogger! Please enjoy my website, I hope to give it a lot more attention then I have in the past! 

www.thesavvybrunette.com