c'est la vie.

MzJOWEE

UPDATES: PICTURES FOR : JARED'S BDAY/JANINE'S DEBUT/THANKSGIVING/YARDHOUSE/ANA's BDAY uploaded in the gallery

"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed
to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken
probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break
hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll
fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an
old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll
eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh
too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty
seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back."

it's been 6 days since I last blogged, 5 days since i've been livid, 4 days since i've becomed numb, 3 days since i've become thankful, 2 days since i've started to accept, and 1 day since i've let go. The phrase "time heals all wounds" holds true for all factors that's happened to me in the past week -- and i've never been happier for myself in a long time. Thanksgiving weekend was the mother of all thanksgiving's given that despite my hostility I was able to spend time with the one's I loved the most.

To get away from everything, Wednesday night the old omnis crew went out to Yardhouse for some drinks and I was beyond cross-faded. Marie and her brother smoked me out at a friends house and from then on, everything became really hazy hahaha. When we arrived at yardhouse we bought a bunch of drinks, and i got screwed over by this awful awful drink called The Hurricane. That shit had gin, orange juice, rasberry juice, 151 -- anything and every alcohol you could have imagined. YUCK! Quotes of the night " the cheaps are drink there" & " I can't BELIEVE I smoked medical weed!" HAHAHA

DAMN! look at those titties

Thanksgiving day was really awesome because I got to spend time with the fambam. Early morning I went to work out and the Vagina's cooked some awesome breakfast, we feasted on pancakes, longganisa, and fried rice. YUM! hahah. Thanksgiving was at my house this year and everyone brought sooooo much food, I wasn't able to actually eat turkey because I was more fixated on the clams and halibut ( i know right, seafood? wtf?) but it was awesome. The whole family drank wine ( except the kiddies of course) watched Tropic Thunder and played ROCKBAND! I LOVE ROCKBAND! i would buy an XBOX 360 just to have rockband

tatay and his beautiful granddaughters

Friday morning I gave in to the black friday-ness and I was literally murdered, wallet murdered I mean. I was really hell bent in buying really cheap movies so I bought a bunch of cartoons like madagascar and sappy movies like PS I love you and Sex and the City. If you know me, my main weaknesses are SHOES, BOOTS most especially and this store had all their shoes 50% off! I gave in and bought 2 pairs of boots and purple pumps for 70 bucks! AGHHHHH i need to get in control of my weaknesses hahaah. At night the Vagina's + Greg went to Janine's Debut and even if we didn't have ANY alcohol at all, I had the best freakin' time. Janine looked beautiful, Ana and I sang Boyz II men from a little contest and we danced to todo- todo and get hyphy songs... HAHA good times

SEXY!

Saturday morning i did... NOTHING! it was GREAT! At night, a grip of us headed to Downtown fullerton to walk around the bars and celebrate Jared's birthday at Tuscany's. He was beyond fucked up, ruined 3 of gilberts drinks, almost puked in a pitcher and almost drank a pitcher of miscellaneous drinks inside it. hahahha. He called me the next morning and told me while his fraternity brothers were walking him inside his house he started puking on his dad's car. HAHAHAH! It would have been classic to see Uncle Ferdie's face. HAHAHH!

HAHAHA, look at this drunk ass fool

Sunday morning was spent with me having a huge ass argument on the phone ( when will boys NOT men stop giving me grief and agony?! WTF? hahaha) After what may have seemed like countless hours of fighting on the damn phone, Sunday morning/afternoon consisted of me watching Jurassic Park I AND II on TV. God, I felt so lazy. Around 6 we picked up RAMBO, AWW I MISSED HIM! and Michaele visited us at the apartment. HAHA, she was telling us about her little misadventures -- but i'm extremely happy for her that shes happy you bitch. ahaha jk! After that the four of us rolled to Pasadena, got our sushi fix at Wockano's and joined Jay and Jake at the bars. We didn't stay for too long because it was already midnight, and plus I had work the next morning whomp whomp. They were trying to force me to drink ( ON A SUNDAY?!?!) but I promise I'll make it up to you guys next time!! -- anyday but a sunday, PLEASE! LOL ( as michaele would do: sunday? what? :: does the sign of the cross:: HAHAHHA)

I'm so excited for this upcoming week/weekend!!! :

• 120308: Mommy's Birthday!
• 120408: Gilbert Birthday! - Barney's Beanery!
• 120508-120708: VEGAS, BABY!
• 121008 : JENNA'S BDAY
  
• 121308-121408: BIG BEAR
• 121908:Christmas party @ Vapt's
• 122508: CHRISTMAS!
• 122708 : JOY's BDAY! : ( we're going to FUCK YOU UP HHAHA)
  
• 122808: HEATHER'S BDAY!
• 123108: JESYLEE's BDAY! & NYE party @ VApt's or Jane's
• 10109: NEW YEARS! VEGAS BABY!

see? i told you it was going to be long...

until next time...

xx.

“There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state to another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life.”

I have literally fallen into pieces. My mind, can not currently function correctly. My bed that was once my refuge has lately  become a nuisance. I smile, but my eyes confirm the truth. Everything that reminds me of you, what could have been & what should have been is permanently deleted. Any contact has been stashed away, and the exquisite memory of what I once thought of you is long gone. The reminiscence of the former has been diminished and is now replaced by disgust and self-loathing. Your actions have taken my breath away, almost to the point of my demise. Your stature has choked me into being an unbeliever.  I am perpetually in your debt because without your arrogance and egotistical nature towards other beings, I would not have found what it is to acknowledge the enjoyments of life. Whatever you are doing to keep me hostage in this cage, I ask of you to never hinder, for your grasp is going to lead me to my salvation. Keep disappointing me, keep continuously bringing me down, keep trying to make me envious because even though you have succeeded in many things, you have always failed in my eyes.

(un)truly yours,

xx.

MzJOWEE

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." — Albert Camus

There are times in our lives where we go through the utmost pain, humiliation, heartbreak, and misery. Examples such as heartbreak, a loss of a job, or financial distress, it is easier for us nowadays to concentrate on our tribulations than to be completely optimistic. Last week I was depressed, unhappy and emotionally unstable blaming everyone for my grief. Until recently I realized that the only one that can make me happy is myself. We are only going to be at our happiest when we can finally let go and allow ourselves to be happy. In our lives, we focus on our problems because it seems like it hits us too many at a time. Big problems such as heartache, we always dwell in our own misery and drown on our own sorrows. If you think about it, how much better life would be if instead of plundering in your own depression (which is the easy road), you try just a little bit harder to be happy? When we deal with a lot of problems, we tend to compare ourselves with one another. There's always something that isn't right, or that shouldn't be because it's not what you expect. When will you realize that when you expect something your already setting yourself up for failure because nothing is ever going to be good enough?

What do we have to have that will make us truly happy? Is it the perfect kiss? The perfect job? The perfect love? Nothing can ever be perfect and thinking that perfection is the key to happiness will only disappoint you. I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason. We may lose the one we love because they never deserved us in the first place. We may cry for a loss of a job but its only because there's a career waiting for you to take it. We may have failed a class, only to teach us that it's because we need to try harder. We may get sick, but it's only because we need to be taught to be more appreciative of our body.

• When we cry because someone has tremendously ripped us in half, are you thankful and appreciative for the people that worry about you? No, because you focus on the people who broke your heart only to realize they never deserved you in the first place.
• When you lose a job, do you get back up, revise your resume and send it out to different employers? no, you cry and think about how your not going to have any money to buy this or that, or merely to survive.
• When someone betrays you, do you appreciate the friends that take you out for the night on the town and get you fucked up like nobody's business? No, you cry and focus on why that person (WHO YOU DON'T NEED) betrayed you.
• When you feel like there's nothing left to live for, do you stop, think about the people that will be completely heartbroken if you were to disappear? No, you’re too selfish and just think about yourself.
• When something or someone causes you pain, do you take into consideration the advice that your love ones give you? No, you think about the revenge you want for the person who caused you agony.
• When you have no money to spend for Christmas, do you focus on the positive such as spending time with your family or your friends? No, you focus on how you can't get the latest game on ps3, the boots that you've been wanting all year, or the flat screen you've been dying to get.
• When you see children on the street, or the homeless just needing a little money, do you become thankful that your life isn't as bad as theirs? No, because you're too fixated on focusing on your materialistic problems.
  
• And when your lonely, do you focus on how happy life is now that you can finally take care of yourself before anyone else? No, you focus on the couple sitting right next to you, sipping a cup of coffee only to find yourself more miserable because you want someone to complete you.

We don't need someone to complete us, we can complete ourselves. We don't need someone who gives us heartbreak, because we deserve to be happy. We don't need an employer that doesn't want us; because we know we're worth more than that. We don't need to rely on other's to make us happy, because we can rely on ourselves to do that.

When you look at your life what's the first thing you see? Do you see how happy you are? or how miserable your life is? When you look at all the things in front of you such as your game consoles, your boots, your clothes, are you grateful? or do you keep wanting more? When you look at your family, do you criticize how boring, gay, or unfair they are? or do you smile because you know that they'll always be there? And when you see couples walking down the street holding hands are you disgusted because you don't have it? or happy because you KNOW you'll find it?

I'm not saying I’m the most optimistic person in the world because face it we're not robots and we have 1,000,000 types of emotions but if we're not happy, who's going to make us happy? ... Non but ourselves.

Just something to think about =)

Until next time...

cheer up life isn't as bad as you think it is.

xx.

MzJOWEE

Note : Picture's from the Mexican Jew's 23rd Birthday posted in gallery. =)

MzJOWEE

"You just have to do your own thing, no matter what anyone says. It’s your life." - Ethan Embry

Last week/weekend was very memorable for me because I was able to:

• release so many things off my chest in just writing a letter
  
• get fallon fucked up like nobody's business ( got kicked out of the bar, puked all over herself, called people out, grabbed a man's titties, go out for the first time WITHOUT Geoff, was left lying on the floor, slept on our couch with puke ALL OVER her, called in sick because she couldn't wake up and was even more drunk than the birthday boy)
• get deliriously drunk (not as bad as fallon), lost my debit card, talked to A 39 year old and an alumni from South Hills, wtf?
• got the Mexican Jew to puke THREE times, [ first time got me really angry because he puked out my four horsemen after 10 seconds]
• got the Mexican Jew to get the UGLIEST LAP DANCE you will ever encounter. HAHAHAH
  
• Was a bundle of love and made amends to everyone
• have Jarhead hang out with my friends for the first time... WOW it took us 23 years cousin?!
• get written off [ WHATS WITH BARKADA AND WRITING PEOPLE OFF?! HAHA]
• Hang out with Jay and Jake for the first time in 5 years
• get fucked up and went to three different places all in one night : Richards, Mai Tai, V20
• see Jake hit on all these girls at the club
• finish a big bottle of sky at 4AM
• slept at 5:30, get bombarded from Ana at 7 to take her to work ( FUCKING BITCH)
• Surprised the roomies for the first time HAHAHA
• Go to Vegas without the pressure of dressing up, walking around everywhere and buying endless amounts of alcohol
• Finally spent some time with some of the most important people in my life (MY AUNTIES!!)
• Laughed my ass off because all four of them became tomato red and drunk after 3 sips of Cranberry Vodka
• Didn't have to spend a dime over the weekend
• Get hit on by some black guy and having Auntie Joy almost getting into a fight with him
• Roomie having her fun in my room. EWWWWW BITCH!
• Buy my most favorite perfume of all time -- Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
• started to love salmon AGAIN - Thanks Mom and Dad ( Greg & Anne LOL)
  

This week/weekend WILL BE very memorable for me again because:

• JENNA'S BIRTHDAY!!!! -- what are we doing cousin!
  
• Bowling Tournament Luncheon with work ( FUCK I NEED TO PRACTICE)
  
• Decorating the tree! if the fucking bitch gives it to us
• Pasadena on Thursday again?! HAHAHA
• 35er on friday with my favorites?!
• Pilates/ TKB
  
• Hanging out with old High School Friends
  
• Dinner with the Soul Sisters
• Hanging out with Rambo
• BEER- Mania
  
• Cooking Dinner with the Roomies
• White Elephant with the Soul Sisters + Friends ( with re-gifting gifts YAY!)
  
• My sister's first school play - AWEEEEE!!!!!!!
  
• NO SNOWBOARDING ( THANK GOD) because there's no ice... and I will literally veer off the fucking mountain and into smokey the bear's house

until next time...

gahhh - damn WOMAN! AHAHAHAA

FUCK, were sexy.

HAHAHHAHAHH

epic.

BEST PICTURE OF THE NIGHT, LOOK AT HIS FACE HAHAH

always, always, always good times with them.

OH AND ONE MORE...

 it speaks to me.

 [ pictures from vegas and LBC will post later ]

xx.

MzJOWEE

 There are seven strikes that I am completely OBLIVIOUS with. Any advice, words of wisdom or if you want to knock some sense into me please do so because to this day I’m still confused with why:

1.        In this day and age when it comes to dealing with dating and relationships, does it still hold true that women are more complicated than men? There are numerous best sellers out in the media that come with how-to guides into a woman’s heart or, how to deal when she’s PMSing, or “when to know how to say No”. Are we really that much more complex? It is a fact that society has accepted that men are more prone to “tell it like it is,” or “what you see is what you get” … but is that really true? Coming from experience (personal and through observation) I believe that men and women are now more than ever both at the same level of intricacy. Personal experiences have lead me to believe that men are much more capable of thinking intuitively than I could have ever imagined myself to. Within the past, I was bombarded with such questions such as, “why didn’t you call me” or “you should have done this” or “you should have known how I felt.” At this point I am still oblivious as to why there’s a big level of expectancy of me doing this or feeling that. Strike 1.

2.        When couples get together, why do some of them disappear off the face of the earth? I’m very familiar with the term “honeymoon phase” where you want to spend all your time with each other, but is that a reason to abandon the friends and family that’s been with you in the beginning? I’ve never been the type to do that, first off I don’t think I can ever spend so much time with someone like that (such as seeing each other every single day of every single minute, and finishing each other’s sentences) second, I would die if I didn’t have alone time, and third the thought of not having anyone around in the end scares me. From personal experience I’ve encountered friends who have done that and one thing always happens… they disappear, then when times get rough with their significant other, they come back and hang out then when things get better between the two of them, they vanish off the face of the earth. Call me crazy, I’m still oblivious on this topic. Strike 2.

3.        Why do some men think they’re God’s gift to women?  Sure you got a high paying job, sure your penis is bigger than average, sure you have tattoo’s, sure you have a lot of money because your parents give it to you, sure you’re a rock star. Do you really think being all those things makes you completely irresistible to women? I’m still clueless and annoyed when I see boys (not men) walking around as if they have the world twisted around their finger, which allows them to mistreat women anyway they want. You have the gift to know the right words to say? – use them to be genuine, not to get pussy. You know how to play an instrument? – use it because you love it, not because you want your cock to be in it. Have a nice car? – use it because you worked hard for it not so you can pick up girls ( who are probably too dull and gold digger-ish anyway, but hey if that’s what you want) You have a big penis? That’s fucking great, use it wisely… don’t tell people just so you can boost up your ego. Strike 3.

4.        Why do we play games? Going back to oblivious question number 1, in the topic of dating and relationships, why do we play games? How come someone has to wait three days after the first date? Is it to not seem desperate and seem like they have other things to do? Come on, guys wait by the phone and muster up the words to say, nerve racked, while the women wait by the phone to get the call. How come women/men say “ I’m fine” when really, they’re not fine? Why don’t they just say it, to end the fucking misery of trying to figure out if they really do? Why do we act nonchalant about situations, when really we’re dying inside? Why do we wait by the phone expecting the other person to call, when really we should just call ourselves to see how they’re doing? I’m still dumbfounded. Strike 4.

5.        Can we really have the cake and eat it too?  Can we just have someone there for you that cares about you, and at the same time have someone else to fulfill different needs? Can we have someone that fulfills the sexual side, another the adventurous side, the smart side and the meaningful and deep conversations side? Why can’t we just have it all? – I am for damn sure not the type to even try to juggle or misuse people in that way, but why are there people out there who think they can get away with it? Strike 5.

6.        Why do we fall for someone who we know is not good for us? Is it the challenge? Is it the accomplishment that you can change the person into something that you want? Is that other person a place where you want to be right now so you try to adjust yourself to live in their lifestyle? Just as the saying goes, you can never change a man; don’t even TRY to change a woman. Change always comes from within. When someone gets the motivation to change, it’s for themselves not for other people. Example, me smoking and drinking—when I find that moment where I need to change, I will (don’t bother if you try to ask me because it’s for you). But why do people act as if they can still do that? Strike 6.

7.        Why do we always want what we can’t have? This, I have no description at all… because honestly, what the fuck? Strike fcuking 7.

Until next time…

Why can't life always be this easy?

xx.

MzJOWEE

vantage point:

n. A position that affords a broad overall view or perspective, as of a place or situation.

For quite some time, I’ve always been the type of person to pay very close attention to intricate details. Whether it’s over analyzing, thinking too much or assuming so often, my vantage point of life in general has been on the weak side. A turn of events has caused me to broaden my perspective, and has allowed me to think twice and be more open minded. I’ve written numerous blogs about wanting to be on my own and experiencing life independently and as of right now, I couldn’t be more serious about it.

 I was recently “written off” by someone due to the fact of my “flirting” and my intentions when I go out and have fun. It’s sad to admit that things had to happen this way, especially since I really respected him and I loved having him around. I guess you can never have it all, it’s one or the other and I’ve accepted that. It’s becoming easier for me to see the “big picture” and I am no longer bothered by expectations.

Llife lesson: Have fun, don’t think too much about everything, and if it happens, It happens. Things will always turn out the way it’s supposed to be.

On a lighter note, yesterday I suffered from the 2^nd worst hangover of my life. I can’t believe I drank that much on a freakin’ Tuesday but influence got the best of me LOL. Tuesday night I went bowling with Jarhead and his friend Jimmy ( which btw, are REALLY REALLY good at it) Then Jay, Jake and Marie met up with us and played as well. Compared to everyone else I REALLY REALLY suck, but oh well we’re doing it for fun anyway. Mind you the only thing I had to eat that day was consumed at 12pm so it was natural for me to get really buzzed after a couple of beers. Jay and I shared corona’s then we all had the urge to drink at the apartment. We finished 3 unopened bottles: Smirnoff vodka and 2 Beringer White Zinfandel. We kept playing pusoy dos, and whoever the loser was had to take a shot. I lost like 10 times, took 10 shots… and I was completely wasted. After a certain time I don’t know what happened but we all blacked out and I woke up to Marie and Jake in the couches and Jay and I were on the floor. HAHAHA, I didn’t know how I got into my pajamas and I didn’t know how jay ended up sleeping next to me but that shit was hilarious.

Life lesson: Never EVER EVER EVER EVER drink Beer, Liquor and Wine together. NO FUCKING BUENO.

I don’t know how I survived work in the morning but I did. I puked three times, didn’t eat a damn thing, every liquid that was intaked, I vomited. I was going to go to an open mic night with Michaele but due to my state of agony I decided to chill at home.  At night Ana and I cooked bistek (beef steak) and roasted potatoes. As the night progressed I felt even more sicker but bistek being the first and last meal of the day turned out to be very satisfying. After dinner Sergio and Henry came over to chill, it’s been so long since I’ve seen Henry and it was good to talk things out with him again.

Life Lesson: Stray away from miscommunication because that shit will LITERALLY fuck you up.

There’s so many things going on today and this weekend. It would be nice to have the power to be in two places at once hahaha. I’m taking my dad to the airport today then having dinner with the soul sisters then partaaaaaaay!! – with no alcohol.

 Until next time…

 xx.

MzJOWEE

NOTE: PICTURES FROM LBC WITH JAY AND JAKE & VEGAS FUN WITH THE AUNTIES UPLOADED IN GALLERY

Contemplating on whether I should:

 Go to ski trip? ( 121308 – 121408 with BARKADA drunkies ( endless amounts alcohol morning till night, sliding down the slopes, duct taping freshman ( just for the reminiscence of 3 years ago)?

 OR

 White Elephant with the Soul Sistas with A LOT of alcohol / Hanging out with the Mexican Jew (121308) & seeing my sister’s first play (121408)

 Fufck.

Until next time…

Drunk as hell @ v20 with the casanovas HAHA

Fun ass times in vegas

 xx.

MzJOWEE

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.”        - Buddha

NOTE: Pictures from 35er/White Elephant/Isabelle’s first Xmas play posted in gallery.

ugh, I feel like sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. I don't get sick very often, but when I do get sick, I really get sick . All the drinking and partying non stop last week has taken a toll on my body and even though I'm still doing the 3-4 times a week gyming up my body still gave in.

On Friday night Jarhead, Gilb, Ana and I hit up 35er Oldtown Pasadena again (i love that place) and met up with a few friends there. Marie introduced me to a drink that I've never heard of before ( I don't even know what the name is) but it consisted of rasberry vodka, pomegranate and sprite. That drink killed me literally, I only had a glass and I was dunzo. I was trying really hard that night to hook up gilbert but like I said, "you can't help the unwilling" so mission = failed. Jarhead saw some of his PDPSI bro's there and they had hook up's to all you can drink / eat at Alhambra but I didn't want to leave Marie ( since I haven't seen her in so long) and 10 minutes later, Henry and Sergio ended up joining our debauchery for the night.  I ended up with a really good buzz, and that in turn gave me a really really good nights sleep =). hahahahaha.

I started feeling under the weather on Saturday but instead I ignored it and spent some time with family. Ateh Jan and I ended up at Downey for our cousin's first birthday and the uncle's we're playing poker but I was too scared to hustle them LOL. After that I took Rambo out for a brisk walk, watched 13 going on 30 ( LOVE THAT MOVIE!), bought some Sky Vodka and headed out to Andrew's for the night. I was the last person to arrive, EVERYONE was all decked out in their slacks, cashmere sweaters, black satin dresses, and buttoned up shirts WHILE playing beer pong. wtf? hahaha We exchanged our gifts, I ended up with a satellite radio while Imee ended up with a candy thong and a sex game HAHAHAHAH. good times. That night made me realize that I REALLY SUCK at beer pong so I ended up opting out of it, plus I started getting the chills the guys played at least 20-25 games and finished 60 beers. We started playing pusoy dos ( not for shots this time) but since EVERYONE was buzzing they made me feel guilty and I ended up taking 2.5 shots of patron... with cranberry juice as a chaser. YUCKKKKKKKKKK! Got home around 4:30 am and knocked out.

I had to wake up early Sunday morning to see her first xmas play, and I gotta admit that was the cutest thing I've ever seen in my whole life. After that I stayed home, drank Theraflu, tried to recuperate and watched a bunch of movies and FRIENDS.

Yesterday I left work early because I couldnt handle staying at the office with my fever, runny nose, and coughs, but when I went home for some reason it magically went away. Still had a couple hours of sleep then the vagina's headed out to boiling crab... I LOVE BOILING CRAB! if you have not tried it, you should. =) we feasted on king crab legs, oysters, and shrimp. Dinner with all four of us complete is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS good times, because people either get really ANNOYED because we laugh out so loud, or start loving us because we're just a fun group to be around with . If you had to compare us to sex and the city, after spending time with us for about an hour you'll know who each one of us is: Ana: Samantha; Anne: Charlotte; Carrie: Me; Joy: Miranda. ( there's still some overlapping, but you will DEFINITELY realize once your with us for about a good hour )

Now I'm here stuck at work, starting to feel a little bit sick... someone take care of me

until next time...

HAHAHA OH IMEE

xx.

I don’t usually do two blogs in a row but just in case… =)

10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy

In the last few years, psychologists and researchers have been digging up hard data on a question previously left to philosophers: What makes us happy? Researchers like the father-son team Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener, Stanford psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, and ethicist Stephen Post have studied people all over the world to find out how things like money, attitude, culture, memory, health, altruism, and our day-to-day habits affect our well-being. The emerging field of positive psychology is bursting with new findings that suggest your actions can have a significant effect on your happiness and satisfaction with life. Here are 10 scientifically proven strategies for getting happy.

1. Savor Everyday Moments

Pause now and then to smell a rose or watch children at play. Study participants who took time to “savor” ordinary events that they normally hurried through, or to think back on pleasant moments from their day, “showed significant increases in happiness and reductions in depression,” says psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky.

2. Avoid Comparisons

While keeping up with the Joneses is part of American culture, comparing ourselves with others can be damaging to happiness and self-esteem. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, focusing on our own personal achievement leads to greater satisfaction, according to Lyubomirsky.

3. Put Money Low on the List

People who put money high on their priority list are more at risk for depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, according to researchers Tim Kasser and Richard Ryan. Their findings hold true across nations and cultures. “The more we seek satisfactions in material goods, the less we find them there,” Ryan says. “The satisfaction has a short half-life -- it’s very fleeting.” Money-seekers also score lower on tests of vitality and self-actualization.

4. Have Meaningful Goals

“People who strive for something significant, whether it’s learning a new craft or raising moral children, are far happier than those who don’t have strong dreams or aspirations,” say Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener. “As humans, we actually require a sense of meaning to thrive.” Harvard’s resident happiness professor, Tal Ben-Shahar, agrees, “Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable.”

5. Take Initiative at Work

How happy you are at work depends in part on how much initiative you take. Researcher Amy Wrzesniewski says that when we express creativity, help others, suggest improvements, or do additional tasks on the job, we make our work more rewarding and feel more in control.

6. Make Friends, Treasure Family

Happier people tend to have good families, friends, and supportive relationships, say Diener and Biswas-Diener. But it’s not enough to be the life of the party if you’re surrounded by shallow acquaintances. “We don’t just need relationships, we need close ones” that involve understanding and caring.

7. Smile Even When You Don’t Feel Like It

It sounds simple, but it works. “Happy people…see possibilities, opportunities, and success. When they think of the future, they are optimistic, and when they review the past, they tend to savor the high points,” say Diener and Biswas-Diener. Even if you weren’t born looking at the glass as half-full, with practice, a positive outlook can become a habit.

8. Say Thank You Like You Mean It

People who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis are healthier, more optimistic, and more likely to make progress toward achieving personal goals, according to author Robert Emmons. Research by Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology, revealed that people who write “gratitude letters” to someone who made a difference in their lives score higher on happiness, and lower on depression -- and the effect lasts for weeks.

9. Get Out and Exercise

A Duke University study shows that exercise may be just as effective as drugs in treating depression, without all the side effects and expense. Other research shows that in addition to health benefits, regular exercise offers a sense of accomplishment and opportunity for social interaction, releases feel-good endorphins, and boosts self-esteem.

10. Give It Away, Give It Away Now!

Make altruism and giving part of your life, and be purposeful about it. Researcher Stephen Post says helping a neighbor, volunteering, or donating goods and services results in a “helper’s high,” and you get more health benefits than you would from exercise or quitting smoking. Listening to a friend, passing on your skills, celebrating others’ successes, and forgiveness also contribute to happiness, he says. Researcher Elizabeth Dunn found that those who spend money on others reported much greater happiness than those who spend it on themselves.

Source: 10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy.

So recently i've been watching this show called True Blood starring Ana Paquin ( Rogue from X-MEN) and Stephen Moyer. I'm officially obsessed with him.

HOTTTTTTTTTTTTTT =)

xx.

MzJOWEE

“Run your fingers through my soul. For once, just once, feel exactly what I feel, believe what I believe, perceive as I perceive, look, experience, examine, and for once; just once, understand.”

Lately I’ve been going through mementos, keepsakes, and old letters from friends, lovers/ ex-lovers.  Even my myspace from when I first started I looked back to page 157 of my comments and thoroughly skimmed through them to see how much of a different person I am today. It’s nice to look back and to see the people you were close with back in the day, what your ex-boyfriends said on a random Monday night, or what your friends said about you from the night before. Though some of the comments and letter’s I’ve received and made were petty concoctions, it made me realize that I miss the people that I used to be close with before. I miss the crew that I hung out with in high school, or the bands that I saw back in the day, or my soul sister’s and even though I hang out with them on a weekly/ bi-weekly basis, I miss seeing them EVERYDAY. I have an “x-box” under my bed and when I look at it, there was someone at one point and in one moment in time, that actually loved me wholeheartedly. I have a binder full of letters - from an admirer that wrote me a letter every single day sophomore year of high school, I have a box of professional pictures that I took with different people, I have a box full of dried roses, from when they were given to me ( starting from the 7^th grade), I even have a book full of letters that my friends and I wrote to each other back in the 7^th and 8^th grade. It’s just nice to look back at what made you happy before, and what it takes NOW to make you happy. Right now at this point in my life, there’s only one thing that I regret: I didn’t savor the moments from who I was before.

 Tonight I’m going with Michaele to LA for Spoken Word Poetry and It’s been a long time since I allowed myself to become inspired by someone from their words, actions, talks. I used to listen to poetry religiously with a few friends because that was my outlet: to know there are people feeling the same way you do. I never had the courage to speak my mind especially when I’m really bad at rhyming and flowing but I always became lost in it. There were a lot of different things that I was lost in : poetry, art galleries, paintings, concerts (even rock),black and white films, reading love stories, plays, activist speeches, a guitar strumming. Oh my, where has the time gone? =/

 Until next time…

 xx.

So since I’m running on a week hiatus of not drinking ONE DROP of alcohol… I’m going to leave with some quotes

•  “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
• " A drunk mans words are a sober man's thoughts."
• “Drinking beer doesn't make you fat, It makes you lean....Against bars, tables, chairs, and poles.”
•  "It is better to spend money like there's no tomorrow then to spend tonight like there's no money."
•  "Be careful to trust a person who does not like wine."
•  “I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.”
•  “Get up and dance, get up and smile, get up and drink to the days that are gone in the shortest while.”
•  “I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it.”
•  “It's like gambling somehow. You go out for a night of drinking and you don't know where your going to end up the next day. It could work out good or it could be disastrous. It's like the throw of the dice.”
•  “Alcohol is the cause and the solution to many of life's problems.”
•  “If four or five guys tell you that you're drunk, even though you know you haven't had a thing to drink, the least you can do is to lie down a little while”

 And to leave things off with a bang…

  Geoff: i'm leaving half day today   i want to work out before i get drunk and eat too much so feel like i should be getting drunk and eating a lot

 me: hahahahahha aww i want to work out tooo but i have no time

 Geoff: you should get out of your cube, go in the middle and say...FUCK THIS JOB and start dj'ing and middle fingering people and walk out

Who says that?

until next time...

xx

MzJOWEE

“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain”

Note: Pictures from "A Very Sexual Christmas" posted in Gallery

Aghhh, my fuzzy warm blankets, Swiss Miss hot chocolate and my unfinished book “The Road” by Cormac Mcarthy is finally calling out my name. Winter is definitely the time to cuddle up with loved ones and stay at home all day while watching ridiculous amount of shows and movies, but since I have no one to cuddle with except maybe my down pillow… I’ll be spending my days reading a lot of books. Hahaha I’m such a nerd. I can’t believe Christmas is already here, and my wallet is going to start crying really soon because I still have A LOT of gifts to buy. =(

 This past weekend was pretty crazy despite the fact that it’s 20 degrees outside. I’ve been saving my energy up for our first party at the apartment ( i.e: no drinking or partying) because I was for sure going to get really crazy by the time Friday hit. The gift exchange was a lot of fun even if it was just about 15 of us. Only about 6 – 8 of us got pretty wasted, but still all in all good times. (SORRY COUSINS I DIDN'T GO TO RANDY'S BBQ!) It’s pretty sweet that even after college I have kept in touch with most if not all of the people I got close with throughout the four years. It's true that as you get older instead of having so many friends, you slowly trickle down and have a few good friends and a lot of acquaintances. It really is hard to try and keep in touch with EVERY SINGLE person that you’ve met in your life… but everything will always be okay as long as you have a few good friends.

 Through the journey of making and keeping a few friends, I’ve also learned recently that you need to weed out the bad ones. Just about a month ago, my attitude towards certain individuals has brought me to the point of intolerance. Sometimes I think, are there really people out there in the world that were born to make your life a living hell? We’re they born an idiot? Why don’t these people stop, take a look at their life and say “what the FUCK am I doing?” or “Why do people hate me?” or ask themselves, “why do so many people talk shit about me?” Well if you find yourself asking any of those following questions maybe it’s because… you are a fucking idiot. Now that I’m older, I’ve built a list or criteria of people I will NOT tolerate EVER.

• BACKSTABBERS
• people who GOSSIP TOO MUCH
• people who talk shit behind your back
• Ignorance
• Liars
• people who don't know the meaning of the word PRIVACY
  
• People who are unappreciative
• RUDE BITCHES
• Too HIGH MAINTENANCE bitches
• People who boast too much about how good their life is (salary, love life, etc.)
• Boys who can’t keep their hands to themselves
• Idiots who don’t think twice about what they say

 On a brighter note, you will never learn who you are as a person and who you want to be in your life if there aren’t idiots in the world that will show you how to be better.

Until next time.

HHAHA Sorry Vinz! but i LOVE LOVE THIS PICTURE

xx.

MzJOWEE

“Every man who possibly can should force himself to a holiday of a full month in a year, whether he feels like taking it or not."

WOW, this time of the year is awesome. Everyone's really happy, and if you’re not happy at all you try to be happy because everyone else is. Everyone is thankful, and If you’re a bitch, you go on a hiatus for at least a week just to be festive. If you’re an asshole then you become nice, just so you can say you were for the holidays. If your on the verge to get fired, you shouldn’t expect to be at least for another couple weeks because who the fuck in their right mind would fire someone in this joyous season?

The past couple months ending with the New Year has been pretty happenin.’ I spent a great amount of time with friends, loved ones, and my best friend vodka&heff. It was pretty rare to see me alone because I was either out and about getting drunk in the streets of DTF, LBC and Pasadena or spending time with my awesome fambamily. Since the year is ending, everyone comes up with resolutions that they never keep so for now I’m just going to promise myself to make next year better than this year. =)

So to all who’s made my past year really awesome ( my 22^nd birthday, balls out camping trip in San Diego, finally graduating, wine trips, DTF nights, Thursday night madness, VEGAS VEGAS VEGAS, Friday 35er nights,  VAPT’s debaucheries, endless birthday celebrations) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. To anyone who’s made my past year a little shitty ( break-ups, make-ups, arguments, miscommunications backstabbing) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. To my best friend Vodka and Pyramid Heff, no words can express how I truly feel.

Until next time…

wow, the nights that i live for =)

xx.

MzJOWEE

“Just think of me and I will be there”

Misss me?!!!! I KNOW YOU DID!!!!! ( PICS FROM XMAS & HEATHER'S BDAY POSTED IN GALLERY )

 4.5 day weekend = pure awesomeness.  On Christmas Eve, everyone gathered to tatay’s house to exchange gifts, eat, be merry, play rockband, and sing karaoke. This was the funnest Christmas I’ve ever had in my entire life because aside from the awesome food I was able to see my Uncle Jason drunk, my sister acting like a WOWOWEE girl  (no bueno), my dad red, my under age cousin buy Hennessey for all of us, and had the pleasure of taking shots with my dad. HAHA good times. Since Jarhead and I graduated from college AND have full time jobs, we didn’t get our yearly allowance from our grandpa… UGHHH!  (I wish I was still in college hahah) Since I was tipsy from the beer and Hennessey and wine, Jarhead had to take me home around 12:30. After that I purely enjoyed my night with some good fun AHHAHAHA.

HAHAHA uncle Jason FUCKED UP

 I spent Christmas Day with Imee, watching 1.5 movies: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Spirit. We bought a bunch of food from 7-11 and chowed down while we were in the theater. The reason WHY we only watched 1.5 movies was because Spirit turned out to be a major let downer and Imee wouldn’t have it hahaha. Coming from her mouth “if Samuel L. Jackson is in a movie with green eye shadow, then you know it’s bad…” ahahahahaa. After that we headed out to this awesome Chinese restaurant called Phoenix and chowed down again on some awesome food. Came home around 10:30 and Henry and Sergio stopped by for the night. They were both really cross-faded and luckily Sergio still had some with him so all three of us smoked out in the balcony… what a good night =)

 On Friday, I ended up being a complete shopping mongrel, buying around 8 dresses =( ( they were all cheap but still, damn.) After getting my haircut, I went to ross, bought 3 from there then came over Michaele’s to eat some lunch. We headed to the shoppes to go shopping for boots, but we ended up spending a good hour in their brand new spankin’ forever 21 and I played the victim. Ayy, caramba. After spending the money I don’t have I ended my night at Jane’s, sang karaoke with Jane and Imz, then the boys joined us for the night. Jake and Jay brought E&J Brandy, after losing at pusoy dos like 6 times I was beyond fucked up. Brian, Omar, and Andrew bought the beers and Rum, and they started shotgunning in the bathroom ahhaha good times. Since Ana had my car, we all left Jane’s around 3am and jay had to take my drunkass home. =(

Saturday I went to the mall AGAIN with Imee, ( I can’t believe I saw that girl three days in a row but I LOVE HER MAN!) we ended up being high rolla’s because we got Valet twice ( in her Mercedes benz) at Cheesecake factory and the Brea mall. Who get’s valet at the mall? We do. Ahahahha after that I went home and knocked out for about an hour then headed straight to LA to meet the bruha-has for dinner at Bossa Nova. That place is bomb diggity, and for what you pay for the entrée’s are HUGE. Around 10 I left and went to Jay’s place picked up Jake and Jay and headed to Granada Hills for Heather’s Birthday. When we got there she was FUCKED UP, there was a little drama but all in all it was good times. I always have fun with jake and jay! Hahaha those guys. Around 2 we went back to jay’s place, his mommy cooked us pansit and we talked and chit chatted for a couple hours. Headed home around 3 and knocked out.

men's accessories? really? HAHA

the three stooges

After the most exhausting week of my life, on Sunday Ana and I didn’t have work so we lopped around the apartment the WHOLE DAY. Anne finally came home and Joy joined us after then we all headed out to Pasadena to celebrate Joy’s birthday. We went to the Jazz restaurant Jazz & Bluezzz and our bill came to a close $200. WOW MOM, WOW. =( Soon after, we chilled at Barcelona and called it a night around 10. Came home, heated some popcorn, ate some frozen fruits and watched Baby Mama. I’m not too sure what happened with the movie because I was sooo tired, ended up knocking out at 11:30.

I am broke. Broke. Broke. Broke. Broke. Fuck, did I say I was broke?

This week is going to be pretty sweet AGAIN because it’s going to be another 4.5 day weekend for me. I can’t wait till New Years Eve, there’s so many things going on and I still can’t decide on which one to do. I don’t really want to feel the pressure of having to look really good and kissing someone in new years or buying endless amounts of overpriced cocktails but we’ll see what happens =)  Long Beach Mai Tai tonight, then DTF tomorrow night, then NYE, NY… WOW! So excited!

Until next time…

xx.

"Casual relationship is an annotation used to describe the physical and emotional relationship between two people who may have a sexual relationship or a near-sexual relationship without necessarily demanding or expecting a more formal romantic relationship as a goal. A casual relationship may be part time, or for a limited time, and may or may not be monogamous. The term encompasses friendships between people who enjoy each other's physical intimacy but do not aspire to be long-term, and may or may not involve parties who desire temporary relationships purely for hedonistic purposes. In each case, the relationship's dominance in the lives of those involved is being voluntarily limited, and there is usually a sense that the relationship is intended to endure only so long as both parties wish it to. To the extent such relationship include casual sexual contact, the relationship is generally focused on fulfilling sexual rather than romantic or emotional needs."

There’s a very fine line between what a casual relationship ( booty call, friends with benefits, friends that fuck etc.) is and what isn’t. It’s often misconstrued, overanalyzed, and more often than not, not entirely reciprocated equally. It’s either one doesn’t care as much, one cares a little bit more, or one doesn’t care at all. Relationships of these types will never work, if the pair is of not equal balance and not on the same page. When you feel like your developing feelings, run, run as fast as you can because if you think that you can start a new relationship with a fuck buddy then your wrong.  If it’s an ex that you may have feelings for, run don’t walk, because you will only get yourself into trouble. If you find yourself getting angry or annoyed at the idea of your “fuck buddy” “fucking” someone else, then you need to get out of it. AND word of advice:

You CAN NOT be in a casual relationship if your in love, you CAN NOT be in a casual relationship if this is the person you want to be with for the rest of your life. You CAN NOT be in something very very serious, then go back to something really casual. You CAN NOT be in a casual relationship if the thought of that person being with someone else makes you want to rip your head off. JUST FYI.

Until next time…

xx.

enjoy

xx.