Author: Brooke

Nothing is more disappointing than opening a bottle of wine and getting a strong whiff of vinegar. 

You know it's to be expected when playing wine roulette at the grocery store, but that doesn't make it any less disappointing. You're no quitter though. Determination and a little creativity are going to tackle this bottle one way or another.

Start Rummaging for Fruit

Being a berry gatherer, helps you think of simpler times. Although, you really need the canned kind. 

This wine is destined for Sangria. Now, you not only get a buzz, but you have a healthy snack. Winning like a champion.

But what if you don't have fruit?

Find Some Soda

So maybe sangria isn't in the cards for tonight. So why not try a spritzer? A little bubbly elevates the dry vinegar to a tolerable level. Just watch your portions. You don't want to drink more than you have to before you start feeling it. After all, the goal here is to drink the wine. Not a child's sober fest.

Use Alternative Glasses

Don't create your concoctions in a wine glass. You need to trick your brain into thinking this is going to taste amazing. It also helps when all of your glasses are dirty from your previous excursions. Coffee mugs are the ideal option. It brings you back to simpler times when you used to sneak alcohol before the country told you it was socially acceptable to partake.

Slam the First Sips

Even if it doesn't taste good on the first sip, the third definitely will. The quicker you get there, the better. 

That's how you started to like beer, how you started to like tea, and how you're able to adult-ly drink that black coffee. Just have to get through the bitter beginning.

More You Drink the Better It Tastes

Let's face it, all things alcohol taste better after you've already consumed some. So what if that means half of the bottle has to be gone before you start to like it? You still have the rest to find fulfilling joy. 

And if you're really being honest, you were always going to drink the whole bottle. You've never been a quitter. Why would you start now?

So cheers to you! You've been resourceful, conquered that cheap bottle, and used that childhood creativity. This wine is well deserved.

Sometimes you have those days where you just want to give the finger to your job and walk out. Except you remember that you still have to pay your bills. Here’s some alternatives to getting fired:

1. Find a quiet place to go talk to yourself

Spiritual people can refer to this as praying, others will just think you’re crazy. But hey! At least you can cover rent.

2. Blare upbeat music and have a dance sesh

This can be anywhere you want; in the car, at home, at a club, in your head. You do you, boo. Just remember to collect that pay check.

3. Research alternative jobs that don’t pay as much

Sure, you can walk out and join the job search again. Just prepare yourself to be comfortable with ten dollars an hour. AKA: starvation.

4. Think of unemployment

Yes, if you get fired you can collect an unemployment check, but it just means rubbing elbows at temp agencies. You never know what could be lurking there.

5. Consider the positives

Tomorrow the whole building could explode, and they’d be forced to pay you until you found a job. Just don’t do it yourself. Evidently, it’s illegal.

6. Remember the people you actually like

Sure, the Starbuck’s man you greet before walking into the office counts! What would he do without your banter in the morning? Don’t be selfish.

7. Think of the booze

If you give up steady pay, you won’t be able to drink your sorrows. Then where would you be?

8. Breathe

In your nose, out your mouth. Isn’t that what your yoga instructor teaches?

There are worse things to being employed. So tell your candy ass to suck it up and get back to work. Be grateful they invented the weekend.

Laundry has been around since the dawn of time, and thankfully, we don’t have to do it out of a stream or a bucket anymore. However, when you look at a washing/drying machine, it gets complicated.

Suddenly, you have options.

Should you wash your clothes as permanent press, casual, or delicates today? This is more thought than you give to putting an outfit together. Wait, you wore that fake silky top that’s now dirty, select delicates. Boom! One decision made.

You get to pick the temp.

Would the clothes like to bathe in cold, cool, warm, or hot water? Obviously, never hot. Stuff shrinks in hot. You think there’s a tag that says cold somewhere. Ka-chaw! Two decisions down.

You decide what gets sorted where.

Some people like to sort things into delicates, whites, colors, darks, cloth, fake cloth, denim, dry clean, etc. That’s not what you see in the dirty clothes pile. You see two simple piles. Towels and clothes. K.I.S.S. Bringing back elementary school like a boss.

You have to prioritize the time frame.

Ok washing takes about an hour or one comedy special on Netflix. When that’s over, switch to dryer and now you can nap to one full Disney movie before removing them to be folded. Just remember not to over sleep, otherwise you’re going to have wrinkled clothes on your hand. Ain’t nobody got time for ironing!

Now you’re responsible for the consequences.

You just spent those hard earned twelve dollars on a t-shirt, washed it, and now it has shrunk to a middle schoolers crop top.

Don’t panic. Just ask yourself, “What would Martha do?” Ok, you can freak a little, because Martha would not be in this boat. She always reads care labels. Heck, she is probably the person that invented them. She’s also rich and can easily buy another twelve dollar t-shirt.

Shrug it off. You know there’s a Pinterest craft with that t-shirt’s name written all over it. Pat yourself on the back for rocking at adult life. Even if it’s just a little.

Most of us in our twenties do not have our dream job. We’re either somewhere down the ladder or still trying to find the vocation we want. Which means we will be interviewing a lot. It means we need to keep our resumes up to date and not just as PDFs but on our LinkedIn profiles. Sometimes we send out tens of applications and hear nothing back, but sometimes we land an interview. Here’s how to go into your interview with confidence without having to put on a face.

It’s all about the look.

Do your research. Not every job in our less conservative society requires you wear a suit. What do people tend to wear while they’re at work? What kind of job will you be doing? Yes, it’s important to look nice, but the interviewer needs to picture you in the position. You can’t walk in wearing a three-piece suit with a bedazzled watch, expecting to get a welding job. That also means you can’t show up in jeans and a polo for a position on Wall Street.

Use your best judgement.

Don’t buy something you hate because you think that’s what they want to see. Remember that you have to be comfortable in the clothes to portray yourself fully as a person. Make sure that you can still see your personality through your clothes. If you’re a rockstar musician that’s interviewing for an office job that requires business casual, show up in your button-down and trousers with Chucks for footwear. Get creative.

Don’t be nervous. They’re just people.

Sometimes we freak ourselves out thinking about meeting the interviewer. We glorify them and build them up to god-like status that we aren’t worthy of talking to.

Forget that!

They’re human, just like us. They like their after hours beverage, they have embarassing stories from college, and they have been in your seat before. Chill out. Treat them like you would any stranger you meet on the street. Greet them with a smile and begin to engage like you would anyone else.

Do your research.

With the internet in your pocket, there’s no reason to not know a little background on the company before the interview. Check out any stats they might have. How are they doing in the market place? Are there any reviews out there about the type of company they are? Do they have any community involvement? Are there things, other than the job you’re interviewing for, that you would like to work you way up to?

This is also important, since the interviewer will predominantly talk about the company. They will have questions about the company. You can’t sit there with a confused face if they ask you about their product. You also can’t say you think it’s a great opportunity without having any reasoning to back you up.

Come with questions.

Sometimes we forget the interview is a two-way street. Yes, they’re interviewing us for the position we applied for, but it’s also our opportunity to interview them. We need to decide if this company is actually somewhere we could see ourselves working. Get a feel for the environment, how quickly they promote, do they encourage promoting within, do they have a high-turnover rate, why are they replacing the position you applied for, are you going to be happy here, etc.

This is a place you’re going to spend most of you time awake during the week. You need to make sure this is something that you will enjoy and not wind up banging your head against the wall. You can also talk to people that work there to get a feel for how they like their job and the work atmosphere.

Don’t be afraid to stand up for you or something you value.

If the interviewer starts talking about something you posted to social media, this is your time to defend yourself. Explain in a dignified way why that mattered to you and why you felt the need to post it. If the interviewer starts talking about something that goes against your values, start a dialogue.

It’s important you don’t sit there like a church mouse, because at the end of the day, that uneasy feeling or comment will still be with you. You’re going to have to work here and you want to be comfortable. Even if you say something that goes against them, meaning you probably won’t get the job, it’s ok because you were true to you. That’s never something to apologize for.

Know your worth and how much you need to pay your bills.

The question about salary always comes up in the first or second interview. Most of the time it’s phrased to see how much you’re hoping to make, rather than the company offering a figure. This is not the time to try to please the interviewer. This is your income that we’re discussing and how you’re going to pay your bills. You need to do research for average salary in the position you’re applying and know how much you need a month to pay your bills. Remember to look at your net income requirements. Most of the time, 30% is deducted off the top of your check for taxes, medical, social security, etc. You don’t need to take a job that’s going to make you a pauper.

Be confident.

Attitude is everything. Go in with a positive attitude that is ready to have a discussion with a stranger. Most of the topic will circle around you, which is something you will know better than anyone. There’s no way you can mess up the facts. People are attracted to confidence and they feel at ease. Don’t be afraid of failing or not getting the job.

If it’s meant to be, you will get the phone call. If not, another door will open. Just keep reaching and never settling.

We all know how to spot a player or a standard douchebag from a mile away. Some of us date them for the thrill, while others avoid them like the plague and would rather go for the nice guy.

The nice guy is the boy that looks and acts like the boy next door. He’s the boy you want to bring home to your family and invite to hang out with your friends. But what if the nice guy your dating is really a douchebag in sheep’s clothing? How are you supposed to know?

Here’s five traits to help you spot him:

1. He starts using pet names

Everyone likes to use cute names when you’ve been in a relationship with someone. However, if he starts using them before you decide that you’re officially together, he may be using them to keep his ladies straight.

2. His texting habits change

He used to initiate most of the conversations and always made sure to ask about your day. Obviously, sometimes you started the conversation because you had things to tell him. However, now you’re the one making all the effort and he doesn’t seem to be as interested in your day as he once was. This could be a major flag that may result in you asking what’s up.

3. He avoids confrontation

You want to know if everything’s ok or if he’s phasing you out. He just feigns ignorance or just straight up says no then changes the subject. If you try to talk through it more, he makes it seem like you’re the crazy one. So you just shut your mouth and continue to sip the beverage or mindlessly watch the TV show.

4. He’s ok with waiting a while to sleep with you or He’s cool with going a while between the times he sleeps with you

Sometimes we’re just not ready to sleep with a boy, and thankfully, there are guys out there that are respectful of our wish to wait. However, if you are waiting longer than you normally do and he’s not even trying to go for it. Or He’s not been calling try to get you to come over as often for a cuddle sesh/movie viewing, he may have found himself another hole.

5. He’s stopped trying to get you to fit him in around your busy schedule

Sometimes we get really busy with work and life and it’s hard to fit everyone in. He used to complain that he wasn’t getting to see you as much, now it’s just crickets chirping. Yes, sometimes you’re the one who has to tell him when you’re available to hang out because you’re the one with the schedule issue, but if he’s not even trying to see you, then you may have a case of the Ninja on your hand.

If any of this sounds like the nice guy you’ve been seeing, maybe it’s time to get back on Tinder. Dig that bar dress out, that makes your body look banging, and go meet new boys. This one has moved on or isn’t worth your time. Stop making excuses for him, saying things like “There’s now way he’s seeing someone. We text/talk/snap each other everyday. When would he have time?” or “His personality just isn’t the douchebag type”. Don’t feel bad, sometimes we all fall for a wolf now and then.