Tuesday, December 31, 2013

live it up: my response to "23 Things to Do Instead of Getting Engaged Before You're 23"

I normally don't usually post articles like this, but I had a few views that I felt were important to be shared.

DISCLAIMER: You don't have to agree with me.  This article is based off of my own opinions and life-experiences.

Lately, my Facebook NewsFeed has been full of happy couples getting engaged.  Everytime I see a new engagement, I'm super happy for the couple, in awe of how many people I see that are engaged, and excited for the amount of weddings that I'll get to attend in the near future.

Occasionally, I'll see a "We're engaged!" post and I'll be kind of shocked because, not only do I know at least one-half of the couple, at least one-half of the couple is my age (give or take a few months to a year).  However, I'm not shocked because I doubt their decision-making skills; I just could not see myself, at 21, ready to make that major commitment to another human being.

Yesterday, this article entitled "23 Things to Do Before Getting Engaged Before You're 23" from the blog Wander Onwards started going viral over my interwebs.  In this article, the author, Vanessa, illustrates several key reasons why she is against the constant influx of engagements that seem to be occurring more frequently between college students and recent graduates.  She cites "inexperience" as a major reason for the marriage surge and also says that many individuals are using a significant other as a "cop-out...an admission that the world is just too big and scary to deal with it on your own".  She then advertises her alternative list of things to do to live it up before you tie the knot.

Naturally, tons of strong women (and some men too!) started sharing this article on Facebook as well as other forms of social media proclaiming their loud and proud agreement with Vanessa's thoughts and ideas.  I was one of them.  However, after mulling over her argument a little more, I realize I agree with parts of her argument, but not all.  Looking at the comments for this article, I saw many upset posters, saying that her way of thinking was "judgemental" and "single-minded", citing their own life experiences to supplement their contrary arguments.

After a lot of thought, I realized that I can see both sides of this debate.  I know so many happy couples who are my age and younger who have dreams and goals and a life to live, yet they still talk of possible engagements and future marriage; heck, I used to be one of them.  I was really happy for the majority of my 3 and a half year relationship and a future together was always talked about.  When we had those conversations though, it was never as a cop-out, a fear of being alone against the world; it was because we loved each other and each other's company and didn't want to be without it or each other.  (Side note: part of why Vanessa's article was so controversial was because she mentioned that she had never had a serious boyfriend.)  I will agree that inexperience did contribute to the demise of my relationship, but also, the realization that people grow and change and come into their own so much during their college years... sometimes, people just aren't as compatible as they used to be.  But honestly?  If I had gotten engaged this holiday season to my ex, it very well may have worked out and flourished.  Who knows? Nobody can predict what may have been.

On the flip side, I totally agree with Vanessa's idea that we absolutely need to live it up during these years, the so-called "best years of our lives".  I know that had I not gotten a chance to have my single college experience, there are so many opportunites and experiences that I would have missed out on that have proven integral to my growth and development as my own individual person, a chance for which I have been profoundly grateful.  I have discovered just how big and exciting and beautiful this world is.  I have definitely hit some of the things on her To-Do list over the past few months and I am so glad that I have.  I have come to know myself infinitely more than I would have had I been in a relationship and to me, that is priceless.  Personally, I think that self-knowledge and awareness is the best ammunition we have for taking on this world and fulfilling our dreams and goals, whatever they may be.

I also agree with the divorce statistics cited in the article.  She points out that divorce rates for young couples are a full TWO TIMES the national average.  Now, I know that all of these young couples won't get divorced, nor do I put too much stock in statistics like that since I believe that each and every situation is unique.  However, I do know and have experienced the backlash of divorce from those who have married young--don't worry, my parents are happily married.  But I have felt the aftershocks from many other separations and divorces, and I wouldn't wish even the secondary pain that is felt on anybody.

So what is my view on the issue?  I think that being single and living and learning alone is amazing.  I am having the time of my life flying solo.  I also think that making a commitment to someone you love and care about and honestly want to spend the rest of your life with is beautiful, commendable, and amazingly brave.  These are two completely different types of lifestyles and as always, to each his or her own.  Every situation is unique to the individuals involved, and I think that as long as you're smart, ready, and fully committed with NO DOUBTS (or very few), get engaged!  Get married!  If you want to happily date without long-term commitment, do that!  And if you want to be single until you're absolutely ready not to be?  Do it.  Want to be single forever? More power to you.  There are so many ways of living life, just make sure that you live it up happily. :)

Love, Leaza

Monday, December 30, 2013

from now on, it's me and my sweet potato-- casserole?

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and is excited for the New Year right around the corner!  I personally had an awesome Christmas and a very busy Christmas week filled with family food and fun.
Today, I wanted to share with you a recipe for a delicious sweet potato casserole that I made for my family's Christmas dinner.  To preface, I do not like to cook.  I don't like ovens, I don't like knives, I don't like making food.  When I do cook, I consider myself an experimentalist; I mix a variety of foods that I like together in the microwave and then eat them (usually a vegetables, rice, and cheese combo).  That being said, I make this sweet potato dish every year for my family's get together and I really don't mind making it (that means it's easy), and it's really good (according to everyone that's eaten it).  The ingredients and recipes are as follows:

  • 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of sweet potatoes
  • 1/4 pound of butter
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • Marshmallows
  1. Boil potatoes with jackets on.
  2. Slide jackets off and mash thoroughly.
  3. Add butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla and mix well (whisking is the easiest way to mix).
  4. Place in a non-stick casserole dish and top with marshmallows.
  5. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until marshmallows brown.
  6. Let cool, and enjoy!
Now, this is not my own original recipe; I got it from one of my grandma's old cookbooks.  Also, I know that it is definitely not the healthiest dish, so feel free to switch some ingredients for healthier alternatives (although the unhealthy version is pretty delicious and worth the caloric splurge).

Do you have any family recipes or traditions that you save just for the holiday season?  Let me know in the comments!!
The Rainbow Family <3
Happy New Year to all :)
Love, Leaza

Thursday, December 19, 2013

look at this stuff; isn't it neat?


I love Pinterest.  I would not call myself obsessed or addicted, but Pinterest and I have a healthy friendship.  Whenever I am in search of the perfect new DIY project to tackle, need inspiration for the perfect outfits, or need a step-by-step description of how to create a new hairstyle, Pinterest has my back.  Some of my favorite things to pin are lifehacks (such as curling hair in foil with a straightener for indestructible ringlets, among other things) and unique DIY projects.




Last night, I was scrolling through the Health and Fitness page and found a lot of pins that were "TV Show Workouts", which are similar to the more common "TV Show Drinking Games"; for example, instead of taking a drink whenever Dr. Huang analyzes someone on SVU or whenever someone gets a text from A on Pretty Little Liars, you just do 20 burpees instead.  I thought that these were the funniest things and promptly pinned one (or two or three) workouts for each TV show that I watch (or may potentially watch at some point).  Here's to watching my next Law and Order: SVU marathon productively and guilt-free!!

Do you use Pinterest?  What are your favorite things to pin?  Let me know in the comments!

Love,
Leaza

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

our work is never over

Now that I'm home for break, I have a chance to enjoy the simple things in life, like sleeping, eating actual meals, sleeping, doing laundry, sleeping, reading, sleeping, blogging, sleeping, and working out.
If you've ever been in college, you know how easy it is to let these things fall to the wayside.  For example, my friends all refer to me as a professional sleeper (I can sleep anytime, anywhere), but once school gets into full swing, I find myself missing and craving my much needed hours of shut-eye.
But my least favorite thing to give up during the school year (even more than sleeping) is working out.  Though I take four different dance classes a week at school, I find that going to the gym for an hour or two and just taking time to focus my thoughts while working out on the elliptical or stretching or doing ab workouts on the side is incredibly refreshing and motivating.  I find myself more energized overall and I notice how much better I do in my dance classes when I work out my ideal amount.
I always start off each semester with a regular workout plan, going to the gym for at least an hour 4-5 days a week either to work out alone or to take one (or two, or three) of the university-sponsored fitness classes.  However, once MT life kicks into high gear, I find that I barely have time to take a breath, let alone work out any more than stretching and doing planks in my trailer in between all of the rehearsals, practicing, crazy class schedule, homework overload, work schedule, and a few hours of sleep here and there.  Add in getting a crazy bad case of pneumonia, and there's really no time to work out even a little bit as much as I would like to.
Disclaimer to other majors: this is a joke!
Thankfully, now that I'm school-less for a month, I have time to work out to my heart's content.  I would like to be able to join a gym near my home, but since I am only here for a month, I'm thinking it may be more trouble than its worth.  "But how does one work out without a gym?" you ask.  I think that there are many ways of doing so: my brothers workout for lacrosse at home by running on the treadmill, doing pushups and crunches, facing-off against each other, and practicing stick skills with each other or using the LAX wall in our backyard.
I, however, am not good at creating my own idea of how I should be working out.  That's where the beauty of modern technology comes in: I get the majority of my workouts off of YouTube.  YouTube is an amazing resource for all kinds of workout plans; I can get cardio workouts, ab workouts, arm workouts, leg workouts, ballet workouts, floor barre classes, stretch classes, tap classes... the list goes on and on and on.  I love the multitude of videos that exist in cyberspace; I can pick and choose which workouts I do each day and never get bored.  Some of my favorite channels for workouts are Blogilates, XHIT Daily, and JessicaSmithTV.  All of these channels have completely different types of workouts that are all created to be done in a small space at home and I highly recommend nearly all of their videos.
So if you're thinking that you should spend your break sitting on the couch watching TV, take a minute, hook up your laptop to your TV (with a handy-dandy HDMI cable), stand in front of your couch and do a workout or two in the comfort of your own home.  Try and fight the lazy stupor that always seems to arrive with vacations.
And if you really can't seem to get motivated to do a workout, play a quick round of Just Dance, either alone or with family and friends.  Those dances are so entertaining and the competition is so intense, that you won't even realize how much of a workout you're getting. :)
The.Best.

Happy exercising!

Love, Leaza

you'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs

Hellooooooo, beautiful people!


I haven't written anything for so long and I am so excited to get back to posting!  I have had an absolutely CRAZY semester of school (not as totally insane as last spring, but still pretty jam-packed).  To show you a compacted version of the past few months, I thought it would be easiest and most entertaining to construct a photo diary for you to peruse... enjoy!!

My Semester...In Photos: 

Oh, these are just some of my best friends.  It's casual.
After finishing up my shows
"Hernando's Hideaway" from The Pajama Game
and one of the most fun jobs ever,
TIC Summer Camp! Mustache Monday!
I moved back to school.  However, instead of a normal dorm, this year, I moved into a trailer park.
Sadly, mine is not nearly this cool.
I started classes and was immediately swamped with homework.

Luckily, I'm a music major, so my homework looks more like this: 
Then my school had a gala fundraiser and all of the MT classes sang in it.
Me and my lovely friend Laura
Meanwhile, I was getting antsy because it was almost my 21st birthday!
And the Snapchats started rolling in...
Unfortunately, it wasn't until the end of September, so I had to preoccupy myself.  In the meantime, I studied,
...It's my favorite part because you'll see...
visited monuments,
Monumenting by moonlight!
and ate cupcakes.
Finally, the day arrived.  I was finally 21!!
Legally drinking!
I spent a lot of my time during the semester planning my recital.
Yes, that is actually me as a toddler...
But I was able to spare a little time for fun too.  I braved a camera makeup-less and posed for my beautiful friend's "Beauty in You Campaign", which promotes self-love and self-confidence for women everywhere:
And then, my friends and I turned Halloween into #halloweek.  My favorite day was the day we dressed up as Pretty Little Liars (my guilty pleasure TV show).  I was Aria!
'Cause two can keep a secret...
And then, for actual Halloween, my best friend and I were Sophia Grace and Rosie (from Ellen).
My semester hit a bit of a speed bump when I got really sick with pneumonia for about a month...

So I was thrilled when Thanksgiving rolled around and I could finally sleep.
I wish I could say it was just a food coma
I was also busy with a few shows throughout the semester.  I sold tickets and promoted "Company"
And I assistant directed/choreographed a Disney Cabaret to raise money for The Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Coolest. Poster. Ever. (that's really our cast!)
We raised over $500 in donations to make children's wishes come true!
This makes my soul melt.
Soon it was December 7; classes had ended and it was time for my Musical Theatre degree recital. EEK!
from my dance to "White Houses"
Post-recital sibling silliness.
After a whirlwind week of finals, it was time to go home.  I had to say goodbye to my roommate who was graduating this semester and going to Disney world to be friends with some famous mice or something...
See  ya real soon!
And in the blink of an eye, I had gone from over-booked college student to a relaxed, lazy bum, now had time to rediscover crazy things like sleep and TV and Blogger and YouTube... the list goes on.
And now, Christmas is in a mere week!  It's the most wonderful time of the year and I hope that you truly enjoy it.
I hope you've enjoyed my photo diary!  Until next time...

Love, Leaza