Tag: learning

Bella’s Illness

~ Michelle T ~ Leave a comment

image1-1This will be our third Christmas with Bella, every year she gets excited and uses her nose to sniff out all her treats wrapped under the tree. When we rescued two-year-old Bella from the MSPCA she was a little ball of energy. There were signs that she had been abused in her previous home so it took her a few months to feel safe and realize all image1we wanted to do was love her.
We wanted to give Bella the best most loving forever home we possibly could. We wanted her to feel safe and secure, loved, and wanted. Bella went multiple times a week to run with her friends at doggy daycare or as we called it school, she knew the days she wanted to go see her friends because she would bark and follow you around the entire time you were getting ready for work. Bella loves to watch the voice and lay in front of her fake fireplace.capture
We know that Bella didn’t have the easiest life in her previous home. When we adopted her we wanted to give her the best possible life we could give her. She is a sweet and lovingcapture7 Bulldog that wins over the hearts of anyone who has the pleasure of knowing her.

Recently Bella had started whimpering and crying out in pain. It has taken multiple Vets several weeks and many tests before they finally found what is causing Bella’s pain. capture4Through an MRI administered by a Neurologist they have been able to diagnose her with Inflammatory Brain Disease, this is a brain disease which is causing her severe pain; as well as, seizures and vertigo. As her family we want to give her every chance she has to live a full and happy life especially since Bella is only five years old. Vets have recommended a series of chemo treatments, steroids, and pain medicine to keep her comfortable.

capture5This makes me so sad not just because she’s my pup but because  She deserves to be happy and healthy!!!! We are blessed to have her grace our home with her spunk and personality.

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There’s A Little Turkey In All Of Us

~ Michelle T ~ Leave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Happy Monday, I know Mondays are typically nothing to be excited but I still hope you all had a great day!

It’s almost Thanksgiving here in America and you we can officially let the Holiday season begin! Just like most of the world, The holidays are always my favorite time of the year. The magic is everywhere people literally sing in the streets!

The best part about this time of the year is that you get to spend it with family and friends and the people who mean the most to you!

To me, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because you get to express your love and thankfulness for each other! Its a time to reflect on the year and think about who and what you are thankful for. It’s not all about Turkey even though who could resist that much food!

Usually, I would post something like this on the actual holiday but for me, it was one of those Mondays I needed a little bit of optimism and thoughtfulness! Since this post is early I hope you all take the next few days to think about who and what you are thankful for!

For example:

I am thankful for every single one of my followers and readers, not only do I feel your love and support on a daily basis but you have become such good friends! Regardless of if we have ever met or ever will meet you all have become a huge part of my life! I wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

XOXO,

Michelle

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Dress sizes can’t define, don’t let the world decide what’s beautiful

~ Michelle T ~ Leave a comment

Hello Everyone,

I want to thank you all for the overwhelming amount of E-mails I received after my last post! They were all filled with kindness and love; I really have missed you all!!

Today I am writing to you all because of one email I got in particular! I received a very emotional and heartfelt letter from a high school sophomore.

She told me that she has always been struggling with her weight but has always considered herself to be beautiful! Until high school when people began to pick on her because of her size. She goes on to tell me that these girls have not only been embarrassing her but also have started to change how she sees herself and views her own body.

While reading this Email, I was almost in tears; no one should feel this way about themselves, and when these feelings are caused by the cruelty and ignorance of others, it is just so sad and it breaks my heart!

Now I can say that you shouldn’t listen to the cruel words of others, and only you can define how you feel about yourself, but in reality, this is almost impossible to do! Our peers play such a big part in our everyday life that it is so hard to ignore their opinions.

The best advice I can give someone in this position is to be strong, understand that you are beautiful and understand that there is a cruelty in this world that is not fair. Be the bigger person and don’t forget to put yourself first! Love yourself, know your worth and beauty, and truly love yourselves!

 

Love you all,

Michelle

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Hello World

~ Michelle T ~ Leave a comment

Hello Everyone,

I must apologize for my extended absence! I must say I have been a very busy girl, most recently I have started grad school!

I was offered a full assistantship! Allowing me to go to school as well as get a great experience of working as a Teaching Assistant, enabling me to teach classes, and do some real world hands on research!

I just finished my first week, and so far I have no complaints, it is so nice being back to school.

Me and Tyler also through a celebration of our marriage, a second reception! As many of you know our wedding ceremony was planned ver quickly and even though it was fantastic it was very nice to have a bigger party that all our friends and family could attend!

It’s been a crazy and fun summer!

I am hoping to get back to you all more regularly; I am going to make an honest effort! I miss all of my web friends! Let me know if there is anything you want me to touch upon in the next few days!

Talk to you all soon!

Lots of love,

Michelle

 

A Day With Nana & Bepee 

~ Michelle T ~ Leave a comment

Hello Everyone! 
Happy Friday! 
Today I want to talk to you about people! As an anthropologist I have always been so fascinated with people in general. I must admit I am a chronic people watcher, I guess I struggle to turn off my anthropolgy training! 
Today Tyler and I went down to visit his grandfather who is at a rehab! We spent the day with Nana and Bebee  and trust me there is a lot to learn from them!
Nana told me all about growing up in a family of 5 with her parents and two sisters! She was the middle daughter. The family didn’t have a car until after she got married so she walked everywhere!
She worked at a paint company before running an after school childcare company! 
Spending the day with these two has opened my eyes to what the world was like when they grew up! 
You can learn so much from listening to people and learning about their lives. Grandparents offer us our legacy to be embraced and collected. Take the time to learn about your legacy before they are not there to share it with you! Everyone has a different story to tell, just remember to listen, you will be amazed what you can learn! 
Love you all
Michelle 

  

Becoming YOU

~ Michelle T ~ Leave a comment

Hello Everyone,Happy Tuesday! Today I want to talk to you all about becoming you! 

We experience so much in a lifetime! So much hurt, so much joy, and everything in between! It would be so easy to say that we wish we could eliminate all the bad and get rid of all the metaphoric bruises but so much of ourselves is made up of the good and bad experiences.

Everyone has heard the phrase everything happens for a reason or what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… both are absolutely correct! 

Think about how certain experiences have changed your view on the world! How maybe an accident makes you think twice when taking a right on red or how a bad date made you hate a particular movie or restaurant! All these little things have shaped you and guide you day by day through life! 

Maybe you once were a very trusting person but experienced pain from putting your trust in the wrong person. You may think twice before your next leap of trust but maybe this change will perfect your future! 

We become who we are through a life time of experiences! You may be a completely different person today then you were a year ago and this may not be a bad thing! 

We need to embrace our mistakes and experiences and allow them to effect us but never stop us! You are in charge of your own life, learn but never be afraid to live! 

These things make you you… so don’t wish away the past! 

Love you all,

Michelle

  

Be Your Own Kind Of Beautiful

~ Michelle T ~ 7 Comments

Hello, all you beautiful people!
Today I what to talk to you about what makes you different! Being different is a good thing, you may not see that now but believe me all these little things that are different from your friends or peers will make you who you are! No one is exactly like you whether this be your appearance, belief or personality, I can guarantee you that there is something inside of you or outside of you that makes you different than others.
I never try to focus on looks in my posts but I have received a lot of letters from girls who hate one part of their appearance because it’s different than the norm or how the supermodels they want to look like! The first question you should ask yourself if you find yourself thinking this way is why? Why do you want to look like everyone else? or why do you want to look like the newest Victoria secret models? If your answer is because they are beautiful, then it is about time you look in the mirror because you are beautiful too!
Many of these models and actresses that you’re dying to look like went through times in their life when they didn’t feel beautiful either. In fact, Jennifer Gardner has spoken out recently about how shocked she was growing up when people would tell her she was pretty.

“It was a shock when I got to college to hear people say I was pretty,”

~ Jennifer Gardner

Everyone goes through times when they don’t feel beautiful, but you always need to remember you are! Not everyone is going to look the exact same and that’s what makes you beautiful! So be confident with who you are and know that you are beautiful! Have you ever heard the expression you must love yourself before you can truly be loved? Well, it’s the same thing with beauty! In order to really be yourself, you need to shed away your insecurities and realize that you are beautiful! There will always be those people who try to tear others down but if your confident and secure enough with yourself you will realize that they are wrong and that you are perfect just the way you are!
I am a natural red head so growing up in school was always hard since it was something that always made me different! In high school, I would dye my hair blonde every few weeks to try and hide my natural hair color. Also, their was a little show called South Park that made my life a living hell. They invented rude names for people with red hair and even established a
“kick a ginger day” fortunate for me I never got kicked but still it wasn’t the best time in my life! When I got to college I realized that my hair color doesn’t matter and that red is beautiful! I still enjoy changing my hair around when I get bored but not because I don’t feel beautiful! I love the red hair that I have and I know that its something that makes me me!
Beauty is something that lies in the eye of the beholder and your definition of beauty should be you! Because you should always feel like the most beautiful woman in the world!
I hope you all look in the mirror today and tell your self that your beautiful because you are!
~Michelle ❤

I’ve Never Gotten Tall Making Someone else Feel Small

~ Michelle T ~ 2 Comments

Hello Everyone,

Today I want to talk to you about the extremely important topic of bullying! Recently my inboxes have been packed full of messages from girls who dread riding the bus or finding a seat to sit at during lunch time, I have also received an overwhelming amount of emails from mothers asking for any type of advice I could give them on what to tell their child when they come home crying every day. I have emailed all these people back personally to try and help but I think there is a lot of things that everyone should hear. So maybe the people out there who are to shy or afraid to find help will unerstand that they are not alone and they have nothing to fear in getting the help that is needed in situations like this!

The first thing I want to make clear is that being bullied is never your fault. You didn’t do anything to attract this type of nagative attention, Most bullies pick random targets in attempt to make themselves feel better or to attract any sort of attention they can get even if its negative attention. If someone picks on you for your glasses, style, sexual orientation, disabilities, weight, nationality, race, or anything else just know that you are beautiful and perfect just the way you are. And you should never change yourself for someone else. You are you and you should love that! The person who is bullying and picking on you doesn’t understand humanity. People are not toys and harming someone emotionally can be just as harmful as a physical attack. Bullying is attacking, it is wrong and needs to come to an end. If you are being bullied you need to know that their is nothing wrong with you but rather something wrong with the bully. If some one needs to harm others and rip them apart then they live a sad existance and they should be the ones who are ashamed of themselves and what they did not the people who they are victomizing.

I am sure that many of you have heard the advice of “just ignore it” but to me this sounds like horrible advice! Bullying is a horrible thing it can rip apart a person and casue fatal problems like depression, self harm drug abuse and even suicide. Instead of ignoring a big problem like bullying you should talk about it, talk to a councelor, teacher, parent, friends, sibling anyone and don’t worry about being a “tattle tale” bullying is worng and needs to be brought to the proper peoples attantion like a guidance councelor or teacher. Don’t be afraid to talk about it if you are being bullied like I said before its not your fault so don’t feel embarrassed.

With bullying tragedies making head lines in the news recetly a lot of celeberties have come out to talk about their own experiences being bullied and have even come up with songs and videos to help people through this hard time. There are alot of people who have gone through things similar to you in their life time talking to them can be helpful as well as theraputic. You are not alone and you should never feel alone! There are so many people in this world experiencing the same thing and having the same problems. I promise you that you are loved in this world and that people will understand and want to help you! What you face today or tomorrow is not going to be forever you need to understand that life gets better and rough times do pass. You should always be proud of who you are and live a life that is true to yourself. Do not change you apearance opinions or actions to make someone else happy or to try to be like everyone else! Being you is the one thing that you have that know one else has or could ever have! You should be proud of it and you should love it!

Here are a few songs and videos(click the pictures):

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I hope this has helped a few of you! I am always an email away to talk if any one needs venting however I do suggest that you talk to a parent or teacher who can help you in your everyday life and put an end to the bullying. I will link some advice websites and hotlines below as a refrence for any one who may need them. Remember that it does get better, you are stronger then you may think and to never give up!

Love you all

Refrences to find help:

http://www.kidshelp.com.au/teens/get-help/web-counselling/

http://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/

http://www.stopbullying.gov/get-help-now/index.html

Fast Times At Ridgemont (or any other) High

~ Michelle T ~ 4 Comments

Hello everyone,

Fast times at Ridgemont high is one of my favorite movies, maybe not the most appropriate or morally sound movie but still one of my favorites. True, it came out before I was born but its still great. For all of you who don’t wish they lived in the decade before your birth let me tell you what the movies about. Relationships, drugs, sex, gambling, and way too much drama you know typical over dramatized teen movie. Now my post really has nothing to do with this movie other then the fact that I thought it would make for a catchy title.

Anyway….

I wanted to write to all of my high school readers today. Those who are about to graduate, head off to college, join the military, or work on a career. At this point in your life, you are about to go head to head with a whole lot of change and choices. Which college should I go to, what should I major in, do I want to take this job or that one, am I ready for the military? What every question you are looking to answer you should know that the only one who can answer them is you.

By saying this, I know I sound like a broken record or some sort of self-help pamphlet, but it’s true. For the first time, you all are facing what it’s like to make life altering decisions. It’s scary! I’ve been there just like so many others. The best advice I can give you is to listen to yourself, do what feels right and know when to politely ignore others opinions.

You are about to move on to a very different time in your life. It is the intermediate stage, where you learn how to become an adult. Whether you stay in the same town or move to a different country you will all experience change a lot of changes. Like trying to keep relationships with your friends from your hometown whether you or your friend moves away you should be prepared to put in the extra effort to keep these relationships strong. You also will need to learn to manage your money, your time, and your priorities. It is important to keep your morals and priorities your own in times of drastic change, sometimes people can get swept up in a new lifestyle because that’s what they think they should do what they are in new situations.

I am not saying any of this to scare you. But actually to do the opposite! I am saying this to help prepare you so you will thrive and smile through these obstacles in your life. But remember the last few months that you have left before these changes occur, enjoy it! Your high school experience may have seemed long but looking back you will think it flew by. Just like the times you are about to experience, you will look back and all this will seem so short so enjoy it while your living it!!

Good Luck ❤

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What is Reality TV Doing To Reality

~ Michelle T ~ 2 Comments

Hello all my beautiful readers,

Have you all noticed the sudden change in the TV programs in the last decade or so? It seems like every night I can  flip through the channels and find multiple reality TV shows. Whether this is The Bachelor, Real House Wifes or some sort of Jersey Shore wannabe show. It gets me wondering if TV’s idea of reality it altering reality in a whole.

It seems like expectations of growing up has changed, I believe that if TV reality was our actual reality our lives would go something like this:

Your 20’s: Sleeping all day Drinking all night

Your 30’s: Finding your Mr. right then cheat, lie, ang fighting with 20 other woman for his love

Your 40’s +: Being a wealthy housewife, living in a community filled with drama and other housewives you can’t stand

I don’t know about you, but this is in no way like my reality. I feel like these shows are fine when watching them for a pure entertainment purpose but when people start to idolize these lifestyles or try to keep up with these behaviors they can become very dangerous. When young people try and jump into a Jersey Shore like lifestyle people can get hurt physically and mentally. I am sure very few people sit down to an episode of Survivor then go off to find a secluded island to try to survive however the amount of people who think that a life of booze, partying, and casual sex is the new norm is astounding.

As a young woman, you are entitled to your own opinions and choices however I do urge you all to think hard before choosing a lifestyle that may seem fun and harmless but in reality is harmful to both your physical body and mental well being. Some people argue that these shows are scripted, exaggerated, or fake however to many people these shows are real. I hope that you all realize that even if these shows are real this is not the normal life of a 20 something. I hope that you do not take what I just said the wrong way, I would never tell anyone to try to fit into the norm. However, I just want to promote safety and awareness, as well as my personal opinion and experiences on these issues!

As a college student, I understand the pressures of living an exciting life as well as feeling the freedom and independents that many of you do or will eventually feel. But you need to know that it is indeed your choice to life how you want to live. Don’t worry about what your friends, roommates, or neighbors are doing. Do your own thing and I guarantee there are other people who choose to live similarly and would love an amazing and strong friend like you!!

I am not here to judge nor am I here to tell you what to do I just hope that you make your own decisions and live your life for you! As well as keep in mind the potential dangerous situations that come with whatever choice you make. You are the person who has to life your own life and deal with you own choices! reality-tv