Disqus - Latest Comments for JulieG

Re: Stop Expecting to Change Your Habit in 21 Days.

JulieG — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:31:46 -0000

I think it depends on how much value and importance you place on the new habit, on how much emotional resonance it has with you.

As an example: there are a few habits I've tried time and again to make regular, that just peter out after a few days or a few weeks. Stuff like waking up early, exercising regularly, and keeping a gratitude journal.

On the other hand, about two and a half years ago, my boyfriend and I had a scare with a hole in a condom. Within a week, I had a prescription for birth control pills (which we hadn't been using until then), and over two and a half years, I've missed maybe 3 pills total, and one of those was due to circumstances beyond my control. Taking those pills was a habit from day 1, because it resonated all the way to my core that I *really* don't want to be pregnant right now.

Now if only I could get that emotional energy into exercising...

Re: A Secret to Happiness? Don't Get Organized.

JulieG — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:21:08 -0000

This is so timely for me. I'm moving into a new apartment tomorrow and have been madly packing for the last few days. I've been throwing out a few things, but I suspect there's going to be even more when I get to the apartment and say, "Why the heck have I been keeping this?"

Just a small example: I went through my medicine cabinet yesterday, which was full to bursting with medication. Except that as I pulled down box after box from the shelf, I realized that most of them had expired... some of them as much as 5 years ago! I hadn't even gone through the shelves in years! Why was I keeping five-year-old medication? Beats the heck out of me. Now it's all in the garbage and the contents of my medicine cabinet fit in a very small box. It feels... liberating.

Now I just need to do that with my clothes. *grin*

Re: Is A Life Partner Essential To Your Happiness?

JulieG — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:07:59 -0000

While I have had a great time while I was single, I find that it's nice to have a designated "cuddle buddy." (I tend to avoid casual sexual relationships, for a variety of reasons.) It's also nice to be loved and to love someone. So I'd say that while it's not "essential" to my happiness, it certainly enhances it.

Caveat: I'm 26 years old and unmarried, having just celebrated my 2-year anniversary with my boyfriend. Take my thoughts with several grains of salt.

Re: Does It All Happen For A Reason?

JulieG — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:46:02 -0000

Similar to alligator_kate above, I believe that, as humans, we have the power to see meaning in all aspects of life. Whether we chose to do so or not is purely up to us. We can ask, "what was the meaning of this event?" or "what was this event meant to teach me?" or "how should this event change me?" If we do, then all things happen for a reason.

Re: 4 Reasons Why Your Bathroom Scale is Not Accurate

JulieG — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:11:52 -0000

While I was losing weight (I lost about 25 pounds in 2006), I didn't weigh myself at all because I didn't own a scale. However, I've found that since then, I'm most consistent in keeping the weight off when I weigh myself every day. I find that if I only weigh myself once a week and catch myself on a bad day, I might be bummed for a week. When I'm weighing myself every day, I get used to my body's fluctuations and know that a one-pound gain today will probably be gone by tomorrow.

So long as I realize that I'm aiming for a 3-pound range instead of a spot-on number, I'm fine. If I go outside my range, I can catch it early and pull back. It's a heck of a lot easier to lose one pound than ten!

Re: The Ones That Got Away: Reconsidering What We Didn’t Choose

JulieG — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:02:20 -0000

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on the idea that it's impossible to have a platonic friendship. It's not common, I admit, for there to be a male-female friendship where neither party is attracted to the other, but it is possible. One of my closest friends is a guy I've known since I was 13. I've never had any romantic feelings for him and he (to the best of my knowledge, and confirmed by his most recent girlfriend) has never had any for me. On the other hand, he's probably my only male friend that falls into this category.

Re: Real Men Want Name-Changers

JulieG — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:14:58 -0000

As a random fact, in Quebec you can't actually adopt your husband's name (legally, anyway) except by doing an official name change and all the paperwork that entails. You can certainly introduce yourself by your husband's name (my mom still does, even though she's been divorced for over 20 years), but for the purposes of formal identification (driver's license, passport, etc.), you retain your maiden name. It's actually quite frustrating when you're trying to find someone in the hospital and have no idea what their maiden name is. (Yes, I know from experience.)

Re: What Song Would Best Describe Who You Are Right Now?

JulieG — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:15:16 -0000

"Trust Yourself" by Blue Rodeo. Or maybe "Let It Go" by Great Big Sea.

Re: http://carrieanddanielle.com/when-talking-to-strangers-is-a-good-idea/

JulieG — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:13:09 -0000

When I was backpacking in Europe, I discovered a very important fact about myself: after about 36 hours without a meaningful conversation (ie: something beyond, "I'll take two, please."), I start randomly talking to strangers. Some of my most interesting trip experiences come from after that 36-hour point where I just started talking to other solo diners in a restaurant, people hanging around the tourist information office waiting for it to open, people on the train... just people. It was great!

Re: 4 Ways to Know You’ve Found the One

JulieG — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:06:37 -0000

"Your Family and Friends Like Him" -- It's funny, because my boyfriend and I kid each other about this all the time. My family loves him (a nice Jewish boy who helps my mom around the house and shares a taste in Scotch with my dad), and his family loves me (a nice Jewish girl who comes over to bake with his mom and laughs at his dad's stories). We joke that obviously we're doing something wrong, and we'll have to start rebelling right away!

Re: How To Thrive and Survive in the Face of Adversity

JulieG — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:23:31 -0000

That's a beautiful story, Michelle. Thank you so much for sharing it.

Re: A Style Statement Holiday: Celebrations

JulieG — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:46:12 -0000

I'm Cherished Creative, and I'm hosting a chocolate fondue potluck party! I provide the chocolate, my guests provide stuff to dunk in it. Once we're all riding high on sugar, we pull out the board games.

Last year, I had a Channukah party that featured latkas, dreidels, and Mel Brooks movies. (Because no Jewish holiday is complete without Mel Brooks.)

I've very much looking forward to my party this year!

Re: The Healing Power Of A Nude Portrait

JulieG — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:43:10 -0000

One of my friends is the artist behind this site: http://synergisticimages.ca/

And, yes, I've posed for him. And some of the pictures up there feature me.

I'd never done a nude photo shoot before and I doubt I'll do one again. It was a little nerve-wracking but also a ton of fun! But I doubt I'd do it for anyone else: the photographer is one of the most comfortable-to-be-around people I've ever met in my life.

Re: A Better Way for Divorced Families to Share the Holidays

JulieG — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:29:22 -0000

My parents divorced when I was 6, and I don't remember it. (Thankfully.) Since then, my brother and I have alternated homes for the holidays each year. So, for example, if we spent first seder (for Passover) with my mom one year, the next year we'd have first seder with Dad. If we had Rosh Hashana with Dad one year, it would be with Mom the next. I don't think we ever spent a full year's worth of holidays with only one parents, but it sort of shifted back and forth throughout the year. It was a "good enough" solution for a situation where I don't think there are any ideal solutions.

Incidentally, it's even harder now that I've got a boyfriend who's also Jewish: do we spend holiday celebrations with my mom, my dad, or *his* parents? Oi gevalt!

Re: There Is No Santa Claus, Mommy, You Big Fat Liar!

JulieG — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:27:45 -0000

It has struck me many times over the last few weeks that I'm very, very glad I'm not Christian. Sure, Mom and Dad pretended there was a "Channukah bunny," but as far back as I can remember, it was always tongue-in-cheek. We always knew who got us our presents, and it was the people who loved us and knew what we wanted.

Re: What would you like to change about the holiday season?

JulieG — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:43:31 -0000

I'd like to change the idea that you *must* give gifts. I'm Jewish, and my family hasn't done present exchanges since the grandchildren (ie: me and my cousins) were kids. Frankly, I think we're all a lot calmer and happier. As I look around at my Christian friends madly trying to finish buying the gifts on their list, I'm happily biding my time and waiting until the deep discounts of January. (Seriously... check out any clothing store in January and you'll see things for 75-90% off.)

Really, the presents aren't important. It's the spending time with loved ones that's what the holidays are about.

Re: Finding the True Meaning of Holiday Traditions

JulieG — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:32:16 -0000

I'm not Christian, but I have a Christmas tradition: every year on Christmas eve, I drive around the city with my dad looking at all the Christmas lights, listening to Fireside Al on the radio, and enjoying each other's company. Then we go find a place that's open and selling donuts (much easier now than 15 years ago, I assure you) and have a snack.

Every year that I can remember, we've done this. It's not really about the driving or the radio program or the donuts, it's about spending time with my dad. And I hope that we do it every year until he dies, a long, long time in the future.

Re: What’s your favorite charity or philanthropic cause to support?

JulieG — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:07:25 -0000

The Grameen Foundation. Like Kiva, it helps establish micro-loan programs for poor entrepreneurs around the globe. Unlike Kiva, you don't get to pick exactly who your money goes to. Somehow, I find it more fair, because even the "unpopular" projects will get funded.

I also donate to two local Montreal poverty-relief charities, Santropol Roulant and Dans La Rue.

Re: What are your best organizational tips?

JulieG — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:33:26 -0000

What works for me is to have one -- and only one -- planner/organizer. This used to be an actual paper organizer, but for the last two years it has been on my computer. I find that if I know where to go to see all the stuff I've got planned, it helps me to not forget anything.

Re: Walking Around Paris On A Budget

JulieG — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:22:08 -0000

Rick Steves' guidebooks (especially the France Behind the Back Door and the Paris City Guide) have some great walking tour ideas for Paris. I used the "Historic City" one, and it was great.

In terms of food, also consider markets. I stumbled across one which ran only two days a week, but the food was fabulous and much cheaper than anything you'd find in a restaurant or even a bakery. I got enough to last me for 2-3 meals for 11.50 euros. More information is on my trip journal, in this entry: http://geocities.com/yourstruly/05281050.html

Happy meandering!

Re: What do you love about being a woman (or what do you love about women)?

JulieG — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:56:49 -0000

Admittedly, there's something of a double-standard when it comes to a) public figures, and b) work. But I think, on the whole, women are more comfortable and socially permitted to express emotion than man. Little boys are taught very early on that "men don't cry." Little girls are rarely told "women don't cry."

Re: What do you love about being a woman (or what do you love about women)?

JulieG — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:54:54 -0000

True, though anger is often seen as a "manly man's" emotion.

I think work in general is supposed to be a more emotionless state (though this doesn't always happen in practice).

Re: What do you love about being a woman (or what do you love about women)?

DanielleLaPorte — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:31:24 -0000

there is definitely a strange standard here. Emotionality is okay accept in terms of work. Tho' for men and work, anger - one of the strongest emotions there is - is often a.o.k.

Re: What do you love about being a woman (or what do you love about women)?

Suzyn — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:26:49 -0000

Sorry - can't say I agree with you there. Did you see the brou-ha-ha when Hillary Clinton DARED to shed a tear on the campaign trail???

Re: What do you love about being a woman (or what do you love about women)?

JulieG — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:44:32 -0000

I love that there are no social pressures to hide our emotions. Men, I think, have a hard time when they want to display anything but "mandated, manly" emotions. As women, no one bats an eye if I feel a need to shed a tear now and then. (Well, except maybe at work.)