About Me

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I am a magazine, public relations, and sociology major at Drake University who is ALWAYS on the go...and I LOVE it!! This blog is a digital record of my evolving writing skills throughout college. To view my dating/relationship blog visit hsmason.wordpress.com.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Break a Sexy Sweat



Drake Magazine came out this week, along with my article about the best workouts for your sex life. After so many rounds of editing, it is always exciting to finally see your name and piece in print. So here is my piece, Break a Sexy Sweat, enjoy!

Ask any woman who's rockin' a good sex life what her secret is and nine times out ten she’ll tell you: confidence. As easy as it is to worry about your “wobbly bits” as Bridget Jones says, it is just as easy to find a fun, unique workout to give you the confidence boost you need, and the resulting boost in the bedroom. These workouts all not only help you build confidence, but also let you have fun and feel sexy.

Strip Tease Aerobics

“When you feel good, you look good, and you want to go home and…feel even better.” Caeli Esser teaches strip tease aerobics at the Des Moines Social Club, giving women an intense cardio workout while teaching sensual dance moves. The 45-minute class is almost nonstop movement. One class consists of some stretching routines, a few dance/strip tease numbers incorporating burlesque moves, a chair dance, some ab and arm work, and finally a much-needed cool down stretch. Esser teaches in a fun, encouraging way that really lets you open up and let loose. Participants leave feeling invigorated, accompanied by some soreness, but mostly feeling their body humming with energy. Strip Tease Aerobics can simply be a good workout, or as your boyfriend may prefer, you can take home the moves for a sexy, practical application. After all, a spicy sex life is more than just having the right moves; a good visual is always appreciated.

Kegels

If you aren’t comfortable exercising in public or don’t have time for to go to a gym, Kegels are an exercise you can do while just sitting in class. Dr. Locke, of the Winneshiek Medical Center, describes Kegels as tightening and relaxing of the pelvic floor muscles and can be done by both men and women. Don’t know which ones are the pelvic floor muscles? He often tells patients to try to stop your flow of urine mid-stream, the muscles that you use to clench are the same muscles you use when doing Kegels. However, don’t attempt to do this often or you’ll find yourself with more problems than just a dull sex life. Although Kegels are most often used to help urinary incontinence, they can also help with your sex life. For men, the strengthening of these muscles helps stop early ejaculation and can lead to multiple climaxes. And while it can’t hurt for the sex to last a little longer, women also get the added benefit of tightening, which you can use to squeeze your man’s package more (a benefit for him as well). But beware, the benefits of this exercise are controversial; some doctors say to see results you may have to do up to 200 a day!

Yoga Booty Ballet

Yoga Booty Ballet is just what it sounds like, a little bit of yoga, a little bit of ballet, and a whole lot of working and toning the booty. And of course, having a good booty helps you get some good ‘booty’ (cheesy, but true). Yoga Booty Ballet is a series of DVDs that help you embrace your inner power and inner beauty through toning ballet exercises combined with breathing techniques and yoga mantras. This workout is more about your mindset than anything else. “My outer body will now reflect my beautiful insides,” is one mantra used in the DVD “Goddess Booty” (available at Amazon for $19.95). It gets you thinking about what mantra you could use under the covers; perhaps “I am a sexy, confident, strong woman.” That pretty much sums up what we want our guy thinking about us as well.

Other DVDs to try include Flirty Girl Fitness (flirtygirlfit.com $9.99), in which you can even order a pole to be installed in your home to aid your workout, Core Rhythms (at Amazon from $13-$20), a Latin-inspired abdominal-centered workout, or the Pussycat Dolls Workout DVD (also at Amazon for $10.99) with routines set to the group’s hit songs and choreographed by their own choreographer, Robin Antin.

Whether it’s getting the right moves, building up certain muscles, or just thinking in the right way, there are plenty of ways to spice up your sex life. If you don’t believe me, get out there and start seeing the results, you’re certain to get rave reviews. Remember, the key to all these workouts is the one thing guys crave the most, confidence.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Going Home

As I was cleaning my room today (which was even more of a disaster than usual due to Relays) I kept thinking about how much it is going to suck to have to pack this all up in two weeks. On top of that, it's crazy to think I have two weeks left of being a college freshmen! When did life start moving so fast?? Let me tell you, the sucky parts, they definitely did not move this fast. The awkward middle school years? I swear they took a couple decades to get through. Fights with parents? Felt like 6 years. But the most fun year of my life? Gone in the blink of an eye.
This year at school has done so much good for me, I am absolutely dreading going home. Living in a small town everyone knows everything about you, and when a tragedy occurs, there is no escaping it. Almost eight years have passed since my mom died, but in that small town, it is a part of my past impossible to escape. My sister and I will always be those "poor little Mason girls who lost their mom" when we are there. I really can't stand the sad look people get in their eyes sometimes when they talk to me. And after eight years I would really appreciate it if every time I got a physical the nurses wouldn't apologize for the death of my mom.
While what happened to our family is something I will have to live with my whole life, it isn't something I am constantly sad about. I've accepted it, and I've kept living. But back in that small town....it's hard to get past. Can you imagine having to live with something from eight years ago constantly? Can you even remember what you were doing eight years ago?
Here at Drake, I am so thankful that not everyone knows everything about my past. I am only judged by what I do here, and I can fully look ahead to the future instead of living in the past. I can finally call some place "home".

Sunday, April 25, 2010

What We Can't Have

Why is it that we always want what we can't have? Is that just something women do, or are men the same way? Of course I understand there's a mysterious allure, the thrill of a challenge, and the excitement of wondering what's going to come next. However, there's the flip side as well.
There's the point where you think the "chase" may be just that. A chase, with no finish line in sight. There's the uncertainty, the doubts, the constant state of un-knowing.....although I suppose those three are all the same.
And while we are constantly chasing after what we can't have, we are ignoring all the other cliches we hear almost daily. "There's plenty of fish in the sea." "Where's there's one, there's another." If we simply followed this advice we'd end up with that nice guy that adores us.
While we know all of this to be true, I can't help but realize I don't care. I know what's right for me, but why should I start playing it safe now? I've never been one to follow rules anyway...Reckless? Self-destructive? Probably.
But I'd still like to wait a while before I take my own advice and actually learn from my mistakes. That thought just seems too adult for now.

Drake Relays


Drake Relays is officially over, and truth be told, I am so glad! Only so much fun can be had...

The Events of My First Drake Relays
-Street Painting....one week later I am still pulling paint out of my hair
-A group shower with 100 other people in the middle of campus
-Dancing in a cage not one, but three times
-Getting hit on by the star of the Drake Basketball team, thank you very much
-Sleeping right through a HelloGoodbye concert
-Not being able to move from all the dancing that has occurred
-Meeting alumni at the bars (very friendly alumni)
-Watching world records get beat
-Being woken up every 5 minutes by the boy down the hall
-Nights that began at noon
-A total of 8 hrs of sleep...in about 4 days
-The wise, wise wisdom of Jim Duncan-"If everyone sits, everyone sees."
-Spending $20 at McDonalds, which apparently IS possible
-Finally giving up on the guy that can't get it together
-Even though you can't give up feelings
-But having a good time regardless
-FIJI Island
-Dressing up only to get completely downpoured on

I am proud to say I survived my first Relays.
Now, to get through finals week...

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Sunshine


As soon as it gets the least bit warm, college lawns become a sea of blankets covered in girls in shorts, trying to capture a tan between classes. Boys are all of a sudden avid frisbee players, and Starbucks coffees become iced anything.

It's a cliche, yes, but one I am most definitely okay with. (I say this while sitting on a blanket, in a summer dress, iced tea in hand. And yes, that big football player behind me just apologized for hitting me in the back with a frisbee.)

There's something about this sun that is making me walk around with a silly smile on my face. Forget that I have 10 papers due before finals. Forget about the boy that does me no good , and I know it. Forget that I will be up until two in morning, and not in the fun, dancing with friends to Journey kind of way.

I guess that's a good thing, because if I actually stopped to think about all the work I have to squeeze in (in between Drake Relays!!!) like I did last night, I would probably have a heart attack. Orrrrrr cry all over some poor, unsuspecting guy about how I could really use my parents right now, as the case may have been.

And I will take blissful small talk in the sun, over a five-page paper on Drake Interfaith Dialogue anyday.