GenPink

I learned a new word today … gastrosexual:

They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach but it seems the dining tables have turned as increasing numbers of men are taking up cooking in a bid to seduce women.

Dubbed ‘Gastrosexuals‘ this new generation of men consider cooking more a hobby than a household chore and use their kitchen prowess to impress friends and prospective partners. -Mail Online via yumsugar

While, I’m not so into the sound of the word gastrosexual I am certainly into guys who can cook. This girl likes to eat! Is master chef on your list of ideal mate?

This is from Cosmo magazine.

What do you guys think? I fit into that age group and I have never known anyone to be in love with more than one person at a time.

My life has been a complete and utter roller coaster the last week (maybe two) so I decided my advice for this Thursday is to myself … have some fun! Life is not as serious as you make it! There you go that’s my advice. And in keeping with my advice I decided I’d share with my lovely freaders my love of t-shirts. I don’t love just any ‘ol tshirt though. I have a love and appreciation (oh course) for designery graphicy t-shirts.

So I was very excited when I heard about a fun resource for t-shirt artistry. I’m sure everyone knows of Threadless. If you don’t you’re missing out. And today I’d like to introduce you to … dun duh duh Pop Culture Tees.

Featuring new designs from the hottest retailers and indie artists, tips ‘n tricks, and interviews from industry experts, Pop Culture Tees delves into the world of creative t-shirt design.

I have a hard time deciding but I think I’ll say this has been my favorite so far.

or perhaps this one

or maybe this (if it came in another color - perhaps pink!)

The moral of the story is go check them out!

PS - Olivia you’d like this one.

One of my favorite parts of running this ABC series has been choosing the guest writers for each post. When I decided to have R be for Relationship, I knew I wanted someone who could write about all aspects of relationships - family, friends, work, as well as dating. The first definition of the term relationship is usually linked to romantic relationship. We already had a post about dating, so I was wanting this post to cover a broader range. The person that I chose to write this post is Erica of Five Blondes, a blog written by Erica and her 4 blonde sisters. When I wrote to her asking if she’d like to participate this was my logic "I figure someone with 4 sisters knows about creating relationships with people."

This guest post was written by Erica, who blogs regularly along with her 4 blonde sisters at Five Blondes.

It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.
Have you ever heard that?
I’m here to tell you that it’s completely true. My life is a testament to the fact! My job, my apartment, my fiance…none of these things would even exist if it hadn’t been for friends and family. Relationships help you get ahead in life, and can give your life structure and meaning. I would feel lost without my friends and family - wouldn’t you?

Although I’m only 25, I’ve known my boss for over 14 years (and we’re the same age!). How is that possible? We met in the fifth grade, both new students at a music school. We quickly became friends and remained close throughout elementary school and high school. We drifted apart a little after she got married and began her family - at the same time, she was starting a business with her husband. Just over a year ago, I noticed that their company was hiring. Feeling unchallenged by my call centre job, I thought to myself "it’s who you know!" Thanks to my longtime relationship with my friend, today I have a job I love and new relationships with great co-workers and clients.

Since turning 20, I’ve found that it has been easier to identify what relationships in my life are the most meaningful. I’ve traveled across the country and back and held nearly a dozen different jobs. My friends from high school have spread out across the country, making getting together a rare occasion. But the people who truly care about me are the ones I just can’t seem to get rid of - in the best way possible! They’re the friends who send notes every once in a while just to say hi. The cousins I see only once a year - but when I do see them, it feels like we were never apart. It is said that true friends are hard to find - I also think they’re hard to lose.

When it comes to your relationships with your family members, it might take a long time for you to recognize the true value in them. As is normal when siblings are growing up, my sisters and I fought. A lot. It wasn’t until they began moving away from home for university and for their own twenty-something adventures that I realized just how special they are to me, and how important it is for them to be a part of my life. Like fine wine, relationships only get better with age - I can’t wait for the future!

dat·ing
–verb
1. An engagement to go out socially with another person, often out of romantic interest.
2. To go on dates.

Somehow at the age of 26 the majority of my friends are married or are in long term relationships. This made it a little difficult to think of someone who could write about dating in your 20s. I myself am certainly not an expert on this topic (in fact I’m kind of afraid of this topic). I sent out a few emails asking for who would best discuss this topic. I was pointed to Martini of Single + Cats = Sad. I actually had never read her blog before but my friend has brought her up in discussions many times. Sidenote: does it show how much our generation is impacted by blogs that when my friends and I get together “in real life” we discuss random blogs that we’ve read

So without further adu, I give you D is for Dating.

This guest post was written by Martini, a 27 year old single blogger who says “blogging is cheaper than a therapist”.

Oh my god, what does dating in your 20s mean? Just thinking about that question exhausts my brain.

I’m a 27-year-old single girl, and in order to cope with my last nine months of singledom, I think I’ve put a few vineyard owners’ children through college, if that’s any indication of my coping technique.

First off, almost everyone’s experienced the joyus hell that is dating in your 20s, unless of course you were that chick in my study hall that got married two days after high school. If so, I mean, god bless. How’s that working out for you?

But for the rest of us who have banned the word “settling” from our vocabularies, the search for that person that will perfectly compliment all of our neuroses for the rest of our life is ongoing. Welcome to dating. It’s not like it was in high school. Our standards have risen beyond “he’s cute” and “his dad’s car is sweet.”

As I tell my married friends, who seem to garner gleeful enjoyment from stories of crazies I meet as a single girl, it’s not being single that’s hard. Being single is great. I love being single. You don’t have to conceal your latest shoe purchases when you get home, your apartment is devoid of Star Wars figurines, and you’re always allowed to flirt.

Ah, yes, being single is fun. It’s dating that can literally drive you to the brink of insanity, mumbling to yourself at a bus stop about bees and spinning in circles like a hyper Chihuahua every time the phone rings.

I was in back-to-back committed relationships (I do heart monogamy) from age 19 until 26. So last year, when my 3 ½ year relationship fell apart, I found myself single for the first time since high school. Really, really single.

And since then, I’ve dated everything from a gay mormon virgin to a B-list celebrity with serious bi-polar issues. Trust me, it’s just as crazy as it sounds.

So what have I learned? I’ve learned that, as I type this three glasses of pinot in (and keep in mind it’s a Wednesday), and as a girl, no matter how many bad dates you have, it’s your girlfriends that matter most. The saying “hoes before bros” never made more sense to me.

You need your girls not just for moral support, but for a rational opinion when you’re faced with the decision on whether or not to date someone. Are they a douche? Your girlfriends will tell you straight up.

Regardless, dating is a hard. Don’t feel bad if you’re single and feel close to giving up on the whole thing. Just keep going because, let’s be honest, you don’t want to wind up 63 years old and surrounded by cats.

Be confident in yourself. Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Play the game. Hold out for what you deserve. Let him come to you. And convince yourself you’re worth it.

And don’t be afraid to crack open a bottle of wine (or two) when things get too tough, consider lesbianiasm, lie to your parents about a fake boyfriend to get them off your back, sleep with the wrong person (or two) just for kicks and dress way sexier than you think you should sober.

The main lesson you should learn is that being single is always better than being stuck in a relationship with the wrong person.

Dating in your 20s should be fun. Because dating in your 30s is going to be way more serious. So enjoy this. Play with the boys. Make them beg for it. And always remember, everyone who’s married envies you. So enjoy that fact.

I can’t say that I agree that all of my married friends envy the crazy single life but I do know that they are quite entertained by the stories us single girls come up with.