How To Look For A Job

I just read this article on LinkedIn (Don't Meet the Hiring Requirements? This Could Help...) and thought: #garbage. It doesn't help. It didn't me, anyway.

Tip, Tip, Step? Here's a tip: If you're going to make a list, be consistent.

Source: from cited link above

I've never found job-hunting suggestions like these to work. I'm an introvert and no one is interested in really helping you find a job (not that I necessarily blame them).

Below are some of my tips if you're on the hunt for that 'second home' [aka. home away from home, aka. next job].

• Work full-time when you're unemployed: Set your alarm, get up, and work. Because applying to jobs is work— a lot of it. But the harder your work, the faster you will get out of the seemingly never-ending, dreaded task itself. Likewise, though, take breaks and weekends. It's one thing to work hard but it's another to overwork and lose productivity.


• Set goals: Shoot to apply to X number of jobs per day or send X number of emails. The more you apply and contact people, the more likely people will know you are looking and available. Don't get overwhelmed by the number you have to send. Applying to jobs takes practice and some have more practice than others. Start at your level and slowly increase your count/quota every other day, or something like that.


• Apply in different ways: Personally, I think the best way is to try to figure out who the hiring manager is for the position you want. Email that person direct. I've heard snail mail is effective to because it's so old school and unexpected— I wouldn't know though because I've never tried it. Even though I said no one's really interested in helping you find a job, blast that you're looking anyway to your social networks because, hey, you never know&mash; maybe the stars will align. Google 'creative resumes'— there you'll find infographics, videos, etc— that's another way to stand out. Try to approach it with 'outside-the-box'-thinking. That's a personal bias but the idea is to help make you stand out using your skills to demonstrate your worth.


• Mix it up: Apply in all sorts of places— direct to hiring manager and/or recruiter, someone interesting at the company, company website, job boards, even recruiters. Yes, recruiters. There are spammers out there, for sure, but some of them can actually hook you up with a job you might end up liking.


• Don't just apply: don't spend all your time applying to jobs. Use the time to build skills and/or portfolios. That doesn't mean you have to spend money. Use the internet to teach yourself things, spend your time doing 'voluntary' work&mash; doing/creating things that could build your portfolio and demonstrate your strengths.


• Follow inspirational quote boards: Because being jobless with no income, having to spend your full-time energy on the act of looking for a job, and getting rejected sucks and can sorely get you down. Quote boards can help because even reading one positive thing a day can lift up your spirits.


• Don't give up, be persistent, believe in yourself: You will find a job. And it will be great. Be confident. You have a lot to offer. Write down a list of your strengths. Remind yourself of those things when unemployment seems never-ending. Hold your head up when you walk into an interview. Believe in yourself because if you do, it'll be a lot easier for the hiring manager to do, too.

Good luck! xo

Happy Healthy Juicy Job Hunting!

How To Get Kids To Eat Their Vegetables

I just read this story on Reuters Flavor-Pairing May Teach Kids To Like Vegetables. And, meh.

Here are my unsolicited tips (take it or leave it):

• Cook vegetables in a way that taste good: So good that YOU like eating them yourself, too, and actually do. Forget the vegetables for a second. Kids are heavily (primarily?) influenced by their role models, which includes you (the parent). Don't overanalyze how to get to them to eat vegetables. The problem might be that you might not be eating them either.


• Really show them your eating vegetable: Ok, so say you really do like eating vegetables and eat a decent portion no less. Kids have short attention spans and get easily distracted. You are a role model, yes, but they're not necessarily watching your every single move. Eat it out— plain and clear. Just like you have to create sentences for them to say to teach them how to speak, the same could go for eating vegetables. If your kid is not eating theyr vegetables, tell them how much you love eating yours. Verbally tell them you're doing it as you are doing it. Chew. Open your mouth and show them how you do it. Swallow. Smile. Verbally tell them how 'yummy' it is.


• Eat together: Kids love doing things together. As you wrap up the above bullet point, verbally suggest, 'let's eat it together!'. As they pick up their vegetable(s), cheers your forks (or hands). Make it fun and something to celebrate. Because isn't it something to celebrate? :>


• Let it go and try again... later... and again and again: If all that doesn't work, let it go. Don't force your kid to do something s/he doesn't want to (if it isn't absolutely necessary). Kids are smart and they remember. A) It's not worth the struggle or energy. B) It might leave them with negative associations. C) As the article mentions, it does take several times of offering/tasting before kids will like a food. The number of times it takes varies and can be great [ie. up to 20 times?] but I definitely learned that one in grad school after getting it wrong on a quiz— it's stuck with me ever since. Thanks, Ellyn Satyr. But when the vegetable is available, always offer it to your kid, rather than say, 'O, s/he doesn't like it.' By doing that, you're only reinforcing that belief.


• Offer variety, offer daily: Do you love every single food that exists? Probably not. Your kids won't either. But the odds of your child not liking every vegetable is silly. Try to figure out different textures and cooking methods of a wide-variety of vegetables— they're bound to like something. Also offer vegetables daily. Be sure to make vegetables a given. Keep dinners, for example, consistent, like carb (rice, bread, pasta), protein (chicken, beef, pork, beans), and vegetable.


• Be mindful of kids' development, cook appropriately: Be sure to cook or serve vegetables that are somewhat easy (or just easy) for them to chew and swallow. Cook leafy greens soft and cut it up into kid-bite-sized pieces. Peel off the outer layer of broccoli stalks. Yes, by doing so you are losing some fiber and nutrients but this, I think, is more effective than dousing the vegetable(s) in cream cheese, for example, which has an even more canceling/negative effect. Serving vegetables by themselves, I believe, will get kids to like them for 'who' they are vs. masking them in over-poweringly flavored costumes/dress.




• Take it with a grain of salt: The cohort of the study— that is, the number of people participating in the study— amassed to 29 kids. Twenty-nine. That's not very many kids whatsoever. What other factors could have twisted the results? How did the kids feel about the vegetables by the time they reached adulthood? What culture/environment do these kids/families live in and are they applicable to everyone outside that bubble? These are the questions you should be asking yourself when deciding on the strength of the study and whether you want to apply the results to your own behavior.

I take pics of what I eat. For ideas on meals and portioning, check out my Instagram @mdesenna!

Have some tips of your own? Share them in the Comments below, we'd love to hear! :>

Happy Healthy Juicy Kids Eating Vegetables!

How To Get A Better Night's Sleep With Young Kids

Did you know insufficient sleep can make you fat, stupid, and dead? Fast Company briefly explains why and suggests that you 'train in the subtle arts of getting to bed the right way.'

These suggestions are helpful but fail to address a subset of the adult population and root cause of their lack of sleep— parents with young kids.

If you're a parent, sometimes it's them not you, for why you aren't catching enough zzz's. Good news is the same tenets are applicable to THEM in the same context as well. Here's how and what you can do.

• Exercise - Fortunately, the gym is not a requisite for this. For both kids and adults, 'intense activity necessitates intense rest'. While your kids might not be jogging the tread mill, once kids know how to walk, they're running in no time and fast, wherever there's space and opportunity. Keep your kids active and bring them to places where they can run around, jump, and climb to burn off some energy for a better night's rest. Parks are an affordable suggestion but if it's winter, too cold, or raining, take them, perhaps, to a nearby mall with a play area. It's just as affordable as the park (ahem, free) and they can have the opportunity to socially interact with other kids as well.


• Bedtime - If you need 7 hours of sleep, subtract 7 from the time you need to be up and make sure you're in bed by then, the article suggests for adults. For kids, however, set their bedtime around the same time every night. Obviously, their sleep time won't be exact every night (just like us, they're not robots :>) but their bodies will get used to the routine and hour when you're consistent.


• Allow time - It's funny, you're not doing anything when you're sleeping, yet it takes a decent amount of effort to get there— using the bathroom, brushing teeth, changing into pajamas, to name a few— that you might actually avoid going to bed because of the process. With kids, the hassle is sometimes (often times) even greater because they're even more outrightly reluctant to do those very things. Add 10 minutes to all that, too, for bedtime stories. Like yourself, give your kids a sufficient amount of time to do the things they need to do before bed. Add extra time, if you can, for reluctancy. This is when that time-subtracting exercise might come in handy. That is, (Time to start getting ready for bed) = (Time you want them in bed) - [(Time it takes you to do all the things they need to do) + (5-minutes for reluctant fuss time)].


• Unplug - For adults, the internet and tv might keep us wired and awake, so they suggest getting unplugged for bedtime. For your kids, avoid the same that will get them wired, including consuming sugary items and jumping on the bed. Turning off the lights, speaking softer, and creating a peaceful, nighttime environment can also help.


• Ritual and routine - We are creatures of habit— both us and our kids— and the more often we do the same thing, the easier it is for us to do it and even without thinking. Create a routine for your kids by doing the same thing day in and day out for them to know what to expect. Hopefully, that way, their reluctance is minimized because they are empowered by knowing exactly what to do. Also, give them time to dance. Some or most of us, don't just plop into bed and fall asleep right away. We fix our pillows, adjust the blanket, and find a comfortable position to fall asleep. Kids are no different. You might put them in bed but give them a little time to say good night to their stuffed friends (if they sleep with them), ask the questions their curious minds need answered, and settle in before shutting eye.


• Dinner! - This wasn't included on Fast Company's list of suggestions but is really important for both kids and adults. Never go to bed hungry. While you may be able to fall asleep, your body, young or old, will wake you up if it's too hungry. Believe it or not, your body still needs energy even when it's sleeping like a log. Achieve this by eating a good dinner. Take time to actually sit down and eat together. Encourage healthy eating habits and nutrition, including engaging in conversation.

There's more to add to this list but this a good start. What helps YOUR little ones sleep better?

Share your tips in the Comments below, we'd love to hear! :>

Happy Healthy Juicy Better Night's Rest, Parents and Kids Included!