Tag: thanksgiving

Top Reasons Why You Should Be Thankful For Your Significant Other

by zfortadminin RELATIONSHIPS

On Thanksgiving, it’s customary to be appreciative of the many things we all have to be thankful for.

But it can be easy to take the person who’s always there for granted, even though he or she actually means everything to you.

I asked friends and family of all ages and genders to tell me why they were so thankful for their significant other.

Here are 20 of their answers, which made me smile, laugh, and occasionally tear up:

“I’m thankful because although I may physically be alone I’m never mentally alone. The dude has got my back. And he always knows which beer at the microbrewery I’ll like.” —Andrea

“I am thankful that instead of emphasizing my faults, my husband uses them as an opportunity to help me be at my best. I missed my alarm this morning and got up a half hour before I was supposed to be at work. Instead of telling me I should have set two alarms, he asked “is there anything I can do to help?” Who has two thumbs and is beyond blessed? This girl.” —Alicia

“Poptart, my feline boyfriend, because he never judges my crazy hair, ugly sweats or when I cry during sappy commercials.” —Erin

“I’m thankful for my wife for standing by me in very difficult times in my life, difficult financial times and stressful times in my life.” —Rick

“Because he is hilarious, silly, and always keeps me laughing. Even when he sometimes threatens to not be funny anymore and talks for 10 minutes in monotone, it is hard not to laugh at such a ridiculous statement and behavior. And I’m thankful he has red hair, because I can find him anywhere—especially in foreign countries (except the U.K.—that’s a little tougher)!” —Erin

“He pays my bills.” —Joel

“He is always there for me and always has been there for his kids, a family man at heart, and he loves to cook!! A great plus for turkey day.” —Debbie

“He tolerates and appreciates my family…which has proven to be very difficult for previous men in my life! He makes the holidays enjoyable for me again!! Love him!!!” —Joanna

“Because we are a true TEAM in every way—we couldn’t have the wonderful life we have if we weren’t. I am also grateful and happily surprised that he can put things together and fix things around the house—a talent I didn’t know I was getting when I said ‘I do.’ You know, before we actually owned anything, we had to put together or fix…” —Addie

“Ben takes his role as the spiritual leader of our household seriously, and he is really good at lightening the mood at home when the kids are starting to drive me crazy.” —Brianna

“Because he truly is my best friend! He is a wonderful husband and father, putting our needs before his own. He can also take care of most everything in our house. So nice to have a competent DIY-er always on call.” —Monica

Pages: 1 2

Why Are You Thankful For Sex?

by zfortadminin Sex

Thanksgiving!

In the spirit of the holiday, I’ve put together a list of 10 reasons I’m thankful for sex. I’m sure we can all agree there are many more than 10 reasons to be thankful for sexy time, but there is football to be watched, online sales to be shopped and pumpkin pie to be eaten. There just isn’t enough time in this day to say all my Thank You’s.

So, here goes.
My big, fat thank you to fornication!

1. Orgasms. ‘Nuff said.

2. Sex releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. They also make your hair shiny and skin smooth.

3. Sex makes babies. Babies are cute (as long as they’re not mine).

4. Sex is free (usually) and fun (usually).

5. Sex helps me connect with people. And not just the people I have sex with. Sex gives me dirty details to dish to my friends, the Internet, or even strangers on the subway.

6. Sex gives me something to write about every week. Which looks good on my resume. Which will help get me a job. Sex will get me a job!

7. Sex gives me something to daydream about during my long, boring biology lectures. (My professor may drone on, but he’s banging and I can only imagine what’s going on under those pleated khakis.)

8. Sex burns calories. Up to 300 an hour! So after today’s feast, it will only take about 25 hours of sex to burn it all off.

9. Sex helps me fall asleep at night, which is a much healthier habit than relying on sleeping pills. Plus it’s more fun. See #4.

10. Sex made me! I’d rather not think about the specifics, but some day a long time ago my parents had (gasp) sex and now here I am. And that is definitely something I can be thankful for.

Why are you thankful for sex?

Curated by Erbe
Original Article

5 Reasons Gay Couples Are Most Thankful in Shanghai

by zfortadminin LOVE

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the things that we are most thankful for in the queer community, both locally and globally.

November brings many things that make a queer grrl happy — pumpkin spice lattes served up by that cute lady barista with the killer smile, snuggle-weather that begs you to hole up at home with your honey and rewatch seasons one through six of The L Word and, of course, American Thanksgiving. On the fourth Thursday in November, you can bet we’ll be chowing down on turkey, mashed potatoes and five types of pie while revisiting age-old debates over social justice and which L Word character is the hottest (does no one else appreciate the sexy psychopath thang that Jenny Schecter’s got going on?).

Of course, amid the food-coma-inducing meal and family/friend bonding, it’s easy to forget one traditional element of the holiday: recognizing what we are thankful for. There are plenty of things to be bitter about these days, and plenty of arguments to be had about everything from social justice to fictional televised lesbians, but if only one day a year, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the things that we are most thankful for in the queer community, both locally and globally. Here’s our list:

1. This past June, the US Supreme Court made history when it voted to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. While some states had already taken measures to allow gay unions, the 14 states that hadn’t are now required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, catapulting the U.S. into the ranks of nearly two dozen countries around the world where gay marriage is legal.

2. Following numerous gay bar closings at the end of last year, Shangays are proud to say that queer nightlife in the city is now thriving, with several new openings in the past year. Happiness 42 on Xingfu Lu gives queers a trendy spot to grab a drink amid sexy red lighting and Asian-infused decor, while Telephone 6 on Panyu Lu is another option for the gay party crowd that congregates outside beloved Lucca Café & Lounge (formerly known as 390) every weekend. Most notable for us lady queers, Roxie on Kangding Lu (previously ’50s rockabilly bar Hepcat) recently re-opened as a lesbian bar and hosts red-hot events every weekend.

3. Orange Is the New Black debuted its third season this year, and lezzie fans the world over breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that sultry, mysterious Alex Vause would be back on the show full-time after going mostly MIA last season. Indeed, far more screen time was devoted to the Alex and Piper pairing, but even more exciting were new queer lady developments like the highlighting of important trans issues through Laverne Cox’s character, Sophia, and a guest appearance from sexy genderfluid Australian model Ruby Rose.

4. Queer couples gained more commercial acceptance in China this year, as evidenced by Taobao’s wedding competition that solicited heartwarming video applications from gay couples, which were then voted on by the public. The 10 winning couples received an all-expenses-paid wedding trip to Los Angeles, California.

5. Cara Delevingne’s eyebrows. ’Nuff said.

6. Shanghai pulled off its seventh annual Pride festival in June, with the theme “Love Is Our Future.” The festival garnered nearly 6,000 attendees, and the team has already started planning for an even bigger and better event next year.

Happy Thanksgayving to all you queers — here’s hoping that your Turkey Day is full of glitter, grrlzz and gay, gay cheer.

Curated by Erbe
Original Article

I Am Thankful for Me

by zfortadminin LOVE

Today is Thanksgiving, a day to remember what we’re thankful for – and I’d like to touch on a subject that’s tough for many modern women:  being thankful for our beauty, both inside and out.

We spend a lot of time criticizing ourselves, particularly when it comes to beauty. I promise you, though – no matter who you are, you possess a beauty like no one else.

Peasant WomanSo today, I’m asking all the readers out there to stop wishing for bigger eyes and smaller butts, and to simply take one day to be thankful for what makes you beautiful.  Whatever it is.

Take a real look at yourself. In the mirror, in your actions, in the reflections of you in your family’s eyes. In fact, it’s probably the things that you think make you ugly that actually make you beautiful.

Look at Jennifer Grey and Renee Zellweger. They were pressured by Hollywood to change their most distinctive features to make them fit a more traditional definition of beauty; yet once they did, they somehow lost the magic. That’s because what made their faces unique was what made them beautiful. It’s true on the outside as well as the inside.

So take today to celebrate your Roman nose and your Irish temper, and quit envying your sister who got the “good hair”. Because here’s what: those things, the things you hate the most (like how nerdy I think my voice sounds and how my nose bends a little to the right) all make you the gorgeous gal you are.

Happy Thanksgiving. Now go hang out with your family or something. After all, your drunk Uncle Ronnie only makes it out twice a year!

Curated by Erbe
Original Article

If You Are Hurting During Thanksgiving, Focus on the Love

by Kelley Lynnin Mind

When I was a kid and then a teenager, I had a simple and happy life. My childhood was great, and my family was supportive and wonderful.

Holidays were filled with laughter, traditions, love, friends, incredible food, and lots of joy. On Thanksgiving eve, I had a tradition of watching the Steve Martin and John Candy film: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. It is a movie about a businessman (Martin), who is trying like hell to get home to his family for Thanksgiving, and instead, gets stuck with an obnoxiously annoying shower curtain-ring salesman, (Candy) as his only companion. The results are hilarious. Back then, in my childhood innocence, I only saw the comedy in this movie, and not the sadder and much deeper messages that were present. My life was happy and pain-free, so I couldn’t really feel or understand the painful parts of that film. We see things from the foundation of our own experiences.

Years later, at age 35, I had finally found my soul-mate and my best friend for life. I was married, and we were very happy. We loved the holidays, and my husband and I had our own traditions. One of them was to put up / decorate our small Christmas tree in our apartment on Thanksgiving Eve, order take-out, and watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. My husband’s laugh was loud and infectious. It was my favorite sound. Back then, we both loved the comedy in the film, but also appreciated the sentimental themes about loneliness, loss, and love coming in many different forms. We appreciated the sadness and poignancy in John Candy’s character, (spoiler alert) who is a homeless widower, a fact that the viewer doesn’t find out until almost the end of the film. My husband and I had sympathy and empathy for him, but because our life was so happy and lacked grief or any real deep pain, we couldn’t ever comprehend what it was like to be him. We see things from the foundation of our own experiences.

Pages: 1 2 3

5 Ways to Get Through Awkward Holiday Situations with Your Significant Other

by Kate Oczypokin LOVE, RELATIONSHIPS

Let’s face it, as fun as the holidays are, they sure can be awkward sometimes.

If you are headed to your partner’s hometown this festive season, you’ll want to be prepared.

Here are five situations and solutions to get through awkward holiday situations with your significant other.

1. A nosy mother

Let’s face it, all moms want to do is protect their children. If you encounter a mom who takes you aside to ask some intrusive questions, or flat out interrogates you at Thanksgiving dinner, just take a deep breath and don’t be impulsive. Remember, while a mother may come off as a little too nosy, she’s just being a mama bear to her baby. If the conversation gets a little too awkward, just direct things back to the celebration at hand—comment on how good a dish is or thank whoever brought the wine. Chances are, it will lighten the mood and quite possibly help your significant other’s mother feel more at ease with you.

2. A creepy uncle

Ugh there’s always one and unfortunately, even in the #MeToo age, they are still around. It’s important to set your boundaries as soon as you get odd vibes from a creepy uncle. Don’t be afraid to tell him no, loud and clear. Stopping things early is the best option to keep you safe and avoid any not only awkward, but dangerous situations too. Your significant other should respect you for sticking up for yourself. If they don’t, it might be worth having a talk about your relationship, as your own self-worth should be the most important aspect of your life.

3. A grandma who means well but really wants you two to marry.

Oh goodness do I have a meddling grandma! My last surviving grandparent is now 90 and is pretty tech savvy for her age. Thank goodness she did this via text instead of at a holiday table, but she once texted me a huge message saying that my boyfriend hasn’t married me yet because he only wants friendship and I leave him and should try CatholicMatch.com instead. I kid you not! I am cracking up again now as I write this. After being utterly appalled, I now laugh about it. I sent my grandma a text saying I appreciate her watching out for me but my partner and I are happy. That’s exactly what you should say at a holiday get-together too. Most of the time, all grandparents want is to make sure their grandchildren are happy. Sometimes they just show it in mortifying ways!

Thanksgiving Celebration

4. Kid cousins who ask a lot of questions

I adore children but my goodness, can some of them ask a lot of questions! If you find yourself in the hot seat with your boyfriend or girlfriend’s kid cousins, answer what you want to. If things get to be too much, start turning the conversation around and asking them questions. Kids love to talk about themselves and many will be happy you are taking a genuine interest in them. If you are not great with kids, this recent SNL skit was so funny and may help with any nerves you have. Also, as someone who used to be the oldest of my brood of siblings and cousins, I remember adoring aunts and uncles who took an interest in me and what my life was like at that moment of my childhood.

5. Dads big on the dad jokes

Dads and their dad jokes will withhold the test of time! The best thing you can do if you encounter a dad who loves to make embarrassing, cringeworthy jokes is to laugh at them. He will be so happy that someone finds them funny and endearing. However, the only time you shouldn’t laugh at jokes dad makes is when they are racially, sexual orientation or gender insensitive. If they are in poor taste, take your significant other aside and explain that you are not a fan of their father’s sense of humor. It’s up to them on how they want to take it up with dad. As much as you want to be welcomed into their family, it’s not worth it to risk your personal values.