Can money buy happiness?

By: Ashlynn Sigurdson

This statement “money can’t buy happiness” has been told to me all my life. Then naturally, especially when i was younger, i started to believe it. It’s only until I’ve begun to have money of my own, that my opinion might have changed. With money you can buy lots of things, clothes, jewelry, automobiles, houses, pets. But they require a lot of responsibility. But can money buy happiness? some might say no, and some may say yes, I’m going to find out if i can.

True happiness comes from within and doesn’t come from materialistic things. But can’t it? there’s lots of things i could buy that make me happy. to name a few. Dr pepper, chips and salsa, sweaters, tights, pets, but in life will those things make me happy long term? or for the rest of my life? maybe for a little while, but not forever, i would find myself searching for something more long lasting. something that will never go out of stock.

Something long lasting that you could buy might be a dog, or a cat, or a smaller animal to care for, love, and build a companionship with. i do believe that money can buy happiness that way but i would search for something bigger, a different kind of happiness. Maybe a brand new truck or quad, or dirt bike, or sled, those bring me a lot of happiness, but as i get older and have different priorities and responsibilities, i might not have time to do all those things. I want to ride them as much as i possibly can until i cant anymore. But something that money absolutely cannot buy is happiness.

In conclusion, i think that in certain scenarios yes money can buy happiness, but in some you cannot. materialistic things can buy happiness for as long as you want, but from within family, and love is what happiness strives from.

A person who i admire the most.

When asked this question, there is a couple people who come to mind. Obviously my parents, they are pretty admirable, and play a huge role in my life. Or there’s my siblings who play a huge role in my life too. But who is someone who i strive to be like everyday? Who is someone who makes me want to be a better person? who is the special person who was in my life that i looked up to the most? Well that question is easy. My Afi. There is so much i could say about him and how i admired him. I could go on forever. Since i have to narrow it down, here are the things i admired about him most.

One of the many things i admired about him most was his knowledge. He was the smartest man i knew, he taught me everything about everything. If you were to ask him about politics, or building a house, or even taking care of a pet, he knew all the facts and answers you could possibly need. Anytime i had trouble with my homework, he was right there beside me to help me understand it. I struggled with math a lot in middle school, and he was always there to help me which was surprising because of all the modern math we have to do now, he grew up with different math, so that proves just how knowledgeable he was. he even ran his own company years ago and made a ton of profit. He was smart with money AND company management. He was even a DJ!

Another thing i admired about him was how funny he was, anytime i was sad or not feeling good, he always knew how to make me feel better. i remember one time, i was sad because i had failed a math test and he knew just how to make me feel better. he pulled out his dad jokes and made me laugh. i immediately felt better. almost every conversation I’ve had with him throughout my 15 years of life, he’s always made at least 5 jokes every time. sometimes not at the most convenient times but his laugh made the joke even funnier.

Another thing, and the last thing I’m gonna mention about how much i admired him, was his courage. He wasn’t scared of anything and i admired it so much. For example, when he got diagnosed with cancer, he wasn’t scared. He fought as hard as he could, that takes courage like no other. I remember one time, i was sitting on top of his tractor and i was stung by a bee and he wasn’t scared at all, he knew exactly what to do. and when he was sick he wasn’t scared, or annoyed. he made the best of everything.

My Afi was the most important person in my life, unfortunately he passed away, but his memory still lives on through the stories i tell of him. He was a knowledgeable, funny, and courage’s man. That is how i will forever remember him.

17 Things to Do When You Miss Someone

When should you start decorating for Christmas? and some other Christmas opinions.

By: Ashlynn Sigurdson

December is here and so is Christmas! millions of peoples favorite time of year. Santa and his elves have been working and are waiting for the night to drop off all the presents. Wait… PRESENTS! you haven’t even though about that yet, and you have no idea what to get your loved ones. Tts a good thing I’m here to help you- WAIT. NO TREE? NO ORNAMENTS? you are going to need a lot of help if you don’t even know when to start decorating for Christmas! I’m here to help, and offer my personal opinions.

Have you ever heard someone complain about having to put the tree up, and then they add on to it by saying that they have no idea when to start decorating? i have, my parents complain A LOT.

in my opinion, i think the best time to start decorating would be sometime after remembrance day. Reason being, you want to respect the people who fought for your country. Its important that we don’t disrespect and dishonor them. We also don’t want to be disrespectful to others who are celebrating their loved ones who fought. so decorating on remembrance day is a no go.

i know i know, your so excited to start decorating and getting tinsel all over the floors and ornaments smashed on the ground because your pet has been climbing up the tree, or your just clumsy, and wearing the itchy, too tight, ugly Christmas sweater that your grandma or grandpa made, or bought for you but you still wear because you love them and they wont be around for long.

Either way your going to have to wait if you want to be a decent human being. Don’t panic just yet, you still have plenty of time. Realistically you can decorate about a week after remembrance day if you want to, in my opinion you should decorate before December or on the first day. It wont really feel the same if you decorate halfway through December.

You might still be concerned about not having any gifts, plus you don’t want to be the lame gift giver who gives your loved ones socks for Christmas, that just mean. There’s nothing wrong with socks, but you should let them know you appreciate them way more than that. think about some of the things the person your gifting to LOVES. For example, in my opinion if the person loves to bake or cook, i would get them a box of useful things like measuring cups, a cooking pan, whisks, spatulas, stirring spoons, anything that will help them do what they love, and not be stored away in a box in a closet labeled “things i don’t use” . If they love to travel, a good camera will be an awesome gift, maybe with a photo album too. If you have absolutely no idea what they like, or your doing a secret Santa or something, i would go with a good candle, or some pajamas something that will be useful. You could also make some crafts for someone you love, like a jar full of little notes that they can read when they are feeling sad or stressed. At the end of the day, its really depends on the person your getting a gift for.

Our favourite holiday gift ideas from Canadian brands and makers | CBC Life

Why Winter is the best season.

By: Ashlynn Sigurdson

Do you love to tumble in the soft snow, build snowmen, slide down a huge hill and then top it off with a mug of hot chocolate with little marshmallows? if so, winter might be your favourite season! In my opinion, winter is the best season. everyone knows its a close call between fall and winter, but in the end, winter takes the cake.

Winter is terrible for its icy roads, snow drifts, slushy dirt, and freezing weather, trust me i know, I’ve had the dreading privilege to experience these things. Believe it or not, there is some really beautiful and fun things to do in winter. Something beautiful might be the trees and how the snow sparkles on their bare branches, or how the icicles reflect in just the right way to form a rainbow on your window. Something fun is, hopping on the snow mobile and driving it down the lake, building funny looking snow men and creating him a little family by his side, although they never really look like a snow family, more like balls of dirt. But nonetheless still as fun as the first time making one. Even sliding down a huge hill on a little sled that sends you flying when you hit bumpy snow/ice, even though it hurts a lot. Its worth the pain.

Snow boarding and skiing are just as fun if not more fun. If you haven’t been snow mobileing then i definitely recommend. its the most fun you’ll ever have. ice fishing is also really fun! it can be really cold but definitely worth if for the experience. Me and my dad love to ice fish, my mom tags along too, but me and my dad share this common interest a little more. The best feeling is waking up to your mom or dad telling you its a snow day and you immediately get up and throw all your stuff on and jump in a blanket of snow.

Having snow fights and making snow forts with your siblings is a beautiful experience to have. Being in the moment and having fun is the best feeling ever. laughing till you cant breathe when your sibling or friends slips on ice or falls in the snow. Laughing with your best friends in a pile of snow at night time is the best thing in the world. Another best feeling ever, Christmas is on the way! Everyone loves Christmas, and before you know it its Christmas eve and your munching on cookies and milk.

To top off a long day of playing in the snow, you come inside to watch the hockey game with your dog or cat, or whatever animal you have, with a fluffy blanket and a cup of Tim Horton’s hot chocolate, or any other hot chocolate, they are all really good. This is why i love winter, not just for the materialistic things, but for the memories with your loved ones that you make. that’s why winter is the best season of all.

Here is some more reasons, that might change your favourite season. 15 Reasons Why Winter is the Best Season of All – College Fashion

Fun Facts About Sea Otters, plus a little bit about these adorable sea creatures!

By: Ashlynn Sigurdson

  1. They have the densest fur of any mammal with up to 1 million hairs per square inch.
  2. Sea otters are excellent swimmers and divers, and can hold their breath for up to 5 minutes.
  3. They use tools like rocks to open food sources such as clams and mussels.
  4. Sea otters are social animals and often live in groups called rafts.
  5. They are considered keystone species in their ecosystem.

A little bit about sea otters

The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg (30 and 100 lb.), making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals. Unlike most marine mammals, the sea otter’s primary form of insulation is an exceptionally thick coat of fur, the densest in the animal kingdom. Although it can walk on land, the sea otter is capable of living exclusively in the ocean.

The sea otter inhabits nearshore environments, where it dives to the sea floor to forage. It preys mostly on marine  invertebrates such as sea urchins , various  mollusks and crustaceans, and some species of fish. Its foraging and eating habits are noteworthy in several respects. its use of rocks, to dislodge prey and to open shells makes it one of the few mammal species to use tools. In most of its range, it is a keystone species, controlling sea urchin populations which would otherwise inflict extensive damage to kelp forest ecosystems. Its diet includes prey species that are also valued by humans as food, leading to conflicts between sea otters and fisheries.

Sea otter | Description, Diet, Habitat, Behavior, & Facts | Britannica

What Is The Most Popular Halloween Candy?

according to Here are the Top 10 most popular Halloween candies, according to Instacart – CBS News

TOP 3 MOST POPULAR CANDIES IN MY OPINION:

1: the most popular Halloween candy will vary between people and what they might think is the most popular, but according to me it could be 3 different ones. starting with the most popular, number one on the list; Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. who doesn’t love peanut butter goodness drenched in soft milk chocolate? if your allergic to nuts this may not be your first choice, you’d be nuts to eat that! What i think is, this is a very common treat to receive on a chilly Halloween trick or treating night and you usually get a full one considering its cheaper to buy then a bag full of little ones so yes i would agree that this is the most popular treat.

2: Next on the list with the second most popular, KitKat. This is for the people who are allergic to nuts and want a chocolate bar they can eat, KitKat is a very popular yet loved chocolate bar to receive, its a wafer bar topped with milk chocolate but with 4 put together. this is a awesome chocolate bar that is really yummy to eat while watching a scary movie, in my opinion this deserves number two. while trick or treating you are almost guaranteed to have one of these thrown into your trick or treating bags. its also a very good option to give the little ones when they come by.

3: Last on my list, sour patch kids, this is one of those candies that not everyone will enjoy, but this sour sweet combo is very exciting when you get this in your trick or treating bag. it is very popular to receive, especially the little fun size packets. rarely will you get a big sized bag but none the less it is still a delicious treat that everyone should like, not everyone will but in my opinion it is a very good treat and if you haven’t tried it you definitely should.