What I Want To Teach My Baby Niece About Heartbreak
She wriggled in my arms, the newest, pinkest member of our family. Just over 30 days old.
Danielle Ma
Personal essay contributor for past and current publications including Thought Catalog, Quarterlette, Twenty Something Living, and Pink & Black Magazine.
8 Uncomfortable Things You Should Be Talking About With Your Friends
1. Race because it’s long overdue and completely insane to ignore any longer.
How To Respond Honestly When Someone Asks You How You’re Doing
Give yourself permission to not have all the answers. There’s no one keeping score but you. Stop keeping score. You can make decisions. You can change your mind. You can be unsure. You can say, “I don’t know.”
How To Deal With Criticism
Young hearts, growing minds and thick skin are all so necessary for our quarter lives. But handling criticism can be really tough, even if we have been facing it for 20-something years. It's a tricky balance to strike—between finding learning moments and letting our spirits deflate in recoil.
How To Make A Decision
As we get older, we find ourselves facing harder and harder decisions.
The sticky situations at work, the heart-rending relationships, the search for a place to live and person to be. It can definitely feel overwhelming at times. We’re here to remind you of some of the tried and true methods to make sense of the madness.
Unnecessary Expenses To Cut From Your Budget
Among the many plights of the 20-something, budgeting an entry level salary is certainly up there on the list.
Good thing we're scrappy though, right? If you're seeking some places to trim the fat spending-wise, look no further! Here are a couple ways to increase your cash flow.
Your Mid-Year Resolutions
Some of us have summer break or summer Fridays, and for those of us that don’t, days are still longer and spirits brighter. Summer is the perfect time to take a breath and give yourself some TLC.
We’ve hit the halfway mark since making New Year’s resolutions—what better time to do a mental, emotional check in?
In The Name Of Friendship
In a few short hours, I’ll be boarding a plane and crossing an ocean to reunite with my best friends in the entire world. Between New York City and Paris lie 3,625 fateful miles, and those little miles are all that stand between us and our happiest, silliest selves. It’s a much needed break from this crazy city and demanding job—in short, I cannot fucking wait.
Secrets
“You have a way of bringing out secrets in people.”
As we sat together under the twinkly Shake Shack string lights, I thought about my friend sitting in front of me. Endlessly observant and expert at social intricacies, he was so spot on about people. I turned his assessment of me over in my brain. Secrets. Hmm.
5 Books From Our Childhood We Should All Reread
It’s easy to forget how much our childhood books shaped us.
They were the books we all owned in hard copy—hard cover, even. They were the books we read and reread so many times without getting sick of them. They were the books that took us to entirely new worlds and let our already free imaginations run freer. As we grow older, imagination sometimes takes a back seat to facts, analytics and logic. Flash back for a moment—take the time to reread some books from your childhood and marvel in their simple profundity. Here are a few that we like.
What I'm Learning From Solitude
There are so many ways to run away from yourself. In the past 21 months, I've folded myself into things—the bright lights of New York City, into the familiar chaos of parties and events, into the self-inflicted, fulfilling tiredness of being a workaholic. It was so easy to always be around people—friends, coworkers, friends of friends, dates, boyfriends, ex-boyfriends. And even when I was physically alone, I was emotionally with others. My phone became a crutch, an entry point into endless social stimulus.
Spring Refresh: Areas In Your Life Besides Your Home That Need Spring Cleaning
The sun and sundresses are finally here!
As we pull back our curtains and dust off our picnic blankets, let’s pause a beat to consider other areas in our lives that could use a little spring cleaning. It’s the season of new beginnings, an arguably more inspiring time to make a change than the new year—spring means the whole world is right there with you, and nature’s a pretty great cheerleader. Here are some good places to start checking for cobwebs.
8 Things We Should Never Grow Out Of
There are some things that we will never be too old for.
In the midst of growing up, moving on, and trying to navigate life as best we can, some things are constants, the rocks that remind us of who we are and of the childlike happiness that is so fulfilling and complete. So the next time you’re ever overcome with stress or uncertainty or a case of the Monday blues, just remember a few of the things we should never grow out of.
5 Things It's OK To Grow Out Of
As we grow into the young adults that we’re supposed to be, it’s inevitable for things that once felt familiar to no longer resonate with us in the same way.
While your bell bottom jeans or plastic choker necklaces still fit, they just don’t fit. And that’s okay. It’s okay for us to grow up, to acknowledge the things that have made us who we are and to move on from them as we forge the path of who we’ll become. Change can be scary, but here are some things it’s okay to grow out of.
Why We Fall In Love With Cities
Teeny tiny apartments, constant foot traffic, and $2 oranges at the grocery store—so, why do we all move to big cities upon graduating again? Ah, because cities have a certain je ne sais quoi, a dapper charm that we fall hard for. Let’s break it down, shall we? Here are the things that make our romances with cities such exciting, steamy affairs.
5 Ways Happiness Can Be A Choice
Elation and excitement come and go, but happiness can be a state of being.
For those of us lucky enough to have healthy levels of happiness chemicals in our brain (namely: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins), we actually have a tremendous amount of power over our attitudes, outlooks and overall mood. Let’s take advantage of that, shall we? Here are some ways in which you can empower yourself with your own happiness.
5 Tips To Make The Most Out Of A Small Kitchen
Everyone has a favorite room in their childhood home.
For me, mine was always our kitchen. It had a big island in the middle where my friends and I would eat and do our homework after school. It was the central meeting point in our home, open and lively. My apartment now barely has a kitchen at all–it’s really more of a kitchenette. But that doesn’t stop me from getting crafty and making it a space to love. Here are five tips on how to make the most of a small kitchen.
5 Tips To Make The Most Out Of A Small Apartment
Big city, big dreams, small apartment: the plight of so many recent graduates, newcomers into adulthood. But with a little scrappiness and creative thinking, small spaces really aren’t so bad. For those who are beginning their careers in fields other than investment banking, here are five tips on how to make the most out of a teeny, tiny apartment.
