Young & Free Michigan

The Original Space Jam Website

Janelle O'Hara — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:20:04 +0000

You guys. I'm pretty obsessed with the movie Space Jam, as I'm pretty sure you've noticed over the past year. As I was browsing around the Interwebz looking for things to blog about, I got a little distracted and, of course, started Googling stuff about car starters, which led to "Ignition," which led to R. Kelly, which led to Michael Jordan, which led to Charles Barkley and Larry Bird, which led to something that unites all of those basketball stars and one solid hip-hop artist: SPACE JAM.

And then something amazing happened. THE ORIGINAL SPACE JAM WEBSITE IS STILL OUT THERE. Yes. It's the real deal, people. Keep in mind that Space Jam came out in 1996, when the Internet was just starting to catch on. It looks like those websites I used to create at Yahoo! GeoCities.

Just so you all know, you can still play the music right from the website, which is awesome because I lost my Space Jam CD. Here's an example of the copy on the site:

"If you like basketball, and you like to jam, go no further. Space Jam isn't just about Michael Jordan meeting the Looney Tunes -- it's about a slammin' jammin' game to keep the Looney Tunes out of a failed intergalactic theme park! Rounding out the cast are some of the biggest stars of the NBA, making their feature film debuts."

I don't think I'll be able to contain my happiness today, and I hope you'll share in my joy.

Stay awesome!

Janelle

Thanks Janelle - You Rock!

Y&F Michigan Team — Wed, 30 May 2012 11:00:27 +0000

To wrap up Janelle's year as the Young & Free Michigan Spokester, we put a little compilation video togeher and surprised her with it. She loved it and we think you will too.

Please leave Janelle a farewell note in the comments!

The Young & Free Michigan Team

When Life Gives You Lemons ... CLEAN!

Janelle O'Hara — Wed, 30 May 2012 01:54:05 +0000

My friends and I cooked ourselves a healthy meal of chicken, asparagus, and salad after working out today. (Yes, I worked out. Let the giggling commence. It was as awkward as you are imagining it.)

We put lemons on the chicken. My friend Sam ate a giant slice of lemon. It was funny.

Lemons aren't just for watching strange people eat them, though! You can also use them as … a cleaning agent? YUP!

Lemons are highly acidic, which means they're awesome at disinfecting (minor) kitchen messes and leave a clean, fresh scent. Plus, they're obviously a natural alternative, so if you're worried about the chemical properties of common household cleaning agents, check out what lemons can do for you!

(source)

1) They kill nasty microwave smells. Fill a bowl with water and half a lemon and put it in for five minutes.

2) They're excellent dust busters. Mix 10 drops of lemon oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and a few drops of olive oil in a spray bottle and go to town on your dusty surfaces!

3) They're stain-removal champs. Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to a load of white laundry, then let it dry in the sun.

4) Lemons are wood-polishing machines. If it's varnished wood, add a few drops of lemon juice to 1/2 cup of slightly warm water. Spray it on a damp cotton cloth and wipe away! If it's unvarnished, mix 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice together, put it on a soft cotton cloth, and evenly distribute it on the furniture.

5) Once again? Champs at removing soap scum in the bathroom. Put lemon juice on a sponge and wipe down your shower door.

6) Lemons make brass and copper positively GLEAM. Sprinkle salt over half a lemon, rub it over the metal, and then wash it clean.

So basically, lemons are BALLIN'. Save a few bucks and go au natural at the same time! Thanks to allyou.com for the advice.

Stay awesome!

Janelle

Yackity Yack ... On an Airplane?

Janelle O'Hara — Tue, 29 May 2012 01:18:00 +0000

You're on a long, cramped flight from the US to London, England. (First, YES! I want to go back to England more than anything right now. So I'm jealous of you.)

What do you usually do on a long overnight flight? Probably read, sleep, maybe watch a movie on your laptop with headphones, or other generally quite, solitary activities.

But what if the person next to you was yacking on their cell phone the whole time, negotiating a fiery business deal while you're trying to rest up for your big professional business-y thing that you have to do the next day? How angry would you be?

Well, Virgin Atlantic has started to allow cell phone calls on their Washington, D.C.-London flights. What do you think about this? Do you like the "unplugged" time on an airplane, when you can relax without the pressing need to use your phone? Or would you welcome the chance to make calls while you're stuck on your 8-hour flight?

Leave it here or over on Facebook!

Stay awesome!

Janelle

Saving Money on Your Cookout

Janelle O'Hara — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:37:24 +0000

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! The long weekend will soon be upon us, and that means it's time to 1) honor those who have given their lives to serve our country and 2) plan your celebration!

(source)

If you're planning a cookout, INVITE ME. (Kidding, I'll be at my family's cottage.) But seriously, make sure you have a budget in mind when you're shopping for your guests. Menu planning can help so much when you're trying to pinch some pennies!

First, plan the menu around sales. If chicken's on sale, pick chicken instead of ribs. If hamburger is a steal this week, pick that over bratwurst. Seems pretty simple, but it's something many people might overlook! Also, keep a look out for Memorial Day-themed coupons for things like vegetables, snacks, and pop.

Second, ask your guests to bring a side dish, whether it's potato salad, chips, or dessert -- that way, you're not footing the bill for everything, but people still get a ton of delicious food.

Lastly, if your party is small-to-average sized, skip the paper products and use real dishes! Sure, you'll have to tackle the mountain of dirty dishes later, but you won't have to shell out your hard-earned cash to buy paper plates that just end up in a landfill anyway.

I got these tips from khou.com! We're in for a pretty darn hot weekend, so slather on the sunscreen and enjoy your long weekend!

Stay awesome!

Janelle

Things We Learned from "Boy Meets World"

Janelle O'Hara — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:33:54 +0000

Mr. Feeny is basically my hero. If any of you grew up with the television show "Boy Meets World," you know EXACTLY who I'm talking about.

I have yet to meet someone in my age group who doesn't absolutely adore this TV show. Cory, Topanga, Shawn, Mr. Feeny, and Eric were always on my TV on Friday nights -- remember TGIF?! I'm still so upset they got rid of TGIF!

Anyway, this article from Buzzfeed highlights some hilarious lessons we've learned from "Boy Meets World" over the years! Here are some of my favorites:

Assigned seats are for LIFE.

6th Grade

high school

college

You will have the same teacher for every year you're in school.
He'll also be your college professor for every single class.

Life's tough, get a helmet.

Got a locker at school? You'll be stuffed into it by guys that look like this. Locker stuffings, a classic high school thing that happens in real life.

Your teachers will let you live with them in times of need.

Oh hey Mr. Turner, teacher-slash-Shawn's-legal-guardian!

Mr. Feeny is the wisest man on planet Earth.

What is your favorite "Boy Meets World" moment? I'm waiting for my friend Trevor to comment saying "WHAT ARE YOU, NEW?"

All images are from the Buzzfeed.com article :)

Stay awesome!

Janelle

Riverside Kayak Connection

Janelle O'Hara — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:35:58 +0000

Ummm, did you guys know you can kayak on the Detroit River?

If you did, that's cool, just call me ignorant. I'll totally accept it. I had no idea you could do something so cool so close to home! I'm used to having to travel at least an hour to do anything this cool, so the fact that this is in Metro Detroit is totally mind-blowing for me.

(source)

For $75, you can take a kayaking class at Riverside Kayak Connection in Wyandotte. Sure, $75 is a lot, but if you're looking to learn how to kayak around here, it's a pretty sweet deal. You'll be learning from professionals! You can start with the beginner class, and then after that you can take more advanced courses.

For beginners, it's a great idea to start out with a class. SAFETY FIRST! Once you learn, you can journey to wherever you want to!

If any of you take the class, let me know how it goes here or on Facebook!

Stay awesome!

Janelle

VIDEO: Handshakes with Salum

Janelle O'Hara — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:18:37 +0000

A good handshake will never do you wrong! Have you ever had one of those awkward, limp hand encounters that leave everyone feeling uncomfortable? Well, NO MORE WEIRD HANDSHAKES!

Stay awesome!

Janelle

Save Ca$h Money on Lawn Care

Janelle O'Hara — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:29:33 +0000

When I was looking for a house to rent, one of the costs we had to consider was lawn care. I don't cut grass and I don't garden and I don't pull weeds and I don't fertilize and I don't do anything even remotely related to a yard.

(source)

Luckily, my landlord takes care of all of that for me, and I don't have to pay for it! That's awesome. But for those who aren't so lucky, here are some ways to save money on lawn care.

1) Do It Yourself

Try to avoid paying someone to take care of your lawn. Especially if you live somewhere with a smallish yard, do it yourself! It will get you off the couch and into the fresh air.

2) Limit the flowers you plant

While flowers look nice, they take a lot of time, energy, and water, not to mention buying flowers can eat up a lot of cash. Plant one or two nice beds and take care of them -- if you decide you can handle more, then step it up.

3) Choose plants that easily survive in your climate

Plants that belong in your climate will naturally survive longer than, say, planting a cactus in the frozen tundra of Siberia. Planting stuff that belongs in your climate saves you from having to fertilize so much. Picking drought-resistant plants also saves you from having to water them so much!

Thanks to notmadeofmoney.com for the tips - and I hope your thumbs are greener than mine!

Stay awesome!

Janelle the Plant-Murderer

Infographic Time: Seven Types of iPhone Users

Janelle O'Hara — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:42:42 +0000

I just purchased an iPhone for myself, since I'll have to hand over my Young & Free phone shortly. I found this pretty hilarious infographic about iPhone users from Dailyinfographic.com! We all know how I love infographics :)

Stay awesome!

Janelle