Ruzzle: My Favorite Word Game App

       Word games are one of my favorite types of games. One word game in particular I really like is Ruzzle. It is available on the Android and iPhone. It is multiplayer and you can sign in with Facebook or create a completely new account. You can choose from a random opponent or see where you rank and play tournament. As of now, team play is coming soon to the game as well. Now, as for the gameplay, you have two minutes to swipe through as much words as possible. The larger size and quantity of words, the better. It is similar to Scrabble as far as being able to land a double or triple word score. The best part is, you learn new words the more you play! I actually have learned that there are many two-letter words that I can quickly swipe in to get a couple points, such as "ta," "ar", and "al." Every point counts, right? Also, don't use the Ruzzle guides where you take a screenshot and then it tells you what words you can use. It takes up way too much time out of your precious two minutes. So, go ahead and download the app now. The version I use is free! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.maginteractive.rumble.free

       Also, don't forget to add me on Ruzzle! My user name is 97Castle. Happy spelling!

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Six Mistakes I Made When I Started Ballet

I started ballet when I was eight years old from the very bottom. I had terrible technique, awful stage presence, and overall was pretty much clueless about this elegant art in general. Here are some mistakes that I made when I started ballet and what you can avoid doing all together.

Turning My Foot In
When my teacher told me to turn my foot out, I turned it in. I did this simply because I thought she meant for me to turn the inside of my foot out. If you think anything like me, I should let you know now that when someone says turn your foot out, it simply means to rotate your whole leg out rather than in. 

Having No Facial Expression
Wether you are just at rehearsal, class time, or on stage, you should always be expressive. You don't always have to smile, though. If music is adagio, which is a slow, often sorrowful sounding music, you would be more calm and less expressive. If it is more allegro, which is upbeat and often cheerful, you would be more exciting and joyful. Please don't ever go without expressing yourself like I did.

Timidness
This kind of goes hand in hand with the previous mistake, but being timid in ballet is actually not the way to be. Along with the fact the being expressive is a must, coming out of my shell outside rehearsals was pretty important too. The more I learned to be expressive with my friends, the more that was reflected into my stage presence.

Bad Posture
I know this kind of goes without saying, but bad posture is a big no-no in ballet. As soon as I learned proper posture, the rest of my technique became even better. The proper balletic posture goes as follows: draw your ribs in, put your shoulders down and back, lean slightly forward, elongate your neck as if a string was pulling up your head, and lift your sternum. 

Not Breathing
You wouldn't think that with getting hot and sweaty that one would forget to breathe in ballet. I, along with many of my classmates, forgot to breathe, however. It is actually quite a task to learn how to breathe while you are thinking of your technique. Make sure you practice breathing from your diaphragm, and to practice breathing exercises as well.

Going with the Crowd
One terrible mistake I made when I started ballet was following other people's mistakes. If someone would roll their feet in, I would roll my feet in. Even if the teacher previously told us not to. I did this simply for the fact that I was afraid to stand out, even to possibly be laughed at by my classmates. NEVER be afraid to stand out in class by doing the right thing. Plus, your teachers will love you. 😉

I hope you learned from my mistakes sooner than I did. Be patient, however, your technique still won't change overnight. Over time, you will improve. Never give up. The show must go on!

We're fools wether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. -Japanese Proverb

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Eight Old Dating Traditions That We Should Really Bring Back

There are many dating traditions that are simply too sweet to be forgotten forever. I would like to present those to you today. 

Here are eight dating traditions that should be brought back to the youth of today.

Dancing

Not just any kind of dancing, either. What I mean is that we need to bring good old fashioned swing dancing back, instead of twerking on stage as if we were Miley Cyrus herself.

Chivalry

It's the little things that add up to big things. They matter. Things like opening doors for women, insisting upon paying for the meal, and taking the lady home on time should all be brought back to the dating world. Also, walking on the outside of the sidewalk to protect her should be in there, too. Girls of today like to feel empowered in a way that they feel they need to prove they don't need a man's protection. It is just as empowering, however, if not more empowering, to allow a man to be a gentleman and protect her.

Flowers (and chocolate!)
Sometimes, it's the simple things in life that makes someone's day. Ladies love the simple gift of flowers and chocolate. If you can't give them to her yourself, you can send these thoughtful gifts to your lady through delivery. The point is that it is from you, and she will love it. So go ahead and get some roses and Russel Stover's sent to your lovely lady right away.


Putting Effort Into How You Dress
For some people, dressing nicely could mean their best pair of jeans and a nice shirt. For others, it could simply be the old fashioned petticoat and midi dress. For the guys it could be a suit a tie, or a nice pair of jeans and a button down shirt. Either way, whatever you can put effort into wearing, it will show that you care enough about how you present yourself to the other person.

Simple Compliments
Instead of telling someone they look hot or sexy, just say they look beautiful or handsome. It comes across as much more respectful this way.

Saving Yourselves For Marriage
Honestly, sex is way overrated in today's society. It has even less meaning in today's "hook up" culture when two people get together and are more involved physically with each other than they are emotionally. Wait and see if that person is the one you want to be with for the rest of your life before you give yourself to them completely, rather than having sex merely for pleasure.

Writing Poems or Songs
Writing love poems or even love songs is such a romantically old fashioned gesture. Knowing how to play an instrument to go along with it just adds to it all.

Writing Hand-written Letters
There's so much concern today about who texts first. What if it didn't matter? What if you just started writing hand written letters, wether you are a man or a woman, and just simply went back and forth from there? It would be much more simpler and you would think much more thoroughly about what you are going to write before you send it to your lover. 

I'm not saying that you have to add all of these gestures into your dating life. I'm saying it would be nice if you would add at least some of them, and it would be a change in pace after all. It would also earn you much respect.

Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. -Jean Anouilh

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