TOPIC: Most Used Platforms

What I wanted to talk about in this post, is a few of the platforms that we use at work and why it's important for healthcare companies to be on social media.

1. Facebook: 100% of our clients are on Facebook. This is probably the easiest platform to share articles, information, and lots of pictures on. And, until recently, it was the best way to get business hours, location, and phone numbers in front of a lot of people. Disadvantages? Facebook's boosting rules prevent a lot of our posts from being boosted. Very picky.
2. Instagram: We only have five of our healthcare clients on Instagram. Not because we don't believe it's a good platform, but only for highly visual businesses, like Etsy shops, spudnuts, and restaurants. If the hospital had an in-house individual to post personal photos of employee staff having fun, it would be better. However, in the last few months, Instagram has rolled out new business features that make it easier to promote posts and create Instagram-business profiles. On Wainscot Media blog, they say: "Just like any marketing product you use, it’s important to set goals for your Instagram endeavors." If your hospital has a plan to use it well, and you plan to stick to that plan, then you'll be successful.
3. Pinterest: Pinterest is an untapped world for hospitals. Very little of them use the platform to spread health tips and news. Although it's hard to target cities, besides large sprawling urban centers, getting content out has it's perks. "Pinterest needs to have a steady supply of fresh content. So before adding this to your social media channels, think about how you might engage talent from throughout the hospital," says CMBell. In my experience, Pinterest can work great in getting your name out there. I love to pin health articles and facts that I believe Pinterest users would like to see.
4. Twitter: Although Twitter doesn't seem to work super well for hospitals in Utah, according to Dan Diamond  on the Advisory Board, "Roughly 1,000 hospitals—about one-fifth of the nation's total—now have a presence on Twitter." Good posts to share include small health tips and the #healthtipTuesday. Having an active presence on Twitter also can help with patient questions and complaints. Although hospitals can't acknowledge that a  user was a patient, they can direct them to the appropriate people to resolve their issues. 

And just in case you need any more incentive, check out these stats from startyouruprise.com: 

• 95% of millennials expect brands to have a Facebook Page. On top of that, 87% of Gen X'ers (30-44 year olds), and even 70% of those ages 45-60 think brands should, at the very least, have a Facebook Page.
• 41% of people said social media would affect their choice of a specific doctor, hospital, or medical facility.
• 60% of doctors say social media improves the quality of care delivered to patients

In conclusion, social media is a great resource for hospitals to represent their brand and create top-of-mind awareness of their services.  

Meal Plan January 30-February 5

We are 1/12 of the way done with 2017! I cannot believe it's already February this week. Connor and I have been home from our mission for TWO YEARS on Thursday. We've started a tradition of going to In-N-Out burger to celebrate. The mission means a lot to us, not only because of the faith, testimony, and Spirit we had there, but because it brought us together. California Redlands Mission will always hold a special place in our heart.

This week I tried to use up food I already have. We had a lot of leftover things that I need to use. Plus, last week was crazy and I, again, only made a few recipes. So now, I have planned NOT to cook every day for days like those.

M-Avocado chicken burritos
T-Creamy tortellini soup -- *New recipe* If I can remember, I'll show the process of cooking on my Instagram story (@alishajreed)
W- Honey garlic chicken
R-In-N-Out
F-leftovers
S-Pork chops and apples
S-SUPERBOWL PARTY! I love Superbowl, even if it' just for the food. It's become almost another holiday in America. And for me, it's an excuse to make appetizers that I don't normally get to make! I'm super excited.

Groceries $40.34 (I haven't gone yet but when I get price, I'll be sure to post it)*Disclaimer These are ingredients that I have to buy, doesn't mean it includes everything for the meal plan above.*
spinach
matchstick carrots
bananas
in season//on sale fruit
mexi cheese
tortellini
Italian seasoning
cereal
veggie broth
cream
milk
eggs
sandwich bags
hand soup
tissues

My lunches this week are ham and cheese salads and pressed meat sandwiches with carrots, pickles, blueberries, and of course string cheese.

Of course, I haven't gone to the doctor yet for my throid issue, but I'm still trying to stay healthy and eat less junk food. Not going to lie, it's been really frustrating not knowing the reason for all my struggles. I hope that we get answers. And if it isn't a thyroid issue, I guess we'll have to find out something different.

I need motivation to work out is also part of the problem...

Valentine's Ideas for Married Students

One of my friends posted on Instagram the following message:

"Help! Valentine's Day is around the corner and I have no clue what to do for my hubby. Any creative people out there have an ideas? We are keeping costs to a minimum so anything fun, cheap, and easy is appreciated."

Instantly it struck a chord with me. Valentine's Days is a day to celebrate your love so why wouldn't you want to do anything? Here are my favorite ideas:

1. Rent a romantic comedy and make brown bag popcorn (recipe here)
2. Make a tasty new dinner at home. Splurge a little and buy steak or if you like fried foods, my chicken fried steak is so tasty! 
3. Have some fun in the bedroom (😉). And really, who needs to spend money on lingerie anyway? (Try out this sexy dice game)
4. Decorate sugar cookies and take them to your neighbors. Why not spread love to everyone on this heartful day. Here's an easy sugar cookie recipe to try out: Sugar Cookies. 
5. Spa night! Get some sweet smelling lotion and give each other the best massage. Think candlelight, love music, the whole shebang. End the evening with a relaxing bubble bath together. Need help learning to give an awesome massage here's a great tutorial! 
6. Instead of buying flowers, make some paper ones with this easy DIY activity. 
7. Listen to each other. Unplug and then try these reconnecting games. 
8. Make a cute gift for him! (These are some of my favorites) 
9. Why not gingerbread houses for Valentine's Day? (here) 
10. Get a Papa Murphy's heart shaped pizza, bake it, and play your favorite board game. 

There are lots of other great ideas on Pinterest, just search. Get creative. And let me know! 

Easy Chicken Salad

I LOVE chicken salad sandwiches. But I don't love the carbs that come with it.

So here's my favorite, easy way to make this classic sandwich. With or without bread, it's delish.

Ingredients:

• 2 shredded chicken breasts (grill in pan till cocked then throw in Kitchen Aide with paddle and shred away)
• 3/4 c. miracle whip or mayo
• dill pickles cut up into chunks
• olives
• salt and pepper

Mix in a bowl and voila! The end. 

Meal Plan (January 23-29)

Wow. Coming back from a vacation sucks. Especially when you get DUMPED on with snow. I am so done with this winter.

So for this week's meal plan, I tried to keep it simple and soothing, because on a cold day, the first thing I do is crave warm meals.

M-baked potato soup
T-chicken tacos
W-Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs (recipe)
R-BLT
F-Burgers
S-YOYO
S-Reeds

Lunch:
chicken salad -- eventually I'll get around to posting this tasty chicken salad
string cheeses
fruit

Breakfasts:
eggs
cereal
protein shakes

I tried that two week diet thing and didn't lose ANY weight, leading to me believing that I might have a thyroid issue. We have a doctor's appointment scheduled in a few weeks but as I was reading up on it, I realized that all my symptoms the last few months add up to hypothyroidism: weight gain, dry skin, hair loss, anxiety, etc. Hopefully we get some answers soon.

Meal Plan January 16-22

Hey guys! I realized I haven't been posting meal plans lately, but I vow to get back in the habit.

This week I can start back into carbs again, slowly. My plan will still be to eat little carbs but I am not going to deny myself. I've learned to have a healthy relationship with food and not use it as an emotional tool.

M-Tuscan Pork Chops
T-Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
W-Crockpot Potato Soup
R- BLT Sandwiches
F,S,S- We will be traveling

Groceries:
bananas
strawberries
lettuce
tomato
roma
onion
garlic
chicken thighs
bacon
cheese - I learned that buying the bag of shredded cheeses is SO worth it
sage
basil
ranch packet
sour cream
eggs
yogurt

Total Cost $34.62.

I already had pork chops because of a sale that happened  a few weeks ago. If there is ever any meat BOGO, do it. It freezes fine and saves money on weeks that are a little tight.

I haven't weighed myself since starting the diet but if I haven't lost any weight, then perhaps there is something wrong with my thyroid haha. Because let me tell you, only eating veggies and meat has been hard. On Tuesday, when I can eat carbs again, I'm going to Olive Garden and eating the biggest plate of pasta I want. And then eating a whole bag of Cheetohs. And maybe, just maybe, grabbing a blueberry spudnut from Johnny O's Spudnuts. (Side note, if you haven't had Johnny O's, you are SERIOUSLY missing out)

Social Media Reflection Case 1

I’m sure we’ve all heard of this “fake news” business that rocked social media during the presidential election. If you haven’t, here’s a general synopsis from Politifact:

Fake news is made-up stuff, masterfully manipulated to look like credible journalistic reports that are easily spread online to large audiences willing to believe the fictions and spread the word.

Yikes.

My problem, however, in this scheme, doesn’t lie with the journalists or “news stories” but with the consumers of these stories. Why do we believe them? Why do we share them? And aren’t we smart enough to detect the fake news stories?

Craig Silverman, argues in an NPR interview (full interview here) that fake news must “appeal to emotion. They know that maybe if it can have a sense of urgency, if it can be tied to things people care about, that's probably going to do well in terms of fake stuff.”

We become emotionally invested, click on these fake news stories and begin to be buried by an avalanche of media and internet lies.

I think that Facebook is trying their hardest to balance between upholding our First Amendment rights and still keeping the media honest. That is a difficult bridge to walk. On one hand, people go to social media to express themselves and make statements, which would allow fake news to be integrated into our news feeds. On the other hand though, I believe that if Facebook wants to keep its place as the social media giant of the world, it needs to get this sorted out.

Facebook already has plenty of blocks and rules and regulations when it comes to marketing. Occasionally, Facebook flags certain words like “pain” and “joint” expressing that it doesn’t meet their guidelines. Facebook is smart enough to know not to share a beer ad to an underage individual, what is stopping them from ending the spread of fake news?

I am in marketing. For my job, I have to boost posts to help them appear higher in my client’s customers’ news feeds.  My job is to generate new leads for clients and entice new customers through social media. But when I try and write headlines and captions, I avoid the “click-bait” language that deceives people on Facebook. As marketers, we need to be aware of the type of message we are sending to the general public.

And that’s another measure that needs to be taken to stop the spreading of false stories. The people and companies who share it, need to be held accountable for their actions. Maybe if there were some form of punishment or a fine, the companies wouldn’t spring up. Who would enforce this, I don’t know. The age of social media has brought a need for different laws and regulations to help protect the public.

Part of that law could also be enforced against Facebook if they don’t stop fake news from being spread.

What I’d like to know however, is why  Facebook’s strict system, allows the fake news to get distributed. I understand that Mr. Zuckerberg is making necessary changes to fix it,but I can’t believe it will work.

 Humans are just as fickle as Facebook and the general consumer will latch onto whatever they can do to make the opposite side of an argument appear invalid. Inside our human brain lies a place for gossip and fighting. Ever read world history? That’s why fake news spreads so much. No matter how Zuckerberg and his Facebook technicians try, uneducated people, consumers who believe anything, will always spread the news. Fake news is the new version of war propaganda. It stirs our emotions and makes us not able to think logically.  

That is why, I believe that when we get on Facebook we should be able to put on our critical thinking hats and become smart consumers on news.

May I suggest 3 ways to avoid being sucked into fake news on social media.

1. Use your brain. Sounds self-explanatory but really think about what you read and question to yourself if it makes sense.
2. Know where popular “fake news” comes from. DailyDot composed a list of 58 websites to look out for. Read and familiarize yourself with these websites to help avoid spreading their lies. (Original here)
3. If you question anything, don’t share it.

It might take a combination of laws, tighter Facebook monitoring, and a critical-thinking population to sort through all the fake news. We can’t stop people from posting things, that would be a violation of American freedom, but we can stop it from being shared.

Tampons and Take Out

I love my dear husband. Sometimes we drive each other crazy, but isn't that just marriage? At the end of the day, nothing relaxes me more than snuggling up next to him and watching a movie or talking about our day. We love each other.

I also hate being on my period. Emotional Alisha comes out and literally everything seems to be 10x harder. My cramps make it hard to focus on work or school. Connor's life becomes quite hellish.

Tonight, I got home from work, washed some dishes and started feeling sick. Like I might be getting the flu or my insides might be cutting me open. I don't really know. Either way, I felt terrible. Connor was late at work, so I put on my pajamas and crawled into bed. Around 6:45 I realized how hungry I was but how much I didn't want to cook. Jokingly I texted Connor

IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL  BRING ME TAMPONS AND DINNER.

I didn't think he'd actually do it.

But at 9:30 he comes home, box of tampons and Chinese take-out.

Ladies, he knew exactly what tampons I preferred, which specific brand and even the which variety pack. Isn't he the best?

Next, he knew I was on a diet so instead of getting me the rice and egg rolls, he got me orange chicken because he knew I could eat meat (not the best choice but I still appreciated his effort). I cried when I realized how thoughtful he had been.

We do not have a perfect marriage by any means. Both of us struggle with human problems and imperfections. Sometimes I worry too much and drive him crazy. He's late a lot. But we still love each other.

Service, I believe, is what glues families together. And you can't really serve another person without knowing their needs. Get to know your spouse, understand what flavor at Swigg they like. This week's challenge is to go serve your spouse in a way that you don't normally do. Laundry and dishes and cleaning, doesn't count. You'll think of something.

#2017DateYourSpouse

Topic: Social Media Change

Recently I went to dinner with a few of my girlfriends from high school. I had been particularly close with them because of our involvement on student council together.We were excited to sit and chat about life and catch up.

We sat down at the table and began discussing the comings and goings, when we realized, that we had very little to talk about. The conversation lulled. I squirmed trying to think of new ways to spark life back into our dying anecdotal exchange.

I wondered why this had happened. We were so close in high school. Why all of a sudden did we lack for discussion topics. I was friends with all of them on Facebook and followed them on Instagram….

And that's when it hit me.

I didn't have anything to ask about their lives because I already knew it all from being on social media. Our conversation lacked because we had already told each other the things that we would normally talk about, on Facebook!

And they knew my life because of what I had posted as well.

Social media has created what I have deemed the "see-saw" effect on our communication. I see what you post, you saw what I posted, and the result is no movement in our communication or relationship. Just an up and down stagnant, boring motion. And no one ever likes to play on the see-saw for very long anyway.

The "see-saw effect" and social media has hindered us in being really invested in our friends. Communication and catching up no longer happens so we aren't able to learn deep things about each other.

Now, even when I know what Instagram tells me my friend has been up to, I try and talk to them as if I haven't seen anything about them. That way I'm able to have better communication with them and enrich our friendship through other things than a blue thumbs up or double tap.

Along with conversation stagnation with friends, we have become a society that walks around like this:

MIT professor Sherry Turkle in her article "How Smartphones Are Killing Conversation" talks about the danger this communication phenomenon:

"Everyone [pays] attention and not paying attention, you end up with nobody talking about what’s really on their minds in any serious, significant way, and we end up with trivial conversations, not feeling connected to one another."

Sometimes we get to class early and rather than talk to our peers about the assignment or get to know one another, what is the first thing that we all do? Instantly pull out the phones to avoid having contact with anyone. Scroll as fast as we can because of our FOMO. But don't we realize we are missing out on the people around us? I think that this video sums up this communication-illiterate generation we have created: (My guess is only one-third of you will get past the length to watch the whole thing)

So what do you do? Talk to the people around you. Get to know names. Start up a conversation. Facebook will always be there. People will always be tweeting. But our peers and classmates are only with us a for a few short months. Take advantage of their thoughts and feelings and you might be surprised what you can learn.

Topic: Blogging

I love blogging. I think in my lifetime of knowing how to run the Internet, I've created eight or nine blogs. Recently I made this one, The Married Student Life and it's by far been my favorite. But I think in the future, I will eventually want to blog about something different. Does that make me a bad blogger because my mind skips around like a fat kid at a dessert buffet? I don't believe it does. It just means I have a lot to say and think and express about life and one URL can't contain all of me. 

So then why do I blog? 

At first, blogging was a struggle for me because I felt like I didn't have anything to share with the world that hadn't been shared before. And I'm sure a lot of people start out thinking they have to create something monumental. But in this post from  Becoming Minimalist, he gives 15 reasons why we should blog, and not once does it say that we have to reinvent the wheel. It's more of a personal journey and discovery. 

However, one of the things he mentions is the opportunity to earn money, and I don't agree with that. 

We have all seen the articles or Pins or stories about mommy-bloggers making it big in the world, but I don't think that to be a good blogger, your writing should pay your rent. That might be a great thing to have and money will never be turned down, but if you do anything JUST for money, then you're doing it wrong. You have to enjoy what you're doing and be passionate about the subject. Passion is what takes a person from sitting, to standing, to changing the world. 

I love this quote from Huffington Post: (original article here) 

According to “the 1 percent rule,” only 1 percent of Internet users actively create new content, while the other 99 percent of the participants simply view it. By blogging, you separate yourself from the 99 percent of people that don’t blog. 

If you struggle in knowing why you should blog, then you're on the right path. Part of the fun of blogging is finding out who you are and where you fit in in this crazy world. Don't focus on the money. Don't focus on the fame. Focus on being you, and the Internet will thank you for it.

So why do I blog?

For an outlet. For a creative space. For a place to just word vomit everything that I think. If people read it, wonderful. If only my mother-in-law and occasionally some Internet junkie from Asia happen across my thoughts, sweet!

 I blog for me.

What do you blog for?

Homemade Hu Hot

I absolutely LOVE Hu Hot. It would be on my lunch menu every day if I had the choice. But the calories I rack up just aren't worth it sometimes. So I found a solution. By combining Mrs. Happy Homemaker's Eggroll Skillet with my own twist, I got a super yummy, and much healthier alternative. 

Ingredients

• 1 lbs. of ground beef
• 1 small head of cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup matchstick carrots 
• Any other veggies you might like (mushrooms, zucchini etc)
• 1 can pineapple 
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 heaping tsp of fresh grated ginger
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• green onions to garnish (optional)
• La Choy noodles 

Instructions

In a large skillet, cook the meat & onion until the meat is cooked thru and the onion is translucent.

Add the shredded cabbage & carrots & other veggies to the mixture - cook & stir for 5 minutes on medium high heat.

Mix together the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, & rice vinegar. Pour it over the cabbage mixture & stir to combine. Cook another 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring often. Add in the pineapple right before serving

Serve immediately with La Choy noodles. Garnish with green onions if desired.

YUM! Now if only I could figure out how to make their Kahn's Cake...