8 Signs He Isn’t Afraid of Commitment

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Recently a single friend of mine updated me on her love life. She told me that she met a guy she liked a lot but he was “only 25” so she thought he wasn’t worth pursuing. She’s  29 and looking for a serious relationship.

I urged her to not base her judge the guy just on his age alone. Point in case…

Prior to meeting Luke, I dated a guy who was around 30. You’d think being older he’d be more serious. Wrong! He was all about playing games and stringing me along.

Then came Luke who was 25 at the time and infinitely more mature and committed than any other older guy I’d dated.

So based on my own experiences and the dating lives of friends I’ve witnessed, here are some things I suggested my friend pay more attention to regarding this new guy and the likelihood he would take their relationship seriously.

1. His friends are in committed relationships. In my experience, guys tend to follow the pack. If his friends are single, it’s unlikely he’s going to be the first to settle down. However, if most are already in serious relationships or better yet married, he’ll feel the pressure to find his own lady love.

2. He’s from a small town. This sort of goes with number one, but I’ve found that guys who are from smallish towns tend to be raised in an environment where his peers settle down earlier, while city-raised guys are likely more in line with the whole “wait as long as possible to get settle down” approach.

3. He has a well-kept place. I’ve found that if a guy lives in a place you wouldn’t mind calling home, then he’s more likely to be serious about your relationship. If he’s still living with 4+ roommates and his room smells like his armpit, I doubt he’s mature enough to be your dream guy.

4. He’s not cheap. If the guy urges you to get “the special” on your date, then he’s likely not thinking about how he can impress you. More likely he’s thinking – “how can I spend as little as possible on this date and still get what I want out of it?” Plus – if marriage is in your plan, a ring costs money!

5. The marriages in his family are happy ones. If a guy has watched his parents or a siblings marriage disintegrate and get nasty, it’s likely he’ll have a jaded view of settling down.

6. He talks about your future. Guys who are freaked by the idea of commitment tend to avoid talking about the future of your relationship much beyond 2 weeks out. If he’s thinking about committing to you, it’s likely he’ll often talk about your future together.

7. He’s not in bro-mode. If he’s still going out every night with his troupe of buddies and has FOMO (fear of missing out) on every event the guys are doing, he’s likely not in relationship mode. Ideally, you want a guy who has a large group of friends, but is okay with forgoing the partying to spend time 1-on-1 with you.

8. He takes you out on a Friday or Saturday night. This sort of goes with #7, but if the guy takes you out on a Friday or Saturday night then he’s made it clear finding the right woman is a priority in his life. Relegated to Tuesday/Wednesday night dates? It’s likely he doesn’t want to miss out on a night with his buddies to explore a relationship.

9. He has hobbies outside of work. If a guy is totally consumed with his career and climbing the ladder, he’s probably not thinking about spending time in a relationship. I’ve found that if he has a lot of passions outside of his career, then he typically wants to have a well-rounded life, which may include a relationship with you.

At the end of the day, I wanted to make sure my friend gave this “younger guy” a shot. In my experience, age is just one factor that can tell you how serious a guy will be about your relationship.

Of course this is totally based solely on my own experiences, so if you disagree, I’m interested to hear your POV. Anything you’d add to this list?

Some New Years Resolution for 2012

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I saw this post come across my newsfeed in Facebook and sort of loved every single point it made.

” 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself” 

Here were my favorites:

Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.

Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?

Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.

Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.  Read Getting Things Done.

Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.

Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out.  But making one person smile CAN change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.

Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.

Definitely food for thought as we head into the new year…

Homemade Bar Food – Game Day Menu

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All this week I’ve been working late, which means Luke has been stuck doing all the grocery shopping, cooking and dishes. I hate feeling like I’m not pulling my weight, but I suppose it ebbs and flows and soon I’ll be doing the same for him.

When Saturday rolled around, I decided to take a mental break from skiing after eating, sleeping and breathing it all week, so Luke and his brother headed off to Northstar for the morning. I knew the big Indiana game was airing later in the day, so I decided to show Luke my appreciation for his support during the week by making a big game-day feast.

First up…

Chicken Wings:
I kept it super simple here. Party wings. Thick BBQ sauce. Spiced with garlic powder, chili powder and pepper. Baked for 45 minutes at 400 until crisped on top.

Then…

Bacon Jalapeno Poppers:
I’ve never made these before, but I was craving jalapeno poppers for some reason. They were also really easy. Just cut jalapenos in half and clean out the seeds.

Then mix together one container cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese. Fill the jalapenos with the cheese mixture and wrap with bacon. Baked for 30 minutes at 400 until the bacon is done.

Up next…

Sweet Potato Fries:
I picked up two sweet potatoes and let them soak in water while I made the wings and poppers. This helps them become easier to peel and cut. So, I peeled them and cut them vertical into thin fries. Then I tossed them in a bowl with olive oil, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt.  I arranged them on a baking sheet and then baked for 45 minutes at 400 turning once to cook the side down.

Apple Pie Dip:
This is a real crowd pleaser at events and is a good contrast to savory appetizers as it’s like a dessert. First I mixed two packages of cream cheese with 3/4 a bag of shredded cheddar cheese and two tablespoons cinnamon. I spread this on the bottom of a square glass baking dish. Then I topped it with a layer of more shredded cheddar cheese.

On top of that, I put a layer of  diced apples with the peel on. And then another layer of chopped walnuts. Finally I sprinkled more cinnamon on top. Baked for 15 minutes at 400 until cheese is melted and apples cooked. I served this dip with fresh cut apple slices and apple chips I found on sale at the store.

The boys were quite impressed with the feast that awaited them when they got home for skiing. It was all ready just in time for the Indiana game. We filled our bellies and cheered the Hoosiers on to an amazing victory over #1 Kentucky.

This whole meal took me about 1.5 hours make and bake. Totally doable for your next time hosting a sports party or just to surprise your honey.

It was a perfect way to say “thanks” to a guy who kept me going during a busy week.

Do What You Love. Love What You Do.

Posted in Liz's Life by

My generation (yes, I am a millennial. I don’t like to talk about it.) grew up being told a lot of things in relation to finding our life’s calling.

– You can do WHATEVER you want. Be WHOMEVER you want to be.
–  Find your passion and live it every day. The money will follow.
– Don’t settle for a career that you don’t wholeheartedly LOVE.

For some, these lofty aspirations have resulted in some negatives… failure to launch, discontentment in perfectly great careers and endless searches for that thing we’re passionate about.

But for others- the lucky ones – it’s helped us take the leap into a career that is so much more than a job.

Today is my one-year anniversary working at Vail Resorts – specifically at Heavenly Mountain Resort here in Lake Tahoe. It’s been without a doubt, one of the most fulfilling years of my life. I’m proud to say I think I cracked the code on this whole “finding a job you love and are passionate about” thing.

Now, I don’t want to make this post a long diatribe about how great my job is. We all know that is annoying. But I do want to highlight some of the things that make me love what I do….mainly because I have some people to thank.

1. The People. I really love the people I work with. Both here at Heavenly and and throughout the company. The relationships I’ve built here are ones of support, encouragement, collaboration and celebration. Sure we’re competitive, but we’re all on the same team when it comes to our end goals.

2. The Passion. Everyone knows you don’t work in the ski industry because you want to make a ton of money. The people in this company are here because they LOVE skiing/riding, the mountains, traveling and sports. It’s incredible what can happen when you build a company with people who have chosen to live their passions every day.

3. My Mentors. I believe you can only be as good as people allow you to be. I’m extremely lucky to have mentors here at Heavenly and throughout Vail Resorts who champion my career, who believe in me and who provide me with opportunities to continually grow.

4. The Innovation. I am a dreamer. Put me in a brainstorm, and I’m the one who can’t be quiet. I love thinking up a big idea and then bringing it to life. Thankfully my company values innovation and is always looking to “try some experiments” as our CMO says. Just check out www.EpicMix.com if you don’t believe me.

5. The Skiing. Duh. It’s hard not to love a job when you have something as fun as skiing in your job description. In fact, this Friday, the whole marketing team here at Heavenly is skiing together to “test the product.”

A year later, and I still think taking this job was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Special thanks to everyone at Heavenly and Vail Resorts for making this year “Epic” for me!