Vida

It's hard to believe that today is my one year anniversary at my job. It's honestly gone by SO fast! One year ago, I started my job Monday, completely worn down by my constant travel schedule at my old job and hopped on a plane to Orlando for our annual conference on Tuesday.  I remember telling this to friends and receiving confused looks since one of my reasons for leaving my old job was the exhausting travel schedule...and here I was traveling the first week.  I had to explain it wouldn't be constant.  I've traveled for work four times in the past year, and I'm perfectly comfortable. I was thrown in with people I didn't know, who all knew each other, to work a conference where I didn't know anything about the association.  But I learned a lot.  And now, some of those people are great friends.  I love the community.  It's so different from anything I've experienced before. day 3 on the job One thing I would say about starting a new job i...

I hate my feet.  Pretty much anyone who knows me, is aware.  It's a combination of genetics, running, and not taking care of them because of the above reasons. The results are some pretty disgusting feet, which results in me disliking them. One product I've been hearing about for months is Baby Foot so I decided to give it a try. It took my feet about a week to be in full peel mold and they peeled for awhile, probably a week longer.  I feel like right now is a good time of year to give this a try since I'm not wearing any sandals!  Some people may find it gross, but I was excited to see it working. The results:  Yes, my feet looked a lot better.  However, they are not baby feet.  I still have some callouses, but let's remember that my feet are probably an anomaly.  It did peel off the top layer of the callouses so at least they're not as big and crackly.  So that's good. Overall, I would probably do it again because ...

Last week I read this article:  This is what happens when you put away your phone for a week   and I couldn't stop talking about it.   I got varying reactions depending on who I told.  Karen, my sister, remarked that I definitely use my phone around people.  Rubina, my friend, said she didn't think it would be very hard for me.  So right then as I talked to Rubina I decided:  I would not use my phone when with anyone for a week (that was last Monday). During this experiment several things happened: I had the hardest time not pulling out my phone when I was with Karen.  I think we're so comfortable around each other that we just settle in, I respond to text messages, Karen checks facebook.  To each their own.  I did have to think about it with her. I was nervous going in to the weekend because I knew I had a lot of plans.  It seems I'm often confirming the next event's plans while I'm still at the event before that one. ...

It's time I share this gem with all of you. Paper Machete . Green Mill . Chicago. I made it to the Green Mill at 3:00 on Saturday for my third time to see The Paper Machete.  It's such a great show and I think a bit of a hidden gem.  It's a free show and they only ask for donations, which I really don't know why you wouldn't give a little cash to the bucket that comes around.  They're really nice about it and it's such a great show. That's all.  I'm just saying:  go.  You won't regret it ;) P.S. Listen to some podcasts here .

Anyone else in love with the trend where some bands release their albums early on Spotify? This girl! Me! I AM! This week: Smallpools - LOVETAP!

Or class...class is probably a more appropriate word, even though it was so much fun! We took the class at Earth Cadets , which, yes, I've mentioned before .  I just love and respect the company & products so much.  As soon as I heard she was starting classes, Karen & I signed up.  And we were not disappointed! Krissy, the owner of Earth Cadets, was so sweet, knowledgeable and creative!  And just overall helpful.  She had a bunch of screens and ink (?) colors set out for us to choose from and it was free reign from there. We were there for two and a half hours and time flew by! I mostly focused on a onesie (for my friend who had a baby girl early Feb.) and, strangely enough, muslin, which we had for practicing.  I'm planning on hanging it up, but I haven't quite decided how yet. giraffe for Charlie When I finished my onesie, I ended up with a line, that wasn't necessarily supposed to be there.  I was like, "meh, no big deal." ...

Sometimes at the office you need something to break up the monotony of it all. Today that happened. Birthday celebrations can be just the thing.  Especially when the birthday girl requests a huge doughnut.  Yes, Glazed and Infused makes these huge 16 inch doughnuts for $18. We have Glazed and Infused doughnuts around the office a lot (it's a block away), but this was the first giant doughnut so it got just the reaction we wanted and it warranted.   Everyone who came over laughed and remarked on it's massive self and we got to participate every time.   Perfect to celebrate the birthday girl! You can customize what's written on the doughnut with whatever you like.  We went with "You girls keep me young" which is a quote the birthday girl often says. After the doughnut enjoyment, my co-worker wanted us to visit a different office in the building (a law firm) and to keep the story short, they ended up giving us a tour.  And ...

M to N to P to gravel* That is my route to my friend's home where I grew up.  (And I went over the weekend to meet her new baby and visit with the new parents!) I used to be really good at driving these two lane, twisty, hilly highways.  The only thing that would annoy me is when someone was in front of me who didn't know how to drive said highways.  Saturday as I drove along and saw a car quickly gaining on me from behind, I realized I've become the one who used to annoy me.  I am disappointed in myself. At the very start of the trip (M road), my favorite part are the three hills right in a row (and straight), I've lost my stomach many times on those hills.   After probably thoroughly annoying the car behind me, I switched to N road.   Then P.   Then the gravel road that I only know where it is from sight and driving out there.  It's not really labeled. *I turned on what has always been a gravel road and it was pave...

Today is the first game of spring training (versus the Marlins) and the Cardinals news coverage is on the rise.  Yipee! Including this list of most intriguing Cardinals , which is super exciting. It is a happy, unified, dedicated team that doesn’t back away from the annual mission. There’s a healthy obsession with winning. The 2015 Cardinals will pursue a third consecutive NL Central title but have more prestigious championships in mind.  “There’s something to be said about the mindset of an organization and what you’re preaching on a daily basis,” said new Cardinals right fielder Jason Heyward, who played his first five seasons in Atlanta. “Here it’s very different to me.” Heyward joked that his new teammates are “baseball nuts” who never tire of playing and discussing the game. The 2015 Cardinals are an interesting mix. They’re the consensus favorite to win a division that’s been made more difficult by the emergence of the Pirates and the impressive roster recon...

I love Logan Square.  Ever since I discovered they have a Big T's (Tastee Freeze to all those who didn't grow up in my hometown).   That was just a coincidence, but, seriously, I haven't been one place in Logan Square that I didn't love. Now they just obtained a new I AM Logan Square board member and this is what they said about him: “We feel like Billy's experience creating The Whistler as a cocktail bar, record label, music venue and art gallery gives him some unique insights to bring to our board,” Yonker said. “I feel like his return, and the return to the square, signifies a return to our roots.” ( via ) That's Logan Square, my friends.

February was a perfect rectangle this month, but I'm so happy for it to end. Yes, good things happened in February, but it remains my least favorite month so I've very excited for what March has in store!