Delegate, Delegate, Delegate

Truth...most of us suck at this. Our Type A, gotta do it all, do it all great, be everything to everyone, prohibits us from doing this. Why?

We all work with or know people who are good at it, great even! Who can think of or be given a task that they either do not know how to do, do not have the time or simply do not want to, so they delegate. And I guess if you have people that you can really rely on, this works. Oh, and if you can let go, just a little!

And, if you talk to those who delegate, they act as though it's the only way to be and let's them get more done. Others, who typically don't delegate, don't view it as delegation, but asking for help. And for most of us, asking for help = weakness.

Saying we don't want to do something is one thing, admitting that we do not know how is something totally different. So we Google, fake-it-til-we-make it, so we can carry on the facade that we can, and do, do it all.

I fall into the "I don't ask for help" camp. I don't delegate. I would rather rush around, do it my way, huff and puff that no one helps me, and then bitch. And then, if I mess it up or get it wrong or have to half-ass it, I can lay blame that I'm just too busy. Writing this out makes me realize that, yes, I am insane. How many of us do this, though? Bitches be cra-cra!

I'm the queen of this. I remind my husband all the time to do it at work so that he has more time for me and our boys. But I don't do it. I'm really bad about it. And I know, but I have yet to fix it.

So I need to let go of the reigns. Loosen my grip. Take a lesson from those who have made careers out of pushing the project onto someone else and finally, just ask for help. I mean, delegate ;-)

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The Best Sunglasses for your Face Shape

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend – I know I am! If you’re bummed that it will soon be over, look on the positive side, it is a short work week!

Sunglasses are a must accessory for summertime. Sunglasses can really up the style of your summer wardrobe and are essential in the sun to protect your eyes from the UV rays. With so many different styles to choose from, I always have a hard time finding the right style that will be most flattering. With the help of Oprah.com, listed below are the best sunglasses for your face shape. I hope you find this useful, I can’t wait to go get a new pair.

Heart-Shaped
(wide forehead and cheekbones; narrow chin)
Yes: Cat's-eye, round.
No: Overly embellished glasses.

Oblong
(long face; narrow chin and cheeks)
Yes: Oversize or wrap styles.
No: Frames that are too narrow for your face.









Oval
(balanced forehead, cheekbones and jaw)
Yes: You're lucky because any shape works on you!






Square
(broad forehead; square jawline)
Yes: Round, oval, cat's-eye
No: Sharp geometric shapes—they emphasize an angular profile.

Round
(full cheekbones; narrow forehead and jaw)
Yes: Wide, rectangular frames.
No: Round frames or colored lenses, which exaggerate fullness.

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Looking For A Good Time?

I sure am! To piggyback off of Katie's post from yesterday, I need more time. Everything lately has become routine, necessary and downright boring!

Don't get me wrong, I'm crazy busy. Stupid busy. And I'm not sure what I can scrape off my plate. And though I love being busy - thrive on it really - it has gotten out of control. I am forgetting to do things...important things. And the things I actually remember to do, I rush through to get done to move onto the next. Even my workouts have become another item on the to-do list instead of a chance to escape my insane reality.

I live and die by my to-do list. I love to cross things off as I get them done, but lately the the list is out of control. It has taken on a life of its own. And I fully expect it to slide out of the drawer and walk out the door pissed off that I'm not doing anything about its agenda items! Though, this would give me free time!

Laundry. Yardwork ('tis the season). Easter. Birthdays. Dinner. Dishes. Shopping (even this has become a chore...and I'm a chick who LOVES to shop). Cleaning. Kids. Husband. Dogs. Work. Work. Work!

I need a vacation, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon. I need a way to interject fun into my everyday. I'm usually good at this. Finding the silver lining. Taking a step back and a deep breath. But I'm overwhelmed, overworked and overstressed! And I'm too tired at the end of any given day to do my nails, call a friend, go out for a drink.

So I've decided to extend my to do list and schedule time to chill. Five minutes here to send a quick email to a friend. Ten minutes there to go throw the ball to the dog in the yard and enjoy the sunshine. Staying up a bit later to read for a few minutes--not related to work or children or housework.

Wish me luck! I'm either gonna find a way to chill or I'm gonna go crazy.

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Bang Head Here

Stressed. Holy crap am I stressed. Day in and day out, things aren’t getting easier – but that’s what we get for growing up and becoming adults, right? More responsibility, more work, more duties and only so many hours in the day to meet deadlines and get things done. I’m stressed.

I probably don’t have any more on my plate than many of you reading this, in fact, some of you may be way more stressed out than me. But here I am, ready to rip my hair out. I need a break. We all need a break. We all deserve a few minutes (that’s all I ask) each day to have to ourselves. Whether we spend this “free” time exercising, reading, writing, crafting, napping (on and on I could go), we all deserve time to unwind.

But in this fast-paced world we live in today, is there any time to be anything other than stressed?

Next Thursday I leave for Captiva Island for 5 days. I need it. I deserve it. I work hard. A stress release – maybe? Or will I come back even MORE stressed, knowing I didn’t get any work done at home for five days. It’s a catch-22, but I sure as hell am looking forward to spending time with my BFF.

Life is stressful. Take a moment to yourself. You deserve it.

“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.” – Brian Dyson

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The Best Job Ever

Did you ever look back on a past job you held and thought to yourself, wouldn't it be fun to step back into that position and do it all over again? I am sure there are a lot of you thinking, WOW she's off her rocker today! But the job I had when I was in college was honestly the best job I ever had, and I can't imagine a better job that has yet to come. I would gladly go back and work it again...if only I made more money!! $$

My sophmore year of college a Starbucks opened up nearby. Growing up in Slippery Rock (yes, where the University is), there was not a Starbucks for miles upon miles. And I can't even think of when I was at a Starbucks to even know what it was about. But I knew that it was new, just opening, and they were hiring. So I went in and filled out an application. The girls behind the counter seemed like they were happy and were just chatting away to me - a great first impression.

A couple of days later I had an interview and I remember the manager asking me if I would like a drink, on the house. Since I had never been to a Starbucks before, I quickly glanced at the menu and picked a strawberry frap. I have never been a coffee person, so I avoided that but still, this was my first Starbucks drink experience...and it was good!

So I was hired and I can truthfully tell you the first couple weeks were stressful and hard. I know you're laughing at me thinking how hard can it be to sling some coffee, but it is so much more than that. It is memorizing recipes (no wonder my memory is shot now) and customer's usual drinks, and basically just being super friendly even on some days that you just didn't want to be around anyone.

However, once I got the swing of it, the job became enjoyable. Going to work was actually fun and it was all because I loved the customers, I loved the people I worked with, it was a great organization who cared about their employees (AKA- partners) and it was so easy! I was lucky to work with a WONDERFUL group of girls (we had a few guys here and there but the girls stuck around) and we all became best friends, and still are to this day. Sure, some have moved away, and came back, but we all still talk and when we get together it is like we haven't skipped a beat.

So now can you think of a job that was the best job ever? Or maybe it is your job now! That would be lucky. Tell me about where you work/worked and what made it so special.

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An Ode to My Friends

Some of you may or may not know this but I recently accepted a new position with another company. I regret to say that I had to leave my wonderful WW&B friends behind. I will no longer get to see them every day or enjoy their lunch company. For now, it is the occasional lunch meet-up or after work happy hour. What we had goin’ is hard to find, it is not every job that you will thoroughly enjoy the people you work with. When I found myself lying in bed, cursing my alarm I would think to myself, “hey, at least I get to go in and hang out with the girls!” - it made it easier to get out of bed. Now, when I say I would get to “hang out with the girls” I do not mean that we got to sit around and talk boys (ok sometimes we did), paint our nails and fix eachother’s hair, I mean that we got along so well that work didn’t always seem like work. We had fun bouncing ideas off of each other and working on projects together.

So here I am, in my new job, feeling lost. Where do I fit in? A new crowd of people-I am the newbie. Every time you get a new job you go through it, first you are elated with excitement that you got the job; you celebrate with your friends and think of the fun, new things to come for your career. After that, you start to panic and question if you will be able to do the job. You get nervous about your new responsibilities, the new company culture and of course, the new people you will be working with.

I have come to realize, while starting a job is a stressful experience, it doesn’t have to be full of constant worry and anxiety. Keeping a positive outlook and using your new role as a stepping ground to a new, exciting time in your career– that is the way to go. It is ok and normal to feel overwhelmed because everything is drastically different.

Even though it will be a bit harder to see the girls, and will take much more planning than before, I know that we will all remain friends and see each other on a more regular basis. I am grateful to have had the chance to work with such amazing people. Whether they know this or not, I really learned a lot from all of them both on a personal and professional level. Instead of co-workers, they became friends and as I said before, that doesn’t happen often.

So this is an ode to you, my lovely WW&B friends/bloggers/co-workers/comrades –I miss you!

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On the ninth working day of Christmas

On the ninth working day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…Nine ladies dancing!

Now who WOULDN’T want nine dancing ladies? Who cares what kind of dancer they are, ballerina, stripper, cha-cha, or your just random drunk who thinks they can dance! Who cares? Dance, Dance, Dance and have a great time doing it!

Go ahead and dance like him if you want. Did you know that dancing burns a ton of calories? An hour of vigorous dancing (think quickstep, not waltz…or in my household it is the Michael Jackson Dance Experience for the Wii) can burn up to 500 to 700 calories depending on your height, weight and fitness level. And it's a lot more fun than trudging along on the treadmill – WOW!

Dancing with a group of friends can also brighten your spirits and make you laugh (or is that just me laughing at everyone else?) Shake your booty and feel good about it! “Dance like no one is watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like no one is listening and live like it’s heaven on Earth”

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Do What You Love ~ Love What You Do

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." ~Steve Jobs.

We have heard so many times how bad our economy is and it is sad that so many people are struggling to find work. As a recent graduate (and yes I still say recent because I am now not counting my bachelors and am only counting my masters), I understand their struggle to find love in what you do.

Although, I can't really complain. I have a great job, work with a lovely group of girls as you can all tell, and really do enjoy the work that I do. However, I guarentee if you ask any one of us if we ever planned to work in this particular industry, I am sure the answer would be no. We all wanted to be on tv, work for a huge publication or some awesome name brand that EVERYONE knows about. Or maybe not, but atleast that was one of my goals.

Remember when someone asked you when you were little, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Did you say an astronaut? Well hopefully not since NASA conducted its last space shuttle standing in July. Now it is going private and who knows how many people will get to live that dream. Did you say a teacher? Very rewarding career, but those graduating with a teaching degree are having difficulties finding a teaching position that pays a decent wage. Many schools have had to cut back on spending, meaning less pay for great work. A doctor? Cool - go ahead and be in school for five plus more years on top of the 12 years you already spent in school. And let's not even go there with how much school even costs!

What did you say you wanted to be? Is it still possible you could be that or even are that? I wanted to be a veterinarian because of my love for my first dog, Max. Obviously I did not pursue that dream because I decided I really didn't like science, but I still love my dogs. But as I got older and saw more possibilities, my mind changed and now I am pursueing a new dream.

What about love. Did you envision a fairy tell wedding with a big, puffy, white dress and a huge cake? Or were you like me, panicking because if I got married on a Saturday I was sure to have a soccer game that day so it was inevitable that I would have to wear my soccer uniform under my wedding dress. Not to even mention that I didn't even like wearing dresses at that age. Let's just say I didn't get married on a Saturday, and I did not wear my soccer uniform under my not-so-puffy, but still white, wedding dress. Things change.

The point is, all has changed since we were little and can still change now that we are older. You don't have to settle for work, for love, for anything. Your mind can be changed over and over again. Fall in love, maybe three or four times, before you find Mr. Perfect that you can imagine being with for the rest of your life. Go through five, six, seven jobs before you are in a position that you are comfortable with and know you can succeed in, be happy in, and love going to work every day for. Most of all, dream for what the future will bring you. We can't predict what our lives will be like in 10, 20, or even 50 years. We don't have a clue what kind of world we will be living in. But you can always live in the moment, and trust me, that moment can just keep getting better and better.

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