by beth on August 12, 2010
Yes, I went from Day 9 to Day 11. This week has been so fast and furious that I totally forgot to take a picture of anything on the 10th. Summer is always interesting in my life because Little J is home and I still am running my business, including meetings. She is a total trooper and really knows how to keep herself entertained during meetings.
Yesterday, I had a meeting with a great friend who is also the designer I use for my business. We were discussing an a booth exhibit for an upcoming trade show. Apparently Little J was listening to every detail and here is her idea for the booth layout with her usual flair, complete with a chandelier and refreshments.
by beth on August 1, 2010
Thanks to my friend Jessica, I am taking part in August Break. Of course August Break was developed to take a break from regular blogging, but since I haven’t posted here since May I’m using it as an opportunity to get back to blogging. I’ve decided to use my iPhone as my camera of choice for the month.
We just returned from vacation yesterday, and in the mail we had a letter from the school telling us who Little J’s teacher will be this year along with when back-to-school night is. We decided to get the supply shopping done and went to Target today. Below is the required school supplies for First Grade. Yep, school is right around the corner.
by beth on April 21, 2010
I did it! I FINALLY got back to exercising. It was a small, a simple 30 minute walk in the neighborhood, but I did it. I am notorious for having 1 million excuses as to why I can’t exercise on a daily basis. I always thought it was strange to me that I didn’t like to workout given I was a 3 sport athlete in high school and then it recently dawned on me: I hated practice. I loved the competition part of every sport I have ever played, but practice was absolute torture to me. It was merely a means to an end that I had to tolerate.
Guess what? That’s the attitude I have adopted to get back into shape. I love the idea of being in shape and there are many things I want to do that require me to be in better shape namely family bike trips and hiking. So here it is, my decree to end the excuses and get back into shape. No marathon or triathlon for me, but the goal is to be about 30 lbs lighter, stronger and able to enjoy more family time outside being active.
In addition to the increase in exercise, I hope to change our family eating habits to be more fresh, local and overall healthier. Don’t worry, there will still be lots of goodies to be made, enjoyed and shared here. I can’t give the goodies up. I won’t stop baking or candymaking, so I will need some test tasters. Any volunteers?
So why post this? I believe in accountability and I KNOW you will hold me to my goal and hopefully provide me with support and ideas.
by beth on March 15, 2010
I’m not going to sugar-coat it. I suck at real-life networking. I do OK online, but still panic a little when reaching out to someone I don’t know whether via Twitter or leaving a comment on a blog post. I have no idea why I am this way, I don’t remember some horrible experience that scarred me for life. Of course, maybe that memory is just totally repressed. I am comfortable in a sales meeting or phone call that has been scheduled. I really do love speaking in front of a group, but put me in the middle of a room with people and I’m going to do one of 2 things: 1) Look for someone I know and hang out with them or 2) play on my iPhone. I told you, I suck.
I have become increasingly frustrated by my behavior because I am really missing some great opportunities to meet people. Last Saturday I attended a great event for Women Bloggers hosted by the wonderful Jen and Lara called Momz Share. It was a great opportunity to meet some wonderful women bloggers and I blew it. Totally blew it. I walked into the kitchen, got a drink, found someone I knew and proceeded to have the most wonderful time talking to her, but we never moved out of the kitchen. I did meet a few people on my way out that I had conversed with on Twitter, but did not muster up the nerve to approach anyone totally new.
I spent most of Sunday, beating myself up for this behavior. My biggest fear is that people won’t realize I am painfully shy and they will think I am a snob that doesn’t want to meet anyone. So after I was done beating myself up, I realized I have some more opportunities over the next 6 to 8 months to network at conferences. After the initial panic wore off, I realized I need to change my ways or not even bother attending any of these events.
Now I am on a mission to get over my fear of introducing myself to new people so that I can actually enjoy myself and make the investment in these conference worthwhile. So, I ask you, my friend, how do you get over your fear of networking. Any tips or strategies to help me? Please share.
by beth on February 23, 2010
My friend Jen’s blog post the other day about reconnecting with her passion for running inspired this post. What does flour, sugar and butter have to do with running? Absolutely NOTHING. I’m talking about the passion part. I have no explanation and I really don’t know when it started, but baking has been my go-to activity when I’m feeling stressed or just want to get my mind off work. There is just something about following a recipe and creating something yummy that brings me so much joy. I WISH running or any kind of exercising did that for me, but alas it doesn’t. Bathing suit season would sure be a lot more fun.
Last week I was preparing for my presentation about social media at the Frederick Chamber New Media and Technology Conference when I began to get really nervous about it. I have presented on many occasions, but for some reason this one was rattling my nerves. Common sense would probably tell me to prepare more, but frankly I knew the topic inside and out. So what did I do? Baked, of course.
Now I should provide a little back story first. During Twitter conversations before the conference I had mentioned that I would bring some cookies to conference to share, so it was something I talked about, but didn’t know if I would have the time. I really didn’t have the time, but the baking Siren was calling me. I went to my list of recipes I want to try. Yes, I have a baking to do list. I am always on the hunt for interesting sounding recipes to add to this list. If you have something I should try, leave a comment below with it please.
The recipe I decided to try that night was suggested to me by @kimthewriter for Homemade Oreos I mean, seriously, how can you go wrong with an Oreo? I checked the pantry and had all the ingredients, so it was time to get to work. As I started measuring ingredients, I could already feel my shoulders begin to relax and a relaxed smile come across my face. I was in the zone. I had Little J there helping me with adding ingredients and shaping the cookies while we listened to some music and laughed. Everything was right in the world. Sappy, I know. Bear with me, I’m having a moment.
By the time we finished, we had a delicious cookie that we both had to keep ourselves from devouring them all. I had relaxed and with one more review of my notes was ready for my presentation. I took the cookies with me to the conference, because next to the actual baking process the next best thing is sharing them with friends. I was happy to leave the conference feeling that my presentation had been a success and my cookie container almost empty. Both were a sign of a great day in my book.
Your turn, hit the comments and let me know where you find your zen. Also give me some things to add to my baking to do list.
by beth on February 12, 2010
It’s that time of year again. Valentine’s Day. I have never been a big fan of February 14th, probably because I spent most of them single until I met Hubby. Now that I’m married and have Little J, it’s really become more of a family celebration. Usually cards and small gifts for each of us finished up with something fun for dinner at home. I’m big on themes, so usually dinner has a theme to it. One year was Spanish tapas and one was all spicy food.
This year, we are thinking fondue. Little J has never experienced fondue and we figure she will think it is a lot of fun. Especially the chocolate kind. I still haven’t planned out the menu yet, so if you have any great fondue ideas, please let me know.
So keeping in mind that I’m running a pretty G-rated blog here, let me know what you have planned for Valentine’s Day.
by beth on February 11, 2010
I’m not trying to be a downer on my usual light-hearted blog, but I just feel the need to get this off my chest. I have tweeted it and posted it as a status on Facebook, but I think it deserves more than 140 characters. These snowstorms over the past week have hit local business hard. There was a great conversation about it this morning on Twitter among a lot of my Frederick friends. Sorry I can’t remember everyone in the conversation to give credit to, but you know who you are. :-)
Some of the ways these companies have been impacted are:
- Lost revenue from not being able to be open and shoppers not being able to get out to shop.
- Events canceled or postponed meaning refunds or delayed payment.
- Expenses from paying for snow removal or taking care of any damage the snow may have caused.
- Hourly employees who lost pay because they couldn’t make it to work or work was closed.
- Shipments to companies have been delayed causing inventory issues.
- Mail not being delivered has meant payments are not received.
- Meetings being canceled and purchasing decisions delayed.
- Let’s not forget this is Valentine’s weekend and a day that many retailers, florists and restaurants rely upon.
All of these affect the bottom line for business both large and small, but the smaller businesses are affected more due to their finely tuned cash flow system. One hiccup in the system will throw the cash flow dance off rhythm. I can completely attest to this being a small business owner myself. While being snowed in for a week most likely won’t have a lasting impact on me, things like the recession and 9/11 did. Anything unexpected that causes people to not spend money, whether for fear or being snowed in, can be crippling to the businesses they typically support.
So what can we do? Once your local governments have deemed it safe to travel on the roads, make an effort to get out to your locally owned small businesses and show them some love with you wallet. Our family did this on Tuesday before this latest storm. We wanted out of the house and decided to visit one of our favorite pizza shops for dinner. We have already started talking about where we want to get out to this weekend to eat and for a little retail therapy. I mean Little J and Hubby both deserve a nice Valentine gift after being snowed in with me all week
Finally, don’t just limit it to this weekend. It’s going to take awhile for businesses to recover, so when you have a choice on where to make a purchase or eat, look locally first and know that your purchase is really making a difference.
You know you want out of the house anyway, so get out there and make a local business owner smile.
by beth on February 6, 2010
Years ago I lived in CA for about a year when the company I was working for was bought by Netscape. There are many, many memories from that time, but this snow brings one to the forefront. Most of the people I worked with were CA natives, so I was a bit of a novelty in the inside sales department. Much pointing and whispering about the strange girl from the East Coast who preferred a donut and coffee in the morning rather than a wheat grass smoothie. Some things never change… I kid, I kid. Sort of. I loved the people I worked with and met in CA, but it was obvious I was an East Coast girl.
They always wondered how I could ever live in a part of the country that got blizzards. Seriously? This is the state that can be rocked by an unexpected earthquake at any minute or have their house dumped into the Pacific Ocean by a mudslide. They are freaking out about how we handle snow here in the East? Once I got done laughing, I would explain that we usually had at the very least one day’s notice about the snow. This gave us ample time to stock up on TP, food, beer and movies. I went on to explain that we would then hunker down and enjoy our time with friends and neighbors. They still did not get it. The idea of being hit by a snowstorm was much worse to them than a earthquake destroying their home when they least expect it.
The entire time I lived in CA, I was terrified of being in an earthquake. Thankfully I never felt one. I guess it’s just a difference in perspective. Do you have any good snow stories? I would love to hear them.
by beth on February 1, 2010
January is over, so I decided to take a look at my 2010 goals and see what kind of progress I’m making. For some reason I thought I would be more likely to complete them if I called them goals rather than resolutions. I realized I never posted them, so I will have to let you know what they are and where I am with each one. So here we go:
Personal
Better life/work balance.
Overall for the month it’s been pretty good. Some days have been more work than life, but overall they have balanced out. I partially attribute this to the blog you are reading right now. This blog is forcing me giving me the opportunity to do more of what I love and share it here rather than always pushing it to the back burner. I still have more to do in this area, and the hubby and I are planning some short trips to get away and have quality family time. I’m open to ideas if you have any for weekends away with a 5 year old.
Experiment with new foods/tastes.
I need some improvement here. I have tried some new recipes and techniques, but not so much actual new ingredients or tastes. I seem to chicken out and go with my safe choice.
Getting in shape
This is a MAJOR FAIL for January. Yikes! It’s no secret that I love food and I’m not talking salad. I have trouble getting myself motivated to work out even though I know I’m going to feel better when I am done. This month I’m pledging to get back into the exercise groove, because you know I’m not going to give up good food and baking. The workout I like the best is EA Active for the Wii. Stay tuned to see how it goes…
Business
Do more writing than reading
In the past, I have read so many blogs that I talked myself out of writing a lot of post over at Marketing Roadhouse. I made myself commit to reading news and some blogs, but to make sure I am expressing my thoughts and opinions on a regular basis. So far, so good. I feel back in the groove on my writing.
Whenever an opportunity arises, ask if it will move me closer or further away from my goals.
I have surprisingly been successful with this. Why do I say surprisingly? I figured I would slip back into my comfort zone and say yes even when I know I shouldn’t. By using this approach, it really has helped me make decisions easier. I’m pleased with my progress here and hope I can keep using this technique.
I do have others, but I’m not quite open enough to let you in on all of them. I hope you understand.
So how are you doing with your resolutions or goals?
