tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72271987089056193592024-02-06T20:17:09.563-08:00Unraveling the ClichéAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621166947933137375noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7227198708905619359.post-47864743939856592502018-02-03T09:49:00.003-08:002018-02-03T17:11:41.100-08:00"Skinny" is Not a Compliment<div>
I wish I wasn't writing a blog about this. </div>
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But, there is a situation that's been happening too frequently and it's made it apparent that there needs to be some conversation on this.</div>
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I lost about 30 lbs. over the past year and some. I've always been more naturally thin, but had gained over the past years.</div>
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This transformation has brought about an influx of comments from people everywhere. There have been some really nice compliments and reactions that made me feel good.</div>
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Then, there have been the alarming number of off-putting "compliments" and comments.</div>
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I do not write this with any malicious intent and I don't feel like the people I'm referencing have had malicious intent either. They may have intended it as a compliment. Or, they were just shocked by the transformation and it came out before they could think.<br />
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But, I'm here to tell everyone that "skinny" is not a compliment. </div>
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"Scrawny" is not a compliment.</div>
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Especially if you are a friend.</div>
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Telling someone that they "need to eat" or "I hate you, you're so skinny" is not okay.</div>
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When it's happened. Over and over again... I've always been caught off-guard and left feeling a little ucky.<br />
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I like to think that I have a little bit of curves and I like to eat.</div>
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Is "skinny" really a nice thing to call someone?</div>
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Let's check out the definition in the dictionary...</div>
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<div class="vk_ans" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large !important; font-weight: lighter !important; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px;">
<span data-dobid="hdw">skin·ny</span></div>
<span class="vg-ins" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3e41; display: block; font-family: "open sans" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.64px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 1.2em 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="in" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="if" style="font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="lr_dct_ph" style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">ˈskinē/</span><span class="lr_dct_spkr lr_dct_spkr_off" data-ved="0ahUKEwintdS6pYrZAhVCEawKHWeBB-IQlfQBCC4wAA" jsaction="dob.p" style="color: #222222; display: inline-block; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium; height: 16px; margin: 0px 2px 4px 5px; opacity: 0.55; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;" title="Listen"><input height="14" src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABwAAAAcCAQAAADYBBcfAAABN0lEQVR4AZ3UT4vNYRwF8M+dieS3uNtb7r1lKZPNTNlMWY13gDeBrih7L2A2yka2ItlZYWGrjBJF+VdYjEJTFsI1x9qTX/Ptfp716dmc71m2tzfGPvmibAaI+OOmiZLTdgERETtO2dMJPwVwzHVzEbsu64cVOyIAWPNCRJzVa+yjNEGGHoj4bd1/DT2XNgg6WyJeO6Blv0fSE2Tqu4iZxsBtaYPuOQTgkogPlgGATWmDiG1HAZ1vIjZI/wNEvNMBronYXFJz2HnAQ3C8+mM8BUxEbA9EvwEI+OEg2OcX5ksWVA++AozA13rwDmANvK0G37sK2ACPawX4bKUpwMlK5e4aAbjYVG6xktfP6klzVqVD7twXMbdenw5WPRMR5+pjtepG/1jV5vGMkgv/DPItU3XgpSuOaPwFsUTQA47vSZQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;" type="image" width="14" /></span>skinnier</span></span><span class="sep-semicolon" style="margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">; </span><span class="in" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="if" style="font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">skinniest</span></span></span><br />
<div class="sb has-sn" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3e41; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; letter-spacing: 0.64px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1875em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px; position: relative;">
<span class="sb-0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span><br />
<div class="sense" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span class="sb-0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="sn" style="font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="num" style="left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 2px;">1</span></span><span class="dt " style="display: inline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="mw_t_bc" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">: </span>resembling skin <span class="mw_t_bc" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">: </span><a class="mw_t_sx" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/membranous" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; color: #ae0015; font-size: 1.2em; font-variant: small-caps; letter-spacing: 0.04em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">membranous</a></span></span></div>
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<div class="sb has-sn" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3e41; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; letter-spacing: 0.64px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1875em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px; position: relative;">
<span class="sb-0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span><br />
<div class="sense" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span class="sb-0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="sn" style="font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="num" style="left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 2px;">2</span>a</span> <span class="dt " style="display: inline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="mw_t_bc" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">: </span>lacking sufficient flesh <span class="mw_t_bc" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">: </span>very thin <span class="mw_t_bc" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">: </span><a class="mw_t_sx" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emaciated" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; color: #ae0015; font-size: 1.2em; font-variant: small-caps; letter-spacing: 0.04em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">emaciated</a></span></span></div>
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</span><span class="sb-1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="mw_t_bc" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">: </span>lacking usual or desirable bulk, quantity, qualities, or significance</span></div>
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I would say that "lacking sufficient flesh" or "lacking usual or desirable significance" (ouch) is NOT ideal.</div>
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Let's check out the definition of "scrawny" while we're at it...</div>
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<div class="vk_ans" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large !important; font-weight: lighter !important; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px;">
<span data-dobid="hdw">scrawn·y</span></div>
<div class="vmod" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<div class="lr_dct_ent_ph" style="font-size: large;">
<span class="lr_dct_ph">ˈskrônē/</span><span class="lr_dct_spkr lr_dct_spkr_off" data-ved="0ahUKEwiA7eelpYrZAhVBEawKHZCNDx0QlfQBCC4wAA" jsaction="dob.p" style="display: inline-block; height: 16px; margin: 0px 2px 4px 5px; opacity: 0.55; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;" title="Listen"><input height="14" src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABwAAAAcCAQAAADYBBcfAAABN0lEQVR4AZ3UT4vNYRwF8M+dieS3uNtb7r1lKZPNTNlMWY13gDeBrih7L2A2yka2ItlZYWGrjBJF+VdYjEJTFsI1x9qTX/Ptfp716dmc71m2tzfGPvmibAaI+OOmiZLTdgERETtO2dMJPwVwzHVzEbsu64cVOyIAWPNCRJzVa+yjNEGGHoj4bd1/DT2XNgg6WyJeO6Blv0fSE2Tqu4iZxsBtaYPuOQTgkogPlgGATWmDiG1HAZ1vIjZI/wNEvNMBronYXFJz2HnAQ3C8+mM8BUxEbA9EvwEI+OEg2OcX5ksWVA++AozA13rwDmANvK0G37sK2ACPawX4bKUpwMlK5e4aAbjYVG6xktfP6klzVqVD7twXMbdenw5WPRMR5+pjtepG/1jV5vGMkgv/DPItU3XgpSuOaPwFsUTQA47vSZQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;" type="image" width="14" /></span></div>
<div class="vmod">
<div class="lr_dct_sf_h" style="padding-top: 10px;">
<i>adjective</i></div>
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<b></b><b></b><b></b></div>
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<div class="lr_dct_sf_sen vk_txt" style="font-weight: lighter !important; padding-top: 10px;">
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<div class="_Jig" style="margin-left: -20px;">
<div data-dobid="dfn" style="display: inline;">
(of a person or animal) unattractively thin and bony.</div>
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<table class="vk_tbl vk_gy" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(135, 135, 135) !important;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="lr_dct_nyms_ttl" style="font-style: italic; padding: 0px 3px 0px 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">synonyms:</td><td style="padding: 0px;"><span class="_Yht" data-term-for-update="skinny" data-ved="0ahUKEwiA7eelpYrZAhVBEawKHZCNDx0Q_SoIMDAA" jsaction="dob.uwt" role="link" style="color: #1a0dab; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="0">skinny</span>, <span class="_Yht" data-term-for-update="thin" data-ved="0ahUKEwiA7eelpYrZAhVBEawKHZCNDx0Q_SoIMTAA" jsaction="dob.uwt" role="link" style="color: #1a0dab; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="0">thin</span>, <span class="_Yht" data-term-for-update="lean" data-ved="0ahUKEwiA7eelpYrZAhVBEawKHZCNDx0Q_SoIMjAA" jsaction="dob.uwt" role="link" style="color: #1a0dab; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="0">lean</span>, as thin as a rake, skin-and-bones, <span class="_Yht" data-term-for-update="gaunt" data-ved="0ahUKEwiA7eelpYrZAhVBEawKHZCNDx0Q_SoIMzAA" jsaction="dob.uwt" role="link" style="color: #1a0dab; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="0">gaunt</span>, <span class="_Yht" data-term-for-update="bony" data-ved="0ahUKEwiA7eelpYrZAhVBEawKHZCNDx0Q_SoINDAA" jsaction="dob.uwt" role="link" style="color: #1a0dab; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="0">bony</span>, <span class="_Yht" data-term-for-update="angular" data-ved="0ahUKEwiA7eelpYrZAhVBEawKHZCNDx0Q_SoINTAA" jsaction="dob.uwt" role="link" style="color: #1a0dab; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="0">angular</span>, <span class="_Yht" data-term-for-update="gawky" data-ved="0ahUKEwiA7eelpYrZAhVBEawKHZCNDx0Q_SoINjAA" jsaction="dob.uwt" role="link" style="color: #1a0dab; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="0">gawky</span>, scraggy, <span class="_Yht" data-term-for-update="rawboned" data-ved="0ahUKEwiA7eelpYrZAhVBEawKHZCNDx0Q_SoINzAA" jsaction="dob.uwt" role="link" style="color: #1a0dab; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="0">rawboned</span>, size-zero; </td></tr>
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I think it is pretty clear that these adjectives are not compliments.</div>
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I have a friend who lost a fair amount of weight and I heard the comments behind her back.<br />
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"She's TOO thin" "She looks sick" "I wish I was skinny, but not THAT skinny."</div>
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What if she is sick? </div>
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It's not nice.</div>
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Some ideas of alternative compliments to give someone about their transformation:</div>
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You look great!</div>
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Wow!</div>
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You look fantastic!</div>
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You look phenomenal!</div>
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You go girl!</div>
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You look beautiful!</div>
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You look incredible!</div>
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You're a babe!<br />
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Over months and months of interactions, I have had many wonderful tasteful compliments. I have been surrounded by many positive people who have celebrated my transformation.</div>
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It would be nice to live in a world where we could be proud of our bodies and not feel ashamed regardless of what size we are.</div>
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We need to work more on loving each other and building each other up rather than passing judgement and letting our own insecurities bring others down.</div>
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You don't know what another person is going through.</div>
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Let's all make an effort to treat people a little nicer... including ourselves.</div>
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We all have insecurities. We all have challenges and fears and heartbreak. We all have strengths. We all have blessings and talents and beautiful parts.</div>
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Let's work on building some beauty inside so we can all be happy in our own skin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6xfqSqaeTTrZWitJeTLHICu4NfDRj9zIzIKHO4C4NcpyIi7T32xYLPJAD5SgtaQ9ZLixV03jeGYXtV1v6ov-VbQXgMQF_5F_i_-4-lrEgOIEaA8HXFb9gyGE2mZPQY7Ig5h4DSDhkNGL/s1600/21457907_10100220625393832_8644847194940245886_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6xfqSqaeTTrZWitJeTLHICu4NfDRj9zIzIKHO4C4NcpyIi7T32xYLPJAD5SgtaQ9ZLixV03jeGYXtV1v6ov-VbQXgMQF_5F_i_-4-lrEgOIEaA8HXFb9gyGE2mZPQY7Ig5h4DSDhkNGL/s400/21457907_10100220625393832_8644847194940245886_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621166947933137375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7227198708905619359.post-2909441345614154052016-12-13T19:05:00.004-08:002016-12-13T20:02:45.777-08:007 Truths About Running a StartupAfter two years of running a startup, I reflect back on the journey so far. The past two years has definitely changed me.<br />
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I think, if you are running a startup and aren't covered in gray hair, somewhat of an alcoholic or don't appear slightly nuts 99% of the time, I don't trust you.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://condoista.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/pulling-hair-out.jpg" /></div>
<br />
I recall, when I asked the Co-Founder of an extremely successful startup what his advice for a new business was, he told me ,"Don't do it." At the time, I thought, "What?! Running a business is awesome. It's your baby."<br />
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Now, I am starting to understand. That's it precisely. When you're running a business it IS your baby. It's like when you meet someone who has a toddler and they tell you, "Don't have kids!" They love their kids and they wouldn't trade them for the world... but, kids are expensive, stressful and make you crazy.<br />
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Running a business isn't all coffee and sweatpants.<br />
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In today's blog, I discuss 7 truths about running a startup.<br />
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<b>1. You Will Ask Yourself "Should I Keep Going?"</b><br />
You will go through hell and you will eventually have to ask yourself, "Is this for me? Is it better to quit and get an 8-5 job?" This is the question that I believe all entrepreneurs have to ask at a certain point. You would have benefits and a steady (really good) paycheck. You may even have some job offers or "dream jobs" open up that are tempting to go after.<br />
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But, when going to an 8-5 scares the living hell out of you and you know that you don't want to stop- you'll keep going.<br />
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<b>2. Nobody is Going to Do it For You</b><br />
It's not that you would expect others to carry your burdens or "fix" your mistakes. But, there will come times in your business where you will find that the only person you have to depend on is yourself.<br />
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If you want to be successful, you are responsible to make that happen.<br />
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<b>3. You Will Have to Learn What Schedule is Best for You</b><br />
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One of the biggest benefits of owning your own business is to manage your own day. But, with great privilege comes great responsibility.</div>
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If you're like me, you want to get the most productivity out of your schedule. I am always reading articles about the best time of day to do this task/etc.</div>
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I was constantly beating myself up because I'm not an early morning person and all successful people get up at 4:30 a.m. blah blah blah.<br />
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Finally, I decided to let myself naturally fall into the schedule that works for me. I can sleep in until 7 a.m. and still be successful.</div>
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<b>4. You Will Have Highs & Lows</b><br />
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Many entrepreneurs describe the journey as a rollercoaster of highs and lows. I remember being fearful of the "lows" when I would hear those words and thinking that I didn't want to go through them.</div>
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But, you will have lows. It's just part of business. Failures are stepping stones on the path to success. You will make mistakes. One of my favorite quotes is, "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" from Steve Jobs.</div>
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<b>5. Work Hard Play Hard</b><br />
You might spend the morning eating champagne cupcakes from the event last night and watching your show that you DVR'd. But then, the next Friday night you'll spend 8 straight hours trying to figure out an accounting error and not stop except to go to the bathroom.<br />
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Sometimes, I feel like Ferris Bueller skipping school during the day and it's awesome. But, other times, I work 16 hours straight and don't see sunlight for 3 days.<br />
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<b>6. There IS Crying in Business</b><br />
So. I worked "corporate" jobs for years and have almost never broke down crying. In tough situations, I at least held it together until I got home.<br />
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I always believed that there is no crying in business and felt that I would be weak if I cried in a business setting.<br />
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But, now I feel differently. It happens. Running a business is about as personal as you can get. You will go through a lot of emotions and probably lose your cool once in awhile.<br />
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<b>7. You Don't Understand it Until You Live It</b><br />
I always knew that running a business would be hard. I imagined having a million responsibilities and just being crazy busy.<br />
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What I didn't understand was the emotions, the challenges, the sacrifices. It's something I don't think you can truly understand it until you live it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621166947933137375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7227198708905619359.post-87311430931863712492016-02-23T17:18:00.004-08:002016-02-23T17:30:24.706-08:00Living in the Present<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My intention for this year is to live more in the present.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I chose this focus because I thought that by living more in the present I would improve all aspects of my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Every person has a primary state of time that they spend the most time in. Some people could spend hours reflecting on the past and analyzing and reliving their past experiences. Others are able to be present in the here and now. And, then there are those like myself who walk around pre-occupied with thoughts of what's coming next and envisioning the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a future-oriented person, I find it serves me well in being a planner. It also serves me well in that I don't dwell on hardships too long and never hold grudges. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On the otherhand, it also means that I have a difficult time just being in the moment and enjoying the present. On every single vacation I've ever been on, there's been a conversation asking, "Where should we go on our next vacation?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_L2dlVC6vls2qaDtChYrRqoY8CajC_DFATKfmKIiqU7mLBMresBAK8mS80eAEP1-DcYd3nf1uCeYQ6MLLU3TqriIIjfar0rjtvugWUnzgu5SbOY50Ya8UHrgoL3Gv0oTDGnhNtqIBnxs/s1600/woman-being-present.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_L2dlVC6vls2qaDtChYrRqoY8CajC_DFATKfmKIiqU7mLBMresBAK8mS80eAEP1-DcYd3nf1uCeYQ6MLLU3TqriIIjfar0rjtvugWUnzgu5SbOY50Ya8UHrgoL3Gv0oTDGnhNtqIBnxs/s320/woman-being-present.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are many tips and tricks to live in the present, but I am also utilizing some of my own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Most of all, I'm trying hard to just let things flow and not try to control. Some might call it "flying by the seat of my pants."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also, I'm working on taking things as they come. Rather than trying to force things, I'm working on trusting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the most challenging things I've been practicing involves music. Anyone who knows me, knows I listen to music all the time. In the car, in the shower, all day while I work, while I clean... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have a habit of switching songs pretty frequently, or taking forever to pick a song. I always want the "best" song that I'm in the mood for. I always think that there's a better song.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've been working on just letting the music play. It takes every bit of self control to just leave it be. I find that in a few minutes I'm grooving to the song and I'm enjoying it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />I won't say that I have completely broken this habit, but it's a start.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px;">One of the absolute best pieces I've read about living in the present is this </span><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200811/the-art-now-six-steps-living-in-the-moment" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21px;" target="_blank">article</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px;">. I encourage anyone to take some time and read it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsVORVSwVRsyftASnrvVfXJW43jZu5GNcBR3i50zyHQTvQCXe50Pla4uhzJenHLEWDddVWoGtkQ32FtkpVmPw5eK7KLB2kC_q-Jk5BswSwVk_RG-70kpSODPo3mMWixmc3ebTN7vssm61/s1600/Be-present1-300x298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsVORVSwVRsyftASnrvVfXJW43jZu5GNcBR3i50zyHQTvQCXe50Pla4uhzJenHLEWDddVWoGtkQ32FtkpVmPw5eK7KLB2kC_q-Jk5BswSwVk_RG-70kpSODPo3mMWixmc3ebTN7vssm61/s1600/Be-present1-300x298.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />I end with a good quote on living in the present:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”- Henry David Thoreau</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621166947933137375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7227198708905619359.post-90182061354745206822016-01-24T18:14:00.000-08:002016-01-24T18:15:15.448-08:00A Few of My Favorite ThingsWe all have those products that we love and highly recommend. In today's blog, I share 10 of my favorite things.<br />
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<b>1. Cape Cod Kettle Cooked Potato Chips</b></h3>
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Chips are one of my favorite snacks. <a href="http://www.capecodchips.com/products/original-potato-chips/sea-salt-vinegar.html" target="_blank">These</a> chips are the best. My favorite flavor is Sea Salt & Vinegar. They have the perfect crunch and flavor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutRv58cbGLw8jWVL-FsL4hxO_3aw1NR6L6yzl74mW5c4ypzXUe5-rSOzI6-4GuQ5R7GBmVuqTH2PxMGzySIE9azXh7AY6da1uj8TWWInn63pFIKnSQqjuWklLZPtdu21wq2ZlknWcdReG/s1600/Chips.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutRv58cbGLw8jWVL-FsL4hxO_3aw1NR6L6yzl74mW5c4ypzXUe5-rSOzI6-4GuQ5R7GBmVuqTH2PxMGzySIE9azXh7AY6da1uj8TWWInn63pFIKnSQqjuWklLZPtdu21wq2ZlknWcdReG/s320/Chips.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>2. Sharpie Gel Highlighters</b></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Highlighters are a list-makers best friend. I discovered <a href="http://www.sharpie.com/en-US" target="_blank">these</a> highlighters and became addicted to them. They are like crayons... but better.</span></h3>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjANY263eBlAm4SGEe-Pj6RiBkqaaY0zw0D6HXfVWj6dJGM5xvngVSvUIr9gEI0iWisHKdcRGsPFjs1IYzILqVRdQFX42vXpUIKgbi4B3p4YWwTKHCxURktP0F4xtE8vhVC8m_ICmcD5E/s1600/highlighter.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjANY263eBlAm4SGEe-Pj6RiBkqaaY0zw0D6HXfVWj6dJGM5xvngVSvUIr9gEI0iWisHKdcRGsPFjs1IYzILqVRdQFX42vXpUIKgbi4B3p4YWwTKHCxURktP0F4xtE8vhVC8m_ICmcD5E/s320/highlighter.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></h3>
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<b>3. Strawberry Chapstick</b></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I've probably tried every other lip balm on the market. Nothing works like good old <a href="http://www.chapstick.com/products/classics?product=classic-cherry" target="_blank">classic</a> chapstick. I've even tried other types of chapstick and they don't work. My favorite scent is strawberry.</span></h3>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CWNQtSnvjcMcI7_ID_-S-8vZ9tbLt6VTgD1BFxrXJaGciT9tZ9wqJ1uPCN-_G_pjZ8Ne2XpkAzWO6TNZrZreIm4piq9EpPcLXIW7SB1SHXOM79zpZyCxJJjucpRBIs6pPoD4dKjtLuvo/s1600/chapstick.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CWNQtSnvjcMcI7_ID_-S-8vZ9tbLt6VTgD1BFxrXJaGciT9tZ9wqJ1uPCN-_G_pjZ8Ne2XpkAzWO6TNZrZreIm4piq9EpPcLXIW7SB1SHXOM79zpZyCxJJjucpRBIs6pPoD4dKjtLuvo/s320/chapstick.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></h3>
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<b>4. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure</b></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I don't see the point in buying expensive nail polish. Why spend more when <a href="http://www.sallyhansen.com/nails/nail-color/color/complete-salon-manicure" target="_blank">this</a> nail polish does the job. My favorite colors are Commander in Chic (Gray) and Wine Not (Red).</span></h3>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MGdcQa3McfegxMwOyz3egMktSxHiihetpGAjmaeZWhwzid07kleZKOiScfRI7Anc5USpF1M1eIerdJnf1iVv6FTw4F74xgNEYP38yxc17hjtELBNYhM41uwb8hsam1erG5xU6Wwwlbcd/s1600/nail+polish.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MGdcQa3McfegxMwOyz3egMktSxHiihetpGAjmaeZWhwzid07kleZKOiScfRI7Anc5USpF1M1eIerdJnf1iVv6FTw4F74xgNEYP38yxc17hjtELBNYhM41uwb8hsam1erG5xU6Wwwlbcd/s320/nail+polish.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></h3>
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<b>5. Post-It Filing Tabs</b></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I love Post-It brand office supplies, but <a href="http://www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/" target="_blank">these</a> are my favorite. I use them to label file folders for projects and then you can switch them out easily and reuse the folders. They are super sticky, but come off clean.</span></h3>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQM0ZVU-BkK0ixtYE6H2eGmmTqMF9pbg0uZm4I5hVk05d7nPLgzjmpi11jVbDWRVa4Vln9JGibDVHQ9UUCqbecW610UAQpiM4pBtiN_r-_fUzznr4CQuXBc4yDFj7YqXeDVbHjN_yaFvIt/s1600/postittabs.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQM0ZVU-BkK0ixtYE6H2eGmmTqMF9pbg0uZm4I5hVk05d7nPLgzjmpi11jVbDWRVa4Vln9JGibDVHQ9UUCqbecW610UAQpiM4pBtiN_r-_fUzznr4CQuXBc4yDFj7YqXeDVbHjN_yaFvIt/s400/postittabs.jpg" width="208" /></a></b></h3>
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<b>6. Lipton Red Goji Raspberry Green Tea</b></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.liptontea.com/product/detail/141471/red-goji-raspberry-superfruit" target="_blank">This</a> is my favorite tea. Enough said.</span></span></h3>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrmc-crOOvPSOI0DLpMVN8AtkA4y0Z9LENGP5jP-5gG69OeD9bof9fg_XZCcqPAfYpz3G8kXbD1HUV8gS4Rj_YZfc-GKNgMwcURXjRvUoA1MRv4HvIlik8KENbO4EYjsoefZpzbib5Jq9/s1600/tea.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrmc-crOOvPSOI0DLpMVN8AtkA4y0Z9LENGP5jP-5gG69OeD9bof9fg_XZCcqPAfYpz3G8kXbD1HUV8gS4Rj_YZfc-GKNgMwcURXjRvUoA1MRv4HvIlik8KENbO4EYjsoefZpzbib5Jq9/s320/tea.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></h3>
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<b>7. Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream</b></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I've tried many different face moisturizers as I use it 1-2 times per day. It's tough to rationalize spending a crazy amount on it. <a href="http://www.olay.com/en-us/skin-care-products/regenerist-micro-sculpting-cream-moisturizer" target="_blank">This</a> is my favorite lower priced moisturizer.</span></h3>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylQ06td-DESGap5d1Xpo9AyN4svtTCjwDa64C-ji29WP_Hv2tbYJetaNcGD8EWjYGhCcN9Mxgc4F7ZmNMzZ2PyQszCmI_OOYiscizudrp-n5AscD4W-3K5btngTUjGhrLZmxHeUth3Rmn/s1600/moisturizer.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylQ06td-DESGap5d1Xpo9AyN4svtTCjwDa64C-ji29WP_Hv2tbYJetaNcGD8EWjYGhCcN9Mxgc4F7ZmNMzZ2PyQszCmI_OOYiscizudrp-n5AscD4W-3K5btngTUjGhrLZmxHeUth3Rmn/s320/moisturizer.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></h3>
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<b>8. Bath & Bodyworks Aromatherapy Orange Ginger Energy Lotion</b></h3>
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I discovered <a href="http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/?productId=11669884" target="_blank">this</a> product line when staying at a hotel. They have lots of different products, but I am addicted to the lotion & body cream. It smells like a spa and gives you a boost.</div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8h3hNVAnVieoFrxcPQi6rekyAJCIxmB7QBtN8DtaCRQmYSa4ndQfsyRDucSfH0KumV6fxonFBMnRBjqdpV2w84QB8LCSTCzm6-sM7er1tQKMDTrEIP1d2uCHFxQiKTdv7SaEYbhX8knI/s1600/Lotion.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8h3hNVAnVieoFrxcPQi6rekyAJCIxmB7QBtN8DtaCRQmYSa4ndQfsyRDucSfH0KumV6fxonFBMnRBjqdpV2w84QB8LCSTCzm6-sM7er1tQKMDTrEIP1d2uCHFxQiKTdv7SaEYbhX8knI/s400/Lotion.jpg" width="263" /></a></b></h3>
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<b>9. Brookside Dark Chocolates</b></h3>
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I could eat a whole bag of <a href="http://www.brooksidechocolate.com/usa/chocolate-covered-snacks/fruit-flavored-centers/dark-chocolate-goji" target="_blank">these</a> in one sitting. But, they're dark chocolate and fruit, so they're healthy right?</div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wWcn26I3LsJW2Y3u37bZ2JZ3fcW15GGrBEeDuf5w2Eww8eQE-Fcf4oH-qrELhhME_4GcNjGFWGluzUhlgYkD142lnsexPmCeKAfL8mXqhdAYZV4eZc_hOmQjfSCUh3i0V4uZFASUSfzh/s1600/chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wWcn26I3LsJW2Y3u37bZ2JZ3fcW15GGrBEeDuf5w2Eww8eQE-Fcf4oH-qrELhhME_4GcNjGFWGluzUhlgYkD142lnsexPmCeKAfL8mXqhdAYZV4eZc_hOmQjfSCUh3i0V4uZFASUSfzh/s320/chocolate.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></h3>
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<b>10. Express Dark Wash Mid-Rise Jean Legging</b></h3>
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Last, but not least on the list is my current favorite pair of jeans. It's hard to find a nice pair of jeans, especially when you're a Mom, but still want to be a hot one. <a href="http://www.express.com/clothing/women/dark-wash-mid-rise-jean-legging/pro/7156957/cat1910070" target="_blank">These</a> jeans come up over the hips and stay in place. They fit really well and you can wear them with boots.</div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7kzXrPOmLN_HP5nDkD7bVoTfZqAMDlXArmNKszU_JdydyDnU1nLyrj_OQ3_OQZdJcFPu7w1nmJCibHO_Byl7TUl-TdkDTBCEW0HtTaG9wRG99bPQ0G6k-_RCEnWLzBlRXwGNh0OxbnX6/s1600/Jeans.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7kzXrPOmLN_HP5nDkD7bVoTfZqAMDlXArmNKszU_JdydyDnU1nLyrj_OQ3_OQZdJcFPu7w1nmJCibHO_Byl7TUl-TdkDTBCEW0HtTaG9wRG99bPQ0G6k-_RCEnWLzBlRXwGNh0OxbnX6/s400/Jeans.jpg" width="240" /></a></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621166947933137375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7227198708905619359.post-66508464094178554832015-06-30T18:01:00.001-07:002015-06-30T18:40:20.409-07:00From the Hamster Wheel to the Roulette Wheel<div>
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As a child I was always finding ways to make money. Lemonade stands, a neighborhood newspaper, a cleaning business... As soon as I was old enough, I started a paper route and detasseled over the summers. On my 16th birthday I went down to the nearby grocery store and submitted a job application.</div>
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<a href="https://scoundrelnextdoor.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/someday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://scoundrelnextdoor.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/someday.jpg" width="320" /></a>Owning my own business was always at the top of my bucket list. It was always something I would do "someday." </div>
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Climbing the corporate ladder was never something that completely clicked with me. I knew that I wanted to be successful, but no matter how high up in a company I was, I would still want to own my own business someday.</div>
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8 months ago that "someday" finally came. I made the decision that I was going to go for it and I did.</div>
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In today's blog, I'll share 8 things I've discovered so far on this journey.</div>
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<b>1. It's Going to Be Scary</b></div>
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<a href="http://jeremyscheller.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cliff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://jeremyscheller.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cliff.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a>Starting your own business is scary, but in order to have opportunity you have to feel the fear and do it anyway. At first, I would lie awake at night and think "am I really doing this? Am I crazy?"</div>
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A few of my favorite quotes are:</div>
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"Everything you want is on the other side of fear."</div>
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"Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone."</div>
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"You have to jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down."</div>
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<b>2. Building from the Ground Up</b></div>
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So far, the journey has been like building a house. First, there is the design of the business plan and vision. Then, you start with the foundation and build from the ground up. There are many different components that require different expertise. You decide which parts in the process you need to hire an expert for and which you can figure out yourself. It takes time and patience to build a solid structure.</div>
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<b>3. Your Priorities vs. Your Boss' Priorities</b></div>
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When you're running on the corporate hamster wheel, you can find that you are a prisoner to the company objectives or your boss' priorities. When you are a business owner, you make your own priorities and the rest is negotiable. There are no reports that need to be completed that no one looks at anyway. Your time is spent on your mission and you are able to be more productive in less time.</div>
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<b>4. It's a Lifestyle</b></div>
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Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle. Your professional life overlaps greatly with your home life. You work nights and you work weekends. When you work for someone else, you have scheduled hours and are working on their timeline. When you are an entrepreneur, you get to determine what works best for you and how your day should flow. Will you wake up early or burn the midnight oil? When will you fit in exercise? I still haven't quite decided what the most productive schedule for me is.</div>
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<b>5. Paying Yourself Isn't As Fun As You'd Think</b></div>
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I always thought that when I paid myself it would be so exciting. But... it's not. When you own a business, you want to invest in the business and build up as much capital as you can. A paycheck for yourself is an expense for your business. It's exciting to be profitable, but payday doesn't have the same appeal.</div>
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<b>6. Some Will Be Supportive, Some Will Be Standoffish</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.frugalfanatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/paycheck-to-paycheck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.frugalfanatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/paycheck-to-paycheck.jpg" height="320" width="259" /></a>I have been blessed to have support from many wonderful people. Former colleagues or clients have went out of their way to send me encouraging messages. Friends have complimented me for taking the plunge. Acquaintances are genuinely interested in how the business is going and "jealous" that they would love to own a business someday.<br />
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But, some people who you thought might be supportive may be standoffish. Rather than being unsupportive or skeptical, some will not even acknowledge your endeavor. Some advice from some other entrepreneurs has helped me to not be so sensitive about this behavior. Some people may feel uncomfortable about your endeavor or be dealing with their own personal issues. Surround yourself with supporters.</div>
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<b>7. So. Many. Coffee. Shops.</b></div>
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When you work from home, your conference room is a coffee shop. I never thought I'd get tired of meeting for lunch or coffee. Of coarse, I still love coffee, but I had to start getting into tea. Sometimes I have coffee shop meetings and I get a water. Sometimes I feel like I live at Panera Bread.</div>
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<b>8. The Entrepreneur Community</b></div>
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When you're out and about during the day, you realize how many other people in the community have flexible schedules. I was amazed when I realized how many networking and community events there are. It was a huge boost for me to get involved in some local entrepreneurial groups. I've made some very meaningful relationships and formed some beneficial partnerships.</div>
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The entrepreneurial journey so far has felt... right. More and more, I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I look forward to seeing what the next months and year will bring.</div>
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But, I feel that it's important to give an alternative opinion.<br />
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There are many popular quotes that have to do with having a messy house:<br />
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<li>"A messy house is a happy house."</li>
<li>"Good moms have sticky floors, messy kitchens, laundry piles, dirty ovens & happy kids."</li>
<li>"A clean house is a sign of a wasted life."</li>
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There was an article that I read recently about what a "normal" house looks like. Now, while I understand that "normal" house is a lived in house, I felt that it glorified having a messy house as though it was a badge of honor.</div>
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I told my 9 year old son about this blog post and read him the quotations. When he heard the quotation, "A messy is a happy house" he said "That should be a fact that a messy house is not a happy house. When you're done cleaning, you can still hang out with your kids. Plus, you don't have to clean every second."</div>
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I have had friends in my life make comments similar to these quotations. They have said things like, "I would rather spend time with my kids and have a messy house than spend time cleaning."</div>
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I disagree. I would rather be a good Mom and spend time with my kids AND have a clean house.<br />
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Now, this is not to say that my house is always clean. In fact, it gets messy every single day and is a constant battle to keep clean. Laundry piles up and floors get sticky.</div>
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But, I don't think a messy house is a "happy" house. And, I don't think that having sticky floors, messy kitchens and laundry piles is what makes you have happy kids and makes you a good Mom.<br />
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In a way, I think it is insulting to insinuate that spending time cleaning your house takes away from being a good parent.<br />
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Before I was a parent, I was quite a slob. Growing up, I lived in a tiny house that was over 100 years old. My Mom was a single parent for several years and myself and my siblings always had friends over filling up the house. My Mom even let those who needed a place to stay live with us, and so we usually had at least one extra person living at our place.<br />
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By the time I was in elementary school, we had a house full of teenagers that were dirtying dishes, leaving their clothes and junk everywhere and were too busy having fun to do chores. Along with that, our house was very small.<br />
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Growing up, I did have friends over, but I was a bit embarrassed of our house. I went to other friends houses that had stay at home Mom's and clean, orderly newer houses. Those were the kinds of homes where the kids were used to homemade bread when they got home from school and making their bed in the morning.<br />
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I had a fantastic childhood and I would not trade my family for the world. But, when I became a parent, it became more important to me to have a nice, clean place for my son to grow up in. I never wanted him to be embarrassed to have friends over.<br />
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I'll admit, that when I was in college, I was still a pretty big slob. Messiness didn't really bother me that much and I was too busy with other things to stress about cleaning. I liked the beauty of a clean space, but had not discovered the mental health benefits.</div>
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Over time, I have moved to the other side of the spectrum. Though I am still lazy at times, messiness stresses me out. I appreciate the zen, therapeutic feeling of a clean and organized space. I take pride in my home and in having a space that my son can feel comfortable in and enjoy his childhood in.</div>
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I also strive to teach him about organizing and cleaning so that he carries on good habits when he grows up and has a place of his own.</div>
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I understand that what is important is our children and the relationships that we have with them. My Mother was a fantastic Mother who baked cookies, sang to us and taught us so many great life principles that we have carried on to share with our children.</div>
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But, to me, a messy house does not make a happy home. You can have a clean house and have an unhappy home and you can have a clean house and have a happy home. Working towards having a home that I can be proud of and feel relaxed in is part of what I do to be a good parent.</div>
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Some parents don't prioritize cleanliness or order as an attribute that makes a happy home and that's okay. To each their own. But, children don't have the option of the house that they grow up in. </div>
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And, I don't agree that a clean house is a sign of a wasted or unhappy life.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621166947933137375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7227198708905619359.post-61357238611612147202015-02-01T10:05:00.000-08:002015-02-01T18:55:46.221-08:00Epic Blanket Fort Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It started with a dream. For the past several years, my husband Brian and I had joked about having a party and building the blanket fort of all blanket forts. We'd brushed it off as a childish notion that would never become a reality. It sounded like a lot of work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until now. We had planned on having a New Year's Eve party. A typical party where you dress up and have hors d'oeuvres. But, we ended up having to cancel. Brian's birthday was coming up in January and so I asked him if we should throw a blanket fort party. We wondered, "If we had one, would any of our friends actually come?"</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefrI8X8zRXvZtxsDEbl8N3enh6w1dn_mZI8vjDXRq9UXkhyphenhyphenHhFHDYAXnajggCkaYXBF_AF0LaNHAYdAdPONNKHkToI76xhA7ujLXvy-VZFytUNwOBl9KW1Fe99RxQHbLVXmV26vEQ2J6q/s1600/Before+Party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefrI8X8zRXvZtxsDEbl8N3enh6w1dn_mZI8vjDXRq9UXkhyphenhyphenHhFHDYAXnajggCkaYXBF_AF0LaNHAYdAdPONNKHkToI76xhA7ujLXvy-VZFytUNwOBl9KW1Fe99RxQHbLVXmV26vEQ2J6q/s1600/Before+Party.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It started off as a joke, but the more we talked about it the more we thought we should do it. And, once we get a crazy idea, it usually just snowballs from there.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf1l_9BzgyLz2QqRkWAxTy2FptrV0qqv9u20p7DhT2A-y1lZTw3148MPSPh7tnmOF_N8JD0Q71GilMuTtPOGqbGBT2GbqBqgRG1G2fPSd0SYXwpTvzsAeLmTaqZAynlRTitofPJlWXz9H/s1600/Fort+Awesome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf1l_9BzgyLz2QqRkWAxTy2FptrV0qqv9u20p7DhT2A-y1lZTw3148MPSPh7tnmOF_N8JD0Q71GilMuTtPOGqbGBT2GbqBqgRG1G2fPSd0SYXwpTvzsAeLmTaqZAynlRTitofPJlWXz9H/s1600/Fort+Awesome.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brian started contemplating the fort construction. We did not want it to be a traditional low lying fort. It had to be epic. It also had to be sturdy. I started talking about what types of food and games we should have at the party.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, we went to the fabric store. We knew that we wouldn't be able to pull it off with blankets and so we decided to get a ton of fabric that was $1 or less a yard. On the first trip, we got around 50 yards, but he had to go back to the store after we did a trial run to get 25 more yards.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZVDnih1maQjE7yBLU8T7uhnlEjgydZQIsb3qiHreklX0r49WB5NklNZgphg7lDY3almb4QPJUW3us90bgxHfDSI5oqQ1dcrdRfhVGp8SZED1tJiloqIZ1YEez9i7tqvd64EVtbJ95qWh/s1600/20150129_182326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZVDnih1maQjE7yBLU8T7uhnlEjgydZQIsb3qiHreklX0r49WB5NklNZgphg7lDY3almb4QPJUW3us90bgxHfDSI5oqQ1dcrdRfhVGp8SZED1tJiloqIZ1YEez9i7tqvd64EVtbJ95qWh/s1600/20150129_182326.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brian came up with the system for assembling the fort by anchoring it into the studs in the wall and using clothesline. He had to modify it a few times during our trial run to reduce drooping and also anchored it to the ceiling.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqdTCtlGLKyPPo9A6DT40w6cOdckq0rRqM8D4eXEAhftlcEU9AXrq_8CFVctNFVdrWwqVvw-b3xxXB-afDDxfED371uYeOTI-SsT44X2clcMI5V1e6YqIYKY43GxzmvqHGHDkzT3-WbYw/s1600/20150124_121612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqdTCtlGLKyPPo9A6DT40w6cOdckq0rRqM8D4eXEAhftlcEU9AXrq_8CFVctNFVdrWwqVvw-b3xxXB-afDDxfED371uYeOTI-SsT44X2clcMI5V1e6YqIYKY43GxzmvqHGHDkzT3-WbYw/s1600/20150124_121612.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We did a "trial run" the weekend before to make sure that the method for assembly worked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the first run when Brian decided that we needed to anchor it to the ceiling also to make it higher.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qamISsK7KMyA5BlSoFidSt9LsFJbGj_LjZlbhRt0NHXCMthlzkZ2nIFHDoiw_m2QtV82TVJCbISDvpg_tWnnl5n-lbdOrmKS-FeZUfZt2nSG0YhYlMY-3hcLHFoJb8X377EGbmYIec0H/s1600/20150124_121624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qamISsK7KMyA5BlSoFidSt9LsFJbGj_LjZlbhRt0NHXCMthlzkZ2nIFHDoiw_m2QtV82TVJCbISDvpg_tWnnl5n-lbdOrmKS-FeZUfZt2nSG0YhYlMY-3hcLHFoJb8X377EGbmYIec0H/s1600/20150124_121624.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He built a wood piece to go around the chandelier in the dining room and lowered the chandelier so that it would hang down into the fort. Awesome idea.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNscWQf1LdcRbH7NoDLmMIftdSVFjpeqNkH653MQsgWIg6Ay-KuN8Sjqeewnb_5RMcsi_n7AWCtA2gTbO0pKv5W8DDrJfJX83tYi95Towp2S4T5pWVWlLjpUru1P0CuVkuuxz8cbqSYjKP/s1600/20150124_185350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNscWQf1LdcRbH7NoDLmMIftdSVFjpeqNkH653MQsgWIg6Ay-KuN8Sjqeewnb_5RMcsi_n7AWCtA2gTbO0pKv5W8DDrJfJX83tYi95Towp2S4T5pWVWlLjpUru1P0CuVkuuxz8cbqSYjKP/s1600/20150124_185350.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our son Evan had fun during the assembly process and got to sleep in a test fort with his friend.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PUuBiK1nnmvVH9tLtkfq-7qS6iIgauFxrp6rJIOGcLhLJ8VW8E3Z-GWKgBN8UWXDQLScH4kyGAR88IG4LJbur3Pfq7q1bJzXk0Q5Ivbu76ZLlz4mto_ZGK9cUflE5PiXirzobZzhzQ9r/s1600/20150124_121701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PUuBiK1nnmvVH9tLtkfq-7qS6iIgauFxrp6rJIOGcLhLJ8VW8E3Z-GWKgBN8UWXDQLScH4kyGAR88IG4LJbur3Pfq7q1bJzXk0Q5Ivbu76ZLlz4mto_ZGK9cUflE5PiXirzobZzhzQ9r/s1600/20150124_121701.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0HJpAaMq33lrkHP-Z63sBAHyn3j1RegJ7brMsPWG6MjB9Sk1jXYMaaoTACW4Sf3J8KMrt1s3uMN7oyrQtLy7GnqswVmJ3x4R2tjAa85ItIHvFZ_9UmRA23sL1e2r7fEz_ed62-Y43GhS/s1600/20150124_223600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0HJpAaMq33lrkHP-Z63sBAHyn3j1RegJ7brMsPWG6MjB9Sk1jXYMaaoTACW4Sf3J8KMrt1s3uMN7oyrQtLy7GnqswVmJ3x4R2tjAa85ItIHvFZ_9UmRA23sL1e2r7fEz_ed62-Y43GhS/s1600/20150124_223600.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjG8y3T9HzREQvBd_m3UZzM-sXf5w2b8lzikhbgZqXvkrxqCxGdrF-bcdMu4C3MvaWTjHhESAoqu70yZvqUU4gRlAFVEs8JhRG5Via3CTADUtselmTgr7jZoUYPjw5b9wVi_KYDIjgivx/s1600/20150129_173541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjG8y3T9HzREQvBd_m3UZzM-sXf5w2b8lzikhbgZqXvkrxqCxGdrF-bcdMu4C3MvaWTjHhESAoqu70yZvqUU4gRlAFVEs8JhRG5Via3CTADUtselmTgr7jZoUYPjw5b9wVi_KYDIjgivx/s1600/20150129_173541.jpg" height="225" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once we had the method down, it was all about the final execution. We'd already thought about all of the details for the food, games and setup. The party was on Saturday and we assembled the fort on Thursday. It took about 5 hours to get it setup.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is our living room after the fort is setup. The middle was over 6 feet so you could stand in it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxmw0SYW3cdlYQcH2ZX7C0ttDLoYM1809fnE89J7Zz9N0Z4vE_67ZiqauPQegN9Ya2AYKfF8KNZs8IBgNy8KiAWY7y31TvQebOJZKfE3mDbLTDP60qYTFjb6rU7ZLlKjCQwCTUHhRUF-5/s1600/20150129_182122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxmw0SYW3cdlYQcH2ZX7C0ttDLoYM1809fnE89J7Zz9N0Z4vE_67ZiqauPQegN9Ya2AYKfF8KNZs8IBgNy8KiAWY7y31TvQebOJZKfE3mDbLTDP60qYTFjb6rU7ZLlKjCQwCTUHhRUF-5/s1600/20150129_182122.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had planned to extend the fort in our hallway and part of the kitchen. But, with two full rooms, we ran out of fabric and had to improvise with sheets, tablecloths and pillowcases to extend the fort down the sides. We decided to scratch the idea of extending the fort out into the other areas to be able to have enough pillows and blankets to make the existing fort as awesome as possible.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGszBhw-feIxrCKDjo2tmyKJDsfSSpMgzLVe4WwSq1tEMgUnM7BDzk5xSGSm43XPC9oJ4IMEZwa39yDNXMx924Vnb2idFZebjcL5x9DcVduaw1aG0Sv-TNn7gSpa2rbanUQxyIqW_yL4dT/s1600/20150131_121503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGszBhw-feIxrCKDjo2tmyKJDsfSSpMgzLVe4WwSq1tEMgUnM7BDzk5xSGSm43XPC9oJ4IMEZwa39yDNXMx924Vnb2idFZebjcL5x9DcVduaw1aG0Sv-TNn7gSpa2rbanUQxyIqW_yL4dT/s1600/20150131_121503.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was most excited about setting up the inside of the fort with pillows and blankets. We added Christmas lights for ambiance and planned to have a fire in the fireplace. The dining room was completely covered with pillows.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuUtw4I6vtLDWcNkjpkaqD1q2IIiMg2c4MSoyuVD-7XLtjSdE7H4_VBXWp163uGRS-lJH92sn6Wy-THwVOx-sN5zaSg3UJYbDPZhgusvTZS62HS7vBqT3SA7iWiivUO6PyuUdCA9_-Obp/s1600/20150131_122050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuUtw4I6vtLDWcNkjpkaqD1q2IIiMg2c4MSoyuVD-7XLtjSdE7H4_VBXWp163uGRS-lJH92sn6Wy-THwVOx-sN5zaSg3UJYbDPZhgusvTZS62HS7vBqT3SA7iWiivUO6PyuUdCA9_-Obp/s1600/20150131_122050.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwoEIpQnNAP29aQhzNb5zeJrUkVa2RCpPMykfasEc9zPnfyT17SvToNwO6i4sOi3Yf8rv97GzImaDNXETaz_kyVK-hcyXh35bNCGoXCriF6hsQvUbbzTi5fZvEavLE_4KO-EGN6cF4mbK/s1600/20150131_121747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwoEIpQnNAP29aQhzNb5zeJrUkVa2RCpPMykfasEc9zPnfyT17SvToNwO6i4sOi3Yf8rv97GzImaDNXETaz_kyVK-hcyXh35bNCGoXCriF6hsQvUbbzTi5fZvEavLE_4KO-EGN6cF4mbK/s1600/20150131_121747.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OGTQlsUXPuP-OLN_C4h9fGJwGTLzKfa5AR0vPhX1_Dm4pjJkhQgFPeJfCf35HN8j_asNBitPQ2TDXyrAEssI2Zri10JzcTnB9n2rMKuyszzV1zVpf04NYP4OIBPAQy5qLP1R45PSMmpV/s1600/20150131_121711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OGTQlsUXPuP-OLN_C4h9fGJwGTLzKfa5AR0vPhX1_Dm4pjJkhQgFPeJfCf35HN8j_asNBitPQ2TDXyrAEssI2Zri10JzcTnB9n2rMKuyszzV1zVpf04NYP4OIBPAQy5qLP1R45PSMmpV/s1600/20150131_121711.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The menu for the party included a selection of favorite "kid's" foods: Kraft mac & cheese, pigs in a blanket, dinosaur chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, smily face fries, goldfish crackers, pb & j with the crusts cut off, teddy grahams, pudding snack packs, funfetti cake and an assortment of sugary candy. We tried to make jello jigglers, but they didn't turn out.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1IpN6azslCOoAXHOFVs95-IBL_sCAjjGCH696mifCv06R-FJ-L_yO9aA61j-CWLJ01fDcPHYCNvIZe_X8SItWKJ8mkNJVQ7KWLjPrFRtsmBmG9WUiEhuvgqo3xeezx2BtQBzhpKBHGZr/s1600/Food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1IpN6azslCOoAXHOFVs95-IBL_sCAjjGCH696mifCv06R-FJ-L_yO9aA61j-CWLJ01fDcPHYCNvIZe_X8SItWKJ8mkNJVQ7KWLjPrFRtsmBmG9WUiEhuvgqo3xeezx2BtQBzhpKBHGZr/s1600/Food.jpg" height="222" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_j8IPsm3SgzzJsbBQcPDR1Yq3Fl24fJwVWeyfYeu6r5CTTLraSh9wug78ChpP2Vg0Uwnylu7DSXkgN8bEiD000NMeLEb69EOt1iYXyJtzf5L0cRiTvFgvcuxVRDGIr0zYw48QSm0zq4wg/s1600/Food+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_j8IPsm3SgzzJsbBQcPDR1Yq3Fl24fJwVWeyfYeu6r5CTTLraSh9wug78ChpP2Vg0Uwnylu7DSXkgN8bEiD000NMeLEb69EOt1iYXyJtzf5L0cRiTvFgvcuxVRDGIr0zYw48QSm0zq4wg/s1600/Food+2.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We made a "koolaid" type punch with fruit punch and rum and drank out of cups with bendy straws.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrglwRCXVuI6MOLScWt6AeEY1i4ZwWk4ohxMOy6uU2Le5DW1vyOjd9OAO_XKnY1sm4B6cDhr93wvy7OaPSZzqJn7ogIGXLAFWKiz0wMts4s-V_TQVSLncmgsfEtYPJkx6PyQNptIEoGVoS/s1600/Rum+Punch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrglwRCXVuI6MOLScWt6AeEY1i4ZwWk4ohxMOy6uU2Le5DW1vyOjd9OAO_XKnY1sm4B6cDhr93wvy7OaPSZzqJn7ogIGXLAFWKiz0wMts4s-V_TQVSLncmgsfEtYPJkx6PyQNptIEoGVoS/s1600/Rum+Punch.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We chose some classic childhood games and a 64 pack of crayons and coloring books.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2CgDXNuRx8gyzmNd4GnyZyyroVxs49RSVAQsGqlm-dVM_Kz-qgBUsf-Dhu7t7ue1zon97ndJmXOsGjbGWY1hGAZVPYZZVk9Zb9j9GdGm0ljHEEek1geF0aNDQEHmoS0na3NrunHhHjy0/s1600/Games+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2CgDXNuRx8gyzmNd4GnyZyyroVxs49RSVAQsGqlm-dVM_Kz-qgBUsf-Dhu7t7ue1zon97ndJmXOsGjbGWY1hGAZVPYZZVk9Zb9j9GdGm0ljHEEek1geF0aNDQEHmoS0na3NrunHhHjy0/s1600/Games+Pic.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of coarse, at a blanket fort party, everyone must wear pajamas. There were some pretty awesome pajamas sported at the party that I neglected to get good pictures of. From, footie pajamas, to zombie slippers to Batman legging type pants that were extremely small (on one of our guy friends).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkEGDr16qgH03B0vlQ_MN-jtqn_fJA7302Wte2mQYc1iIsXXkZ3JH2XfAFR5tF5y3TfcUfdR_2Xav13UJiUO3nEsdTKYB8jVxDW1twfqQBV09tFwfqG78jFedwPhLI0Pu7OIHmN67RPrJ/s1600/20150131_193355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkEGDr16qgH03B0vlQ_MN-jtqn_fJA7302Wte2mQYc1iIsXXkZ3JH2XfAFR5tF5y3TfcUfdR_2Xav13UJiUO3nEsdTKYB8jVxDW1twfqQBV09tFwfqG78jFedwPhLI0Pu7OIHmN67RPrJ/s1600/20150131_193355.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The "pillow room" was the gaming area. We setup our friend's Super Nintendo and played Mario and other games.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-y0n4b60IhRmRECdQTxihKn0ndLLpFKi_3mBIZw35IcBzDk28CYJLd28IWJU54teyWa7zS2skxHxDY-_jodeCNs_LWOSuQBKrEDK8NULzBpibIvo_Gvhoi7S6RoVRB_nZcaG5JM1YBCUv/s1600/vidgames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-y0n4b60IhRmRECdQTxihKn0ndLLpFKi_3mBIZw35IcBzDk28CYJLd28IWJU54teyWa7zS2skxHxDY-_jodeCNs_LWOSuQBKrEDK8NULzBpibIvo_Gvhoi7S6RoVRB_nZcaG5JM1YBCUv/s1600/vidgames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-y0n4b60IhRmRECdQTxihKn0ndLLpFKi_3mBIZw35IcBzDk28CYJLd28IWJU54teyWa7zS2skxHxDY-_jodeCNs_LWOSuQBKrEDK8NULzBpibIvo_Gvhoi7S6RoVRB_nZcaG5JM1YBCUv/s1600/vidgames.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The living room was the spot for activities like coloring, playing games and girl's gossiping about going to second base. We planned to play the movie "Big" on the TV, but had trouble with the Roku.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7G2LsEQNMGkkC236MSRCXyZzGgem7FeT2SnXHCyZaHfT8gPIuEBdZIkEpBA55u4fMPpC4-1_uzf8paEaVkadWh2Vi5OjEXXKHCLc4d1goo8lDmP_HM_jBKBSQboF-biI75LNbOusvI7N/s1600/coloring+laura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7G2LsEQNMGkkC236MSRCXyZzGgem7FeT2SnXHCyZaHfT8gPIuEBdZIkEpBA55u4fMPpC4-1_uzf8paEaVkadWh2Vi5OjEXXKHCLc4d1goo8lDmP_HM_jBKBSQboF-biI75LNbOusvI7N/s1600/coloring+laura.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later in the night, the games got more grown-up as we played Cards Against Humanity.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABh6gusVe6tv6Gm8MLtzZ-lWphd4NxefOzc1YdIarBVAr6WLsUL3LxB-c1FssR8nHlbhZ6Yjthf1yaW_lwLuHnHU3TPCOuG9exi90nRw9F68DgO5Isylz9F1S2-X2LmvFx193b5c4mPmq/s1600/20150131_231438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABh6gusVe6tv6Gm8MLtzZ-lWphd4NxefOzc1YdIarBVAr6WLsUL3LxB-c1FssR8nHlbhZ6Yjthf1yaW_lwLuHnHU3TPCOuG9exi90nRw9F68DgO5Isylz9F1S2-X2LmvFx193b5c4mPmq/s1600/20150131_231438.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our friend Tony brought a classic game, "Double Dare."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0fcsWVgm1DpxQI0pCEWZkJK2pDIEXfetAUk6PtJW0jEyoZrDalcPnpOL_Bn-OIAMK2xZYNGyNA_W_zMi3bpDmdeeytseWQSMXFi0UweVii7Zvn4CbTA1fodMaiJkgLI1B6rN93M61T5V/s1600/double+dare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0fcsWVgm1DpxQI0pCEWZkJK2pDIEXfetAUk6PtJW0jEyoZrDalcPnpOL_Bn-OIAMK2xZYNGyNA_W_zMi3bpDmdeeytseWQSMXFi0UweVii7Zvn4CbTA1fodMaiJkgLI1B6rN93M61T5V/s1600/double+dare.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was definitely a party to remember. I'm glad we have friends who are kids at heart and could enjoy the fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite parts was seeing everyone's surprise and reactions when they arrived and stepped inside the fort. Some of them seemed to have a childlike gleam in their eyes when they saw the fort.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was fun to get to relax in our pajamas and go back to our childhood for the night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all of the work of assembling it, I'm not ready to take it down immediately. I'm taking bets on how long it stays up before we take it down. It's assembled in the two rooms we don't really use much as we have another family room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night, Brian and I slept in the fort in the pillow room. It was around 2:30 a.m. when we finally went to bed. We were so tired, we didn't even make it to second base. It was the perfect end to the night.</span></div>
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Most everyone suffers from some form of the "winter blahs."<br />
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From feeling like going into full hibernation, to having a decrease in energy, the winter blahs are very real.<br />
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As someone who thrives during the sunny, summer months, I dread winter. I love to be outdoors and I am not a fan of the cold.<br />
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The holidays are fun, and the fluffy snow stuff is pretty. But, once the holidays are over, I am ready for spring.<br />
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So, this blog post is dedicated to helping beat the winter blahs. Here are ten ideas for surviving winter and making the best of it.<br />
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<b>1. Savor the Simple "Winter" Things</b><br />
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Yes, winter sucks. But, there are some things that are kind of nice about it. Try to focus on enjoying some of the things you like about it. Comfy pajamas, hot tea/coffee, snuggling up with a book or movie, skiing and sledding, not having to be so worried about pedicures or shaving your legs everyday... One of my favorite "winter" things is sitting outside in a hot tub when it's cold out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5m3rwLJpOaufwPGJI9wFqIbvtqio786UuuMH4kxdibqgROoFVeQe0r2VK6mECWAmmWPkWLsmX8NE6-a7AQcF1NVCjbSUkm1Ynimt-EO2HDJIr3okajh1ZYZ9eVxbhiMV9AcceAEr9rAD/s1600/013_snow_pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5m3rwLJpOaufwPGJI9wFqIbvtqio786UuuMH4kxdibqgROoFVeQe0r2VK6mECWAmmWPkWLsmX8NE6-a7AQcF1NVCjbSUkm1Ynimt-EO2HDJIr3okajh1ZYZ9eVxbhiMV9AcceAEr9rAD/s1600/013_snow_pic2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>2. Something to Look Forward to</b><br />
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One of the best ways to help beat the winter blahs is to have something to look forward to. Plan a vacation or a party. Whatever it might be, it's a pick me up to anticipate the good things coming. We often take vacation in the spring. Fantasizing about lying on the beach helps winter not suck so much.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSF-xk7zmSnSxf0a-QDfFUtAOUetqvDoJJua_vwvfCruMAYb83rLUZKl8HsGbDCX49DPAxFJlfFT8qmsV4pU8jZf7enB8ckQDAFmpzNBVPopvJZ-Ris2N31qUPicrGYpFxBu0DAAo_BazG/s1600/stock-footage-writing-vacation-date-on-calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSF-xk7zmSnSxf0a-QDfFUtAOUetqvDoJJua_vwvfCruMAYb83rLUZKl8HsGbDCX49DPAxFJlfFT8qmsV4pU8jZf7enB8ckQDAFmpzNBVPopvJZ-Ris2N31qUPicrGYpFxBu0DAAo_BazG/s1600/stock-footage-writing-vacation-date-on-calendar.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Light Therapy</b><br />
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One of the main reasons for the winter blahs is lack of sunlight. Light therapy is said to help seasonal depression and increase energy. I recently ordered a "Happy Light" which is a desk light that emits a brighter light. Get as much light as you can. Even driving or sitting by the window when the sun is shining is a mood booster.<br />
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<b>4. Get Some Fresh Air</b><br />
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Get outside and get some fresh air when you can. Even if it is just for a few minutes. I try to find whatever excuses I can to go outside, even just to check the mail and take the garbage out. On the not so cold days of winter, take your pets for a walk or take advantage of the mild temperatures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzabmDEFlvAqm0EuKbqplzdFy-Uk7Vq-kduyQiPaPcakCSM9Mqb8dPYAInoFy-Vb0skzkmhEXyMafVg-i8bGkDkhhJUdNfplgqWlJg6FYh-ZDscE7fv93141wQ8wht8l_VAdtzrWcHPjnP/s1600/snow-walk-dog-1_1772168i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzabmDEFlvAqm0EuKbqplzdFy-Uk7Vq-kduyQiPaPcakCSM9Mqb8dPYAInoFy-Vb0skzkmhEXyMafVg-i8bGkDkhhJUdNfplgqWlJg6FYh-ZDscE7fv93141wQ8wht8l_VAdtzrWcHPjnP/s1600/snow-walk-dog-1_1772168i.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>5. Force Yourself to Get Out of the House and Socialize</b><br />
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Force yourself to get out of the house and socialize, even if you don't feel like it. Plan to go for coffee or a drink with a friend. Go to a movie. Attend a networking group activity. Once you get out, you'll feel better.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2pkyH2PkZ9GMrO3mUlkUwkx-z3Hz7yFnFL2Qtf8rVR-Oj5VR148CVOJGqHLwY2O7kOAl00QBCZGLiTG2iHpae-XaNf8Cc6MR4cIYdJ3Ie_fkvQ9lWMzrVAxdmzc-_V1LfRMlegCoXi6F/s1600/5736376_f496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2pkyH2PkZ9GMrO3mUlkUwkx-z3Hz7yFnFL2Qtf8rVR-Oj5VR148CVOJGqHLwY2O7kOAl00QBCZGLiTG2iHpae-XaNf8Cc6MR4cIYdJ3Ie_fkvQ9lWMzrVAxdmzc-_V1LfRMlegCoXi6F/s1600/5736376_f496.jpg" height="225" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>6. Take a Class or Practice a Hobby</b><br />
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The winter is a great time to take a class or work on a hobby or other projects. Take up pottery or painting. Always wanted to learn how to knit? Bake? Learn a new language? Spend time working on it during the slower winter months. You'll make your way into the warmer months with a new skill.<br />
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<b>7. Break Out of a Rut</b><br />
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Brighten up your day by switching it up. Wear bright lipstick or bright clothes. Paint an accent wall in your living room. Try a new food or restaurant. Find some fun amid the dreary days of winter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk158Eo3SFRAWBOhyphenhyphen1tGEUe3J_tYm7_tag6qLLHvHYezRWnO9qmljlQ-JUq7KAswptk4w0BnMJxZ1rmmB2hWuMVQuciZIzlsAzz7xSN62OW0-25HAdHXnqGb60sHfombY4tjnDY_GSKw4/s1600/ff641adf1115dd889c411ae858f0d988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk158Eo3SFRAWBOhyphenhyphen1tGEUe3J_tYm7_tag6qLLHvHYezRWnO9qmljlQ-JUq7KAswptk4w0BnMJxZ1rmmB2hWuMVQuciZIzlsAzz7xSN62OW0-25HAdHXnqGb60sHfombY4tjnDY_GSKw4/s1600/ff641adf1115dd889c411ae858f0d988.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
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<b>8. Focus On Your Goal-Setting</b><br />
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The winter months are a great time to evaluate your goals and do planning for your personal development. Take the time to examine yourself and work towards a better you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0AW6M3-uyKABdbID1oW45Z8uNQ3ZBzORrcbvBtyEnpcwp79AWEiZ0kpUw2_j_Q6IgBRro1y5-vmPVNSD2FieNTL4saE_oIlEZ8-Q_kuzu3ACdGEdPVvGyLnDpCaaEpNkKP1f5XoZLCQX/s1600/Goals+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0AW6M3-uyKABdbID1oW45Z8uNQ3ZBzORrcbvBtyEnpcwp79AWEiZ0kpUw2_j_Q6IgBRro1y5-vmPVNSD2FieNTL4saE_oIlEZ8-Q_kuzu3ACdGEdPVvGyLnDpCaaEpNkKP1f5XoZLCQX/s1600/Goals+(1).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>9. Organize Your Space</b><br />
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Get ahead of the "spring cleaning" and organize your space during the winter months. Take on a project, or take on several. Organize your basement. Who wants to be down in your basement on a warm, sunny day? Organize your file cabinet or kitchen drawers. Clean out your closets. One of my favorite "feel good" activities is purging my closet. Once you get rid of a bunch of stuff, it will feel really good.<br />
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<b>10. Hibernate</b><br />
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I often suffer from "I feel like I have to be productive all the time and can't relax" syndrome. Allow yourself to take it easy. Read a book or watch a movie. Don't beat yourself up feeling guilty for not doing enough. Winter is meant for a little bit of hibernation.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Happy Winter!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621166947933137375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7227198708905619359.post-46685144172506966992015-01-05T17:50:00.001-08:002015-01-05T18:49:41.867-08:00"If Winter Comes, Can Spring Be Far Behind?"January has arrived. For much of the country, the brutal cold has as well. It feels like winter is officially here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eEZJtWC76GtVn5Kroo1-PsBn-LsukW4adwrLlYONLNxv44pyqFfNP28dJWcOpwAXBjv5J5PR5JjZcpHZ3oA-h-OJy4YnGf2KiWPzmnlMeOr3B42qDbmFeYhwD8yvzACwvsqciWO15dhu/s1600/aptopix-winter-weather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eEZJtWC76GtVn5Kroo1-PsBn-LsukW4adwrLlYONLNxv44pyqFfNP28dJWcOpwAXBjv5J5PR5JjZcpHZ3oA-h-OJy4YnGf2KiWPzmnlMeOr3B42qDbmFeYhwD8yvzACwvsqciWO15dhu/s1600/aptopix-winter-weather.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a>The holidays have passed and we have entered the coldest months of the year.<br />
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Temperatures plunging below zero and blowing snow are parts of winter that the majority of us share a blatant hatred for. </div>
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Here in the Midwest, winter can be brutal.</div>
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As I write this post, the snow is starting to pile up outside and temperatures are forecasted to remain below zero throughout the majority of the week.</div>
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It is times like these that I think about a certain quotation, "If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." - Anne Bradstreet</div>
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Winter is what makes summer so great. All of those days lying in the backyard on the hammock... bare toes touching the fresh, green grass... the sun on your skin.</div>
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But, here we are today in the middle of winter. Little or no sunshine... stuck inside the house... dry, itchy skin...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlUeDaZQR7kRgBRcU15sXgf4bibZ0XiBpy3Wriv2z80D_OO6OJI4jN3hfpaUakOrYKh9eBfN2AzisZ0aMxQ63yXQK_Aj6CQYp3dMlXAmOU1jBNGpgC2TxK8d9Gr56G2d7i1FD5a4kGap2/s1600/3173817970_0c47b1bd21_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlUeDaZQR7kRgBRcU15sXgf4bibZ0XiBpy3Wriv2z80D_OO6OJI4jN3hfpaUakOrYKh9eBfN2AzisZ0aMxQ63yXQK_Aj6CQYp3dMlXAmOU1jBNGpgC2TxK8d9Gr56G2d7i1FD5a4kGap2/s1600/3173817970_0c47b1bd21_z.jpg" height="219" width="640" /></a></div>
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It is a good time to remind yourself that before you know it, winter will come to an end.</div>
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Adversity in all parts of our lives is much like winter. Though hard times are unpleasant, they are opportunities for growth that enable us to truly appreciate and recognize the blessings in our lives.</div>
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At the time, it is often difficult and almost impossible to see the positive to an undesirable situation. But, it's the hard and bad times that helps make the good times that much better.</div>
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An example is within relationships. You may not truly appreciate a healthy and positive relationship if you have never experienced an unhealthy and negative one.</div>
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Or, with your job. You may recognize that you are blessed with a great team or great benefits after previously being in a situation with a bad environment working for little pay.</div>
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I like to think of summer as our reward for enduring the winter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_e5SCyhu0Fgvm9i0HnwmrAg_KvT9LqEQazLN9uvE_CAKyKlRiO37UCYQhogwkSEQ93mr02N74wtHovbmkvoz-GxQedV6tOvIiYNN0a9MYTTXqEIM4xZibm0GQ9feVm66LgNUqxCkdP8Vo/s1600/WinterWeatherColdSnowPaulSancya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_e5SCyhu0Fgvm9i0HnwmrAg_KvT9LqEQazLN9uvE_CAKyKlRiO37UCYQhogwkSEQ93mr02N74wtHovbmkvoz-GxQedV6tOvIiYNN0a9MYTTXqEIM4xZibm0GQ9feVm66LgNUqxCkdP8Vo/s1600/WinterWeatherColdSnowPaulSancya.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a>It's much like the feeling after working hard all day and then getting to finally take your shoes off. Or, the feeling after putting in a full week of workouts and finding that you have come closer to your goal weight.</div>
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How great will it feel when the first spring-like day arrives? When the snow thaws and the smell of spring permeates in the air? When the birds start chirping and in their songs is a little bit of hope?</div>
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Soon, we'll be basking in the sunshine again... driving with the windows down... sipping drinks on the porch.</div>
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Until then, I'll end with another quote, "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips it's turn."- Hal Borland.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621166947933137375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7227198708905619359.post-15646811568858762262014-12-28T18:47:00.001-08:002015-01-05T16:22:04.977-08:00Five Keys to Creating a Vision Board<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of my favorite things to do around the New Year is update my vision board.</div>
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This year I had some new things that I wanted to add and some things that I was able to take off of my board because I have achieved them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl2iTh6P3gwDSoZRxeRIJMAr4H38cja0pDJ3u5KRqK5RSoa0Vyw6_14Upwt7Hc7ONMJ4hJYiT24wmQqMKhUzz_TssxC92K5jX_UP4iCKseN5ORhLIrsnSxOz1MuPbWax4lS1hf4FI-7fn/s1600/2013vision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl2iTh6P3gwDSoZRxeRIJMAr4H38cja0pDJ3u5KRqK5RSoa0Vyw6_14Upwt7Hc7ONMJ4hJYiT24wmQqMKhUzz_TssxC92K5jX_UP4iCKseN5ORhLIrsnSxOz1MuPbWax4lS1hf4FI-7fn/s1600/2013vision.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
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My previous board was on a huge poster board. A few things that I have accomplished that were on my board are: to go kayaking, have my own office and open a business.</div>
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This year, I decided to make a smaller board with fewer pictures. I wanted to make the board really focused and more specific.<br />
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I selected a few specific things that I want to achieve and work on this year. It definitely evokes a different feeling than the old board. To me, it says "action."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUEL8ZeVFdDUtVYst6ro_l2tCks-gfLr6JES7HV9K9EJIhBlcJjEQhQarEVq5IslJjajhrScJlJ0VmW1NcvWMc-X74ELNEdDX-y97GNnZhJHbjiHeOvS22ZSaYTw3nLiTA35t3YO8RdM3/s1600/vision2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUEL8ZeVFdDUtVYst6ro_l2tCks-gfLr6JES7HV9K9EJIhBlcJjEQhQarEVq5IslJjajhrScJlJ0VmW1NcvWMc-X74ELNEdDX-y97GNnZhJHbjiHeOvS22ZSaYTw3nLiTA35t3YO8RdM3/s1600/vision2014.jpg" height="321" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some of the things on my board are: get published, see U2 on their 2015 tour, spend more time with my nieces and nephews, kayaking trips, grow my business and surround myself with positive people.<br />
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Vision boards are utilized by many successful and influential people.</div>
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The object of a vision board is to create a picture of your goals and desires. For those who consider themselves a "visual person," they can be a powerful tool. Visualization can help bring your dreams to life.</div>
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Aesthetically pleasing images and words can convey a personal message and energize and motivate you. Not only is the final product a motivating factor, but the discovery process along the way is a significant part of goal setting and creating the life that you want. </div>
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To help you get started, here are five keys to making a vision board:</h2>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Create Something Meaningful for You</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anything that you choose to include on your board should speak to you. Use images that strike a chord inside of you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A vision board is personal and individualized. The key is to create something meaningful and useful for you. You can create a board that has few pictures or many pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is important to ask yourself questions when thinking about what you want on your board. What does your ideal life look like? What's on your bucket list? What blessings do you have now that you want to see continue to blossom?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrVbbh1SCV_wbFAkX8wOmUSCirrgK6nKbPEvvLrUhL5BaGikHO92vYdKkB8OD_5oYNa6gUIgvRRyiBwuwaS0nTGdEgZKP1qTEdXCrUguNjo2K-QvDIHh5ndR1UHOlxsv3bTypoL2qYK00/s1600/vision-board-2014-crossfit-round-rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrVbbh1SCV_wbFAkX8wOmUSCirrgK6nKbPEvvLrUhL5BaGikHO92vYdKkB8OD_5oYNa6gUIgvRRyiBwuwaS0nTGdEgZKP1qTEdXCrUguNjo2K-QvDIHh5ndR1UHOlxsv3bTypoL2qYK00/s1600/vision-board-2014-crossfit-round-rock.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Take Your Time and Be Intentional</span></b></h3>
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The most popular way to create a board is to gather a stack of magazines and flip through them to clip out any phrases or pictures that jump out at you. I encourage an alternative approach.</div>
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I find it much more useful to select my own images by gathering and printing them out. I encourage you to take some time gathering some photos that are relevant and meaningful to you. You can gather them from magazines over time, search for images online, or even use your own photographs.</div>
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It can take days or weeks to gather the pictures that you want to use for the project. I suggest creating a folder on your computer and taking time to gather images that you want to use for your board. The more thought you put into your board, the more useful it will be for you. </div>
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Part of the power in creating a vision board is allowing yourself to think and evaluate your current self and who you want to become.</div>
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When you do gather your images, you can still pick and choose what images you would like to include in the final product. As you are putting it together, see which pictures convey the most meaning to you.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3gV6xfGP-zCSAyeS86Z1_uCRjnwKav1oqTiPeCBUEn5lUNSogk02yUuqcSH4nMvs8Ed4tRGFnzK3cCkhix16ZUuLZCSXA-v7c_UxnhBnwIeCISHV0A0UJ0ootorXdbyEzOQMmNIgrqwe/s1600/vision-board+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3gV6xfGP-zCSAyeS86Z1_uCRjnwKav1oqTiPeCBUEn5lUNSogk02yUuqcSH4nMvs8Ed4tRGFnzK3cCkhix16ZUuLZCSXA-v7c_UxnhBnwIeCISHV0A0UJ0ootorXdbyEzOQMmNIgrqwe/s1600/vision-board+4.jpg" height="307" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3. Incorporate Words</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">It can be useful to include words or quotations when creating your vision board. Words can be a beneficial tool to emphasize a principle or concept that's important to you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Adjectives like, "success" and "gratitude" can be a clear and concise way to convey your purpose and desires. Words or phrases can help inspire you and evoke just as much emotion as a picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Quotations can also be great to include. Whether they are words of guidance that you live by, or quotations involving certain areas that you want to improve upon, think about what quotations might be a good to include on your board.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA470BfhXq5ZZxBlz8_PRrbCEhE1sNq1jEDr2ICyX7it_3A_cw1fyHQWKCXU3wwIBJZrGVbhRmcEr4-C8TMq9KgEI7ICUqsIUpu1B3vThjm_q7IMw7ZJAxgXAa6pUYlRh5G1mdfH4-1XFi/s1600/vision-board.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA470BfhXq5ZZxBlz8_PRrbCEhE1sNq1jEDr2ICyX7it_3A_cw1fyHQWKCXU3wwIBJZrGVbhRmcEr4-C8TMq9KgEI7ICUqsIUpu1B3vThjm_q7IMw7ZJAxgXAa6pUYlRh5G1mdfH4-1XFi/s1600/vision-board.png" height="251" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Just Do It</span></b></h3>
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Quit talking about it and saying that you should create a vision board. Just create one. Take some time to let yourself dream. Think about what's important to you and what you want to achieve.</div>
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It can be an enlightening and grounding experience to create a vision board. Making one lets you tap into your artistic side. When is the last time that you have devoted your energy to dream and lay out a vision for yourself?</div>
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Making a vision board can be a lot of fun. Make the decision to try it and then just do it! Take charge of your life. Take the step to create a vision for your goals and manifest the life that you want.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h96cgGeAMo3EKWQf-WpyEBFiMvVJujOFC5mth5RurzoGAH_u6OF_lVcply_MKm9NuV06Xi-CJ_IUi0BEJJ6uEtQUzA19MeOIduP-Dik11bbvVPS6dt0VWKVvUPDmEZUXOIU3D1zmSbYF/s1600/photo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h96cgGeAMo3EKWQf-WpyEBFiMvVJujOFC5mth5RurzoGAH_u6OF_lVcply_MKm9NuV06Xi-CJ_IUi0BEJJ6uEtQUzA19MeOIduP-Dik11bbvVPS6dt0VWKVvUPDmEZUXOIU3D1zmSbYF/s1600/photo-1.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Come Back to It Often</span></b></h3>
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The purpose of a vision board is to use it as a reminder of your goals and dreams. A vision board can help be a reminder and ground you. For best results, keep your vision board where you will see it often.</div>
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Over time, you will find that there are goals that you accomplish and can take off the board. Or, there will be goals that you want to add. Then, there will be some things that will remain on your vision boards over the years.</div>
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It's good to do an assessment every so often and recreate the board when you are moved to. I find that it is beneficial to do every one to two years. Save your old boards if you can, or take photos of them. They will all tell a story of the person that you strive to be. It will feel great when you see how far you've come.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy visualizing!</span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpjApiczdoWpcm7dHTD4ElTdR1P10lgvAm6r4bC6aiOFvb2KTbN0gG0-zbMLp1iaW2acf8LxR2AH-EcPiL3Chea-esQq8aDGNI7ST5WLoQQheSNANlxebyf_PAftBHB8kN7SA7eEwWUeh/s1600/Vision-BoardExport-600x480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpjApiczdoWpcm7dHTD4ElTdR1P10lgvAm6r4bC6aiOFvb2KTbN0gG0-zbMLp1iaW2acf8LxR2AH-EcPiL3Chea-esQq8aDGNI7ST5WLoQQheSNANlxebyf_PAftBHB8kN7SA7eEwWUeh/s1600/Vision-BoardExport-600x480.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10621166947933137375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7227198708905619359.post-28720506361831089222014-12-25T20:05:00.001-08:002014-12-26T10:11:59.638-08:00New Year's Resolutions: Why You Should Make One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYexhsfaCokJ46hyGP5yq8AyhrLObtWSoF1pFWtKW62RBIIMRbbetc5QHDdgDELSWFPlKiXCJb_iRbV3JdIvpr-hP5eD_oUQugU6LvhT_J4y_8YhvNTbox8IHP5x26agoD_hWyiKDLYOSj/s1600/new-years-resolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYexhsfaCokJ46hyGP5yq8AyhrLObtWSoF1pFWtKW62RBIIMRbbetc5QHDdgDELSWFPlKiXCJb_iRbV3JdIvpr-hP5eD_oUQugU6LvhT_J4y_8YhvNTbox8IHP5x26agoD_hWyiKDLYOSj/s1600/new-years-resolution.jpg" height="356" width="640"></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The New Year is just around
the corner. The days left in the year are quickly diminishing and so you may be
starting to think about resolutions for the upcoming year and reflecting on the
resolutions that you made last year. </span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maybe you planned to start a workout
routine and eventually fit into your old jeans. Or, maybe you resolved to be
more organized. Maybe you wanted to read a book every month, or read to your
kids every night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Whatever it was that you wanted to do or do better this year,
you are probably at least somewhat disappointed in yourself that you didn’t
fully follow through. </span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">You might have worked out five days a week for the first
six weeks, but then you started slacking. You might have read five books this
year, but you didn’t read one every month. You might have reorganized your
house and bought more shelving for your storage room, but you still had a hard
time keeping it organized.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_oF1kZ8yKf6icDTUpOb2i6Kxa_R43I02BKKOArb-bG4KvEa8K1Tu2lhFhR8iVTGvFElj7rjDM_WxQ_dNcRtZosXMhlAu1ipfxGeCVuL2jdfB5Xzr6tYeJofbg9kfxu7gA_i3xjytuKzk/s1600/new-year-res-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_oF1kZ8yKf6icDTUpOb2i6Kxa_R43I02BKKOArb-bG4KvEa8K1Tu2lhFhR8iVTGvFElj7rjDM_WxQ_dNcRtZosXMhlAu1ipfxGeCVuL2jdfB5Xzr6tYeJofbg9kfxu7gA_i3xjytuKzk/s1600/new-year-res-4.jpg" height="266" width="400"></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">It is discouraging to look back at the past
year or years and feel that you have not accomplished as much as you wish you
had. You may even feel like New Year’s resolutions are bound to fail and that
it is just pointless to keep making them. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">New Year’s resolutions are commonly
joked about and scoffed at by some. Those who set them often start out highly
motivated and determined and then quickly lose steam and “fall off the wagon.” </span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">You might not want to make a resolution, because if you do, it is almost a
guarantee that you won’t fully succeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If they are worthwhile, New Year’s resolutions are challenging
to stick to for good reason. They are hard to stick to for the same reason that
they have been hard to stick to before making them. They are personal and
important to us, though we have not been able to fully put them into practice
for some reason or another. They are significant enough to be our personal
focus for an entire year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Though you may have not fully followed through, there is
probably some part of your New Year’s resolution from the past year or years
that made you a better person. </span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maybe you did not work out five days a week, but tried yoga for the first time and began going to a class on a couple of days
a week. Maybe you did not read to your kids every night, but you read to them
more than you did the year before. </span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Or, perhaps it was just an overall tone that
was set for the whole year. Perhaps, you tried harder to think positive, or
worked on not gossiping so much about others. </span><br>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Just because you did not fully
accomplish your resolution this year, does not mean that you should give up on
making one for next year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If you desire to live a fulfilling life and continuously strive
to be a better version of you, it is important to set goals for yourself. New
Year’s resolutions give you focus and intent for the year ahead and call
attention to what you would like to improve upon. </span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">A popular quote from Zig Ziglar
states, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does
bathing- that’s why we recommend it daily.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">It can be easier to set smaller goals throughout the year rather
than try to narrow in on one big resolution. A good resolution can be something
simple like drinking more water or making your bed every morning. A resolution
is considered “good” not if you follow through, but if it involves working on
something that will improve your life or the lives of others around you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5cauUDDHEvs-vvd5dlXr1lOU-PYTWiWS5jp2CAREZyEMj8n4GyyJ5vMtJt41PJg-GFChl1lzp1UZQT1QHZg4t3OZK5xOJZrkp-xtXxYK7MjC-xmCN8WDMI0Sl8Za22HaEssPuQmJw71q/s1600/2011-year-resolution-400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5cauUDDHEvs-vvd5dlXr1lOU-PYTWiWS5jp2CAREZyEMj8n4GyyJ5vMtJt41PJg-GFChl1lzp1UZQT1QHZg4t3OZK5xOJZrkp-xtXxYK7MjC-xmCN8WDMI0Sl8Za22HaEssPuQmJw71q/s1600/2011-year-resolution-400x400.jpg" height="400" width="400"></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Many critics will say that New Year’s resolutions are limiting,
because you should be trying to better yourself all year and not just at the
time of the New Year. But, the end of the year is a great time for reflection
and evaluation of your goals and desires. It is a time to think about the big
picture and to pinpoint what it really is that is important to you and where
you could improve upon your life for the future. </span><br>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The New Year offers a fresh
start, much like a Monday, or a new day. In a way, the New Year feels like a
blank slate to begin again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">So, do yourself a favor and make a resolution. </span><br>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Take some time
out of your busy schedule to assess the current state of your life and to envision
where you want to see yourself in the future. </span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Resolve not to give up on yourself
and what is important to you. Resolve to work towards a better version of you.
Resolve to take this opportunity to start fresh and make this coming year
better than the last.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Wishing you a Happy New Year!</div>
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